• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Fun Bus Names North Carolina Businesswoman 'Franchisee of the Year'

Posted on: Wednesday, 4 February 2009, 08:30 CST

- Enterprising mother uses rolling gym to bring fitness education to kids across south Charlotte area

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Fun Bus: Fitness for Kids, the fast-growing franchise that uses school buses filled with exercise equipment to get America's kids up and moving, today named Felicia Murphy its "Franchisee of the Year" for 2008. Murphy, a 43-year-old mother of two based in Indian Trail, N.C., won the award for her passionate efforts to bring fitness education to kids across the south Charlotte and Union County areas, said Fun Bus co-founder Kari Denton.

"Felicia is a trailblazer," Denton said. "Since launching her franchise in 2006, she has earned a tremendous reputation for being a consummate professional who loves kids and is passionate about teaching them that exercise is both healthy and fun. Her efforts came to fruition as word of mouth about her business took off among nursery school and childcare operators, and parents planning birthday parties."

Murphy, who continues to work as a licensed real estate broker, moved to Union County from Connecticut in 2000 for a different lifestyle for her family. Along the way, she began to search for a business to run on a part-time basis, ultimately selecting Fun Bus. After successfully completing the New Jersey-based company's safety and business-management training courses, she hit the road in a refurbished bus filled with safety-certified equipment such as barrels, tumbling mats, swings, climbing ropes and balance beams. With her husband, Brack, driving the bus, Murphy then set about bringing the concept to Charlotte's nursery school operators, daycare owners and parents, all of whom responded to the idea of a fun, affordable and climate-controlled gym for vehicle-infatuated two- to seven-year-olds.

"We started with just a few small schools and childcare centers, but now more and more national and regional franchised schools are hiring us to make weekly visits," Murphy said. "Word of mouth also spread quickly among parents, who love the idea of a Fun Bus birthday party."

During a typical Fun Bus workout session -- the average cost is $10 per child -- kids play games, jump, dance, tumble and climb with thematic music playing in the background. Two insured and safety-certified instructors lead the workouts, which are designed to be both structured and loose, with no required assistance from parents or teachers. The bus stays parked throughout the visit.

For Murphy, becoming a Fun Bus owner was an appealing and affordable alternative to owning a brick-and-mortar children's gym or fast-food restaurant. The average start-up cost for a Fun Bus franchise is about $85,000, including the franchise fee, vehicle and marketing expenses, whereas some conventional franchises can cost two or three times that amount to launch, Murphy noted. "I love the flexibility," she said. "But the best part by far is interacting with the kids."

As a parent, moreover, Murphy is concerned about the national epidemic of childhood obesity and related health concerns. "Often we'll get on the bus with kids and say, 'OK, let's play hopscotch!' or 'Time for some jumping-jacks!' and the kids will have no clue what we're talking about," she said. "This is true even of four- and five-year-olds. It is clear to me that we've got to do something to improve fitness education for children. Fun Bus is great way to teach kids lessons that will last a lifetime."

About Fun Bus: Fitness for Kids

Fun Bus (www.funbuses.com) was founded in 2001 when Kari Denton and Dawn McGarry hit on the idea of transforming an old school bus into a brightly colored fitness center for kids. Sparked in part by the childhood obesity crisis, demand proved so strong that the mother-daughter duo quickly put a second bus on the road. Today, 32 franchisees own and operate a total of 35 uniformly decorated and equipped Fun Buses in 11 states. The Shrewsbury, N.J.-based company continues to work with select franchisees as it expands into family-friendly, demographically robust communities across the country.

SOURCE Fun Bus: Fitness for Kids

Source: PR Newswire

More News in this Category