Start a Special Strong Franchise in 2025

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $85K - $103K

Units as of 2025: 18 157.1% over 3 years

Special Strong is an adaptive fitness center franchise specializing in people dealing with mental, physical, and cognitive difficulties like autism, down syndrome, traumatic brain injuries, paraplegia, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy. Special Strong has helped over a thousand members in Texas and Arizona, with plans of reaching more customers across the United States through franchising.

Responding to what he felt was his calling, certified personal trainer Daniel Stein opened Special Strong in 2016 after conquering a learning disability, a mood disorder, and an autoimmune disease through exercise. Special Strong aims to make a difference in the lives of children, adolescents, and adults who desire normalcy despite their extraordinary challenges.

Why You May Want To Start a Special Strong Franchise

If you’re looking for a meaningful business opportunity in the community, Special Strong may be worth a look. “Strong” is an acronym for Stewardship, Transparency, Relationship-Focused, Ownership, No Judgment, Generosity. “Strong” speaks of the values and ideals that form the core of the center’s operations.

Owning a Special Strong franchise does not require you to have a background in healthcare, but you will be trained by the gym’s team of certified fitness professionals. The CEO himself is certified by relevant bodies in the industry, such as the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), National Federation of Personal Trainers (NFPT), and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

What Might Make a Special Strong Franchise a Good Choice?

The alternative healthcare industry is valued at over $82 billion, creating a world of possibilities that may include success for Special Strong franchise.

To be part of the Special Strong team, you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees.

Special Strong has partnered with third-party financial lenders that may help cover the cost of the franchise fee and startup.

How To Open a Special Strong Franchise

Opening a Special Strong franchise may offer a more predictable outcome than investing in a completely new brand that could struggle to thrive in an already crowded and competitive industry.

As you decide if opening a Special Strong franchise is the right move for you, make sure you take time to explore the opportunity. Research the brand and your local area to see if a Special Strong franchise would do well in your community. While competition is healthy, too much of it may not allow for the most possible growth.

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement with the Special Strong franchise, you must perform your due diligence and establish if this is the right opportunity for you. As part of your due diligence, you may want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the Special Strong franchising team questions.

It may be a good idea to check with an attorney or financial advisor to ensure that you have the necessary financial resources to own and operate a Special Strong franchise.

Company Overview

About Special Strong

Industry	Health & Wellness
Related Categories	Fitness , Miscellaneous Health Services, Children's Fitness Programs
Founded	2016
Leadership	Daniel Stein, CEO
Corporate Address	400 N. Allen Dr., #303 Allen, TX 75013
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2020 (5 years)
# of employees at HQ	7
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US.
# of Units	18 (as of 2025)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Special Strong franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$47,250
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$85,000 - $102,750
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$250,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$50,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	5% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	7%-8%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

In-House Financing	Special Strong offers in-house financing to cover the following: franchise fee
Third Party Financing	Special Strong has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	49-84 hours
Classroom Training	44 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	Yes
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	1
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes