Full of energy, incredibly personable and always attentive, Matteo Cerruti – our Chief Growth Officer – is someone anyone who has opened a PILAT3S or TRIB3 studio has surely met. Passionate about the Tribute Brands concepts, Matteo spends much of his year travelling, dividing his time between franchise presentations, discovery events across Europe, developing sales strategies and nurturing key partnerships.
As one of the team members in closest contact with potential franchisees, Matteo is the one who hears the most common questions firsthand. Here are some of the FAQs you may be wondering about too:
What makes Tribute Brands different from other fitness franchises?
It’s the seamless tech-integration. From in-class performance tracking to marketing and member engagement – everything is connected, making it easy to run a scalable, high-quality franchise.
Our Jukebox system controls everything in the studio – music, lighting, visuals, heart-rate tracking and programming – keeping classes dynamic and helping instructors focus on the personalised coaching. Combined with our CRM and marketing platform, franchisees get an easy-to-manage ecosystem that supports consistent, high-quality experiences and sustainable growth.
What does a franchisee do on a day-to-day basis?
A franchisee oversees or manages the smooth running of their studio– either directly or through a Studio Manager. This includes studio operations, sales, audits, scheduling, and team management, ensuring a consistently high standard of service for every client. Franchisees also manage local marketing, community growth and the studio’s finances– budgets, revenue and performance. In short, the day-to-day combines leadership, management and a focus on customer service, using our systems to run a successful studio.
Do I need a background in fitness or business to become a franchisee?
No. Owning a PILAT3S or TRIB3 franchise doesn’t require prior industry experience or qualifications. We provide training and support from setup to team recruitment and management. What really matters are your personal traits – motivation, a proactive mindset and a real commitment to delivering an exceptional client experience.
Which European markets is Tribute Brands focusing on, and where do you see the most potential?
This year, our focus markets are the Netherlands, UK and Ireland – regions where we already have strong traction and plan to continue growing. While we’re currently only present in Finland, we see strong potential across the Nordic countries. And although expansion into Germany and Poland isn’t planned yet, we believe these markets offer enormous long-term opportunity.
What kind of investment is required, and what returns can I expect?
For an individual entrepreneur looking to open a standalone studio, you will need around €100,000 in available liquidity. In the Netherlands, thanks to our partnership with Rabobank, future franchise partners can finance up to 80% of the total PILAT3S or TRIB3 project investment, meaning you only need about €50,000 of your own capital to get started.
Breakeven typically occurs within 3-6 months, depending on location, market and concept, while full payback is generally achieved within 24-36 months. More precise projections are provided once a detailed business plan is developed for your own standalone studio.
Interested in exploring your own franchise journey? Reach out today and start the conversation.
