A The Little Gym franchise operates a fixed-site children’s enrichment Gym built around recurring memberships, scheduled classes, camps, parties, events and approved retail sales. The franchisee hires and manages the local team; TLGI, LLC controls the curriculum, membership structure, technology, suppliers, brand standards, territory rules and operating data.
What does a The Little Gym unit sell, and who buys it?
The core transaction is a parent or caregiver enrolling a child in an age-based program, usually through a recurring membership. The Gym also sells scheduled camps, private birthday parties, Parent Survival Nights, other authorized events and approved merchandise.
Recurring class memberships
The current consumer model covers one or two classes per week, with monthly billing on the enrollment date. The current brand menu includes Parent/Child, Pre-K/Kindergarten Gymnastics, Grade School Gymnastics, Dance, Mini Jacks, Tummy Timers and The Wonderkids Club. Local availability can vary.
Booked programs and retail
Gyms may offer authorized camps, Awesome Birthday Bashes, Parents’ Survival Nights and other events. The franchise agreement also permits approved sportswear, accessories, novelties, proprietary music and merchandise. TLGI may add, remove or modify authorized offerings, and the franchisee may not sell unapproved products or services.
Current consumer pages position the main age range as four months through 12 years. Children under three participate with a parent or caregiver; older children generally attend while adults observe from the lobby. Camps and party age ranges differ by program, and the local Gym’s schedule and capacity determine actual availability.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Item 1, pp. 2-3; Item 16, pp. 45-46. Official pages: The Little Gym franchise program menu, current class categories, membership and enrollment, birthday-party format, and camp format.
How does work move through the Gym?
Demand enters through brand and local marketing, the system website, local schedules, the consumer app, inquiries and the call center. The local team converts that demand into memberships or bookings, prepares staff and curriculum, delivers the program, records the transaction and maintains the customer relationship through required systems.
Generate and capture demand
- Actor
- TLGI, designated marketing suppliers and the franchisee.
- Action
- Run national, regional and Protected Area marketing; respond to website, reputation and direct inquiries.
- System/asset
- System website, CRM, review and survey tools, local media and call center.
- Output
- A qualified class, camp, party or event inquiry.
Enroll or book
- Actor
- Front-desk staff, the call center or the customer online.
- Action
- Select an age-appropriate class, membership tier, camp or party slot and complete the required agreement.
- System/asset
- TLG Software, online enrollment, POS, card reader and e-commerce platform.
- Output
- An active membership or confirmed one-time booking.
Plan the service cycle
- Actor
- Designated Manager, gym director and trained unit personnel.
- Action
- Set the local schedule, assign qualified staff, prepare lesson plans, equipment, music and party supplies.
- System/asset
- Secure curriculum portal, Manual, approved apparatus, uniforms and designated supplies.
- Output
- A staffed, standards-compliant session or event.
Deliver the program
- Actor
- Trained instructors and event staff under the Designated Manager.
- Action
- Lead the authorized curriculum, manage safety and customer service, and execute party or camp activities.
- System/asset
- Approved facility layout, gym equipment, program content and customer records.
- Output
- A completed class, camp session, party or event.
Collect and record
- Actor
- The franchisee, TLGI or its designated membership administrator.
- Action
- Process approved payments, record sales and attendance, administer gift cards and maintain membership status.
- System/asset
- POS, approved payment methods, membership records and accounting software.
- Output
- Recorded Gross Sales, customer status and required financial data.
Follow up and report
- Actor
- Local staff, Designated Manager, TLGI and technology providers.
- Action
- Handle make-ups, renewals, reviews and surveys; submit reports; correct inspection or service deficiencies.
- System/asset
- CRM, customer communication tools, reporting dashboard, POS data and audit records.
- Output
- Retention activity, operating reports and the next service cycle.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Item 6, pp. 16-17; Item 11, pp. 30-36; Franchise Agreement, Articles 7 and 11. Official pages: membership, make-up and event FAQs and Parent Survival Night delivery.
Can the owner appoint a manager, and who controls employment?
The owner does not have to be the daily manager, but the Gym cannot operate without a franchisor-approved Designated Manager who works full time, in person and with day-to-day control. One Owner, the Designated Manager and the gym director, when applicable, must complete required training.
The agreement permits the Designated Manager to be an Owner, gym director or general manager. It therefore supports a manager-run structure, but it does not support an unmanaged or passive unit: the Designated Manager must devote full time and best efforts, and a replacement must be appointed within 30 days if the role becomes vacant.
The franchisee hires all employees and retains sole authority over headcount, selection, wages, benefits, work hours, discipline, discharge and day-to-day supervision. TLGI may define qualifications, certification, curriculum and customer-service standards, but the franchisee remains the employer and must maintain enough qualified personnel to meet demand. The FDD does not disclose a standard headcount, class staffing ratio or shift model.
- Hire, pay, schedule and supervise Gym personnel.
- Deliver classes, camps, parties, events and customer service.
- Maintain the premises, equipment, books, records and legal compliance.
- Execute approved local marketing inside the Protected Area.
- Authorize programs, merchandise, pricing rules and promotions.
- Set curriculum, training, quality, appearance and operating standards.
- Administer membership, brand marketing, gift-card and reporting mechanisms.
- Inspect the Gym and access operating, member and POS data.
- Unleashed Tech licenses and supports the required POS technology.
- Approved vendors provide marketing, insurance, merchant, music and reputation services.
- The call center handles support, event booking, e-commerce and permitted upselling.
- Other designated sources control approved merchandise, uniforms and operational inputs.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Item 15, pp. 44-45; Franchise Agreement, Sections 11.K-11.L, pp. 30-31.
Which technology and suppliers are mandatory?
The Gym must use TLGI-prescribed computer, POS, enrollment, customer-management, marketing and reporting systems, plus designated or approved suppliers for most branded and operational inputs. Franchisee choice exists mainly where TLGI has not designated a source or after written alternate-supplier approval.
Mandatory operating stack
TLG Software includes front-desk management, POS, online enrollment, automated email marketing and customer management, with access to a franchisee website and extranet. The required package also covers a domain, email accounts, online learning, CRM and marketing cloud tools, reviews and surveys, customer communications, a party-supply store, a card reader and cloud services.
Reporting and data rights
TLGI can remotely access POS and franchise-management information without a contractual access limit. Business Data, Customer Data and Member Information are controlled by TLGI under the agreements. The Power BI Dashboard Access Agreement is distinct from the mandatory POS stack: it provides visibility into selected sales, expense, membership, net-promoter and labor data.
Designated supply categories
Ongoing controlled inputs include uniforms and retail merchandise, marketing materials and services, gift and stored-value cards, insurance, reputation and survey services, music, some POS hardware, merchant processing, accounting services and other required support. TLGI may change specifications, suppliers and required technologies.
Alternate-source process
A franchisee may propose an alternate supplier when the category allows it, but cannot purchase until TLGI gives written approval. TLGI may request samples, inspect facilities, test products, recover evaluation costs and revoke approval. The FDD allows up to 120 days after receipt of complete information for a decision.
The 2026 FDD estimates that required purchases and leases from TLGI and designated suppliers represent more than half of ongoing product-and-service costs. That estimate is not an earnings measure; it shows that supplier approval and system specifications are central operating dependencies.
Recurring membership payments generally must use approved non-cash methods. Cash is allowed only in limited circumstances such as one-time events, camps or Parent Survival Nights, and the Franchise Agreement requires those payments to be reported through Zendesk or a successor system within five business days.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Item 8, pp. 21-25; Item 11, pp. 34-36; Franchise Agreement, Sections 11.G-11.H; Attachments I and J. Official context: franchise technology and support overview. The FDD, not the public support page, defines the required systems and the limit of contractual assistance.
What does TLGI control, and what remains with the franchisee?
TLGI controls the customer promise and the operating architecture; the franchisee controls local execution and employment. The Protected Area restricts placement of another The Little Gym business, but it is not an exclusive territory and does not block reserved products, channels, affiliated concepts or approved overlapping areas.
The franchisee may market directly inside the Protected Area but needs written consent to market outside it. Internet, direct-mail, telemarketing and other alternative distribution are not independent franchisee channels unless TLGI consents. TLGI and its affiliates reserve broader e-commerce and product-distribution rights inside the area without compensation to the Gym.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Item 11, p. 28; Item 12, pp. 36-38; Item 16, pp. 45-46; Franchise Agreement, Sections 10 and 11.
What does Item 20 show about who operates the U.S. system?
At December 31, 2025, the U.S. system was almost entirely franchise-operated: 255 franchised Gyms and one company-owned Gym. Item 20 also shows the franchised count rising from 185 at 2023 year-end to 218 in 2024 and 255 in 2025.
Which operating questions remain unit-specific?
The FDD defines the control structure but does not disclose a standard employee count, class-capacity model, weekly schedule, program mix by Gym or the current performance obligations of every designated supplier. Those details must be verified for the specific Protected Area and development plan.
Operating-model synthesis
The Little Gym converts local family demand into recurring child memberships and scheduled program bookings. The franchisee’s central responsibility is staffing and consistently delivering the authorized curriculum at a compliant Gym. The strongest dependency is TLGI’s control of programs, technology, suppliers, data and standards. The key territory distinction is a protected but non-exclusive area with reserved channels. The largest unresolved operating question is the location-specific staffing and schedule model required to serve demand across the mandatory multi-unit development commitment.