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Inches-A-Weigh Know the real truth! Do your homework before you lose your money!! Hoover Alabama
I wanted to open a business that made money and really helped people. Inches a Weigh seemed to be the perfect opportunity. I left a 6 figure sales job and sunk everything I had into the business. I asked all the right questions but fell for slick answers.
I purchased an Inches A Weigh Licensing AGreement in 2001. I opened in June 2001 and closed in February of 2003, less than 2 years. If you are considering entering into this business venture, I urge you to please read this information.
The reason that IAW is a Licensing Agreement and not a Franchise is because franchises are required by law to disclose information on number of units, past litigation, and recently closed units. Since that information would end any future sales of IAW agreements, the licensing agreement provides a great way to avoid disclosure. Since Inches A Weigh was a troubled franchise previously, offering it as a franchise again would possibly raise questions from the FTC. No matter what you are told, THAT is the reason for a licensing agreement.
I recently learned of an Inches a Weigh in metro Atlanta that had been open a few months. They were never told of my center that had closed 4 years earlier and another center that closed 3 years earlier. When I contacted them, they were already struggling and had figured out that they needed to make drastic changes in the business model to survive. I figured that out too but I had been open 18 months, had never paid myself a penny insalary and had burned up over $100,000.
Don't trust my story. Ask for the real information you need. Tell them that you want a list of centers open less than 1 year, a list of those open 3-5 years and those open 5-10 years. Most importantly, ask for a list of centers that have closed in the last 10 years. Get contact information and CALL THEM. No matter what excuse or slick answer you get, do not give them your money without that information. I personally have names and contact information for former owners in NJ,MA,NC,FL,OH,MI,GA,VA,OR,AZ,MN and often more than 1 in each state. So if they tell you they don't have any closures, don't believe it. The vast majority of these people are smart, previously successful, hard working and people of great integrity who really did want to find a business that would help people. My equipment was sold to 2 different new owners and both have already closed.
The Directors of Training, Marketing and Operations and the Grand Opening Trainer may be long time members of the organization but do not offer the level of professionalism, education or experience you will find in cutting edge operations. Ask yourself why there are not links to centers around the country or a "find the center nearest you" from the main web site. I pushed for this in 2001. Whether it is that the company is way behind the times or that they don't want you to know that the number of units doesn't increase substantially from year to year because they close almost as many as they open or that removing the clsoed centers would be a full time position, it is an indication of a problem. The web site has essentially been the same since 2001. How many progressive national companies positioned for future growth have the same web presence today as they did in 2001? Oh, they did add "7 Reasons why IAW is the Starbucks of the weight loss industry." I can give you 100 why IAW isn't!
Don't make the mistake I and many others have made. Do not fall for the smooth talk and evasive answers. Get everything in wiriting and get the info on those centers, both open and closed. Even if you are sure you are smarter, and more creative and a better business person than all the previous owners, you can't go wrong getting black and white facts and figures to back up the slick sales pitch.
A goldberg
Suwanee, Georgia
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
shackcrack
United States of AmericaFranchise Growth Partners
#2REBUTTAL Owner of company
Fri, May 11, 2012
Scott Simcik now has a new gig claiming to use his experience to train business owners how to franchise with a profit of $. 30 cents for every $1.00! His new con is called Franchise Growth Partners. Anyone who knows Scott will get a kick out of his web site. Its full of self penned facts on Scott's success and many "Scotty - ism's ." You know, those stupid pearls of wisdom in italics with a by line attributing the important nugget of wisdom directly to Scott Simcik! Here 's one from Franchise Growth Partners:
"We see to many rabbits running at a franchise speed, wildly out of control, while the tortoise continues to win the race" - Scott Simcik.
Obviously, he has no conscience. He has led so many honest people down the path of financial ruin. He is a stone cold liar and has the traits of your garden variety con artist. When he told me he enjoyed teaching people how to become millionaires I about wet myself. He was never wealthy. Disturbed maybe, but never wealthy. Of all the Inches A Weighs opened over the years none were ever profitable. Some lasted about two years while the owners slowly ran their credit cards to the Max hoping for a miracle, but never being profitale. Scott would tell his new prospects that these centers were making a fortune. But actually these owners would eventually close, dumbfounded, wondering what they did wrong. Scott liked this because he knew they where less likely to have enough money to go after him for the fraud. The rest of the centers failed within months. Every single owner ultimately regretted becoming involved with Scott and Inches -A -Weigh. He 's claiming Inches was "acquired by a Canadian investment firm." I wonder if he even tried to find a buyer. No one would buy it but I would love to hear that he actually tried. Trying to sell people franchising lessons? Information you can get free and information you should be getting from an attorney. You go Scott! I imagine hustling business owners looking to franchise will be more difficult, but most con artists relish the challenge. I bet the first franchise sale at Franchise Growth Partners will be exhilarating for Scott! Right now he seems to be making ends meet by leasing roommates deals as a property manager on Craigslist in the Los Angeles area. He brags that he is an expert at lease negotiating and this is how the finely honed skills practiced at the helm of Inches - A - Weigh are benefitting his current clients! .