FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · MASSACHUSETTS

THE LITTLE GYM franchise in Massachusetts: what the public record shows

Franchisees of THE LITTLE GYM in Massachusetts have taken 12 SBA loans since 1991 (average $155,883), and of the 10 loans whose story has ended, 0.0% were charged off — versus 15.1% for THE LITTLE GYM nationally and 14.8% across all rateable franchise brands.

SBA loan outcomes · Massachusettsvs national

Loans in MA

12

Resolved

10

Local charge-off

0.0%

National charge-off

15.1%

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = MA. Charge-off rate = charged-off ÷ (charged-off + paid-in-full); open loans excluded. A local rate is published only when the resolved cohort clears our floor.

Market density · Massachusetts vs nationalDense market

Businesses in this industry

1,230

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

17.2

national 11.9

Versus the country

+45%

denser

Every business in THE LITTLE GYM's industry operating in Massachusetts — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across 198 brand-state cells in our loan data, the densest quartile charges off at 5.6% versus 18.1% in the thinnest. A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.

Same-sector systems with SBA loan history in Massachusetts11 systems
SystemLoans in MALocal charge-offUnits in MA
Fitness Together265.0%43
Orangetheory240.0%
ANYTIME FITNESS; ANYTIME FITNESS EXPRESS20thin
Planet Fitness130.0%88
Curves for Women12thin
Pure Barre10thin
GOLD'S GYM9thin
World Gym & Fitness Center7thin
F45 Training6thin
Exercise Coach5thin
Yoga Six5thin

Same sector, same state, same public records — how THE LITTLE GYM compares to the systems a buyer in Massachusetts would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.

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