HEALTH AND BEAUTY SUPPLEMENT FRANCHISING USA 6#5 3

FranchisingFeature h ea l t h & b ea u t y

march 2018

Redefining the Concept of Beauty Health and Beauty Businesses on the Rise

Creating Beautiful Profitability

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what’s new!

9Round Now Open in 600 Locations Around the World 9Round, the popular kickboxing fitness franchise, recently opened its 600th location worldwide. The milestone location at 196 Manning Crossing in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada is locally owned and operated by Sylvia Jasmin.

9Round opened over 150 new locations in 2017 and expanded into four new countries including Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Costa Rica.

“My wife and I started 9Round nine years ago in Greenville with the goal of bringing convenient, fun and specialized kickboxing training to people around the world,” said Shannon Hudson, Founder and CEO of 9Round. “Today, 9Round has grown to over 600 locations in 41 states and 13 countries. We are so proud of this major accomplishment and everything that our entire team has achieved in 2017.”

In addition to opening its 600th location, 9Round achieved other noteworthy milestones in 2017: • The SC 25 Fastest Growing Companies® competition ranked 9Round as the seventh fastest-growing growing company in South Carolina.

• 9Round was ranked #915 on the annual Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-

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growing private companies. This is the third consecutive year that 9Round has been recognized on this prestigious list • 9Round claimed the #121 spot on Entrepreneur magazine’s Annual Franchise 500 list. This marked the company’s fifth consecutive year on the prestigious list and second ranking in the Top 200. 9Round was also recognized by Entrepreneur as one of the Fastest-Growing Franchises (#22), Top Global Franchises (#103), and Top Franchise Brands (#115) • Franchise Business Review named 9Round one of the Top 50 Franchises for Women for 2017.

Shannon added, “In 2018, we hope to open a record of number of locations, expand into more countries and continue to grow and evolve the 9Round brand. We also want to continue to give entrepreneurs that are passionate about fitness the opportunity to open their own businesses without incurring a huge amount of debt.”

For more information about 9Round’s franchise opportunities, please visit https://www.9round.com/fitnessfranchises.

Premium Nail Boutique Launches National Franchise Program PROSE, the healthy and enriching hand and foot care brand, recently announced the launch of its national franchise program and its first agreement with restaurant industry veteran and non-executive chairman of P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Rick Federico and his wife Peggy, who will open the brand’s second boutique in Scottsdale.

Created to inspire an elegant and wellnesscentric lifestyle that brings healthy and beautiful relief to hands and feet, PROSE debuted last year when the company opened its first boutique in Phoenix.

By franchising the brand, consumers across the country will have the opportunity to experience PROSE’s transformative and purposeful hand and foot services through its cutting-edge boutique design, world-class products and personalized approach. PROSE also focuses on industry leadership and elevating the profession of Artists and their important work by creating a healthy culture that rewards and respects their artisanal talents.

To learn more about PROSE ownership opportunities in the U.S., please visit www.myprose.com.

Hammer & Nails Announces Aggressive Growth Plans for New York Men’s Grooming Franchise Looks to Bring 15 Locations to New York by 2023 Hammer & Nails Grooming Shop for Guys has announced plans to bring at least 15 locations, through strategic franchise partnerships, to the greater New York City area over the next five years.

Building on its momentum of licenses awarded for more than 200 shops during its first year of franchising, the New York development will be spearheaded by Area Representative Chris Allen. Already working toward his expansion goals, Allen’s team has signed a lease in Brooklyn, in which will debut in Summer 2018. An additional franchisee agreement has been signed to bring a second location to the metro area in late 2018.

“At Hammer & Nails, the entire experience is not only the pinnacle of relaxation and pampering, but our hand and foot care yields health benefits, too,” Allen stated. “The success that Hammer & Nails has garnered on the West Coast shows that more men are seeking out destinations for high quality grooming. We are excited to be the first of our kind in New York, especially with Brooklyn’s forward-thinking population.”

Trotman and Lee Valentin, who are actively seeking site selection.

Additional targeted development markets include the five Boroughs of New York City, Long Island, Westchester County, and Rockland County.

The first New York location will open under the ownership of entrepreneur Anthony David in the North Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, located at 97 North 10th St. The second location will open under Metro Grooming Partners, LLC., comprised of entrepreneurs Stevens Demorcy, Michael

For more information on franchising opportunities, visit www.hammerandnails-franchising.com.

As the only niche male grooming franchise available, Hammer & Nails has a first-to-market advantage in the ever-growing $21B male grooming industry.

New Live 2 B Healthy® Study Reveals 47% Fall Rate Reduction Among Active Older Adults partnership with Park View Community Campus, they decided to complete an actual study to determine the effectiveness of their specific program.

Live 2 B Healthy® partnered with Park View Community Campus in Woodville, WI in 2017 to complete a comprehensive study of the effectiveness of the Live 2 B Healthy® program in reducing falls among residents in senior housing communities.

National studies have proven that the incidence of falls in

senior living communities can be lowered when seniors work to

maintain an active lifestyle. When Live 2 B Healthy® began a new

The Live 2 B Healthy® program focuses on improving in 4 functional fitness areas: upper and lower body strength, flexibility and balance. An evidence-based program, specific measures in each of these areas were gathered and shared with Park View on four separate occasions during the study. The results in these 4 areas were consistently positive at both the individual and overall class level.

Fall data was gathered by month for the same 16 month period and segmented by attendance group. This study revealed a 47% fall rate reduction for active residents (defined as those who attended more than 60% of the classes over a 16 month period from 20162017). franchise.live2bhealthy.com

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what’s new!

Acupuncture Franchise Has 500 Licenses Sold and in Development in Under 15 Months

The nation’s first acupuncture franchise, Modern Acupuncture™, recently announced that the company has more than 500 licenses sold and in development coast to coast across 32 states, less than 15 months after the initial franchise offering. To date, the company has eight open locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, North Carolina and Texas, with seven more locations scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2018 and a total of 55 to 60 operating by the end of 2018.

“In what seemed like the blink of an eye, we propelled from a vision and start-up into one of the fastest growing national franchises overnight,” said Modern Acupuncture CEO Matt Hale.

“We have been fortunate to essentially hand pick experienced franchisees and regional developers to help us grow the brand the right way. Most everyone is a serial, multi-unit developer of other nationally-recognized and respected franchise concepts.

Additionally, every Modern Acupuncture franchisee owns multiple licenses, which is rare and a strong indicator of their confidence in our business model as well as a bright future for acupuncture in the U.S.” Modern Acupuncture is the first franchise to make the natural health and cosmetic benefits of acupuncture available to people

in an accessible and affordable delivery, combining a healing form that has been validated by thousands of years of practice with a modern, clean and spa-like environment. The cosmetic acupuncture offering is a true differentiator that has become increasingly popular at each location, providing a safer and more natural alternative to reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles.

Treatments are administered by acupuncturists who have been certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM®).

For more information about franchising, visit www.modernacupuncturefranchise.com.

Giardino Gourmet Salads Continues Aggressive South Florida Expansion need for alternatives to traditional fast food.

Giardino Gourmet Salads began with a vision in 2004 by founders Ody and Kenny Lugo, a former Miami-Dade County teacher and Miami-Dade County firefighter respectively. Today, the fast casual salad, wrap and bowl concept sees room for additional 10 units across Ft. Lauderdale, including a downtown location, over the next few years in addition to growth up the state of Florida.

Giardino Gourmet Salads, the premiere South Florida-based fast casual concept focused on garden-to-bowl nutrition, continues its 2018 strategic development with the opening of two new restaurants in Ft. Lauderdale and Davie, FL in February.

According to co-founder Kenny Lugo, the brand’s growth is specifically focused on building restaurants in vibrant communities with a diverse customer base where there is a real

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Giardino Gourmet Salads menu includes globally inspired salads, wraps, grain bowls, soups and sandwiches. What sets Giardino Gourmet Salads apart from the competition is its one-of-a-kind approach to the guest experience and its focus on Nutritional Empowerment®. Every guest has the ability to customize a wide variety of salads, wraps and grain bowls per their nutritional needs from more than 60 fresh ingredients.

With 17 units currently open and dozens more in the pipeline, the brand is actively seeking new owners that want to be a part of their community for a very long time.

For more information, please visit: www.giardinosalads.com.

CoreLife Eatery Announces New Opportunities for Prospective Franchisees CoreLife Eatery, an active lifestyle restaurant with a healthy concept that’s quickly sweeping the nation, is announcing exciting new opportunities for prospective franchisees.

Markets targeted for expansion include Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and areas of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

Since the eatery’s opening in 2015, the CoreLife Eatery concept has taken off quickly in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana. CoreLife Eatery currently has 26 locations, with an additional 30 stores scheduled to open in 2018. The brand is on track to have 300 operating eateries in the next five years through a combination of company developed and franchised restaurants.

“We’re thrilled to provide franchising opportunities which will help our brand meet customer demand, and bring this incredible, clean food concept to new parts of the country,” Larry Wilson, CEO of CoreLife Eatery, said. “With the right franchisees, Columbus and other communities around the country will benefit from CoreLife Eatery’s refreshing take on healthy living and eating.”

CoreLife Eatery is beloved for its flavorful variety of greens, grains and broth-based dishes. All foods are free of trans fats, artificial colors, sweeteners, other artificial additives and GMO’s.

The cuisine is never frozen, never microwaved, and always made from the freshest ingredients. Creating a menu that tastes great because it’s healthy is the secret to CoreLife Eatery’s success.

For more information on franchising opportunities, please visit www.corelifeeatery.com/franchising.

InstaHealthy Partners with Entrepreneurs to Bring Healthy Vending to Utah Utah Dance Artists, Ameritech College, Jordan Valley Medical Center and Fashion Place Mall.

InstaHealthy, a leading healthy vending business, recently announced that it’s bringing healthy vending to Utah, in collaboration with Utah entrepreneurs, Aaron and Amethyst Johnson.

The couple purchased healthy vending machines with InstaHealthy and installed them at locations in the Salt Lake City area including Timpview High School,

Aaron and Amethyst Johnson chose to invest with InstaHealthy to create a revenue stream that matched their core values and allowed them to spend more quality time with their family.

The ability to invest in a cost-effective turnkey business that they believed in, while increasing the quality of life for themselves and for Utah residents, was a draw for the couple.

“After working nearly 80 hours per week, I realized my quality of life was low and I didn’t have much time to spend with my family,” said Aaron Johnson. “When I found InstaHealthy, I knew right away that this unique business opportunity would give me the chance to create the lifestyle I envisioned for my family, while joining like-minded individuals and making a

positive impact in our community.”

“We’re thrilled to have the Johnsons as part of this exciting journey in helping us spread healthy vending options nationwide.” said Ryan OKeefe, CEO and Founder of InstaHealthy. “We’re looking forward to seeing Aaron and Amethyst successfully expand their business over the coming years.”

Founded in 2015, InstaHealthy offers healthy snacks and drinks inside state-ofthe-art vending machines at high-traffic locations. Its sought-after business model offers new ways for entrepreneurs and business owners to generate additional income streams, diversify portfolios, while making a difference in their respective cities. The company provides investors with state-of-the-art equipment, location procurement, product development and more. instahealthyusa.com

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Heal th

FRANCHISING F It’s no surprise that one of the most profitable business plans would likely include a component of health or beauty. Whether it’s a product or service, it’s something many consumers are willing to dig deep into their pockets to obtain.

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& Beauty

FEATURE

In fact, the average American woman will spend up to $300,000 on face products alone. That’s a lot of money for one body part. But vanity and health have become a top priority amongst Americans, and it reaches far beyond just women.

The health and beauty industry now extends to more men than ever before, making it a market that can reach every consumer. It even reaches out to children, especially in the health food market.

For those interested in pursuing a franchise in the healthy and beauty field, it’s safe to say that it will likely be profitable. With social media pressuring more and more venues to appear perfect, there are a lot of consumers willing to invest in their beauty, as well as their health.

It’s a touchy market however because it may be dependent on fads. Though being healthy would seem to be a general and

continuous trend, there are businesses that may be booming one second and a dud the next. Between diet pills, diet fads including gluten–free and organic to name a few, as well as exercise routines and crazes, it would be best to stick to a consistent business platform, rather than a popular trend.

Beauty Products One of the more creative and fun franchises in this industry would be a beauty product retail store. Especially for those passionate about such products, it would be a great opportunity for investment.

Some of them have low start up fees and easy location setups within a mall, while others can be large box stores set on their own.

Some beauty product stores specialize in one area, such as hair products alone, while others cover all types of beauty products. Though some specific retail stores may seem to be profiting, a look into trends and profits may be helpful while comparing it to bigger chain stores.

One-product stores seems to have garnered some prestige and generated a lot of buying power, but it’s important to note that skin care products dominate the beauty industry accounting for 36% of the global market. It would be worth carrying skin care products within your franchise.

There is no experience necessary for a beauty product retail franchise, however customer service management or even a back ground in hair or make up services could be beneficial.

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every outlet has a different focus. The one a franchisee would choose would be dependent on what their interest and passions are or their intended location.

Some health food retail stores offer certain services with credited professionals.

Although this added bonus is likely profitable, research into State policies and a franchise’s head office would be a helpful.

Of course some of the products are not exclusive to the stores at hand, but are available in pharmacies and big box grocery stores. A review of the competition and local numbers would be a consideration before pursuing any further.

Spas and Beauty Salons The beauty salon and spa once dominated the small business market. Stroll down any industrialized street and you can count numerous Ma and Pa Hair salons throughout any center town.

Fitness Gyms An ongoing and reliable trend is the fitness club. Once considered a prestigious business plan, it’s usually a part of the average American’s lifestyle.

The gym goes well beyond the typical layout of treadmills and weights; it includes training classes and athletic programs, as well as nutritional classes and childcare. The amount of services within the four walls of a gym extends way beyond what they ever used to be.

For those interested in the investment and start up of a gym franchise, a well-researched look at the different types would useful and a review of local competitors would help determine location. Some gyms only specialize in kickboxing, while others offer every type

of fitness service possible. Conversing with current franchise owners would give a personal and beneficial out look on the process.

Someone who is passionate about fitness and health would likely find the work life balance easily in this format of franchise, though there is no experience necessary.

That was once the case but now the industry has expanded beyond the small business market and become a franchising option. Big box shopping communities have a demand for beauty salons..

Another franchise to follow was the spa industry. The luxurious service can be

Nutrition Stores What began as a fad has become the norm. Almost every street corner is lined with some type of nutritional retail outlet, whether it specialized in supplements or vitamins or both, it’s become a part of everyone’s routine.

Nutritional stores have expanded beyond supplements to include foods, classes and services, as well health products.

Depending on the franchise brand,

“Between diet pills, diet fads including gluten–free and organic, as well as exercise routines and crazes, it would be best to stick to a consistent business platform, rather than a popular trend.”

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mixed with esthetics and hair services, but can be only focused on spa treatments.

An investment in this type of franchise would depend on one’s level of interest as well as experience. As with most franchise, no background is necessary but an education in hair styling or esthetics would be extremely beneficial.

One of the downfalls of hair salons and spas is the small business competition. A lot of clients tend to stay with their stylist, so if your franchise focuses on recruiting great employees then competition won’t be as worrisome.

It would be helpful to get a good understanding of the community and how many salons are saturating the area. A chat with clients and business owners in the area would be a great place to start your research and then a communication with head office regarding employment and clientele reputation.

In 2016, the American cosmetic and beauty industry reached revenue of over 62 billion US dollars. It’s an unstoppable industry within this country and one that has always increased in profit throughout the years, even during economic stress.

Though most franchise investments in this field would guarantee a profit, a well throughout research and networking with competitors would be extremely advised before investment. There are a lot of beauty fads and trends that might stop short and there are so many choices and option out there, it would be best to find the one that aligns with passion and personal success.

It’s one of the easiest startups, with a great easy training and great home office support. It’s unlikely that most franchises

within this industry would not require most of the franchisee’s time and allow for a great work life balance.

Though some franchise options would be competing with local businesses, the beauty industry can be carried by a franchises branding, as well as the product branding it carries. A lot of beauty and cosmetic products have a strong reputation and great clientele so it’s a guaranteed sell.

They say that beauty is only skin deep, but the pocket books of Americans seem to disagree and US franchises are benefiting from their choices.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: After receiving an English Degree, followed by a Journalism Diploma, Gina

Gill became a freelance journalist in 2008. She has

worked as a reporter and in communications, focusing on social media. She currently works as a community information officer with Epilepsy Society, while pursuing her writing career at the same time.

Look out for our next special feature:

MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISING Franchising USA

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Expert Advice: Christopher Conner, President of Franchise Marketing Systems

Health and Beauty Fran Creating Be Profitabilit The health and beauty market is one of the most traditionally fragmented and “owner-operated” market segments in history. There have been many excellent hair stylists and “trade experts” in different fields of health and beauty, but very few brands that have had consistent success in scaling their model.

This paradigm changed in the early 2000’s with the advent of several successful health and beauty franchises in the massage, waxing and hair styling market segments. Today, the health and beauty franchise market is growing faster than ever before and has firmly planted itself among the franchise industry elite as one of the most successfully duplicated market models.

What markets within Health and Beauty franchising are particularly appealing?

Our firm, Franchise Marketing Systems has the opportunity to work with some of the established brands in the health and beauty market, but also be on the front line of what new, innovative franchise models are coming to market. The hair styling and hair cutting industry remains one of the strong points in franchising with simple business models and strong

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nchises eautiful ty operating profits managed by structured business systems allowing for multiunit ownership. The industry blue chips continue to grow and set new heights in brands like Great Clips, Sport Clips and Super Cuts, but now new brands have also enter the market and are getting traction with new, innovative approaches to the market. Studio N is a quick service, high end, low cost salon model based out of New Mexico with strong unit economics.

High end salon Cristophe is a premium salon brand that has developed a franchise model to duplicate and sale the brand into new, high end market segments.

The MedSpa and medically-supervised market segment within health and beauty is growing at a rapid pace as well. More and more people are turning to services offered in these Medspa’s such as Botox, Facials and other new procedures which help clients look and feel their best. New Franchisor, Ultimate Image Cosmetic Medical Center is a high end, but approachable medspa brand that is attracting interest throughout Florida with strong branding and incredible financials.

The model is scalable with structured operating procedures, efficient operating equipment and a marketing model that is proven to drive in results and consistent traffic. Franchise owners in this category generally must be licensed medical providers, but this may vary depending on the state.

“All together, the health and beauty franchise market seems to be ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation, forward thinking and unique business ideas.”

Alternative health and wellness is also on the rise with industry segments such as IV Therapy franchises and Infrared Sauna technology brands coming to market and creating new market segments. Enhance IV is a new franchise brand offering branding, structure, systems and operating procedures in the IV therapy market and has recently sold their first few franchise units in the Philadelphia market while Saunabar is a leading brand in the infrared sauna technology market offering weight loss and a variety of other benefits to customers through incredible infrared sauna technology. Floating has also hit the market in a big way with brands such as FLOATSpa, an Arkansas based float therapy franchise which just sold their first Master Franchise to the Houston, Texas area. The first franchisee for this float spa franchise will be opening 8 locations in the Houston MSA. All together, the health and beauty franchise market seems to be ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation, forward thinking and unique business ideas. The market is fun, refreshing and most importantly, largely profitable.

If you have an interest in the market segment, my advice is to start with what you have passion for, then narrow down

the numbers. Make sure that the business has a strong enough bottom line to support the industry benchmark ROI’s for any particular market segment. The good news is that when you are offering services and products to people to help them look better, people are always willing to pay.

Christopher Conner is the President of Franchise Marketing Systems and has spent the last decade in the franchise industry working with several hundred different franchise systems in management, franchise sales and franchise development work. www.franchisemarketingsystems.com

Chris Conner

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Expert Advice: Corey Kossack, CEO & Founder of Frederick

Why Booking Data the Key to Your Bus Maybe a dazzling direct marketing campaign can help, or maybe a printed flyer passed around your neighborhood.

But what you’re really missing out on is all the key points your data can provide, including current customers, average cost of acquisition and retention and overall profits. It sounds nice, but most marketers aren’t sure how to utilize their data.

Today’s your lucky day; I’ll dive into it below.

Corey Kossack

Imagine this: it’s a slow time in your salon, and you’re thinking of ways to boost your client list.

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How to Utilize Booking Data for Revenue Growth Having a client database is vital to generate profits, increase loyalty among existing customers, and attract new ones.

Data makes it easier to retarget individuals with personalized marketing. Having a summer promotion around haircuts and coloring? Take a look at the people who

normally visit you for these appointments, and send them a message (email, text, direct mail), to let them know about it.

Even if this doesn’t result in a direct appointment, it keeps your business top of mind so in the future they might remember to book with you instead of your competitors.

Personalization is also key here. Clients want to feel as if their stylists understand and care for their needs. So create a client profile, and list everything you know about them in it. This can include name, phone number, address, email, birthday, etc. That way, when Susan walks in for her monthly eyelash extensions, a quick glance at her profile can reveal her preferences and interests. Who knows, you might be able to upsell her on additional services your salon offers.

a is siness Loyalty Points Are the Holy Grail of Databases Maybe you have a loyalty program in place, or maybe you’re in the middle of creating one. But for those who are serious about utilizing booking data, a loyalty program is key. It’s beneficial for repeat customers, who exchange their points for services, and beneficial for salons to determine how customers are interacting with the brand.

Is there a particular time-frame when points are cashed in most often? Or a notorious slow period for your location?

If so, creating bonus points incentives can increase the amount of foot traffic in your door. And the information gathered from the customers who come in during these times can help you figure out how and when to best retarget them.

The Inevitable Missed Appointments No-shows and late clients are an inevitable part of running a salon. And unfortunately, those who miss appointments without calling to cancel are not only wasting a stylist’s time, but also preventing the salon from filling the day with revenuegenerating appointments. Fortunately, there are a few ways to combat the effect of no-shows. Clearly state your late or cancellation policy on your website, physical location, social media pages and in any additional means necessary.

Additionally, have a clear database of when your clients should be coming in next, and their contact information.

In the case of a no-show or cancelled appointment, you can easily reach out to those customers to gauge their interest in taking that spot. Without utilizing your data, you can potentially be losing out on thousands of dollars to no-shows and cancellations.

Tips for Building a Strong Database Group your clients in a way that makes sense for everything in your salon. A database is only beneficial if it’s useful.

Do you have a group of individuals who

only come in during the holidays? Put them into their own section, and send a personalized email blast to them leading up to their normal appointment date. Or for customers who all use the same stylist, keep the stylist’s schedule on hand so you can quickly reach out to those people to book appointments.

Booking data can also greatly increase your profits and bottom line. Having a booking platform in place makes it easier to keep track of your clients, and an automated algorithm can ping people when it’s time for their next appointment.

By utilizing the data at your fingertips, you’re one step closer to being the go-to beauty salon for your customers.

Corey Kossack, CEO & Founder of Frederick, is an experienced entrepreneur with a passion for helping entrepreneurs and small businesses succeed. Prior to Frederick, Corey was Director of Dell for Entrepreneurs, where he led Dell’s efforts to discover startups building the next generation of data-driven business applications.

At Frederick, Corey leads the charge to bring Frederick to thousands of small businesses worldwide. www.hirefrederick.com

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Expert Advice: Rick Bisio, Franchise Coach, FranChoice

Health and Beauty Businesses on the Rise...

What Does It Take to be a Successful Owner?

The health and beauty service market is one of the country’s most successful industries, generating $445 billion annually in sales.

It is a diverse space which includes barber shops, beauty salons, health resorts and spas, weight loss centers, nail salons and personal care services (tanning salons, massage parlors, etc.).

The largest segment in the industry is haircare as hair salons bring in $44 billion annually. Even the haircutting space itself is being divided into menonly, women-only, kids-only and different

specializations. Due to the nature of the service, the field is somewhat recessionproof and continues to grow. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, barber, hairstylist, and cosmetologist employment is projected to grow 13 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations.

In addition to being part of a large and growing industry, many health and beauty businesses are franchises. A lot of people are familiar with large franchise brands in this space such as SuperCuts, Smart Styles, Massage Envy and The Joint Chiropractic, just to name a few. There are endless opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to own a business in this space.

Now that we’ve established the positives of the health and beauty industry and cited the numerous attractive franchise opportunities that come with it, let’s look at some important qualities people must have when owning a business in this area.

Let’s begin with some traits potential health and beauty business owners must NOT possess.

Are You a Health and Beauty Professional…Or a Franchise Business Owner?

Rick Bisio

Franchising USA

As a franchise coach, I work with many entrepreneurs who have a history in the health and beauty industry and want to start their own business in that field.

They may have experience in cutting hair, doing nails and may even be a licensed cosmetologist. In some health and beauty franchise systems, that can actually be

considered a negative.

Franchisors are not looking for cosmetologists. They’re seeking professional, seasoned business people who can run a successful business.

They know that successful franchisees understand how to hire, manage and motivate employees and run a P&L. If you look across some of the larger brands out there in the economy haircutting space, almost none of their franchisees are cosmetologists. Their franchise owners are people who have financial resources, business expertise and management skills.

Last year, I wrote a Franchising USA article about children-based franchises and cautioned potential franchisees about their motivation behind pursuing this type of business ownership. Just like people who enjoy working with children shouldn’t open a business for that reason, people who like cutting hair or treating nails should not start a business simply because they like that line of work.

Are You Interested in Running and Scaling the Business to Multiple Locations?

Franchise owners in this field, like many others, are responsible for managing the payroll, schedule and inventory. Rather than being behind a chair cutting hair, a successful owner needs to actively market their business within the community to bring in customers and increase sales.

It is also important to remember that most franchisees in this industry often own multiple locations. In SuperCuts,

the average franchisee owns 6 locations.

Franchisees who thrive in this space have a vision to develop and scale businesses and possess the expertise and resources to do so.

Being a cosmetologist is not a calling card.

If you are licensed in this area, I would not go to these companies and rely upon your firsthand work in the field. You are more likely to be hired as an employee. While it is great to have experience and knowledge of the industry, my recommendation is to highlight one’s management skills, personal resources and ability to build a business.

Are You Comfortable with a Semi-Absentee Model?

Although it is necessary for franchise owners in the health and beauty industry to have skills and experience in business management, it is important to note that many owners use managers to operate the day to day operations on their behalf.

Most owners are professional business people who are looking for ways to own and operate multiple locations over time

“Franchisors are not looking for cosmetologists. They’re seeking professional, seasoned business people who can run a successful business.” while retaining a separate, full-time job as a semi-absentee franchisee.

train a strong manager and staff to run the business in their absence.

Most of the franchisees in the health and beauty space work under this semiabsentee business model. That means they can keep their job and hire managers to run the business on a day-to-day basis.

The owner will typically need to spend 10-15 hours per week, often working at the location in the evenings or on weekends, to oversee the manager and monitor all aspects of the business.

Health and beauty businesses are a thriving segment that continues to grow each year. There are many dynamic franchise opportunities that currently exist with strong financial track records. For those people who have good management skills, some financial resources and a firm understanding of P&L’s, this business model can be very profitable…and the future continues to look bright for the industry!

With this semi-absentee business model is being used by many franchises in the service industry, it allows people to gradually acclimate to business ownership.

It also reduces some of the financial risk in starting one’s own business by allowing them to continue their fulltime job. However, it also requires the franchise owner to be flexible in balancing their schedule and places an increased importance on their ability to hire and

Rick Bisio is a leading franchise coach with FranChoice, the creator of the FDD Exchange and the Franchise Glossary and the co-host of Rick Bisio’s Franchise Focus. Since becoming a franchise coach in 2002, Bisio has assisted thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs nationwide explore the dream of business ownership. www.afranchisecoach.com/the-coach

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Expert Advice: Andrea Belluso, Fashion Photographer, Creativity and Empowerment Coach

Redefining the Concept of Beauty and How this Will Affect the Beauty Industry concerned by the effect of depicting underweight or simply over-retouched models portraying something far away from reality. This has resulted in an increase in anorexia and other eating disorders, as well as men and women of all ages growing up with a feeling of not being good enough and not fitting in.

Some cosmetic brands, fashion houses and magazines went, for a while, to the other extreme of only using models that were the opposite of the absurdly unnatural ideals, and this change often resulted in less sales of their products.

So, what is the solution?

Andrea Belluso

For a long time, we have seen the fashion and beauty industries being questioned and even attacked in the media for their low moral values when it comes to depicting the beauty ideals, especially towards young women.

Numerous fashion brands as well as cosmetic companies have not been

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Well, the so-called solution is not a linear answer of “this is right, and this is wrong.”

The missing element, until now, has been one that I divide into five different qualities or elements that will bring out the true beauty of anyone being photographed, which is far greater than skin-deep beauty, and much greater than the type of beauty being dictated by the mainstream media.

Vulnerability, authenticity, nonconformity, non-pretentiousness and the courage to choose what’s best for you are five elements that, when used by anyone in front or behind a camera, will create something totally different.

The result of using both models and photographers that work with these five qualities in mind will be that they will shine with immense purity and

authenticity that will sell anything in the photographs. As an added bonus, any company that also works with photographers that empower their models to use these five qualities and are not over-retouched in Photoshop will show very high Corporate Social Responsibility, making them stand out of the ever-growing noise of visual marketing and advertising.

Here are the top five qualities that can transform the industry: Vulnerability: There are few things as attractive as a person with all of their emotional barriers down. When you have somebody in front the camera who is willing to let the shields come down, to be vulnerable and let all of themselves be seen, it’s truly amazing and all of a sudden the pictures shine authenticity.

People would rather buy a product from someone being genuine and authentic than from someone fake, and the models in advertising campaigns are the ones selling the products to the masses.

Authenticity: Beauty means being willing to play with all aspects of your personality and exploring even those parts of yourself that are not socially acceptable.

People should be more playful about who they are and allow themselves to ‘act out’ on occasion. For example, look at the divas of Hollywood’s Golden Era. They would stamp and pout if the occasion demanded it. Why not allow the models to play with

that part of themselves? Over-directing the models destroys authenticity.

Non-conformity: I am eager for people to reject the ideals offered through the media and social pressure. History shows us that the things we regard as beautiful now could be judged as ugly in 25 years. And vice versa. Importantly, he wants people to understand where fashion and societal trends actually begin – with the individual.

Fashion is not actually about creators.

Fashion designers are just spotting trends; following other people. The creation of fashion truly starts in the streets. We create new trends and ideals. It starts with us … if we are willing to be creators, not followers.

Non-pretentiousness: I believe that there is never any need for exaggeration or aggrandizement. Your beauty speaks for itself. Don’t try to show

off or exaggerate who you are. Don’t act; just be the greatness that you are.

In my experience, dressing down – in any form and any facet of your life – is just as appealing as being dressed to the nines. This does not mean that the models depicted in the advertising campaigns, or the brands themselves should be “dressed down” or that exaggerating is wrong; it means that by allowing the models to be themselves in front of the camera, much greater results will be obtained. And this also applies to how beauty companies portray themselves as a brand.

The courage to choose what’s best for you: In my own life I experienced a ‘dark period,’ dealing with a divorce, a business failure and looming bankruptcy. It was at this time that I realized everything in life was a result of my choices, and that I had the power to choose greater things for myself.

I began to see these experiences as points of creation and not destruction. They set me free and gave me total liberty to choose for myself, no matter what.

We all have that that choice – and it is truly beautiful when you see people take responsibility and start choosing what’s best for themselves.

When a company works with models that have been empowered to use these five qualities, they will create something much greater for the brand, as well as a better and healthier environment in the beauty business.

Andrea Belluso is an award-winning fashion photographer, creativity and empowerment coach, and certified facilitator of Right Voice for You, a specialty program of Access Consciousness®. www.belluso.com

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