If you’re looking to change career direction and have considered business ownership as a possible avenue, franchising is a great way to go about it. If you have a passion for delivering fantastic service and have the enthusiasm to take business into your own hands, massage franchises can be considerably rewarding. There are many benefits associated with business ownership. You get to be your own boss, take control of your work and earnings, whilst delivering a service to your community. Massage, salon and spa treatments are a big part of the beauty industry and by joining a massage and spa franchise, you’ll be a part of a booming sector.
What is a Massage Franchise?
A massage franchise is a massage treatment business which has been developed in a way that makes the business’s services scalable through franchising. The owner of the business will have developed the business in such a way that can be successfully replicated by entrepreneurs investing in the business, ie purchasing the rights to trade as that massage business. Franchising enables a massage franchise to scale their services, by opening up additional units, all of which follow the same branding, the same setup and deliver the same services. A good (non-massage) example of a successful franchise would be Wiltshire Farm Foods, or McDonald’s for a more instantly recognisable brand. McDonald’s franchisees all use the same branding, sell the same products and run their business in a closely similar manner. And massage franchises are no exception – franchisees will trade as the same brand, deliver the same services and carry out similar marketing.
There are many benefits of becoming a franchisee with a massage franchise. Let’s take a look at ten top reasons to invest in a massage franchise and become your own boss.
1. Opportunities to Suit Everyone’s Lifestyle and Budget
Massage and spa treatment franchises are incredibly diverse. Many years ago, salon treatments and massage were limited to just a high street premises but now many businesses which have opened up through franchising, have diversified to offer a number of different opportunities for their franchisees. As well as continuing to offer a high street or premises based franchise, many massage franchises now offer mobile treatments and kiosk based units.
A kiosk massage franchise is a setup which operates similar to a high street premises, but on a temporary setup. Usually placed in high footfall areas such as shopping malls and transport hubs, salon kiosk franchises continue to benefit from high footfall, high potential business, whilst cutting down on the premises rental or ownership costs. You won’t need a bricks and mortar premises with a kiosk as a space will be agreed between you, the franchisor and the establishment owner.
Aside from kiosks and storefront establishments, many salon and beauty franchises, including massage businesses, have adapted to the growing trend of providing mobile services. This usually takes the form of a franchisee owning a car (either their own or a leased vehicle), and visiting clients in their own homes. This system of operation minimises overheads due to the fact that a separate premises is not required. As well as minimising overheads, a mobile massage franchise also minimises upfront franchise investment costs as well. No store fit out, no kiosk setup, a vehicle livery or branded vinyl is usually included as part of the investment.
While storefront massage franchises will usually be in the investment region of £200,000 including fitout, a kiosk salon franchise generally costs half of this around £100k, whilst a mobile massage franchise often costing less than £50,000.
2. A Proven Business Model
One of the biggest reasons why anyone chooses to invest in a franchise is the access to a proven and established business model. Where starting up a massage franchise alone would likely leave you making beginner mistakes, investing in a franchise gives you access to the franchisor’s franchise operations manual. The franchise manual is a directive compiled by the franchisor’s team which ensures effective running of the business. This will include branding, access to partners and suppliers, and information about day to day managing of the business. By investing in a massage franchise, you’ll be running a business which has been tried and tested both by the franchisor and other franchisees. Brand consistency goes hand in hand with the success of the franchise network, and that’s what we’ll take a look at next.
3. Be a Part of an Established Brand
Just like big name brands such as McDonald’s and Wiltshire Farm Foods, franchise networks benefit from the power of the brand name. As a franchise network grows, so does its recognition and reputation. Massage, beauty and salon franchise networks are able to take advantage of the franchisor’s proven brand name which is recognisable across a greater area the more the network develops. As more franchisees join, the brand name becomes better known and this has an impact on the success of every player within the network. As the reputation establishes itself, new franchisees deliver more of an impact when they set up in their own area. If a new McDonalds or Massage Company franchise was to set up shop in a town, the brand would be instantly recognisable. The reputation of the existing framework of franchisees would carry over and become part of the new franchisee’s brand’s authority. When you join a franchise, as well as benefiting from a proven business model, you’re benefiting from a proven brand name – one that is immediately recognisable. One that makes all the difference when it comes to choosing a local business, or one with a brand history.
4. Massage Franchises Are in Constant Demand
Massage businesses and salons have been met with considerable demand in recent years. Not only are consumers eager to use fitness and massage therapy, but demand for owning this type of business has skyrocketed too. What makes massage franchises attractive is that they have also demonstrated resilience both during recession and global pandemic – notably COVID. Massage franchise networks were able to withstand the challenges delivered by COVID and the following Cost of Living crisis, by diversifying their offering to continue to stay in demand. Massage franchises that operated in client’s homes rather than kiosk or storefront premises, understandably, would have demonstrated better resilience than the latter.
It has long been understood that massages are able to help with pain relief and pain management. Massages are also widely sought for relaxation purposes, and there are a wide number of different types of treatments, which come from a variety of countries and cultures. Massage treatment is often frequently recommended in the sports and fitness sector for soreness, stiffness and injury recovery / rehabilitation.
5. Everything You Need – A “Business in a Box”
Regardless of the type of massage franchise you invest in, be it a kiosk, massage centre or a mobile massage franchise, franchises offer a “business in a box”. This means when you invest you get everything you need in exchange for the franchise investment. The franchise investment is often the single most expensive cost of buying a franchise, but for some types of massage franchises this can actually be quite low, under £50,000. If that sounds like a lot, just remember many banks favour franchising as a more successful route to business ownership and as a result can often lend up to 70% of the franchise investment subject to a good financial background and business plan.
In exchange for the investment, the “massage business in a box” will often include everything from site selection, territory analysis; help creating a business plan, through to massage products and equipment, vehicle branding and of course access to the business model itself and the operational documentation.
6. Massage Franchisees Are Fully Trained and Supported
When you consider setting up a business for yourself, the lack of support and training doesn’t go unnoticed. You’ve got to find partners, suppliers and products and services. Marketing a new business is also a very difficult task because search engines won’t rank your website as well as your competitors who would have been trading much longer. Paid search ads can also be an adventurous but costly task, with many franchisors having great experience in this field.
When you become a massage franchisee, whether it’s a mobile business or a storefront salon, your franchisor will have contacts, partners or will fully train and support you with marketing and launching the business. Ongoing, your marketing or royalty fees will help to cover the cost of research and development to help make the business grow.
Training and support in other aspects, the franchisor will provide you with everything you need to know about running a business. That includes accounting, business management and of course carrying out treatments if the franchisee does these. If not, the support may include training up of new staff / therapists. Most of the operational procedures will be outlined in the franchise operations manual.
7. Group Purchasing Power
Franchises are able to benefit from group purchasing power. That means, access to products and services by partners and suppliers at a better rate. If you were to go it alone and set up a massage and spa business by yourself, you’d need to find a property or suitable vehicle, find a company that will create you branding for the store or vehicle, and find a company that will supply you with massage treatment products and equipment. All of that equipment will come at a greater price for an individual business. Yet when you compare it to the purchasing power of a franchise network, costs can be much lower. Why? – Because franchisors will have agreements in place with these companies. All franchisees will be advised to use the same supplier, and by doing this, the supplier will have peace of mind knowing they’ll have regular repeat business from the entire franchise network, in the basis that they provide their products or services at a competitive rate. Ultimately as a franchise network grows, the supplier will benefit from more business and in order to retain their business, offers a competitive rate that solo start-ups could only dream of accessing.
By being part of a proven franchise network, you will get access to the franchisors partners and suppliers while benefiting from increased buying power. Factored in to your profits and losses, this can mean franchisees may ultimately be able to offer products and services to the client at a better rate than individual start-up counterparts.
8. Be Your Own Boss
As your own boss, you’ll have better control over your lifestyle and work life balance. You’ll have full control over how much work you put in. Provided that you run the business within accordance of the operations manual and franchise agreement, the business is yours to control. Franchising isn’t employment, and the business’s success is very much up to you. Many massage franchisees are able to run their business part time alongside existing commitments, generally very flexible, especially mobile ones.
9. Massage Franchises Can Deliver Unlimited Earning Potential
Building on from point eight, as your own masseuse or masseur, you’ll be in full control of how many clients you take on. Franchisees are awarded exclusive trading rights within a territory in which no other franchisee of the same network can trade in. Territory sizes vary depending on the franchise, and while your success will depend on how well you market the business and are perceived by locals, mobile massage franchises usually have a greater earning potential. You’re not geographically restricted by premises, and with a mobile business you can fully maximise your territory’s potential.
If you want to work 7 days a week and serve as many clients as possible, maximising your earnings, that’s up to you. In a similar manner if you want to double up and take on staff and multiple vehicles for even greater turnover, the choice is yours.
10. An Asset You Can Later Sell
Just like anything you own, the business can later be sold. Either when you wish to move on or retire, seek a new career venture, or decide not to renew the franchise agreement.
Listing the business as a franchise resale means you’ll be able to get back a substantial figure more of what you would have paid when you first invested. Because your massage franchise will likely have at this point an established customer base, and a local reputation and presence, this hard work doesn’t go unrewarded.
Interested in learning more about massage and beauty franchise opportunities for sale in the UK? Discover a world of franchises at Franchise Planet.
