Small Business Spotlight: Knowing The Owners Before You Buy The Franchise
Knowing The Owners Before You Buy The Franchise | In-Symmetry Spa
This interview is so much different from the other ones I have shared with you so far and will be sharing over the next few months. Brian is currently a franchise broker (just like me) and has been since 2013. He did a lot of research of other franchises before he decided to go with In-Symmetry Spa.
In-Symmetry Spa provides deep tissue massages specifically for athletes, pregnant women, or anyone with chronic pain. One of the things I find fasinating about this specific franchise is that corporate helps their franchisees find a location where there are other business that will be symbiotic with them. That way there will be a target client audience that will be exposed to the brand without having to do a lot of marketing. Scroll down to watch and read the interview with Brian!
Knowing The Owners Before You Buy The Franchise | Watch the Interview
https://youtu.be/l3Qp7caRZE0
Knowing The Owners Before You Buy The Franchise | Read The Interview
Give me some background about the franchise you own and what you do.
We are opening an In-Symmetry Spa in Salt Lake City. Our plan is to open up at least 3 of them. Our open date is early May. We are about 80% through the build out.
How did you become interested in Franchising?
I met Candace and Dave (the founders) a few years ago. Candace originally started the Spa in San Francisco over a decade ago. I became interested in franchising in 2013-2014. I have been a franchise consultant for many years. I understand the industry and I look at hundreds of franchises every year. Talking to them, I knew they had a passion and they knew the industry really well. Sometimes you have owners or CEOs that are hyper focused on the franchise model but don't have a real connection to the industry. I like that she [Candace] had built it from scratch and knew the industry inside and out. I looked at lots of franchises and business models in .the Salt Lake Area that would work. I have been passionate about health and wellness and fitness for a long time and ultimately decided that this would be a good brand to join and help grow.
What is the build out process like?
It is managing the contractors, finding the locations and having a strong general contractor. We are not full-time in Salt Lake City. We split out time between Salt Lake City and San Francisco so finding a strong general contractor to move things along is key. It is not currently a full-time job and it won't be in the future. It's all about keeping tabs of the construction process and managing that general contractor.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before you got started?
There really haven't been any surprises. As you mentioned, I am a little unique because I have a few years in franchising and I also knew the founders before moving forward with it. So I wouldn't say there are any surprises for us so far.
Why did you pick In-Symmetry Spa over other franchises that you looked at?
Just as a typical franchisee, I looked at a lot of options in Salt Lake City, specifically, to see what might be a good fit. One of the factors was that they had the knowledge of the industry. Candace knows this industry inside and out. So the founders were a big part of moving forward. I also like being apart of an emerging brand. I like getting into something earlier. It gives me a couple of options. If we are looking at really scaling, something that has been around for decades doesn't have that option. I like the opportunity we have with this. we have committed to three but who knows how many we will open. I like being new because we help drive the brand. we aren't opening up a Super Cuts and we won't be just another Super Cuts. We will be very influential in the growth of the brand. It helps scratch that entrepreneurial itch without having to do it completely on my own.
Emerging brands can be really scary for a lot of people. they are wary of emerging brands that don't have a lot of territories or even a lot of stores yet, and I get that. But you can see that with Candace and the founders that they are truly involved in the business and they are in it for the long-term and the growth of the franchise.
What are the biggest challenges of ramping up a new franchise unit?
Specifically this, with a brick & mortar, it is finding a location and hiring. We are not full-time owner, operations with this business. Finding and hiring a good manager is key. So is finding a good location where you are in with other fitness and health oriented business. We are in a small complex where the majority of the other businesses are essentially power partners for our clients. Our clients will be great targets for them and vice versa. Hiring is key. With any business, but specifically with a franchise it is the number one thing to focus on. Once we hire the right people, it is just a matter of following the process to execute.