How many businesses can say their clients come in the door expecting something wonderful and leave feeling relaxed and energized. Enter a Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa and you’ll see what I mean and what a change it offered to the hectic corporate world I was in before.
I was a successful Director and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist at a leading Canadian bank with 25 years of ‘Exceeds Expectations’ performance appraisals when I was downsized in a restructuring. Losing a six figure job I loved and the fantastic team I had built a department with, seemed a hard blow, but it was a gift that allowed me to change my life for the better.
I was lucky though. While my first foray into the franchise world was a disaster, I felt I had earned a degree in franchising that made me better able to judge a truly viable opportunity. I extricated myself from a prospective franchise that saw a change of executive while also realizing how vulnerable I was if the quality of my supplies was lowered. I could not stand behind something I did not believe in. Why was I lucky? Because I recognised it when I finally DID find a franchise with real potential, and a franchisor of real integrity.
Why do I love Hand & Stone?
- We have an amazing niche in the market of affordable luxury. There is no one else offering what we do and the elegant way we do it.
- I’m in control - of my time, my products and services and my relationship with my staff. I am proud of what I’m offering and it’s a good fit for who I am and what I represent, something very important and a key to success. And I no longer have to schedule, and apologise for, taking time to be with my aging mother for a medical appointment, or watch my son play a concert.
- I have a franchisor I can trust, who stands behind me, helping me EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
- In the corporate world there is no such thing as security any more, and a job earns only one pay-cheque, but with a franchise I can achieve multiple locations to multiply my earning power. Soon I’ll be looking at #2.
- Starting a business on my own, how long would it take to develop the concept, the look, the advertising image, brochures, set-up, location, build-out, and most of all – a successful enterprise? With a franchise it was all laid out and I could hit the ground running and expend my energies and resources making my business grow instead of just developing a business. With an expanding franchise, each franchisee adding a location gives me more visibility, credibility and branding power, and much faster than going it alone.
- The support is amazing, and I have two avenues of support: 1) my franchisor, and this is why it was so important to select my franchisor carefully, and 2) the other franchisees – united we are an amazing team with a broad range of skills that we readily share. Sharing ideas, skills and information makes the learning curve much faster for all.
- The power of a good franchise is also the strength of the team. With the pooling of advertising resources we can do more than I would be able to do alone. For example, the franchise commissioned a beautiful 30 second commercial with high production values. Within a few weeks, I had the commercial personalized to reflect my location and on the air on two local ethnic channels that reflected my demographics. Without paying a fortune. Just like that.
I love the fact that my services really make a difference to people. When a client comes in pain and leaves with a smile, when relationships develop to the point that people bring me pictures of their new children or grandchildren, I feel wonderful to be part of a community. How many businesses can say their clients come in the door expecting something wonderful and leave feeling so much better?
My elegant and soothing Spa is a reflection of who I am and I am very proud to say it’s mine.
