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MISCELLANEOUS

Franchise Discovery Day at Hand & Stone Massage

What is a “Discovery Day”?

Previous: Part 4: The Powerhouse Team Behind Hand & Stone Massage

“Discovery Day” is a franchise industry term used to describe the presentation most franchisors conduct for groups of prospective franchise owners. Discovery Day presentations vary by franchisor. Some are very slick sales events with scripted presentations made to large groups. Others are less formal and more personal, consisting of smaller groups with lots of interaction, dialogue and time for questions.

I was pleased to find that Hand & Stone Massage Discovery Day falls into the latter category, a experiencing presentations that were informative (rather than salesy) and personal, with a friendly and relaxed tone.

In total, there were 3-4 groups in attendance, and Hand & Stone VP of Franchise Development Bob McQuillan laid out the agenda: an “icebreaker” & attendee self-introductions over coffee and bagels, short presentations and Q&A’s by the training, operations & marketing department heads, a working lunch with senior executives, and an on-site tour of a nearby Hand & Stone Massage & Facial Spa. After a brief wrap-up and final Q&A, attendees would have the opportunity to experience a hot stone massage firsthand.

What I discovered at Hand & Stone Spa Discovery Day


I came away from the Hand & Stone Massage & Facial Spa impressed on a number of levels.

I was impressed with the Discovery Day experience itself. The people were friendly, open and helpful. It was not a dog and pony show or sales pitch, but an exchange of information from both sides to help determine whether the franchise was a good fit for the attendee’s business goals and skill sets. If you are seriously exploring business start-up options of this type, you will find the investment of time and travel expenses well worth it.

I was impressed by the industry growth statistics, which I verified independently after the presentation.

I was impressed by the simplicity and the operational efficiency of the concept itself, as well as the customer experience and reactions I witnessed.

I was impressed by the care that was exhibited in not making any earnings claims or representations outside of the Financial Performance disclosure provided in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).

Most of all, I was impressed by the knowledgeable, experienced and dedicated team in place to support and guide franchisees from day one.

Listening to the presentations of this highly experienced management team, I had to keep reminding myself that this is a young franchise chain with less than 50 units.

Most of these professionals have experience supporting many times the number of franchise locations they currently serve, and I was impressed by the fact that John Marco and Todd Leff are willing to invest in establishing a solid foundation and infrastructure prior to embarking on the energetic growth that is almost a certainty in the next few years.

Hand & Stone Massage & Facial Spa is poised and ready for growth.

Hand & Stone Massage & Facial Spa appears to be poised and ready for growth.

Does that mean that the Hand & Stone Massage & Facial Spa is the right franchise opportunity for your personal and business goals? Is it the perfect match for your particular market?

Those are decisions that only you can make. All I can say is that the Hand & Stone franchise is definitely worth consideration… whether it’s the right opportunity is for you to discover.

Read all: Hand & Stone Massage Franchise: Discover the Potential

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Garth Snider, FranchiseOpportunities.com

2009 wrap-up, 2010 franchise predictions

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BEST FRANCHISE SEARCH HOME BASED FRANCHISE Publishing Franchises SALES FRANCHISE

Best Community Publications Franchises


Publish a local edition of “The Homesteader,” the publication for new homeowners! This is a great work-from-home business opportunity for people with sales, marketing, publishing, or business experience!

WHO WE ARE
” The Homesteader” is a monthly newspaper, in publication since 1990, and is direct-mailed to new homeowners. Each issue includes articles of interest to newcomers, like home improvement projects, decorating tips, antiques, movie reviews, restaurant reviews, local travel, museums, and a community calendar. We help new homeowners “settle in” to their new community.

WHY DO BUSINESSES ADVERTISE IN “THE HOMESTEADER”?
Advertising in “The Homesteader” is a great value to local businesses. We reach their most valuable target market: new homeowners. Because we give the new homeowner a free subscription, they are exposed to our advertisers’ ads repeatedly. And because we mail 5,000+ papers per month, the cost-per-contact is only a few cents per household, depending on the size of their ad. It’s a great value!Businesses like to reach new homeowners because they have high income, are unfamiliar with local merchants, and have a need for many products and services as a new resident and a homeowner.We are offering a publishing opportunity to produce a local “Homesteader” in your market. You would run the operation locally, getting monthly articles from us, selling local ads, and working with a local printer and graphic artist to produce the paper each month. In addition to publishing a local edition, you would also offer related services to boost your profits and provide more services to your advertisers. Options include direct mail programs, inserts, labels, and coupons. There are a number of advertiser-feedback programs that we also recommend.

HOW IS EACH EDITION PUBLISHED?
Most of your content you will receive from us, the rest you will generate through local freelance writers (working with local writers is suggested but not required, as we provide plenty of monthly articles). As a local publisher, you are primarily responsible for advertising sales. You would hire a local printer, graphic artist, freelance writers, and other vendors to help you produce your paper and run your business. As the publisher, you would oversee their work, generate new sales, bill clients, and hire sales or telemarketing help, if desired. You may publish one edition of “The Homesteader” in a local territory, or you can run multiple editions and gain efficiencies in sales, marketing, graphic arts, and printing. Each territory should cover a population size of about 250,000 people, give or take 50,000. Each territory is the same price, but we can grant a longer time to develop additional territories, if needed.

WHAT ARE THE FEES AND COSTS?
Homesteader Enterprises, Inc. is offering local territories on very attractive terms. Buy your first territory for only $400 down, $3,000 after six months. The first six months are on a trial basis–if you do not like the business or are not successful, you can resign. The first three issues you publish are royalty-free! There is a 10% royalty on ads sold after your third issue published. You won’t start publishing for two to four months from when you start the business. During that time, you set up your office, line up your vendors, and begin selling. Hopefully, when you are ready to begin publishing, you have a number of advertisers lined up for your first issue. (If you don’t have enough, delay that first issue until you have more!) If advertising sales go well, you might break even or earn a small profit on your first issue. However, don’t expect to draw a salary from the business for at least the first six months. The major investment during the first six months is your time. If you decide to hire sales or telemarketing help, you can get started on the road to success much more quickly…but there is added expense. How you approach this is up to you. It is not necessary to hire anyone to help you sell, but it is an option you should consider.

WHAT SUPPORT IS GIVEN?
We provide an extensive Training Manual and two days of classroom training in Concord, Massachusetts to get you started. There is no extra cost for this training, but you must pay your own travel and lodging expenses. Training CDs, email, and phone support are also included.We provide a monthly editorial package with 20-40 articles on average. These articles are posted on our website in a members-only section. Many articles have clip art or photos (which also are available on the website).

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NEWS SPA FRANCHISES

Best Spa Franchises

(Best Franchise Opportunities) Always at Peace is franchising its organic spa concept.

Always at Peace opened their first organic retreat in November of 2004 and then for franchising purposes changed their name to spa*habitat in February of 2008. The business has become the market leader in the organic spa industry. They are projecting 7 franchisees over the next 12 months.

The spa industry is strong and vibrant, and the organics industry is very hot and growing exponentially. Consumers have an increasing awareness that what goes on their body is as important as what goes in their body, and are recognizing the health benefits in using natural and organic skin care products.

The U.S. spa industry generated an estimated $9.4 billion in gross revenue in 2006, on 111 million spa visits. **

66% of U.S. consumers report they use organic products at least occasionally.*

Many spas are starting to include some organic ingredients in their products and services, but many of these products still include very harmful ingredients. spa*habitat has strict standards that make them special and unique.

The spa*habitat Franchise Program offers aid in site selection and facility development, inventory guidance, marketing programs, initial training and ongoing support into your business vision.

Visit FRANBEST’s: Unbiased franchise information, franchise interviews and detailed, searchable information on 400 franchise and business opportunities.

Information provided by the franchise company.  FranBest has not verified every statement or claim, and does not endorse any specific franchises, franchise companies or specific franchise opportunities.  We recommend thorough investigation before investing.