As IMAGE Studios continues to scale nationwide, Atlanta has quickly become one of the most significant growth markets on the brand’s development map. With new openings in Roswell and Alpharetta and more locations in development, the city’s mix of creativity, ambition and entrepreneurial energy aligns directly with what IMAGE Studios is built for.
“Atlanta’s just that great mix of creative and entrepreneurial spirit that really mirrors who we are as a brand,” said Taylor Lamont, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner at IMAGE Studios. “It’s a city built by independent professionals who are chasing growth on their own terms.”
The IMAGE Studios mission is to empower beauty and wellness professionals to become successful business owners. A typical location houses 25 to 35 independent entrepreneurs, creating a thriving small-business ecosystem all within one address. This structure translates especially well in Atlanta, a city recognized nationally for its strong concentration of minority- and women-owned businesses.
According to Lamont, about 90% of IMAGE Pro tenants across the country are women-owned ventures, which makes the metro area’s business culture an ideal match for the brand. “Atlanta has an incredible mix of creativity and business acumen. Entrepreneurship feels like part of the culture, and that makes it a natural fit for IMAGE Studios,” he said.
The brand has multiple locations open across Atlanta already and expects to award eight additional licenses in the near future. While some franchise systems follow strict population formulas to determine development capacity, IMAGE Studios evaluates each potential site individually. Everything from demographic and psychographic data to competitor performance is reviewed before approving new growth.
“We never want to cannibalize one location on top of another,” Lamont said. “Our franchisees’ success is of utmost importance. Growth is defined by data—population shifts, competitor timelines, ramp-up performance—everything that helps us understand whether the market can support more IMAGE Pros.”
While many salon suite brands primarily attract hairstylists or barbers, IMAGE Studios has deliberately positioned itself to serve the full spectrum of beauty and wellness entrepreneurs. Inside a typical location, it is common to see hairstylists, barbers, estheticians, lash and brow artists, makeup artists, nail artists, tattoo artists and registered nurses offering aesthetic services.
Lamont says this diverse mix is intentional. “We attract a wide variety of beauty professionals,” he said. “Whether someone is a traditional hairstylist or a registered nurse doing Botox, our aesthetic and our design match the businesses that operate inside our spaces.”
Because the studios are built to support such a wide array of services, IMAGE Studios often becomes a destination for highly skilled professionals who want the flexibility of operating independently without the complexity of building out their own brick-and-mortar space.
Many IMAGE Pros choose the brand because moving into a studio allows them to open a business in days rather than months. The spaces come fully outfitted with millwork, chairs, mirrors, lighting and storage. For someone leaving a traditional salon or commission structure, this means they can transition into independent ownership with minimal downtime.
“Everything is provided,” Lamont said. “They don’t want the overhead of building a brick-and-mortar location. They want to move in and start taking clients tomorrow.”
The move-in experience is paired with significant business support through IMAGE Pro Academy, which offers education on scaling a business, client retention, pricing strategy, retirement planning, financial management and general business operations. IMAGE Pros receive checklists and guidance for everything from insurance to licensing, which helps first-time business owners avoid the guesswork of entrepreneurship.
“We often say people want to go into business for themselves, but not by themselves,” Lamont added. "And a lot of times that's why they're attracted to IMAGE in comparison to our competitors, because the spaces that we build, even though they have their individual studios, they're all gorgeous glass. They're open. They can see each other. It creates a really wonderful community."
The Atlanta metro has seen rapid expansion of suburban lifestyle centers—walkable districts where residents can eat, shop and access services within minutes of their homes. While these centers are strong options, IMAGE Studios does not rely on them exclusively.
“IMAGE Studios thrives in office space, retail centers, malls and strip developments,” Lamont said. This adaptability is an advantage in Atlanta, where traffic patterns, residential growth and mixed-use development vary widely by suburb.
IMAGE Studios now has 130 locations open nationwide and is opening approximately 40 new sites per year. Atlanta sits alongside Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Charlotte and Tampa as one of the brand’s highest-priority markets moving forward.
“This is an attractive franchise model because it’s low overhead, it has recurring revenue and it’s a culture-first brand,” Lamont said. “No franchisee or IMAGE Pro is doing this on their own."
What sets Atlanta apart, Lamont added, is the mindset of its people. “Atlanta celebrates ambition. It’s bold, creative, driven—and that’s exactly who IMAGE Studios was built for."
To find out more information on the costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/image-studios.
Image Studios
SPONSORED
As the brand accelerates its growth across the Southeast, Atlanta emerges as a key hub for beauty and wellness entrepreneurs looking for independence and opportunity.
As IMAGE Studios continues to scale nationwide, Atlanta has quickly become one of the most significant growth markets on the brand’s development map. With new openings in Roswell and Alpharetta and more locations in development, the city’s mix of creativity, ambition and entrepreneurial energy aligns directly with what IMAGE Studios is built for.
“Atlanta’s just that great mix of creative and entrepreneurial spirit that really mirrors who we are as a brand,” said Taylor Lamont, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner at IMAGE Studios. “It’s a city built by independent professionals who are chasing growth on their own terms.”
The IMAGE Studios mission is to empower beauty and wellness professionals to become successful business owners. A typical location houses 25 to 35 independent entrepreneurs, creating a thriving small-business ecosystem all within one address. This structure translates especially well in Atlanta, a city recognized nationally for its strong concentration of minority- and women-owned businesses.
According to Lamont, about 90% of IMAGE Pro tenants across the country are women-owned ventures, which makes the metro area’s business culture an ideal match for the brand. “Atlanta has an incredible mix of creativity and business acumen. Entrepreneurship feels like part of the culture, and that makes it a natural fit for IMAGE Studios,” he said.
The brand has multiple locations open across Atlanta already and expects to award eight additional licenses in the near future. While some franchise systems follow strict population formulas to determine development capacity, IMAGE Studios evaluates each potential site individually. Everything from demographic and psychographic data to competitor performance is reviewed before approving new growth.
“We never want to cannibalize one location on top of another,” Lamont said. “Our franchisees’ success is of utmost importance. Growth is defined by data—population shifts, competitor timelines, ramp-up performance—everything that helps us understand whether the market can support more IMAGE Pros.”
While many salon suite brands primarily attract hairstylists or barbers, IMAGE Studios has deliberately positioned itself to serve the full spectrum of beauty and wellness entrepreneurs. Inside a typical location, it is common to see hairstylists, barbers, estheticians, lash and brow artists, makeup artists, nail artists, tattoo artists and registered nurses offering aesthetic services.
Lamont says this diverse mix is intentional. “We attract a wide variety of beauty professionals,” he said. “Whether someone is a traditional hairstylist or a registered nurse doing Botox, our aesthetic and our design match the businesses that operate inside our spaces.”
Because the studios are built to support such a wide array of services, IMAGE Studios often becomes a destination for highly skilled professionals who want the flexibility of operating independently without the complexity of building out their own brick-and-mortar space.
Many IMAGE Pros choose the brand because moving into a studio allows them to open a business in days rather than months. The spaces come fully outfitted with millwork, chairs, mirrors, lighting and storage. For someone leaving a traditional salon or commission structure, this means they can transition into independent ownership with minimal downtime.
“Everything is provided,” Lamont said. “They don’t want the overhead of building a brick-and-mortar location. They want to move in and start taking clients tomorrow.”
The move-in experience is paired with significant business support through IMAGE Pro Academy, which offers education on scaling a business, client retention, pricing strategy, retirement planning, financial management and general business operations. IMAGE Pros receive checklists and guidance for everything from insurance to licensing, which helps first-time business owners avoid the guesswork of entrepreneurship.
“We often say people want to go into business for themselves, but not by themselves,” Lamont added. "And a lot of times that's why they're attracted to IMAGE in comparison to our competitors, because the spaces that we build, even though they have their individual studios, they're all gorgeous glass. They're open. They can see each other. It creates a really wonderful community."
The Atlanta metro has seen rapid expansion of suburban lifestyle centers—walkable districts where residents can eat, shop and access services within minutes of their homes. While these centers are strong options, IMAGE Studios does not rely on them exclusively.
“IMAGE Studios thrives in office space, retail centers, malls and strip developments,” Lamont said. This adaptability is an advantage in Atlanta, where traffic patterns, residential growth and mixed-use development vary widely by suburb.
IMAGE Studios now has 130 locations open nationwide and is opening approximately 40 new sites per year. Atlanta sits alongside Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Charlotte and Tampa as one of the brand’s highest-priority markets moving forward.
“This is an attractive franchise model because it’s low overhead, it has recurring revenue and it’s a culture-first brand,” Lamont said. “No franchisee or IMAGE Pro is doing this on their own."
What sets Atlanta apart, Lamont added, is the mindset of its people. “Atlanta celebrates ambition. It’s bold, creative, driven—and that’s exactly who IMAGE Studios was built for."
To find out more information on the costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/image-studios.
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