The health, wellness, and beauty industry is valued at $88 billion. With 1.9 million professionals in the space and about 3,600 salon suites locations currently in operation, the industry is already booming, and it’s expected to grow to 2.2 million professionals and 8,600-plus locations within the next decade. This growth is largely driven by beauty professionals’ desire for more freedom and flexibility, and for investors, this presents a remarkable opportunity.
IMAGE Studios, the luxury salon suites franchise with 120 locations, boasts a simple, stable, and scalable business model that supports entrepreneurs in tapping into this growth — whether they have prior beauty or wellness experience or not.
“IMAGE Studios has a unique value proposition: It’s 100% a real estate play, backed by a luxury brand and a comprehensive support system. We have 12 years of history with zero closures and plenty of white space remaining,” said Lizzie Webb, vice president of operations. “It’s also incredibly fulfilling. Our franchisees are landlords to some of the most fun, warm, creative people on earth, but they need zero health, beauty, or wellness background to thrive in our industry.”
IMAGE Studios is “a real estate play for people who love people,” Webb says, but unlike other salon suites concepts, the brand positions itself as the luxury provider in the space. The heart of the luxury feel starts with a commitment to sophisticated, high-end design.
“We’re not bashful about the fact that we have the best-looking salon suites in the industry. We want professionals to feel proud that their business is here,” Webb said. “We want the ‘wow moment’ when someone walks in. The pros can decorate their suites to their liking, but having that ‘wow’ moment starts with the entryway and other shared spaces.”
From stunning kitchen spaces to high-end restrooms, IMAGE Studios understands how the end-user’s experience drives business for the professionals and, by extension, supports franchisees’ businesses. Crucially for franchisees, the premium environment doesn’t have to carry a premium price tag.
“We don’t believe great design has to come with a big price tag,” Webb said. “Our model shows you can create a polished, professional location without overspending, because we are smarter and more intentional in our process.”
While salon suites are widely popular with beauty professionals like hairstylists, nail technicians, and lash artists, IMAGE Studios does not restrict itself to just these services.
By strategically expanding the tenet base to include medspas, injectables, and adjacent creative professionals like party planners, balloon artists, and boutique florists, IMAGE Studios increases the total addressable market, reducing franchisees’ reliance on a single industry sector.
This also creates a dynamic ecosystem and serves as another differentiator for franchisees.
“Our build-out is meant for a wide range of professionals; it’s not a scenario where we’ve built hair salons that we’re then trying to adapt to fit other professionals,” Webb said. “For the professionals, this is a great benefit, and they’re surrounded by other professionals with whom they can network and share referrals.”
Webb gave the example of a doctor providing injectables. Rather than trying to fit into a salon suite that wasn’t truly made for them or remaining in a space where they’re surrounded by multiple other professionals providing the same service, they will choose a customizable IMAGE suite surrounded by professionals providing similarly high-end services.
“When a medspa professional enters our space, for example, they’re surrounded by higher-end providers,” she said. “They find themselves in a space full of women who are already there, seeking $300 haircuts. There’s a whole customer base right there.”
IMAGE Studios backs its franchisees with a comprehensive, multi-layered support system available at every stage.
In addition to initial training — which can be completed remotely for convenience and is available for the entirety of ownership — franchisees have access to ongoing support. They can join weekly executive coaching calls, review expert coaching on things like finance, real estate, and marketing, and connect with a powerful peer network, a core pillar of the brand’s support.
“Our coaches operate locations,” Webb said. “So when we speak with franchisees about what needs to be done, it comes from a place of experience.”
While IMAGE Studios has 12 years of experience, it has grown carefully and intentionally — as demonstrated by the fact that it has never closed a unit. Because of this, there is still substantial white space available in key markets that are not available with other brands.
“We still have space in big metros like Los Angeles, Dallas, and Washington, D.C.,” Webb said. “If you want to open up with other salon suites concepts, it will be harder to find availability in prime markets. We have that space, and we’re actively looking to grow in places like Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix, Tampa, and Los Angeles.”
The geography positions franchisees to grow, as does the model itself. The vast majority of owners have zero employees, functioning under an owner-operator model. As the business grows, franchisees have opportunities to welcome contracted team members to the equation to handle things like cleaning, and they can share resources between locations. Still, they remain the primary operator, keeping things streamlined.
As IMAGE Studios continues to grow, the team is looking to partner with driven entrepreneurs who are fulfilled by bringing entrepreneurial opportunities and support to professionals in their communities.
“All of our franchisees have a genuine interest in the success of their professionals. One of the things we look for in the development process is people who say, ‘I want to help people succeed,’” Webb said. “We want that kind of shared entrepreneurship. Most of our owners are incredibly successful people who want to give back to other entrepreneurs. They want to help and see people build their businesses, and there’s a relationship from day one.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/image-studios/info.
Image Studios
SPONSORED
The luxury salon suites franchise, which has closed zero units in the past 12 years, offers a remarkable growth opportunity as the salon suites industry races toward 8,600-plus units by 2035.
The health, wellness, and beauty industry is valued at $88 billion. With 1.9 million professionals in the space and about 3,600 salon suites locations currently in operation, the industry is already booming, and it’s expected to grow to 2.2 million professionals and 8,600-plus locations within the next decade. This growth is largely driven by beauty professionals’ desire for more freedom and flexibility, and for investors, this presents a remarkable opportunity.
IMAGE Studios, the luxury salon suites franchise with 120 locations, boasts a simple, stable, and scalable business model that supports entrepreneurs in tapping into this growth — whether they have prior beauty or wellness experience or not.
“IMAGE Studios has a unique value proposition: It’s 100% a real estate play, backed by a luxury brand and a comprehensive support system. We have 12 years of history with zero closures and plenty of white space remaining,” said Lizzie Webb, vice president of operations. “It’s also incredibly fulfilling. Our franchisees are landlords to some of the most fun, warm, creative people on earth, but they need zero health, beauty, or wellness background to thrive in our industry.”
IMAGE Studios is “a real estate play for people who love people,” Webb says, but unlike other salon suites concepts, the brand positions itself as the luxury provider in the space. The heart of the luxury feel starts with a commitment to sophisticated, high-end design.
“We’re not bashful about the fact that we have the best-looking salon suites in the industry. We want professionals to feel proud that their business is here,” Webb said. “We want the ‘wow moment’ when someone walks in. The pros can decorate their suites to their liking, but having that ‘wow’ moment starts with the entryway and other shared spaces.”
From stunning kitchen spaces to high-end restrooms, IMAGE Studios understands how the end-user’s experience drives business for the professionals and, by extension, supports franchisees’ businesses. Crucially for franchisees, the premium environment doesn’t have to carry a premium price tag.
“We don’t believe great design has to come with a big price tag,” Webb said. “Our model shows you can create a polished, professional location without overspending, because we are smarter and more intentional in our process.”
While salon suites are widely popular with beauty professionals like hairstylists, nail technicians, and lash artists, IMAGE Studios does not restrict itself to just these services.
By strategically expanding the tenet base to include medspas, injectables, and adjacent creative professionals like party planners, balloon artists, and boutique florists, IMAGE Studios increases the total addressable market, reducing franchisees’ reliance on a single industry sector.
This also creates a dynamic ecosystem and serves as another differentiator for franchisees.
“Our build-out is meant for a wide range of professionals; it’s not a scenario where we’ve built hair salons that we’re then trying to adapt to fit other professionals,” Webb said. “For the professionals, this is a great benefit, and they’re surrounded by other professionals with whom they can network and share referrals.”
Webb gave the example of a doctor providing injectables. Rather than trying to fit into a salon suite that wasn’t truly made for them or remaining in a space where they’re surrounded by multiple other professionals providing the same service, they will choose a customizable IMAGE suite surrounded by professionals providing similarly high-end services.
“When a medspa professional enters our space, for example, they’re surrounded by higher-end providers,” she said. “They find themselves in a space full of women who are already there, seeking $300 haircuts. There’s a whole customer base right there.”
IMAGE Studios backs its franchisees with a comprehensive, multi-layered support system available at every stage.
In addition to initial training — which can be completed remotely for convenience and is available for the entirety of ownership — franchisees have access to ongoing support. They can join weekly executive coaching calls, review expert coaching on things like finance, real estate, and marketing, and connect with a powerful peer network, a core pillar of the brand’s support.
“Our coaches operate locations,” Webb said. “So when we speak with franchisees about what needs to be done, it comes from a place of experience.”
While IMAGE Studios has 12 years of experience, it has grown carefully and intentionally — as demonstrated by the fact that it has never closed a unit. Because of this, there is still substantial white space available in key markets that are not available with other brands.
“We still have space in big metros like Los Angeles, Dallas, and Washington, D.C.,” Webb said. “If you want to open up with other salon suites concepts, it will be harder to find availability in prime markets. We have that space, and we’re actively looking to grow in places like Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix, Tampa, and Los Angeles.”
The geography positions franchisees to grow, as does the model itself. The vast majority of owners have zero employees, functioning under an owner-operator model. As the business grows, franchisees have opportunities to welcome contracted team members to the equation to handle things like cleaning, and they can share resources between locations. Still, they remain the primary operator, keeping things streamlined.
As IMAGE Studios continues to grow, the team is looking to partner with driven entrepreneurs who are fulfilled by bringing entrepreneurial opportunities and support to professionals in their communities.
“All of our franchisees have a genuine interest in the success of their professionals. One of the things we look for in the development process is people who say, ‘I want to help people succeed,’” Webb said. “We want that kind of shared entrepreneurship. Most of our owners are incredibly successful people who want to give back to other entrepreneurs. They want to help and see people build their businesses, and there’s a relationship from day one.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/image-studios/info.
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