Franchisee Stories
When his wife became a Registered Massage Therapist, Kulvir Pharmaha spotted a new career opportunity with Hand & Stone that he and his family could not overlook.
Kulvir Pharmaha knows an opportunity when he sees one. His passion for the real estate industry drove the first 15 years of his career, spending time predominantly as a realtor and broker. His wife Lovy's decision to become a massage therapist, however, changed the trajectory of his career, specifically when she discovered Hand & Stone.
Though the couple originally envisioned a spa of their own, Hand & Stone’s simple and straightforward dual-model of massage or facial services enticed them to the franchise. The opportunity to purchase an existing Aurora, Ontario location sealed their fate as part of the brand.
“Traditionally if you look at spas, they have elements of a salon that provide hair and nail services,” said Pharmaha. “I like this setting of a simple spa. The serenity and tranquility that massage and facials can provide is exactly what we wanted, and that is just the way Hand & Stone’s model is designed.”
Pharmaha’s investment in Hand & Stone is a true family affair. His daughter, Simi, is a certified esthetician and is performing facials, waxing and laser hair removal. Hand & Stone’s offerings in this area further sealed the deal with the entrepreneurial family.
“Simi and Lovy’s experience, paired with the right branding, really sold us,” said Pharmaha.
Pharmaha took over the Aurora location in June of 2019. In just a few short months, the location’s sales were up, more members had joined and Pharmaha was taking advantage of all the programs offered and was a Pilot spa for new services. According to Gigi Harding, President of Hand & Stone Canada, the corporate team was astonished with his immediate success.
“It’s truly fantastic when a franchisee can come into an already established location and generate new business,” said Harding. “To have such an instance where there is such a swift turnaround, however, is unheard of. They did a really great job with their strategy and we look forward to seeing how Kulvir can expand with the brand.”
Pharmaha contends that keeping his sales strategy simple led to his success. “We didn’t do anything special other than putting the basics into effect,” he said. “We managed the staff and encouraged them by developing incentives to hit certain sales targets. It made it very easy for our staff to offer our services and drive that growth.”
Like so many businesses in the spa industry, Pharmaha’s Hand & Stone location has hit the typical speed bumps associated with COVID-19. He and his team have implemented the brand’s new cleaning and sanitation protocols and have gone the extra mile. Between gloves, screens, head gear, masks, sanitizing and high-quality disinfection, Pharmaha and his staff have achieved an atmosphere comforting enough for customers to return.
“We have taken extreme precautions in terms of our regime of cleanliness,” Pharmaha said. “Our preventative measures have added roughly 15 minutes to each service. It’s going to cost us a little bit more, but I am prepared to deal with that cost as long as my clients and staff are safe.”
Pharmaha and his family are weathering the COVID-19 storm well and still plan to expand with the brand with another spa when the timing is right. He credits the corporate team’s unyielding support for his commitment to growth.
“The support system that exists today within the corporate structure allows me the luxury of focusing on our day-to-day business,” said Pharmaha. “Any changes we’ve made in order to adapt have been thanks to the tremendous support of corporate. There are a lot of franchises out there that you can’t reach directly, but Gigi and her team have been there every step of the way.”
Hand & Stone is always looking for new franchisees to help grow its footprint. Start-up costs to open a Hand & Stone franchise in Canada range from CA$485,730 to CA$701,780 with a franchise fee of CA$45,000. To receive a breakdown of fees, estimated initial investment costs, contracts, corporate financial statements and other valuable information included in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), visit https://handandstonemassagefranchise.ca/
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