Pulse Magazine: How Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa Became A Credit-Worthy Franchise

Growing franchise concept Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa was founded by a physical therapist with the mission to bring massage and wellness services to a wider audience. The company opened its first location in 2004 and began franchising in 2008, at the beginning of the Recession.

“The company started to franchise in 2008 right before a very severe downturn in the economy. It was hard to find franchisees willing to invest,” Hand & Stone President and CEO Todd Leff told the magazine. “There was also hesitation on the part of landlords as the business model had not yet been widely adopted.”

The company pushed on, setting themselves up for huge growth as the economy recovered. IN the last six years, the brand has gone from 25 units to 275.

Leff says that innovation in their offerings has contributed greatly to their success, noting that the launch of facials and skin care services sets them apart from competitors and accounts for over a quarter of their business.

The brand also offers a monthly membership plan. Franchisees were concerned about cancellation at first, but industry data suggested it would provide important customer feedback and allow the system to set their franchisees up for success.

“With those insights and ongoing feedback, we were confident in switching to month-to-month agreements—the result was that our member sales skyrocketed and attrition improved,” Leff told the magazine.

The company's decision have paid off with huge growth and support from lenders as the business model is proven time and time again.

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Nick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.

Pulse Magazine: How Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa Became A Credit-Worthy Franchise

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