From ”No” to Growth: Real Estate Experts Find Perfect Fit, Pursue Multi-Unit Growth With Sola Salons

Making a smart franchise investment requires careful consideration — not just saying yes to the first opportunity that comes up. For commercial real estate veterans Marc Barber and Wesley Staples, the journey to expanding through franchising was a deliberate process. Prior to going into business together, Barber had been accepted by two different franchisors, but he chose not to invest. Through saying “no,” Barber learned what was important to him in an opportunity. So, when the Sola Salons opportunity was presented to him and Staples, they knew what they would require to say “yes.” And Sola had it.

Barber and Staples established a set of non-negotiables, including a business with few to no employees and one that had the potential to be cash-flow positive from day one.

“It seemed to me that a lot of people leave a job only to replace it with their franchising job,” Barber said. “It was important for us to find something that was additive and didn’t require us to work another 50 hours a week in order to make it successful.”

Barber also added that, while some entrepreneurs will evaluate an opportunity for its potential, noting that it can be cash flow positive within a few years, he and Staples felt they “didn’t have time for that.” Because the pair purchased an existing California location as their first franchise with Sola, this was very attainable.

A Real Estate Background That Translates to Franchising

Thanks to their prior real estate experience, a real estate-focused investment model felt natural. This led them to the salon suite industry, where they researched every major brand in the space.

Ultimately, they decided Sola was “the biggest and best,” and the franchisee network only added value.

“The Sola community was so much more collaborative,” Staples said. “They knew each other by their first name. They talked all the time and shared ideas.”

This stood in stark contrast to the pair’s experience with other concepts. When completing validation, the duo got the feeling that franchisees of other brands knew of each other, but they didn’t really know each other. The connectedness and mutual support throughout the Sola system demonstrated that talks of company culture and support were more than just marketing talking points; they were the realities of ownership with Sola.

After choosing the Sola system, the pair tapped into their real estate expertise to evaluate specific sites. The existing location they chose to invest in was historically successful, nestled near a Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, restaurants and other clothing retailers. It also checked environmental boxes with safe, reliable parking and an atmosphere beauty professionals are excited to work in. This has set the stage for a successful foray into the system, but it’s just the beginning.

Scaling the Business and Growing to Additional Locations

Rather than managing a retail business, for example, Barber and Staples serve as landlords for independent beauty professionals. This B2B model is more familiar to them, and it creates potential for a stable, long-term relationship.

“Our customers, in some cases, are original tenants of the location we bought, which is incredible,” Barber said. “They have longevity. They’re happy being there. They see themselves there for a long time. In commercial real estate, and really any kind of real estate, the best tenant is the one that stays forever, and they’re happy, and you’re happy. Other people have ideas of success, but in my mind, that’s a successful project.”

Now, with one thriving location, Barber and Staples are already planning their expansion. Shortly after acquiring their first location, the pair signed agreements for two more ground-up Sola locations — proactively growing in their market.

“We like the brand so much; we didn’t want anyone in our back yard,” Barber said. “So, we signed up for the opportunities that arose as a result of that, and we’re optimistic.”

A careful journey to franchise ownership set the stage for them to move quickly once in the system, secure prime territories, and begin to scale.

“Definitely do your homework like we did,” Staples said. “Call other beauty salon brands, go to their Discovery Day and really understand the value proposition Sola offers.”

Through this approach, Barber and Staples didn’t just find a business. They found the business — one that fits their professional backgrounds and lifestyle preferences, and one that serves as a powerful wealth-building vehicle.

Barber and Staples joined 1851 Franchise Publisher Nick Powills to discuss their due diligence process, Sola Salons’ differentiators, and their goals for growth with the brand. A transcript of Barber and Staples’ interview with Powills has been provided below. It has been edited for brevity, clarity and style.

Nick Powills: Marc and Wesley, thanks so much for doing this. My opening question is always the same because it helps frame our discussion. How did the two of you fall into franchising?

Marc Barber: I had been selected as a franchisee for two other systems but ultimately didn't proceed with either one. We came to the conclusion that the salon suite business was a good fit for us and naturally gravitated towards Sola, which is the biggest and best. It's been a great experience, but it took a lot of time and hard thinking to get where we are. It wasn't easy, but we took the time to do our homework.

Powills: That's a great opening. Let's start with what your portfolio looks like today.

Barber: Right now, we own one Sola and are hoping to buy another location. We've also signed a development agreement for two more locations, so in the next three years, we should hopefully have more than three. We'd like to grow to 10. It seems like there are a lot of successful franchisees in the Sola system who have consistently grown, and we'd like to be one of them.

Powills: One thing that stood out was that you looked at two other brands and said no. For you to go through two "no's" means you had to figure out how to get to "yes" with Sola. What did you learn from those experiences that helped you, and how have the expectations held up now that you're an owner?

Barber: I can speak to my personal experience, as I had explored the other two systems before Wes and I became partners. With the first franchise, it really came down to the amount of equipment needed; the startup just seemed like too much of a lift. With the second one, I sat down with a franchisee who told me he was taking his first vacation in five years. It seemed to me that a lot of people leave a job only to replace it with their franchising job. It was important for us to find something that was additive to our lives and didn't require us to work another 50 hours a week just to make it successful.

Wesley Staples: Exactly. When we looked at the Sola model, we researched every major national brand. We did Discovery Days with both Sola and one other brand we had narrowed it down to. We weighed the pros and cons and ultimately selected Sola because it was number one in the space.

Powills: It sounds like you focused on the key things: leadership, product differentiation, market availability, financials and that crucial validation piece. Was there anything else that made you uncomfortable that you had to overcome to say yes?

Staples: We're pretty experienced with commercial real estate, so this wasn't a huge leap for us. We understood the beauty business and its pitfalls — management, leasing, marketing. With the location we purchased, there was already a great manager in place. It had been a historically successful location with barriers to entry in the market. It has all the features you could want: We're in a mall with a Target, a high-end grocery store, restaurants and clothing stores. And just as important, the parking is safe. Our stylists need to feel comfortable working and driving there. It checked all the boxes. We were looking for a great deal for a fair price, and that's what Sola offered.

Barber: I’d also add that a key criterion for any business we look at, including our brokerage and property management businesses, is not having employees. Additionally, it has to be cash-flow positive from day one. It's harder to do that when opening a new location, but with the one we purchased, we achieved it. A lot of people say, "I can be cash-flow positive in a year or two," but we don't have time for that. It was more important for us to evaluate a business that was going to work immediately.

Powills: Now that you've signed your multi-unit agreement, what's the timeline to expand?

Barber: We have three years to open two more locations, and we're actively in conversations with landlords. We like the brand so much; we didn’t want anyone in our back yard. So, we signed up for the opportunities that arose as a result of that, and we’re optimistic. The folks at Sola have been super helpful. Developing is harder than buying because you're taking a bet on the future versus buying an existing location with proven performance. But as people in commercial real estate, we know it all comes down to the right location.

Staples: We're also benefiting from the "silver tsunami.” We bought our first location from someone looking to retire. There are other similar opportunities in the Sola system. In terms of development, the location we purchased was developed during COVID, and when it opened in 2021, it was 100% pre-leased. That showed us it's possible in this brand to open your doors and be cash-flow positive from day one if you put in the elbow grease. That was very intriguing for us.

Powills: There are plenty of good businesses. There are fewer businesses that are run by good people. That culture component plays into effect. What you’re talking about is a level of sophistication ahead of most franchise brands. You happen to be one that is a sophisticated brand, and you happen to pick the one that has tremendous growth. The only negative to Sola is that this business has been growing really strongly, so territory availability is declining fast.

Barber: It’s true. We live in California. Southern California has a lot of beauty salons, and Northern California is not as well occupied by those types of tenants. There are opportunities.

One of the attributes of Sola that we really like is that we’re in business-to-business, not business-to-customer.Our customers, in some cases, are original tenants of the location we bought, which is incredible. They have longevity. They’re happy being there. They see themselves there for a long time. In commercial real estate, and really any kind of real estate, the best tenant is the one that stays forever, and they’re happy, and you’re happy. Other people have ideas of success, but in my mind, that’s a successful project.

Powills: My final question is for the person watching this who is on the fence about franchising. What would you advise them to do if they're considering Sola?

Staples: Definitely do your homework like we did. Call other beauty salon brands, go to their Discovery Day, and really understand the value proposition Sola offers. Ask yourself: Do you really want a model with an employee? Are costlier build-outs going to translate to more revenue? We spoke with franchisees of other brands who were selling their locations, and we did not get feedback as positive as we did from Sola franchisees.

Barber: I can't agree more. We talked to a lot of franchisees, sometimes for over an hour per call, and we asked insightful, sometimes uncomfortable, questions. The franchisor will always want to put their best people in front of you, but you have to ask about their underwriting standards, their growth projections, and when they expect to hit their return metrics. If they can answer those questions in a truthful, smart, and optimistic way, that's a great sign. We didn't always get that elsewhere, but with Sola, we did. It felt genuine and made us feel comfortable.

Staples: To add one more point, the Sola community was so much more collaborative. It seemed franchisees from other brands knew of each other, but at Sola, they knew each other by their first name. They talked all the time and shared ideas. From our perspective, it was more of a team effort, and we feel that's a huge, underrated value-add.

Barber: That's been our experience after buying, too. We've been very collaborative with other franchisees in California. They've been super generous. It wasn't just lip service.

Powills: I want to recap some of what you said, because it's so important. Culture is king. You have to trust the people leading the ship. I also love that you found a brand with exiting franchisees, because that means you bought an asset that could actually sell at a multiple; that's a win in business. And the collaboration you mentioned means you have a franchisor that cares about the success of its franchisees. There's always risk in any business, but when you can mitigate that risk, you set yourself up for the best chance at success. You guys have a great blueprint. I'm grateful you gave me some of your time.

Barber: Likewise, this has been fun. We've enjoyed it.