With over 90 spas across the country, the Woodhouse Spas leadership team has developed a strong system to support franchisees from the day they sign to the day they open. Launching a luxury day spa that aligns with the Woodhouse vision and can deliver the expected experience requires careful strategy and coordination between multiple departments, and the franchisor provides just that.

“Once you’re with us, you can expect a detailed and supportive process that’s designed to set you up for success,” said Lisa O’Brien, vice president of franchise operations. “You’re going to receive extensive onboarding, operational guidance and marketing support, and all of these elements work off of each other.”

Thoughtful Alignment Throughout the Process

From the execution of the franchise agreement to the day the spa doors open, Woodhouse offers support. Crucially, that support is carefully structured to ensure it not only comes but comes at the right time.

“Something I’ve seen in other franchise systems is that the departments aren’t all aligned,” O’Brien said. “This can lead to conflicting priorities and overwhelming to-do lists. At Woodhouse, we deliver the information in a way that helps everything match up. You’re getting the right information from each department at the correct time.”

Timeline, Project Management and Continued Support

The typical development timeline for a Woodhouse Spa is no more than 18 months, and the process is anchored by site readiness, including some phases that overlap where appropriate.

Lease Negotiations, Design, Permitting and Construction

“We do overlap some stages when it makes sense,” said Kimberly Tierman, new location development manager. “For example, when a franchisee is coming up on lease negotiations, if they feel confident that nothing else will happen, they can start the design process. Risk is minimal because they’re just paying deposits, but getting a head start on this work can ultimately shorten the development timeline.”

The leadership team helps to monitor the development process, providing insights and guiding franchisees about where they could consider taking a calculated risk and where they should wait.

The team also offers hands-on support throughout the construction process.

“We’re leveling bids and looking at cost comparisons for franchisees,” Tierman said. “We recommend franchisees get three to five bids to see the span of scope, and we encourage them to be on site and get a feel for the contractors bidding their projects. They hold the franchisee’s fate for the next 26 weeks, and having more than just a spreadsheet with numbers can help franchisees understand whether the relationship will work or not and make the best decision for their spas.”

Intensive Support and Structured Development: Four Months to Opening

“We start with the operational piece about four months before opening, and that’s when things get pretty structured,” O’Brien said. “It’s a very detailed process with agendas for every single week that outline what you should be accomplishing to keep you on track and set you up for success.”

While things ramp up at this point, the Woodhouse team works hard to ensure it is not an overwhelming four months. By breaking the development plan and training into digestible pieces, Woodhouse provides franchisees with a true step-by-step process to launch.

“We coordinate between teams to avoid overloading franchisees,” O’Brien said. “If we know a franchisee is going to have a very marketing-heavy three weeks, we’ll structure our operational requirements to be a little bit lighter during those weeks.”

Hands-on Support Through Opening

Woodhouse maintains a hands-on approach right up to opening day.

“We don’t assign additional learning the week the franchisee is trying to set up their spa and receive their orders. We go so far as to have a list of when their orders are going to be delivered so we can help with the timeline up until the moment they open their doors,” O’Brien said. “We bring a team of trainers to each location the week before opening and do extensive training just to make sure everyone knows what they’re doing and everyone feels comfortable within their specific spaces.”

Ongoing Partnership After Opening

Support doesn’t end with the ribbon cutting. 

“You’re going to have someone you’ll work with in marketing who you’ll meet with weekly once you open, and you’ll also meet with your Franchise Business Coach weekly for the first four to six weeks of operations,” O’Brien said. “As franchisees settle in, the cadence adjusts, tapering down to monthly meetings, but for the life of your spa, your FBC will work with you to do metrics comparisons, look at historical averages and provide actionable feedback on performance.”

A Culture of Excellence and Shared Success

Woodhouse’s support system is transformed from a series of to-dos to a genuine partnership thanks to the true commitment of the leadership team. 

“Every single one of us has skin in the game,” O’Brien said. “If we don’t provide the best processes and training and buildout for the spa owners, they can’t provide it to their employees and their guests. At the end of the day, every single one of us is working to make our brand reputation the best out there.”

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/woodhouse-spas.