Wellness Spa Franchises

Health and fitness franchises are finding renewed success in the post-Covid economy. In fact, 62% of Americans are now prioritizing health and wellness, according to the World Economic Forum. For aspiring business owners, this trend presents an exciting opportunity to earn a living, gain freedom, and make a positive impact on their community.

If you’ve ever considered leaping into the health and wellness industry, now could be the perfect time. And doing so as a franchisee can help you hit the ground running. In this blog, we’ll explore what it takes to own a successful massage business or wellness spa and what support the franchise business model provides.  

How To Start a Massage Business

Starting a massage business by buying into a franchise can give you a head start when compared to starting a business from scratch. To start a franchise, you need to first find the right fit and connect with the franchisor. That’s where Franchise Opportunities comes in. You can filter available businesses by industry, location, and investment level. Once you find some potential matches, you can request more detailed info for free! 

Before you can get to business, you also need to review the franchise disclosure document (FDD). This document covers essentials like what your responsibilities as a franchisee will be, what support the franchisor will provide, and so much more. From there, you can sign the franchise agreement, secure funding, and establish your business!  

Becoming a franchisee has several key benefits. When starting a massage business, those benefits look like:

• Proven business model. Starting a massage business takes a lot of trial-and-error. You have to figure out which massage services to offer, how many employees to hire, and when the best hours to operate are. On top of that, you also need to sort out a payroll process, secure liability insurance, design your space, purchase and maintain equipment, and implement a scheduling process. When you buy into a franchise, much of this work is already done for you. The best part? You know the business model has already been successful in other territories!  
• Established brand recognition. Guests place a lot of trust in their massage therapists. Your clients have to spend a fair amount of money, dress down, and experience more pain before the relief sets in. If you’re starting from scratch, you have to convince potential patrons that you’re worth it. However, working with a franchise’s brand essentially makes the introduction for you. From there, you just need to meet (and ideally exceed) your guests’ expectations. 
• Included training programs. Starting a massage business comes with a steep learning curve. You need to become familiar with anatomy and massage therapy techniques. You also need to learn how to run a business, from hiring staff to interacting with customers and managing accounting. Many franchises provide ongoing training for franchisees that covers both industry-specific knowledge and general business management best practices.  
• Guided real estate process. Massage businesses need a physical location, unless you’re only planning on scheduling in-home appointments. Even in these cases, you may still need office space. Choosing the best location for your business is everything. Visibility, accessibility, and even the surrounding noise level can impact the success of your business. When you start a new business, you have to go through the real estate process by yourself. When becoming a franchisee, you can benefit from expert help in choosing and customizing the perfect location.
• Tested marketing strategy. Hanging a sign up on your building isn’t enough to attract a steady flow of guests. You need a logo, photos, sales collateral, brochures, and so many more branded elements to stand out. Just to get a brand identity established, Forbes reports that small businesses spend between $1,000 and $5,000. On top of that, small businesses then continue to invest 5-10% of their monthly revenue on advertising. Affording these costs is only half the battle. You also need to become an expert in marketing to see a return on your investment. Becoming a franchisee takes the guesswork out of marketing because you hit the ground running with a strategy that’s proven to get guests on your calendar.  

Starting a Massage Business with Elements Massage

Every franchise is unique in the support they provide their franchisees. For a specific example, let’s look at Elements Massage, which has the mission of “improving lives through the healing touch of therapeutic massage.” Here’s how Elements Massage sets their franchisees up for success:

• Business model focuses specifically on the massage therapies that guests value the most. As a franchisee, you won’t have to juggle spa add-on services, and you won’t have to go through the process of learning which massage therapies to offer. Instead, you can get a head start by providing in-demand services like hot hand and stone massage and deep tissue massage sessions.
• Elements Massage’s pain-relieving services are creating a buzz across the entire US. When you start an Elements Massage franchise, potential clients can recognize your brand from the moment you put up your signage. Compare this to starting a business from scratch, where you have to first convince people that your services are worth the time and money. As a nationally recognizable brand, you can also benefit from guests who visit while traveling.
• As an Element Massage franchisee, you’ll have access to in-depth and ongoing training education. This training takes place through an online program paired with frequent webinars that cover massage best practices as well as business and marketing strategy. To ensure that you have the best chance at success, Element Massage also offers on-call support that’s available day and night.
• When choosing a location, Element Massage will provide you with industry-leading data paired with consulting services. Selecting the best location affects foot traffic, accessibility, and your tax liability, so it helps to have experts on your side.

Excited to learn more about what it takes to become an Elements Massage franchisee? Request more info today! Or, explore Franchise Opportunities’ listings for wellness spa and massage therapy franchises.

How Do I Run a Successful Spa?

Running a spa requires managing more elements than only providing massage services, but taking advantage of the franchise model can also help you achieve success. The first step in joining a salon spa franchise is deciding which niche to fill. Two of the most common categories in the wellness spa industry are luxury spa chains and med spas. Here are the key differences:

• Luxury Day Spa Franchise: These spas provide guests with a soothing experience that can help relax and rejuvenate their bodies. Luxury day spa services typically include a variety of massages, facials, and skincare. For example, Glow Sauna Studios equips franchisees to serve guests with Red Light Therapy and Halotherapy. 
• Med Spa Franchise: These spas expand on the services that luxury spas can offer. With the supervision of medical professionals, med spas can provide medical-grade procedures, such as laser therapies, injectable fillers, chemical peels, cell freezing, and more. For example, 360 Age Reversal enables franchisees to offer anti-aging services like skin tightening and scar revision.

You can explore more wellness spa options at Franchise Opportunities.

Running the Day-to-Day Operations of a Wellness Spa

Once you’ve chosen your niche and opened your business (remember, franchises often help with branding, real estate, and training), it’s time to attract customers and provide the best service possible. Here are three steps you need to take to increase your chances of success:

• Appeal to the right audience. Knowing your ideal customer is essential. Otherwise, even the best marketing efforts will go ignored. Ask yourself these questions to get started.
  • Why are most people coming to my spa? Is it for relaxation, pain relief, skin care, or another reason?
  • What are the demographics of my guests? How old are they, what’s their gender, and what’s their average household income?
  • How often do my guests schedule appointments? Do they come in several times a month, once a month, or yearly?

These questions will help you narrow down who contributes the most to your revenue. With this knowledge, you can tailor your messaging and services to your ideal customers.

• Get the word out. Your marketing efforts need to be specific to your target audience. See the following examples of tactics and who they appeal to.
  • Promote cosmetic procedures to people who are at least 40 years old through Facebook ads.
  • Make your business visible to new guests by creating and updating a Google Business Profile for your spa.
  • Reach out to both athletes and blue collar workers by advertising your massage services on Instagram.

Connecting with your audience will take some trial-and-error. Start small, see what works, and adjust.

• Pair product offerings with services. Guests come to your spa for your healing services. However, you can add to your revenue by encouraging guests to leave with wellness products. Creams, lotions, scrubs, candles, and other products can appeal to customers who want to keep their wellness routine going in between appointments. Ensure that your shelves are well-stocked with in-demand options. 

As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into achieving success for your wellness spa. Fortunately, you can get a head start by becoming a franchisee. One of the primary benefits of buying into a franchise is that you don’t have to go through all of the guesswork to find a path forward. For example, here’s how Glow Sauna Studios enables franchisees:

• Has an established brand presence on Google and social media to appeal to your target market.
• Provides ongoing training to ensure you and your staff are always equipped to deliver the best customer service.
• Offers recurring revenue streams through customizable service and product listings.

Find out what it takes to open a Glow Sauna Studios near you by requesting free information!

Are Massage Franchises Profitable, and Is a Spa Business Profitable?

Yes, both massage chains and wellness spas can be a profitable investment! Of course, like all businesses, how much profit you earn depends on a variety of factors. The quality of your customer service, how many appointments you can schedule, and your marketing and overhead costs all impact your profit margins. 

However, it can help to know that the wellness industry in the US is worth $450 billion, and it’s growing at an annual rate of 5% (McKinsey & Company). According to this report, people are prioritizing health and wellness in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. In other words, it’s an excellent time to start your own wellness franchise! 

How Much Is a Massage Franchise or a Spa Franchise?

Massage and spa costs vary from franchise to franchise. When researching your options, you’ll come across different requirements, including minimum cash required, total investment, and franchise fees. Here’s what these requirements mean:

• Minimum cash required: This is how much cash you’ll need on hand to qualify for a franchise. You’ll need these liquid assets to quickly purchase what you need to start your business.
• Total investment: This is how much you can expect to spend before your business is fully set up. To meet this requirement, you can work with banks or private investors to secure financing.
• Franchise fees: This is how much you’ll have to pay the franchise for using their branding, business models, and marketing and training support. These benefits put you on the fast-track to success, so franchise fees are often worth the up-front investment.

For example, Elements Massage requires franchisees to have at least $100,000 in cash, and the total investment ranges from $312,655 to $560,736. Glow Sauna Studios has a minimum cash requirement of $100,000. 360 Age Reversal requires you to have at least $50,000 in cash to get started. 

At Franchise Opportunities, you can sort listings by investment level to find health and wellness franchises within your budget.

Where Can I Find Health Spa Franchise Opportunities Near Me?

The best way to find a massage, luxury spa, or medical spa franchise for sale near you is by using Franchise Opportunities. Why? Because our website allows you to filter franchise listings by industry, investment level, and location, so you don’t have to waste time sifting through businesses you have no interest in pursuing.

Once you discover opportunities that excite you, you can request more info—for free! Knowledge is power, and in the world of business, it’s money, too. See what your future holds. Start exploring Franchise Opportunities today.