Communication has been the foundation of the planning, making sure that everyone in the business has been kept informed from the staff teams through to the member and non-member customer base.
All of the members of The Massage Company will have received an email from the centres at the start of this week with a private unlimited advanced booking link, and the front desk teams are ready and waiting for calls too!
Non-members are welcome to book from one day in advance, or may join the membership to take advantage of the advanced booking option in the busy weeks ahead.
The centres are happy to take calls to guide everyone through the new procedures and to ask any personal questions that the public may have about having a massage.
This week, the therapy teams will start back training, together with bringing a small number of customers into the centre to test, trial and feedback to them on how they find the experience. This will allow The Massage Company time to improve, refine and refresh training and the skills within the teams to be 100% ready to welcome everyone back from 30th July onwards.
The Massage Company team can’t wait to be seeing everyone again – and that also includes prospective franchisees so anyone looking at starting a business with them do get in touch.
Today the chain is a successful network of more than 200 outlets across Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
The franchise set-up allows for staff and a manager to operate the store, so franchisees can add flexibility to the list of benefits.
It’s common for franchisees to spend less than 30 hours a week on their business.
More than half of the franchisees in the network operate more than one Just Cuts salon.
Investing in a franchise with Just Cuts could start with a low-priced kiosk model, or the full size store.
In addition to the hair cutting service, with optional add-ons, Just Cuts gives franchisees a second revenue stream with its own-brand line of hair products and accessories.
Denis McFadden took action early on in the pandemic to keep salon staff and clients safe. When government restrictions shut down beauty salons but regarded hairdressers, as essential McFadden took a stronger stance. He closed down the corporate stores and encouraged franchisees to do the same.
Just Cuts has been fully operational again since mid May when salons reopened their doors and welcomed returning and new customers.
Just Cuts and franchise leadership
McFadden is on the Franchise Council of Australia’s Hall of Fame, while CEO, Amber Manning, was named in the top 10 of the 2019 Top 30 Franchise Executives report last year.
Manning has led change across the network, introducing tech improvements to give franchisees better insights and efficiencies.
One of the key reasons for choosing a franchise is the support that a franchisor offers their franchisees. This has never been more tested than in these recent months.
Franchisors helping franchisees to lockdown properly, support them to know how to manage and furlough staff, protect customers and also shift through the government support of loans and grants to secure the current and future revenues of the business.
Now as many sectors open, it is useful to take a look at one sector and how they are planning for an opening date again. The health and wellness sector is one of the areas which is still waiting for the go ahead to reopen.
So these are some examples of how The Massage Company are working with their franchise network. These are messages they are sending out to the general public and their customers, as well as an internal video which is being sent to staff members.
All done not only for their own massage centre, but for their franchisees and their franchisees teams as well.
Message to customers…
The Massage Company. Keeping you informed – our plan, our promise:
✔️ This week we will be sending out our mid-June update to all members, as we wait for the next stage of the Government guidance.
✔️ Once we have a green light to open (which our industry does not yet have), we will immediately be sending out a short survey to all our members, and also those with gift vouchers, to bring you on this journey with us, and find out your opinions about any decisions we will make to keep our centres, our team, and you, our customers, safe and healthy during massage therapy.
✔️ Following this, we can then reopen our booking systems step by step. We will do this right, and not in a rush. We want to be fair, safe, and professional as you would expect.
✔️ We want to be able to answer your questions as they are asked, so will have our team ready on the phones once the booking window opens.
✔️ Our team will be receiving even more training from us prior to opening, and once they are allowed to return to work. We will use video to share this with you all, and what you will find when you come to see us again.
✔️ All gift vouchers are extended automatically to the 31st December.
✔️ Our Facebook page, and our website will be updated with all new news, and we will use emails and SMS messages to help us assist you. Beyond this, we will be contacting some members by telephone to ensure your membership is setup the way you want it for the months ahead.
✔️ We will take you all on the journey with us!
✔️ We really do look forward to reopening – it’s been a long time!
Messages to The Massage Company Staff including those of the franchisees
For all The Massage Company staff – front of house and therapists a message from one of the founders – Charlie Thompson
Communication across the business is way The Massage Company work, so keeping everyone informed and included.
If you’d like to discover more about running your own business in the wellness sector with the support of a professional and committed franchisor like The Massage Company, then do get in touch.
Just Cuts Founder and CEO Denis McFadden is pleading with Government to follow the UK and NZ precedent and close hairdressing salons to protect the health of stylists and clients until COVID-19 is under control.
The Government must also move to ensure a rent freeze on corporate leases and wage subsidies.
There are 2500 fully qualified stylists in the Just Cuts Australian network, predominantly in shopping centres, and 3500 globally. Just Cuts has 190 salons across all states and territories of Australia, 28 salons in NZ and 6 in the UK. The UK Government moved on 22 March to close salons with NZ following on 23 March. The Australian Government overnight excluded hairdressing from the list of non-essential services that needed to close and which included beauty salons.
Quotes attributable to Just Cuts Founder and CEO Denis McFadden
The health of Just Cuts’ Teams and Clients is and has always been at the core of everything we do. In fact, we have set the standard for salon hygiene practices throughout our 30 years of operation. But the reality is that the nature of hairdressing means that our stylists have to work in close proximity with their clients and are constantly touching them.
Hairdressing is not an essential service and the Government’s refusal to include hairdressing on its COVID-19 shut down list puts our stylists and clients in the firing line and their businesses more exposed than they need to be. At the moment, our franchise owners who are primarily Mums and Dads, are hamstrung. Without hairdressing being on the shut-down list, it is incredibly difficult for our franchise owners to take the heartbreaking but necessary steps to stand down workers or call for breathing space on leases.
Given the steps taken in the UK and NZ to close salons along with other non-essential businesses and given everything the medical experts are saying, we simply cannot justify the health or financial risk to our franchise owners, stylists and clients.
Australian National and State Governments, we are pleading with you. We understand that you’re trying to juggle protecting livelihoods and saving lives but this decision puts both at risk for our people and clients. Please act now.
Duck & Dry, the on-trend London hair styling and blow dry bar with four company-owned locations in Chelsea, Oxford Circus, Soho and Mayfair reports that it is now offering further franchises beyond the capital as it looks to expand nationwide and internationally.
The company opened its first London franchised salon in Old Spitalfields Market last year and has a second outlet scheduled to launch in Islington. Duck & Dry says its salons provide blow drys and ‘updos’ for clients in beautiful, bright spaces with feel-good vibes, encompassing the ultimate customer experience.
Yulia Rorstrom, the founder and chief executive of Duck & Dry, opened her first flagship salon in 2014 and after developing the concept with her team the company is now looking to share their expertise and knowledge with further entrepreneurs.
‘Daunting journey’
Rorstrom who had no previous background in the beauty or hair industry, shares her insights: “Whether you have hairdressing experience or not, launching your own business is an exciting, yet daunting journey.
“Having learnt through my own experience and my acute understanding of what it takes to open and run a successful salon, as well as the challenges of a very competitive space, I’m keen to share my knowledge and encourage new entrepreneurs by providing them with attentive support, practical advice and expertise to make their journey smooth and prosperous.”
Duck & Dry explains that its success is based upon six pillars as a proven framework for a salon business. It includes providing franchisees the rights to the distinctive brand along with all its characteristic elements, brand interiors, advice on store selection, detailed design specifications, access to its menu of on-trend and in-demand hairstyles, along with a training programme to ensure consistency and performance across the whole team.
The franchise model also gives exclusive access to the Duck & Dry product range, propriety salon software, as well as in-house marketing support and with over 100,000 blow dries created since 2014 the company says it understands what it takes to run a salon.
Duck & Dry have also recently launched a new Beauty Collective concept in select stores by introducing sister brands Duck & Pluck, offering brow treatments and Duck & File nail bar.
House of Colour, the personal stylist and colour analysis consultants, have announced plans to increase its UK franchise network to 200 in the next five years, which could result in creating up to 100 new jobs.
House of Colour says that in the last 12 months it has attracted 31 new franchisees, 18 for the UK and 13 overseas in the U.S. It also reports that its UK franchisee revenue is up by 12 per cent on last year and that it has launched new products by securing a strategic alliance with Park Lane Jewellery.
Helen Venables (right), managing director of House of Colour, says: “It is a difficult economic environment for many businesses but luckily we have been growing in tandem with the burgeoning lifestyle and health industries.
“We offer a potentially high-income business model with several lucrative income streams including colour analysis, styling, make-up classes and over 350 make-up products. We have been attracting new franchisees who want to be ambitious business builders, whilst still maintaining a good work/life balance.
“Our marketing has been stronger than ever which is vital in this financial climate and new data collection technology has been brought in to better serve the clients with clothing recommendations.”
House of Colour franchisees offer colour and style analysis for men and women either on an individual basis or within small groups. By helping clients find their own individual style enables clients to build a capsule wardrobe that suits their lifestyle and personality, as well as boost their confidence.
‘Rigorous training’
The company explains that its stylists go through rigorous professional training including the psychology of styling, why image is important, personality assessment and the history of dressing, in addition to training in marketing to support a successful business launch.
Its most successful franchisee in the UK, Claire Bannister, says that she has continually enjoyed the company’s training and marketing opportunities, which has resulted in her growing her business year-on-year.
The company describes its franchise opportunity as offering businessmen and women a flexible start-up programme that enables them to start a business from home, a small shop or within a beauty salon.
The franchise costs £12,000 including VAT, with a monthly service fee of £150 to cover items such as insurance, support, books and fashion updates. Franchisees receive 19 days’ training and all the equipment to run the business including sample stock.
Matt Cowlishaw, joint administrator, said: “We are pleased to have concluded the sale and for being able to preserve a significant number of jobs at two well-known brands.”
The firm entered administration less than a year after Regis UK announced it was seeking a rescue deal in order to stay afloat.
Before administration, Supercuts was owned by the Regis Corporation, which also owns Regis Salons, Mia & Maxx, MasterCuts, Cost Cutters, SmartStyle, and First Choice Haircutters in the United States and Canada.
Personal stylist and colour analysis experts House of Colour hope to create up to 100 new jobs after announcing plans to increase their UK franchises to 200 in the next five years. House of Colour is also celebrating after being awarded a SME News UK Enterprise Award for Personal Stylists of the Year 2019.
Established in 1985, House of Colour has successfully moved the business from the 1980s image consultant to contemporary, entrepreneurial colour and style consultants. In the last 12 months House of Colour has attracted 18 new franchisees in the UK and 13 in USA alone. UK franchisee revenues are up 12% on last year. New products have been launched and a new strategic alliance with Park Lane Jewellery has been secured.
Helen Venables, Managing Director of House of Colour says: “It is a difficult economic environment for many businesses but luckily we have been growing in tandem with the burgeoning lifestyle and health industries. We offer a potentially high-income business model with several lucrative income streams including colour analysis, styling, make up classes and over 350 make up products. We have been attracting new franchisees who want to be ambitious business builders, whilst still maintaining a good work/life balance.
“The creation of discovery days, both at HQ in Watford and across the country, have been a huge success by allowing potential franchisees to meet the team and receive more information about the business. Our marketing has also been stronger than ever which is vital in this financial climate and new data collection technology has been brought in to better serve the clients with clothing recommendations.”
The stylists go through rigorous professional training including colour analysis, the language of clothes, the psychology of styling, dressing for real life, why image is still important, capsule wardrobe, a fascinating personality assessment, the history of dressing and full marketing training to support successful launch and growth of a House of Colour business and much more.
House of Colour’s most successful franchisee in the UK, Claire Bannister says: “I have been growing my business year on year by making sure that I look after my clients, take advantage of being a franchisee by continually enjoying training and marketing opportunities from my franchisor and taking care of my own business and personal needs. I couldn’t love my job more!”
House of Colour offers attractive and lucrative franchise opportunities to business men and women nationwide. Franchises cost £12,000 inc. VAT and a monthly service fee of £150 inc. VAT to purchase a designated exclusive region with a population of at least 100k people. The franchise has a flexible start-up programme which enables stylists to start in their home or have a small shop,or operate as part of a beauty salon.
Total Investment: £12,000 inc. VAT plus Monthly Service Fee of £150 inc. VAT
The demise of the franchise business in the historic Corn Exchange building in Market Square has been blamed on the “volatile retail environment” and rent increases.
The salon opened in April 1997. On Monday November 4, a notice went up informing customers that it had closed. Staff have moved to the franchisee’s Chelmsford branch.
A spokeswoman for Toni & Guy said: “The franchise in Bishop’s Stortford has recently closed its doors, mainly as a response to the volatile retail environment in relation to high rent increases affecting many key businesses in the UK.
“This has subsequently led to a decision that trading in this area is no longer sustainable and comes after much consideration following extensive discussions.
“We are aware that the business served the community for a long time at the location. However, the franchise partner and highly experienced team have since moved to Chelmsford (a branch also owned by the partner) and will continue to serve existing, as well as welcoming new, clients.”
She added: “Going forwards, Toni & Guy is looking to focus on regions with the potential to deliver growth long term, in line with the business strategy.
“We would like to take the opportunity to thank our loyal clients who have supported Bishop’s Stortford since opening.”
The international Toni & Guy chain was founded in the UK in 1963 by brothers Toni and Guy Mascolo. They opened their first salon in Clapham, south-west London. There are almost 500 salons in 48 countries.
