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Beauty franchises: Essential Beauty

Sarah Stowe

If you are looking to invest in a beauty franchise, here is how Essential Beauty stands out from the crowd. 

Essential Beauty offers a number of beauty services including body piercing, hair removal, waxing, tanning, semi-permanent makeup and teeth whitening. Tony Maiello, owner, says that the key consumer demographic is the 25-54 age bracket.

He adds that franchisee profitability is sustained by margins: “by looking at margins and not engaging in price wars.”

Single or multi-unit growth also depends on the franchisee.

“Multisite operation requires a special type of franchisee that has grown with the system and understands business well,” says Maiello.

“Operating and maximising profit in the single franchisee is equally as challenging.”

Essential Beauty also has a loyalty program, but differentiation in product is key to the brand.

“Laser hair removal is no longer a specialist treatment and many people are “commoditising” this service to a point where “churn” of both clients and employees is occurring.”

“We prefer to leave that to other salons who like price matching one another,” says Maiello.

The initial investment cost of a franchise is $220,000. Franchisees can benefit from proven systems which undergo continual development by the network.

Maiello says that franchisees should also be aware that a challenge that comes with being a franchisee is that some decisions are made by the franchisor.

He says a common misconception about buying a beauty franchise is that “it’s all glamorous and you don’t have to work on or in the business.”

Maiello says ideal franchisees are those who have a desire to learn and excel in what they do.

“We have had beauty therapists who have not done as well simply because their attitude wasn’t right.”

His advice to potential franchisees is to choose a brand that has a reputation and has been operating for a long time.

Like the sound of an Essential Beauty franchise? Find out more about becoming a franchisee.