Hands On

The Massage Company is looking for franchisees who want to improve people’s lives

The Massage Company is the first membership-based massage business in the UK and with three franchise territories already awarded, it’s set for rapid expansion - both here and internationally.

Like any good franchise, the business is based around a simple product offering delivered exceptionally well.

Experience

The owners and board behind The Massage Company have vast amounts of experience in the health, beauty and spa industries. They set up The Massage Company so franchisees with no experience of the sector can take the model and with support from the senior management team make this business work for them.

Massage brings an array of health benefits and the NHS recognises this. In a spa, over 80 per cent of the treatments are massages, so The Massage Company has focused on the most popular treatments.

Continual improvement has been instrumental in the success of The Massage Company to date. TMC has developed systems, marketing programmes, operational platforms, a 360 degree customer relationship management and finance package so anyone, regardless of their background, who goes fully through the evaluation process can become a franchisee.

The system can be taught, but The Massage Company is looking for people with passion who want to improve people’s lives. Depending on a mix of factors, the fact that it’s possible to have a £1 million-plus business at the end of year three generating profits of around £220,000 per year means it’s an attractive proposition.

Achieve

Co-founder Elliot Walker remembers an old adage that was taught to him by his grandmother: “If you turn wishing into working, you can achieve anything you want.”

He explains: “This is the strict criteria put in place by the business when we’re evaluating potential franchisees. If a franchisee is from the finance, IT, education, catering or health industry, we can develop them and their business if they have the motivation to succeed.

“We can teach and support the development of their business, but those raw skills of passion and determination to make their investment work need to be there already.”

Investment

This is a single or multi-site investment that requires a higher level investment, with liquid capital needed of £75,000 plus. HSBC, NatWest and Lloyds’ specialist franchise teams have all evaluated the business.

Elliot is happy to talk to all potential franchisees, even if they don’t possess the liquid capital required for the franchise, as, according to him, there are usually ways franchisees can be helped financially.

Multiple franchises sold, international discussions about test markets taking place and the rapid take-up of membership at its pilot store in Camberley all point to The Massage Company being the next big thing in franchising.