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Originally Posted by excitednewguy  We have been in the business for about 8 years now. Certaintly not 30+, but I don't think it take shtis long to be good at what you do. Here is the way I look at it. Has a person giving consulting "done what they are telling you to do". Is this recent or 25 years ago? Someone who did whatever 320 years ago, is not in the same game as someone current. The tanning business was totally different back then. Another thing I look at, is this person selling equipment too? In my eyes, I look at this as a bad thing. Their goal is to sell you equipment, not to consult you. Every single dist out there has their own "stuff" on their page about their consulting, but NONE of them have any real consulting at all. They sell beds!!!!!
I am working on building a true consulting business. No bed sales or anything else, just pure consulting. We started in 2006 and now have 10 Salons, all profitable, and all have increased sales and profit over 30% each year since they were open. A person who has done and is doing is the one you want to talk to, not someone who owned a salon 25 years ago. Things today are so different, especially marketing. We have spoken with an attorney about franchising our business, but probably will not just because it is so expensive and the legal things involved we don't want to deal with. |
As someone that has been doing consulting in the industry for a dozen years, I am somewhat amused by this reference to "pure consulting".
I have an MBA and did "pure consulting" (??) for Fortune 100 type customers (Honeywell, Northwest Airlines, Pillsbury,....) for years before switching over to small business and tanning salons a dozen years ago.
I've owned (and own) salons for just shy of 10 years
Having worked with over a 1000 different salon owners in nearly every type of situation - small independent, growing chain, large franchise,..... - in nearly every type of market (rural, college, urban, suburban,...) etc I can tell you that it takes more than running a group of salons in one market, with one approach, one equip mix etc to be able to "transfer" that knowledge to an entire industry.
Not all consulting clients need equipment. Not all equipment customers need consulting. And yes - a LOT of "bed sellers" out there CLAIM they do consulting. Just as a lot of used bed sellers CLAIM they sell quality equipment!!
But if a customer NEEDS equipment, having access to high quality used reconditioned equipment at 25-75% off the price of new is a nice option to consider.
p.s. most successful local salon groups are NOT franchiseable concepts - for a lot of reasons. Probably a good idea NOT to pursue that path.