If you know your calling is to run a self-care business but you’re not quite ready to build one from scratch just yet, franchising might be an option for you. From spas, to yoga studios, to fitness centers, wellness franchises can be a less risky way to gain valuable business ownership experience while also turning a profit. 

Wellness franchises can be your way into the rapidly growing self-care industry. While success is never guaranteed, managing a wellness center franchise can be a simpler option for those who have the leadership qualities to run a business, without so many of the complications that come with starting your own wellness business. This article will explore the different health and wellness franchise opportunities you can own, along with their profitability potential, and why they make good investments. 

What Is a Wellness Franchise?

A wellness franchise is a type of business venture in which professionals take ownership over a proven brand name in the self-care industry. Wellness franchise owners may be in control in some aspects, but they must also operate their locations in accordance with the company’s built-in systems and regulations. 

Some examples of wellness franchises include The Joint Chiropractic, Massage Envy, and Planet Fitness, among others. You can also find franchises for tanning salons, acupuncture centers, and pilates studios.  

Wellness Industry Landscape

Wellness isn’t so much a trend these days as it’s become an entire lifestyle. More people are investing in their health and fitness, which has turned the global wellness sector into a lucrative, trillion dollar industry. (Global wellness encompasses sectors like spas, beauty, personal care, wellness tourism, nutrition, and more.) 

It took just 3 years for the global wellness industry to grow nearly 14%, putting its 2022 value at over 5.5 trillion dollars with nearly 2 trillion of those dollars coming from the United States alone. By 2025, that number is expected to increase to over 7 trillion dollars. 

Why Is Opening a Wellness Franchise a Good Investment?

Opening a wellness center franchise can be a wise investment for several reasons. Below we outline a few benefits that come with owning a franchise. 

You Get To Jump On Board A Proven Brand

Wellness franchising is a way for industry professionals to buy into a well-known brand without all the risk of an individual business investment. Customers who are already familiar with the brand may serve as baked-in clientele, reducing the need for expensive marketing efforts, and making it easier to quickly get up and running. Owning a franchise is like boarding a moving train, but once you find your footing, you’re on track to reap the benefits!

You Have A Blueprint To Guide You

Health and beauty franchises come with a proven business model, including tried-and-true strategies for beauty and wellness operations, customer support, and marketing. When you own a franchise, you don’t have to whittle away at a business plan or figure out what type of advertising you should use—there’s already an established system in place to guide you through the requirements of successfully operating a franchise. 

You Get Continuous Training and Support

Some health and beauty franchises offer ongoing support services for franchisees. Depending on the business, this training may include learning the latest wellness trends, performance-enhancing strategies, managing daily operations, navigating challenges, helping customers, and marketing tools. Support and training can help guide you through the given business model, increasing your chances of successful execution. 

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7 Wellness Franchise Opportunities

There are plenty of health and wellness franchise opportunities to choose from in this ever growing market. Check out our guide below to learn about some of the different ways to get a foothold in the industry. 

1. YogaSix

With over 200 locations open and more than 630 licensed locations all over the world, YogaSix is one of the fastest growing yoga franchises. With extensive franchisee support, scalable business models, and a strong national brand, YogaSix can be a wise investment for professionals looking to join a winning team of other dedicated professionals. 

Investment cost: $399,370 - $462,097

Website: https://www.yogasix.com/ 

2. Juice It Up!

Expected to surpass 100 locations in 2024, Juice It Up is a health-conscious juice bar geared toward wellness enthusiasts. With a variety of superfruit smoothie options, raw juices, fruit bowls, and immunity/digestion shots, Juice It Up! is a franchise that caters to those looking to improve their health via tasty nutrition. Juice It Up! franchising costs cover expenses like the franchise and blueprint fees, building permits, store opening kits, furniture, opening inventory, and equipment.

Investment cost: $247,100 - $542,400

Website: https://juiceitup.com/ 

3. Modern Acupuncture 

This franchising opportunity offers a pathway for both holistic healing and cosmetic acupuncture. Acupuncture serves a number of wellness purposes, such as treating chronic pain, improving appearance, preventing certain afflictions, and relieving stress. Modern Acupuncture sites can also offer services like IV therapy and vitamin shots. With locations always strategically placed in high traffic areas, Modern Acupuncture gives franchisees the power to thrive in a proven business model. 

Investment cost: $258,377 - $667,000. 

Website: https://www.modernacupuncture.com/

4. Sun Tan City

Sun Tan CIty is a premier tanning salon operation with over 250 locations across 20 states. On top of traditional bed and spray tanning, there alrealso optional services like wellness spas, red light therapy, and touchless massage. As a Sun Tan City franchise, you get access to ongoing support for sectors like loss prevention, marketing, real estate and construction, and information technology, among others. 

Investment cost: Depending on the size and location of the franchise, you can expect to invest anywhere between $457,150 and $780,700 to build your salon.

Website: https://www.suntancity.com/ 

5. GNC

GNC is a vitamin and supplement shop that carries a large stock of health and wellness products. GNC has been franchising since 1988 and has over 4,000 locations throughout the United States, as well as over 2,000 internationally. It’s a popular and recognizable brand name that holds a lot of weight in many self-care spaces, including fitness and nutrition. 

Investment cost: $240,000 cash liquidity.  

Website: https://gncfranchising.com/ 

6. Stretch Zone

The Stretch Zone provides advanced stretching techniques through their patented equipment to improve clients’ muscle function and mobility. The Stretch Zone serves a diverse range of clientele—people of all ages and physical fitness—focusing on improving each client’s overall quality of life. With hundreds of locations in 40 out of 50 of the United States, the Stretch Zone has the potential to lead the market with its innovative stretching system. 

Investment costs: $133,000 - $241,000, including all equipment. 

Website: https://www.stretchzone.com/ 

7. beem® Light Sauna 

beem® Light Sauna is a sauna franchise that offers infrared treatments and light therapies to help promote detoxification, relieve pain, boost immunity, and reduce stress. With 5 open locations and 200 more on the way, beem® is a fast-growing sauna franchise that can be quite profitable for the savvy investor. 

Investment costs: $209,250 – $568,750, which covers the cost of construction, studio equipment, pre-opening marketing, the franchise fee, and more.

Website: https://beemlightsauna.com

What Is The Profitability Of a Wellness Franchise?

While it’s possible to earn a decent profit from franchise investment, owning a growing (or even already popular) franchise doesn’t equate to an automatic home run (sorry, Subway!). In fact, there are many factors that can influence the profitability of your wellness franchising efforts. Below, we outline the different variables that can affect your franchise’s success. 

The Location

The right location can make a world of difference in your franchise's popularity. Setting up in a bustling area with high foot traffic and low competition is obviously ideal, but you also have to take demographics into consideration. You could have hundreds of pedestrians walk by your business each day and never set foot inside because your franchise services don’t appeal to that area’s demographic. A successful franchise needs both the right physical location, as well as the right target audience. 

The Marketing

Just because you’re not coming up with an entire marketing plan on your own doesn’t mean owning a franchise won’t involve intense marketing efforts. Sometimes a recognizable brand isn’t enough, and you can’t just rely on that familiarity to carry you to profitability. However, if a business comes equipped with a tested marketing strategy, you can ease some of those efforts by implementing company-provided tools and tactics to aid in your venture. 

The Service Quality

Even if you were given all the other tools you need to run a franchise, none of that matters without the service quality to back it up. The more efficient your operations, the more satisfied clients you can retain. Keeping up the service quality for customers is one of the best ways to contribute to your franchise’s success, as this can also attract new customers to your location, boosting business and revenue. 

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Scale Your Wellness Business With GlossGenius

Franchise opportunities can be a great start to your career as a wellness business owner. With a dependable business model to follow, franchisee support, and marketing assistance, you can earn the right experience (and profit) to better prepare you for your own future wellness business venture. 

When you’re ready to start growing your own business, GlossGenius is there to help. With features like Genius Loans, Finances, Client Management, and Online Booking, you can streamline your daily operations and maximize your efficiency, allowing you to focus on providing quality service to your clients. 

Sign up with GlossGenius today and try 14 days free!