Each week Hand & Stone will highlight a franchisee. This week Christy and Tony Burke are our spotlight franchisees.
Location: Des Peres, MO
Address TBA—Proposed opening date: 11/1/10
Something Interesting About Christy & Tony Burke’s Story…
For Christy Burke, opening her own franchise is a breath of fresh air. Having worked as a low-level manager for a supermarket chain for the past eight years, Christy is more than ready to take on something that she herself can control. As such, she and her husband Tony are teaming up to open the state of Missouri’s very first Hand & Stone spa, a venture they expect to be challenging but also highly rewarding and a lot of fun. The Burkes will run the franchise as a husband and wife team, and even their four children, whose current ages range from 10 to 16, have expressed some interest in working at Hand & Stone someday, perhaps as a part-time job. The Burkes anticipate a lot of future growth for Hand & Stone throughout Missouri, hoping to eventually open four or five locations.
What Christy & Tony Burke Did Before Hand & Stone…
Christy worked as the manager of a grocery store chain in Missouri for eight years before she decided she was ready to be her own boss. The new Hand & Stone franchise will be Christy’s pet project—she will handle management and day to day operations. Her husband Tony has worked in the aerospace industry for the past 25 years, and will continue his work as an automated specialist, a title he earned three years ago, even as he takes on the financial side of the new Hand & Stone franchise. Notably, Tony will be a valuable member of the team, given his past business experience as owner of a small general contracting company.
Why Christy & Tony Burke are Excited About Becoming Hand & Stone Franchisees…
The Burkes are thrilled about opening up a Hand & Stone because of how much potential the franchise has. They are particularly excited because they will be the first to bring the Hand & Stone franchise to Missouri. While they realize they’re opening their new business in a tough market, the Burkes say they are more than ready for the challenge, and look forward to their first opportunity to work together as a team. Their confidence comes not only from their trust in each other, but also from their enthusiasm for the brand itself. They love the wide variety of services that Hand & Stone offers, from massages to facials to waxing, and they appreciate the spa’s uncommonly reasonable prices and know their customers will too.
Community Involvement…
The Burkes have always been deeply involved in their community, and look forward to running their new franchise with a community-oriented spirit. Already involved at their local church and their children’s schools, the Burkes plan to utilize these local ties for the betterment of both their business and their community. They also plan to team up with the Chamber of Commerce in order to establish strong bonds with other local business owners as well as their inevitably satisfied future customers.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Can Entrepreneurs Succeed as Franchisees?
Hand & Stone was recently featured on AllBusiness.com! The article focuses on entrepreneurs becoming franchisees, including the pros and cons of franchising from an entrepreneurial background. Steve Currier and Craig Schumacher both came from strong entrepreneurial backgrounds, building from the ground up 50,000-square-foot fitness clubs in various parts of the United States. A portion of the story is shared below, and you can view the full article here.
For many people, franchise ownership is the most direct path to business ownership. You buy into an established brand, follow a specific business model, respect set policies and procedures, and have your franchise up and running in no time. But what about people who were previously entrepreneurs and are now looking to purchase a franchise? In such cases, does the franchise model spell success, or is it a recipe for disaster?
For Craig Schumacher and Steve Currier, owners of a Hand & Stone franchise in Ahwatukee, Arizona, franchise ownership offered them an opportunity that they couldn’t quite grasp as entrepreneurs. So, after more than a decade of building up 50,000-square-foot fitness clubs in various parts of the United States and establishing a place in the fitness industry for their independent venture Q The Sports Club -- which, at its peak, employed 4,000 people -- the pair decided to change gears and invest in a massage and facial spa franchise.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Featured in The Trentoninan in Trenton, NJ
Hand & Stone was recently featured in The Trentoninan in Trenton, NJ about its new Hamilton location as well as CEO Todd Leff’s decision to move the franchise’s headquarters to the Hamilton area. The new spa location has been receiving tremendous traffic since its opening in early June. Leff hopes to capitalize on the demand in the area by drawing on Philadelphia’s “wealth of talent in franchising” to bolster his management team.
HAMILTON — “It was awesome. I really enjoyed it. I’m really relaxed now,” said 25-year-old Lindsay Linderman of Bordentown after she received a 15-minute rubdown at the new Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa at the Hamilton Marketplace.
“He did exactly what I needed him to do: He relieved the tension in my back,” Linderman said of the Hand & Stone employee who gave her the soothing massage.
That man was Anton Yankelevich, 26, who became a certified massage therapist about two years ago after giving up on his unrewarding stints as a car salesman and construction worker.
“I’m doing something I enjoy,” Yankelevich, a Philadelphia resident originally from Ewing, said of his prowess as a massage therapist. “It’s kind of an art. I like muscles.”
When Yankelevich found out how pleased Linderman was with his massage, his face widened with a big grin and he said, “That feels good. Just making the world a better place.”
Yankelevich’s co-workers share the view that they make people’s lives better through the therapy they provide as massage therapists.
Click here to read the rest of this article.
HAMILTON — “It was awesome. I really enjoyed it. I’m really relaxed now,” said 25-year-old Lindsay Linderman of Bordentown after she received a 15-minute rubdown at the new Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa at the Hamilton Marketplace.
“He did exactly what I needed him to do: He relieved the tension in my back,” Linderman said of the Hand & Stone employee who gave her the soothing massage.
That man was Anton Yankelevich, 26, who became a certified massage therapist about two years ago after giving up on his unrewarding stints as a car salesman and construction worker.
“I’m doing something I enjoy,” Yankelevich, a Philadelphia resident originally from Ewing, said of his prowess as a massage therapist. “It’s kind of an art. I like muscles.”
When Yankelevich found out how pleased Linderman was with his massage, his face widened with a big grin and he said, “That feels good. Just making the world a better place.”
Yankelevich’s co-workers share the view that they make people’s lives better through the therapy they provide as massage therapists.
Click here to read the rest of this article.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Franchisee Spotlight: Paulina Laskosky, Owner of Hand & Stone in Menomonee Falls
Each week Hand & Stone will highlight a franchisee. This week Paulina Laskosky is our spotlight franchisee.
Franchisee Since: October 2008
Franchise Location/s: Menomonee Falls, WI
How Paulina Laskosky Got Started with Hand and Stone…
Paulina and her family immigrated to America from Canada in 1999. She had worked in the corporate world for a global marketing firm for many years and then became a full-time stay at home mom before becoming a small business owner. She has always been a spa enthusiast. Paulina enjoyed being able to escape to a calm and soothing atmosphere and has had a spa membership for as long as she can remember.
She always wanted to open her own spa business and felt that she had expert knowledge from her passion for the spa industry. When researching spas online, she found that Hand and Stone offered more services to their customers including facials, and was attracted to the franchise support that Hand and Stone offered. Paulina and her husband, Michael, opened their first Hand and Stone location in Menomonee Falls in October of 2008.
Paulina’s location is the only Hand and Stone in the state of Wisconsin and she intends to expand her business in the future to other nearby areas.
What Intrigued Paulina Laskosky about Hand and Stone…
Paulina was attracted to Hand and Stone’s franchise system for many reasons. She was intrigued by the support system set in place by Hand and Stone that allowed her to maintain her business while staying at home with her kids and even having time for personal activities. She was attracted to the franchise concept because she could focus on the customer experience and marketing for her location. Paulina did not have to worry about building a brand from the ground up and knew that Hand and Stone would be a safe investment in that it was continuing to grow in a down economy.
Something Interesting About Paulina Laskosky’s Story…
Paulina is the mother of two children and deeply involved within the community. She participates in many local school fundraisers and is also involved in church events. She also plays in a soccer league of 1800 women which she says has been a great source of customers. She credits word of mouth as a main tool for her marketing efforts and is known as the “Hand and Stone Lady” in the local area.
Paulina is originally from Poland and immigrated to Canada in 1981. Her and her family then moved to America in 1999.
Franchisee Since: October 2008
Franchise Location/s: Menomonee Falls, WI
How Paulina Laskosky Got Started with Hand and Stone…
Paulina and her family immigrated to America from Canada in 1999. She had worked in the corporate world for a global marketing firm for many years and then became a full-time stay at home mom before becoming a small business owner. She has always been a spa enthusiast. Paulina enjoyed being able to escape to a calm and soothing atmosphere and has had a spa membership for as long as she can remember.
She always wanted to open her own spa business and felt that she had expert knowledge from her passion for the spa industry. When researching spas online, she found that Hand and Stone offered more services to their customers including facials, and was attracted to the franchise support that Hand and Stone offered. Paulina and her husband, Michael, opened their first Hand and Stone location in Menomonee Falls in October of 2008.
Paulina’s location is the only Hand and Stone in the state of Wisconsin and she intends to expand her business in the future to other nearby areas.
What Intrigued Paulina Laskosky about Hand and Stone…
Paulina was attracted to Hand and Stone’s franchise system for many reasons. She was intrigued by the support system set in place by Hand and Stone that allowed her to maintain her business while staying at home with her kids and even having time for personal activities. She was attracted to the franchise concept because she could focus on the customer experience and marketing for her location. Paulina did not have to worry about building a brand from the ground up and knew that Hand and Stone would be a safe investment in that it was continuing to grow in a down economy.
Something Interesting About Paulina Laskosky’s Story…
Paulina is the mother of two children and deeply involved within the community. She participates in many local school fundraisers and is also involved in church events. She also plays in a soccer league of 1800 women which she says has been a great source of customers. She credits word of mouth as a main tool for her marketing efforts and is known as the “Hand and Stone Lady” in the local area.
Paulina is originally from Poland and immigrated to Canada in 1981. Her and her family then moved to America in 1999.
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