Thursday, October 28, 2010

Hand & Stone Founder John Marco interviewed by Advcance for Physical Therapy and Rehab Medicine

Hand & Stone was recently featured in Advance for Physical Therapy & Rehab Medicine in an article called “Five Questions with John Marco.” The article discusses how Founder of Hand & Stone, John Marco utilized his background as a physical therapist to create and grow Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa. John speaks about massage therapy being extremely beneficial for health reasons but lacking in accessibility and affordability, which ultimately gave him the idea to create the concept, Hand & Stone. Read a portion of the story below or check out the full article here:

5 Questions With: John Marco
by Jonathan Bassett

As awareness of the health benefits of massage continues to rise, massage therapy is no longer considered a luxury item. It's become a lifestyle choice for those seeking longevity and wellness.

With corporate offices in Hamilton, NJ, Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa has grown to incorporate 35 franchise locations across 11 states and in Canada. In 2005, company founder and COO John Marco leveraged a 25-year career in physical therapy to establish a unique business model that allows clients to schedule an appointment on the day of service, rather than tracking down a freelance massage therapist and waiting days or weeks for an appointment. Membership rates mean clients pay far less than traditional hourly rates.

In this interview with ADVANCE, Marco discusses his 25-year physical therapy career, how the idea of his business came about, and what's next for Hand & Stone.

ADVANCE: How did you get your start in physical therapy?

Marco: In 1977 I volunteered as a physical therapy aide in a rehabilitation hospital in Toms River, NJ. Within a few weeks a job opening became available for a PT aide position, and I took it. It didn't take long for me to see that some very special things were being done right before my eyes. I was hooked on a healing profession. I was hooked on physical therapy. (Read More)

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Hand & Stone's growth plans discussed in St. Petersburg Times

Hand & Stone was featured in a well read retail column in the St. Petersburg Times discussing the brand’s new growth plans in the St. Petersburg and Tampa market. Hand & Stone’s Regional Developer, Rob Beers, discussed some of these distinguishing factors that make Hand & Stone unique in the market such as offering facials, waxing and month-to-month membership. The column discusses the fact that Massage Envy now has some new competition and that Hand & Stone is just starting to speed up its development. Check out a portion of the article below or read the full story here.

Missing cows, cheap Rays gear, new massage competition and other happenings from the retail world
By Mark Albright, Times Staff Writer

Hand & Stone, a startup chain from Toms River, N.J., recently opened locations in St. Petersburg and Palm Harbor and plans two more in Tampa.

In addition to $49-an-hour massages, Hand & Stone sets itself apart from Massage Envy, which has 10 local shops, by offering facials, waxing and month-to-month membership.

"Fitness centers don't sell yearlong contracts anymore, and we intend to spread that to our industry," said Rob Beers, Florida developer for Hand & Stone. (Read More)

Friday, October 22, 2010

The Morning Call focuses on Hand & Stone's plan for growth

The Morning Call just recently published a story about Hand & Stone’s expansion plans for Lehigh Valley, PA. Regional developer, Greg Shishko, spoke to reporter, Tyrone Richardson, about Hand & Stone’s plans for the market where Hand & Stone expects to open 4-6 locations over the next several years. Check out the story here:

Retail Watch Scanning the Storefronts

The affordable real estate also is fueling Hand and Stone's desire to open its first Valley location within the next six months, said Greg Shishko, one of the chain's regional developers.

The massage and facial spa chain started several years ago in New Jersey, and since blossomed to about 35 stores, including four in the Philadelphia area. (Read More)

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Hand & Stone Featured in Ahwatukee Foothills News

Hand & Stone was recently featured in an article in the Ahwatukee Foothills News entitled, “Ahwatukee Hand & Stone Under New Ownership.” The article discusses Steve Currier and Craig Schumacher’s unique entrepreneur story and recent ownership of the Hand & Stone in Ahwatukee. As long-time friends and business partners, the duo has owned many different concepts including a sports fitness center, which they founded in Memphis and expanded to 20 locations. The entrepreneurial team decided to partner with Hand & Stone as they felt it was higher quality and offered more services than competition. The Hand & Stone team is a great example of thriving local entrepreneurs filling a unique void in the community. Below is a portion of the article and the article can be read in its entirety by clicking here.

Ahwatukee Hand & Stone under new ownership
Chelsea Brown

Longtime friends and business partners Craig Schumacher and Steve Currier decided earlier this year to venture into Ahwatukee Foothills and take over ownership of Ahwatukee Hand and Stone.

The duo first started working together in 1981 in Elyria, Ohio, where they both served in management and executive positions at the Scandinavian Health Spa chain. In 1999, they opened Q Sports Club in Memphis, Tenn., which would later grow to a chain of 20 sports clubs across the country.

In 2000, Schumacher and Currier sold the Q Sports Club chain to 24 Hour Fitness. Later that year Currier, with a different business partner, opened O Premium Waters in Mesa. Although Schumacher was not Currier's main business partner in this business endeavor, he did work with him and O Premium Waters off and on for three years.

In December of 2009 Currier sold O Premium Waters to Sparkletts, a water company based in Los Angeles, Calif.

After the sale of O Premium Waters, Schumacher said both men were looking into a new business endeavor, and three months later they committed to Ahwatukee Hand and Stone. Today, Schumacher and Currier offer health and wellness services at the Ahwatukee Foothills spa, 4940 E. Ray Road, which has a "no-contract-necessary policy."

"Hand and Stone is an upscale experience," Currier said.

(Read More)

Monday, October 11, 2010

Alternative Medicine Becomes Mainstream: Benefits Provided to the Masses

What was previously thought of as just a luxury and pampering experience is now being called a way of life for millions of Americans, even to the point of a necessity. Massage clearly delivers the physical and mental benefits that are very easy to understand and appreciate.

“After being in physical therapy for 25 years, I recognized that many patients’ injuries were improved better and more quickly through massage therapy,” said John Marco, Founder and COO of Hand & Stone. “No longer is massage considered a luxury item, it’s now driven by those who are seeking longevity and wellness, making it a lifestyle choice above all else.”

The industry alone had over 130 million visits annually and boasted sales of $12.8 billion in 2009 and there’s not one finite person who typically gets massages; they are from every walk of life, male or female, young to old. According to the 2010 AMTA Industry Report, massage use among 18-24 year olds has risen to 48%; massage use among older Baby Boomers (ages 55-64) has doubled in the past ten years and use among those older than 65 has tripled during the same time.

These staggering statistics indicate that consumers are “getting it” and they now understand that massage has positive medical implications. According to John Marco, massage does much more than just relax you. It:

Relives Tension and Stress
• Decreases Pain
• Lowers Blood Pressure
• Increases Circulation
• Strengthens the Immune System
• Improves Recovery Time from Injuries
• Reduces Fatigue
• And a lot more…

Marco said that stress is the number one reason why consumers continually receive massages. Massage therapy relaxes the muscles which aids the body in generating more blood flow, and therefore helps to repair and regenerate muscles faster.

“What fuels the rapid growth of the industry is the direct ‘feel-good’ results that occur due to instant relaxation that each client experiences during and after a massage,” said Marco, “The treatment is so desirable for consumers because it has identifiable and measureable results, where they feel rejuvenated after an hour session.”

While the typical massage client used to have to track down a freelance Massage Therapist, schedule an appointment days in advance, and pay as much as $90 or more for a one-hour treatment, most Hand & Stone clients book their appointments on the same day as service and pay 30 percent less than the traditional hourly rate. Better yet, when they sign up for a one-session-per-month plan, they end up paying even less per visit.

As massage becomes more and more mainstream in the health care industry, Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa stays at the top of the game by adding locations and services to keep the brand fresh. That strategy has proven to be successful, as the addition of facials and waxing to the services roster has boosted the average store sales by over 14 percent during this past year, in a very tough economic environment. Marco expects to sign another 25 new franchisees to the Hand & Stone system this year, each one investing a total of around $325,000.

“Massage and facials are a great way to maintain a healthy body and healthy skin,” Marco said. “It provides an escape for many individuals, where you can take an hour or two to focus on pampering yourself while receiving long-term health benefits too.”

Monday, October 4, 2010

Franchisee Profile: Greg Shishko

Franchisee Since: 2008
Franchise Location: Kennett Sq, PA; Regional Developer for Pennsylvania and Delaware


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How Greg Shishko Got Started With Hand & Stone…

With recessions come obstacles, and opportunities. Such was the case for Greg Shishko, Hand & Stone’s Regional Developer for Pennsylvania and Delaware. Greg had a long career, 30 years in fact, in the banking industry. He served as Chief Financial Officer of multiple businesses with several different corporations, most recently serving as CFO of Bank of America’s U.S. Credit Card and Consumer Lending businesses. Then, in 2007, we hit a bump, the economy went south and so did the banking industry, but, Greg was ready for the challenge the new economic environment presented. He looked forward to working for himself and not being involved in the corporate rat race any longer. He began searching out independent business opportunities such as car washes or laundromats, but nothing seemed to be just right until he was introduced to the booming industry of health and wellness and a fresh concept to the Pennsylvania and Delaware region called Hand & Stone.

In 2008, Greg was on his way to his next career adventure, signing on as Hand & Stone’s Regional Developer for Pennsylvania and Delaware. He would be responsible for introducing franchise prospects to Hand & Stone in his regions. First, he opened his own location in Kenneth Square, PA to build up Hand & Stone’s brand awareness and introduce consumers to a completely new spa experience – one that was easily accessible and more affordable than typical day spas. This year, his own spa is experiencing a 50% sales increase over last year!

In addition to Greg’s Kennett Square spa, and the second Hand & Stone spa which opened in Glen Mills in Dec 2009, two more Hand & Stone locations will open in: Broomall, PA, and Doylestown, PA in early September.

What Intrigued Greg Shishko about Hand & Stone…

Greg was attracted by the growth in the popularity of massage across all age groups, and the increasing recognition of the benefits of massage by the medical and insurance communities. Greg also valued the flexibility that the Hand & Stone corporate team gave to its franchisees and Regional Developers. The corporate team welcomes franchisees input; in fact many of the franchisees suggestions have been incorporated into the business. Also, Hand & Stone is based almost immediately in Greg’s backyard, which makes it convenient for him to quickly and easily communicate with the corporate team and simplifies travel and training for franchisees.

On the consumer side, Greg was impressed by the abundance of services offered at Hand & Stone. The competition only offers massage, but Hand & Stone takes it two steps further with facial treatments and waxing services. The franchise also looks to expand their service line when it makes sense.

Community Involvement…

Greg recognizes that the best way to gain clientele is by being committed to the local community and he is! Greg and his team sponsor local high school sports teams, participate in community events like the town’s festivals and concert events, and donate generously to local charities. His location also offers classes at the spa in massage and aesthetics for the Chester County Night School and provides internship opportunities through Pathstones, a private, not-for-profit regional community development and human service organization providing services to farm workers and low-income families; and the list goes on and on.

Something Interesting About Greg Shishko’s Story…

Greg is married and has four college-aged children. All of his children are attending or have attended Penn State. His two oldest work at Bank of America, following in their father’s footsteps – for now. His 18 year old son and 20-year-old daughter are still in school, and his daughter is managing his spa in Kennett Square while majoring in communication and working toward graduation in December.

Where specifically did Greg Shishko learn about Hand & Stone?

When Greg was looking for independent business opportunities, he looked into a variety of different concepts. As part of his search, he began working with a franchise broker who introduced him to Massage Heights at first. He had actually attended Massage Height’s discovery day, but while there, his wife convinced him to call John Marco, founder of Hand & Stone. Because Hand & Stone seemed more flexible with its franchisees and was located closer to him, he went with Hand & Stone.

Friday, October 1, 2010

How Hand & Stone Adjusted to the New Economy

Bob McQuillan, Vice President of Franchise Development for Hand & Stone

Over the past two years, the state of franchising has changed quite a bit. Positively, a new report just released by the U.S. Census says that 10.5% of U.S. businesses are franchises, which indicates a large percentage of people are still continuing to turn to franchising. However, the tightened credit crisis has been the main contributor to the change in the franchising industry, but Hand & Stone is doing some innovative things to keep growing amidst a tough economy.

From the franchise level, we’ve gone back to basics. We are developing and leveraging strategic relationships in the franchise industry to help foster the growth of our business. We are turning to business coaches (franchise brokers) to help bridge the relationship with prospective franchisees, and we work very closely with them to get their clients into our system.

One of the negative effects of the economy has been the ability for a franchisee to get financed in a new business. We (the franchisor) are pulling out all the stops for franchisees – leasing arrangements, home equity loans, and 401k rollover programs are some of the ways that we are helping aid first-time business owners in the process, and thus, we’ve been fortunate to recruit a very sophisticated group of franchisees.

Additionally, Hand & Stone is experiencing a very positive effect from corporate America down-sizing, as we are seeing more qualified prospective franchisees with a very sophisticated set of skills that enables them to be a perfect fit for our type of business. As companies continue to offer early retirement packages or downsize their current workforce, companies like Hand & Stone will be a good place for them to turn to and utilize those skill sets.
 
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