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Name: Will
Dennis
Opening
Date: November/December 2011
Location: 59 Woodruff
Industrial Lane, Greenville, S.C.
As a father, husband and prior business
owner, Hand & Stone franchisee Will Dennis has perfected the art of
managing teams. Now, Dennis is combining his University of South Carolina
business education and prior entrepreneurship in order to saturate the Greenville
and Columbia, S.C., markets. By providing superb customer service and offering
a place for locals to escape for relaxation, he strives to withstand
competitors in the wellness and massage industries.
Q: Where are you from?
A: I’ve been a local of Greenville,
S.C., my entire life.
Q: What was your career before franchising?
A: Before franchising, I was
President of Consolidated Tires and The Tire Exchange, an independent
chain of commercial and consumer tire stores. My father and grandfather originally
owned the stores, so I was the third generation. After several years
in various positions, I took over when my dad decided to retire.
After seven years of running the business, I was presented with an
opportunity to sell and began new endeavors.
Q: How did you learn about the brand?
A: I learned about the
Hand & Stone
brand through a franchise broker and extensive research.
Q: When choosing a franchise, what were the
criteria you used to make your decision?
A: When choosing a franchise, I wanted
a business that was part of a growing industry. I wanted to be in front of a
major growth curve, and the wellness industry met that criteria. Additionally,
I wanted to be local and close to home because I had previously traveled
extensively. With three smaller children and a wife at home, I wanted to put
those days behind me. It was important for me to find a business that I could
eventually run without having to work 80 hours a week. I also wanted a business
that I could grow through my professional and social networks. Lastly, I wanted
to be part of a company where the original entrepreneur was still involved with
the business. I didn’t want to join a team that had been managed by several
different owners.
Q: What was appealing to you about joining
a franchise system?
A: I was attracted to the franchising
system because it provided a proven and sustained business model. By
franchising, all I really have to do is follow the people before me and their
predefined operational instructions. As a result, I’m able to spend the
majority of my time on customer service rather than operational processes and
procedures.
Q: With regard to
your previous experience, what skills do you feel helped you in your business?
A: My ability
to build a team is most definitely the single greatest accomplishment from my
previous work experience. By hiring the right people to execute the company’s
strategy, I’m able to place them and manage them in a fashion that encourages
them to work. As a result, the company is able to provide a customer service
strategy that can’t be beat.
Q: What makes your business different?
A: Hand & Stone offers a warm and
comfortable environment, which allows me to provide a therapeutic experience to
everyone who walks through our doors. We hope to cultivate a “mini vacation”
feel, which will set us apart from competing spas.
Q: What are your expansion or development
plans?
A: I bought the rights for three
locations, so I plan on expanding further into the Greenville and Columbia
markets within the next 24 months.
Hand & Stone is a 50-plus unit massage and facial spa
with a mission to bring massage and facial services to the masses, tapping into
the “day-cation” market segment. Launched in 2005 by a passionate
physical therapist, John Marco and now led by franchise veteran Todd Leff, Hand
& Stone now has locations in 12 states and Canada with plans to open an
additional 20 locations by the end of 2011. For more information on Hand
& Stone, visit
www.handandstone.com.
Husband and wife team Rick Griffiths and Wendy Mendes were looking to get into the business of making people happy by providing a positive impact in the lives of their clients. They found the answer in Hand and Stone. The aim is to be able to provide a luxurious spa experience on a more affordable scale. 
