Archna Patel was
born in Zambia, Africa and moved to New Jersey when she was six. Working at
Walgreens Pharmacy every weekend since she was 17, Archna graduated with her
Doctorate of Pharmacy in 2002 from Rutgers School of Pharmacy. She began
working at a prominent pharmacy as a community pharmacist and later became a
Managed Care Pharmacist. She moved into the world of medical writing in the pharmaceutical
industry and has been working at Johnson & Johnson for the past two years.
Harin Patel was
born in Trinidad and lived there half his life. With a degree in computer
science from Rutgers, Harin began his career working for Accenture doing
consulting for six years. He later moved to Princeton, New Jersey with his
wife, Archna, to take a job with NRG Energy, an independent power provider
working in Business Development which he has been doing for the past seven
years. Harin was part of the team that developed the solar project at the new
Giants Stadium among other large projects.
The couples’
passion to be independent business owners motivated them to look into various options
including bodywork/massage therapy. They truly believe there is a benefit to spa-based
pain management and as the elderly population grows, they feel Hand & Stone
and their passion for healing will thrive.
How did you learn
about the brand?
Arch and Harin: We were looking to open an independent
spa as this has been a long standing passion of ours. We started exploring
various types of business opportunities and had long been aware of Massage
Envy. When we began to look at Massage franchises we came upon Hand & Stone.
Why did you choose
an opportunity with Hand & Stone?
Arch and Harin: The opportunity with this franchise
seemed to be the best fit because as we began to know and learn who the people
behind this brand are, we felt a sense of community. We are in the company of
many intelligent people and some who have the same goals we have in life. We
did a lot of research on other concepts, but after talking with other Hand
& Stone franchisees, we were sold.
Are you involved
with any charities or do any community outreach with your business?
Arch and Harin: We plan on maximizing our charity and
community outreach right from the start. Our goal is to make our presence known
in Hillsborough and the adjacent communities. At this time we have begun to reach out to local
massage schools to take advantage of the talent in our area—it’s always good to
do that. Additionally, we’re slated to
participate in the Montgomery Township School District’s Health Fair on April
1. This fair brings in at least 500 visitors and we intend to have a strong presence
as well as participate in some giveaways and offer chair massages.
What challenges
have you overcome to get where you are now?
Arch: Being a working mom, a pharmacist, a business owner
and a wife, I’ve learned to pick my battles. When we first thought about committing to this
business, we realized that there would be challenges that could be out of our
control. We forged ahead, determined to make this work and taking each
challenge one day at a time. At the same time we have to deal with the ordinary
business of life—we’re constantly learning what makes one another tick, what
makes our franchisor tick or what makes my son tick. We sincerely feel we are
blessed because of the support our family has given us both financially and
morally to take this big step. I do remember when we made the decision to get into
this business, my husband said to me, “I have confidence in us if nothing else,
so I know we’ll succeed.” This is something I play in my mind all the time to
keep me moving. And it works!
Right now, this quote I borrowed from a fellow business owner
suits me perfectly and speaks volumes about who I am. I am at ease with myself.
"Today may there be peace within. May you trust
that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of
faith in yourself and others. May you use
the gifts that you have received
and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content
with yourself just the way you
are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the
freedom to sing, dance, praise
and love. It is there for each and every one of us." Mother Teresa
What are your
expansion or development plans? What is your end goal with Hand & Stone?
Arch and Harin: We want to learn from the franchisor and
other franchisees in the business. We do plan to open up additional locations when
the time is right. I do have to consider my current career as a pharmacist and
how I am able to be at peace if I do leave the field.
What are some of
the publications you read? Local? National? What is your goal publication with
your business?
Arch and Harin: We read Time, franchise specific magazines, and the Connect, which is a
local paper. We hope to spread the word about our new franchise in the local
media, c and down the road possibly publish something about our experience in a
national magazine or newspaper.
Do you have any
other interesting hobbies or passions?
Arch: Harin and I met in college our freshman year and my
goal was to get to know one person for a very long time before I married him. I
certainly did. We dated for almost 10 years and then got engaged for two years
and finally tied the knot in May 2005. We’ll be celebrating our eight year
anniversary this coming May 1! We have a
two-and-a-half year old son, Sai, who keeps us on our toes and whom we hope
will become the greatest hip-hop breakdancer out there!
I love to bake and plan
parties! We really love to go on vacation as a family and just have a good
time. Harin loves to scuba dive.
Hand & Stone is a 90-plus unit massage and facial spa
with a mission to bring massage and facial services to the masses. Launched in
2005 by a passionate physical therapist, John Marco and now led by franchise
veteran Todd Leff, Hand & Stone now has locations in 18 states and Canada. For more information on Hand & Stone,
visit
www.handandstone.com.
