---
title: "Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa Launches New Incentives to Encourage Growth Through Acquisition"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/21c7d5fd-d4cd-45da-a4ff-37de36ea07cb
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/hand-stone-massage-and-facial-spa-launches-new-incentives-to-encourage-growth-through-acquisition-2715088
category: "Spa & massage"
industry: "Beauty & Wellness"
segment: "Spa & massage"
topics: ["Finance & M&A"]
published: 2021-02-24T15:10:57.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T01:45:47.590Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/9c9308aa597d5d0f3a14c4d3e3fa33c37996.jpg
---

# Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa Launches New Incentives to Encourage Growth Through Acquisition

**TL;DR:** Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa launches a conversion incentive program to encourage growth through acquisition, offering a $25,000 capital contribution and a 50% reduction in the initial franchise fee. The program aims to promote the acquisition and conversion of existing spas into Hand & Stone locations.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2021-02-24. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/hand-stone-massage-and-facial-spa-launches-new-incentives-to-encourage-growth-through-acquisition-2715088).*

## Key facts

- Hand & Stone offers $25,000 incentive for acquisitions
- Conversions reduce build-out timeline by 40-60%
- 5-10 conversions expected by end of 2021

## Story

Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa , the 475-plus-unit massage and facial spa franchise with a mission to bring affordable massage and facial services to everyday consumers, is launching a new conversion incentive program for franchise owners.

The program rewards existing Hand & Stone operators who expand their footprint by acquiring independent and non-branded spas by offering a $25,000 capital contribution, issued upon completion of the acquisition. Franchise owners who expand through acquisition and conversion will also benefit from a 50% reduction in the initial franchise fee, paying just $17,500 instead of the $35,000 fee required to open an additional unit.

“We see this as an opportunity to grow the brand’s footprint by promoting the acquisition and conversion of existing spas into Hand & Stone locations,” said Hand & Stone Vice President of Real Estate Development Kris Smith .

Smith notes that this program provides a lucrative opportunity for top existing Hand & Stone operators to expand their portfolios. “Acquisitions provide Hand & Stone franchise owners with an existing customer base, as well as a team of massage therapists and estheticians already in place,” he said.

## Financing and conversions

Hand & Stone has also developed a financing arrangement with Firstrust Bank to assist franchise owners in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions in securing funding for new conversions through a favorable, SBA-backed loan program.

According to Smith, the conversion process can result in a 40 to 60% reduction in the build-out timeline, though the precise savings vary depending on the work required to bring the spa to compliance with Hand & Stone’s guidelines.

The conversion process also minimizes build-out expenses. Smith says Hand & Stone sees a significant reduction in construction costs when converting an existing spa compared to building a new one.

## Growth strategy

This incentive program comes on the heels of several conversions that the Hand & Stone brand has completed over the past couple of years and is designed in part to promote that growth strategy.

Smith said, “Looking ahead, we hope to finalize 5 to 10 conversions by the end of 2021. We look forward to continuing this exciting growth initiative in the future and positioning more of our franchise partners for scalability and success.”

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- franchise expansion (topic)
- Beauty & Wellness (sector)
- growth strategy (topic)
- Hand & Stone (company)
- conversion program (topic)
- acquisition incentive (topic)
- financing arrangement (topic)

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Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/hand-stone-massage-and-facial-spa-launches-new-incentives-to-encourage-growth-through-acquisition-2715088). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/21c7d5fd-d4cd-45da-a4ff-37de36ea07cb).