Sola Salons Franchise Opening Process - Franchise Guide

For a new franchisee, the process to get from signing the agreement to actually opening their doors can feel daunting. With multiple support teams involved and all of the moving parts associated with site selection, design, construction, training and marketing, there can be a lot to keep up with. However, Sola Salons, the leading salon suites franchise, has built a structured system designed to support franchisees throughout each step, creating a smooth, coordinated experience.

This organized approach starts with a clearly defined point person, namely New Location Development Manager Kimberly Tierman. “From day one, all the way to opening their studio, I’m walking hand-in-hand with the franchisee, coordinating all of our readiness pillars and serving as their go-to team member,” Tierman said. “The benefit is that you’re never lost.”

Pre Opening Support

Sola Salons has created “readiness categories,” which cover anything from physical construction to operations and marketing.

A crucial aspect of the support process starts before a lease is even signed.

“We’ve found some good traction during the LOI negotiations by understanding what’s on site,” said Vice President of Design and Construction Ashley Chatley. “This due diligence and dissecting some of the language can help franchisees avoid pitfalls. For example, there could be a water meter fee that isn’t in the lease. If they just assume, they could end up with an $85,000 fee that they didn’t know to expect. By having our teams involved upfront, we help franchisees to avoid these landmines.”

This is just the start of the buildout process. Because timelines can vary, and the process isn’t entirely linear, the team has built a path around key milestones. This allows activities to happen concurrently when possible, ultimately accelerating the timeline to launch.

“There are calculated milestones that we try to get in front of to help accelerate the process,” Tierman said. “For example, the design phase can begin before construction is ready to start. Once you execute the lease and know that’s going to be your space, we go ahead and get you started on the design. That way, when you’re ready, you’re ready to hit the ground running.”

Before leases are signed and contractors selected, Sola’s team provides critical support to help franchisees secure a good deal and prevent unnecessary future challenges.

Franchisees are encouraged to include the corporate team in conversations surrounding the Letter of Intent. This allows for expert guidance from professionals who have been through this process before.

Understanding what’s at a given site is important to making an informed decision. Some sites may lend themselves to fewer construction requirements, making them a more attractive option. In other cases, the leadership team may spotlight other considerations that may not be explicitly outlined in a lease but should be a part of the final decision-making process.

“Having these discussions helps ensure a franchisee does not slow down a deal because they don’t understand some facets of the lease,” Chatley said. “Rather than waiting until the lease finalization or construction process, franchisees bring us in during the negotiations, and we can say, ‘Did we think about this?’ or ‘This could be a problem.’ We’re doing as much due diligence with them up front so that, by the time construction comes around, we’ve already worked through the challenges.”

Launch Preparation

Once a space is secured, Tierman and her team guide the franchise through the pre-opening readiness pillars to build a strong foundation for the new business.

This includes a guided design process, ensuring the location will fit the brand standards and meet all requirements, and preliminary operations and marketing introductions.

As construction begins, support from the Sola team continues to ensure guidance through the “final push” toward a successful launch.

The physical buildout process is a key category, and franchisees can monitor this progress through Sola’s project management software.

A dedicated marketing team guides the franchisee through pre-opening marketing strategies to ensure a strong start, attracting beauty professionals to lease studios before the doors officially open.

Franchisees also receive guidance from operations experts to ensure they have the proper processes and systems in place to succeed.

“All of these readiness categories come together to make sure this process is smooth and seamless,” Tierman said. “This way, there is no unnecessary chaos.”

Supporting each of these steps is a collaborative team of people who are all deeply committed to the success of Sola franchisees. Rather than dealing with countless individual support people, Sola franchisees deal with well-defined support teams, and they always have access to Tierman — the point person.

To support the process even more, Sola has leveraged project management software to help franchisees track their progress and keep a note of important upcoming dates.

“We’ve worked hard to ensure all of our IT platforms are integrated and seamless for the best possible franchisee experience,” Tierman said.

From the initial site selection process to ribbon cutting on opening day, the Sola development process is built on a foundation of partnership and careful guidance. By providing a key point of contact and expert support at each stage, Sola removes the guesswork associated with starting a new business, ensuring each owner has the tools, knowledge and confidence necessary to launch a successful salon suites franchise.