Steps to Ownership With Sola Salons — A Guide to Franchise Success

For entrepreneurs looking to invest in a proven business model with strong scalability, Sola Salons offers an exciting franchise opportunity. The brand is built around a semi-absentee ownership model, helping independent beauty and wellness professionals realize their dreams while providing franchisees with a scalable business. If you’re considering joining the Sola Salons network, the process involves a structured, six-stage mutual evaluation designed to ensure the right fit for both you and the brand.

John Pantera, vice president of franchise development, describes the process as “a journey” that the prospective franchisee and Sola Salons team take together.

“We’re going to discover a lot,” he said. “We’re going to learn about each other, we’re going to have a ton of fun and, most importantly, we’re going to find out if this particular opportunity is the right fit for you and if you are the right fit for us.”

This journey is guided by the Mutual Evaluation Process (MEP), which ensures that prospective franchisees are thoroughly vetting Sola Salons as a franchisor while the Sola team evaluates candidates based on financial qualifications, cultural fit and business motivations. Sola seeks candidates who appreciate semi-absentee ownership, are motivated by scaling multi-unit operations and value empowering independent entrepreneurs in the beauty industry.

Scott Thompson, chief development officer of Sola’s parent company, Radiance Holdings, outlines the six structured stages that lead to franchise ownership at Sola Salons:

This stage includes initial conversations, an overview of the business model and access to informational materials, such as a franchise brochure. The goal is to help candidates understand what Sola Salons offers and whether it aligns with their business goals.

At this stage, potential franchisees gain deeper insights into the financial aspects of ownership. Sola provides access to lending partners to help streamline funding. Candidates also review the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) to better understand the investment and obligations.

Prospective franchisees are encouraged to speak with existing Sola Salons owners and leadership team members to validate the opportunity. This step ensures that candidates fully understand the operational aspects of the business before making a decision, and they’re able to understand multiple perspectives before making a decision.

Candidates who progress through the initial stages and are confident in their choice to join the system are invited to Decision Day in Denver. This is where both the candidate and the Sola team determine if moving forward together is the right choice and make the final decision.

Once candidates are approved, they go through a final legal review and confirm that everything is as it should be before signing the franchise agreement.

After signing, new franchisees work closely with Sola’s New Location Development Team, which provides end-to-end support from site selection to grand opening.

“We have a new location development team that’s exceptional,” Thompson said. “They’re with you along the entire way, from the initial kickoff welcome call all the way through the final punch list and opening your doors.”

Sola Salons stands out as a franchise that blends business scalability, semi-absentee ownership and a mission-driven purpose. With an average initial deal size of five units and some franchisees scaling to over 20 locations, the brand is ideal for entrepreneurs looking for a proven growth model in the beauty and wellness industry.