Beauty Franchise, Beauty Salon, Success stories
One of our franchise success stories is Sarah-Jane Donnelly who is the franchise owner at Ella Baché Melbourne Central. This franchise recently won the prestigious Business Development Award at the Annual Ella Baché Awards 2006, for recognition of achievement in the growth of her business that has only been in operation for two years.
Sarah-Jane
Sarah-Jane’s inspiring story..
What were you doing prior to owning an Ella Baché franchise?
Before coming to Australia in 2003 I had spent 12 successful years in the newspaper/advertising industry. The sale of this company gave me the opportunity to travel extensively before moving to Australia where I decided I would open my own business in a completely different industry.
What attracted you to becoming an Ella Baché franchisee?
After a great deal of research into various business opportunities, I finally elected to proceed in the beauty business. I realised that this was an expanding industry which would present me with an exciting challenge.
Being a novice in this new enterprise I made the decision to purchase a franchise so that I had a base of support and knowledge. At the time there were four companies for me to choose from. I contacted all four to arrange initial meetings. Ella Baché won hands down as it matched all my requirements.
The product delivered results and the company had a strong brand, but most importantly the backing and support from head office was without question far superior to any of the other franchisors contacted. Also the “no royalties” offer was very attractive including the fact that the franchise fee was far below quotations received from others.
What has been the most challenging part of being a franchisee?
The passion and enthusiasm from many of the staff at Hallas Trading was infectious and this fuelled my own enthusiasm for the salon. However it was no easy ride and we suffered many obstacles. The opening at Melbourne Central was a ‘baptism of fire’. We experienced both a fire and a flood in the shopping centre which delayed the opening by several months. We finally opened for business on the 20th December 2004.
The initial 18 months were not easy and finding the right staff proved difficult. Our objective was not to hire just beauty therapists - we wanted beauty therapists par excellence! Now I can safely say we have the right team and this has been the major contributing factor to our success.
Do you have a franchising tip to share with a potential franchisee?
Successful business leaders thrive on good staff liaison policies. A happy atmosphere is created by achievable, clear objectives with continual recognition and team effort. One of the most important aspects when considering new recruits is “will they adapt to the existing frame work?”.
What inspires you?
Business success, a job well done and results at the end of the day are the factors that inspire continuation in this field. All of this is aided and abetted by a loyal work force. My goal was not only to make Ella Baché Melbourne Central successful, but a fun and interesting place to work.
What is your favourite Ella Baché product and treatment?
Travelling throughout Australia, I still find that I get the best service from Ella Baché Franchise Salons. They would be my only choice for a quick expert massage or pedicure. However, my favourite treatment has to be the Soin Bio Réparateur Facial and if I had to pick only one product as my favourite (this is a tough one as there are so many I love!), I guess I would say the Hydra Mask, or maybe Soin Bio Réparateur Intensive Concentrate Emulsion, oh wait! Great Face Tan Without Sun is fabulous, but what about Gommage Délicat? Oh forget it, I love them all!!
What advice can you offer to aspiring franchisees?
Hard work and belief in the product is the way forward, this is the essence of success and would be the advice I would give to any aspiring franchisee.
Where would you like to be in five years?
My projections for the future would be a desire for expansion and with the experience I have gained so far and learned from, with all its trials and tribulations, the excitement of success is the greatest lure.
Sarah-Jane Donnelly
Ella Baché Melbourne Central
Jodie Willsea
Jodie Willsea – Success Story
Share with us your journey with Ella Baché so far...
Thankfully Ella Baché skincare really works well; this year marks my 17th with the company and I am not looking too bad at all! I first began my relationship with Baché working in a small salon in Perth. I was instantly inspired, as the passion for the product was infectious. I continued working in salons until 1993 when I finally opened my own. My mum worked as receptionist back then and it was nothing for her to go home at lunch time [a 40 min drive!] only to get a call from me an hour later to come back in because I was suddenly fully booked! The journey from those small salon days to the 3 salons & 15 staff I have now has been full of challenges and very rewarding.
What were you doing prior to owning an Ella Baché Franchise?
I was a Therapist through and through...I have had to adapt to the management role required, as so many of us do.
What attracted you to own an Ella Baché Franchise?
As I was already a salon owner, the decision was made a little differently. I could have continued on as an Ella Baché distributor, or even changed to another product, however I couldn't see how any other company was going to be able to offer me the same level of support, especially as I am in a regional area. I liked the idea of owning a territory, as our town is growing. The fact that I was still trying to cross over from Beauty Therapist to Business Owner also played a big part in the decision, as I felt that the support from Baché Account Managers & Head Office staff would be invaluable.
What has been the most challenging part of being a franchisee?
I think we face the same challenges as most business owners; everything from Staff to dealing with Shopping Centres. To be honest, all the challenges have been things that have very little to do with beauty and everything to do with business management.
What has been the most rewarding?
We have received some Awards over time and it's really nice to recognised publicly, however I have two experiences that really stand out. Firstly, when I made the full transition to a Manager/Owner who does not work in the salon; to hand over the general day-to-day business to my Managers and step back, was a huge personal achievement that freed me up to do other things. Secondly, every time a client tells us that they are so glad that there are Baché salons in town, it makes them feel confident they will be receiving the same great service and product they would get anywhere else in Australia.
Any highlights?
Over 17 years! It’s a bit hard to narrow it down, but at the Ella Awards in 2001 we took home state salon award for Queensland- that was pretty great!
How long have you been a franchisee?
Just over 5 years.
What inspires you?
My team, who have worked very hard to improve their skills. These days I'd say my Managers are 10 times the Salon Manager that I ever was and my Therapists have the passion that people say this generation is missing. This gives me the inspiration to keep at it every day.
What is your favourite product and treatment?
Oh that's simple; I love Crème Allantoin, it heals everything, but I can't live without Ampoule Antiase, every client should do their skin a favour and use it a few times a year. I have to say that Radiance Intensive Eye Treatment is one of the best salon treatments ever!
Do you have a franchising tip to share with a potential franchisee?
I have two:
Don't be afraid to talk to other salon owners; share your salon successes and failures, we can all learn so much from each other.
Train your staff constantly, not just in Therapy. Train your Managers to manage and your Supervisors to supervise; the results are worth the cost.
Where do you want to be in 5 years?
I am actually trying to downsize these days as I have two young kids. In five years I would like to have only one or two salons and have gained my training qualification and be teaching Beauty Therapy at TAFE.