How to make it as a… multi-site operator

Career Path

1. The key is trusting others

“In 2002, I opened Pure Spa & Beauty and since then it has grown from one salon with six staff to eight sites with 130 employees. The hardest thing I’ve had to come to terms with as a multi-site operator is the fact that I can’t be in two places at once, let alone eight. I’ve learned to delegate work and trust others to do a good job, but it was initially hard to let go.”

2. You need to be a good communicator

“Your communication skills need to be spot on to run a large salon group. My salons are open seven days a week and staff work shift patterns, making it difficult to get a consistent message out to everyone. To stop things getting disjointed, I host telephone meetings with the salon managers every Tuesday, updating them on business news as well as discussing any issues.”

3. Think about the logistics

“Seven of my salons are based in Scotland (Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow) and one of the best things about having them in neighbouring locations is that if I’m ever short staffed, I can move therapists from one salon to another. It’s very fluid.

“However, the further away you open your sites, the more logistically challenging it becomes. In September 2017, I opened the first Pure outside of Scotland in the Apex City of London Hotel and it required a lot more planning. Plus, it was harder to recruit therapists – we’re not as well-known down South.”

4. Do your homework

“If you’re thinking about opening more salons in different types of locations, like I have in hotels and shopping centres, then you need to understand how these places operate, especially as they have different health and safety regulations you need to adhere to.

“When opening in Apex’s London hotel, the City of London Council required us to have a licence to operate as a spa, which came as a shock because there’s no regulation like this in Scotland. It took time to organise and came with an unexpected fee.”

5. Create the right working culture

“Running a large salon group means recruiting, training and retaining a lot of therapists, and the challenge is doing it at an individual level. I’ve put a lot of resources into building the right company culture, offering flexible working hours – which I know is something therapists want – and opportunities to progress in the group with clearly defined career paths.”

6. Stand your ground with suppliers

“I get frustrated when product houses are rigid in their offering. It’s better for you as the operator to tell suppliers where you think they can add value to your business because then you can both grow.

“The important thing to remember is with size comes buying power. I’m in a lucky position where I can now say, ‘I’m not going to work with you’, if I think a brand can’t support me.”