THE AESTHETIC ENTHUSIASTS

Owners of a thriving national children’s nursery chain that employs 150 staff, Dal and Harchie Basra’s decision to delve into the medispa world came through a combination of Harchie Basra’s passion for the beauty industry and the perceived profit potential of the aesthetics market.

After Harchie spent 18 months retraining in beauty and aesthetics, the pair briefly considered opening a standalone clinic before opting for the franchise route. They researched franchise opportunities and eventually contacted EF Medispa.

Launched in 2006 by Esther Fieldgrass, EF Medispa was one of the UK’s first groups to successfully bridge the gap between the beauty and medical sectors. Following the success of its London clinics, it introduced franchising to its business model two years ago. Prior to Edgbaston, a franchise opened in Bristol and EF Medispa says plans are now at an advanced stage for further franchised clinics in the South East, North West and Scotland.

“As we were already successful in business, we didn’t want to start at the bottom,” says Dal. “We didn’t have a brand or reputation behind us – which is essential when you’re working with people’s bodies – so we chose the franchise route. EF Medispa is the market leader and we decided it could give us a route to market.”

The EF Medispa franchise is independent of equipment and product supplies, with an upfront fee that reflects initial training, assistance in clinic design, marketing support and clinic launch. The franchisee incurs the set-up costs of fitting out the clinic, purchasing equipment and opening orders for products. The training covers 80 different treatments, which are introduced step by step to the franchisees’ therapists, according to their experience and skill level. EF Medispa says that, dependent on the nature of the franchise, the upfront fee could range from £50,000 to £150,000.

The Basras opened their clinic three months ago, a 2,300sq ft premises that spans two floors and offers six treatment rooms. They employ seven staff members. Alongside the upfront franchise fee, there is a monthly management services fee and a marketing fee which amounts to around 10% of all revenue.

Dal believes it is worth the costs. “We’ve gone into something with a high margin so we can absorb the cost of the franchise in the profit that we can make.

“Yes, you have to give away some of your profits, you are tied by the brand guidelines and ultimately you don’t have 100% say in what you do, but in my experience the pros definitely outweigh the cons. It’s a small price to pay for what we’re getting.”