Facial Bar Franchise Partners with REP’M Group to Expand Nationwide
Co-founded by an esthetician, the Facialworks franchise has staked out a unique identity in the beauty market. The brand’s spas feature a small-footprint, wall-free beauty bar where clients receive facials from licensed estheticians using ultra-safe made-in-the-U.S.A. products. And now Facialworks, with franchise development assisted by REP’M Group, has positioned itself for coast-to-coast growth.
Founders Meghan and Jason Gilboa (pictured above) devised the Facialworks concept during their honeymoon in Bora Bora in February 2013. Fast-forward to November 2013, and the couple opened a spa in Newport Beach, Calif., the first of four Orange County locations. Their thriving spas tap the rich skin care market, valued at $90.7 billion globally in 2022 and with predicted growth of 5.8% annually through 2030, according to Grand View Research.
The First Facialworks
Meghan and Jason bring complementary skills and experience to their brand. Meghan previously worked for plastic surgeons as a medical esthetician and owned another skin care company. Jason’s business background includes working as a vice president of a leasing company and as a product manager. “At first we were bootstrapping and doing everything ourselves,” Meghan says. “Pretty quickly the store became very busy so we had to hire to keep up with demand. That location did so well that we opened two more locations, one in Huntington Beach and one in Dana Point.
They opened a fourth spa in Irvine in 2019 and a product line in 2013, which Meghan created. The well-priced products, packaged in glass containers for sustainability, contain no parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes or synthetic fragrances. “I work with our labs to formulate the products. In the beginning, I looked for brands to partner with, and there really wasn’t anything that met my level of clean, effective skin care. Now we use our own products in all of our treatments.”
The Efficiency Advantage
Efficiency is a priority for Facialworks, with examples such as:
- The facial bar. “If you look at a typical spa treatment room,” Jason says, “it’s usually something like 150 to 200 square feet. Our stations take up about 50 square feet. That makes our overhead much lower but we can handle large volume. We’ve learned that instead of charging people $250 every four months, they will come in monthly if not twice per month at our price point.
“We didn’t know that would work when we opened, so it was a big risk. But we’ve been proven correct. We focus on treatments that deliver results without a lot of downtime for our clients or estheticians,” he says. “This allows us to see more clients each day, keeping our estheticians busier than they would be at typical spas. Also, unlike most facials, ours don’t require rest time due to redness and inflammation.” That has an added benefit: It trims the time commitment for customers, who can visit during their lunch hour, for example, fitting our services conveniently into busy schedules. “It becomes part of their lifestyle.”
(Although the facial bar is key to the brand’s identity, Meghan points out that Facialworks also has traditional treatment rooms, most often requested by clients who want a more exclusive experience. “We cater to everybody.”) - Formulating proprietary products. “We take a product that’s typically very costly and figure out how to make it less expensive. Meghan and Brooke [Gross, director of training and education for Facialworks] are absolute ingredient and product nerds who do a ton of education,” Jason says. “They’re constantly going to educational seminars to improve their knowledge. That enables them to create highly effective ingredients at a great price.”
- Affordable pricing. “The most obvious example is our oxygen facials [oxygen infuses serums into skin]. An oxygen facial is typically at least $250, if not $300. Our starting price is $85, and our oxygen facial is just as good if not better than the treatment at a medspa.”
Path to Franchising
The couple first thought about franchising when people frequently visited and asked, “Is this a franchise? Can I buy one of these?” Jason says. “After Covid, we began considering franchising more seriously.” A decisive factor was the improved technology that makes leadership and oversight of a franchise more doable for the couple.
The Gilboas already have built a supportive infrastructure for franchisees. Facialworks has a full-time trainer plus a training center in Newport Beach. Headquarters training is supplemented with about 40 high-definition online videos demonstrating everything from customer service techniques to treatments. Corporate representatives will do site visits as needed, and Facialworks has crafted a ticket system to solve franchisees’ operational issues.
“Corporate does the heavy lifting on marketing and technology,” Jason says. “We have a brand director. Our chief marketing officer is building a mini digital agency within the company to do marketing support. We don’t want franchisees to try to learn how to work with Meta’s ad platforms or similar advertising platforms. We want them focused on hiring, building their team, and going out to their community and talking about the brand and its values.”
To expand Facialworks with well-matched franchisees, the Gilboas teamed with REP’M Group, which has a portfolio of services that include helping franchisors market their brands and sell franchises as well as advising on real estate and construction. Jason explains that “Meghan and I have a lot of great skills, and we know what we don’t know. We knew we had no background in franchising but wanted more than a franchise sales organization,” Jason says. “REP’M Group doesn’t work with just anyone. They want brands that can scale, and we know we have a true partnership with REP’M,” which set a goal of opening 100 Facialworks units within the next two years.
Facialworks Franchisee Prerequisites
Jason describes the ideal franchisee as someone:
- Interested in health and wellness and passionate about beauty services, “someone who’s already into that lifestyle. They take care of themselves, whether it’s massages and facials or fitness classes. They understand it’s a high-touch environment.”
- Experienced in operations and/or customer service.
- Wanting to open two or three locations.
- Capable of strong management and leadership. “You must build and keep your team,” Jason says, which will be about 12 people per unit. Facialworks enhances employee retention by paying well and providing benefits and exceptional training. “In school, estheticians learn how to pass the test for licensing and they learn about sanitizing,” Jason says, but Facialworks’ training helps them expertly serve clients.
- Well-connected to the community perhaps through school, church, employment and volunteer contacts. Word-of-mouth is crucial to building a customer base, the Gilboas emphasize.
Franchisees appreciate Facialworks’ efficiencies and multiple revenue streams: facials, product sales, gift cards, and three membership packages. Facialworks also encourages clients to bring along friends for a party ambiance at the facial bar. For details about Facialworks opportunities and requirements, visit www.thefacialworks.com/franchise.
