Auxo Medical, LLC, a long-time leader in the medical supply and equipment service industry, is proud to announce the launch of a new franchise opportunity. This opportunity provides aspiring entrepreneurs with the chance to open a business, driven by a unique and in-demand service offering. By Rose Mango
Signworld is a national organization with over 30 years of experience in the commercial custom signage and graphics sectors. The brand now has over 360 owners, who come from all types of backgrounds and enjoy the business for a variety of reasons. By Nancy E. Williams
The recent global pandemic highlighted the basic need for people to come together. CorporateConnections®, the preeminent platform for global business leaders to meet and connect, understood that demand and fulfilled it at the most crucial time. By Lizzy Yeserski
When fans see the iconic red and white stripes behind the Rita’s name, whether they’re at a baseball stadium, boardwalk or friendly neighborhood corner, they know they’ll see long lines of eager customers, too. These happy guests (more like cult followers) can’t wait to get some of this delectable frozen heaven. By Lizzy Yeserski
Mark Lyon encourages anyone starting out in business to have a strong incentive. “I think the most important thing, especially for young entrepreneurs, is to have a really big ‘why’,” Lyon explained. By Lizzy Yeserski
Chef Anthony Russo, CEO/founder of Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen, grew up going to his grandmother’s house every Sunday in a small New Jersey town. By Cindy Charette
PHOENIX — IMAGE Studios®, a leader in the salon and spa studio space, announced they will open their first locations in Arizona! IMAGE Studios® is an exclusive studio salon that provides modern, high-end salon spaces to beauty, health, and wellness professionals. Their affordable rates make it possible for professionals to become successful entrepreneurs.
Scottsdale IMAGE Owners, Josh & Courtney Harper are delighted to open multiple locations in the state and offer an alternative to traditional salon ownership. “IMAGE Studios gives beauty professionals the freedom to be their own boss with no limit on their creative possibilities or the level of success that can be achieved.” says Courtney.
Josh and Courtney are lively members of the community spending much of their free time volunteering with organizations focused on homeless outreach, at-risk children, and animal rescue. They are thrilled to begin a new journey to help community members find success in entrepreneurship.
“IMAGE Studios® is the best in coworking salon suites. We are setting the highest standard for design and support for our beauty professionals, and I am so excited to be part of this journey. Our locations will be a benchmark for cutting edge design.” says Josh.
Founder and CEO, Jason Olsen, commented, “We are delighted to have such high caliber franchisees like Josh & Courtney to bring the IMAGE Studios® brand to Arizona. Our franchise is driven by our core values of creativity, freedom, and success, for both our franchisees and the health, beauty, and wellness entrepreneurs who build their businesses with IMAGE.” IMAGE Studios® helped launch 364 new entrepreneurs in 2020 – with the overwhelming majority being businesses owned by women and minorities.
About IMAGE Studios®
IMAGE is currently franchising in 45 states with locations across California, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Utah, South Carolina, Tennessee, Oregon, and Ohio. They’re growing rapidly with their East Coast expansion, adding 25 locations in development throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey! They boast the simplicity of their concept: IMAGE Studios® provides an incredible space and atmosphere; their IMAGE Pros bring their passion, talent, and clientele. Together, they create an intoxicating formula for success for their small business owners across the country.
New franchises, service offerings and Apprenticeship Program among company milestones.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Z PLUMBERZ, a full-service and fast-growing commercial and residential plumbing franchise, today announced several company milestones.
Since launching last year as part of BELFOR Franchise Group – the world’s largest residential and commercial services franchise group – Z PLUMBERZ has added multiple locations in Michigan as well as units in Ohio, California, Indiana and Georgia. Ranging from minor maintenance to extensive repairs, Z PLUMBERZ provides 24/7 plumbing, sewer and drain services. In addition, the company also offers advanced yet necessary services such as trenchless no-dig pipe lining, thermal imaging and smoke testing.
“From expanding into new states, adding to our high-quality service offerings and growing our first-class team, we’re thrilled at the success we’ve seen during our first year of operation,” said Matt O’Rourke, President of Z PLUMBERZ. “We are grateful to be part of BELFOR Franchise Group, which has provided us with the top-notch training and tools needed to succeed in our industry, and we look forward to continuing to grow our franchise in the months and years to come.”
Another milestone for the brand was the launch of the Z PLUMBERZ Apprenticeship Program, which helps young plumbers enter the trade by providing skills-based coaching on work plans, goal-setting and operational management.
“With their unmatched customer service and dedication to training the next generation of plumbing professionals, Z PLUMBERZ has been an important addition to our BELFOR Franchise Group family,” said Sheldon Yellen, CEO of BELFOR Franchise Group. “As the demand for plumbing professionals grows, Z PLUMBERZ has excelled and distinguished itself in the industry by offering clients solution-oriented services that will fuel the brand’s growth in the coming years.”
About Z PLUMBERZ
Z PLUMBERZ is a full-service, fast-growing plumbing franchise. Z PLUMBERZ provides expert repairs, installation and maintenance for emergencies or long-term, preventative safeguarding. From blockages, sewer lines, appliances, infrastructure and more, Z PLUMBERZ’s Call Center Support and experienced plumbers work 24/7 to ensure long-lasting and reliable plumbing, drains and sewer solutions in residential, commercial and industrial settings. Z PLUMBERZ is part of BELFOR Franchise Group, a division of BELFOR Property Restoration, the world’s largest property restoration company. For more information, please visit www.zplumberz.com.
Rapidly Growing B2B Franchise Brand Joins FASTSIGNS International, Inc., SIGNWAVE, and NerdsToGo.
CARROLLTON, Texas — Propelled Brands, the corporate umbrella of FASTSIGNS International. Inc., which is the franchisor of FASTSIGNS®, the leading sign, graphics and visual communications franchise, and NerdsToGo®, an emerging IT services franchise brand, today announced its acquisition of Suite Management Franchising, LLC. Suite Management Franchising, LLC (“SMF” or the “Company”) is the parent company of MY SALON Suite® and Salon Plaza®, two rapidly-growing salon suite franchisors.
“We are excited to welcome Suite Management Franchising, a proven franchise organization in the salon suite industry, into our family,” said Catherine Monson, President and CEO of Propelled Brands and Chair of the International Franchising Association. “SMF and its focus on helping entrepreneurs achieve their goals of small business ownership fits perfectly with the Propelled Brands mission. We look forward to cultivating the rapid growth and continued development that will benefit MY SALON Suite and Salon Plaza members, franchisees, and team members.”
SMF was founded in 2010 and is a part of the large and growing salon suite industry with 201 locations in 34 states and 2 countries. SMF is well-positioned for continued, sustainable growth as market demands change and salon professionals and customers seek out private, dedicated salon space.
“We look forward to growing this business with existing franchisees and introducing the MY SALON Suite and Salon Plaza brands to a new group of potential franchisees and customers,” added Monson. “Our goal is to add value to the business as well as to expand and grow the MY SALON Suite and Salon Plaza brands.”
“As part of our ongoing strategy to provide outstanding support and growth opportunities to our franchisees, we are thrilled to be joining the Propelled Brands family,” SMF Co-Founder and President, Ken McAllister, said in a statement. “We look forward to leveraging Propelled Brands’ franchise expertise to accelerate growth and dramatically expand our footprint across the country. Their excellence in franchise development, store openings, and back-end services through legal, finance, accounting, and HR will help us further improve unit level economics and franchisee profitability.”
About Suite Management Franchising, LLC.
Suite Management Franchising, LLC, the parent company of MY SALON Suite and Salon Plaza, is the latest concept in the beauty services industry bringing together a collection of independent beauty professionals in one luxurious location. Ken and Alanna McAllister opened the first MY SALON Suite in Metairie, Louisiana in 2010. By 2012, they had three locations in Louisiana and Florida, and since then, the franchise has expanded across North America. With beauty franchise industry-leading knowledge, operational processes and support services, they help franchise owners successfully build, open and manage upscale private salon suite facilities for highly-qualified, established beauty service professionals, who are ready to make an investment in themselves and their professional success by running their own salon business.
For more information about MY SALON Suite, please visit: https://www.mysalonsuite.com/franchise
About Propelled Brands®
Propelled Brands is the corporate umbrella of FASTSIGNS®, SIGNWAVE® and NerdsToGo®. Focused on service-oriented franchises, the Propelled Brands team assists each brand in its portfolio to confidently navigate forward based on their unique position, momentum and purpose. Propelled Brands advances the strategic path for each brand, offering support, guidance and a clear vision to fully equip every franchisee, helping them maximize success.
Propelled Brands is looking to partner with other service-oriented franchise concepts that align with its forward-thinking growth objectives. For more information or to learn about opportunities with Propelled Brands, visit propelledbrands.com.
Cannabis Dispensary Franchise Announces Statewide Franchise Expansion Plans through Corporate Acquisitions and New License Opportunities as Cannabis Sales Soar.
BOULDER, Colo. — Unity Rd., the cannabis dispensary franchise from Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTCQX: INLB), is opening its first franchise shop this week in Boulder, Colorado. The Boulder franchise is locally owned and operated by father-son-duo Bruce and Nate Wetzel; Nate relocated from Iowa to Colorado in 2020 to pursue the cannabis business opportunity.
“Our team has been waiting for this moment – this launch has been years in the making,” shared Unity Rd.’s Chief Franchise Officer, Mike Weinberger. “We founded Unity Rd. – a cannabis dispensary franchise – with the mission of keeping dispensary ownership, and the wealth that comes along with it, local. We want to educate and empower owners, while also pumping revenue right back into their communities, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. It’s no secret that opening a dispensary is a lengthy process, and that’s exactly why this opening means so much to our team – it’s a reflection of a lot of hard work, creativity and dedication. Here’s to the first of many.”
Unity Rd. offers the safest route for cannabis entrepreneurs interested in staking their claim in an industry that’s bursting with potential. The dispensary franchisor’s time-tested Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and veteran team, with a combined 120+ years of cannabis experience, guide franchise partners through every operational function of the business, whether it be securing a license or assisting with cash flow, product selection or changing regulations.
“We had been looking at the cannabis space for a few years, trying to determine our best entrance that would mitigate the high risk,” said Nate. “We knew that by partnering with a solid franchisor we wouldn’t have to go through the School of Hard Knocks and dug into cannabis franchises. We found a few that were just selling a business plan, no long-term support, and then discovered Unity Rd. The team has a depth of history on both the retail and cultivation side with awards to back them up. We felt most comfortable with Unity Rd. versus other routes into this nascent industry.”
Colorado Franchise Development Plans & Corporate Acquisition Strategy
The shop is primed for immediate success as Colorado’s cannabis sales recently hit the highest point the state has ever seen, bringing in $2.2 billion in 2020 alone. While it was the first state to legalize cannabis seven years ago, Colorado is still ripe with opportunity. In fact, several cities in Colorado have recently made new dispensary licenses available. The Unity Rd. team is ready to help industry newcomers navigate the licensing process and notoriously complex industry, as well as partner with existing dispensary owners via its Local Alliance Program – providing access to the buying power, resources and supportive network normally reserved for multi-unit operators.
Unity Rd. is also seeking corporate acquisitions of existing dispensaries throughout the state, primarily in Denver as well as front range and compelling mountain towns. The cannabis dispensary franchise plans to convert the stores into Unity Rd. shops, operate them internally and sell them to an existing or future Unity Rd. franchise partner. This offers a turnkey solution for entrepreneurs seeking immediate entry into cannabis.
“Our corporate acquisition strategy eases hurdles for newcomers looking to acquire an existing dispensary and keeps ownership in the hands of local owners,” Weinberger said. “We’ll get the stores fully converted into a Unity Rd., train the shop team and oversee operations so franchise partners have a seamless transition to ownership.”
Already, Unity Rd.’s Director of Franchise Operations, Jennifer Zarezadeh, has relocated to Denver to support the Wetzels and oversee future Unity Rd. operations.
The cannabis franchise is actively seeking qualified franchise partners throughout Colorado and the U.S. who would benefit from the systems, processes and ongoing support the franchise offers. As it stands, Unity Rd. currently has multiple agreements signed with more than 15 entrepreneurial groups who are in various stages of development nationwide.
To learn more about the Unity Rd. franchise opportunity, contact franchise@unityrd.com, call 720-923-5262 or visit unityrd.com.
ABOUT UNITY RD.:
Unity Rd. is bridging the two previously disconnected worlds of cannabis and franchising. The industry trailblazer is the first to bring the cannabis dispensary franchise model to the United States—with duality of prowess in both industries to back it up. Built up from a collective 200 years in the legal cannabis industry and franchising, the company helps eager operators enter the complex industry with ease. The marijuana franchise pioneer offers its partners the knowledge, resources, and ongoing support needed to compliantly and successfully operate a dispensary. Launched in 2018, Unity Rd. has signed multiple agreements with more than 15 entrepreneurial groups across the country. Recently, it was named one of the top cannabis retail leaders in the nation by MJBizDaily magazine and one of the “Best Cannabis Companies to Work For” in both the dispensary and cultivation categories in Cannabis Business Times’ elite 2020 list. The company is also the first cannabis business to earn a Franchise Times Dealmakers award. For more information, visit unityrd.com.