with Corona
    New Business Strategy
     Keyword "Daily necessities

    cosmetics

    A daily necessity that is often forgotten is cosmetics.
    It is a fact that the demand for basic cosmetics did not decline even during the several recessions of the past 40 years.
    Since it is a daily shopping item, once you catch a hold of it, there is a high possibility that you will remain a fan until you die.
    The cost of cosmetics is low, and the franchises operated by cosmetics manufacturers are highly profitable.
    Most of the stores are located in the third class residential areas.

    コロナの緊急事態宣言後は、エステの施術のお客様は減少しましたが、既にお代は前金で頂戴していますで、売上計上がズレる可能性はあります。化粧品はご来店できなくても郵送でも販売できますので、全く減少しておらす、むしろまとめてご購入されるお客様がいらっしゃる分上振れしています。

    Miss Esthe ~BLOOM CLASSIC Co., Ltd.

    The interior design will be based on the materials and layout specified by the headquarters, but vendors can be selected freely. There is a high degree of freedom in terms of store construction, but headquarters is highly involved in the most important aspect of human resources. In the first place, if they cannot hire or select a store manager candidate, they cannot sign a franchise contract. Interviews for store staff are also conducted with the headquarters in attendance, and personnel hiring is done based on the headquarters' criteria. The headquarters will train the staff thoroughly.
    At the annual store convention, all stores, whether directly managed by the headquarters or by members, compete to achieve the best results. A favorable competitive relationship has resulted in good business performance.

     

    【Features】

    A cosmetics store run by a cosmetics manufacturer that also handles organic cosmetics, plus esthetic treatments (mainly facial and body)
    The esthetic salon is not a complex business such as hair removal or slimming, but a stance of a cosmetics manufacturer teaching correct makeup.
    No advertising costs, so cosmetics are reasonable.
    The company's management policy emphasizes the relationship with customers, so customers rarely leave the company.

    【Management characteristics】

    We have a strong relationship with our customers, with 20-30% of our employees being former customers.
    No advertising costs and almost no recruiting costs
    Product development as only a cosmetics manufacturer can provide An overwhelming lineup of products not available anywhere else, such as cosmetics for every five years of age, at reasonable prices, so there are few defections.
    We use a proprietary device (Skin Analyze System) to measure the skin age in five categories: texture, pores, blemishes, wrinkles, and clarity. The results before and after use are displayed in absolute numerical values to make the user feel the effects.
    The esthetic services are paid for in advance (for 6 or 12 sessions), so there is plenty of cash flow.
    There is always a sense of tension throughout the year due to the campaigns led by the headquarters. Everyone aims to be on the stage at the annual national convention.

    cntnts_skin-navi_w768_step_01
    nobu2
    IMG_5874

    Initial investment

    40,000,000 yen (joining fee - interior work) Interior work is done well to create a good atmosphere for women.

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    Franchise Case Study: Interview with President Hiroi of Sakura Partners

    We interviewed President Hiroi (Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Representative of Sakura Partners) who participated in the panel discussion of the Nikkei Franchise Show's "Megagy Seminar: Learning from the Past" held on March 6, 2019.

     

     

    Mr. Hiroi, the president of Sakura Partners, is a multi-franchisee who has franchisees in housing, real estate, and convenience stores.
    The company is based in Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture, which has a population of 68,000.
    Ito City is a hot spring tourist resort on the eastern side of the Izu Peninsula. Although it is a tourist area, the company is developing a business there for local women.




    The main topic of conversation at the franchise show was about esthetic treatment.
    The target of the esthetic salon is not tourists, but local women.




    They are hiring inexperienced local women in their 20's~30's to develop a beauty salon for local women.
    They had a pre-opening in early September 2018, and within a month of opening, they had collected over 50% of their initial investment of 40 million yen in sales.




    In eight days, nearly 100 people, mostly local friends and acquaintances who were asked to be training partners (models) for the employees before the opening, used the service, and 74% of them have placed orders to continue using the service.
    I'm not going to go into the details of the numbers, but they are hard to believe. The owner of the participating store also said that the results are more than double the initial plan.




    Achievements backed by a thorough training system to empower women
    The headquarters of this franchise is the Aya Group, which operates a franchise of esthetic salons called Miss Esthe.
    It is a corporate group with Bloom Classic, a cosmetics manufacturer, at its core.




    The company was founded in 1987.
    Until now, the company has sold products and know-how to existing esthetic salons under their own brand.




    Just by looking at the employee training manuals at the headquarters, I could clearly see how this company has learned and absorbed various philosophies and management studies.
    The influence of Kazuo Inamori's Seiwajyuku is particularly strong, and it can be seen that the company understands and incorporates each of these into their systems.
    The company's history of educating each employee in an easy-to-understand manner was incorporated into the employee training tools in the manuals and notebooks.




    The company was founded 28 years ago, when it started out as an independent company from a company in the same industry, with only six female employees.
    The manager of the headquarters has been training those six women for 28 years, and has continued to do so to this day.




    Why do we have to sell? What does it mean to sell?
    What is work? What is life?




    It is this history of the headquarters that lies at the root of the educational curriculum, which can be easily explained to women who are new to the business and can convince them from the bottom of their hearts.
    *** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) ***

     

    In Miss Esthe, the conditions for franchise agreement are
    In addition to "the president of the prospective franchisee must pass an interview with the headquarters".
    Not only must the president of the prospective franchisee pass an interview with the head office, but the head office must also hire a manager candidate who can pass the interview.
    In addition, when it comes to the start of training, the company has been working hard to ensure that the training program is successful.




    In addition, when it came to the start of the training program
    In addition, there is a rule that training can only begin after six employees have been hired.
    There is also a rule that training can start only after six employees have been hired.




    It is a condition for membership that the business owner must be able to hire good people.




    In addition, it is practically compulsory for the owner of the store to participate in the basic training for two weeks, which is the first of several levels of training.




    Since the business is aimed at women, it is difficult for male managers to get involved in the store once it is open.




    Therefore, at the beginning of the training, they attend a two-week basic training with the store manager to thoroughly learn about beauty theories, skin structure and biological mechanisms, and laws and regulations related to beauty.




    They also take practical training on cleansing, the first step in facial care.




    The question is whether or not the manager can leave his or her day job to attend the two weeks of basic training. This is a prerequisite for successful franchisees. Participation in the basic training should be considered mandatory for success.




    Is the manager's response and judgment to the various events that occur in the field really the right one? What are store managers struggling with? We believe that it is important for not only the headquarters but also the management of the member stores to have a correct understanding of what the store managers are struggling with.




    This is the same in any business, but the success or failure of a business depends on the teamwork and teamwork of the entire store staff, rather than the strength of individual personnel. It is important that the management of the franchise store be a part of that team. This is the essence.




    There are many franchises that have a strong business model, but the training of employees and team building is the responsibility of the franchisee, but in this case, team building is structured.


    The mechanism that sells and continues to sell lies in the "tools" and "products".

    The Power of the "Skin Analysis System," "Cosmetics for Every 5 Years," and the "Power Tree"

     

     

    To begin with, men don't know much about what goes into esthetic treatments, so I'll explain a little about the industry.
    Slimming (literally, services aimed at slimming down, using machines and hand massage)
    Hair removal (removal of unwanted hair, by machine)
    Facial (skin beautification, using hand massage and machines)
    Body (lymphatic improvement, recovery from fatigue, healing, hand massage)
    There are four categories.
    In the case of Miss Esthe, it is a facial and body business category.


    The body may be easy to understand, but the staff requires a lot of work. That's why we developed a tool called the "Power Tree". It is a stick made of Japanese cypress, and with a little effort, it feels really good.
    This tool won a prize for excellence at a beauty contest in France.

    Another unique feature of the company is its proprietary skin analysis system, which analyzes the age of the skin.

    When you put your face into the machine and take measurements, the system displays the age of your skin for each of the following five items: texture, pores, spots, wrinkles, and clarity, and also displays your overall skin age as XX years old.
    If there are any areas that appear to be worse than their actual age, we can suggest ways to improve them.

     

    Then, after the esthetic treatment has been carried out, it is measured again, and the system allows the user to feel the effects of the treatment not through the senses, but through the numerical display of "age.




    Furthermore, based on the concept of suggesting cosmetics that suit the skin, cosmetics are commercialized in "five-year increments.
    (↑ Results of skin analysis of me, Matsumoto. The texture and clarity are higher than my age, 37 years old overall.!!)

     

    Recently, I've been seeing TV commercials with claims such as "for people starting at age 30" or "for people starting at age 50.
    However, even at the same age, there are clearly individual differences in the condition of the skin.
    It is impossible to judge those individual differences by mere actual age in the first place. However, the need for age-appropriate cosmetics led to skin analysis plus cosmetics in increments of five years. This is something that only a cosmetics manufacturer can do.
     
    It's like a doctor diagnosing and prescribing medication based on x-rays and blood tests, and prescribing cosmetics based on skin analysis.
    It's like a doctor prescribing medicine after diagnosing your skin with X-rays and blood tests.
    It is a system that makes it easy for customers to feel the effects and improvements.




    Because we have this kind of machine and product system in our employee training system, it has led to the fact that 74% of the people who have tried our products actually decide to pay to continue using them, just like at President Hiroi's Ito store.

    The manager of one of Ito's member stores, which has been doing well, said

    The manager of one of our member stores in Ito, who has been doing well, said honestly, "Every day, I am impressed by the customers, and I am also impressed every day.
    The manager of one of the member stores in Ito, who has been doing very well, told me honestly how much fun it is to work here.




    Every day, I am delighted by my customers, receive payment, and spread the word to my friends.




    It is a system backed by reliable technology, products, and tools, but when I asked the manager about the key to success, he said the answer was not technology, products, or tools.
    The key to success, however, is not the technology, products, or tools, but the fact that the store manager understands that "we really care about our customers.
     

    Staff enthusiasm and passion

    Solid technology, products and tools.
    In a way, this may be the minimum quality of esthetic treatment.
    In addition to that, the manager told me that the service that "they really care about you" is a big differentiator.




    Teamwork is important," said the manager.
    Unlike a restaurant, the service is provided in a private room, so it tends to be "one-on-one service.
    In order to maintain a certain level of service quality, it is important for the entire store team to work together as a team, which goes beyond individual competence.
    What kind of organizational culture should be fostered in a workplace with only women? This is also an important area of know-how built by the headquarters.




    The know-how to skillfully link the goals of the individual, the team, the company, and most importantly, the customers, has led to the customers feeling that this is a person and a store that really cares about them. And the manager and each of the staff can feel that this leads to customer satisfaction every day.




    I can feel that the know-how to succeed in esthetics is condensed in every part of the company.

     

    FCB_0008_s

    As an esthetic company, ''Miss Esthe'' has two characteristics that other companies do not have.

    The first is that we manufacture our own cosmetics from start to finish.

    Rather than using cosmetics manufactured by other manufacturers on an OEM basis, we are a company that manufactures our products completely in-house, examining each and every ingredient in pursuit of the ideal cosmetics for our customers, and we are an esthetic company that uses those cosmetics.




    This is a big difference.

    Unlike other companies, they create and use cosmetics based on a lot of marketing and real experiments.




    Secondly, they know what real female beauty is, and they teach it through training.

    This company calls it a "philosophy.




    There is not a single woman in the world who does not want to be beautiful.

    I can assure you. There is no one in the world who doesn't want to be beautiful.




    To be thought of as beautiful by others and to be able to think of oneself as beautiful.

    That is what truly changes a woman from the inside out.




    The strength of women's awareness of beauty and their desire to be beautiful is the same all over the world.




    The 1,200 estheticians working at ''Miss Esthe'' are the embodiment of this and are evangelists.




    Our job is to help create women who can see their own beauty, beauty that is not just a box.

    My job is to help them create that.




    I don't just sell cosmetics to customers.

    It's not about selling cosmetics to customers, it's about creating a sense of purpose in their lives as women.

    It is a job that creates a woman's purpose in life and her confidence from the bottom of her heart.




    That is the job of an esthetician at ''Miss Esthe''.

    The importance of this and the meaning of this for the esthetician's own life are taught over and over again as a "philosophy.




    (In addition to our own cosmetics), we also use a skin analysis machine called the Skin Navigation System to accurately determine blemishes, wrinkles, pores, texture, and clarity, and provide the necessary care and treatment to our customers.




    This system allows us to provide our customers with precise and efficient treatments and care.




    Women are always searching hard for the skincare that really suits them.

    However, it is difficult to determine what their skin problems actually are, and it is hard to find them at home.




    Miss Esthe can accurately determine these skin problems and give you a professional, effective, and personal treatment.




    Is it possible for a woman to pursue beauty by using expensive cosmetics, brand-name cosmetics, or cosmetics that appear on TV commercials?

    There is no end to the number of esthetic companies in the world that just sell expensive cosmetics.




    If you just use these cosmetics, you will become beautiful. You will become beautiful.

    This is a common tactic of esthetic companies.




    This may change the external appearance of the box, but it will not change the inside of the woman.

    There is only one way to change a woman's life, and that is to make her truly beautiful.

    There is no spirit of influencing the life of the customer in a positive way.




    The job of teaching what true female beauty is, is also the job of estheticians in this company.




    I believe that a woman's true beauty lies inside her heart.

    How can we make them beautiful on the inside?




    A woman changes depending on the clothes she wears and how well she wears makeup.

    A woman who becomes beautiful through esthetics and makeup will change her life.




    Why do they change?

    What changes is the feeling, the inside and the confidence.




    Confidence changes a woman's life.

    Confidence changes people's lives.




    How can we influence a person's life through the esthetic treatment?

    What kind of customer service will enter into the inner heart of the person?




    A customer's confidence from her heart will be the key to her beauty as a woman.

    The esthetician's job is to master that beauty.




    The company's stores receive many reports from customers that their lives have been changed.

    I sincerely hope to become the company that receives the most gratitude from women in the world.




    It is said that people shine most beautifully when they have an impact on other people's lives.

    By making customers beautiful and pursuing their beauty and joy together

    As we pursue the beauty and joy of our customers while making them beautiful, we influence the lives of others and become more and more beautiful ourselves.

    This is the embodiment of the idea of Sami Tabe, the founder of the company, "It is important to keep doing the work that makes your soul happy.




    It is a rewarding job.




    When I think about the beauty of women, I always think about something.

    There are three major human desires: appetite, sleep, and beauty.

    What's the third?

    A woman's aesthetic needs, I suppose.

    (May 2019, Akira Tsuchiya)
    *** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) ***

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    Franchising is about learning to run a business.

    In the Showa era (1926-1989), the franchise business started to spread in Japan.

    Whether it was Duskin or Mos Burger, I recall that many franchises were led by the "aspirations" and "philosophy" of the respective headquarters and the "charisma of the headquarters manager".




    No, it may be more accurate to say that franchises without such leadership did not grow and were weeded out.

    That is why it was even said that "franchising is a place to learn management.




    It seems to me that the focus of attention has shifted from "management" to "business model" before we knew it.




    In a sense, what I encountered this time was an old-fashioned franchise, but in an age when the world is moving fast and the future is hard to see, I think it's more important to look back at the "essence" and think about the future.

    I think we should look back at the "essence.

    However, in this age of rapid changes and uncertainty, we should rather look back at the "essence" and be faithful to the "essence.

    However, in an age when the world is moving fast and the future is hard to see, we should rather look back at the "essence" and be true to the "essence.




    An esthetic franchise called "Miss Esthetic" caught my attention very much while going around the exhibition booths at the Nikkei Franchise Show held last January 2018.

    That was because I was curious about the industry and what the headquarters manager I met at the booth had to say, so I proceeded to do some research.




    'I'm thrilled to have found a franchise where I can learn management'

    I conducted an interview with a manager who opened his first store last fall, 2018.

    I was impressed to find a franchise where I can learn management," the franchise owner said sincerely in the interview.




    "There has never been a franchise that teaches you how to run a business.

    The president, who has already been a member of three franchises (real estate, housing, and convenience store), spoke strongly in comparison to the others.

    Is it profitable? How much is your net worth?

    When he first met with Ms. Este's president, Mr. Tabe, the question he was asked was, "How much is your net worth? That was the first question he asked me when we first met.

    It was the first question he asked her when they first met.

    It was not a question in the Osaka comic style, but rather a question to confirm what he was aiming for in his management after several years of running the company. It was a question of confirmation.

    The question, "What is your net worth?" was asked with the hope that the management of the headquarters would use it as an indicator for the member stores in order to run a sustainable business. This question was asked with the hope that it would be a good indicator for sustainable corporate management.




    How many managers can answer how much their company's net worth is immediately, even if they can answer how much sales and debts they have?




    However, in corporate management, instead of focusing on the yearly changes in sales and profits, the management of the headquarters aims to focus on the accumulated net worth, and tells the member stores to do the same.




    If the net worth is accumulated, the company will be able to cope with changes in the business environment and lead its employees to happiness. This is the view of management that the manager of the headquarters has reached after many years of hard work in this industry.
    *** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) ***

    Esthetic and Women's Business
    Esthetic industry strong even in rural areas

     

    The esthetic industry has been gaining attention in recent years.

    While the restaurant industry is struggling with declining profitability due to years of deflation with the same price per customer as 20 years ago, this industry is showing steady growth.

    It is interesting to note that the Isetan Mitsukoshi Group has acquired Societalk World, and other large companies from other industries are entering the industry.

    A business that responds to women's fundamental desire to be beautiful can be a viable business in both urban and rural areas.

    The person I interviewed this time is opening a beauty salon in Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture, which has a population of 68,000.

    Ito City is a hot spring tourist resort on the eastern side of the Izu Peninsula. She was a multi-franchisee who had franchised residential real estate and convenience stores there.

    The target of the esthetic salon is not tourists, but local women; the company hires inexperienced local women in their 20s~30s to provide esthetic services for local women.

    They had a pre-opening in early September 2018 and have been in operation for a total of 8 days, and are now in the preparation period for full-scale operation, but I was surprised to hear their business performance.

    In the first 20 days, about 75% of the initial investment of 20 million yen has been confirmed (collected as sales money).




    Nearly 100 people, mostly local friends and acquaintances who had been asked to serve as training partners (models) for the employees before the opening, used the facility in eight days, and 74% of them have placed orders to continue using it.

    I'm not going to go into the details of the numbers, but they are hard to believe. The owner of the participating store also said that the results were more than double the original plan.

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    地方都市。成長するビジネス、衰退するビジネス どちらを選ぶ?

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    コロナに強いビジネス

    アセンティアの土屋と松本が、コロナ禍のさなかでもしっかりした収益を上げるミスエステビジネスの魅力を解説しています。

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