When Heather Elrod first found Uni K Wax, she wasn’t simply impressed — she was satisfied. After a profession main manufacturers like Amazing Lash Studio, the place she grew the corporate from 70 places to greater than 200, Elrod sought her subsequent huge problem. Her in depth franchising expertise, ardour for pure merchandise and talent to scale companies made her a really perfect match for Uni Okay Wax, a Florida-based waxing franchise identified for its proprietary elastic wax.
Elrod did not simply see potential — she noticed a chance she could not move up. Via her funding agency, Acutely aware Capital Development (CCG), she bought the corporate and now serves as its government chairwoman, specializing in the model’s strategic path. “What initially drew me to Uni Okay was its revolutionary strategy to waxing,” Elrod says. “It is the one all-natural wax available on the market, and its distinctive elastic properties make the method quicker, much less painful and extra hygienic.”
Uni Okay Wax
Based in 1993 by Noemi Grupenmager, Uni Okay Wax emerged from a private want. Grupenmager developed the model’s proprietary wax in Miami to handle her daughters’ skincare considerations. Not like conventional waxes utilized briefly strips, Uni Okay’s elastic wax stretches throughout giant areas of pores and skin and is utilized at physique temperature, lowering discomfort. Visitors additionally obtain a person wax pot, enhancing hygiene — a serious draw within the post-Covid period.
This mixture of innovation and market alternative sealed the deal for Elrod. “We noticed great potential in Uni Okay’s enterprise mannequin and its whitespace for progress, significantly in untapped markets,” Elrod says.
The following stage
Since buying Uni Okay, CCG has shifted its function to extra of an funding companion, offering sources and strategic steering fairly than direct oversight (Heather Harris, who just lately turned CEO, now leads day-to-day operations).
However Elrod’s influence continues to be felt — certainly one of her first strikes was implementing KPI dashboards and tailor-made efficiency stories to offer franchisees actionable insights into their companies. “Our objective was to offer franchisees the instruments to succeed, no matter their background,” Elrod says.
Elrod additionally launched guest-focused initiatives, together with the Okay-Membership membership program, which affords limitless waxing for the value of a single session every month, and Okay-Packs, discounted service bundles. These innovations improve recurring income for franchisees and make waxing providers extra accessible for purchasers.
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A franchisee’s perspective
Ed Miranda, a Uni Okay Wax franchisee, first encountered the model as a buyer. “I heard about this waxing place close to the place I reside in Miami. The expertise was seamless — from reserving on-line to checking in with an iPad,” Miranda says. “I cherished the product, the inexperienced, the odor of the place and, after all, the aesthetics. It appeared wholesome general. That is after I knew this was one thing particular.”
Miranda’s advertising and marketing experience helped him see Uni Okay Wax’s progress potential. “We purchased our first location in 2020, and inside a short while, we grew its income from $600,000 to almost $1 million yearly,” he explains. By investing in focused digital advertising and marketing and the model’s new membership program, Miranda has constructed a robust base of repeat prospects. “Over 63% of our prospects that come every month have come in the course of the previous 90 days,” he provides. “The membership mannequin has been a game-changer as a result of it brings consistency to what’s sometimes a seasonal and weather-dependent enterprise.”
A scalable, easy mannequin
With 34 studios in Florida and New York, Uni Okay Wax is now gearing up for nationwide progress, with plans to confide in 50 new places yearly. Growth efforts are concentrating on markets in Arizona, the Carolinas, New Jersey and Connecticut.
What makes Uni Okay so enticing to franchisees is its simplicity. The business model depends on low labor turnover, robust recurring income and brief service instances. Waxing appointments sometimes take 15 to twenty minutes, enabling excessive visitor volumes. The truth is, Uni Okay’s flagship studio serviced 200 prospects per day inside simply six months of opening.
“We’re seeing vital curiosity from franchisees in different techniques, significantly meals and beverage, seeking to diversify into a less complicated, extra scalable mannequin,” Elrod says.
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Constructing for the longer term
Elrod’s determination to put money into Uni Okay wasn’t nearly backing a enterprise — it was about supporting a model she believes in. As government chairwoman of CCG, she stays engaged within the model’s strategic progress from an investor’s perspective whereas entrusting operational management to Harris. “I wished to get my palms across the enterprise fairly intensely within the early days earlier than passing the reins,” Elrod says. “The group has been extremely supportive, and we’re targeted on making sensible choices that profit each visitors and franchisees.”
As Uni K Wax expands, its dedication to innovation, hygiene and buyer expertise stays the muse for fulfillment. “What excites me most is the chance to convey this unbelievable product and enterprise mannequin to extra markets, each domestically and internationally,” Elrod says. “Uni Okay has all of the elements for long-term success, and I am thrilled to be a part of its journey.”