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 areas to greater than 200, Elrod sought her subsequent large problem. Her intensive franchising expertise, ardour for pure merchandise and skill to scale companies made her a perfect match for Uni Ok Wax, a Florida-based waxing franchise recognized 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 govt chairwoman, specializing in the model’s strategic route. “What initially drew me to Uni Ok was its progressive strategy to waxing,” Elrod says. “It is the one all-natural wax in the marketplace, and its distinctive elastic properties make the method sooner, much less painful and extra hygienic.”
Uni Ok Wax
Based in 1993 by Noemi Grupenmager, Uni Ok Wax emerged from a private want. Grupenmager developed the model’s proprietary wax in Miami to handle her daughters’ skincare issues. Not like conventional waxes utilized in brief strips, Uni Ok’s elastic wax stretches throughout massive areas of pores and skin and is utilized at physique temperature, decreasing discomfort. Company 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 Ok’s enterprise mannequin and its whitespace for development, notably in untapped markets,” Elrod says.
The following degree
Since buying Uni Ok, CCG has shifted its function to extra of an funding companion, offering assets and strategic steering slightly than direct oversight (Heather Harris, who just lately turned CEO, now leads day-to-day operations).
However Elrod’s impression remains to be felt — considered one of her first strikes was implementing KPI dashboards and tailor-made efficiency reviews to offer franchisees actionable insights into their companies. “Our purpose was to offer franchisees the instruments to succeed, no matter their background,” Elrod says.
Elrod additionally launched guest-focused initiatives, together with the Ok-Membership membership program, which presents limitless waxing for the value of a single session every month, and Ok-Packs, discounted service bundles. These innovations improve recurring income for franchisees and make waxing companies extra accessible for purchasers.
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A franchisee’s perspective
Ed Miranda, a Uni Ok Wax franchisee, first encountered the model as a buyer. “I heard about this waxing place close to the place I dwell 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 scent of the place and, after all, the aesthetics. It appeared wholesome general. That is once I knew this was one thing particular.”
Miranda’s advertising and marketing experience helped him see Uni Ok Wax’s development potential. “We purchased our first location in 2020, and inside a short while, we grew its income from $600,000 to just about $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 clients. “Over 63% of our clients that come every month have come through 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 Ok Wax is now gearing up for nationwide development, with plans to confide in 50 new areas yearly. Enlargement efforts are focusing on markets in Arizona, the Carolinas, New Jersey and Connecticut.
What makes Uni Ok so engaging to franchisees is its simplicity. The business model depends on low labor turnover, sturdy recurring income and brief service occasions. Waxing appointments sometimes take 15 to twenty minutes, enabling excessive visitor volumes. The truth is, Uni Ok’s flagship studio serviced 200 clients per day inside simply six months of opening.
“We’re seeing important curiosity from franchisees in different programs, notably 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 Ok wasn’t nearly backing a enterprise — it was about supporting a model she believes in. As govt chairwoman of CCG, she stays engaged within the model’s strategic development from an investor’s perspective whereas entrusting operational management to Harris. “I needed to get my arms across the enterprise fairly intensely within the early days earlier than passing the reins,” Elrod says. “The staff has been extremely supportive, and we’re centered on making sensible selections that profit each friends 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 Ok has all of the substances for long-term success, and I am thrilled to be a part of its journey.”
