Massage Franchise News

Elements Therapeutic Massage Awards 3-Studio Agreement to Enter North Carolina

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. – (Dec. 21, 2010) – Elements Therapeutic Massage, one of the fastest-growing franchises in America, today announced it has awarded franchise agreements to open three studios in North Carolina, marking its entry into the state and a growing trend toward multi-unit franchise licenses awarded by the chain.

Mark Little, of Matthews, N.C., will be shepherding the brand into North Carolina. A local resident for 10 years, Little expects to open his first Elements Therapeutic Massage studio in Charlotte next April, with plans to open a total of three locations over two and a half years.

Ranked one of the fastest-growing franchises in 2010 by Franchise Times magazine, Elements has generated strong growth even in a down economy with average studio revenues growing +27% in 2009 compared to the prior year, and has been recognized for making therapeutic massage more accessible and affordable to a growing customer base. And Charlotte residents will be the next to experience the benefits to their health and wellness of Elements’ delivery of deep tissue massage, Swedish massage, hot stone massage, sports massage and more.

A September study by the National Institutes of Health found that even a single massage has positive biological effects, including lowering levels of stress hormones, boosting the immune system and increasing a hormone associated with contentment. That spells smart business to Little, a new franchise owner who brings some impressive credentials to Elements as he transitions out of corporate America to be his own boss.

Little has more than 25 years of leadership and management experience in operations, engineering, and business research while working at Tessera North America, Digital Optics Corporation, the Corporate Executive Board, Alcatel and as an officer in the U.S. Navy Submarine Force. He holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, a Masters in Engineering Management from Northwestern University, and a BS from the US Naval Academy where he majored in Operations Analysis. In his most recent role as the Vice President of Operations for Tessera, Little has been a member of the leadership team with a staff of 60 and responsibility for manufacturing, project management, supply chain management, facilities maintenance and more.

Like so many other professionals, the time Little spends on professional responsibilities competes with that relating to his family and community, and he is fully acquainted with the stresses and tensions in life that are facing adults today. As a husband and father with two young children and serving in a key leadership role in his church, Little has faced the common dilemma of making continuous priority calls among a challenging job with increasingly unyielding time demands, time with his family and making time for others.

After several months of intense research and investigation, Little concluded that investing in a franchise opportunity presented him the chance to grow a business with a proven model that could offer attractive financial returns while providing him the ability to prioritize his schedule for the future he desires. He also wanted to run a business that would provide an important service to the community.

“I was really interested in doing something with my life that was going to give me more scheduling flexibility. I expect to work hard but also wanted to have the ability to set my own schedule,” Little said. “Circumstances outside our control resulted in us starting our family later than many. It’s important to me to not only provide for my family, but to be a partner with my wife as we raise our children and to have the time to be a model for them by showing there is more to life than work, such as serving in our church and in the community.”

Little believes the answer to achieving these goals has presented itself at Elements Therapeutic Massage, which will in the process allow him to help others live more stress-free lives. Little is excited by the opportunity he has found to develop multiple studio locations while providing a valuable service that’s growing in demand.

With an admittedly technically-focused background, Little readily acknowledges that he is about to enter a business – therapeutic massage – that is anything but. But low-tech doesn’t mean unsophisticated. The operating system at Elements Therapeutic Massage has been refined across 75 studios in 22 states with North Carolina next on the roster. For an experienced business professional who can crunch numbers, therapeutic massage and its rising profile in the exploding $9 billion health and wellness industry couldn’t be more attractive. What sets Elements apart according to Little, is the focused role Elements is taking in the marketplace. The franchise specializes in one thing and one thing only – therapeutic massage. It has made the brand a leader in the space, and Elements studios have seen a rise in clients and memberships, even during the current economic downturn, as more Americans turn to therapeutic massage therapy to address stress, tension and pain relief.

“The health benefits of regular therapeutic massage are becoming better understood all the time. I really like the idea of owning a business that helps people feel better,” Little says. “That really resonates with me.”

And soon it will be resonating with massage therapy customers in Charlotte as well.


About Elements Therapeutic Massage, inc.:
Elements Therapeutic Massage, http://corp.touchofelements.com, is headquartered in Highlands Ranch, Colo., and owned by Fitness Together Holdings, Inc. The parent company oversees Fitness Together Franchise Corporation, a one-on-one personal training fitness franchise that began franchising in 1996, and Elements Therapeutic Massage, a massage therapy franchise that began franchising in 2006. Today, the combined franchise network has sold hundreds of franchises across the United States, Costa Rica, Israel, Ireland, and Canada.

Franchise Information:
Elements Therapeutic Massage is actively selling franchises. If you are interested in changing your life and the lives of others, please visit http://corp.touchofelements.com/franchise/ or call 877.663.0880 ext. 10 for more information about massage franchise opportunities.

Notes:
*Based on studios open for at least 1 year as of January 1, 2009.

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