Paola Girotti, the founder and CEO of Sugarmoon Salon, details this sweet, successful self-care brand.
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Sugaring is making waves in the beauty and self-care markets as of late. The sweet alternative to waxing is springing up in salons everywhere, as consumers look for an alternative when maintaining their skin’s natural beauty.
That’s why Sugarmoon Salon, the Toronto-based beauty salon named after this effective method of hair removal, has seen tremendous success across its multiple locations, and is now looking for international partners to help worldwide clients “be beautiful and feel good about it”.
THE METHOD BEHIND THE SUCCESS
But what is sugaring? As Paola Girotti, founder and CEO of Sugarmoon Salon, explains: “Sugaring is all-natural. It’s made of sugar, lemon, and water – that’s it. It’s a lot more gentle on the skin as opposed to traditional waxes, which contain resins and you often get a lot of scarring and bruising. Sugar doesn’t adhere to the skin like wax, and it’s actually a very old method of removing hair.”
Girotti’s history with sugaring goes well beyond business. She first came across the concept in 1985, when growing up in St. Catharines, Canada. As the parent of a teen struggling with confidence, Paola’s mom was eager to find a hair removal solution that worked with her daughter’s sensitive skin.
After a trip to a sugarist, Girotti fell in love with the concept. It provided an innovative way to deal with the previous stigma and pressure of body and facial hair removal. This was an undoubtedly personal topic that needed to be handled with intimacy and care, and with Sugarmoon Salon, Girotti wanted to provide exactly that to the countless other individuals who are looking for something that works for and is catered to them and their needs.
“We’re looking for somebody who’s really passionate about the beauty industry, first and foremost”
WAXING LYRICAL
As well as being an all-natural, holistically positive business, Girotti is confident that Sugarmoon Salon can thrive in all markets and all economic climates.
“It’s a great brand! Sugaring is very unique within the beauty industry itself,” she says. “There are articles from the Great Depression about how there was still a line at the beauty salon, so the industry is very resilient to tough times, and we’re a service-based business where you can’t replace our people with technology.”
As well as sugaring, Sugarmoon Salon offers a variety of services that not only allow customers to fulfill all of their self-care needs, but franchisees can also benefit from multiple avenues for revenue.
Facials, eyebrow designs, eyebrow and eyelash tinting, eyelash perming, and spray tanning are all part of the Sugarmoon portfolio, and these are carried out by experienced professionals with a real appreciation for self-care.
INCLUSIVITY IS A MUST
Sugarmoon Salon’s selection of services is almost as vast as the kinds of people that visit the brand’s locations every day, looking to maintain their hair removal routine and feel great. This diversity is integral to the franchise’s offering, and is something that Girotti prioritizes when looking for new business partners.
“[We want] somebody who’s committed to treating all guests,” she says. “Somebody who’s very open-minded and inclusive as a person in general. Somebody who wants to work with a great company and be successful. In 18 years, I think we’ve found a great model for success, and we’re very passionate about both people and profits. We look after our staff as well as our clients.”
Inclusivity is just one part of the ideal Sugarmoon franchisee make-up, however. The perfect partner needs to be personally invested and green-minded, too. As Girotti explains: “We’re looking for somebody who’s really passionate about the beauty industry, first and foremost. Also somebody concerned about the environment; I think Sugarmoon does a great job being a GreenCircle salon. We’re certified here in Canada, which would happen internationally also, as GreenCircle is a global organization.”
GreenCircle Certified is a third-party certification organization that analyzes a brand’s environmental-friendliness and provides it with a badge of honor if it passes rigorous examination. Sugarmoon Salon’s certification is a testament to its adherence to green alternatives to standard beauty methods, and is a big part of why Girotti believes the salon stands out in the international hair removal market.
“Whether you’re in Toronto or Dubai, or the U.K. or U.S., women and men are going to come in to feel good”
FLEXIBLE OWNERSHIP
You don’t need to be an expert in hair removal to invest in a Sugarmoon Salon franchise, and you also don’t even need to manage the operation first-hand to take advantage of this exponentially growing model.
“I don’t think that [franchisees] need to be operators,” explains Girotti, who no longer directly manages the three corporate-owned Sugarmoon locations in Toronto, and instead relies on her strong team of franchise professionals, who have been with the business for more than a decade.
Ultimately, as long as you’ve got a passion for helping people feel and look good, then Sugarmoon Salon is the opportunity for you. The brand’s multiple streams of revenue and lengthy experience in the industry are great perks, but its holistic impact in people’s lives remains unmatched. “Whether you’re in Toronto or Dubai, or the U.K. or U.S., women and men are going to come in to feel good. That’s what we do best.”
AT A GLANCE
Established: 2002
Number of locations: 3
Locations of units: Canada
Franchise fee: $30,000
Investment range: $114,000 – $252,000
Contact: franchise@sugarmoonsalon.com
