I think they are a good place for new therapists to get their feet wet and if they are a competent therapist, it offers a way to make a living in the profession while building experience and skills for branching out to something else in the future. It can also serve as a part time supplement to others who only want to work part time and aren’t entrepreneurial in spirit but have more of an employee mentality. This can also be true for other day spas and resorts, but some cities don’t have much opportunity in those niches, so the franchise can fill that void. Although many franchises seem to push the false idea that they are a bargain rate place to get a massage, I have surveyed dozens of customers of such establishments and found a different motivator than cost. Many of these people make good money and could go anywhere they choose. The biggest reason they choose a franchise over an independent is the ability to get in on short notice as well as the hours available to book their appointment. Initially I thought they were watering down the price point, but after checking out how they operate, I see that except for customers who don’t believe in tipping the therapist, the potential cost of the massage is increased through the encouragement of gratuities for the therapists since they are paid a rather small percentage of the massage and thus rely on tips to make a halfway decent wage for their time and energy.