More than a decade of association with Lakme has made Meera.V a confident entrepreneur, as she runs four franchise salons in Bengaluru. In a chat with Beny Sachdeva, she speaks about her successful journey with Lakme Beauty Salon as a franchisee.
More than a decade of association with Lakme has made Meera.V a confident entrepreneur, as she runs four franchise salons in Bengaluru. In a chat with Beny Sachdeva, she speaks about her successful journey with Lakme Beauty Salon as a franchisee.
Discuss in brief your entrepreneurial journey?
I worked for a few years as a computer trainer but was not satisfied with my job, as I always wanted to become a successful entrepreneur. About 11 years back, I saw an advertisement in a news daily calling for interested entrepreneurs to open Lakme's franchise salons. Being a woman I was very curious to know all that is related to beauty. I met the person concerned at Richmond Salon in Bengaluru. After a brief meeting, I was very much interested and wanted to be a part of Lakme.
What inspired you to take the franchise of Lakme Salon?
As the name Lakme Beauty Salon is synonymous with beauty, I was keen to associate with it.
Would you like to share with us your journey with Lakme so far?
The journey so far has been incredible. I must say it has helped me understand myself, my potential as a woman, better.
How has been the growth so far?
The growth has been not only in business but also in terms of engaging myself in creating innovative ideas with my salon family so as to grow together.
The most important element to be a successful franchisee
To be a successful franchisee you need to be associated with a great brand name and have an excellent team. Also, you must have a plan and execute the same at the right time, following up the progress continually. Besides, giving a regular feedback to our principals and getting inputs from them are very crucial for the business.
What, according to you, is the importance of training and support in a franchise model?
Training and support is very crucial and this assumes significance the moment an operator is recruited. An initiation training programme is held before the operator can start delivering services to customers. This is an ongoing process throughout the year.
The best thing about your franchise brand and the franchisor...
A few things about Lakme as a brand: here is a name that symbolises all aspects of a woman in terms of beauty, fashion and trends. The brand recall is high with its products, salon services and fashion weeks.
As a franchisee you look forward to working with a franchisor who understands and appreciates the fact that you have reposed your faith in them and invested, not merely the financial part but a large part of yourself as well, in the franchise. This aspect has to be acknowledged by all stakeholders in the business for a great relationship. For us, it has been a very satisfying relationship with Lakme.
Do you plan to open more outlets of the same brand or any other brand?
Sure, we do. Let's see what the future holds for us.
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