Start a SmartStyle Franchise in 2025

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $181K - $310K

Units as of 2022: 1,610 21% over 3 years

With franchises in nearly all of the states in the U.S., SmartStyle hair salon offers full-service hair care salons with locations in Walmart stores.

SmartStyle is owned by Regis Corporation, which was founded in 1922 by Paul and Florence Kunin. The couple opened the Kunin Beauty Salon, which expanded into a chain of salons located in department stores.

SmartStyle was founded in 1996 and began offering franchises in 2016. The Regis Corporation continues to expand SmartStyle in Walmart locations across the United States. There are over 1,000 SmartStyle franchises located throughout the U.S., to go along with over 50 in Canada. There are also hundreds of corporate-owned SmartStyle locations.

Why You May Want to Start a SmartStyle Franchise

Each SmartStyle salon offers various hairstyling services, including haircuts, styling, coloring, conditioning, perms, waxing, and relaxing services for both men and women. All SmartStyle franchise locations are staffed with trained, professional hairstylists, with salon services offered at competitive prices.

SmartStyle franchise salons are located in Walmart stores, which means the stores may be highly trafficked and well-known to others. A SmartStyle salon may be relevant in any community and economic climate because there is typically a need for professional hair care and styling. Professional hair care is an industry that resists technological obsolescence and outsourcing because hair treatments can only be done in-person.

What Might Make a SmartStyle Franchise a Good Choice?

SmartStyle has been ranked in BIZ Experiences's Franchise 500 several times in the past few years. This ranking is based on an evaluation of more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability.

To be part of the SmartStyle franchise team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising fees and royalty fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

Opening a SmartStyle franchise may offer a more predictable outcome than investing in a completely new brand that may struggle to thrive in an already crowded and competitive industry.

How To Open a SmartStyle Franchise

As you decide if opening a SmartStyle franchise is the right move for you, make sure you take time to explore the opportunity. Research the brand and your local area to see if a SmartStyle franchise would do well in your community. While competition is healthy, too much of it may not allow for the most possible growth.

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you must perform your due diligence and establish if this is the right opportunity for you. As part of your due diligence, you may want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the SmartStyle franchising team questions.

Once awarded a franchise, franchisees are given multiple hours of classroom training. The company also assists with marketing, site selection, and field operations.

It may be a good idea to speak with an attorney or financial advisor to ensure that you have the necessary financial resources to own and operate a SmartStyle franchise.

Company Overview

About SmartStyle

Industry	Personal-Care Businesses
Related Categories	Hair Care, Salon & Spa Services
Founded	1996
Parent Company	Regis
Leadership	Matt Doctor, CEO
Corporate Address	3701 Wayzata Blvd., #500 Minneapolis, MN 55416
Social	Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2016 (9 years)
# of employees at HQ	250
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises in the following international regions: Canada
# of Units	1,610 (as of 2022)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a SmartStyle franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$39,500
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$180,966 - $309,558
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$1,000,000 - $1,200,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$150,000 - $250,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	$2,500 rebate on first-store franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	5%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	Term of master lease
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	SmartStyle has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

Classroom Training	24 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations
Marketing Support	Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	No