Franchise Anonymous #0002: Tanning beds, men’s hormone clinics

Happy Sunday, folks. 

As a franchise consultant, I hear pitches from hundreds of different franchise concepts every year. 

I’m taking the most interesting ones, and telling you: 

• What sets them apart

• One potential weakness

• Who the ideal buyer is

My promise: you’ll learn something about franchising every time. 

Today’s mystery franchises: a proprietary tanning studio, and a men’s hormone clinic.

The business: Glow-on-demand studio

Most tanning businesses have a 2000s vibe: cheap booths, sticky spray guns, and a vague coconut smell. This one aims higher: a sleek, AI-enabled beauty studio with a cult-like following and a serious margin story.

What they do differently

• Proprietary formula, patented equipment. The average tanning studio uses off-the-shelf spray systems and generic solutions. These folks own both the gear and the glow juice, which gives them tighter control over quality—and a way to keep clients coming back for their exact look.
  

• No licensed labor. Most beauty services require licensed estheticians or cosmetologists, which can be a bottleneck for hiring. Here, that’s not the case. The process is designed so you can train staff quickly and focus on customer service, not credential wrangling.
  

• Receptionless model. They’ve baked AI into the scheduling and check-in flow, so you don’t need a front desk person just to say hi. Cuts labor costs and fits the high-end-but-minimalist vibe.
  

• 🚩Potential weakness: Niche service = education required. If your market doesn’t already understand sunless “skincare” versus spray tans, you may need to do more explaining. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all tan. It’s a premium service at premium pricing, and it won’t sell itself out of the gate.

The takeaway:

If you’ve got a sales or marketing background and a soft spot for the beauty space, this could be a good fit. You don’t need to be a licensed esthetician—but you do need to be good at building a brand locally. The real play here is riding a growing health-forward beauty trend, and planting your flag before someone else does.

Interested? Let's talk glow-on-demand studio.

The business: Men's hormone clinic

The average men’s health clinic feels like a mini hospital—cold, slow, and generally not built for guys who hate going to the doctor. This brand flips that. Think ESPN on the TV, snacks on the counter, and testosterone results in 15 minutes.

What they do differently

• It’s a man-cave with lab results. Traditional clinics are sterile and slow. These feel more like a lounge—big chairs, sports on TV, snacks—and they run your lab work in-house. No third-party labs, no waiting a week for results.
  

• Recurring revenue with real loyalty. Men's hormone therapy isn’t a one-and-done service. Once you’ve got a guy feeling like he’s 35 again, he tends to stick around. Add in a membership model and you’ve got predictability most clinics only dream about.
  

• No MD required. You don’t need to be a doctor—or even have medical experience—to open one. The model lets you hire a small medical team (think NP + assistant) and run the business from the front.
  

• 🚩Potential weakness: Regulatory complexity. Healthcare always comes with strings attached. Even though you’re not practicing medicine, you’ll need to navigate state-specific rules and work closely with your contracted medical director. It's all doable—but not totally hands-off.

The takeaway:

This is for the operator who’s into health, likes the idea of semi-absentee ownership, and doesn’t mind hiring licensed talent. You don’t need to know a thing about testosterone—but you do need to understand customer service and team-building. Big opportunity in an underserved, fast-growing niche.

Interested? Let’s talk testosterone clinics.

Give me your feedback!

How do you like this “Franchise Anonymous” format? Do you like seeing multiple businesses, or prefer a deeper dive on one (like last week’s bathroom remodeling breakdown)?

Got questions? Hit reply anytime, or book a call and let’s talk.

Thanks,

Connor

Ready for the next step? Here are 3 ways I can help you: