Profile

Shining Spa Vicky Eldridge chats to EF MEDISPA founder and managing director Esther Fieldgrass about her award-winning business model and plans to franchise Esther Fieldgrass is the epitome of a successful businesswoman. Her chain of London-based medi-spas has won numerous industry awards and her straight-talking approach to building and running a successful aesthetic business have made her a respected figure in the industry. Fieldgrass’s business career started at the age of 20, when she opened her first hairdressing salon and within a few years she had developed an award winning hair and beauty group. Within a few years she had expanded her business interests into retailing designer fashion. In the early 1980s, she moved to Hong Kong, where she created an independent fashion label exporting to Europe and the USA. She helped to nurture aspiring Asian fashion designers and was the first European woman to open a factory in mainland China, where she employed over 100 staff who manufactured designer fashion and corporate uniforms. In Hong Kong, she was introduced to Eastern alternative medicine and studied a variety of healing modalities, including crystal healing, Reiki and advanced sound wave energy. She qualified as a Reiki Master and is a Certified Intuitive Healer and a Certified Spiritual Healer. Fieldgrass returned to Europe in the mid 1990s, by which time her reputation as a healer had become recognised in the national press, featuring in Vogue’s top 100 healers. She developed a specialist agency introducing some of America’s best-known healers and complementary therapists to a European audience through arranging seminars, workshops, and lectures. After extensive market research into medical advances in anti-ageing medicine in the USA, Germany and Israel, she developed a group of aesthetic studios using state-of-the-art equipment for skin rejuvenation. In 2007, Fieldgrass launched Britain’s first truly comprehensive medical spa - EF MEDISPA - offering a one-stop shop for complementary, aesthetic, surgical and dental treatments. EF MEDISPA is now a multi-million pound brand, which is recognised as a leader for anti-ageing therapies and preventative health as well as in the provision of walk-in walk-out cosmetic procedures for liposuction, breast enhancement and vaginal reconstruction. EF MEDISPA’s Central London clinics in Kensington, Chelsea and St John’s Wood regularly feature on lifestyle, health and medical television programmes (BBC, GMTV, Channel Four, Channel 5 and Wedding TV, as as European TV channels). EF MEDISPA clinics are frequented by celebrities, socialites and international royalty seeking state-of-the-art age management and rejuvenation treatments. Fieldgrass’s opinions on health and wellbeing are continually featured in press, radio and TV. She has been a contributing editor for Red magazine and her media appearances have covered subjects as diverse as angels, firewalking, healing, women’s health issues, skincare and cosmetic surgery.

BRANCHING OUT

One reason Fieldgrass is such a formidable businesswoman is that she is always diversifying and looking for new ways to evolve her concept. As such , she has a number of exciting new projects in the pipeline in 2014, including opening her first day med-spa in Cobham, Surrey and rolling out a new two-tier franchise model. The first of her franchise models will be called EF Skin Solutions, designed for therapists who want to branch out on their own. She explains, “We have developed our EF Skin Solutions franchise model, specifically for therapists keen to be their own boss, but needing help and guidance on business management and marketing. EF Skin Solutions focuses primarily on rejuvenating facials, skin conditioning, firming, brightening and tightening. The cost of an EF Skin Solutions franchise, including stock, equipment and initial marketing budget is £60,000 but we have an arrangement with our bank that would (subject to status) reduce the up-front cost to £20-£30,000. I believe that this is a really attractive entry-level investment for a therapist who is looking to set up their own business.” Esther will also be offering franchising for a full EF MEDISPA clinic, which she says is “directed more to an investor or existing clinic owner”. This will cost between £300,000-£500,000, including fit out and equipment. Again, bank financing would be available to reduce the upfront cost. “Existing clinic owners who are interested in our management, marketing and training support, as well as our proprietary signature treatments, would be ideal candidates for an EF MEDISPA franchise”, Fieldgrass explains. “We want our franchisees to be working owners, so they will need to be properly qualified. For EF Skin Solutions this means a basic beauty therapy qualification. We then provide all the training on the skincare products and equipment. For a full EF MEDISPA franchise, which will also offer a range of medical treatments including injectibles and our exclusive Drip & Chill IV infusions, the franchisee will be a doctor or a nurse prescriber.” The first EF Skin Solutions will be opening in Knightsbridge next month. In the next 12 months, Fieldgrass aims to open eight to 10 clinics, all within the M25. “Next year will see our nationwide launch and we will be aiming to open 10 EF Skin Solutions per annum”, she says. EF will also be opening its first day spa in Cobham. Esther explains, “We have created a unique retail concept for our site in Cobham. I am really excited about it, though exactly what we will be able to offer will be up to the planning authority. “We spent two years looking at the retail offers in Surrey, and realised that many women were travelling to London because they couldn’t get the style and service locally. So we are creating a ‘half-day’ spa, as a social hub, where clients can meet their friends, have a variety of treatments and indulge in some retail therapy. The concept includes an EF MEDISPA with its range of aesthetic and medical treatments, a retail skin bar with skin diagnostics and a wide variety of skincare brands, a top Knightsbridge hairdresser, mani-pedis and relaxing beauty treatments. My own Petits Bisous lingerie boutique will be represented, together with some designer boutiques, and refreshments will be provided by an up-market deli-cafe, all set within a beautiful village courtyard setting. There is nothing like it outside of London, and I believe it is exactly what our Surrey based clients are looking for.” With her aesthetic empire growing, 2014 looks set to be a busy year for Esther and the EF MEDISPA brand.