Bring together two passionate women with diverse backgrounds, at different life stages; add in Laser Clinics Australia’s impressive business model and the result is a brilliant combo that delivers success.

Nikki Harrigan and Emily Barba (pictured centre left and centre right above) met as colleagues at Laser Clinics Australia (LCA) in Elizabeth, South Australia, about nine years ago.

After working in procurement for a multinational company Nikki shifted careers, fulfilling her dream of nursing, first in hospitals, then in the field of injectables. And it was the growing field of aesthetics that took her to work at LCA.

In contrast, Emily started her career at McDonald’s, working her way up from a 14-year-old crew member to shift supervisor at 19. Then one night, after a double shift, she decided to quit.

“I had done Certificate III in beauty therapy at TAFE and saw that Laser Clinics was hiring at Elizabeth. I lacked beauty therapy experience but within six months I was 2iC; in 12 months I was clinic manager.”

Taking the leap of faith

Emily and Nikki hit it off immediately. Nikki remembers saying “If I ever buy a clinic, I’d buy it with you”.

“Emily is a great leader and incredibly mature so with her operations experience, and my knowledge of business building it just made sense,” she says.

After four years honing their expertise at the company-owned clinic, the pair could see great potential for the business in the booming aesthetics industry. They both loved the LCA premium brand and its vision for global skincare leadership led by local experience, backed by robust systems and cutting edge technology.

So they expressed their interest in buying the clinic if it came up for sale. It was a serendipitous move; within the year the pair were proud owners of the Elizabeth clinic in a 50/50 franchise partnership with LCA.

“We opened on 1 March 2020 and promptly closed on 24 March – we were shut for nine weeks. The global pandemic was not in our plan!” says Emily.

Through constant communications with their team, and the support of Laser Clinics Australia, the duo came through the period confident for the future of their franchisee business.

Different skills, same goals

Nikki explains how they work together.

“We split the workload 50/50. I like numbers and reports, to see where we’re going. We meet regularly to talk about budgets and goals.”

Trust is important

As Emily highlights, they each have their strengths. “I’m good at staffing, rosters, and motivating the team. This allows both sides of the business to be successful. We trust each other,” she says. “And clients trust our judgement.”

Training staff

“We invest in training so our team members are well-skilled. Our team excels in customer service and that underlies everything: new clients, retaining clients, maintaining profits.

“Our clientele is our number one priority every time. Our clients have a great experience; they feel welcome, safe and comfortable here. LCA offers accessible treatments backed by medical experts, so our clients can feel confident inside and out,” says Nikki.

Franchisee duo business build with Laser Clinics Australia

The pair were already highly-skilled at the operational side of the business; as new business owners they were keen to learn more about business building.

And with LCA backing them, they’ve gained experience and expertise.

“Laser Clinics has been really supportive and we have access to resources for HR, and our Medical Advisory Committee,” says Nikki.

The shared goal is to build up the business and increase the profits. They are also working to achieve their own ideal work life balance.

“I was 24 when we went into business,” explains Emily, “and I’m now family-oriented.”

Nikki describes herself as “closer to retirement” but also seeking a better balanced lifestyle.

“For us it’s about understanding the different stages we are at, but with Laser Clinics we can accommodate, and achieve, our lifestyle ambitions,” she says.

“Looking at the next five years we want to improve our profitability and find the right balance so we can step back a bit. My aim is to retire at 60,” says Nikki.

Five year plan

The goal is to ensure the clinic can continue to operate successfully without either Nikki or Emily on the premises.

Right now the pair are in business-building mode, with Nikki focused on training new team members in cosmetic aesthetics.

“We still do a minimum five days in the clinic, because that’s important for the team. It’s not about the money, it’s about being there for them, building their confidence,” says Nikki.

“What makes us so effective is the communications between us, we are very open and honest. That’s a major factor in our success,” Emily says.

“We’ve gone through a lot of learning challenges that have made us stronger. And of course, we’re still learning.”

Customer service is king

Nikki comes back to the focus on customer service as a fundamental pillar of success.

“If everyone is making the effort to deliver excellent customer service, which makes us profitable,” she says. “The economy isn’t an issue.”

The Elizabeth clinic is set to grow yet further and the franchisee duo admit another Laser Clinics Australia site is not just on the wish list but in the plan.

“Nothing stops us now,” says Nikki.