IMAGE Studios franchise unit economics
IMAGE Studios franchisees build private salon studios and let them weekly to independent hair, nail, lash, brow, massage and aesthetics professionals, collecting rent.
IMAGE Studios in the news
- Gorgeous Collective Acquires Clean Your Dirty Face · BeautyMatter ·
The IMAGE Studios headline above is the publisher's own and links to the publisher. Averan Advisors checked this IMAGE Studios link on 11 October 2026. Franchise news lists news on 95 brands, including IMAGE Studios. IMAGE Studios is in the Salon Suites franchise guide.
IMAGE Studios franchise at a glance
IMAGE Studios’ Item 19 reports 2025 revenue, operating expenses and estimated earnings for 82 salons, in four tables by occupancy.
IMAGE Studios franchisees averaged $445,097 of sales in 2025, according to Item 19 of IMAGE Studios’ 2026 FDD, issued 26 January 2026. The 82 in that group are 65%* of IMAGE Studios’ 127 locations. Fees paid to IMAGE Studios come to about 8.32%* of sales. An IMAGE Studios franchise costs $773,392 to $1,734,462 to open.
- An IMAGE Studios franchise costs $773,392 to $1,734,462 to open, including a $64,500 initial franchise fee, according to the brand's 2026 FDD.
- IMAGE Studios charges a royalty of 6% of sales and a 2% brand fund contribution.
- IMAGE Studios’ 82 reporting salons kept 32.78% of revenue after key operating expenses and an imputed royalty and brand fund, on Averan’s weighting of the FDD’s four occupancy tables. IMAGE Studios’ FDD names this estimated earnings after key expenses, and the key expenses it lists are not every expense.
- Work out IMAGE Studios's fees at your own sales with the minimum fee calculator.
These figures come from IMAGE Studios's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, as the brand reported them, and were read by Averan Advisors.
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Talk to Averan → Move your books and accounting to Averan →- 96.5% of the revenue gap between the fullest and emptiest salons lands on earnings. Revenue falls $203,502 and earnings fall $196,302 *, because key operating expenses at the emptiest group run $8,063 higher than at the fullest.
- Rent is 35.82% of revenue at 90% occupancy and 58.93% below 70%. The 80 to 89% group pays $210,271 of rent against the fullest group’s $190,364 while billing $69,520 less *, a bigger box filled less well.
- Below 70% occupancy the marketing minimum is five times higher. $2,000 a month against $400 above that line, which is $24,000 a year against $4,800 *, and the sub-70% group’s filed advertising line is $24,344.
- Revenue peaks in year three at $411,265 and then holds. That is $291,079, $397,177 and $411,265 across the first three years, then $385,178, $387,864 and $397,446 *. The plateau arrives early and stays.
- Month twelve bills 5.71 times month one. That is $34,975 against $6,129, with month six already at $27,848, or 79.6% of month twelve *.
How much does an IMAGE Studios franchise make?
The average IMAGE Studios unit reported $445,097 of revenue in the 2026 FDD. The brand’s disclosure document puts estimated earnings after key expenses at 32.8% of revenue on Averan’s weighting of its four occupancy tables. Fees come off the top first, at about 8.3% of sales across royalty, brand fund and the rest of the stack. Revenue is not income. Rent, wages, cost of goods and the franchise fees all come out before an owner is paid. The figures for the highest-selling and lowest-selling businesses are below.
Top performers
What separates the top IMAGE Studios performers
IMAGE Studios splits its locations into groups instead of publishing one average. The top group averaged $531,385 a year. The lowest averaged $327,883. Both run the same brand, on the same agreement, paying the same fees.
Decided before you open
- Site and trade area.The top band sells 1.6× the bottom band. Catchment, daytime population and neighboring businesses affect where a location falls.
- Capacity.Locations run 4,000 to 8,500 square feet. Capacity is the floor space, times the hours it is open, times how full it runs. The build sets how much you can sell.
- Opening cost range.Opening costs $773,392 to $1,734,462, a 2.2× range inside one brand.
- Fees and the minimum.Fees run about 8.3% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.
- Cash needed in the first year.This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.
Live operating levers
- Accounts.Accounts bill year after year. Track how many you keep as well as how many you win.
Context you underwrite around
- Locations included.These figures cover 82 of 127 locations. Locations open less than the full year, brand-owned, or not meeting the reporting criteria are excluded, as are locations under the brand’s current size standard.
- What the filing does not include.Item 19 publishes no system-wide median and no attainment figure. Ask the franchisor or current owners for cost and profit figures.
The first year, month by month
Revenue by month and year of operation
A month-by-month first-year build-up across all 129 salons, set beside a year-by-year series by opening group, maps the whole lifecycle.
| Month | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average revenue | $6,129 | $14,914 | $19,866 | $22,221 | $25,559 | $27,848 | $28,338 | $30,523 | $30,748 | $32,417 | $32,846 | $34,975 |
| Share of month twelve * | 17.5% | 42.6% | 56.8% | 63.5% | 73.1% | 79.6% | 81.0% | 87.3% | 87.9% | 92.7% | 93.9% | 100% |
The monthly figures are as the brand reported it and the share row is marked *.
Month twelve annualizes to $419,700. That is $34,975 across twelve months *, within $8,435 of the $411,265 the system averages in year three.
Half the first-year climb happens by month four. $22,221 against $34,975 is 63.5% *, and month twelve bills $7,127 more than month six.
| Opened | Salons | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 | Average by year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 10 | n/a | $271,100 | $343,224 | $377,701 | $413,424 | $403,126 | $361,715 |
| 2020 | 8 | $282,830 | $362,747 | $396,878 | $406,317 | $403,963 | $391,767 | $374,084 |
| 2021 | 7 | $299,443 | $408,139 | $397,152 | $413,408 | $346,205 | n/a | $372,870 |
| 2022 | 13 | $219,202 | $388,992 | $435,640 | $343,286 | n/a | n/a | $346,780 |
| 2023 | 31 | $317,040 | $477,717 | $483,431 | n/a | n/a | n/a | $426,063 |
| 2024 | 26 | $334,889 | $474,363 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | $404,626 |
| 2025 | 34 | $293,073 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | $293,073 |
| All 129 | 129 | $291,079 | $397,177 | $411,265 | $385,178 | $387,864 | $397,446 | $378,335 |
Every figure is as the brand reported it.
Year two adds 36.4% and year three adds 3.5%. $291,079 to $397,177 to $411,265 *, so the second year does almost all the work the first year left.
Weekly studio rent at opening has risen 50.5% since 2019. $283 to $426 *, which is 7.0% a year compounded, a newer salon starts with a higher rate per studio and a higher rent bill behind it.
Discounts available
- IMAGE Studios charges a Development Fee of $99,500 for two salons, $124,500 for three, $149,500 for four, $174,500 for five and $199,500 for six, in place of the $64,500 per-salon fee.
From Item 5 of the IMAGE Studios 2026 FDD. The costs on this page use the full initial franchise fee for one unit, before any discount.
Occupancy and earnings
Revenue and earnings by occupancy group, 2025
Occupancy at the end of 2025 sorts the 82 reporting salons into groups, each with a full operating statement of its own. So the arithmetic of this model reads straight off.
| Occupancy at year end | Salons | Average revenue | Median revenue | Key operating expenses | Expenses as a share | Earnings before royalties | Royalty and brand fund | Earnings after key expenses | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90% and above | 32 | $531,385 | $546,866 | $263,789 | 49.64% | $267,596 | $39,854 | $227,742 | 42.86% |
| 80 to 89% | 21 | $461,865 | $398,072 | $284,781 | 61.66% | $177,084 | $34,640 | $142,444 | 30.84% |
| 70 to 79% | 11 | $353,871 | $287,507 | $225,557 | 63.74% | $128,314 | $26,540 | $101,774 | 28.76% |
| Below 70% | 18 | $327,883 | $312,633 | $271,852 | 82.91% | $56,031 | $24,591 | $31,440 | 9.59% |
| All 82, weighted * | 82 | $445,097 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | $145,909 | 32.78% |
Every group is as the brand reported it and reconciles line by line. Revenue less key operating expenses returns the filed earnings before royalties in all four groups. Subtracting the royalty line returns the filed earnings after key expenses.
The full salon earns 7.24 times the empty one. $227,742 against $31,440 *, on revenue that runs only 1.62 times as high.
Key operating expenses at the emptiest group run $8,063 above the fullest. That is $271,852 against $263,789 *. The box costs what it costs whether the studios are let or standing empty.
Operating expenses by occupancy group, 2025
| Expense | 90% and above | 80 to 89% | 70 to 79% | Below 70% | Share of revenue, top band * | Share of revenue, bottom band * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rent and CAM | $190,364 | $210,271 | $163,531 | $193,224 | 35.82% | 58.93% |
| Utilities | $24,868 | $22,680 | $17,684 | $21,219 | 4.68% | 6.47% |
| Advertising | $12,374 | $14,984 | $16,869 | $24,344 | 2.33% | 7.42% |
| Janitorial | $11,395 | $11,864 | $6,897 | $10,174 | 2.14% | 3.10% |
| Repairs and maintenance | $10,928 | $9,450 | $7,650 | $8,636 | 2.06% | 2.63% |
| Accounting | $5,124 | $6,376 | $5,799 | $4,604 | 0.96% | 1.40% |
| Insurance | $4,834 | $4,496 | $3,519 | $6,763 | 0.91% | 2.06% |
| Office supplies | $2,614 | $2,536 | $1,924 | $2,100 | 0.49% | 0.64% |
| Cleaning supplies | $898 | $902 | $820 | $536 | 0.17% | 0.16% |
| Legal | $390 | $1,222 | $863 | $253 | 0.07% | 0.08% |
| Total | $263,789 | $284,781 | $225,557 | $271,852 | 49.64% | 82.91% |
Every dollar figure is as the brand reported it and the two share columns are marked *.
Rent and utilities together are 40.50% of revenue at the top and 65.40% at the bottom. That is $215,232 against $214,443 in dollars *. The full and the emptiest IMAGE Studios salons pay almost the same rent and utility bill on very different revenue.
Advertising doubles as occupancy falls. $24,344 at the emptiest group against $12,374 at the fullest *, which is 7.42% of revenue against 2.33%. The salons with the least cash are the ones required to spend most.
Everything beyond rent, utilities and advertising is roughly $33,000 either way. $36,183 at the fullest group and $33,066 at the emptiest *, seven lines that move very little with how full the salon is.
What the fees come to
Royalty, brand fund and marketing minimum
The royalty is 6% of sales or $300 a week, whichever is greater, and the brand development fund is 2% or $110 a week. Both minimums index to inflation each year. The IMAGE Studios local marketing requirement is $2,000 a month until occupancy passes 70%, then $400 a month.
| Occupancy band | Average revenue | Royalty at 6% | Brand fund at 2% | Marketing minimum | Software and accounting | Paid to the brand | Share of revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90% and above | $531,385 | $31,883 | $10,628 | $4,800 | $7,539 | $43,951 | 8.27% |
| 80 to 89% | $461,865 | $27,712 | $9,237 | $4,800 | $7,539 | $38,389 | 8.31% |
| 70 to 79% | $353,871 | $21,232 | $7,077 | $4,800 | $7,539 | $29,749 | 8.41% |
| Below 70% | $327,883 | $19,673 | $6,558 | $24,000 | $7,539 | $27,671 | 8.44% |
| The minimums alone | n/a | $15,600 | $5,720 | $24,000 | $7,539 | $22,760 | n/a |
The rates, the weekly minimums, the marketing requirement and the software and accounting fees are as the brand reported it. The revenue figures come from the filed occupancy groups. Every dollar amount and share is marked *. Paid to the brand counts the royalty, the brand fund and $1,440 a year of property management software. The marketing minimum and the accounting vendor are paid to others.
The marketing minimum swings $19,200 a year on one occupancy point. $24,000 below 70% against $4,800 above *, and at the sub-70% group that $24,000 is 7.32% of revenue.
The sub-70% group spent $24,344 on advertising against a $24,000 requirement. The 90% group spent $12,374 against a $4,800 requirement, so the fullest IMAGE Studios salons spend $7,574 more than they must *.
Moving from the below-70% group to the 70 to 79% group adds $25,988 of revenue. The same move cuts the IMAGE Studios marketing minimum by $19,200 a year, from $24,000 to $4,800 *.
Building the store
Cost to open a salon
| Line | Low | High | Share of the low column * |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building work | $484,831 | $1,135,081 | 62.69% |
| Furniture, fixtures and equipment | $122,783 | $241,803 | 15.88% |
| Initial franchise fee | $64,500 | $64,500 | 8.34% |
| Additional funds, three months | $35,000 | $75,000 | 4.53% |
| Architectural plans and engineering | $23,750 | $50,500 | 3.07% |
| Lease costs, first month and deposit | $21,028 | $71,578 | 2.72% |
| Site development fee | $6,500 | $6,500 | 0.84% |
| Advertising and marketing, three months | $6,000 | $18,000 | 0.78% |
| Insurance, annual | $3,000 | $16,000 | 0.39% |
| Computer equipment | $1,500 | $3,000 | 0.19% |
| Miscellaneous opening and grand opening | $1,500 | $5,000 | 0.19% |
| Business formation | $1,000 | $3,000 | 0.13% |
| Operating supplies | $1,000 | $2,500 | 0.13% |
| Initial floor plan layout | $500 | $1,000 | 0.06% |
| Licensing and permits | $500 | $35,000 | 0.06% |
| Initial training expenses | $0 | $2,500 | 0.00% |
| Utility deposits | $0 | $3,500 | 0.00% |
| Total | $773,392 | $1,734,462 | 100% |
Amounts are as the brand reported it and the share column is marked *; both columns add to their stated totals to the dollar.
Opening costs 1.46 times what a full salon bills in a year. That is $773,392 against $531,385 *, and 24.6 times what a sub-70% salon earns after key expenses.
The build and the fit-out are $607,614 of the low column. That is 78.57% of the whole entry cost *.
Studios, rate and occupancy
Revenue here is studios multiplied by weekly rate multiplied by weeks let. At the $426 average weekly rate that salons opening in 2025 started on, the arithmetic is simple enough to run on a page.
| Studios | At 100% for 52 weeks * | At 90% * | At 75% * | At 65% * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20, the smaller typical build | $443,040 | $398,736 | $332,280 | $287,976 |
| 30 | $664,560 | $598,104 | $498,420 | $431,964 |
| 45, the larger typical build | $996,840 | $897,156 | $747,630 | $647,946 |
The $426 average weekly rate at opening for salons that opened in 2025 and the 20 to 45 studio range for a typical location are as the brand reported it. Every dollar figure here is marked *, at studios times $426 times 52 weeks times the occupancy shown.
A 30-studio salon at 90% reaches $598,104. The filed 90% group averages $531,385 *. Older salons let their studios at lower weekly rates than the 2025 group started on.
Fifteen empty studios cost $332,280 a year. At $426 a week for 52 weeks *, which is more than the entire earnings of the three lower groups combined.
Questions we get asked
Questions owners ask.
How much does an IMAGE Studios franchise make?
IMAGE Studios franchisees averaged $445,097 of sales in 2025, according to Item 19 of IMAGE Studios’ 2026 FDD, issued 26 January 2026. The 82 in that group are 65%* of IMAGE Studios’ 127 locations. Fees paid to IMAGE Studios come to about 8.32%* of sales. An IMAGE Studios franchise costs $773,392 to $1,734,462 to open.
What does an IMAGE Studios salon bill?
The figures are grouped by occupancy across the 82 salons reporting all of 2025. IMAGE Studios averaged $531,385 at 90% occupancy or better, $461,865 at 80 to 89%, $353,871 at 70 to 79% and $327,883 below 70%. Weighted across the four groups that is $445,097.
What does an IMAGE Studios salon keep?
An IMAGE Studios salon keeps what the FDD calls earnings after key expenses, which come after the ten named key operating expenses and the imputed royalty and brand fund. Those earnings were $227,742 at 90% and above, $142,444 at 80 to 89%, $101,774 at 70 to 79% and $31,440 below 70%. That is 42.86% down to 9.59% of revenue. Owner pay, debt service and depreciation sit outside those figures.
Why does occupancy matter so much at IMAGE Studios?
Occupancy matters because the cost base holds. Key operating expenses run $263,789 at the fullest group and $271,852 at the emptiest, so $196,302 of the $203,502 revenue gap between them lands on earnings. Rent alone goes from 35.82% of revenue to 58.93%.
How long does an IMAGE Studios salon take to fill?
Month one averages $6,129 and month twelve $34,975, with month six at $27,848. By year the system runs $291,079, $397,177 and $411,265 across the first three, then holds between $385,178 and $397,446 through year six.
What fees does IMAGE Studios charge?
IMAGE Studios charges a 6% royalty with a $300 weekly minimum, a 2% brand development fund with a $110 weekly minimum. Required local marketing is $2,000 a month below 70% occupancy, or $400 above. Property management software is $120 a month and the approved accounting vendor $500 a month for the first two years. At the fullest group the royalty, brand fund and software paid to the brand total $43,951, or 8.27% of revenue.
How much does an IMAGE Studios franchise cost to open?
$773,392 to $1,734,462 for one salon, of which $484,831 to $1,135,081 is building work after any tenant improvement allowance and $122,783 to $241,803 is furniture, fixtures and equipment. The franchise fee is $64,500 plus a $6,500 site development fee. A typical build is 20 to 45 studios across 4,000 to 8,500 square feet.
- The filing gives no system-wide median. IMAGE Studios publishes medians only inside each of its four occupancy groups.
Questions worth putting to IMAGE Studios
The filing answers what it answers. These are the gaps an owner or a buyer should close directly.
- Is the profit figure in Item 19 before or after owner pay, and how many locations sit below it?
- Which factors does IMAGE Studios see in its highest-selling locations, such as trade area, years open and size?
- How long does a new location take to reach the average you publish, and what does the build-up look like month by month?
- At what level of sales do the minimum charges stop applying and the percentage take over?
- How many IMAGE Studios locations closed, were sold, or changed hands last year, and why?
Run your own numbers.
The Franchise Numbers Check runs the same checks on your own numbers. It scores where you stand and compares you with Item 19 of your brand’s FDD. It works out what one location earns and spends, and builds a 13-week cash forecast. It checks whether you are ready to open another one. It is free and it runs in your browser.
Launch the diagnostic →What is each empty studio costing?
We review your unit economics and cash forecast and build your reporting around sales per studio-week, rent and CAM as a share of collections, and where your occupancy sits against the filed groups.
Talk to Averanthe franchise library, all 447 brands · how franchise unit economics work · running the books across several locations · what Averan does for franchise owners
IMAGE Studios reads against the rest of the salon suites group: MY SALON Suite · Phenix Salon Suites · Salons by JC · Sola Salon Studios. The salon suites guide compares all of them on the same figures.
Questions owners ask next
The figures above raise these, and each one is answered on its own page.
- At what level of sales does a minimum fee stop costing me more than the percentage?It works out the sales level where a minimum fee stops applying.
- How much cash do I fund before a new location covers its own costs?It builds a 13-week forecast for the months before break-even.
- My payroll percentage keeps climbing. Is that a payroll problem?It shows how to tell whether payroll is rising or revenue is falling.
- What does this location earn on the money I put into it?It works out the payback period and cash-on-cash return for one unit.
- How much of Item 19 can I rely on?It explains what an Item 19 financial performance representation tells you and what it leaves out.
Where these figures come from.
Every figure here comes from IMAGE Studios Franchise, LLC’s 2026 FDD and is unaudited by us. We are unaffiliated with the brand. Calculations of our own are labeled where they appear, the figures describe past performance at other businesses and are not a projection of yours. This page is an educational summary. It is not an offer to sell a franchise, and it is not financial, legal or tax advice. IMAGE Studios® is a registered trademark of its owner. How Averan reads a Franchise Disclosure Document.
These figures come from the brand's disclosure. They are not a forecast, an offer to sell a franchise or advice. Source: IMAGE Studios Franchise, LLC, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 26 January 2026.