There isn't one right way to start a sauna business, and a price list on its own can't tell you which way suits you. Some people come to us with the money ready and a field lined up. Others have a great spot and no wish to borrow against their house. Some have been looking at sauna franchises and want to know what else is out there.
How you pay for a sauna, and whether you own it, depends on things only you know: the money you have now and the money you'll have later, your credit history, whether you trade as a limited company, your site, and whether you're planning one sauna or several. So we don't publish one offer. We talk it through with you. These conversations start with Ryan Scollan, who runs the commercial side of Sauna Box, and this post walks through them in the order they usually happen.
We're not a neutral source: we build saunas, and we'd like to build yours. But we'd rather tell you a way doesn't fit than talk you into one that doesn't.
In short
- You don't need a franchise to start a sauna business. 40 operators run their own sauna businesses on saunas we've built, with no franchise fee.
- Buying outright, finance, a lease and revenue share are all ways we talk through. Which one fits depends on your circumstances, so we don't publish one set of terms for everyone.
- Whichever way you pay, you run the sauna. We build it, train you, and can look after it once it's open.
- The conversations start with Ryan Scollan. Tom Sutton joins when it's time to design your sauna.
What about a sauna franchise?
People ask us whether we sell a franchise. Not in the traditional sense.
A franchise is a licence to run a business under someone else's brand and systems. It usually means an upfront franchise fee on top of the fit-out, then an ongoing royalty or management fee for as long as the agreement runs, along with rules on suppliers, pricing and how the brand is presented. In return you get a tested format, training and a system you don't have to build yourself. For some people that certainty is worth paying for. If that's what you want, a franchise may suit you better, and we'll say so.
With us there's no franchise fee. You build your own brand, set your own prices and run the sauna your way, with our training and know-how behind you. The trade-off is that the business, and the work of building it, is yours.
What we'd ask you: what draws you to a franchise. If it's the brand, we'll talk about building your own. If it's not wanting to start from a blank page, we'll talk about how we train you and what we've learned from the operators before you. If it's the money, the ways to pay below are where the real choices are.
The first conversation: you, your site and your money
The first conversation is with Ryan Scollan, who leads these conversations for everyone thinking of starting with us. If it makes sense to talk, it starts with a short call. Ryan will want to understand where you are, because that decides which ways of paying are worth talking about. He'll ask about:
- Your money. Whether you'd buy with savings, put some in yourself, or would rather spread the cost. And whether money is coming later, from a house sale for example.
- Your credit history. Some people have never borrowed, and that can make finance harder to get. It's worth saying early, because it changes the options.
- How you trade. Sole trader, limited company, or not set up yet. Some ways of paying are only open to a company, so if you're not set up as one, say so.
- Your site. Where it is, who already goes there, power and access, and whether you have permission yet.
- Your timing. When you'd like to open, so we can be honest about what's realistic.
- Your plans. One sauna, or a few in time. And how much time you have to run it, because running the sessions is your business, not ours.
By the end, you should know which ways are worth a closer look for you, and which aren't.
The second conversation: the ways to pay
These are the ways we talk through. None of them is a fixed offer. What's possible depends on you and your site, and nothing is agreed until it's in writing.
Buying outright
When it tends to fit: you have the money, or most of it, and you want the sauna to be yours from day one. It's the most straightforward way. There's no franchise fee, and nothing to pay us each month unless you choose our care plan.
What we'd talk through: which build suits your site and budget, what the price covers and what's extra (delivery is priced by where you are), how the payments are staged, and what it costs to run once it's open. You can see what we've built on our builds page, and our container sauna cost guide covers running costs and what else to budget for.
What we'd ask you: where the site is, who's already there or passing by, when you'd like to open, and whether this is a first sauna or the start of something bigger.
Finance
When it tends to fit: you'd like to own the sauna, but would rather spread the cost than pay it all at once, or keep some savings back for your launch.
What we'd talk through: we can introduce you to a finance partner. Ryan will go through roughly what the payments could look like for the build you're considering, how much you might put in yourself, and what the lender is likely to ask you for. The sauna becomes yours once the finance is paid off, on the terms the lender sets out. Whether finance is approved is the lender's decision, and it depends on things like your credit history and how long you've been trading. If it looks unlikely, we'll say so and look at the other ways rather than leave you stuck.
What we'd ask you: roughly what you could put in yourself, how you trade, whether you have much of a credit history, and when your money comes in if some of it is arriving later.
A lease
When it tends to fit: you'd rather not own the sauna or tie up the capital, and you're ready to run it.
How it works: we build the sauna, fund it, own it and insure it, and we look after it. You run it as your own and pay a fixed monthly fee. There's a fee at the start too.
What we'd talk through: your site and how you'd run it, the monthly fee, how long the lease runs, what it covers and what happens at the end. All of it is set out in writing for your site, and we go through the figures with you before anything is signed. We don't lease to every site, and we always start with one sauna. A direct lease is with a limited company.
What we'd ask you: about the site and the people who already go there, how you'd run it day to day, whether you trade through a limited company, and what you'd want the sauna to be doing in a few years' time.
Revenue share
When it tends to fit: sometimes, instead of a fixed fee, it makes more sense for what you pay us to be a share of what the sauna takes, so it moves with your takings rather than staying a fixed sum. That can suit a site whose takings are hard to predict at first, like a seasonal spot or a new venue, or someone planning several sites. It suits some businesses and not others, so it's a conversation rather than an offer.
What we'd talk through: whether it fits your business at all, how the takings would be counted, how long it would run, who owns the sauna and who looks after it, and how it compares with a fixed monthly fee for you. All of that is agreed with you and set out in writing for your site. Either way, you still run it, and the sessions and customers are yours. If it isn't right for your site, we'll tell you.
What we'd ask you: how busy the site is through the year, how you take bookings and payments, how many sites you have in mind, and why a fixed payment doesn't suit you.
The third conversation: designing your sauna
Once you have a good idea of how you'll pay, Tom Sutton joins for the design call. Tom started Sauna Box and still builds and sites saunas with operators, and this is where your sauna takes shape. You'll talk through:
- Which build: a horsebox, a 10ft container or a 20ft container. Our horsebox vs container comparison is a good read before the call.
- The inside: the layout, the benches and the stove.
- Your site: the ground, power, access, and what needs to be in place before the sauna arrives. Our guide to choosing a sauna site covers what we'll ask.
- Getting it there: how it reaches you, and what delivery will cost to your location.
- Your opening date: we'll be honest about how the build fits around it.
Deciding
Once the figures for your build and your way of paying are in writing, take your time with them. Show them to your accountant, ask us anything you're unsure of, and ask it twice if you need to.
If none of the ways fits right now, we'll say so rather than push one that doesn't. Circumstances change, and you're welcome to come back to us when yours do.
What stays the same, whichever way you pay
- You run it. The sessions, the prices, the hours and your customers are your business. We don't run saunas on anyone else's behalf.
- We build it, by hand in our Suffolk workshop. We've built 62 so far.
- We train you, with what we've learned over 5 years of building saunas and running our own sites.
- We can look after it. Buyers can choose a care plan: two site visits a year, with video calls in between. With a lease, the sauna stays ours, and looking after it is part of the agreement we set out for your site.
- You're not on your own. 40 operators have already asked the questions you're about to.
What about the money it could make?
It's usually the first question, so here's a straight answer: we won't promise what you'll earn, and this post doesn't give figures. What a sauna takes depends on your site, your prices and the hours you put in. Our guide to whether a sauna business is profitable shows the ranges we work from, with an honest note on how sure we are of each. And for the first months, see how UK operators found their first 100 sauna members.
Where to start
These conversations are with Ryan Scollan. You don't need to have it all worked out. Start with our guide to starting a sauna business, then tell us a little about your plans and your site. If it makes sense to talk, Ryan will start with a short call and give you an honest answer about which way fits, including if none of them does yet.