miss matters
on licensing
Hi there. So you’re interested in licensing a MISS Academy location. Great! Below you’ll find helpful information about us, MISS Academy and what it takes to become a Licensee. Should you then be interested, fill out the application at the bottom of the page and listen out for us!
Take me to the application
WHAT IS
MISS Academy?
Unlike anything that’s come before and indeed one of it’s kind, MISS Academy is a cutting edge innovation in the multi-billion dollar beauty and pageant industry. MISS Academy has taken the country by storm with a refreshingly simple concept: provide hands-on training in all areas of pageantry, all under one roof, in a fun and beautiful environment, at a great price.
Before MISS Academy, girls had two not-so-great choices when it came to preparing to enter a pageant:
- Shop around town for an assortment of coaches in each area of competition and work your schedule (and mom’s) to best attend all the classes around town.
- Enroll in a modeling school and work on other areas of competition on your own to your best ability (and mom’s).
MISS Academy finally gives young women and parents alike, a third option: come to one chic, fabulous location, to get hands-on training from experts in each field of pageantry and have your full program experience prepare you for any pageant. We prepare you for life, starting with competition night!
BRIEF HISTORY
In 2002, while working as a substitute teacher in Houston, Texas, MISS Academy’s founder, Crystle Stewart created a workshop-based educational platform named “Inside Out”, as an effort to teach young women makeup and hair techniques, poise and posture and ultimately build their everyday confidence.
After winning MISS USA in 2008 and expanding her public platform through her entertainment career, Crystle decided it was time to expand upon the concept of Inside Out, by making it accessible to young women everywhere and establishing a more well-rounded curriculum in all areas of pageantry. With additional market research and current trend analysis, MISS Academy was born, with it’s first location in Houston, Texas.
license A
miss academy location
We prefer operators who will be actively involved in the day to day running of the establishment and invested in the lives and success of every girl that enrolls in the academy.
We award licenses based on qualifications including, but not limited to:
- Pageant experience as a Sponsor, Trainer, Affiliate Organization or Directorship
- Net worth of $750,000 and liquidity of $250,000
- 5 year minimum commitment
- Retail and or online retail experience
- Reputation
- Drive and Organizational Capacity
- Compatibility with the concept
MISS Academy is specifically looking for entrepreneurs that are willing to commit to offering outstanding customer service. Ideally, we’re looking for people that have had past experience with the world of and around pageantry. It is also expected that you make an important financial investment. The building of and set up of a MISS Academy studio doesn’t come inexpensive – but isn’t unachievable either. The initial all-in cost to open a MISS Academy studio ranges from $330,175 – $678,975.
Your active involvement in the daily operations at the Studio will be your key to success, especially in the first two years.
Choosing a right location will also be an important but not a sole contributing factor to your success.
SITE SELECTION
The quest to finding a perfect location will be a collaboration between MISS Academy Licensing Board and licensees as well as its corporate team, and our preferred real estate partner, who specializes in retail tenant representation.
Although it is not an obligation to use our team, we highly recommend it. MISS Academy opened its flagship location in Houston, TX and believes the potential is enormous to opening new locations around the nation.
design
and construction
MISS Academy License Board will help you design and coordinate construction of your MISS Academy Studio, including space planning, construction documents, and the option to help the bid process during construction.
Since we work with our own in-house design team, you will be able to save significant expenses, which will bring your budget well below industry standards.
training
and support
MISS Academy License Board is committed to helping and teaching you how to operate your Studio. We will provide comprehensive support in the following key areas of operation:
- Support with real estate lease and location
- Support with design and development of construction during and after construction process
- Support with your IT needs and booking/appointment + POS systems
- Support with developing Student Handbook and Instructors Guidelines
- Support with providing a complete Operations Manual
- Support with setting up and managing your Social Media
- Support with marketing, PR and Advertisement
- Pre-opening training of your instructors and staff team
- Entrepreneurship tools for increasing business success.
hit the
target market
We plan to open corporate owned locations within the next two years nationally and internationally and will grant licenses to the following cities: New York, Dallas, Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, Charleston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Virginia Beach, Louisville, Metro D.C., New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Chicago, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Austin, Honolulu, Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Seattle and more.
We are currently targeting metropolitan markets with a population of at least 250,000 within a 30-minute drive time.
start up
costs
Now, let’s talk business. The start-up costs for a MISS Academy studio is shown in the table below. Depending on the size of a location, its capacity will increase or decrease with lower or higher start-up cost as a result. But based on our past experience, we recommend a space of between min 2,000-3,000 sf. The cost of construction will also depend on where you’re located. It’s unnecessary to mention that per-SF construction in Los Angeles is surely different than per-sf construction in Tulsa, OK.
| TYPE OF EXPENDITURE | AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $45,000 |
| Initial Set-Up and Services | $4,775 |
| Lease Payments (3 months) | $9,000 to $24,000 |
| Leasehold Improvements | $200,000 to $450,000 |
| Architect, Engineer, Drawings | $25,000 |
| Signage | $5,000 to $15,000 |
| Furniture and Fixtures | $20,000 to $48,000 |
| Office Equipment, Supplies, Accessories & Customer Touchpoints | $2,500 to $5,800 |
| Computer Hardware and Software | $4,000 to $8,000 |
| Initial Inventory | $2,500 to $6,000 |
| Uniforms | $350 to $650 |
| Grand Opening Promotion | $5,000 to $20,000 |
| Pre-Opening Instructors Training | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| Marketing and Promotional Inventory | $3,000 to $6,000 |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $1,500 to $2,500 |
| Professional Fees (attorney, registration) | $1,800 to $4,500 |
| Insurance Deposits and Premiums (first year) | $500 to $1,250 |
| Continuous Training Expenses | $5,250 to $12,500 |
| Total | $340,175 - $688,975 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Federal Trade Commission and state license sales regulations do not allow us to provide profit projections. However, if you become a qualified candidate, we would be happy to share our License Disclosure Document (LDD). The LDD will highlight our sales from our current locations.
Our current Initial License Fee is $35,000. Royalty fee is 7% of gross monthly sales. Marketing fee is 1.5% of gross sales.
Preferably, yes. We are looking for entrepreneurs/companies who share our commitment to providing outstanding service and training to make a real difference into every girl’s life. But we’re willing to teach all the missing skills.
Initial Set-up cost ranges about $330,175 – $678,975 depending on size and location. A complete breakdown of these estimated costs is included in our LDD (License Disclosure Document).
No, you will be responsible for financing.
This will of course vary per location, but the most time-consuming steps of the process are site selection, lease negotiation, build-out, permitting requirements, and training. However, we anticipate it will take approximately 4 to 8 months from signing your lease to opening day at your MISS Academy.
SIGN ME UP
In order to take the next step in opening your own MISS Academy, we ask that you fill out and return the following application. The information you provide will help us determine if we are a good match for each other. So don’t be brief or shy!