Entrepreneurs don’t think like everyone else. They see the world differently and think outside the box.
It was a during an incentive trip to Japan when Johnie Lim, owner and franchisor of Body and Sole, learned everything about the spa industry.
In 1998, Lim was treated by his employer to relax and unwind in Japan as a reward for the excellent job he rendered to help the company grow. He stayed in Japan for a month just sight-seeing.
Back then, the spa was closely associated with the affluent society. Those who had deep pockets were the only ones who could enjoy massage services from well-trained masseurs.
“It was expensive and only few Cebuanos could avail themselves of the service,” said Lim. “Although, we have hilot (traditional massage) at home, especially when we are sick or tired, going to a spa facility was a different thing” he noted.
Lim’s unlimited spa experience in Japan inspired him to bring the service to the Philippines. But he wanted a spa that would welcome everyone. This business idea was put on hold for four years. He knew he needed to learn everything there is about spas before taking a big leap.
Lim grew up in a family of seven siblings. He finished accountancy in Siliman University in Dumaguete.
When he was an employee, Lim started building up his spa business. Using P200,000 in seed money, he opened the first branch of Body and Sole at Raintree Mall on F. Ramos St., Cebu City.
Of the P200,000 startup capital, half of it was from his co-employee, who invested in his startup business while the rest was from his savings and loans from the bank.
Lim said opening Body and Sole was a business idea he thought about a dozen times. He said he could not just open a similar facility that only catered to a few.
“I had to think out of the box. I had to do things differently without compromising the quality,” he said. “And at that time, the spa was a new lifestyle that was worth exploring,” he said.
His motivation to open a spa business was further fueled by a “joyful dream.”
“When we were about to open the spa, I dreamed of a 10-wheeler truck loaded with beer that came rushing to our spa. I believed it was a good dream, because I woke up joyful,” recalled Lim, adding that for him, that dream meant bountiful blessings.
True enough, since the spa opened, Lim and his family became busy growing the business. Franchise inquiries came left and right, even at the spa’s early stages. More importantly, Cebuanos became addicted to spas and the overall concept of health and wellness.
“The market was given the option of being pampered by well-trained massage therapists without having to pay too much. This concept made us grow until we decided to duplicate the business through franchising,” said Lim.
Body and Sole has since awarded 68 franchise licenses, although not all are actively operating. Some opted to change the name after the contract expired.
“That’s okay. It’s all part of the business. The good thing is many would still want to franchise our spa brand,” he said.
Lim, who is now 62 years old, aspires to award 100 franchise licenses in his lifetime. Moreover, this seasoned entrepreneur is open to selling the business if somebody is willing to buy it.
“A friend of mine in the US once told me that entrepreneurs create a business, not to operate it but to sell it. If somebody buys it, I’m willing to sell it,” he said.
From working passionately to grow the family’s spa business, Lim is now offering consultancy services to entrepreneurs who aspire to grow the business through franchising.
He is currently helping the owners of Monbis’ Halo-Halo in their franchising venture, noting that millennials now are actively scouting for businesses to franchise without shelling out too much capital.
What was your first job?
I worked as an internal auditor for five years in a shipping business. After that, I went to Manila to visit my sister, but that quick visit opened up an opportunity to work there.
I was offered a job as an accountant in Sampaguita Pictures. I left after two years though, and got married. My wife, Flor, and I went back home to her hometown in Leyte. My father-in-law gave us a grocery business to run. We were able to grow it for three years until I decided that I needed to go back to the corporate world and raise my family on my own hard work. I felt stagnant just running the grocery store, so I sent an application to a furniture export company in Cebu. I got hired as an audit manager. My wife eventually followed and while working, she got herself busy selling jewelry.
Our first attempt in business was running a cafeteria in Talisay at the entrance of a subdivision. However, it only lasted for six months because we failed to manage it well. We just asked somebody to help us run it for us and then I got busy working.
If there’s one thing I learned from that failed venture, it’s that if you get into business, you need to focus on it.
After we closed the business, I hopped from one job to another, exploring opportunities, at the same time learning the trade of each industry I got into.
I got hired as a general manager of a pharmaceutical company in Mactan Economic Zone. It was this company that brought me to Japan where I learned and appreciated the spa. I worked in this company for four years and then moved to a new company that manufactured stuffed toys.
Due to a hectic work schedule causing me sleepless nights monitoring shipments, I gave in to my heart’s desire and entertained the idea of starting my own company, a new journey where I was the boss and I owned my time.
I secretly opened Body and Sole while I was still employed until I tendered my resignation in 2003.
Who inspired you to get into business?
I felt there was more to life than working for somebody else. I held many good positions in the corporate space, but they all failed to give me the sense of fulfillment because working for these companies full-time would mean quality time lost for your family.
There’s nothing wrong with working for other people, but you have to decide if you want to work for them until you retire or do something on the side that’s yours, one that will keep on growing after you retire.
When did you realize this was what you were meant to do?
When people started approaching me to franchise the business, I knew I did the right thing. Then eventually, I became the voice of the wellness industry. People sought advice. I was invited to speak in schools about wellness. I felt everything just fell into my lap without me chasing after them.
Then the Spa and Wellness Association of Cebu was born, which sought to professionalize and raise the bar of Cebu’s wellness industry.
Why did you pick this type of business or industry?
The spa is an industry worth exploring because it is a new lifestyle you can keep on advocating.
As an entrepreneur, you don’t only go after the money; you seek businesses that give you money, and create a positive impact to the community. I am grateful I stumbled upon this opportunity early on, because with the kind of work lifestyle we have now, people look for spas to pamper themselves and help them relax their tensed muscles.
Where did you get the training you needed to succeed?
The years I spent working in the corporate world helped me become a better entrepreneur. Not only did I learn about running the business professionally, I also learned about knowing the market needs, and how to please them. When I finally decided to venture into the spa business, I devoted time to learn about the industry. We started from scratch, such as personally learning the strokes and timing it.
How many times did you fail before you succeeded?
My first attempt in business taught us a lot of lessons. The grocery venture taught me to go after your dreams and pursue your passion. Any endeavor will not succeed if your heart is not in it.
Our failed cafeteria business, on the other hand, taught me to have focus in business. The early stages require time, hard work and a lot of dedication, and when you are able to master the business, the time you invested in growing it will likewise reward you with plenty of time where you can just sit down and relax, and just watch your business grow exponentially.
Failures are important because they will polish you to become the better person and better business owner.As an entrepreneur, you don’t only go after the money; you seek businesses thay give you money and create a positive impact to the community.