Should I buy an existing wellness centre or start one?

A wellness centre may offer floating, cryotherapy, infrared sauna, salt therapy or a mix. Whether to buy one that exists or build your own is a question of time, risk and control. Neither route is better in every case. This page sets out what each choice gives you and what it asks of you, so you can discuss it with your advisers.

What buying gives you

An existing centre comes with a finished space, a lease already in place, working equipment, trained staff and a client list. You skip the build-out and the wait for equipment to arrive. You also see how the business has actually run, rather than guessing. The buying out a partner and the paperwork involved still apply: a purchase agreement, diligence and a handover.

What buying asks of you

You inherit the past. Equipment may be older than it looks, a lease may be short, and prepaid packages or memberships may be owed to clients. Staff may leave with the owner. Ask early about each, and use the questions in our a premises lease checklist from another sector.

What starting gives you and asks

A new centre lets you choose the location, services, equipment and brand without anyone else’s habits. It also means finding a space, negotiating a lease, designing and building, waiting on equipment, hiring, and attracting your first clients while the bills run. Compare the same plan with the purchase side by side.

Questions to settle first

• How soon do you need the centre to be open and earning?
• How much experience do you have running a wellness business?
• Do you want to shape the brand, or keep one that clients know?
• Can you manage the risk of dated equipment?