Franchise 101 p1 - Military - Start Your Own Business - Military Times Edge

A good backrub may not solve all your problems, but for Stacie Rine, it has made a world of difference.

Rine graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1995. She left the service 13 years later as a lieutenant commander and a pilot. In between, she deployed four times to the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq.

“I was the only female on these deployments for quite a long time, and every time we landed, I just wanted to get away from the guys and do my own thing,” said Rine, 34. Most of the time, her own thing meant a professional massage at a local resort. “It reduced my blood pressure. It reduced my stress. It helped me manage the pain after 13 hours of flying. I was eating better, sleeping better — total body health,” she said.

So it should come as no surprise to hear what Rine did after leaving the service. Back home with two kids in Jacksonville, Fla., she searched the Web for massage therapy opportunities and eventually invested in a Massage Heights franchise.

Getting started

It wasn’t the easiest career change. In the world of massage, buying a franchise can cost about $37,000 up front — that’s what Rine paid. Afterward you’ll spend $250,000 to $450,000 leasing and outfitting a storefront. If you’re like Rine and go for two locations at once, it’s double that amount.

One way to get the money is to go to the Small Business Administration to get backing for a loan. Rine was supposed to sign the papers on her loan with First Heritage Capital of Arizona. Twenty-four hours before signing, the bank folded. She scrambled and found Regents Bank to fill the gap, but it was a trying experience.

The bank put up the money in return for a lien on everything Rine possessed.

“Here I was, a girl who was trusted with a $20 million airplane, and now these people literally won’t trust me with a dime. The process was humiliating,” she said. “It took an emotional toll.”

Even then, the loans didn’t cover it all, and Rine had to borrow from her parents, draining their retirement savings. Taking money from relations is tough: She’s paying it back on schedule, but tensions in the family remain excruciating.

Following through

With the doors finally open, Rine has met a new challenge. Used to flying solo, she now must rely on her staff to get the job done.

“In the Navy, you have a constant supply of people. You don’t have to wait to attack Iraq because somebody has a dental appointment,” she said. “In the business world, it is completely different. Here you have to acknowledge that someone has a sick child. You have to be very flexible in how you schedule. These people are your best asset. You can’t just get another one if the first one doesn’t work out.”

Rine’s advice for those looking to make a career leap: Fall back on something greater than yourself. “It’s like God is bigger than the bank. Yes, you are tested in life, and you have to act in faith.”