"For beauty being the best of all we know
Sums up the unsearchable and secret aims
Of nature."

Those lines from "The Growth of Love," a poem written by Robert Bridges in 1876, may or may not accurately describe "the unsearchable and secret aims of nature." One thing is for sure, though: They do accurately describe the mindset of millions and millions of consumers-especially baby boomers-who are driven in their pursuit of beauty.

Today's consumers crave beauty from top to bottom, front to back, head to toe, inside and out. They have unprecedented amounts of disposable income to wield in their pursuit of beauty, and that is creating tremendous opportunities for franchise businesses positioned to meet the demands of this vast consumer market.

If beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder, as the saying goes, things could not look better for owners and prospective owners of beauty-related franchises. According to "The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report," only 2% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful.

The report, commissioned by Unilever's Dove bath and skin care brand, was prepared by Dr. Nancy Etcoff, a Harvard University professor and author of "Survival of the Prettiest," and Dr. Susie Orbach, a visiting professor at the London School of Economics and author of "Fat Is a Feminist Issue."

"This study uncovers that beauty is never going away and has enormous power," said Etcoff. "Beauty should not be reduced to a political or cultural problem but understood as a basic human pleasure."

In the study, more than 40% of the women polled said they did not feel comfortable describing themselves as beautiful. Only 5% felt comfortable describing themselves as pretty, while a mere 9% felt comfortable describing themselves as attractive.

Additionally-and perhaps most relevant to purveyors of the myriad products and services that promise to help women (and, to a lesser extent, men) achieve that elusive goal of beauty-only 13% of women said they were satisfied with their beauty. Even less, 12%, said they were satisfied with their physical attractiveness.

Women also reported feeling significant pressure to try to be the "perfect" picture of beauty:

At the same time, however, women polled in the Dove survey exhibited noticeable optimism about opportunities to improve their own beauty through a variety of channels, along with a more divergent view of what constitutes true beauty than what is reflected in the popular media.

Seventy-seven percent of those surveyed strongly agreed that beauty can be achieved through attitude, spirit and other attributes that have little or nothing to do with physical appearance. Eighty-nine percent strongly agreed that a woman can be beautiful at any age, and 85% stated that every woman has something about her that is beautiful.

Driving much of the growth in beauty-related franchises is the baby-boom generation's obsession with youth, especially maintaining a youthful appearance. The baby-boomer ego still imagines itself to be around 35 years old, points out Mary Lou Quinlan, founder and president of a New York-based women's marketing consultancy. The truth is, however, there are now more boomers over age 50 than under it.

The beauty industry still struggles with what beauty over 50 is supposed to look like, and that's not surprising because many women struggle with the same question, she said. "No matter how beautiful or accomplished, most women still harbor doubts about their looks as they age."

Whether it is insecurities about appearance or simply a natural desire to appear more attractive, the pursuit of beauty is driving record-breaking sales in many business sectors, including cosmetics, skin care, hair care, salons, weight loss and fitness.

Sales of color cosmetics now approach $35 billion worldwide, including almost $9 billion in North America alone, according to market researcher Euromonitor International.

"Women the world over view color cosmetics as a staple of their beauty regimen," said a spokesman for the company. "Products can radically enhance external appearance in a matter of minutes without requiring any long-term procedures that cause pain and expense."

In the world's most developed markets-particularly the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Japan-rising levels of disposable income among 'tweens (preteens) and teens are creating distinct segments that cosmetics marketers are targeting aggressively. Color cosmetic lines formulated specifically for ethnic skin also are gaining rapidly in popularity.

For many consumers, the focal point for the pursuit of beauty is the salon, whether that be a full-service day spa offering the latest in beauty and wellness treatments or the neighborhood beauty shop offering tried-and-true cut, style and coloring services. Many spas belong to franchise networks.

The National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (NACCAS) conducts an extensive survey of salon businesses every four years to get the pulse of the industry. The most recent study found more than 1.6 million professionals employed in some 313,000 beauty salons, barber shops, skin care salons and nail salons in 2003.

The 2003 figures showed notable growth since the last time the industry was surveyed, in 1999. The total number of salon professionals was up 24%, and the total number of salons increased almost 6%. The number of chairs or workstations in beauty salons climbed 9%, employee turnover decreased by 12%, and the number of new hires shot up 37%.

"The salon industry is a job-seekers market," said a spokesman for NACCAS. "Some 56% of salon owners reported having job openings, and more than 572,000 open positions were filled in 2002."

The vibrant beauty salon job market that year consisted of both experienced salon professionals changing positions (73% of the new hires) and inexperienced professionals with less than one year's experience (27% of new hires).

"The supply does not appear to be keeping up with demand," the spokesman added. "Approximately three out of every four salon owners who looked for new employees in 2002 reported having difficulty in finding qualified personnel."

Other key findings highlighted in the NACCAS survey include:

One important finding arising from the latest survey was that the professional salon industry was grossing about $56 billion a year in 2002. "In other words, Americans were spending an average of about $200 per person per year on hair care and nail care in salons at that point in time," the spokesman said. By all indications, those figures have continued to increase.

The greatest number of beauty salons in the U.S. are found in California, with about 42,000 locations. Texas is second with about 25,500, followed by New York (20,200) and Florida (17,700). Small-population states have the fewest salons-about 580 in Wyoming, 620 in Alaska and 650 in Vermont.

It is estimated that slightly more than one-third of the licensed beauty salons and spas in the U.S. are franchises, with initial franchise fees ranging from less than $20,000 to close to $50,000 and averaging just under $30,000.

Capital requirements vary widely, from a low of about $30,000 to a high of almost $1 million, but average about $150,000. Royalty fees are typically in the 5%-6% range, in line with similar types of franchised service businesses.

The powerhouse in beauty salon franchising is Regis Corp., which doubled its size with the 2006 acquisition of Sally Beauty Co., a former unit of Alberto-Culver Co. that is the world's largest marketer of professional beauty care products and supplies. Regis was already the beauty industry's global leader in salons, hair restoration and education, said a spokesman for the company. The company has more than 11,000 franchised and company-owned beauty salons, hair restoration centers and beauty schools worldwide. Its franchised salon chains include Supercuts, Cost Cutters, Pro Cuts and First Choice Haircutters.

Part of the beauty regimen for many of today's consumers is the pursuit of a deep tan, regardless of the season or climate. There are an estimated 25,000 indoor tanning establishments scrambling to meet that market demand in the U.S., although that number includes many establishments such as health clubs and nail salons that have only one or two tanning beds.

Indoor tanning has grown into a $5 billion-a-year industry, according to estimates from the Indoor Tanning Association and other sources, but the five largest chains account for just 5% of that volume, meaning plenty of opportunity remains for new competitors.

"The tanning industry is made up mostly of independent operations, and many of them have just one outlet, often in not-so-good locations," says a development executive with one of the larger franchise chains. "There is a lot of opportunity here for the kind of strong retail brand a franchise can provide."

Fitness and weight control franchises also benefit from consumers' impassioned pursuit of beauty. Well-coiffed men and women are equally intent on having a body that matches their carefully nurtured look. And with obesity levels among U.S. men, women and children at record levels, there is a strong health incentive to avail themselves of the services of weight loss and fitness franchises as well.

Today, the concept of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle has changed, evolving into the pursuit of beneficial habits, practices and products for body, mind and spirit. In a recent survey conducted by OnHealth Network Co., 53% of respondents indicated an interest in taking a holistic approach to beauty and health care.

"There is a shift underway in how individuals view and approach their own personal health and the role it plays in their overall appearance," said Rebecca Farwell, general manager of OnHealth Network. "While traditional medicine is clearly a part of it, today the balance has shifted to include mind, body and spirit."

These new consumer attitudes are evident in many segments of the health and fitness industries. One area where analysts see strong opportunities emerging is weight management. "Until very recently, this had been ignored and neglected as a health issue," said a spokesman for the American Obesity Association (AOA).

There are many different weight management franchise opportunities available, including several with highly recognizable brand names. A recent development that may bode well for all of them is the decision by Medicare to begin recognizing obesity as an illness, something many health professionals felt was long overdue.

"Obesity is a critical public health problem in our country that causes millions of Americans to suffer unnecessary health problems and to die prematurely," said Tommy Thompson, Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS). "With this new policy, Medicare will be able to review scientific evidence in order to determine which interventions improve health outcomes for seniors and disabled Americans who are obese."

While exactly which treatments for obesity Medicare will cover remains unclear, analysts expect lifestyle-change approaches such as weight loss and fitness programs to be included, along with more radical interventions such as gastric bypass surgery.

A healthy beauty regimen includes regular participation in sports and exercise for many consumers, making the fitness industry another area rife with franchise opportunities. Among the factors driving growth in this sector:

While demand for health and fitness products and services is booming, the number of businesses trying to meet that demand is lagging behind-a combination that spells tremendous opportunity for prospective franchisees interested in targeting this market.

"There are not enough clubs to serve the growing market of aging baby boomers," said a recent research report from Deutsche Bank. "Building more clubs will be a necessity to meet demand."

Not all of today's consumers might be willing to go to the same lengths as the subject of Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem "Beauty," a man who "thought it happier to be dead, To die for beauty, than live for bread." But most are willing to reach deep into their pockets and purses in their pursuit of beauty, and that means plenty of ongoing opportunities for new franchise businesses.