Martha Mathilda Harper, born on 10 September 1857 is the founder of the world's first franchise business. Among others called the franchise method, is what we call the Harper's method.
Be inspired by the story of the Canadian social entrepreneur who started as a maid at the age of 7 and who 24 years later with just over $300 in savings opened a beauty salon in Rochester, USA.
The salon and self-produced products were named Harper Method because Martha wanted to create a health-conscious salon experience to bring out the inner beauty of the customer. The experience was created by products based exclusively on natural ingredients to promote healthy skin and hair, and by reducing stress through massage of the scalp, neck and shoulders. Her invention of the hairdresser's chair made hair and face care easier.
The salon and her good products became widely known, with the result that powerful rich and theatrical people became regular customers who asked her to open more salons, closer to where they themselves lived. Martha created the operating manual "Harper Method - Beauty School - Procudure Book " and built an empire with over 500 salons worldwide, including in Norway. In recent times, she has finally received her recognition and deserved place in history thanks to the writer Jan R. Plitt who unearthed the story from oblivion and saved it for the future in her book "Martha Mathilda Harper and the American Dream: How One Woman Changed the Face of Modern Business"
See the story briefly explained by Sir Harold Evans and illustrated by Sunni Brown