Direct answer
Don't start by ordering a chamber. First define the service, the target customer and how the business will be legally classified. Then test local demand and confirm insurance and site feasibility - and only then compare equipment and financing. Working in stages means you commit major capital only after the cheaper questions are answered.
Launch gates
Move to the next stage only when the evidence for the current one is in hand.
| Gate | What you decide | Evidence needed to pass |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Concept | Target customer, service scope, price and the alternatives customers use today | Interviews, observed alternatives and a price test with the intended customers |
| 2. Feasibility | Jurisdiction, insurance, landlord, utilities, delivery and supplier support | Written input from the landlord, insurer, equipment supplier and relevant local professionals |
| 3. Economics | Conservative demand, full delivered cost, labor, consumables, marketing and downtime | A site-specific equipment proposal, contractor allowances and a downside demand case |
| 4. Procurement | Matched quotes, contract terms, site plan and financing obligation | Contract review and a closed list of exclusions |
| 5. Build-out | Permits, contractors, installation, commissioning and training | Approvals and a completed commissioning record |
| 6. Readiness | Procedures, records, consent, incident response, maintenance and a tested booking flow | Documented procedures and trained staff |
| 7. Launch | Limited opening capacity, measured acquisition and retention, issue logging | Dashboard thresholds agreed before opening |
Kill criteria
Stop before buying if insurance isn't available, the landlord or site can't support the system, nitrogen supply is unreliable, service coverage is unclear, you can't afford the downside cash case, or your only demand evidence is a supplier's projection.
Demand test before a lease
Define the service area and record the current providers, their prices, review volume, offer format, opening hours and visible capacity. Then test a concrete offer through conversations, a waitlist or another low-commitment channel that's legal where you are.
Keep three things apart: interest, a booking and a completed paid session. A handful of conversations won't give you a dependable conversion rate, so record the sample size, channel, price and test period. Plan with a range that includes a low-demand case, and label anything you haven't tested as an assumption.
Decide the sales channel before the equipment commitment
Buying equipment independently, taking a license, becoming a dealer and joining a franchise are different commitments. Record who owns the name, who can restrict your territory, required purchases, ongoing fees, marketing contributions, exit conditions and the actual service contract. The US Cryotherapy equipment page, checked October 6, 2026, offers direct equipment sales subject to franchise-territory conflicts - a restriction to clear for your address before you sign a lease.
Don't carry old franchise or startup cost ranges into a current budget. A supplier's current business package, such as CryoMe's support program, can tell you what training and support you'd get, but it doesn't prove local demand. Treat the supplier program, landlord approval, insurance and service obligations as separate pieces of evidence.
Procurement questions
- Which equipment configuration matches the service and site?
- What must the buyer obtain from contractors or third parties?
- Which approvals are conditions before payment or delivery?
- Who owns delays caused by access, utilities or permits?
- What training, manuals and commissioning records are delivered?
- Which warranty and service obligations survive a distributor change?
- What is the exit path if demand, approval or financing fails?
First buyer file
By the end of gate 4 you should have a concept brief, local competitor map, price test, site checklist, equipment shortlist, quote comparison, 24-month cash model, risk register and go-live checklist. Every assumption in them needs an owner and an evidence date.
Launch dashboard
Track qualified inquiries, first bookings, completed sessions, realized revenue, acquisition cost, repeat visits, refunds, incidents, downtime and cash runway, with review thresholds set before you open. A good marketing number never overrides an open safety, insurance or cash problem.
Sources and limitations
This plan doesn't establish local demand or an expected return. A manufacturer's business guide can point to purchasing topics, but its revenue and customer-base statements aren't independent market evidence. Licensing, safety, employment, medical and insurance requirements vary by location and need qualified local review. Keep unresolved approvals visible before you commit.