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Zen Massage franchise touts its niche: affordable prices

By Times Staff Writer
Published October 19, 2007

PALM HARBOR - Longtime competitive runners Ron and Barb Cote have opened the first Zen Massage franchise in Pinellas County.

What makes this business different is the price - $39.95 an hour for the popular Swedish massage.

The philosophy of the business is to provide massage in an upscale atmosphere but at a more affordable price, Ron Cote said.

Swedish massage is the foundation for other types of Western massage, including deep tissue and sports. It uses a firm pressure to improve circulation, ease muscle tension and aches, improve flexibility and create relaxation.

Zen Massage offers deep tissue massage for $49. Other massage therapies include hot stone, sports, pre- and post-natal.

"The business is predicated on a mass production volume, but not a mass production massage," Ron Cote said. The business' 10 therapists are licensed and certified in a variety of therapies, he said.

Both Cotes work at Nielsen Media Research in Oldsmar -Ron Cote for 13 years as a software engineer and Barb Cote for 22 years as a storage area network engineer.

The couple became interested in Zen Massage when Barb Cote was looking into franchise opportunities. "It dovetailed with our mind set," said Ron Cote. "It was perfect for us."

With an investment of $125,000, they opened the business in mid June in a 1,775- square-foot space in the Palm Lake Shopping Center at U.S. 19 and Tampa Road. In addition to the staff of therapists, there are two receptionists.

Based in Charlotte, N.C., Zen Massage was established in 2005 and began franchising at the end of 2006. It currently has 34 franchisees throughout the Southeast. For more information, call 727 771-0500.

 New travel agency sets up customized Alaskan tours 

After retiring from a career in data processing and the food industry, Fred Cross lived his dream and traveled to Alaska. Now the big state with the most of everything -wilderness, lakes and shoreline - has become his third career.

Cross has started 2 B Free Alaska Travel customized tours.

"I moved here two years ago from Virginia to get away from the cold and snow and here I am encouraging folks to go north," Cross said.

But Alaska is so large that the weather and climate are quite diverse, he said. Temperatures can range from 80 degrees to 60 degrees below zero.

Things to do include walking on glaciers, cross-country skiing, taking a dip in the Arctic Ocean, paragliding off the top of a mountain and visiting towns that still retain the flavor of the gold rush days.

Visitors can ride a train from sea level to 3,000 feet in the span of 20 miles and attend such annual events as the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks and the Sitka Whale Fest and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome.

The Largo resident said he arranges tours for everything from a three-day fishing trip to a 27-day tour traversing the state.

For more information, call Cross at (727) 729-5194 or visit www.2bfreealaskatravel.com.

Doctors join Heart & Vascular Institute

Drs. Christopher J. Pastore and Anna Paszczuk have joined the Heart & Vascular Institute of Florida. They will be working at the Institute's Largo office at 1345 West Bay Drive.

Pastore is a graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston. He completed his internship and residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and served as chief medical resident of the Harvard-affiliated West Roxbury VA Medical Center. He completed his cardiology fellowship at Tufts-New England Medical Center and his interventional cardiology fellowship at Lahey Clinic Medical Center.

Paszczuk is a graduate of Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. She completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She completed her cardiovascular fellowship at the Hospital of University of Pennsylvania. She specializes in echocardiograpy, nuclear and CT/MRI Imaging.

The Heart & Vascular Institute has offices in Safety Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Largo and New Port Richey. It is affiliated with Largo Medical Center, Mease Dunedin Hospital, Mease Countryside Hospital, Morton Plant Hospital, Sun Coast Hospital, Morton Plant North Bay Hospital and Hospitals of HCA West Florida.

Oldsmar company earns recognition

S&S Electric, a third-generation family owned and operated electric contracting company, has been selected as one of the 2007 top 30 structured wiring dealers in North America by CE Pro Magazine and TechHome Builder Magazine.

This is the fourth consecutive year the company has received the honor that celebrates U.S. and Canadian home technology contracting firms specializing in high-volume integration. Structured wiring systems used high-speed, high-performance wiring and connectivity to provide the electronic foundation for a home.

The 60-year-old business is at 105 Douglas Road E, Oldsmar.

Business seminars, classes, assistance

- Pinellas County Business Development Center, 13805 58th St. N, Suite 1-200, in the Icot Business Center near Largo. Programs are free and meet from noon to 2 p.m. To speak with a business counselor or register for classes and seminars, call (727) 453-7200.

How to Start a Business meets every Wednesday. The introductory workshop offers information on how to conduct feasibility studies, develop business plans and obtain licenses and permits to be a legal business in Pinellas County.

Understanding Entrepreneurship meets the first Thursday of each month. Find out if you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur and discover the challenges and rewards of owning your own business. Evaluate your business acumen.

Understanding Accounting and Tax Procedures meets the second Thursday of each month. The seminar is designed to help small-business owners understand proper record keeping and accounting methods to satisfy federal and state requirements for taxes and payrolls.

Marketing Your Small Business meets the third Thursday of each month.

Financing Your Business meets the fourth Thursday of each month.

-Business Assistance Center at the Palm Harbor Library, 2330 Nebraska Ave. Meets from 1 to 3 p.m. every Tuesday and also from 5 to 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month. For an appointment, call (727) 784-4287.

The center provides information on starting and growing a business in Pinellas County. Assistance includes business plan development, permitting, zoning, government-regulations information and more. The center also provides information to assist local companies looking to export products and foreign companies wanting to establish operations in Pinellas County.

* * *

This Tuesday, a free "Technology Fair" is planned for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the library. Lunch will be served, followed by presentations on basic accounting tasks with Quick Books software, working with Microsoft Excel, library database sources, government database sources and how to promote business on line.

Registration deadline is today. To register, or for more information, call the Palm Harbor Chamber of Commerce at (727) 784-4287.

News of businesses and business people can be faxed to the Business Digest at 445-4119, e-mailed to cosdon@sptimes.com or mailed to Business Digest, 710 Court St., Clearwater, Fl 33756. We are interested in new and unusual businesses, promotions, expansions, commercial sales and major new contracts. Photos can be mailed or e-mailed by jpeg file.

[Last modified October 19, 2007, 00:09:24]