A COO’s Hot Take on Some Cool Results
A Duo of PrimePay Technology at Work
Founded in 2012, Icebox Cryotherapy has been providing clients with health and wellness services in Icebox’s own “version of cool.” With 22 current U.S. locations and many locations forthcoming, the organization serves a broad demographic by providing non-invasive technologies focusing on recovery, inflammation reduction, pain reduction, and skin health.
Allison Adams, Icebox’s Chief Operating Officer, has been with the company for nine years. Over this timeframe, she has played a major role in Icebox’s franchise growth from one to 22 locations. Her goals include making Icebox franchisees more profitable in every aspect of their business.
“Data is the most important aspect of any business. You don’t know what you don’t know, and we really needed a way to help franchisees make decisions on their business to make them more profitable,” noted Allison.
With innumerable data points and a quickly growing franchisee base, Allison knew that technology was needed to help combine the data insights, analytics, and operational efficiencies that would make Icebox franchisees even more successful.
Two technologies from the same company made this a reality. In 2023, the company implemented ProfitKeeper by PrimePay, and in 2024, they launched a multiyear partnership that made PrimePay the exclusive preferred payroll provider for its franchisees.
How Does ProfitKeeper by PrimePay Help Icebox?
Ease of Use for Both Franchisees and the Corporate Team
ProfitKeeper allows franchise data to be managed in one place by rapidly aggregating all financial, point-of-sale, and operational data into a single reference source. This compiled data can then deliver the actionable insights an organization needs to drive growth.
However, a platform’s output is only as strong as a platform’s input. Previous users of a leading financial reporting software, Icebox knew that a technology for franchise financial analysis not only had to provide powerful analytics, but it also needed to be easy for franchisees to utilize. “If it’s super complicated, they’re not going to do it. And if they don’t do it, it doesn’t work,” said Allison.
Once onboard with ProfitKeeper, the Icebox team found the ease they were seeking. “You’re making it simple for them, and your support team has been amazing with the trainings and the automated emails that go out every week. It helps us be more efficient than it used to be,” noted Allison.
Benchmarking Benefits
With a goal of reducing payroll expenses where possible, the Icebox team knew that data insights and analytics were necessary to drive decision-making for franchise owners. Visibility to the key data was critical to “give us an idea of what’s going on in their profitability and be able to recognize any issues before they become big issues,” noted Allison.
The Icebox team identified opportunities with some franchisees where they were overspending on payroll or other expenses that could be more closely controlled. But empowering the franchisees to analyze the KPIs and identify outlier drivers was the ice-ing on the cake.
“Instead of them sending us their P&L every month or every quarter, we really wanted to seek out something that could help us stay ahead of it, help them stay ahead of it, and help them benchmark themselves,” said Allison. “They can see where they stand in the mix of things and we haven’t had that visibility until now.”
How Does PrimePay Payroll Help Icebox?
Building a Relationship
Icebox had been referring its franchisees to a large leading payroll provider in the past, but they were frustrated with the provider’s turnover and support structure. “They had no idea who I was, or the person was not there anymore. It just wasn’t very personable and we’re a relationship business,” said Allison.
Icebox was looking for a true partner who would provide a consistent point of contact for the organization and its franchisees. When Icebox signed a preferred payroll partnership agreement with PrimePay in 2024, it kicked off the hands-on support they sought with a dedicated point of contact for the company.
As new franchisees frequently onboard, Icebox is delighted to have that single connection to PrimePay to assist. “When they’re in that phase of starting payroll, it’s crunch time for them, and they are about to open. The last thing they need is some crazy headache of ‘Who am I talking to?’ and ‘What do I need?’ before being passed around to 12 different people,” said Allison.
Efficiencies Gained
Feeling fully supported is a breath of icy fresh air for the team. Additionally, with PrimePay Payroll, franchisees can run payroll in under 10 minutes, allowing them to focus on running the business.
As a new franchisee herself, Allison remarked on the need to make it easy to utilize the platform. As she onboarded her franchise with PrimePay Payroll, she realized “it was a great opportunity to learn more about the process.” For example, she notes, “the employee onboarding is great, with the capability of sending the I-9 and all paperwork in one package. You have it completed, and it’s automatically saved in their file. It’s really easy.”
These efficiencies help save more than just time. According to the U.S. government, failure to properly comply with Form I-9 requirements may expose the violator to civil money penalties. These penalties increased in 2024 and can range from $281 to $2,789 for I-9 paperwork violations.
With the powerful technology duo of PrimePay Payroll and ProfitKeeper, Icebox franchisees simplify their payroll and gain valuable analytics to support growth and to accelerate profitability. “It’s all at the same company. Having a central point of contact is huge,” said Allison.