Is It Time to Start Your Sauna Business? Here’s How to Tell
More and more people around the world are discovering the profound effects that a good sauna can bring to their own well being as well as their community. With something that’s so beneficial it’s only natural that leaders will emerge to do the courageous work of offering sauna to the public in the form of a business.
You might just be one of these leaders. If you are, you most likely have a story. Whether it’s the profound experience you had in Finland, incredible conversations that unite people in your local gym sauna, a marked transformation in your own health, or a cultural practice that’s been sewn into the fiber of your being.
Everyone has their own unique story that brings them to this space, but one thing unites those who are successful: they feel called.
Everyone has their own unique story that brings them to this space, but one thing unites those who are successful: they feel called.
That calling doesn’t fade. It gets louder. And eventually, you start following it. You begin reading, exploring, and taking notes. Maybe you’ve built a deck, started a spreadsheet, sketched something out on a napkin. You open tabs about zoning, pricing, or Finnish design, and before you know it, your evenings are full of questions.
The truth is, a calling doesn’t turn into a business overnight. But there are signs that you’re ready to take the next step.
Here’s what we’ve seen in founders who are truly ready to build. Where do you see yourself?
1. You’ve Identified a Need Beyond Yourself
Your personal passion for sauna is a beautiful starting point. So is the desire to break out on your own, support your family, or build something that matters more than your current 9 to 5. But at its core, business is about solving problems for other people.
What’s powerful about sauna is how many modern problems it can address: stress, overwhelm, loneliness, tech fatigue, disconnection from nature or the body, the lack of third spaces that aren’t bars. Sauna, in many ways, is the balm people don’t know they need, until they experience it.
As the market grows and more spaces open, what will set your business apart is clarity around who you’re serving and why. That clarity doesn’t just help with messaging, it directly shapes your business model. The same sauna can take on entirely different forms depending on the problem it’s designed to solve.
Knowing the need you’re addressing isn’t just a nice story, it’s the foundation for a viable, resilient business.
2. You’ve Started to Clarify Who It’s For
Identifying the need your sauna business will address is a strong start. But getting specific about who you’re building it for is what brings your idea into focus.
It’s generous—and tempting—to say it’s for everyone. But in practice, “everyone” is no one. If you try to reach everyone, you’ll struggle to speak clearly to anyone. The businesses that resonate most deeply are the ones built with a specific community or archetype in mind.
This clarity isn’t about exclusion. It’s about resonance. The more specific you are, the sharper your decisions become: around design, pricing, programming, and marketing.
And beyond the brand strategy, there’s the business math. You want to be confident that when your doors open, there are enough of those people in your market to sustain the business.
3. You’ve Done Your Research
At some point, the idea stops being just a feeling, and you start looking for answers.
You’ve toured different sauna and thermic bathing spaces. You’re studying what others are doing, both locally and across the broader market, and starting to notice what’s missing. You’ve compared electric vs. wood-fired heat, reached out to builders or mentors, and maybe even gotten a few quotes. You’ve explored zoning, permitting, or utility requirements. You’ve started sketching out rough budgets, wondering, “Could I actually pull this off here?“
You’ve made some local connections or uncovered a site or opportunity that feels promising. You’re beginning to see more potential than roadblocks, more reasons to build than reasons to wait.
You don’t have every answer. But you’ve asked enough questions to know this idea has weight.
And when your research raises more questions than it answers? That’s usually the sign you’re ready for guidance.
4. You’ve Had a Financial Reality Check
We hear big dreams all the time. Beautiful, ambitious visions of what sauna can be. But no matter how inspiring the idea, if there’s no strategy to fund it, it’s not going anywhere.
It’s awesome to have a $3.5 million vision. But it’s even better to have a financial plan that backs it up. The truth is: if you can tell us your budget, we can usually tell you what scale you’re positioned to build.
If you’re creating a full-scale, brick-and-mortar facility, you’re likely starting around $500K and that number can easily climb into the millions. Launching something sustainable under $50K is extremely difficult. Even the most basic commercial mobile saunas often cost $20 to 30K before you’ve touched permitting, site prep, or utilities.
In many cases, starting smaller is not just smart, it’s strategic.
If you’ve never opened a business like this before and don’t have the capital to fund it yourself, it will be harder to convince others to invest. Not impossible, but the bar is higher. Your ability to pitch the vision, build confidence, and rally support needs to be strong. That’s where your clarity on concept (Point #1), audience (Point #2), and research (Point #3) becomes critical.
That’s why, in many cases, starting smaller is not just smart, it’s strategic. It gives you the chance to prove your concept, build experience, and operate at a scale that fits your current budget or at least requires less fundraising.
By now, maybe you’ve gathered quotes, talked to a lender, priced out land, or explored partnerships. You’re beginning to understand what it takes. Not just creatively, but financially.
You’re moving from hope to clarity. From assumptions to strategy.
And that’s a sign of real readiness.
5. You’ve Taken It as Far as You Can on Your Own
You’ve done the thinking, the sketching, the spreadsheeting. You’ve put in real hours, maybe even invested in early branding, built your own sauna, or secured a piece of land. But now you’re circling the same questions and starting to feel the limits of solo progress.
This isn’t a sign you’re not ready. It’s a sign you’ve reached the edge of what you can build alone.
And here’s something every founder has to learn:
You’re not going to run this business by yourself.
In fact, you can’t.
Your role isn’t to know everything. It’s to lead. To shape the vision, set the tone, and bring the right people in at the right time. You’ll need designers. Builders. Consultants. Frontline staff. Legal and compliance experts. As your business grows, your job will be less about doing everything and more about surrounding yourself with people who can do it better than you.
This is the difference between a side hustle and a sustainable business.
One you carry alone. The other you build with others.
That shift out of solo mode and into team mode is one of the most important steps in your journey.
It’s how real businesses get built.
6. You Don’t Want to Learn the Hard (and Expensive) Way
Sauna might be exploding in popularity but when it comes to actually building a public-facing sauna business, there aren’t many places to turn for real guidance. There’s no plug-and-play playbook. No guaranteed blueprint. You might even be the only person you know who’s seriously thinking about doing this.
At some point, it hits you: the startup costs are real, and the stakes are higher than you imagined. Without proper guidance, it’s easy to waste time, spend money in the wrong places, or miss critical steps that could have been avoided with the right support.
This is the moment when many founders start craving more than encouragement. You want real insight from people who’ve done this before. You want to avoid preventable mistakes. You want to ask questions that Google can’t answer.
You’re also starting to recognize the value of a strong network not just emotionally, but financially. The right connection could save you thousands. The right conversation could shorten your timeline by months. You don’t just want advice. You want alignment, perspective, and feedback that moves things forward.
Realizing that isn’t a weakness. It’s a sign you’re ready to build smarter, not just harder.
7. You’re Not Afraid to Ask for Help
By now, you’ve probably realized that building a sauna business isn’t just about heat and design. It’s about building a functioning, sustainable operation and accepting you can’t do that alone.
Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a strategic move. The founders who build things that last are the ones who know when to get input, who to call, and how to lean on people with more experience.
Maybe you’ve already reached out to a builder. Maybe you’ve asked someone to look over your numbers. Maybe you’ve had a conversation with a mentor or a friend who runs a different kind of business. You’re starting to see how valuable it is to have someone challenge your assumptions, ask better questions, or point out what you didn’t know you were missing.
This kind of humility isn’t a liability. It’s leadership.
And the more complex your business becomes, the more important it will be to rely on others who can help you navigate what’s ahead.
Asking for help isn’t just something you’re willing to do.
It’s something you’re learning to do well.
8. You’re Ready to Go All In
Your life might feel full. Your schedule might be packed. Maybe you’re balancing work and family, managing other responsibilities, or holding down something stable while this idea keeps growing in the background. But still, this idea keeps tapping you on the shoulder.
You’ve tried to ignore it, or at least postpone it. You’ve told yourself, “I’ll move on it when things slow down.” But deep down, you know this isn’t going away. Something in you is shifting. And you’re starting to feel like now might actually be the time.
You’re done waiting for the perfect time.
Because deep down, you know it doesn’t exist.
The decision to engage intentionally is a sign you’re ready for what’s next.
When our founder Justin Juntenen started Cedar & Stone, he wasn’t just chasing a wellness trend; he was looking for something he could commit the next few decades of his life to. That kind of clarity doesn’t always show up in one lightning-bolt moment. Sometimes it shows up as a slow, steady willingness to take the next step.
You’re not 100% ready. But you’re willing to move.
You’re not certain. But you’re serious.
And that’s what matters.
You’re at a threshold. Not just of an idea, but of a new chapter.
And whether you move forward fast or slow, bravely or cautiously, the decision to engage intentionally is a sign you’re ready for what’s next.
You don’t need to be certain to be committed. And right now, you are.
Feeling Ready? Let’s Talk.
You don’t need to check every box on this list to move forward.
But the more of these signs you recognize in yourself, the more prepared you’ll be to build something real.
If you see yourself in this, it might be time to take the next step.
At Cedar & Stone, one of the ways we support early-stage sauna entrepreneurs is through the Sauna Business Accelerator. It’s not a course. It’s not a template. It’s a space for clarity, feedback, and serious forward motion.
“The education from you and Cedar and Stone has been instrumental in getting me through the hurdles.”
It’s designed for people who are ready to build with purpose and who know this idea deserves more than the back burner.
If that’s where you are, let’s have a conversation.
Here’s the link to book an interview where we’ll talk about what you’re working toward, what’s in the way, and whether this is the right time and the right path for you.
And if it turns out you’re not ready yet? That’s okay too.
We’ll be here when you are.
