Beth Nilssen
August 26, 2021 / Great Advice

Best Advice I’ve Heard: 4 Franchisees Tell All

The end of this month is National Franchise Appreciation Day—yes, it’s a real thing on August 29th. At Great Clips, we’ll be active on social media that day to shine a spotlight on franchisees who represent the best of what it takes to be a successful Great Clips franchisee. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to see our posts that day.

One of the best parts of being a Great Clips franchisee is how much franchisees support each other. This occasion seems like the perfect time to ask a few to tell us about the best advice they’ve received from another Great Clips franchisee.

Mark Blessing has been a Great Clips franchisee since 2003. He owns 13 salons in the Dallas-Ft. Worth and Abilene markets.

Best advice from a Great Clips franchisee: Align your policies with your culture.

“I had an a-ha moment when I heard another franchisee talk about their sick policy, which is based on compassion: The stylist who is sick posts to a group chat, and the group helps come up with a solution. I realized I wanted to promote a similar culture of kindness, so we recently implemented a new policy that reflects that, and the stylists love it. These are the kinds of policies that go a long way in creating a positive culture in your organization.”

MORE: Is Great Clips Right For You?

Sami Wahba owns four salons in the Toronto market. He became a Great Clips franchisee in 2014.

Best advice from a Great Clips franchisee: Sleep? What’s sleep?

“Maybe this piece of advice was actually a word of warning: As with any new venture, you will spend many sleepless nights wondering, ‘Am I making the right decision? Is it smart or crazy?’ At least I knew I wasn’t alone, especially once I learned just how much Great Clips as a franchisor supports its franchisees. After that sunk in, I started sleeping very well, and stopped second guessing my decision to take that leap into business ownership.”

John Varga owns 14 salons in Phoenix and Palm Springs. He has been a Great Clips franchisee since 1997.

Best advice from a Great Clips franchisee: Keep at it.

“I would hear about franchisees who had record sales weeks or who just purchased a lot of salons, and at that time, it was a challenge for me to manage just the three I had. I happened to email a long-time franchisee after an event. She wrote back and, sensing my worry, told me I was valuable and to keep at it. It was exactly the bit of motivation I needed to push through those days of uncertainty. Now we have 13 salons.”

MORE: Day in the Life of a Great Clips Franchisee

Jackie Sawyer, a Great Clips franchisee since 2016, owns five salons in North Carolina.

Best advice from a Great Clips franchisee: Follow the system.

“I was really scared when I first became a franchisee, especially about the finances, as I didn’t have a lot of experience with that side of business ownership prior to becoming a franchisee. But other franchisees kept telling me: ‘Don’t get complacent. Be consistent. Follow the system. If you do that, you’ll be successful.’ Well, I now volunteer to share about my experiences as a franchisee with others outside the system, and guess what? I tell them the exact same thing!”

MORE: If you’re considering investing in a franchise business, check out the Great Clips Franchise website to find out how you can be part of this supportive and helpful community of walk-in salon business owners.

Beth Nilssen By Beth Nilssen on August 26, 2021
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