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More and more franchise businesses are popping up in the UK, which makes franchising the perfect route for anyone looking to become their own boss. There is a franchise opportunity to suit all budgets, interests and lifestyles.Just Cuts, a successful hairdressing franchise, has recently expanded in Britain. The hairdressing industry is one that has proven to be both Brexit and recession-proof, which makes it a low-risk industry for starting a business. Hairdressing generates approximately ÂŁ4.1 billion for the UK economy and this number is growing rapidly.
Amber Manning is an experienced and dynamic General Manager with an extensive career in franchising, not-for-profit and financial services. At just 20 years’ old, she was Australia’s youngest financial services Franchise Owner and Operator. Fourteen years on, Amber is General Manager and UK CEO at Just Cuts, the largest hairdressing franchise in the Southern Hemisphere, as they expand rapidly in this new market. In the below Q&A, she offers an excellent overview of the Just Cuts brand and why prospective franchisees should consider starting a business in the hairdressing industry.
Just Cuts has recently launched in the UK. What led you to make this exciting move?
We consider London to be the world centre for hair fashion, so bringing the franchise here was a proud moment for the Just Cuts team. In the past, we had British backpackers travel to Australia and New Zealand, looking to work in our salons. When the time came for them to depart, they’d ask, “When will Just Cuts be coming to the UK?” The demand was obviously there. It really was a case of right place-right time for our UK launch and to take a cut of the £4.1billion hair and beauty industry here.
To give you an idea of how closely linked Australia is with the UK in terms of business and culture, there are currently 1.3 million British citizens living in Australia and an estimated 142,000 Australian people now residing in the UK. With this in mind, we decided to operate a UK pilot to test our theory before launching the franchise in 2017.
What do you think makes Just Cuts so popular with your clients?
For our UK clients, in particular, I think the reasonable pricing of our services really appeals to them. Often, clients expect to pay four times what we charge for our Style Cut. We’re also able to offer a different experience for going to the hair salon with our app. Clients can check-in on the app and continue shopping until it’s their turn in the chair. They get a text to say when the chair is available – we make the process as simple and convenient as possible for them.
We also offer our full range of haircare products, JUSTICE Professional, which are exclusively available from our salons and from our dedicated online product site. The products include everyday shampoos and conditioners, anti-dandruff and dry scalp treatments, toning products, nourishing leave-in treatments, as well as a range of hair styling waxes and sprays. Like the reasonable cost of our services, the price point of our haircare range is really affordable too. Products start from as little as ÂŁ6, allowing for a wider demographic of clients to invest in salon-quality products. Our competitors often charge over double that for basic shampoo and conditioner ranges, so I think that helps differentiate us from other brands.
Many are surprised to know that you don’t need hairdressing experience to be a Just Cuts franchise owner – many of our franchise owners have never even worked in a salon before! A combination of comprehensive training and quality recruitment means we equip our franchise owners with the tools needed to make a success of their Just Cuts franchise. Team leaders are brought in to support franchise owners with the hands-on, styling aspect of owning a salon, meaning they can concentrate on operations and business growth.
The perfect candidate for us is someone with ambition, dedication and a passion for customer service. We teach the rest. The majority of our network are actually multi-site owners, with two or more salons, so ambition is crucial. Our training and support are so comprehensive that our franchise model really appeals to those looking to own more than one site. Our first UK franchisee is already well on her way to launching her third salon – yet she still has the time to pick her daughters up from school!
What kind of training and support can new franchisees expect?
We provide mentorship and comprehensive training, which starts with a two-day new owner training session. This incorporates everything there is to know about the day-to-day operations of a salon, including retailing, marketing, social media and team acquisition. We then support our franchise owners in recruiting the best possible team leaders, stylists and support team.
Opening week consists of new team training and induction, role playing in the salon setting, salon setup and the implementation of a bespoke grand opening strategy. Ongoing opportunities include team leader training, retail empowerment events, franchise owner conferences and quarterly franchise owner meetings. We put a real emphasis on quality training because we pride ourselves on our clients’ salon experience. Although our franchise owners are responsible for their own business, we still have an excellent reputation to uphold. We like to set an example from the very beginning.
How do you help franchisees achieve a healthy work-life balance?
With many parents owning a Just Cuts franchise, we’re mindful of supporting flexible work schedules. We provide quality marketing support, throughout initial set-up and then for the life of the franchise, so our franchise owners can achieve a great work-life balance. The proof is in the pudding – the average Just Cuts franchise Owner spends less than 30 hours per week working on their business!
We’ve also got a bespoke online dashboard that franchise owners can use to keep an eye on their salon – from their mobile or desktop. They can see what is going on, who’s cutting at what time, how many cuts have been completed and the targets for the day and week. It gives franchise owners a live update on the salon in the palm of their hands.
Describe the 'Just Cuts' brand in one sentence.
Just Cuts is a hairdressing salon bridging the gap between an old-style barber and a high-end hair salon – and our fixed-price, no-appointment system is a convenient and practical solution for clients, offering them affordable Style Cuts from fully-qualified stylists.
Learn more about Just Cuts and their incredible franchise opportunity right here.