Some of our readers may recall that the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids Salon Franchise in Albuquerque was voted Best of the City in 2014, 2015 AND 2016. We are excited to say that they've done it again, and have been voted by readers as Albuquerque The Magazine's Best of the City for 2017! This is quite an honor to be sure, as numerous votes were cast in order to spotlight those businesses, organizations, restaurants, and people that help make Albuquerque such a great place to live!

Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids in Albuquerque is noted as not being just another kids' salon, but as a unique place where mounted cars for styling chairs, televisions and Xbox games at every station help make the haircutting experience fun and special. Additionally, Shear Madness also has an award-winning YOUniquey Boutiquey where kids and parents can shop a fantastic selection of toys, jewelry, kids hair products, hair accessories and more. And to top it off, by mixing in ShEAR Dazzled Ear Piercing (a unique ear piercing experience), the La De Da Spa, themed parties, and a great styling staff - customers are sure to find something to bring a smile to their face! 

Kimberly Abeyta, owner of the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids in Albuquerque says that, "We are grateful for being voted 'Best of the City Children’s Salon' 4 years in a row! Thank You Albuquerque for making Every Child Matter!" Kimberly also notes how hard the Shear Madness team works to bring smiles to their customer's faces each and every day by building up personal relationships and striving to create a special memory and fun atmosphere for kids and parents alike. Additionally, Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids in Albuquerque has really perfected the art of not only giving a great haircut, but also hosting fabulous kids Birthday parties! For example, the spa party concept has been a real hit in Albuquerque. Girls are treated to wearing spa robes, getting mini manis, twisty updos, glittery makeup, and a glitter tattoo. They sing Karaoke and get to choose a headband from the YOUniquey boutiquey to take home!

Janon Otto, CEO of Shear Madness Franchising noted that, "Shear Madness in Albuquerque has always been so concerned with excellent customer service since day one!  We are so proud of this store, the stylists are excellent, the parties - the best, and now they are doing an excellent job with ear piercing as well!  We see this store continuing to build its clientele and remaining - The Best in Albuquerque!"

In his book START WITH WHY, Simon Sinek tells the story of a group of American car executives who went to see a  Japanese assembly line. At the end of the line the doors were put on the hinges just like in America. However, something was missing. In America the workers at the end of the line tapped the door with a rubber mallet to make sure the doors lined up properly. In Japan that job did not seem to exist. Confused, the American auto executives asked at what point they made sure the doors fit perfectly. The Japanese guide looked at them and smiled sheepishly, "we make sure it fits when we design it". You see, in the Japanese auto plant they didn't examine the problem and accumulate data to figure out the best solution - they engineered the outcome they wanted from the beginning. If they didn't achieve the desired outcome, they understood it was because of a decision they made at the start of the process. 

• How many hours will I need to work and how will that change my lifestyle? 
• How much money can I reasonably expect to make for the money I invest? 
• Can I manage people and can I find enough workers for my franchise? 
• Is there a demand for the service in my area?
• Does the franchise I am considering have a proven track record of success?  
• Do they have the training and support that I need, when I need it?  
• If my franchise fails, will I be able to recover and still live comfortably?  

 

I recently met with a top-notch franchise consultant. He had developed a franchise system that he had built out and sold for a handy profit, hence his new business of being a "Franchise Consultant". Everyone wanted to know what his secret to success was. After two days of meetings with Bob (his name for the sake of this article) he finally told me the secret. As he was describing various franchisees, he told me about his best franchisee ever.  "Our best franchisees did about 2.5 to 3 million per year, but we had one guy in Milwaukee who did almost 5 million!"

What?! That's amazing! Of course, I wondered how in the world this guy in Milwaukee did it. I asked Bob about it, but it wasn't until 2 days later that he finally gave me the secret to this Milwaukee franchisees success. Bob simply said, "He worked harder then everyone else."  

There is only one thing that is inevitable in business ownership: the

1) Great leaders never jump to conclusions before knowing the facts that caused the crisis in  the first place. They access the damage and make whatever decisions are necessary to minimize it.   Remember that getting all sides of the story is important as sometimes the crisis may just be a missunderstanding!

2) Great leaders realize that everything they say could be magnified. Therefore they praise and encourage people, both in their presence and when they're not around. If they have a problem with someone, they seek to address them in private.

3) Great leaders accept a high level of personal responsibility. They never complain, make excuses, or blame others for their problems.

4) They walk the talk - not to put on a show - but because they have the integrity and values to be the leader, and exhibit the kinds of traits that make others want to follow! 

5) Great leaders are great listeners. They value what their employees and staff have to offer and they recognize that they are the "team" that makes the business run. They understand that the people  are the most valuable asset the company has. 

Many business owners will often take a look at their business and ask, "how can I grow?". Friends will look at them and say "Hey!  You ought to franchise!".  Sounds good - franchise your business!  Easy, right?!  Just find some people who want to do what you do, teach them to do it, and then sit back and collect all that royalty! Wow - So Easy!

WRONG!  Running a franchise is work!  It is running a business that is totally different than the business that you are franchising. If you're someone who is thinking of starting a franchise, or buying into one, you'll want to remember the list of the seven important things that the franchisor had better be offering their franchisees. If they aren't, then the system is not worth doing or investing in!

1.  Putting franchisee profits first!  

2.  Staying current with all marketing methods, evaluating them as they relate to the franchise business, and teaching franchisees about them.

3.  Continuing to develop the concept so that it stays up to date with the times and trends.

4.  Developing standards to help all franchisees evaluate their success or areas that need improvement. As an example from a salon business standpoint, this would be such relevant information as how many haircuts should a stylist perform in a given time period, how to figure out what to pay your stylists, what products to offer in your store, etc.?

5.   Developing benchmarks  for success.  How is each franchise doing compared to others in the system?  Are all franchisees given access to the best information?

6.   Continually developing new content that potential customers see as fresh.  Website, social media platforms, in store materials, etc.

7.   Constantly improving franchisee support - both access, systems, & communication.

Shear Madness Franchising franchises Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids salons. We have worked with franchise stores in providing franchisee support (in order to encourage continual growth), and have sometimes seen the unexpected happen!  When it does, we help by identifying and helping with challenges that might arise for franchisees. Additionally, we work to present options that can help prevent these events as well. As many franchise owners may not have opened a business before, having someone who can advise them is a significant advantage of franchise ownership!

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Are you interested in learning how YOU can join the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids family and run your own successful small business? We are one of the fastest growing kids hair salon franchise systems in the industry today! If you would like to learn more about small business marketing, great marketing strategies, resources for small businesses, how to grow a small business, or how to become a successful owner of your own kids hair salon franchise business, please click below or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD

As the Director of Franchising here at Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids, one of the first questions I usually get asked is, “How much money can I make?” My response is always muted because the FTC doesn't allow us to answer that question. However, for those of you reading this who are new to franchising, you can find the answer to that question in the Disclosure Documents in Item 19 that you receive from a prospective franchise. Also, some franchises may choose to disclose those numbers but have the right not to, so that really depends on the franchise you are looking at. But at the end of the day, my typical response is to answer a question with a question, which is, “How hard are you willing to work?”

Most franchisors will tell you that the biggest variable in any franchise system is the owner operator. Take Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids as an example. The store was opened by Paula Thurman in 1997. Since then, Paula has run the concept in many different economic environments, all kinds of weather and all kinds of major events. Through it all, the store has made money! But the bottom line is it still took hard work and perseverance. From moving the location three times to, to staffing the store properly, to delivering the kind of customer service that all small businesses need to deliver. This brings me right back to the question I get asked in regards to how much money can be made at running a franchise. I'm not trying to over simplify this in any way or tell you that any one concept or system is perfect - including ours at Shear Madness. What I am trying to tell you is that regardless of the franchise you select, it's going to take a lot of hard work, a lot of perseverance, and maybe a little luck to succeed! So the answer to the question of “how much money can I make” always begins with the owner and operator of the business. Unfortunately, franchising is not a failsafe business model, and it will still rely on the concept, location, marketing and many other variables for the business to succeed and prosper. But the most important factor is the owner operator, and that could be why your franchise is not making money!

Shear Madness Franchising franchises Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids salons. We have worked with franchise stores in providing franchisee support (in order to encourage continual growth), and have sometimes seen the unexpected happen!  When it does, we help by identifying and helping with challenges that might arise for franchisees. Additionally, we work to present options that can help prevent these events as well. As many franchise owners may not have opened a business before, having someone who can advise them is a significant advantage of franchise ownership!

Are you interested in learning how YOU can join the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids family and run your own successful small business that provides a positive experience in helping children and their families? We are one of the fastest growing kids hair salons in the industry today! If you would like to learn more about small business marketing, great marketing strategies, resources for small businesses, how to grow a small business, or how to become a successful owner of your own kids hair salon franchise business, please click below or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD!

People are requesting information about our franchise on a daily basis. The two most often asked questions I get are, “how much does it cost?” and “how much can I make?” These are questions that most interested franchise buyers have the right to know. If I may, I'd like to offer prospective buyers a question that would answer the other two and save everyone a lot of due diligence and research. You see, I think the most important question that franchise buyers should ask is, “How many of your locations have closed?”

Closing locations are the BIG RED FLAG of franchising. Why? Closing locations are a sign of several franchising problems.

Number one (and the one most people don’t ask enough) is that closings are caused because the franchise may not make enough money. This may not even be the fault of the franchisor, it’s just that it may not be a franchisable business model with enough demand from its customers. Remember: most franchising systems need several key components to be successful. The system must be easily taught to someone else, and that person in turn can teach it to someone else. Most successful franchising models create a recurring revenue model that continuous to expand and produce more and more revenue over time. That’s called scalability.

Number two is that closed locations can be a sign of poor support and training. Franchisors that don’t properly train and then support their franchisees usually suffer from lots of closed franchise locations. Running a business is hard and franchise systems that don’t help get their franchises “over the hump” and through the most difficult part of business, the startup, usually have closed locations.

So how do you know how many of a franchisor’s locations have closed?

The FTC requires that a franchise list all of their closings in the back of their Franchise Disclosure Document (also known as the FDD). If there are no closings listed, then make sure that you ask the franchisor to make sure. Under the FTC’s guide for buying a franchise, which you can find online, they'll say that if the numbers show that more than a few franchised outlets have closed, transferred to new owners, or transferred to the franchisor - then it could be due to problems with the franchsor’s support or because franchises aren’t profitable. 

This is not to say that there is a franchising system that exists with no closings. All franchising systems have locations that close. Running a business is hard and it takes lots of time, effort and perseverance to succeed, no matter how good the systems are. Plus, many people just lack the skill it takes to run a business. But if it were me, I'd always be sure to ask the question, “how many of your locations have closed?” Asking that one question will save you a lot of time and money!

Shear Madness Franchising franchises Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids salons. We have worked with franchise stores in providing franchisee support (in order to encourage continual growth), and have sometimes seen the unexpected happen!  When it does, we help by identifying and helping with challenges that might arise for franchisees. Additionally, we work to present options that can help prevent these events as well. As many franchise owners may not have opened a business before, having someone who can advise them is a significant advantages of franchise ownership!

Are you interested in learning how YOU can join the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids family and run your own  small business? We are one of the fastest growing kids hair salons and franchise systems in the industry today! If you would like to learn more about small business marketing, great marketing strategies, resources for small businesses, business tips, how to grow your small business, or how to become a owner of your own kids hair salon franchise business, please click below or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD!

What are prospective franchise buyers looking for when it comes to buying into a franchise system? We opened this question up to some of our Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids franchisees, and this is some of the feedback we received. We hope it helps you as much as it did us!

1. Communication is Key: It may seem like a given, but it's true! Franchise communication is important through all aspects of franchising - from being able to effectively communicate with customers, to being able to have great communication channels between potential area developers, franchisors, franchisees, and everyone in between. As such, franchise buyers should be looking for a communication system that ensures consistency and timeliness of communication. Similarly, a means by which franchisees throughout the system can easily and effectively communicate with each other is also very helpful. Many franchisees join a franchise for the systems and support, so it's critical they get it!

2. Process Support and Education: Running your own franchise can be a challenging, yet rewarding experience. That's why when a Franchisee needs help, especially during the start-up phase, there's a tried-and-true system in place that gives them the support they need. This includes great communication channels with the franchisor and other franchisees, as well as franchise training provided through conferences and monthly meetings.

3. First Class Marketing: Franchisees want to know their marketing dollars are going toward creative, expressive messages that effectively reach their customers and help build their business. Some of these marketing efforts might include social media advertising, traditional advertising (newspapers, magazines, ads in sporting venues), posters for the store to use, banners for outdoor advertising, and much more!

4. Transparency: Franchisees want to clearly see evidence of the franchisor's support of the franchisee's efforts to attain and maintain success. There needs to be the feeling in the franchisee's heart that every day, everyone is working towards success.

5. Independence, Flexibility and Personal Challenge: Many franchisees are seeking to escape the politics, rigidity and frustration of working for others. But they also don't want the risk and harsh learning curve of trying to start a business entirely on their own. Franchisees are also highly motivated by achieving results directly linked to their own creativity and hard work. A successful franchise system allows for all these things!

6. Respect: Each franchisee is going to have different motivations, but ultimately they need to be treated like business owners, and not employees. Franchisees desire the respect of friends, family and peers, and are often a helpful force in the development of new initiatives and programs. Their experience and desire to succeed can also identify emerging trends in their respective industries.

7. Making a Difference: Franchisees often treat their staff as extended members of their own family, and take pride in helping them grow personally and professionally. They also get great satisfaction in helping customers and making a contribution to their local communities!

8. Utilizing Expertise: A franchisee wants to leverage upon the expertise of a franchisor, as well as using the name of an established brand that a franchisor has acquired. A franchisee also expects the franchisor to provide assistance in helping with staffing, training, business planning, operational and business related troubleshooting. This is so the franchisee can accomplish their business goals through an organized business mechanism in the minimum possible time!

There you have it!  If you are evaluating several franchise opportunities this will give you an idea of what to ask about!

Are you interested in learning how YOU can join the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids family and run your own successful small business? We are one of the fastest growing kids hair salon franchise systems in the industry today! If you would like to learn more about small business marketing, great marketing strategies, resources for small businesses, how to grow a small business, or how to become a successful owner of your own kids hair salon franchise business, please click below or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD!