We think the best way to prepare for future marketing trends is to study the behavior of the demographics that will soon be the dominant buying power! Our goal as a franchising system is to stay ahead of this trend, and help our franchisees create creative marketing strategies to connect to our target market now, and in the future. But this is something that applies to all businesses and their owners  (who are looking for ways to be even more successful in their communities) - not just kids haircutting salons!

For example, in studying our website traffic, we've seen that most of it comes in from a mobile device or smartphone. What this tells us is that our customers are likely very internet savvy, and looking for information readily available about what we offer through social media, search engines or our web site. We also understand the importance of social media marketing and reviews - as well as word of mouth marketing, which continues to be one of the best ways customers can learn about what your business offers.

So how does this fit in with millennials? Between 18 and 35 years old, millennials are projected to outgrow baby bo0mers in population size by 2028. Wow! Furthermore, it's reported that millennials are spending an average of 25 hours a week online, and are using the internet to engage with others more than any other age group that came before. Plus, as around 25% of the US population is a millennial, experts are saying that at least 75% of the US workforce will be comprised of millennials by 2025! 

Essentially, millennials will be the bulk of your customer base over the next 10 years, with a huge amount of descretionary buying power resting in their hands. Furthermore, around 89% of millennials say that they trust recommendations from friends and family, versus claims made by a company. Remember what we said about word of mouth marketing and social media reviews? This is where that comes into play. About 44% of millennials are willing to promote, or voice concerns over products and services online through social media - with many of them saying that user generated content on a company website influences what they will or won't buy. 86% of millennials would rather read a blog written by someone to learn about a company, rather than reading an ad in newspaper or print. Pretty cool stuff.

So in conclusion, Millennials are hyper connected online, but seek out offline activities with companies that create a positive experience and add value to their lives. Plus, despite ad blocking, millennials are actually more open to receiving branded messages than older generations of consumers have typically been, provided that content is targeted to their needs and interests. When millennials have a great experience with a company, they get online and share that experience on social media (via pictures or videos) with hundreds of their friends. This is awesome for a business, as they can become your number one, absolutely free marketing department out there practically promoting your busines 24 hours, 7 days a week!

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 business success), 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!

Ask almost anyone who has opened their own franchise business, and they'll tell you that success rarely happens overnight! Building your store into a thriving business sometimes takes a healthy financial commitment, as well as patience, perseverance and of course - hard work! But after you've opened your first store, should you consider opening another? What about three or four? Or 25? In the world of franchising, with hard work and setting goals, you can achieve these dreams. But understandably, you have to make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew! 

While many franchisees may be perfectly happy with achieving success through opening one franchise location, opening multiple units requires certain abilities which may catch some people by surprise. For example, a franchisee will find that it's a completely different ball game managing multiple units. It's not like it was when they only had one store to worry about! Now, with many moving parts and employees to manage, a franchisee will need to step into a role more like that of a CEO (with managers, human resources and accounting staff to help grow the business). In other words, it'll be a lot more difficult and stressful to try to micro-manage every detail when multiple units are owned. This is where hiring the right people and trusting them to help you grow with multiple units is extremely important when pursuing this path. And sure, under a multi-unit model your employees might not do it exactly the way you would have done it, but as long as it's delivering the results, don't sweat it.  If you can get an employee to do it 80% of the way you would have - you have a great employee!

Additionally, a franchisee considering opening another store should make sure that they're not just falling prey to a "bigger is better" mentality. Because if a franchisee has opened 4 locations and 2 are losing money, it may end up being less profitable than having one or two stores that they're much more able to capably manage and grow - and ultimately make even more money than they would have made with 4 locations. Without the right systems in place for multi-unit ownership, it can become really difficult for one person to manage the growth of numerous locations, and the great customer service or experience that was once provided with just one or two stores might be an unfortunate casualty.

Location is another factor to consider when owning multiple units. Of course establishing a business in the right area to maximize profits is always key. But it's also good to be aware that the farther apart your franchise locations are from each other, the more challenging it might become to manage properly. Not only that, but distance might impact how much shipping or delivery of retail from your warehouse costs, which could cut into profit margins as well. 

And then there's those unexpected emergencies that might happen when you own more than one store. For example, what happens if one of the stores you've opened is located in a great area, but road construction for several months impacts the flow of customers? Because of this, it's sometimes a good idea to make sure that you have multiple ways to support the business in case of those scenarios that temporarily causes a dip in your profits. To illustrate this concept, consider a business owner who owns several book stores. In order to diversify incomes for unexpected financial situations, this owner also sells books online, hosts school book fairs, and perhaps works as a small publisher for local authors.

In the end, there's sure to be a lot of other valuable decisions to think about before investing the time, energy and monetary resources into multi-unit development. But with careful research, networking with other multiunit franchisees, and attending workshops or conferences, those business owners interested in the potential that this exciting avenue of franchising represents will be better equipped for whatever comes down the road!

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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 salons in the industry today! If you would like to learn more about this franchise opportunity or small business marketing, great marketing strategies, franchise development, resources for small businesses, how to grow your 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

The past several years have been EXCITING years for our team! Owning and operating a kid's shear madness salon franchise has it's share of hurdles and challenges, but we maintain a positive attitude and outlook as we keep pressing forward! It has been fun to see all our hard work paying off as we now celebrate having 10 locations open (with more on the way)! Our incredibly COOL salon concept for kids has franchise locations now in Lees Summit MO, Albuquerque NM, San Antonio Texas, McAllen Texas, Amherst New York, Humble Texas, West Des Moines and Ankeny Iowa and a NEW location in Lake Forest, California - all thanks to our dedicated and enthusiastic franchisees and our team. Now we would like to take a moment and recognize some of our fabulous franchise owners and their families. To our ever growing Shear Mad-tastic Family - here's to you!

Shear Madness Franchise Owners

Todd Danni: Todd has spent a career developing and managing a real estate portfolio in Buffalo, New York. In addition, Todd and a partner developed a successful Fitness Concept from two million in revenue to over 18 million when he was in his twenties. Most recently, Todd signed an Area Development Agreement to open multiple locations in New York State, Pittsburg, PA and Cleveland Ohio - with his first store opening in Amherst, New York! “We are excited to bring Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids to the East coast,” said Todd Danni. “We feel like Shear Madness has a unique business model and we look forward to expanding the concept in the northeast.”  Todd is opening his second location in August of this year!

Andrew and Mary Elmasri: Andrew and Mary signed an Area Development Agreement covering 5 counties in Southern California, with their first store opening in Lake Forest, California! Doctor Andrew Elmasri of Lake Forest, California, is a managing partner of California Children’s Salons, LLC and President of CA Anesthesia of Laguna Niguel California. “We have a growing demographic of young families in Southern California, and we are excited to bring the unique concept Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids offers to this area,” commented Elmasri. “After visiting with management in Kansas City earlier this year, we feel like the opportunities for positive expansion is a great fit for our area.”

Jackie Perkins: As a former supervising manager of a Fortune 500 company in the Oil and Gas industry, Jackie was interested in more than just a business - she was looking for an opportunity to use her talents and business skills. Several of Jackie’s friends owned Franchises, which gave her added motivation to start her own business. Drawn to Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids for their fun and positive model, Jackie now has her own amazing store in the Humble/Kingwood, Texas area! Jackie is having fun with her new location and currently has her eyes on a location for her second location!

Brenda and Eduardo Morales: Our very first Shear Madness franchise owners, this couple opened their first salon in San Antonio TX at the Village in Stone Oak in San Antonio, TX in November 2012. Brenda and Eduardo have faithfully endured many of the early franchising growing pains with good humor and a willingness to learn. Their store has steadily seen growth despite the tough competition in their area. Their birthday parties have been a very successful addition to their haircutting business. We are so grateful for this caring, enthusiastic, and extremely hard working couple.

Michelle and Tom Vick: This couple came to us in 2012 looking for an opportunity to grow our concept in a brand new market in Albuquerque NM. To our delight, Shear Madness in Albuquerque, NM opened in October 2013 with much local anticipation and enthusiasm! Their salon is steadily growing, and with the help of their Fantastic Staff they are successfully building a great reputation with their local people. They also own a construction company. Shear Madness provides diversity to their income.

Elsy and Jorge Garcia : Owners of the Shear Madness at the Forum in San Antonio, TX, this couple moved to the United States from Monterrey, Mexico. Opening their first Shear Madness location while moving their family and and enrolling 4 children in school was challenging - but worth the effort. They have a super location in a high traffic area with fantastic stylists! Their store has been converted completely from a previous children's hair salon into a fantastic Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids!

Erin Nanke: Erin was a full time marketing executive for a large television station and owner of our new location which opened November 2013 in West Des Moines, IA! Her store sits across from Jordan Creek Mall in West Des Moines, and across from the popular local favorite Scratch Cupcakery. Partly due to her incredible location and partly to her mega marketing skills, this franchisee is building her salon into "the place to be" in Des Moines, Iowa! Erin also opened a second location in Ankeny, Iowa! We are honored to have such knowledgable and determined franchisees on our team.

Our Franchisees in McAllen TX: This young couple was super excited to open their first Shear Madness in McAllen, TX! They have a beautiful store that not only offers great haircuts - but cool retail too! It's definately the destination for lots of kids and their parents in the McAllen/Edinburg area. Be sure to check it out!

Janon and Jim Otto: This extremely hardworking husband and wife duo diligently work behind the scenes not only as Shear Madness franchisors, but as salon owners as well! They opened their first location in Lee's Summit, MO in May 2013, and have been successfully building their salon business since. This Madtastic couple sells, supports, oversees, and executes every aspect of Shear Madness Franchising, LLC. No detail is too big or too small for the Otto's. Jim and Janon strongly believe in the kid's hair salon concept and the future of Shear Madness.  The Otto's have just signed a lease to open their second location in Liberty, MO - so look for that in early summer!

Paula Thurman (far right): The founder of Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids, Paula Thurman has built her kid's hair salon and boutique concept to be what it has become today. As owner and operator for over 18 years, she is an expert when it comes to customer service, managing employees, payroll, retail, and many other salon related issues. Paula personally oversees all training for new franchise locations and their employees. She is committed to the success and vision of becoming the very Best Kid's Hair Salon Franchise - "The Standard by Which All Others are Measured!" Paula co-owns the original Shear Madness Haircut for Kids, Olathe, KS location.

Would you like to sign up for our Monthly newsletter? If so, click HERE!

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 this franchise opportunity or small business marketing, great marketing strategies, resources for small businesses, how to grow your 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

I was recently talking to a friend of mine about a recent food franchise that had failed after being open only six months. He said, “well the food wasn’t very good and the customer service was bad.” Well there’s a surprise! Of all the components that are most important to your long term success, having a well-trained and motivated staff is numero uno. Even more so than your process, and more than your product, having the right people in place is a must.

Signs of an undertrained staff that is ready to work are low productivity, being less efficient, less knowledgable, an inability to offer customer support, and in some cases they may even be unsafe! Does that sound good for business? Yet many franchisees buy a franchise and hire people who they think are going to love and care about the business. Unfortunately, many end up the like the food franchise that I started off talking about...closed for business. But here’s the thing, this is a nationally known chain with good food and a fun atmosphere - so therefore we can only assume that this inattentive owner failed at every level. From the cooks in the kitchen who were preparing the food, to the waiters and to the check-in staff.

Don’t waste your money buying a franchise if you can’t spend time getting to know and train the people who are going to work for you. They are the “face” of your business. That’s why at Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids we train our staff to answer the phone the same way every time, as that voice on the phone is the first impression of our business. We want all of our customers to know that we are “having a great day at Shear Madness!” Well trained employees know how to communicate, know how to listen, become self-motivated, know how to sell themselves and your business and know how to deal with stressful situations. And that makes for a business that you can be proud of!

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 business success), 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!

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!

Would you like to sign up for our Monthly newsletter? If so, click HERE!

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

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!

Many people that contact me are “romantically” attracted to our concept. They love the idea of a cute, fun and brightly colored place to take kids for a great haircut. Or I hear, “I love children, so I was really attracted to this." Now I am not saying that having an interest in our franchise concept because of your interest in working with kids is a bad thing. As a matter of fact, I would highly recommend that you invest your money, time and efforts into something that you feel passionate about. But our franchise, like most, is still a business, and will require a certain set of business skills to increase the probability of success. Whether you invest in a yogurt, burger, or salon business, it’s still going to come down to possessing certain business skills to succeed.  Here is our list of the top 3 skills needed to own and run a business:

1.  Communication Skills 
Your ability to communicate with others and “get the message across” about what your business is about to both employees and customers is critical. Everything in life begins with communication, and the ability that someone has to communicate is a big plus. Because time management and organizational skills can’t be taught in an operating manual, someone's ability to effectively execute a business plan becomes crucial. If a potential franchisee is unable to do this, then they may not be able to handle all the moving parts of running a business. Also, it's important to be flexible and adaptable. Rigidity has never worked in business! Now, of course I'm not saying to up and dump a system in favor of your own ideas. You have to follow the system. What I am talking about is the ability to handle a crisis when it arises, to shift gears and go a different direction on a moment’s notice, and to know when to be tough or to know when compassion is needed. Time management and organizational skills allows you to set a goal and reach it.

2.  Understanding the Need for Marketing 

Another great business skill to work at possessing a mastery over is in the area of marketing. Unfortunately, many new businesses fail because of a lack or understanding of effective marketing. Getting your name out in the community, building a loyal customer base and differentiating yourself from the competition can take a new business on average 3 to 5 years. Therefore whatever you anticipate spending on marketing you can pretty much double that amount. The busier your location becomes, the less you can spend on marketing. But getting that initial foot traffic can be costly. If you understand that this is a need and are willing to do the "work" - you should be successful.  A franchise system should provide lots of guidance in your marketing - they have seen it done numerous times and know what you get the most bang for your buck with.

In the initial stages of your business you must market to the masses. Once you have a client base you can save money by target marketing to your existing customers - or to new customers only.  You will have gathered customer information (i.e. email addresses, etc.) that will allow your to touch your client base more economically.

3.  Desire to Learn

Lastly, a desire to learn is also a really important mindset for a franchisee. Of course, everyone would like to learn about something - but great franchisees have the desire to learn. It’s not a chore; it’s something that brings satisfaction when the learned skill produces a favorable business outcome. Great business owners are made and not born, but having some of these basic skills are going to go a long way in determining your success or failure in a franchise!

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 your 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!

When you are looking for a franchise to buy, there's a lot of due diligence that needs to be done. One of the things that I would recommend that you look for is current franchisees who are opening up additional locations. When a franchisee is opening up additional units it tells you a couple of things, number one is that there's a very high likelihood that they are either making money with their first location or they feel comfortable with the support and training that they are getting and the trajectory that they are on to continue to expand. Scalability is one of the most important elements of franchise success and opening additional units is a great sign of scalability. Multi-unit owners are really important in franchise systems that don’t have a 10 or 20 year track record. Everyone knows that McDonalds, Taco Bell and Subway have expandable and scalable systems, but if you are buying into a newer franchise system the importance of multi-unit owners is magnified. A lot of this relates back to the issues that I have mentioned previously, namely a proven track record and the support and training that you receive from your franchisor. With everyone looking for a new and exciting franchise opportunity, looking for franchise systems where franchisees are opening up additional units is a great place to begin your search! 

Another good question to think about in regards to scalability and the growth of your business is the following: What do people consider a necessity rather than a luxury? Or put another way, if the economy slows down or even goes into a recession, will my franchise business survive? One example of this is how haircuts are something that most people consider a necessity and not an option, and no matter what the economy is doing hair is always growing - and it always needs to be cut! Child care is another one. People will always have a strong desire to have a family. If people spend money on anything in good times or bad, they will ALWAYS spend money on their kids. We can probably all think of companies whose products have either gone out of style or are no longer relevant. The most recent example is Blockbuster entertainment. The video rental store has been replaced by Netflix and other on demand movie services. Another example is Borders. Borders book stores unfortunately didn't keep up with Amazon's online book stores, and recently closed most of its locations as well.  Again, it's hard to imagine a time when hair care is no longer a need - no matter what happens with technology.

Lastly, when trying to determine how successful a potential franchise system really is, it's a good idea to contact franchises and talk to the franchisors, look at the Franchise Disclosure documents and the Franchise Agreement, and compare business models. For example, 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 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 your 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!

Despite franchising being a safer way of doing business, it doesn't mean that it's risk free! Because of this, it's important when researching franchises to carefully look at your options, and find out which franchise systems could cause you major problems over the long run - and which franchise systems will provide you with a great formula for franchise success! Below are some of the top problem areas in why a franchise might struggle.

1.  Lack of Systems: Franchising is all about systems. Being able to replicate a successful franchise system is what makes a business franchiseable. An ethical franchise has everything documented and systemized so that it can easily be passed on to others for successful implementation. If a business doesn't have any systems and instead relies only on the skills of individuals within the business, then it shouldn't be franchised. However, some businesses will ignore this and try to franchise their business anyway. Unfortunately, these companies usually are only interested in a quick buck, and aren't overly concerned in who may or may not have the required skills for the successful operation of the franchise.

2. No Track Record: A business can only be franchised if it has a track record. We're often amazed at the amount of people who have an idea for a franchise, but then don't actually have a business! Remember: the business comes first - it's not conceived at the same time as the franchise! Those usually wanting to start a franchise without having a business are again looking to make money fast. Make sure that the franchisor has an established track record of running a business, along with a great reputation of success in franchising!

3.  Location: Half the battle of owning a successful franchise is finding the right location for your business. And depending on the nature of your business, not all franchisees need to be in a city center location or shopping mall. However, a good franchisor will help you study local demographics and work with you to find a great location.

4.  Lack of Marketing: Good franchisors will spend money on promoting the brand nationally as well as in the local area. Ask the franchisor about their marketing activities, and what they plan on doing to help gain recognition and awareness for your franchise. In today's environment there are many ways a franchisor can help market your business in your local area, if they don't plan to help you with that it is another red flag.  A franchise system should have data on local marketing efforts of other franchises in the system, access to that information saves you lots of time and money!

5.  Competition: Check out the competition for your franchise in the local market. If there isn't any competition, there might not be a demand for the product - which may result in it not having much future market potential. On the other hand - you may have discovered the perfect franchise for your area!  There may be a real need for this business, and being first to market can be a great advantage for you.  Additionally, if there's too much competition, introducing a new franchise might be a struggle as well. Be sure to look into markets similar to your own where the franchise is operating in order to judge how well it might do in your local area.  A good franchisor should have access to information that can help you decide whether the competition factor in your area is a plus or a minus.

6.  Insufficient Funds: One of the biggest reasons franchises can fail is that the franchisee has under-estimated how much money is needed to buy and run the franchise. It's not just about having money for the investment, but about the costs you'll incur when running the business. For example, how will you plan on paying staff salaries or having enough for supplies? If your franchise business is not making money initially, you'll need to make sure you have anough money for day-to-day operating costs, as well as paying your own bills. Over-estimating what you need is a good way to calculate the cost of running a franchise.

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!