Celebrating milestones

In November 2019, Barbara Burnett launched her first Just Cuts franchise in her hometown of Stevenage. Less than six months later, she invested in her second salon in Leeds.

Celebrating milestones

In November 2019, Barbara Burnett launched her first Just Cuts franchise in her hometown of Stevenage. Less than six months later, she invested in her second salon in Leeds. Despite having had no experience in the hair and beauty industry before joining the largest hairdressing franchise in the Southern Hemisphere, Barbara continues to take her franchise to new heights as the brand takes over the UK. Here, David Mathie, UK General Manager, celebrates Barbara’s achievements – and the achievements of the brand as a whole during this unprecedented year. 

It goes without saying that 2020 has been full of ups and downs. I’m proud to say that, when it comes to Just Cuts and our plans for UK expansion, there have still been plenty more ups than downs – including winning Best New Franchise at the recent AFA awards. Despite forced salon closures that have spanned over a third of the year, we’ve launched salons in six new locations. One of our biggest Franchise Owner success stories to date is that of Barbara, who owns two busy salons – one near her home in Stevenage and the other almost 200 miles away in Leeds. 

Just over one year ago, Barbara Burnett joined the Just Cuts family at 60 years old. Whilst she came to us with no styling experience, she brought with her a whole host of attributes we look for in the perfect Franchise Owner; passion, dedication and an understanding of the demand for our service. And as we say, you don’t need to be a hairdresser to own a Just Cuts – and she’s proven this to be true. After a number of years working as head of fundraising for a national charity, her tenacious spirit and positive can-do attitude – a woman after my own heart! – led to her decision to invest in a franchise opportunity with the potential to create a long-lasting legacy for her daughter, Lauren.   

Naturally, a Just Cuts franchise was the perfect fit. Before speaking with us about investment opportunities, she did her due diligence, researching our brand, international presence and the demand for our affordable, convenient hair salon experience in her desired territory. This is a necessary step for any prospect, no matter the investment opportunity; take the time to get to know your desired brand. Research shows that prospects will read up to 100 web pages of information about a franchise before even picking up the phone to the franchisor. Ever the savvy businesswoman, Barbara is the first to admit she probably read double the amount of literature before speaking with us. 

Barbara could see the potential for our model in Stevenage – the bustling town has just been given the green light for a £500m regeneration. And we could see the potential in her too; exactly the right Franchise Owner to support us in our plans for UK expansion. She launched her salon on 28th November 2019, quickly building a loyal client base. 

Before long, the entrepreneurial streak in Barbara saw her enquiring about additional investment opportunities. Like many of our Franchise Owners in Australia and New Zealand, she bought her second salon mere months after the launch of her first. Just Cuts in Leeds was initially launched as a company-owned location in early 2020 but, with Barbara at the helm, the salon has succeeded beyond our expectations. Despite two separate lockdowns, Just Cuts in Leeds is thriving – and now, thanks to her rewarding role as a Franchise Owner, so is Barbara.

As a franchise operating in both the retail and hair and beauty industries, 2020 has certainly been the year that was sent to try us. However, every one of our Franchise Owners, whether in our native Australia, New Zealand or the UK, has taken the challenge on with the vigour and positivity I would expect from our network. I’m proud to represent them and our continued growth, in the face of adversity, around the nation. New Year celebrations will certainly look very different as the clock strikes midnight on 2020, but I’ll still be raising a glass to our fantastic network.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Mathie
David Mathie
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