Australian hair salon franchise, Just Cuts, first landed on UK shores in January 2018, launching a company-owned kiosk salon in Lakeside shopping centre. Two and a half years on, the UK franchise network is made up of multi-unit franchise owners and former Stylists who have invested in salons across England. David Mathie, General Manager for the UK, says the secret of the brand’s success is down to the way in which the management team encourage their Franchise Owners to explore their own potential.
Back in my native Australia, Just Cuts is the definition of a household name; and with more than 200 salons performing 90,000 Style Cuts every week, it’s not hard to understand why. But we’re equally as well-known and respected within the franchising industry. Our claim to fame? Over half of our Franchise Owners own two or more salons – many that don’t already plan on doing so in the not too distant future. We make this feasible because of the user-friendly and digitally advanced management processes we put in place to make our Franchise Owners’ lives as simple as possible. We put in the groundwork so our Franchise Owners can get on with the job in hand – offering their Clients a seamless service.
How does it work? One of the key investments we made several years ago was our automated POS and back-of-house system, supporting our Franchise Owners to run their businesses from anywhere. Essentially, all they need is a smart phone and a WIFI connection to monitor their salon teams and the flow of Clients. I’m proof the system works. I relocated to the UK full-time in 2019 to manage the franchise’s expansion over here, whilst still operating my own franchise from 9,443 miles away. As UK General Manager, I’m about as busy as a person can get, yet my salon back in Oz is thriving. That’s down to the revolutionary tech-driven systems the Just Cuts central support team has established for the benefit of our Franchise Owners – me included!
It’s for that very reason that our franchise model appeals to those looking to build a sizeable and scalable investment for the future. We’re also very open with our Franchise Owners about the possibilities available to them if they decide to open multiple sites. But, even more than that, we actively encourage them to believe in their own entrepreneurial abilities and, as part of our commitment to them as a franchisor, we nurture that belief from the outset.
Holly Feltham joined Just Cuts back in January 2018, as one of our very first Stylists at our corporate-owned salon. Within the year, she had been promoted to Team Leader. Twelve months later, she took over operations of the location, becoming Franchise Owner of the salon she’d spent less than two years working for – at only 25 years old. When I first met Holly, I recognised in her a passion to do more and achieve incredible things. She’s now in the running for a national business award and is about to expand into larger premises. I find so much professional satisfaction in recognising the key talented individuals within our network – people just like Holly, who aren’t satisfied with the status quo.
As Holly took over as Franchise Owner, another budding entrepreneur was joining our UK network. In November 2019, Barbara Burnett joined the Just Cuts family at 60 years old, with a background in strategic management – proving you really don’t need to have come from a hairdressing background to be a Just Cuts Franchise Owner. However, what Barbara did bring to the table was a whole host of attributes we look for in the perfect Franchise Owner – passion, dedication and an understanding of the demand for our service. Less than six months after the launch of her first salon in Stevenage, Barbara invested in her second salon, Just Cuts Leeds – 165 miles away!
We encouraged Holly and Barbara to explore their own potential because we saw in them the commitment it takes to thrive as a business owner. So far, this strategy has paid dividends on both sides of the world. In 2020, as we celebrate our 30th anniversary of franchising, we’ll continue to nurture and develop the talent within our networks.
David Mathie is UK General manager at Just Cuts. He has 19 years’ experience working in the hair and beauty industry and heads up Just Cuts in the United Kingdom. For more information about franchise opportunities with Just Cuts, visit www.justcuts.co.uk
