David Mathie, UK General Manager for international hairdressing brand Just Cuts, is a real believer in the importance of making his Franchise Owners’ lives as easy as possible. Whether that comes from the laid-back ethos of the Australian-born brand, or his passion for supporting his Franchise Owners to achieve their potential, he will always put the needs of his network before his own.
I joined Just Cuts back in 2014, and I can hand on heart say that it was the easiest decision I’ve made in my career. I was instantly blown away by how the Academy Team, the name we give our support staff at our headquarters, prioritise the needs of their Franchise Owners. Franchise Owners truly are at the heart of the Just Cuts brand, and this is demonstrated at every single stage of our induction and ongoing support process.
To ensure we uphold this commitment to our Franchise Owners, Just Cuts has created a whole host of bespoke digital assets which help to save valuable time and resources. Just Cuts Online, our Owner dashboard, is a virtual tool that Franchise Owners can access from anywhere – all they need is a smartphone and a Wi-Fi connection – and includes all manner of user-friendly functions. As well as a real-time tracker that shows them what’s going on in their salon, Franchise Owners can access Client data, demographics and details of any current or upcoming promotions and deals. It’s their business at their fingertips.
Our end goal is to help our Franchise Owners to invest in their own empire of salons by utilising all of our digital tools with confidence. So far, so good, as over half of our UK network own more than one salon or have plans to invest in their second location in the not-too-distant future. This rate of growth is something we openly encourage and motivate our Franchise Owners to explore within their first year of ownership, where possible.
Our Franchise Owners are proud to share the positive impact that Just Cuts has had on their life. Barbara Burnett, for instance – Franchise Owner of Just Cuts Leeds and Just Cuts Stevenage – once worked in strategic management, a high-powered role that involved long days, an even longer commute and a lack of one-on-one time with her daughter Lauren. Since investing in her own salons, Barbara has more time to spend with Lauren, whilst growing her Client base and planning for more expansion in the future. Barbara would happily state that she has never had that dreaded Monday morning feeling since. And trust me when I say she’s not the only one.
For me, it’s important to create the atmosphere and mindset you want others to replicate. Essentially, I’m an extremely positive person…and it shows! I make sure I keep Franchise Owners’ spirits up by being a reassuring and encouraging presence in the network. I’d also like to think that I’ve created an environment whereby Franchise Owners feel as though they can share any concerns with me. I’m proud of the open-door policy I’ve instilled, and I’m extremely committed to upholding this as our UK network continues to grow.
At Just Cuts, we feel our role is to take the pressure off our Franchise Owners and give them the freedom to explore long-term investment opportunities with us. At the end of the day, growing a business can be a stressful and time-consuming undertaking. If we can take on a significant role in the Franchise Owners’ launch process then we will – after all, that’s part of our responsibility as an ethical and franchise owner-centric franchisor.
And I can safely say that, after six years with Just Cuts, there’s no such thing as a dreaded Monday morning for me anymore; even if the British weather is much harder to face than the glorious Australian sunshine!
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 UK. For more information about franchise opportunities with Just Cuts, visit www.justcuts.co.uk
