MANAGEMENT FRANCHISING GUINOT
After a marketing career spent travelling the globe, Karen Hargreaves decided to return to the UK, and her original passion – the beauty industry. She is now the owner of the Guinot salon in Bramhall, Cheshire.
What did you do before running your franchise and what prompted you to make the change? I was born and bred in Cheshire. I started my working career in the beauty industry, but in my 20s I decided to explore the world of marketing and spent the next two decades in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Life events brought me back to the UK and the next chapter of my working life. I went back to my roots in the beauty industry and purchased a salon in the heart of Bramhall Village in Cheshire. The salon had been established for seven years and offered the full range of day-to- day beauty services.
How did you find out about franchising and about Guinot in particular? The original salon had always been a Guinot account providing treatments and retail together with other competitive brands. The opportunity started as a discussion with the Guinot business development team and then an initial meeting with the franchise team.
“THE TRAINING COVERS EVERY EVENTUALITY – THE WEALTH OF EXPERTISE AT YOUR DISPOSAL IS PRICELESS”
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BusinessFranchise.com | June 2018
Describe the process for getting on board – how long did it take? We started with an exploratory meeting with the franchise team – a very open discussion on goals and objectives from both parties. This proceeded to a deeper dive into the business plan, which gave me a complete view on what I could expect over the next three to five years. The team took me through every aspect of the business; the support and knowledge available from financials, marketing, HR, IT, training and development; a complete overview that allowed me to make a sound and strategic decision. From this initial discussion to the opening of the Guinot salon in Bramhall took around five months.
What was the initial training provided by your franchisor and how are you supported on an ongoing basis? Guinot’s initial training is one of the deciding factors for moving forward as it supports every aspect of management and all therapists’ training requirements. As a business owner in the beauty
sector, it is vital to keep up to date on the industry and ensure you are current, but
also that your investment is financially rewarding. The Guinot management training takes you on the franchise journey and covers every eventuality – the wealth of expertise at your disposal is priceless. All therapists are taken through the extensive treatment procedures and product knowledge that enable them to be experts in the field and act as ‘beauty doctor’ to their clients. The training is continual throughout the relationship and is conducted in the Guinot state-of-the-art training facilities in Ascot and in-salon on a monthly basis.
What are the benefits of operating a management franchise? How involved are you on a day-to-day basis? I am an owner-operator of the business. Now we’ve settled in I manage the business with support from a salon manager and this enables me to still be able to continue to carry out treatments on my clients. With such a simple management
structure, my therapists can now focus their skillsets on providing excellent treatment, advice and exceptional customer service in a relaxed and professional setting, which has ultimately helped increase my average bill and helped retain client loyalty.
What qualities do franchisees need to operate a management franchise and to be a successful franchisee? Passion, dedication, determination and energy to start with! Good leadership qualities are essential as you are taking yourself and your team on a development journey that is extremely rewarding. The business and corporate experience I have under my belt has served me well as an owner of the business.
What are your plans for the future of your business? I have ambitious future plans on the horizon and I am already exploring ‘phase two’! But first I need to ensure that Guinot Bramhall is performing and meeting all our business objectives. I would like to look into a second location in the future. The model and simple approach of the Guinot franchise opportunity allows you to have those very important, financially rewarding future dreams.
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