Franchise Development Players: Beth Caron, Director of Franchise Development for Great Clips

When it comes to walk-in salons, Great Clips is one of the most instantly recognizable and referenced names. The franchise has more than 4,000 locations throughout the United States and Canada, making it the world’s largest salon brand. Those stores are locally ran by upwards of 1,200 franchisees across North America.

Taking those numbers into account, Great Clips is one of the great power houses in franchising. One of the driving forces of that power house is Beth Caron, Director of Franchise Development for the brand.

Beth Caron fell into franchising completely by accident. She was working retail after graduating from college with the intent of being in broadcast media. It became apparent quickly that media wasn’t the right fit at that time, so she was searching for a better fit when an acquaintance recommended she apply for a job opening at Great Clips. She had no idea what the role was, but it looked like something that she could definitely learn, and so she went for it. That was 10 years ago this month.

Caron loves franchising because it’s a business that involves people. When you make a decision, it’s not just about how it will impact the bottom line, but also about the nuances of working with people. This industry is far more challenging and ultimately, more rewarding.

In the Development arena, she loves that they get to come into people’s lives at a point when they are ready to make a significant change, and usually help them fulfill a lifelong dream of business ownership. To see these people take on a new challenge, and connect with them again 5-10 years later when that decision to become a franchisee has impacted their life so dramatically, it’s incredibly rewarding.

Beth Caron wishes that women were more involved in franchising. She remembers her first conference 10 years ago, and she felt like an outsider when she looked around at what she perceived to be a “good ol’ boys club”. That is changing so dramatically, and women are becoming a force to be reckoned with in this industry.

She would love to see the truth about franchising understood in the general public. Last year, Aziz Hashim, in his role of Chair of IFA, was so focused on trying to help the general public understand the true story about franchising, and she agrees wholeheartedly with that initiative.

Caron believes that grit is essential for franchisees. It’s not always about who has the most money, or who has the highest IQ, but if you have the basic skills the franchisor requires, you are willing and able to follow a system, and you’ve got grit, she thinks there is nothing stopping you from being an incredible franchisee.

The No. 1 thing that sells franchisees is listening. When you truly listen to what a prospect is saying (and not saying), you will be able to get a much better understanding of whether or not your concept is a good fit for both of you. Great Clips doesn’t want to “sell” their concept to someone; they want to help them figure out whether or not Great Clips will help them achieve their goals. And when that’s the mindset, you’re going to find people who are a much better fit for the brand and overall culture, which will bring about a much more positive relationship in the long run.