Brand Loyalty Among Franchisees Has Helped Drive Sport Clips to Success

You don’t grow your franchise brand to nearly 1,500 locations by sheer luck. Just ask the team at Sport Clips*.

Company founder and CEO Gordon Logan began franchising Sport Clips in 1995. From that time on, growth has been steady, as have been the accolades. Entrepreneur Magazine ranked the brand as one of its “Top 10 Fastest-Growing Franchises.” Forbes highlighted it as a “Top 10 Best Franchise” to invest in.

You get the picture—Sport Clips is a brand that franchisees want to be a part of, and for good reason. Since its inception, Sport Clips has thrived by being the kind of business men and boys can feel comfortable in. Old-timey barbershops were disappearing, and there were no real place for men to get their hair cut while simultaneously being able to relax, catch up on the news or watch a game of baseball.

Sport Clips was founded to fill that void, and as it turns out, people were eager to be a part of it—both customers and franchisees. The company grew from 772 franchise units in 2011 to 1,167 by 2013 and 1,494 today. They have a presence in all 50 states.

And since 2010, they’ve only had five store closings.

Much of the brand’s success comes from multi-unit operators, as Entrepreneur Magazine reported that 98 percent of all franchisees own more than one unit. And according to Dave Wells, the director of franchising for Sport Clips, that unique brand loyalty has driven Sport Clips from the very beginning.

“Throughout the U.S., we have countless owners who have pioneered their way into markets that were brand new at the time.

We’ve been able to watch these franchisees start from the bottom, in a city where the Sport Clips name was unheard of, and turn it into an established brand,” Wells said. “These franchisees find what they’re looking for in Sport Clips. Our strong culture makes them want to stay.

So they stick with Sport Clips, and decide to expand, buy additional stores and grow the brand out. With the help of these franchisees, we’ve seen completely untapped markets turn into some of our most popular cities.”

John Weber is one of these franchisees. With more than 40 stores currently open, he’s the company’s biggest multi-unit owner—and he even has plans to open up to 50 stores in the years ahead. He first started as a franchisee in Tennessee in 2008. Happy with the success and experience that he had with the brand, he decided to become even more involved—so he bought the developing rights for the rest of the Tennessee market. He picked up some existing stores, built more locations and even bought additional units in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and Indiana.

“It’s kind of a blur when I look back now. Sport Clips has really delivered for me, and I wanted to deliver for them. I’m very grateful for the support I’ve received from Sport Clips,” Weber said.

In his other business, the Weber Group, Weber provides support for Sport Clips stores and other franchisees in that huge swath of the country. His team of about 15 people backs an eye-popping 136 stores.

“We primarily find real estate, bring franchisees in and educate them,” Weber said. “It’s important to encourage and support other franchisees in the system by helping them with training, grand openings and ongoing support, including management training.

Wells agrees—that kind of support from a fellow franchisee who has seen immense success with the brand is vital to their continued growth. And as the brand targets untouched markets like Upstate New York, he believes franchisees like Weber can motivate potential business owners to follow in his footsteps.

“We’re fortunate as a brand to have such loyal franchisees. They truly want to see the brand do well, and they’re committed to putting forward their best effort possible until they see real, measurable results. The strong team mentality at Sport Clips will take the brand far,” Wells said.