Thursday, May 9, 2013

Great Clips - Patrick and Carolette Melbourne

The elections are behind us now. Hopefully you got out and voted so that you had a voice in the future and policies of our great country. But if your candidate didn't win, you have to accept the policies of the alternative candidate and hope for the best.

When it comes to your career, you get the opportunity to vote for the direction you want to take and don't have to settle. Our entrepreneur this month is a husband and wife team that "voted" for business ownership but with a little different twist. They kept their jobs. Sound intriguing? Read on.

Congratulations Patrick and Carolette, and welcome to the world of entrepreneurship!


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Melbourne

Patrick and Carolette Melbourne

Patrick was considering the possibility of leaving his full time position working for a defense contractor to start a business. His wife Carolette who worked in the telecom industry wanted to join him.  Their work hours plus their commute times added up quickly affecting family time with their three children.  They had a clear vision for the life they wanted to lead: more time for their family, less time commuting, more control over their days, the ability to give back in their community, the ability to create a legacy for their family. They just weren't sure exactly how to accomplish it. Patrick had lots of ideas and in fact, was actually working on several of them. They wanted to explore what possibilities a franchise might offer them. After doing some initial research, Patrick decided to stick with his job and work on a real estate investment /development project with some other partners.

About a year later, he decided that he wanted to look at the possibility of a business again. This time his goal was slightly different. He still wanted all of the things, but now he saw that perhaps having a business that he could use to augment his other projects might be the way to go. So instead of looking at options that would require his full time participation, looking at some possibilities where he could hire a manager to run the business made sense. This is a great example of how someone's goals can change as they go through the discovery experience. Patrick came to see that a franchise could be a part of his investment strategy; it didn't have to be the entire strategy.  

Here's what Patrick and Carolette had to say about The Entrepreneur's Source experience: "We found the process to be both thorough and flexible. We were provided with the support, information and feedback we needed at every turn. We were able to complete due diligence at a pace that worked well with our schedule and mindset...  The whole process went more smoothly than we could have imagined from the outset."

Patrick and Carolette investigated several different semi-absentee options. Ultimately, they found that Great Clips hair salon provided them with many of the attributes they were seeking. It could be managed on a semi-absentee basis. It is a franchise that has a long history so there was plenty of data for them to assess and they had robust processes in place to assist new owners. They also felt it would be recession resistant (since everyone needs to get haircuts!) and they could add additional locations in the future. 

When Patrick and Carolette opened their Great Clips location, here's what they had to say about being business owners: "It's hard work! No doubt about it. However, it is rewarding to know that the hard work invested benefits us and our children directly. We also work more closely together as a team and have more control over how we spend our time. That makes it all worthwhile. " 
You can visit them at their location:
7499 Somerset Crossing Drive, Gainesville, VA20155
(703) 753 - 0559
Salon Hours:
Monday - Friday: 9 am - 9pm
Saturday: 9 am - 6 pm
Sunday: 10 am - 5 pm

Patrick and Carolette "voted" to take control of their future investing in a business of their own. They picked a business model that would allow them to keep their job thus creating a type of safety net as they built their business. They may choose to grow their business through multiple outlets until they get to the point that they may not need a job anymore. It's an investment in their future.

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