Fantastic Sams - Paul Brunner

Business models are constantly changing. Some retail stores are struggling because individuals can shop on line, often at discounted prices. Many products and services have been outsourced. This has made it very difficult for certain types of retail businesses to compete. Wouldn't it be nice to find a business that was recession-resistant, where the service couldn't be outsourced, and you couldn't buy it on the Internet? Our entrepreneur this month found such a business. Congratulations Paul and welcome to the world of entrepreneurship!

Paul Brunner   Fantastic Sams Paul Brunner was referred to me by his wife Jodi who was co-owner of an Elements Therapeutic Massage franchise. Paul was in a career transition and Jodi thought that her husband should explore the franchise route as a possible career direction. Paul and I met for coffee and I learned that he had a diversified background with a lot of outside interests. A major portion of his career was in application programming along with project management, customer service and some financial and accounting. Paul is a very friendly outgoing guy who enjoys cooking, home brew, gardening, fixing things and has a passion for music. He calls himself a saxophone for hire and has been part of various musical groups for most of his adult life. We worked together on the profile of his ideal business. Because of his many interests we found it challenging to narrow down his list of possibilities. Because of his recent employment in the freight business, he decided to validate a franchise that specialized in international shipping along with a franchise that offered retirement planning and investment and insurance products for seniors. Paul also wanted to learn about two resale opportunities that were available in the area. They were a cartridge refilling business and a hair salon. Paul had some involvement with his wife's massage franchise and watched her go through the various stages of opening a new business and ramping it up to profitability. Ideally, he wanted to locate a functioning business at a discounted price that he could improve and realize cash flow from the start. His wife Jodi would be good asset to assist him. Cash flow or money to live on is a concern for most of my clients looking to get into business for themselves. Ideally we would all like to find a business that was for sale where we loved the product or service and it was making enough money to pay itself off out of profits and provide a nice income. That's the dream. Businesses that are for sale are usually for sale for a reason. Most businesses that are for sale either have a premium asking price or are in a turn around situation. One needs to do their due diligence and proceed cautiously. Paul quickly gravitated to the two franchise resale opportunities and validated them thoroughly. The franchise hair salon opportunity was a unique situation. The previous owner had recently closed the store due to personal reasons. Most of the equipment was still in the store and the store had an existing clientele. Best of all, Paul could get into this business at a substantial discount versus opening a new store from scratch. It was a great opportunity and Paul decided to move forward and purchased this Fantastic Sams franchise. Paul expressed his gratitude by saying, "Marty helped us uncover this opportunity that we probably wouldn't have found on our own" Fantastic Sams is one of the most recognized brands in the hair care industry. They have over 1150 full-service salons in North America with 40 years experience in the $75 billion beauty industry. Their services include haircuts and styles, up-dos, straightening, coloring, highlights, and texturizing. They also offer beard and mustache trims, facial waxing, as well as rejuvenating hair treatments for stressed or damaged hair. Their stylists are professionals who are always up-to-date on the latest styles and trends. Paul liked the fact that this is a recession-resistant business and no prior salon experience was necessary. The franchise owner concentrates on marketing, recruiting and general managing of the operation, not performing salon services. Many of Fantastic Sams franchisees are multi-unit owners and many keep their jobs as they grow their business. Paul and Jodi are developing a plan to own several franchises where they could put managers in place and they would manage the manager. They could concentrate on business development and growth. Fantastic Sams and Elements Therapeutic Massage would be their starting point. Their future has unlimited possibilities. In January of 2012 Paul opened his Fantastic Sams salon at 3930 N. Brookfield Road, Brookfield, WI 53045. He can be reached at 262-373-0123 and has a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fsbrookfield which features hair care and styling tips. While I was interviewing Paul for this story, the phone rang and Paul answered. "It's a fantastic day at Fantastic Sams. This is Paul, how may I help you". I could tell in his voice that he was so proud of this salon and his client's results. So I asked him to tell me why he seemed so happy in his business. This is what he had to say. "Every person that comes in the door is a 'guest', and we treat them as one. We don't just give haircuts. Our stylists are trained to consult and listen to our guests and this is where the magic happens. During our consultation, we can make suggestions that can enhance the guest's look and hair care. This builds trust and customer loyalty for repeat visits. I love seeing the smiling faces as people come out of their chair. Happy guests make it a happy day! We give a great salon experience at a very affordable price, specializing in walk-ins, no appointments necessary. Each guest gets the necessary time to complete their hair styling experience properly. Some other hair cut chains are trained to get you in and out of the chair as quickly as possible. We want you to leave with a smile." Paul found a business in a recession-resistant industry that offers growth through multiple store expansion. There is no Internet competition and it offers him a lot of flexibility during the day so that he can pursue other interests or businesses. It has been 2 years since Paul and Jodi bought their Fantastic Sams salon. Paul continues to build his daily guest count. "It has been a learning process and taught us to remember one of the most important rules of franchising--follow the system'', Paul said. "My job, as a franchise owner is to coach the team toward flawless performance of the system."  That is what franchising is all about. Follow the proven system so you can replicate the results of others in your franchise. There is no need to reinvent the wheel and you don't need to have an MBA to be successful in your business.  If you are looking for a recession-resistant business or perhaps a business where you can keep your job and manage the manager, then we should talk. Success doesn't happen over night. It's a process taken one step at a time. Whether you are a corporate executive, manager, office clerk, mechanic or working mom and if you have a vision or desire of being your own boss and being self-sufficient, reply back or give me a call and so that we can discuss your life goals and aspirations. Are you ready? Your comments and feedback are always appreciated. Wishing you continued success in the future.