{"id":44224,"date":"2023-06-20T12:31:51","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T16:31:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefranchiseking.com\/?p=44224"},"modified":"2026-03-09T09:00:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T13:00:53","slug":"great-clips-franchise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefranchiseking.com\/great-clips-franchise","title":{"rendered":"5 Things That Make A Great Clips Franchise A Great Opportunity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Great<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In this post (and review<\/em>), I\u2019m going to tell you why owning a Great Clips franchise<\/strong> is one of the best ways to get into franchising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, I’m going to the cost of a Great Clips franchise and just how good this hair salon chain<\/strong> is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Great Clips Franchise: A Top Hair Salon Chain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Created in 1982, Great Clips\u00ae is one of the most recognized franchise names in the hair salon industry, with a robust presence throughout North America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The founders, David Rubenzer and Steve Lemmon, came up with the idea of creating a walk-in haircare salon with weekend and evening hours<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward to now, and it turns out that their idea was a game-changer, as there are now over 4,000 Great Clips franchise salons<\/a> up and running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4,000!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what is it that makes Great Clips a great franchise business<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 Things Great Clips Does Great<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Great Clips Franchising Model<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

30% of the people who reach out to me for my franchise advice are interested in “semi-absentee<\/em>” franchise opportunities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specifically, they’re aspiring franchisees who want to keep their current jobs while starting a business. And for some of them, Great Clips is the perfect fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s because Great Clips prefers<\/em> awarding franchises to people who are currently employed and have the means* to invest in Great Clips franchises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Great Clips has stringent financial requirements<\/a> for aspiring franchisees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Namely, you need to have a minimum net worth <\/a>of $300,000, $500,000, or $1,000,000 (depending on the needs of their market<\/em>), and liquid assets of $75,000, $100,000, or $250,000. In addition, would-be franchise owners need to have a credit score of at least 675. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, experience tells me that you really need to have a net worth approaching $1 million. Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because, as a franchise, the Great Clips hair salon<\/a> chain focuses on multi-unit salon ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a breakdown of the initial startup costs for one<\/em> Great Clips salon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Much Is A Great Clips Franchise? Great Clips Franchise Cost<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Franchise Fee<\/td>$20,000<\/td>$35,000<\/td><\/tr>
Initial Ad Fund Contribution<\/td>$5,000<\/td>$5,000<\/td><\/tr>
Leasehold Improvements and Site Fees*<\/td>$119,800<\/td>$268,900<\/td><\/tr>
Additional Funds for 12 Months<\/td>$15,000<\/td>$55,000<\/td><\/tr>
Grand Opening Advertising<\/td>$20,000<\/td>$25,000<\/td><\/tr>
Training, Travel, and Living Expenses (per participant)<\/td>$1,500<\/td>$2,500<\/td><\/tr>
Insurance<\/td>$2,100<\/td>$3,000<\/td><\/tr>
Total<\/strong><\/td>$183,400<\/strong><\/td>$394,400<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So as you can see, if you plan on owning 3 GC franchises, your total cost (over time<\/em>) will be close to $1 million. And there aren’t many franchisees in the system who own less than 3 salons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. “Great Clips Near Me”<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Great Clips marketing is top-notch. And here’s how you can quickly see for yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just open a new window in your browser and type in “Great Clips near me<\/em>.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pretty good placement, huh? Especially if you need a haircut<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while a lot of businesses can quickly be found with the “near me<\/em>” internet search, the executive team at Great Clips headquarters doesn’t play when it comes to helping their franchisees have a powerful online presence<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s because they’ve wisely focused their efforts on top-level digital marketing<\/a> initiatives. Like SEO, Google Ads, Facebook Ads and a robust local online presence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, the company has a strong, easily recognized hair salon chain brand. One that has taken years to build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m talking about a salon franchise<\/a> that has developed a loyal customer base that appreciates the brand’s commitment to affordability, convenience, and quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, GC has several advertising plays, like the excellent ones I’ve seen used in Northeast Ohio, live, during Cleveland Guardians television broadcasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Great<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now before I share 3 more great things about the Great Clips franchising, I need to mention something that was recently done to help improve (and update<\/em>) the brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Bold, Revamped Salon Design for Great Clips Franchise Hair Salon Chain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Great Clips has embarked on a total salon makeover with a clear aim – to distinguish itself even more from its competitors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This exciting overhaul, dubbed “Greenlight<\/em>,” has quickly revitalized the overall aesthetic of Great Clips franchise salons, introducing a design that can be easily adopted by existing franchisees. Look!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Great<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It’s pretty sharp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By boosting brand awareness and maintaining a fresh, appealing image, Great Clips is solidifying its top spot in the franchise hair salon market today…and for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s continue with the 5 things that make the Great Clips franchise business a great one to own and operate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. January, 2001<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

That’s the month I attended formal training in Solana Beach<\/a>, California. It’s story time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After I was canned from my management job at a franchised automobile store, I was angry, lost, and…angry and lost. I didn’t know what I was going to do<\/a>. Plus, I was a new dad. I had “obligations<\/em>.” But I can tell you what I didn’t<\/em> want to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn’t want to be in the automotive business working for a bunch of idiots anymore. And this is when my dad came up with an idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Joel, why don’t you join my firm and do what I do<\/em>?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Me: Huh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The job requires salesmanship, public speaking, networking and the like. You’re good at all of it<\/em>. I’ll fly<\/em> you out to California to get trained by a master, and you can become a franchise broker. You would do great<\/em>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Me: But there’s no salary. How can I do it? We have Grace at home, and Jeannine doesn’t make enough for us to live on.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dad didn’t want to hear it. He “knew<\/em>” I would kick ass at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A couple of months later I was on a plane. And the training was incredible. 3 months later I did my first deal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stayed with it for 7-8 years, and a couple of them were pretty darn good ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m not a broker anymore…I haven’t been for a long time, but I did learn a lot about franchising. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“And what does this have to do with the Great Clips franchise, Joel<\/em>?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m glad you asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3….Continued: What My Dad Told Me About Great Clips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After I came back from training, my dad and I talked about the things I learned, including some of the franchise names that came up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Wait until you learn about Great Clips and meet some of the people who run it<\/em>.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Me: “What do you mean dad?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Great Clips is probably the best franchise organization we work with, Joel. They’re super-professional, they have great ethics, and they offer a terrific opportunity for the right person<\/em>. And they do lots of deals<\/em>.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turns out my dad was right. On all fronts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are a great company to work with, and the folks I’ve met over the years are good people and highly-professional. In a nutshell, it’s their stellar reputation as a franchisor that sets them apart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To summarize, if you’re looking for a multi-unit franchise opportunity, have the means, and live in an area where GC is still available, I encourage you to request information from franchise headquarters. You’ll see what I mean about this top hair salon chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. This Hair Salon Chain Is Picky As Hell <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let’s say you’re interested in learning more about the GC franchise opportunity, and you submit a franchising information request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do that, you’ll receive an email acknowledgment from headquarters and you’ll be asked to type in a few available times for an introductory phone call with one of their incredibly skilled and professional franchise development reps<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this call, you and your rep will get to know each other a bit, and get territory availability along with the financial information needed to become a Great Clips franchisee in your geographic area. So far so good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, if all goes well, you’ll participate in a week-by-week process where you’ll learn everything you need to know about the franchise opportunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And during this time (4-6 weeks<\/em>), they’ll be learning about you, too. How?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By watching how you go through their process. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n