&61592;There&8217;s less risk than starting from scratch
Pros include:
&8220;People whose hair I had cut for years turned up with their DIY skills,&8221; Jamie says. &8220;We worked into the night painting, and decorating.
And investing in his own business when the economy is in such a bad way has not zed Jamie. He says: &8220;Knowing we are doing this for ourselves means we put more into it. We had to gamble or risk losing everything.&8221;
Keith Conniford, managing director of Lookntastic Franchising, says the hairdressing industry is flourishing despite the economy.
&61592;You must work long hours
You can train as a hairdresser at college, or as a trainee, learning on the job and also attending college. You can complete NVQs in Hairdressing and Barbering.
&8220;I&8217;d always loved the idea of being my own boss but we had a Eureka moment over a glass of wine and decided to go for it,&8221; says Jamie, 33.
&8220;With the internet dominating so much of our retail space, hairdressing offers great career prospects for the future &8211; you can&8217;t cut hair online!&8221;
&61592;No experience is necessary
Putting in hour after hour, hiring staff and using the franchise support available to them meant the pair manaHair-raising business decision pays off for hairdressing salon owners hairdressing jobsged to grow the business by a ntastic 13% last year.
&61592;You have to work within an organised structure
Research the franchise market carefully. The British Franchise Association ( and give advice.
Job openings
Franchise chance
In exchange for their investment Jamie and Rebecca got help with marketing and accounts, as well as a direct line to a business manager and the franchise director.
TRAINING
Cons include:
Hairdressers are beating the recession with a &163;5.25billion annual
&61592;Banks look vourably upon good franchises
Try the Hairdressing and Beauty Industry Authority ( for details. You may also be able to get into this job through an apprenticeship scheme. Visit
found 1,777 jobs. However, local
There are pros and cons to remember for any franchise:
&61592;There will be stressful times
&8220;We realised we had nothing to lose but a lot to gain.&8221;
&61592;It is based on tried and tested ideas
Before their launch in December 2010 the hopeful hairdressers called in mily and friends to help them redecorate the place from top to bottom.
He adds: &8220;There are great opportunities for employees and franchisees. Salons that offer value for money and a quality service are still prospering.
Hair-raising business decision pays off for hairdressing salon owners hairdressing jobs,The salon they worked in was struggling and the future didn&8217;t look good until the duo clubbed their savings together and took the place over.
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&8220;We also had to cover the basic salon running costs such as rent,&8221; laughs Jamie,Education college information who is married and has two young children. &8220;But we had been saving up our tips for years.&8221;
The salon, in Horsham, West Sus, was part of the Lookntastic chain. Jamie had been at the group 17 years and Rebecca, 29, for 11. They had worked side-by-side, building up regular clients but the salon was in dire need of refurbishing and a new lease of life.
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&8220;We felt so proud of all we had done and were ready to take on the New Year with every ounce of energy we had.&8221;
As the two were employees they received a hefty discount on the usual &163;7,500 franchise fee but still needed &163;5,000 to take over.
Toni & Guy ( for instance requires a &163;20,000 minimum personal investment but &163;100,000 total investment while Headmasters ( asks for &163;40,000 with a &163;200,000 total.
Jamie says: &8220;It was the safety net we needed but we were still nervous.&8221;
Many established hairdressing chains, such as lookntastic ( expand via franchises. The larger ones usually cost much more than others.
Jamie Thorne and Rebecca Mason
&8220;It was worth it, though,&8221; says Jamie. &8220;We&8217;ve won the group incentive (supported by hair products giant Redken) of an all expenses paid long weekend in New York in March.&8221;
Just 18 months ago hairdressers Jamie Thorne and Rebecca Mason ced losing their jobs.
