Great Clips bills itself as the world’s largest hair salon brand in the $55 billion-a-year haircare industry. The franchise’s success is built on its mission to provide convenient, affordable, and high-quality haircuts to men, women and children.

Sharon Prunetti gives a hair cut to Jonathan Alleva, 7, of Tottenville.   (Staten Island Advance/Hilton Flores)

The Schieras opened their first Great Clips salon nine years ago in Princeton, at that time the first Great Clips salon in New Jersey. Schiera holds a master of business administration degree from St. John’s University, Grymes Hill, and a bachelor of science degree in accounting from St. Francis College in Brooklyn. Ms. Schiera holds a master of business administration degree and a bachelor of science degree in marketing, both from St. John’s University, Grymes Hill.

The Princeton salon, along with their Hamilton (N.J.) Great Clips salon have received numerous awards for sales success. Their newest salon in East Windsor (N.J.) recently was recognized for outstanding operations. The Schieras’ company employs 40 hairstylists throughout Central New Jersey and Staten Island.

The Schieras hope to bring this level of hair care to their newest Great Clips salon in Pleasant Plains. The salon, at 6390 Amboy Rd., in the Waldbaum’s Center, hosted its grand-opening celebration on April 16. Giveaways, balloons and a Great Clips mascot along with free refreshments, were part of the festivities.

In addition, all haircuts will be $2.99 for a limited time only to celebrate the grand opening.

“We are excited to come back to Staten Island to share the Great Clips concept with our family and friends, “said Ms. Schiera, the salon’s owner.

The salon is open seven days a week, including evenings. No appointment is necessary. Regular haircut prices are $13 for adults and $11 for kids and seniors.

COLUMBUS, OH - (April 2011) - Charley's Grilled Subs, the international Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich franchise, has been named one of the five finalists in the restaurant category of the Webby Awards, a competition often referred to as "The Oscars of the Internet.”

The company's website, Charleys.com, was submitted to the restaurant category to be judged on excellence in web design, usability, information architecture and mobile accessibility, through their digital agency, Ohio-based dynamIt. Other finalists include Chipotle, Carl’s Restaurant, Dishoom and the Pure Management Group.
Now in its 15th year, The Webby Awards is the world’s leading honor recognizing achievement in Websites, online film and video, mobile and apps, and interactive advertising and media. This year's award received nearly 10,000 entries from all 50 states and more than 60 countries worldwide. Winners will be announced June 13, 2011 in a star-studded New York ceremony.

Throughout the past year, the Charley's website has improved to better communicate the quality and values of the food and the business model in a bold way. Among the improvements to their digital image, Charley's now has a food-first focus on the website and their franchise opportunity is more clearly laid out.

"I am immensely proud of my team and honored to be included among the distinguished nominees," said James Pa, Charley's Vice President, Brand Management. "The purpose of our website is to inspire a seamless integration that ties in a customer's online experience with the customer's offline experience. A website represents the brand face in the digital universe and for us, it's important we pay close attention to it."

About Charley's Grilled Subs
Charley's Grilled Subs is famous for their hot, fresh made-to-order Philly Steak Sandwiches and other 100 percent USDA certified choice steak, chicken and deli subs, gourmet fries and freshly squeezed lemonade. The company, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, has more than 400 locations worldwide in 44 states and 16 countries. Founded in 1986, more than 90 percent of all Charley's Grilled Subs restaurants are run by franchisees.

I want to thank all of my Franchise clients for a wonderful year of successful business activity, and I hope you have found my Franchise consulting and coaching as valuable as I have found my new relationship with you as a client.

2012 will be an exciting year as already I am reviewing many of the new and creative Franchise models that will be making their debut in the market.  Please contact me for further information.

So…from Buy A Franchise Unlimited and Buy A Franchise Blog, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Mercer Island Great Clips hair salon, owned by Susan Mackey, is a family business that gives back to the community because Mackey said she wants to support the people who support her.

new

Great Clips

There are four stylists at the Mercer Island Great Clips, and they are all paid on an hourly basis.

This past weekend, Great Clips was offering a haircut for only $7.99 and patrons who donated a dollar to Children's Miracle Network (CMN), got an extra two-dollars off their next haircut. With the proceeds from this weekend going to CMN and Children's Hospital in Seattle, it's a win-win for everyone. But for Great Clips owner Susan Mackey, this kind of giving back isn't unusual; it's just a regular part of her business.

"We're a supporter of the Domestic Abuse Women's Network (DAWN), and we give free haircuts to them, we sponsor the Mercer Island Children's Carnival, and we're long time supporters of the American Parkinson's Disease Association (APDA), too," said Mackey. "We've sponsored sports teams on Mercer Island, and worked with the Boys and Girls Club. I always give something if I am asked (by a non-profit group) because it is important to me to support the community that supports me."

Owner of 10 Great Clips from Bellevue to Bonney Lake and Tacoma to Marysville and Mt Vernon, Mackey was a sports medicine physical therapist and mother of three when her husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1995.  "He came home and said "This (Great Clips franchise) is a business we can do, and have it stay in the family," she notes, "And I realized that Great Clips has a 30 year history of being a solid company, well run by franchisors that would be sustainable and local so I could manage it while still being a mom to three kids." After her husband died in April, Mackey brought her son Michael on board to run the Mercer Island shop. "All three of my kids grew up helping out in the shops," she said. "My daughters Marisa and Shannon would sweep hair off the floor or work at the reception desk or the computer, because in a family business you have to learn how to do everything."

Mackey opened her first Great Clips in Kirkland in 1996, and got the Mercer Island salon up and running later that same year.  She chose the two locations because they are in family-oriented communities that have a rural, rather than urban feel to them. "Great Clips does best in areas with a strong family presence...it's the kind of hair salon where kids can ride their bikes to the shop and get a quick haircut before picture day at school," she said. "We don't do fancy $200 cuts or hair color, for us its about people who are looking for a great value." Haircuts at Great Clips, when they're not running a fundraiser, are $14 for children and seniors and $16 for adults.

A Tacoma native, Mackey said that the Mercer Island Great Clips moved because they'd outgrown their old spot next to Roberto's at 2707 SE 27th Street, and they're quite happy with the new digs at 7808 SE 28^th St., across the street from the North-end QFC and next door to Noah's Bagels. "We did a remodel and got all new fixtures and furniture," said Mackey. "We felt like we needed more space, and the new building is centrally located with lots of free parking behind the retail shops."

And Mackey noted that though walk-ins are always welcome, the Mercer Island Great Clips has updated their system for taking appointments as well.

"Most men don't like making appointments over the phone, so we have an online check-in system app that you can download to your phone or your computer, so you can check to see how much wait time there is, and since we're always staffed with enough people so wait times don't go over 15 minutes, you can check in and by the time you get to the salon, they'll be ready for you, and you will be in and out in about 10 minutes; it's really convenient."

Mackey also notes that the stylists take note of what type of haircut you've gotten so that any stylist can get you that same haircut next time you come in.

"I think in today's economy everyone is looking for a good value for their money," she said. "At Great Clips you can walk in anytime and walk out with a great haircut."

Here are some excellent reasons and statistics regarding the benefits of working for yourself:

1.  Franchise Growth Expected
to Increase over 20% in 2011.

2. Lack of Jobs Equals Opportunities for Franchise Sales.

3. Franchise Expansion Equals Lowest Cost Expansion Model

4. New Financing Programs Franchise Purchase More Affordable Than Ever.

With the difficult economic landscape and even more trying employment
landscape, the franchise marketplace continues to build interest and relevance.
People who are losing work and being displaced by the downsizing of Corporate
America are all of a sudden forced into entrepreneurship.

Franchising allows people the benefits of business ownership while offering the
safety of a proven business system and a coach to provide guidance and
mentoring in starting a franchised business.

Franchising also allows an organization to expand quickly and develop a solid
brand through motivated entrepreneurship. For example, in 30 years, Subway
opened over 33,000 locations!

New Programs are supporting franchise growth, franchise financing for Military
Veterans, First Time Business Owners and Woman-owned businesses. The United
States is making a shift back towards small business and franchising is the
vehicle that allows people to accomplish this goal and take control of their
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There are over 3,000 franchises on the market today for you to choose from - we
can help navigate the process and help you find the right business model for
your needs and personal goals.

Buy A Franchise Unlimited, Buy A Franchise Seattle, Buy a Franchise Bellevue

After several store-opening delays, the CEO of Bill the Butcher says its Edmonds location will be opening within a month, which puts it in the latter half of August.

J'Amy Owens says a major announcement concerning the Seattle-based company will be announced early next week. After that, work should begin in earnest of the store's internal construction at its Fourth Avenue South and Main Street location.

Bill the Butcher, which sells organic and natural grass-fed meats, originally planned to open the Edmonds store in February. But that was delayed when construction teams were taken out of Edmonds to work on the company's commissary in Seattle's Sodo district.

The new opening was then put at late May or early June.

In other news, Bill the Butcher on Wednesday hired Timothy McMullen as director of operations. According to a news release, McMullen brings a lifetime of work that includes being a partner in multi-unit food franchise and owner of wholesale food distribution that serviced produce to wholesale markets and fine dining establishments.

McMullen was brought in to help the company with its national rollout of stores. Owens has said that she wants Bill the Butcher to be to meat what Starbucks is to coffee.

"I wanted to join Bill the Butcher because I could not believe what they had accomplished in under two years," McMullen said in the release. "With six stores already operating and three more under construction, and a 5,000-square-foot commissary, I was impressed with the speed of growth and believe that my own multi-unit retail food systems and wholesale food distribution experience could help the national roll out."

“Tim has a linear, analytical way of thinking and is also terrific with people," said Owen. "Our butchers have welcomed him as their new boss and I frankly am thrilled to have Tim on board to run our operations."

The Edmonds location is Bill the Butcher's first location in Snohomish County. There are six locations in King County: Woodinville, Redmond and Bellevue, as well as three in the Seattle communities of Laurelhurst, Magnolia and Madison Valley. The company also plans to open a location in Wallingford in the near future.

Bill the Butcher was founded in 2009 by Owens and William von Schnedau. The first location, Woodinville, opened in August 2009.

(Buy a Franchise/Business Unlimited, Buy a Franchise Seattle, Buy a Franchise Bellevue)

Seattle-based Zeeks Pizza is preparing to launch its 10th store in the Red 160 apartment complex at 16015 Cleveland Street in Redmond.

Interior construction is under way at the location, and it is slated to open in late August or early September, said Danielle Zarella, a spokeswoman representing the pizza company.

At 3,800 square feet, the store will be one of Zeeks’ larger locations and will accommodate up to 145 people, not including the large patio.

Zarella says Zeeks has been popular on the Eastside, and Redmond has been one of its target locations for expansion. She said the company was pleased to find a spot near Trader Joes and other commercial activity, and to have room for a full bar in addition to the restaurant's dine-in and delivery service.

The new store will employ between 18 and 24 people full time, and as many as 40 people overall, depending on demand once the restaurant is open.

Doug McClure and Tom Vial founded Zeeks and own most of the company's 10 locations, including the planned Redmond Zeeks, though a franchise location opened in Bellevue in October 2010 and there is another franchise location in Issaquah.

Zeeks serves a variety of pizzas with catchy names, such as the "Quentin Florentino," which includes goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, spinach, parmesan, and an olive oil glaze. It also sells salads and starter dishes in single or party sizes.

Zarella said the new location will emphasize both dine-in and delivery services, and will have two centralized call centers for delivery orders, as well as online ordering.

(Buy A Franchise Unlimited, Buy A Franchise Seattle, Buy A Franchise Bellevue)

The Fraud Triangle :

Pressure
Pressure in this case means financial pressure. This can be caused by any number of things including medical bills, drug addiction or excessive lifestyle costs. Often the person committing the fraud feels they must solve their problem on their own and cannot turn to legitimate solutions for help.

Opportunity
Opportunity is when there is the ability to commit fraud. This is created by weak internal controls, poor oversight by management, failure to establish procedures to detect fraud or other factors. Of the three factors in The Fraud Triangle, this is the one that businesses have the most control over.

Rationalization
Most of us have a strong sense of right and wrong and fraud (stealing) is wrong. How does someone committing fraud justify stealing? They rationalize it through various ways. The perpetrator may believe they are justified to save a family member, especially a child. The fraudster may think they will lose everything if they don’t get the money. Often, the stolen money is thought of as loan and the person committing the fraud has every intention to pay it back. Often a dissatisfied employee believes they are owed something because they perceive they have been treated unjustly. And occasionally, a person has just lost all sense of right and wrong.

The Trust Factor
Owners of closely held businesses often don’t set up proper internal controls. Frequently, real segregation of duties is impossible–there just aren’t that many employees. Business owners console themselves with people they think they can trust in key positions. Let me say it clearly: Trust is not an effective fraud prevention strategy. Business owners think “It can’t happen here.” They are wrong. Internal frauds are always perpetrated by trusted employees. And business owners always think “I’d spot it” if fraud occurred. The truth is, they wouldn’t. Fraud is fairly easy to hide and people are amazingly creative in their schemes.

Consequences
The consequences of fraud on a business include losses, of course. But there are also creditor and vendor impacts, HR issues, legal issues, insurance repercussions, and negative public relations. In the end, it can mean the failure of the business.

The information in this article was provided by David Lightfoot of B2BCFO.

(Buy A Franchise Unlimited, Buy A Franchise Seattle, Buy A Franchise Bellevue)