How did you get into the industry?
When I was 15 years old, I moved back to Dominican Republic. There, I worked in a salon and gained tons of experience. By the time I moved back to the U.S., I was ready to open my own salon within my basement. I successfully operated the salon out of my home for a year before taking a break to start a family. When I resumed my career path, I knew that opening a salon was the right thing for me. This is how Salon 809 got started.
What’s New in the Business or in the Franchise Model?
Our franchise model brings a highly needed service to a robust demographic. Everything we do caters to a diverse range of clientele. We specialize in chemical-free hair straightening and services, always focusing on keeping the hair healthy and damage-free. This sets our model apart from the others.
Where do you see opportunities or challenges for the franchise moving forward?
Hiring is always a challenge since customer-service is a top priority. We’ll coach our franchisees on how to hire the best staff for them and to follow through with great training. There are tons of opportunities to grow the hair extension division of the business and the organic products lines. This is one of our goals for the future. As of now, we make organic conditioners in-house with aloe, avocado, different oils, and other organic products. They are made fresh and tailored to each client!
What is your goal for the business moving forward?
I want to do an organic line for hair care and I also want to grow the Brazilian knots hair extension services and the entire training program. The plan is to have our own brand of organic hair care products and hair extensions in the near future. I am excited for the growth of Salon 809!
Talk to us about training and support and how you deliver.
Our training program for our franchisees begins at our headquarters where we will teach them everything they need to know from business operations to best hair care techniques. We will definitely teach them how to straighten hair without the use of any chemicals since this is one of our top differentiators in the marketplace. Our franchisees can look forward to learning and they don’t have to be Dominican to learn our unique techniques!
Define your Franchise Model?
A. Training and Support Model?
Training begins at our headquarters which includes hands-on training. The second phase will take place at the franchisees’ location.
B. What is the Fee Structure?
Franchise fee: $10,000
Site Selection: $5,000
Training Fee: $15,000
C. Territory Definition?
100,000-population center and a 5-10 mile radius
What does your franchisee do in the business every day?
They will be managing the salon and day-to-day operations. Any as-needed duties, such as working at the front desk, would also be the franchisee’s responsibility. Other duties include payroll, scheduling, social media marketing, and, if they want to, they can do hair. However, they don’t need to be a hairdresser to own the franchise.
Who is the ideal franchise candidate?
Someone who is trustworthy, a goal getter and is easy to get along with. We want professionals who are customer-service oriented. They must be business minded but they don’t have to have any hair experience.
Success Stories and Failures with Franchisees?
We are hoping for tons of success stories in the near future!
For more information on the Salon809 franchise, please visit their website at salon809.com/franchise.