Salons by JC Franchisee of the Year: John & Mindy Ratcliff

Apr 8, 2021

Salons by JC’s virtual franchise owner conference kicked off this week.  The annual conference celebrates the achievements of the company as a whole and acknowledges those franchisees who stand out in the salon suite industry.  The distinct honor of Franchisee of the Year was bestowed upon John and Mindy Ratcliff.  They began their relationship with the salon suite dynasty in 2013.

Welcome to the Salons by JC Franchise

“I looked at several different concepts before signing on with the Salons by JC Franchise,” stated John Ratcliff.  After visiting a couple of Salons by JC locations and speaking with the beauty professionals he discovered how happy they were to be there.  “Once I met Jack, Cecil, and Steve, I knew that these folks were people that I wanted to partner with”.  They opened their first location in Round Rock, Texas in 2014.  The second location opened in Austin, Texas in 2017 and they acquired 3 locations within the franchise system in the Houston, Texas area in 2019 and 2020.

Franchisees of the Year, Mindy and John Ratcliff

The Empowerment of Being a Franchise Owner

Being a franchisee changed the lives of both John and Mindy with the successful opening of their Round Rock location.  “I went from being a stay-at-home Mom to embarking on a new career”, stated Mindy.  “This industry empowers a large number of women and helps them become a successful and vibrant part of the business world”.  As Mindy was making her mark learning about daily operations and marketing for her businesses, John felt confident enough to leave his full-time job at the end of 2016.  “Just like the suite owners, I am so grateful to be my own boss and set my own hours.  I haven’t looked back since”, stated an elated John.  An added bonus for the Ratcliff’s is watching their salon suite owners become independent just like they did when they invested in the salon suite franchise.  

Salons by JC Round Rock

Advice as You Grow Your Locations

As a Salons by JC franchise owner you are encouraged to grow your enterprise by expanding your salon suite portfolio.  John and Mindy started off with one location in 2014 and in seven years have increased that number to 5 salon suite locations in Texas.  As they developed and acquired their locations, one constant remained – being present.  “Being present at your current location during build-out and leasing of the second location is vital.  The salon suite owners want to know that you are still there for them and won’t be abandoning them as you get ready to open up the next location,” stated Mindy.  The hiring of a rockstar concierge is key to keeping Salons by JC distinct in the salon suite industry.  “Having a concierge that runs the show making sure you are touring well and people are excited about the location makes a huge difference,” stated Mindy.

Austin Lakeline was the first buildout that featured the new Salons by JC look

When they acquired the 3 locations in the Houston area in 2019 and 2020 they created a plan to make sure the transition was an easy one for all involved.  “The first thing that John and I did was have a meeting with the suite owners.  We let them know that rent wasn’t going up and we listened to them and their needs.  The little things that they needed to be done to be successful in the industry,” stated Mindy.  Within the first 4 weeks of ownership, they had knocked out all the things on their list that needed to be done at each salon.  Focus then shifted to the concierges and making sure each was well trained and up to date with everything that was available to them from the corporate office.  Mindy visits the Houston locations monthly and is in constant communication with her team of concierges daily checking in on them making sure everything is running smoothly. 

Words of Wisdom from the Franchisee of the Year

If they could do it all over again what are some things team Ratcliff would change to make it easier on themselves?  “Plan for it! Being a first-time franchisee is more work than you think, but the rewards are worth it,” states Mindy.  John adds, “ Don’t be afraid to ask questions and know that your hard work will pay off!”  They also added that being a part of the Salons by JC franchise system has been the key to their success because you are able to interact with the other franchisees, ask questions, bounce ideas off of each other, and not have to recreate the wheel.  Mindy also added, “If I were to do it all over again, I would have spent more time visiting each location, talking with the suite owners finding out what they like in their suites and what they would change.  Looking at all the options for design and functionality closely.”  This research was key to the success of the expansion of the Ratcliff territories and helped in building out the new Salons by JC locations. 

Pearland Parkway location

John and Mindy are currently planning on location number 6 that will be coming to the Austin area in 2022.  Congratulations to John and Mindy Ratcliff for being named the 2020 Franchisee of the Year.  We look forward to your many more years of success at Salons by JC.

 

About Salons by JC

In 1997, Jack Griffey and Cecil Miller began their journey to transform the beauty industry one salon suite at a time. Like most young entrepreneurs, they started out with a big idea but had to learn how to start and run a business from scratch. After much perseverance and hard work, they opened Salons by JC in Dallas, Texas in 1998, welcoming beauty and wellness specialists who were ready to break free from the traditional salon model. The company has since moved its headquarters from Dallas to San Antonio, where it continues to grow through franchising. Today, Salons by JC has over 100 nationwide and in Canada and are looking to develop 200 over the next several years. For more information about franchising click here.

Blog written by:
Marlene Romo Flores
Salons by JC Franchise Marketing Manager

 

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5 Tips to Successfully Lease A Salon Suite!

As you may have noticed, the trend for beauty professionals is steering away from the traditional commission and hourly based pay methods to salon suite rentals. Stylists, Barbers, and other Beauty Professionals are quickly realizing they can have more freedom and make more money running their own business in a one or two person studio instead of working for someone else.  “Be a boss” is becoming more than just a catch a phrase as more and more individuals jump on board. Running your own business and pursuing your dreams can all become reality. In order to achieve this we need to think smart and strategic. Let’s take a look closer with these 5 tips…     #1 Branding We can not stress branding enough in such a competitive industry! You have to stand out from the others, but how do you do that? Ask yourself, are you the stylist that does it all or are you Niche and kill it in Balayage, Fades, or Funky Color. Being a specialist these days does give you a leg up in the industry. Clients have so much access to stylist via Instagram and Yelp that they want to find someone dedicated to what they’re looking for. Find what you’re great at and stick to it, there is a market for you! Zone in on that market and start researching what those clients like. Make a Pinterest board of the hair, brands, and local places they shop at. Eventually you will see consistency in colors, logo design, and much more. Document everything and begin to develop your brand that you will use in your marketing as well as your design your studio. Consistency is key! Manifest the ideal clients that you want and you will begin to see more of them in your chair!   #2 Client List Your core client list is your bread and butter, therefore managing a list of your contacts and their services are vital for communicating on behalf of your new journey and any future marketing. If you currently use any online booking software such as Square Appointments or Vagaro, you can download your contacts directly from their site, draft an email and inform your clients. Email till this day is a very effective form of communication, but that doesn’t mean social media such as Facebook and Instagram can’t be useful as well. Make sure to take advantage of multiple outlets to get your voice out there, this is will give you a much greater outreach.       At Salons by JC, you have a concierge to help you build your clientele – with walk-ins, marketing strategies, social media – above and beyond what you previously had!   #3 Pricing Many stylist fail to achieve what they deserve by emotional pricing. This is when we decide to lower prices and give discounts because we feel this will make our clients like us more or we compare prices from other salons. But first, let’s ask ourselves where did these other salons come up with their prices? If your clients believe in your work they will pay! You are here to make a living! When calculating your pricing make sure you have included how much you need to make a month to cover your work and living expenses…and any additional income you would like to achieve your goals. Then take that amount and divide it by the hours a week you will be working. At this point you can visualize what you’ll need to make hourly and can make adjustments to your services, ad-ons, and timing. Please note this will take some time, but this is a very important exercise as you will be adjusting your pricing through the duration of your career. Don’t forget to ask yourself what services you enjoy the most that make you the most money as well! Check out our Profit Calculator – Adjust your earning information and see the difference for yourself.   #4 Expenses Ok so we have an idea of what we need to charge for our services, but lets take a closer look at our actual expenses and start up costs for the studio… Start-Up Costs: Security Deposit State board and business licensing Extra furniture and personal decor items Design and/or printing for business cards, menus and websites (include hosting) Back bar and retail Tools – scissors, blow dryer, etc. Renters/ liability insurance Rent Phone  Weekly/Monthly Expenses: Rent Laundry Supplies Credit card fees Accountant fees Phone bill Money set aside for taxes Bottom Line… Once you’ve made sure you have enough in savings for the start-up costs, which can be anywhere from $1,500 – $3,000, it’s time to nail down whether or not you’re in a good position to handle the monthly costs.This means looking at what your monthly expenses will be versus how much money you’ll be bringing in. You need to have a firm grasp on what your average monthly gross income is based on your core client list.  So, assuming you have what you need for start-up costs, let’s take a look at what a monthly scenario might be. Check out our Profit Calculator – Adjust your earning information and see the difference for yourself.   #5 Paytime After doing the math and feeling confident to move forward with leasing a suite, the next step is to find an accountant you trust. Even though you have a built-in bookkeeper with the SBJC App, an accountant will help you know what deductions you can claim on your taxes, how to file for quarterly instead of yearly payments, and help you stay on top of making those payments. They may even recommend filing to become an LLC and discuss the benefits of that with you, as well as opening a separate business bank account. Once your suite owner journey begins, don’t forget to utilize your Salons by JC concierge to help grow and support your business with marketing ideas and social media posts, as well as booking new client walk-ins.   About Salons

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