In 2015, Jason Porter took his three small boys to Snip-its for a haircut, and the rest is history
“I was looking around and just fell in love with the concept and how it was executed,” Jason Porter said. “So I started looking more into the brand and knew this was a perfect fit for me. In 2019, I actually acquired that very same location.”
Porter now owns eight – that’s right, eight! – Snip-its locations. From the start, Porter realized that Snip-its offers an experience you just can’t find anywhere else: “It’s like Dr. Seuss meets Disneyland meets haircut.” It’s one of the many reasons why he chose multi-unit ownership as the path for him in his entrepreneurial career.
“This is the American dream,” Porter said. “My goal is to make this a household brand. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
In this interview, Porter talks about how Snip-its supports its franchisees, what makes the brand special, and how Snip-its offers a great work-life balance.
As a first time business owner, how has the support team helped you?
The support team has been very solid and instrumental in my development as a business owner and set me on the right path towards success. But, you know, it’s also important to remember it’s my responsibility to succeed, too.
How is the work-life balance at Snip-its?
One of the primary reasons for going down this road is to be the master of my own destiny and control my time, because time is more valuable than anything we can ever have or own. To be able to be with my family and my kids in the morning, that’s key for me. Snip-its really allows you as the franchise owner to have a lot of flexibility in your schedule and work day.
I imagine that’s even more so as a multi-unit owner?
If you have big goals and aspirations, multi-unit ownership is a great path. You don’t need to be there to cut hair. You do have to be involved and play multiple roles. Because I own so many locations, I do a lot of the behind the scenes work – payroll, paying bills and taxes – because I enjoy it.
What makes Snip-its special?
You can go get a haircut any place, but are you going to get an experience with it? Snip-its is more than just a haircut, it’s an experience. As a franchise owner, if you can buy into that concept and deliver that consistently, then this is a great opportunity.
Do you think hair care is a resilient industry?
Oh yeah. It’s just one of those things that you just can’t do yourself. Everybody wants to look presentable, and everybody wants to have a decent haircut. Even during the pandemic, one of the things most people rushed out to do is get a haircut as soon as they possibly could.
I bet it’s fun coming in to work everyday and seeing happy kids?
To see the smiles and them having fun in your salon is a huge win. It makes my heart feel good. We also do a lot of work with children on the autism spectrum and try to create safe spaces for families where they feel welcome, because it can be a real challenge for kids with autism to get a haircut. This brand really allows me to do something good for the parents and children in my community.
What advice would you give to a new franchise owner?
You have to be patient, because success doesn’t come overnight. Any business you start is going to take time. You have to build relationships with your team and community. And you have to create an environment that’s positive for people to really succeed and promote the brand. Anyone can do administrative work. This job is about maintaining relationships and nurturing them.
Learn More about franchising with Snip-its!
Are you ready to learn more about an exciting franchise that puts smiles on children’s faces? To start, we invite you to visit our research pages here. If now is the time to start a conversation with our franchise team, we invite you to fill out our form here.
