Jason Bakker, CEO of the iconic children’s haircut franchise, opens up in Q&A interview

It may not be common knowledge, but children actually have a lot of fears about getting their haircut. That’s why at Snip-its, we’ve created a welcoming, safe and fun environment that kids want to come back to again and again.

“This concept was created to make the experience of getting a haircut more pleasant for kids, which in turn, of course, makes it more enjoyable for the parents,” CEO of Snip-its, Jason Bakker, said.

For more than 25 years, Snip-its has made getting a haircut a fun and memorable experience for kids. It’s one of the many reasons why parents choose us over the rest. And right now, Snip-its is actively looking for the next wave of excited and dedicated entrepreneurs who want to bring this unique and amazing concept to communities across the country.

In this wide ranging interview, Baker talks about what makes Snip-its unique, what makes for a successful franchise owner, and why now is the time to invest.

What makes Snip-its unique?

The uniqueness of our salon is really driven by our custom branding, especially with our main mascot, Snips. We also have a whole host of other cartoon characters that bring life in our salons and through our branded entertainment. Kids also really look forward to our “Magic Box,” which is an interactive prize box they receive at the end of their haircut adventure. Kids go bonkers over that! Really, it all comes down to the experience, because when you walk into a Snip-its, you’re not walking into a regular salon.

What has made the brand so strong all these years?

Snip-its is a 25-plus year old children’s hair salon franchise that’s been serving families and kids for that entire time. Our strongest brand attribute is our dedication to the communities we serve. We’ve been in some communities a very, very long time, so there’s a real sense of family in our salons among the staff and among the generations of families that come into our salons and return, which is pretty cool. At some of our oldest locations, we now have customers that used to come to us as kids, and now they’re coming in with their own kids.

What qualities make a great Snip-its franchise owner?

We have people from all walks of life in our system who are succeeding. We look for people who can work 15 to 20 hours a week on the business, being visible in the salon and making sure things are operating per our standards. You have to be diligent at following our formula, a good networker, and willing to learn the economics of a salon business model.

And also, you just have to be good with people, especially employees. Hair stylists have a culture unto themselves, and our franchise owners know how to speak stylist. If you’re a good people person and good at judging character and talent, you’re going to be successful.

Do you have to quit your day job to own a Snip-its?

No, you don’t. In fact, many of our franchisees have full time corporate careers. And a lot of our franchisees find success in multi-unit ownership. Right now, 36% of our franchisees own multiple units. A lot of that is because we are easy-to-scale. We have a great build design that streamlines the process, which lets us move as fast as the franchisee wants to move. Multi-unit ownership also really helps us build brand recognition, which helps all franchise owners.

How are new franchise owners supported?

We have a specific training curriculum that covers everything from the history of Snip-its to the opening of your salon and training staff. Then, we have a great ongoing training support system, covering all aspects of the business, from technical training, the latest trends in hair care, customer service, manager training, and learning about our products. We also do on-demand training on request and regularly conduct site visits.

Where do you see Snip-its headed toward the future?

One of our main goals is to continue to grow in strategic markets and expand into communities that are underserved in children’s hair care. I would like to see us get to 100 salons in the next few years. It’s also important for us to stay on top of the latest technology, so we’re always looking at ways to incorporate the right new technology to enhance the changing needs of our customers.

Why is now a great time to invest with Snip-its?

There’s a ton of territory out there where people still don’t know the Snip-its brand. There’s a lot of real estate out there to be had. Many people are looking for a unique children’s franchise opportunity. The Snip-its experience delivers on this with professionals who understand how to deliver kids hair care. More and more, new entrepreneurs are finding success with us because the demand for hair care is constant. After 25 years, we’ve proven that we have lasting power and the need for dedicated kids’ salons is not going away. We’re here to stay.

If you’re ready to start a conversation with the Snip-its franchise team about investing in a Snip-its children’s salon franchise, fill out our inquiry form here, and one of our dedicated team members will be in touch with a copy of our Franchise Information Report.

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.

Marketing manager for the iconic children’s haircut franchise opens up about what makes the brand a worthy investment

As marketing manager, Mariah Whurr’s job is to show why kids love going to get their haircut at Snip-its, and why parents chose to keep bringing their children back for this one of a kind experience.

Indeed, Snip-its is no ordinary hair salon. Our locations are designed to be magical places for kids that offer a fun and memorable adventure. And, it’s a place where parents know they can trust our stylists to take care of their children.

“It’s fun to interact and go through the whole haircut adventure,” Whurr said.

But it’s not just kids that get to have all the fun. Snip-its has built an exciting and lively culture that permeates from the corporate team down to franchisees and their stylists. With more than 100 years of combined experience in the hair care industry, the Snip-its corporate team offers one of the best investment children’s franchise opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to realize their dreams of small business ownership.

“With Snip-its, you have the best of both worlds: You’re a local entrepreneur starting a business in your hometown, and you also have the branding of Snip-its and its support team to help you every step of the way,” Whurr said.

In this wide-ranging interview, Whurr talks about how franchisees are supported in marketing efforts, what the competition looks like in this niche market, and what makes for a successful franchise owner.

How do you help new franchisees with their marketing efforts?

Before they open the doors to their new location, we have weekly calls where we go over a marketing plan that includes how to put on a grand opening and how to reach a targeted audience. One of the great things is that we work with an agency called OneTouchPoint that makes it easy to specialize your marketing efforts for your community.

Also, during their multi-day training program, we have almost a full day dedicated to marketing. During that session, I take the time to walk new franchisees through the process, because I don’t expect them to know how marketing works. But we’ll walk you through everything from how to do social media to how to use online reputation management listings. It’s very hands-on.

Do you offer ongoing support for marketing?

Anytime anyone needs a call with me to go over marketing, I’m available. And then some things we do just from the corporate side to help the franchisee, like the website. Each location has its own micro-site, and I’m the back end support there. I also set up and am an admin on their Facebook page, which means I do branded posts on their Facebook page.

What are some other ways you get the Snip-its name out there?

We obviously do a lot of traditional marketing. But we also have a very big following on Facebook. We’ve also partnered with Autism Speaks and companies like DreamWorks and Netflix.

Is there a lot of competition in this niche market?

There are not many companies like us across the country. We’ve been fore more than 27 years, especially on the East Coast and in the Boston area where we started. There are probably three or four other brands that are specific to kids’ haircuts.

What do you think makes for a successful Snip-its franchise owner?

I’ve been surprised sometimes, actually, with who makes a great franchise owner. For the most part, it takes someone who is a people person willing to do a lot of local initiatives to be part of the community they serve. Also, it’s so important to ask for help when they need it, and be able to listen and follow some of our advice.

Learn More about Snip-its!

If you’re ready to learn more about the Snip-its salon franchise opportunity, we invite you to visit our research pages here. If you’re ready to start a conversation about investing in the Snip-its children haircutting franchise, fill out our form here. We look forward to hearing from you!