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Making A Career Change

By: Supercuts |  5 Shares     206 Reads

(Saturday, July 01, 2006) - According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, an estimated 9.51 million people were self-employed in the United States during 2005. This accounts for 6.8 percent of the U.S. work force*. Could it be you, too? After spending more than 15 years practicing law for several major motion picture studios in Los Angeles, Mary Biebel decided it was time to make a change and explored working as her own boss. Mary saw the success her brother, Harold had with the Regis Corporation franchise system that gave him resources in marketing, hiring, and long term support as well as other industry advice. Her brother, Harold Biebel, owns 22 Cost Cutters and three Supercuts in Kentucky and Tennessee, so the segue into owning her own Regis Corporation franchise, Supercuts, was an easy one. The most difficult part of her decision? Making the move from her 20-plus year L.A. home to the east coast's Greenville, South Carolina. After consideration, Mary made the move and purchased five Supercuts salons in and around Greenville in early 2005. The west coast professional, who spent her career negotiating multi-million dollar studio deals with tough Hollywood types, is now managing a staff of 28 stylists. "As a new owner, the challenges are greater because I need to be the jack of all trades," says Mary Biebel, who plans to open three more Supercuts in the Greenville/Spartanburg area in the next few years. "I need to motivate and inspire my salon employees as well as learn about various marketing and real estate issues I never had to consider in my law career in Hollywood. The network of Regis franchisees has been a great support from providing simple HR advice to really great marketing ideas. They are such a wonderful group of people." Mary has a few suggestions to others who are thinking about making the rewarding move to franchising: 1. Be Prepared to Jump in with Both Feet – Know the business from the balance sheet to the inventories. Understanding what needs to be done to run your business from the inside out will help you empathize with the people you hire to do the job every day. 2. Educate Yourself – You need to 'become' your business to run it successfully, so it's important to learn about the industry you are entering. If you are running a hair salon, understand products and nuances of customer service. If you've purchased a franchised business, find out what training is available from the first few months of your franchise to years down the road. You need to 'become' your business to run it successfully. ---More--- Regis Franchise Making A Career Change Page Two 3. Network in the Community – Join the Chamber of Commerce in your community, the small business association and other networks that will help you learn and market your business. Tap into these expertise bases often; they are wonderful resources. 4. Find the Best People – Knowing that your business has the best skilled professionals who love what they do makes a world of difference in your success. Hire people who love what they do and know what they're doing. Mary was happy to find out that Regis Franchise Development offers courses to franchisees about hiring the right people. She plans to continually learn from those offerings. 5. Keep a Life Balance for Yourself – It's important to love what you do, but a happy person runs a happy business. Make sure you get some time for yourself, so that you can help motivate and inspire your staff. The result is a great working environment that customers will notice.

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