Entrepreneurs Are Still Finding Great Opportunities in Mature Brands Like Sport Clips

It’s true that Sport Clips is a well-known and well-established brand in all 50 states and has more than 1,850 open locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Despite those impressive numbers, the brand still has open markets and opportunities for the right franchise candidates. In fact, Sport Clips can offer franchisees big opportunities in both small and large markets, all backed by brand name awareness and trust, proven streamlined operations and soup to nuts franchisee support.

“We utilize the latest demographic resources in order to take a deep dive to analyze and optimize markets and find additional opportunities,” said Jerry Eulentrop, Director of Franchise Development for Sport Clips. “We are able to identify areas where there are demographics that represent our core customer base that are underserved.” 

Furthermore, Eulentrop points out, most market demographics shift significantly over time creating new opportunities. For example, in large metropolitan areas real estate investors find neighborhoods with homes that have renovation opportunities and suddenly those neighborhoods become the trendy areas to move into. It’s the perfect place for mature franchise brands with strong brand recognition to move into as well.  As evidence of Sport Clips ability to deliver great opportunities, Eulentrop shared a recent text he received from a new franchise in the St. Louis, MO area. Lenny wrote, “Hi Jerry, I hope this note finds you well!  Jessica just informed us that our first site at Maplewood Commons has been approved by the Real Estate Committee today. I thought to share this wonderful news with you. Thank you for all your hard work in onboarding us.”

There are other benefits to joining a proven well-established brand like Sport Clips. Because the system has so many mature franchisees who have scaled their businesses to many units, some of them will eventually be looking for buyers to take over units. “Often these franchisees have been in the system for 20 years or more,” said Eulentrop. “These franchisees will inevitably be looking for an exit strategy. Those opportunities are almost always going to go to another franchisee in the system. So being on the inside already will put you in a position to be ready when a franchisee raises their hand and needs to sell.” 

Big opportunities can also come in smaller markets, said Eulentrop. A mature franchise brand like Sport Clips is increasingly recognized and in demand and is ripe for expansion into untapped smaller and even rural markets. “These markets often present considerable advantages including little or no competition and overall lower start-up costs,” he said. “These markets usually have very strong brand loyalty since they take pride that a nationally recognized brand has chosen their market.” What’s more, many of these smaller markets continue to see sustained growth not only because of the affordable quality of life they offer families but also to the “home office” workers who have moved away from big cities.

Finally, a proven mature brand can offer investors piece of mind over investing in a riskier smaller, younger franchise brand, said Eulentrop. “While it's easy to be captivated by the allure of new and trendy franchise concepts, the untapped potential within mature franchise systems like Sport Clips should not be overlooked. We can provide aspiring business owners with the advantage of brand recognition, significant operational efficiencies, and an established support structure.” 

Sport Clips has the infrastructure to identify new markets, quickly adapt and innovate, and offer new franchisees the ability to tap into a network of experienced franchisees as resources. 

For entrepreneurs seeking a solid foundation, opportunities within a mature franchise system like Sport Clips are waiting to be explored and leveraged for long-term growth and profitability. To find out more about franchising opportunities and open territories, visit sportclipsfranchise.com.

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