Sport Clips Haircuts Team Leader Richard Buxbaum decided early on investing in the right team members would be the key to propel his business forward. “In the beginning, it’s tempting to cut corners, especially when it comes to staffing, but once you do that, you cut yourself short. In the long run, having the right people in place and truly caring about them makes all the difference,” he says. Keep reading to see what the life of a Sport Clips team leader and multi unit franchise owner details!

With a growth mindset, Buxbaum invested in an area manager right away. Richard Buxbaum explains, “When I first became a team leader, I took over two existing stores and knew I would open at least three more. I knew I needed to leverage Sport Clips’ effective manager- led business model in order to grow at the pace I wanted.”  

Buxbaum’s decision to hire an area manager with only two stores operating, whereas most team leaders wait until they have a few more stores opened, was motivated by his plans to maintain his core work as a real estate broker and developer. “I enjoy my work in commercial real estate and plan to keep my core career going, so I knew I needed this key player in place,” he explains.   

With the help of his area manager, Buxbaum has been able to leverage his time for maximum impact. “I spend about 10 to 15 hours a week going over the books and touching base with my area manager and managers,” he explains. “I also visit the stores for personal face time and to make myself available to the team. I want to show my support and keep communication open, but I also don’t want to helicopter, that doesn’t empower.” 

He continues, “Technology has played a huge part in helping everyone stay on the same page. Sport Clips uses some of the best in the industry.”  

Buxbaum credits Sport Clips’ infrastructure as setting the foundation for success. “The support and resources available to team leaders are broad and strong, and the values and team culture truly set the brand apart from the others,” he states. “High-quality stylists and manager candidates are attracted to this brand because of the development opportunities available to them.”  

As Buxbaum has grown his business, he has found the semi-absentee business model has aligned with his leadership and management skills. “Success as a team requires a people-first mentality. You must be in this business for the people,” says Buxbaum. “Relationships take time and presence to build. This is not for people who are not willing to invest in that way.  

“Creating a positive environment and team culture is so important and takes intention. Some of the ways we do that is by recognizing birthdays and individual accomplishments. I also like to host parties for my teams.” 

Buxbaum’s journey to owning five stores took time. “This business model is not a get rich quick scheme. It took me until about the fourth of fifth year to really hit my stride, which is what I had expected.” 

He concludes, “My goal is to perhaps expand to six or seven stores. This is where I feel is my sweet spot. I feel I’ve struck a really nice balance and am enjoying that. Stick to the model, it really does work!”  

Join the Sport Clips franchise family today!

Let us help you be multi unit franchise owner! For in-depth details about the Sport Clips franchise opportunity, download our Free Franchise Opportunity Report. You can also learn more by visiting our research pages!

You don’t need experience in the haircare industry to be a successful Sport Clips Haircuts team leader. In fact, we prefer you don’t! With more than 25 years of experience, our simple franchise business model has been tested and proven to work. We have found that for a business model to work, it must be a good fit for the business owner. So, we have assessed what makes a good team leader, and it is why Sport Clips has one of the most rigorous selection processes in all of franchising.  

We have identified some of the top characteristics that make successful team leaders. And none of them involve being able to cut hair!  

1: Goal-oriented and hardworking-Like any business venture, you need to be clear on your goals and then put in the work to get there. This offering is not a get rich quick scheme, it is a business that is built over time. Sport Clips provides the tools, guidelines and resources to help you reach your objectives, but success comes down to your ability to stay on course. Expect to invest time up front to learn best practices and to really understand the business operations; this is not something that happens overnight.  

2: CEO mindset- Strong leadership and management skills are important to Sport Clips’ effective manager-led business model.  You need to be able to empower managers to run the day-to-day operations of the store. A team leader spends their time managing the managers and looking at the big picture, working on the business rather than in it.  

3: Strong communicator- Being an effective communicator is essential to team leader success. Communication is the foundation to solid relationships and a strong team culture. This requires being engaged and attuned to the needs, goals and motivations of your entire team. Communication allows a team to work together to achieve common goals, and this starts with the team leader.  

4: Supportive family and friends- Owning a business is truly a family affair. You are building a legacy for your family. It is essential that your spouse/family members are on the same page. While they may or may not be involved in the business aspect, their support and encouragement is a good indicator of whether you will be successful. For this reason, we encourage spouses to attend Discovery Day with franchise candidates, even if they will not be taking an active role in the business.  

5: Passion for community involvement- Community plays an important role the success of a local business. Beyond boosting visibility and brand awareness, community involvement is about relationship building. It is at the core of Sport Clips’ values and giving back is a big part of its culture on every level.  

6: Willing to follow a system– Sport Clips’ business model is proven and has easy-to-execute operations.  Over the past 25 years it has built a strong foundation, providing comprehensive training and support for all aspects of being a team leader. To be successful with this model, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, but rather follow the established framework.  

7: People-first business approach- Sport Clips promotes what is called the “Heart of a Champion”. It sums up how team leaders can expect to be treated, and how team leaders should treat their team members and how team members should treat clients. These simple principles are at the core of how the brand interacts and conducts business:  

• • Do what’s right.  
  • Do your best.  
  • Treat others the way they want to be treated.  

8: Team building skills and a desire to develop team members- A successful team leader takes a servant leadership approach to their role. Recruiting and retaining quality team members is the foundation to a high-performing store. This requires investing in your team members’ development and growth – both personally and professionally. You will not be successful if you cannot make that mental shift.  

9: Business management and marketing skills- Sport Clips team leaders come from a diverse background but one thing most have in common is business experience. Understanding key performance indicators and formulating a plan to achieve those objectives, as well as executing a marketing plan, are both transferrable skills from the corporate world. With the support, resources and tools provided by Sport Clips, the team leader devises and implements a business plan based on the best practices of a proven system.  

10: Team player- As a team leader, you are in business for yourself but not by yourself. You are part of a team and a network of other like-minded business owners. The brand’s strong team culture is one of the things that sets it apart in the franchising world. Team leaders support and encourage each other, celebrating each other’s successes and helping to problem solve. Many will even say one of the most rewarding aspects of this journey are the relationships they have built. 

Sport Clips is dedicated to the success of its team leaders. We believe this begins by determining whether this offering is a good fit for the individual.  We have found team leaders who possess these characteristics go far in achieving their personal and financial goals with Sport Clips.  

Learn more about the journey to success with Sport Clips here!

For in-depth details about the Sport Clips franchise opportunity, download our Free Franchise Opportunity Report. You can also learn more by visiting our research pages!