Posted:13-January-2021
Interview with Leona Loosley of Rush Hair, Twickenham.
Name: Leona Loosley
Location: Twickenham
Franchise: Rush Twickenham
Why did you go down the franchise route? And why did you choose a Rush franchise?
My passion is for hairdressing but I also have strong business acumen so franchising was the next logical step for me. Rush supports all employees and encourages growth within the company through training courses, I wanted to pursue the business side of hairdressing and to own my own salon so decided to franchise. I chose Twickenham as it is my home town, I love the area and thought a Rush salon would be perfect here. The atmosphere is great and there’s a real buzz, also with the Rugby World Cup coming later in the year I saw this as a great opportunity to open a salon.
What did you do before becoming a franchisee?
I have always been in hairdressing, I have been a hair stylist for the last 7 years working in Rush Chiswick.
How did you raise the finance?
I raised the finance by working hard and saving.
What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing?
Rush has given me lots of support and training every step of the way, as well as the strong support that I have from my family. Rush found the location, fitted and designed my salon and recruited my fantastic skilled team for me. The marketing team have driven lots of clients in from the minute I opened.
What is a typical day for you as a Rush franchisee?
Not only am I a franchisee, I’m also a stylist in the salon. So a typical day for me is arriving at the salon before opening and preparing for the day, my day is filled with serving clients as well as keeping on top of the managerial side of things and supporting my team.
What challenges have you faced?
The biggest challenge so far is splitting my time between being a salon owner, guiding a new team and serving my clients. Having a brand new team is always a challenge and I need to make sure everyone feels supported. It is hard being a hair stylist and making sure I balance my time between clients and running the salon. But these are challenges that I have enjoyed overcoming.
Has becoming a franchisee changed your life, if so how?
It’s a little too early to say if it’s changed my life yet, I am however very excited for what the future holds.
What marketing/promotional tools do you use to grow your franchise?
I am very lucky to have the Rush marketing team helping and supporting me through the start of my journey. I am fully booked in my new salon, it was an amazing opening day and I feel fully supported. Rush coordinate all my marketing campaigns, promotions, artwork, my salon website with online bookings and new retail products to sell in my salon. So I don’t even have to think about it, I can focus on my team and my clients.
What differentiates your Rush franchise from the competition?
Having a powerful brand like Rush behind me means that people already know they will receive an excellent service inside the salon. This, combined with my amazing team leaves me totally confident that anyone entering Rush Twickenham will receive the best possible customer service and that their appointment will be delivered with thorough and detailed knowledge of hairdressing.
In your opinion, what makes a successful franchisee?
A successful franchisee must be committed, determined, and have a real passion for what they do as there’s no denying it’s hard work but very rewarding.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of buying their first franchise?
To those who are considering franchising, think long and hard as to whether you think now is the right time to open your franchise as you have to be able to give 110% of yourself to it. But for me, I love what I do, I have a passion for hairdressing and it has been worth it, I’m so happy I made this decision.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the immediate future is to ensure Rush Twickenham succeeds. I look forward to watching my team grow from strength to strength. In the future I would like to open another salon.
Would you do it again?
Yes definitely, I plan to.
Interested and want to know more about Rush Hair?
The Rush Hair basic profile outlines aspects of their franchise opportunity
