FAIRFAX CITY, VA — A recent military retiree, Sean Carroll was trying to figure out what his next career would be. Fortunately for him, he took advantage of the Small Business Administration’s Boots to Business program, which helps service members transition back into civilian life.
“That’s when I first got exposed to franchises,” he told Patch recently. “I did about a year-long search to find the right brand and we interviewed several. We liked them a lot, but Great Clips really spoke to me.”
Carroll had looked at a variety of businesses, from printing shops to children’s tutoring, before he decided on a hair salon. As a military member himself, he recognized that a haircut is an essential part of everyone’s lives.
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“Everyone needs one,” he said. “Whether there’s a recession or the economy is going strong, we all need haircuts. That area drew me to it and I interviewed with a couple of brands, but Great Clips was recommended to me by a family friend and counselor.”.
Signing on as a franchisee in March 2021, Carroll incorporated in Virginia and opened his first Great Clips salon in November 2022 in the South Lakes Village Center in Reston.
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When the Reston salon first opened, not a lot of people were familiar with the Great Clips brand. To change that, the salon offered some “pretty aggressive promotions” with haircut sales in order to build its client base, according to Carroll.
“Once people discover us, they like us,” he said. “They tell their family and friends about us and they come back. The challenge is just getting more people to discover us. We’re a volume business.”
This past May, Carroll opened his second Great Clips salon in Fairfax City’s Turnpike Shopping Center.
A Great Clips salon had already operated at that location until August 2023, when the previous owner had decided to close the salon. With the help of the Great Clips corporate team, Carroll was able to secure ownership of the shop, which he renovated and reopened in May.
This time around, Carroll didn’t have to try quite as hard to sell the brand. Customers were already familiar with Great Clips.
“They came back,” he said, about the customers in Fairfax City. “The doors open and folks said, ‘Hey, I’ve been coming here for 10 years. Why did you close? I’m glad you’re back open.’ So we’re happy to say, ‘It’s a Great Clips. New ownership. New team. Happy to have you back.’ People have continued to come back.”
Carroll has even been able to hire back some of the stylists who worked for the previous owner at the Fairfax City location.
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Great Clips specializes in offering haircuts for the entire family, from infants to senior citizens, everyone in between, men and women, according to Carroll.
“We do a limited number of styles, blowouts, neck trims, beard trims, bang trims and shampoos,” he said. “We keep a very simple straightforward menu. If you’re looking for a more elaborate level of service, you’re probably looking at a different salon. We’re here for the busy client who wants to come in, look great, and feel great and get back to work.”
Great Clips is located at 3989 Pickett Road in Fairfax City’s Turnpike Shopping Center. The salon is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
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