With Small Business Saturday behind us and the holiday shopping season in full swing, I’ve been thinking about a question that always shows up this time of year: What really counts as a local business?
It’s a question getting renewed attention across the franchise industry, thanks to the International Franchise Association’s “Franchise Means Local” campaign. Their message is simple: Franchising is a local business model, even when the brand is national. Most franchise locations—more than 800,000 across the U.S.—are owned and operated by people who actually live in the communities they serve.
That owner invests their own money, takes on the risk, and makes the day-to-day decisions that shape the customer experience. Understanding this helps consumers make more informed choices about which businesses they support.
Entrepreneur magazine recently reinforced this idea. Their article notes that the real strength of franchising shows up at the unit level. Local franchise owners hire locally, respond to what their neighborhoods need, and adjust quickly because they’re right there—in the stores, in the community, seeing what’s happening in real time.
Neighborly’s franchising report adds another clear takeaway: Franchise businesses create stable local jobs, generate tax revenue, and tend to stay active in their communities. The franchising model gives owners access to scalable systems, but those local decisions and local relationships are what drive growth.
All this lines up with how Great Clips works. We’re a 100% franchised brand—no corporate-owned salons—so every location is run by an independent owner. As the franchisor, Great Clips provides proven systems, but franchisees shape their businesses based on what their specific market needs. That combination of local ownership and brand support is exactly why the model works.
The message is clear: Franchising is a local business model—supported by scale and powered by local owners.
If you’d like to know more about being a Great Clips franchisee and how the team at the corporate office would support you as you build a local hair salon franchise, give me a call! I’d love to talk with you.
Beth Nilssen
Director of Franchise Development | Great Clips, Inc. 800-947-1143 | [email protected]
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