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Blo Blow Dry Bar is a revolutionary women’s salon brand that was started up by two savvy Canadian women in 2007. After noticing that there was a real dearth of high-quality hair care brands at an affordable price point, Blo Blow Dry Bar was born. The brand grew strongly in Vancouver and really took off when Vanessa Yakobson and her partners purchased the brand in 2009 and converted it into a franchise system. Since then, Blo hasn’t looked back. That’s because the brand has developed over 100 locations since moving to the franchise model, and has grown to become the largest blow-dry franchise in the world.
Unparalleled franchisee support
The success of the brand is directly tied to the performance of every franchisee – therefore the brand is willing to work closely with every single one to make their business a success. It starts well before franchisees open their location; the Blo franchise model is constantly being refined to offer the most value to its system. The Blo locations are cleverly designed to minimize the square footage required without giving up on any essential features, which also makes them easier to manage.
Blo understands that many aren’t experienced business owners and require help – especially during the development phase. This is why franchisees have exclusive real estate brokers that assist them with finding the ideal site and construction. New business owners won’t be left to their own devices once the location opens and becomes operational, the brand will continue to offer support and training, especially with marketing and operations.
Opening up multiple sources of revenue is what attracts many franchisees to the brand, as it isn’t just blow-dries at Blo Blow Dry Bar locations. Blo franchisees can also offer makeup services at their locations, which is often taken up by many customers who booked an appointment to look their best for a special occasion. Customers can have hair extensions put in and book waxing services all in one, convenient location.
It’s not just the services franchisees offer; a number of selected retail items are available at Blo’s locations too. Customers who come back for Blo’s services will notice the top-class products being used and are likely to want to purchase some for themselves at home.
Make your customers feel like stars
Blo loves to make its customers feel better about themselves – it’s a great part of the brand’s identity and mission. It’s why Blo Blow Dry Bar salons are so beautifully and expertly designed, so every single customer feels like they enjoyed a positive experience, and will want to come back.
That’s why the brand rolls out the pink carpet for everyone, whether its customers or franchisees. Hair salons are a real part of the community; they tend to be the type of businesses that an individual will visit repeatedly over the course of their entire life.
Aided by the brand’s simple-to-understand and replicable processes, customers will feel comfortable returning to Blo Blow Dry Bar, knowing they will get the same high quality service they received previously. For franchisees, making their customers feel and look their best is one of the most rewarding aspects of owning a franchise. See what some of Blo’s franchisees had to say:
“I really enjoy being part of a brand that is near and dear to my heart. I love the whole branding aspect. I like that women know who we are and have exciting stories to tell. Helping women feel good and look good and keep the customers satisfied is really amazing,” said Jean Camilletti, multi-unit franchisee with locations in West Hartford, CT and Glen Cove Road, NY.
“We don’t know what our guests are going through in their lives. When they come to one of our bars and we’ve given them a smile, we’ve given them great service and we’ve made them feel special. That is truly our mission,” said Angela Brown, multi-unit franchisee with locations in Scottsdale, AZ and La Mesa, CA.
Blo franchisees are also encouraged to get involved in the community and engage with schools and charities. The brand places a lot of value in giving back to the community that makes it successful.
An ever-growing and innovative segment
The hair salon space is huge and full of innovative concepts and ideas. But right now, the fastest-growing segment in the hair salon industry is the blow dry sector. As women become busier and busier in the workplace, trips to the salon have to become more meticulously planned to minimize the time spent out of the office. The hair dryer market is expected to grow by $1.46bn between 2021- 2025, and much of this growth is driven by increased consumer spending at blow dry bars.
“As an international brand Blo Blow Dry Bar is ready to “paint the globe pink” by expanding with strong operators in new marketing. The universal appeal of the blow dry bar services offering makes this an attractive business opportunity for smart investors,” said Vanessa Yakobson, CEO of Blo Blow Dry Bar.
Blow dry services take far less time than a traditional salon, and can open up the market to a whole new segment of women who have previously made very few trips, or opted for simpler services to save time.
It also creates a convenient one-stop-shop for women, with many of the services they need all under one roof. This helps to increase brand loyalty and keep customers for life. The model is also e-commerce-proof – this will be a very difficult industry to disrupt. Human-to-human contact will always be a necessity, both to deliver the core service and the extra human connection between the customer and hairdresser that forms a major part of the blow dry experience.
Blo Blow Dry Bar is committed to making its franchisees a success, and everything in the franchise system is geared towards that. From the initial inquiry to the first few weeks in operation, the Blo team will always be on-hand to help its franchisees become a success.
At a Glance Blo Blow Dry Bar
Established: 2007 (franchising since 2009)
Number of franchised outlets: 100+
Location of units: U.S.A, Canada and the Philippines
Investment range: $300,000 – $450,000
Minimum required capital: $100,000
Seeking: Area developers in select international markets
Contact: U.S. and Canada: patrick@blocorporate.com
International: marcel@blocorporate.com
