Semi-Retired to Successful Franchise Owner
Edward A. Gill recently became a proud investor in a Sharkey’s franchise. When Ed decided to invest in a franchise, he was semi-retired and looking for something that would bring satisfaction and fulfillment to his life. Having needed to retire due to health reason, Ed was interested in exploring franchise ownership as an investment that would pay off for him and his wife.
After much deliberation and research, Ed invested in Sharkey’s, an amazing hair salon that caters to children. Sharkey’s offers a magical haircutting experience that children can enjoy and parents can afford. We asked Ed to share his story about what it was like getting started and becoming a franchise owner.
By, Edward A. Gill 
My path to purchasing a franchise may not be typical of others in my position, but then again, every story is unique unto itself. Today, I feel that I am in control of my own destiny as a franchise owner. I did my research and I worked hard. As the saying goes, “You reap what you sow.”
A few years back, I went into semi-retirement because of health reasons. I spent the next few years following my lifelong passions and hobbies. While I enjoyed if tor a time, I became very bored after a couple of years. My passions and hobbies didn’t interest me any longer. I quit buying books, coins, stamps, and model building. While I still dabbled in what I enjoyed doing, I knew I needed something more. After all, watching television all day is not my nature. I would often search the web to pass time and explore different opportunities out there. Eventually, I came across Franchise Solutions; it perked me up to see all the options that were out there. There were so many to choose from that it was overwhelming.
What would be a good fit for me? Would I be able to find a franchise that would be suitable for someone who was semi-retired? I was curious how I could use this as an investment and I used the site to learn more about my options.
Purchasing a franchise was an excellent investment for me that has allowed me great financial growth and freedom. I searched for what interested me and what I could be passionate about. I wanted to find a franchise that I would be proud to own.
Because I was retired and I wouldn’t have those years or real working ability to recoup any loss that may happen, it was very important that I found a franchise that was a good fit for me and my wife. First, I established what my strengths and weaknesses were, and then I decided what I would be willing to invest. What to invest was the hardest to answer because I know my skill set quite well. After researching various investment options on the site and discussing them with my wife, I was able to make an educated decision.
I spent a lot of time viewing what was available on the Franchise Solutions web site. I realized that franchising was a great move for me because I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel. These different franchise options had all the tools I would need to get started and own a successful business. Franchise Solutions had regular updates helped me narrow my focus. They helped me make contacts with the franchises I was interested. Through their site, I was able to get viable information and plenty of details from the franchisors.
I finally settled on Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids. I knew that Sharkey’s was a good fit when the customers came in the door. It was great to see the children who were fascinated by the big cars and glamour party room, but best of all is when parents say that they wish they had this as a kid and they were surely bringing their children back. In one particular instance, a mom went right home and “liked” us on Facebook as soon as she got home less than an hour after her son’s appointment.
I found that Scott Sharkey was easy to work with, supplied a great amount of information for me to digest, and became a great mentor and friend. And, he had a very defined strategy on how a franchisee could be successful. The concept that I most bought into was the varied revenue stream of children’s haircuts, parties, and retail sale of toys, gifts, and party favors.
Lastly, my working with the area developer of my region, Amy Seibert, was the “icing on the cake”. She provided daily input throughout the process that I found extremely valuable. Her perspective of also being a franchise owner helped me through the gray areas of franchise ownership and start up.
At this point in time, I have made the right decision. I would recommend that anyone thinking of purchasing a franchise to make sure you gather all the information you need to make an educated decision. There is never too much information to have on hand. I’ve walked into some franchises right of the street and talked to the owner or manager. All of it is for getting a feel for what you need to do and what not to do in your decision making process.