Franchisee Friday - Sport Clips

Even as a busy mother, Debra Sawyer has been able to find a work/life balance through franchising. She owns over 20 Sport Clips locations in Virginia and Florida, and is our Franchisee Friday! 

When asked for her advice on finding balance when you have young children and want to own a business, she said, "Even with my company allowing me to work from home about 75 percent of the time, I found it hard to manage it all. My parents owned a business and the entrepreneurial spirit stuck with me. I was writing for a textbook company in my early career, and thought about buying it, but questioned the longevity.

I'm a certified public accountant, but didn't feel the accounting industry would provide the freedom and flexibility I wanted. At one point, a neighbor approached me for advice in researching business opportunities. After comparing what I found, I felt a haircutting franchise was the best option of all of those from a financial and lifestyle perspective. After doing all this research for my neighbor, it became clear to me just what a great idea investing in a hair care franchise was, so the decision was made for my family.  Giving my notice to my company was the best feeling ever.

As a multi-unit Sport Clips team leader, I've been able to create the freedom I want in life. I’ve had much more flexibility than I would have with a traditional 9 to 5 job. When my girls were younger, I was able to volunteer in their school lunch room and coach their rec cheer teams. Getting to spend more time with my kids is priceless. I live in Virginia, but I now have a daughter in college in Florida, so I have the freedom to make that my home base. I have been able to build my business in a way that made sense for my personal and financial goals and it has resulted in being able to control my own destiny on my own terms."

For more information about franchising with Sport Clips, click here.