Many factors contribute to success in franchising. While profitability, market demand and a strong business model are important, Winn Claybaugh, co-founder of the Salty Dawg Pet Salon franchise, would argue that culture may be the most fundamental factor. By Sarah Lindauer
Many factors contribute to success in franchising. While profitability, market demand and a strong business model are important, Winn Claybaugh, co-founder of the Salty Dawg Pet Salon franchise, would argue that culture may be the most fundamental factor.
Walk into any Salty Dawg location, and you’ll understand what he means.
“People enter our franchises, and they think, ‘I love it here. I can’t put my finger on what it is, but I just enjoy being inside this place.’ And you know what it comes down to? Everyone is nice,” Claybaugh shared.
Claybaugh calls it the “Be Nice” culture, and it started 22 years ago when he established Paul Mitchell Advanced Education. His original plan was to build seven Paul Mitchell Schools for hair and beauty, but it quickly expanded to 110 locations.
“If you ask the people in my organization, ‘Is it the curriculum? The product? The name? The brand?’ No, it’s the culture that makes this place so wonderful,” Claybaugh said. When founding Salty Dawg, he knew he needed to model the culture off of Paul Mitchell’s success.
Claybaugh describes culture as something that happens when two people come together, and businesses decide what that looks and feels like. At Salty Dawg, franchisees ensure every encounter is inclusive, warm and welcoming. Alongside happy customers, this also creates a strong workforce.
“Nowadays, we’re hearing about this mass exodus from companies. So many places are understaffed. That’s just not the case here at Salty Dawg,” Claybaugh commented. Salty Dawg’s retention rates are high, and the brand attracts the most talented employees in the industry. “We’ve fostered a culture of learning without shame or fear of failure. People come here to grow, and that means we can hire and develop the best talent,” he said.
Franchisees receive comprehensive training on how to maintain this “Be Nice” culture. Claybaugh described the directives as “systems,” from learning how to answer the phone to handling customer feedback.
“Culture has to come from the top – starting with leadership,” Claybaugh shared. With a co-founder like himself, it’s no surprise that it’s always a great day to run a Salty Dawg franchise.
Sarah Lindauer