1851

For more than 30 years, Al Rodriguez worked his way up the ladder of corporate America. But even after paying his dues and building a strong career, he knew he wanted more. So he decided to go into business for himself. But there was one barrier blocking Rodriguez from opening up his own company&#8212;he wasn&#8217;t in a position to leave his full time nine to five in order to build his own business from the ground up. That&#8217;s why he decided to pursue a franchising opportunity with Sport Clips, the <a href="http://sportclipsfranchise.com/1851?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchisee-finds-success-outside-of-corporate-america-with-sport-clips-5501" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">nation&#8217;s premier salon for men and boys</a>. The brand&#8217;s proven business model gave Rodriguez the support of an established company while providing the flexibility he needed to keep his day job at the same time. &#8220;Sport Clips really stood out to me because it gave me the opportunity to work on the business rather than in the business,&#8221; said Rodriguez. &#8220;As an owner, I have the ability to control the quality of service and establish a recurring base of customers who come back time and time again. That really opens up the door for unlimited growth.&#8221; The brand&#8217;s option to work as a semi-absentee franchise owner initially helped fuel Rodriguez&#8217;s growth. That&#8217;s because Sport Clips&#8217; business is set up in a way that on-site managers and employees are able to keep the day-to-day business going. With the help and backing of the brand&#8217;s corporate support team, Rodriguez was able to fill his stores with talented and driven employees. &#8220;My whole team&#8212;myself included&#8212;has grown tremendously since I first franchised with Sport Clips. It&#8217;s been incredibly rewarding for me to give someone a shot after they graduate cosmetology school and then see them move up the ranks,&#8221; said Rodriguez. &#8220;Between my strong network of barbers and managers and the Sport Clips corporate team, I&#8217;ve been able to expand at a pace that I didn&#8217;t think was possible.&#8221; Now, Rodriguez has left his job in corporate America behind in order to focus on owning Sport Clips&#8217; entire Western Pennsylvania market. He&#8217;s signed on to open up 25 Sport Clips locations in the area&#8212;10 of those units are currently open for business, with construction underway at two more locations. Rodriguez credits his success as a full-time, multi-unit franchisee to <a href="http://sportclips.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchisee-finds-success-outside-of-corporate-america-with-sport-clips-5501" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sport Clips&#8217; unique model</a>&#8212;both from the business owner and consumer stand point. &#8220;Sport Clips provides top quality services that can&#8217;t be found anywhere else. That&#8217;s why customers keep coming back,&#8221; Rodriguez said. &#8220;Its strong brand loyalty and recognition has almost made it easy for me to grow as an entrepreneur. I&#8217;m excited to continue working with the brand to take my salons to the next level in the months and years to come.&#8221;

1851 Franchise

After starting out as a semi-absentee owner, Al Rodriguez is now signed on to open 25 total Sport Clips locations in the Western Pennsylvania market.

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