Growing a Franchise
Drawing on his own experience as a franchisee and franchisor, Picker approaches franchise development with empathy, disciplined growth and a focus on finding the right partners.
Franchise Sales Leader: Howard Picker
Brand: Floyd’s 99 Barbershop
Howard Picker has experienced franchising from nearly every angle. He has been a franchisee, built and sold his own franchise brand and now leads franchise development for Floyd’s 99 Barbershop.
That background gives Picker something particularly valuable when he sits across from a prospective franchisee: He knows exactly what it feels like to be the person considering whether to leave a successful career, invest their own money and bet on themselves.
Before franchising, Picker spent roughly 14 years as a mechanical engineer in aerospace before moving into technology and working with IBM Global Services. But extensive travel kept him away from his wife and young son for much of the year, prompting him to search for a different path. Within about a year, he made the leap into franchise ownership.
That decision ultimately shaped not only Picker’s career but also the way he approaches franchise sales today.
Picker and his wife began with a franchise business, later expanded into another industry and ultimately achieved the financial and personal goals they had set for themselves. Picker eventually became a franchisor himself, building a brand across the U.S. before successfully selling it.
But he has never forgotten what the beginning felt like.
“When you’re standing on the edge of the cliff and you’re looking at the abyss and knowing where you’re coming from and that you have a guaranteed paycheck, yeah, you kind of question, ‘Am I making the right decision?’” Picker said. “That’s really when I go through my conversations with my franchisees or prospects, that’s what I absolutely love, because I remember.”
That firsthand experience gives Picker’s sales philosophy an empathetic foundation. He understands the financial questions, the uncertainty and the excitement that come with franchise ownership because he has lived through them himself.
“I could never achieve in the corporate world what I have in the franchise world,” he said.
Picker’s experience as a franchisee has also shaped the way he qualifies candidates for Floyd’s.
Rather than approaching every conversation with the goal of closing another deal, Picker believes franchise development should begin with understanding what the prospective owner is actually trying to accomplish.
“It’s okay sometimes to say no to folks, if I don’t feel the right fit or they don’t feel the right fit, and move forward,” Picker said.
The candidates who do stand out tend to share a few qualities. Picker looks for a positive mindset, an interest in growth and people who have a sense of where they want their entrepreneurial journey to take them. His six-step due diligence process therefore starts not with the economics or details of the brand, but with the person sitting across from him.
“The very first one is I want to know who you are,” he said. “I want you to tell me what you’re currently doing, where you are right now in your life and why you are looking at a business. I actually shut my mouth and listen.”
Picker’s franchisee experience continues to influence him even from the corporate side of the relationship.
“There are times that I actually have to put myself in the franchisee’s shoes to understand what their needs are,” he said. “Having that experience, I think, has really propelled me to help brands grow, especially here at Floyd’s.”
It is a perspective that goes beyond selling a franchise. Picker understands what happens after the agreement is signed, when the new owner becomes responsible for employees, customers, expenses and ultimately the success of the business.
“One of the things that we aim to do is support our franchisees in every aspect,” Picker said. “They’re true franchise partners, and of course we wouldn’t be successful without them. So that’s where our focus is.”
Picker approached his opportunity to join Floyd’s much like he approached his own franchise investments. He evaluated the company from the perspective of a buyer, asking whether the brand, support system, longevity and underlying business met the standards he would want if he were investing his own money.
“It checked off all those boxes for me,” Picker said. “Floyd’s at its core is authentic. It’s got a great culture, but more importantly, we’ve got experience. We’ve been in business 25 years, so we’ve proven this.”
For Picker, that disciplined approach brings his career full circle. He knows what it feels like to leave corporate America, sign a franchise agreement, operate the business, grow it and eventually exit. Now, he gets to use those experiences to help other aspiring entrepreneurs determine whether they are ready to do the same.
“I absolutely love what I do, and that’s talking to folks and explaining to them why being a business owner or entrepreneur is so important,” Picker said. “I get to share with people what business has done for me.”
Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit www.1851growthclub.com and start your journey.
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