Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue III, 2012 | Page 52

MVP 2012
stickers and flyers. Soon everybody
in town knew about the salon and its
young owner.
In June 2011, Sarkissian opened a
second salon in Modesto, and less than
a year later opened his third.
“Edwin is a branding guru, whether
he’s directing his advertising on a market
level or on the individual salon level,” says
Scott Colabuono, president and CEO of
Fantastic Sams Hair Salons International.
“He uses all the tools available to him,
follows the Fantastic Sams system, and
has developed a very strong team with
high standards. He features the brand
and his salons on everything he touches,
whether wrapping his vehicles or partnering with movie theaters. Edwin’s three

“I wanted to make
my parents proud
and ultimately
support them at
some point.”
salons and three hotels—plus two hotels he manages for investors—are gems
in his portfolio. I wish I had dozens of
Edwins in our system.”
Sarkissian says franchising has been
the best path to success for him. “I
knew from the start that the chance of

failure with a franchise was much less
than with another kind of operation.
The franchisor’s job is to make sure
you succeed, so even though franchisees
pay the price (royalties, etc.), we’re all
in this together.”
Despite his seven-day work week,
the young franchisee says he is grateful
every day. “I come from a country where
people aren’t given these chances. Yes,
there are economic and political problems in this country, but those mean
nothing to me. At the end of the day, we
have a nice, comfortable bed and a nice
meal and we get up in the morning and
do it again. Fifty percent of the world
doesn’t get to do that. It’s important to
appreciate that.”

MANAGEMENT
Business philosophy: All of us work and spend our money. When we
spend it at any business, we want to get what we pay for because we work
so hard for our money. I want to provide good service and good value to our
guests because in this economy, every dollar and penny counts. I also believe
in giving back to the community, so we give a lot out. We can’t be too greedy
and just hold on to everything.
Are you in the franchising, real estate, or customer service
business? Why? Customer service has to be first. We live in a customer
service world, especially in America. If we have no customers, we have no
business. The great thing about franchising is that we’re all in it together on the
same concept. Every place our customers go, they know they can find the same
products and service.
As an operator, what are the two most important things you
rely on from your franchisor? Buying power and resources, like support
with real estate, marketing, and branding.
What gets you out of bed in the morning? The surprise of what the
day will bring. I like to live day by day. People want to schedule appointments
for weeks to come, but I think if you plan so much and work so hard, you forget about living. If you plan your whole life, you become a machine. I want to
live happy, because we don’t live forever.
What’s your passion in business? It’s like a science project. When you
create this thing and it’s working you want to continue to make it work. We
humans like to challenge ourselves, especially with something where there’s a
chance of failure. I like that challenge and trying to make a difference in the
world.
Management method or style: I don’t believe in treating one person less
than the other. We all have the same value and respect as a person. My dad
says, “We came into this world naked, we’ll leave naked.” That’s why I try to
lead by example. I’ll get down on my knees and scrub the floors or the toilets
because I want people to see I will do everything I ask of them. If you treat
people well and take care of them, they will love you and work harder for you.
Greatest challenge: Keeping all my businesses going well.
How close are you to operations? Very close—that’s why I work

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Multi-Unit Franchisee Is s ue III, 2012

seven days a week. I’m involved every day. I’m not just the guy who drops off
checks and says thanks and goodbye. I want people to know that I care.
Have you changed your marketing strategy in response to the
economy? How? A little bit. We’re always finding new sources and adjusting to prices and products we’re serving. There aren’t that many jobs, and no
jobs means less money for people to spend. So we have to adjust to accommodate them.
How is social media affecting your business operations? Right
now, we’re not doing a lot of that because it takes so much time to monitor,
update, and deal with feedback.
Personality: Hard-working, fair, good sense of humor.
How do others describe you? Hard-working, fair, caring.
How do you hire and fire? Lots of times I meet potential employees
following their interviews with the managers. I’m really less interested in what
degree they have than what life experience they have. I hire based primarily on
personality and attitude. I try to make interviews less serious so they can relax
and show me who they really are.
As for firing, if it’s at all possible, I like to keep who I have and work with
them and make things better. If there’s not a big problem, I like to give people
a second chance, because where I grew up not many people were ever given
second chances. We’re not there to fire people. A lot of times, people fire
themselves.
How do you train and retain? I pair new people up with some of the
best employees in the company for training. I also spend time myself to see
how they’re doing and how quickly they’re catching on. To better retain our
employees, I train my staff and supervisors not to yell or raise their voices and
to treat people well and not look down on them. It goes back to what my mom
says: Treat them well and if you make a mistake,