During the past 14 years, Rush has opened 20 salons across London, Surrey, Kent and Sussex.

However, in the next five years, Phouli and Andrew plan to open 200 Rush franchises across the UK. “The clock started on 1 April 2008,” Phouli says. “We have succesfully opened eight franchises and have plans to open another six in the next three months.”

That’s enormous growth for a company that started expanding by opening one new salon a year. But this slower start gave the group time to make Rush an established hairdressing brand in London and the South East, and one that’s very appealing to potential franchisees.

Phouli explains: “We decided to start franchising when we realised there were people who’d been working for us for five years, and wanted to open their own Rush franchise.”

And, Phouli continues, these loyal, enthusiastic employees are just the sort of franchisees the founders want to recruit: “We look for people with the same kind of energy Stel and I had when we started the business.”

Rush franchisees – salon stylists and business managers alike – are trained in the Rush discipline at the company’s three-floor academy in Croydon before the keys to the new franchise are handed over. Phouli and Andrew are instrumental in training and make sure they’re involved in the day-to-day running of the franchise, too. Phouli explains: “We’re very involved with our franchisees – their success is our success.”

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