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Ip opened his first Great Clips®
salon in Hampton Cove during
November 2004, and since then,
his business has grown to 95
(mostly) full-time staff members.
"We started with zero employees,
zero revenues and zero
customers," Ip said. "We had
enough confidence to develop
this market, and we've grown
with the help of Redstone
Federal Credit Union."
It hasn't always been easy, but Ip is happy with how his mid-life career change has
worked out. He previously worked in product development and strategy for the high-
tech industry for 23 years.
He remembers getting his first Great Clips haircut in Atlanta. He liked the haircut and
the value, but over the years, he saw more in the salon chain.
"I liked the way they handled their business as a customer," he said. "But I also really
liked their computer system, which keeps customer profiles that detail preferences so
that any stylist can maintain a customer's cut, if no changes are requested."
When he left the high-tech world, Ip said he wanted to do something different, but
most importantly, he wanted to make sure the internet would not replace whatever he
chose to do.
It didn't take long for him to settle on a Great Clips franchise because it didn't require a
lot of upfront money. He chose the untapped Huntsville market to start his Great Clips
franchise business because the area's landscape reminded him of Kentucky, where he
and his wife attended college.
S M A L L B U S I N E S S S P O T L I G H T
Allan Ip is growing a haircare
empire, one cut at a time.
GROWING STRONG IN
NORTH ALABAMA
