Raphaele Reponty has 12 years of franchising industry experience, and opened her Franck Provost salon in the Sydney suburb of Manly two years ago. 

She is clearly a fan of the franchising model, and believes it is a particularly viable option when investing in an international brand.

“I think that’s [franchising] the best and safest way to develop a French brand in a foreign country,” Raphaele says.

A desire to work in the services industry prompted Raphaele to invest in Franck Provost.

“It was the perfect time to develop an international hair brand in Australia and I believed in their project and success,” she adds.

Staff turnover is a constant challenge for the business, and as a sole franchisee, Raphaele is often required to work long hours.

“The staff recruitment is so difficult in this industry and there is lots of turnover. I spend too many hours in the salon but you need to be there when you start a business.

“My husband helps as much as he can when he is not working,” she adds.

Raphaele is not a qualified hairdresser and relied on the team at Franck Provost to provide her with the appropriate training and support.

“[They helped] a lot! I am not a hairdresser so I had to learn everything from scratch. Regarding the franchise and the management of the brand I was already used to it,” she says.

She raises the profile of her salon in two key ways: “I am an ambassador number one of the French touch: Chic beauty natural, and through hard work.”

Looking to the future, Raphaele hopes to see the salon develop a strong customer base and to recruit a stable team of employees.

Is Raphaele happy she decided to invest in the Franck Provost brand? “It is a choice I’ve made long time ago with no regrets,” she explains.