Karley Federer loves how owning a Blo Blow Dry Bar has allowed her the freedom to run her business — even while sitting on a beach.
As a Florida native, Karley began working in downtown Tampa after college, and for the next seven years, she worked in the commercial real estate industry as a training and development specialist. In this capacity, she learned about the operations side of a business, which inspired her to look into starting her own company.
Although Karley has always been interested in opening a business, she didn’t know where to start. After researching her options, she decided her best bet was to take the franchising route.
Blown Away by the Blo Franchise Opportunity
Karley was drawn to franchising with Blo because of her positive experiences as a client. After looking into our business model and learning of the support that franchisees received, she was eager to dig deeper. She contacted the owner of the location she frequented, and to her surprise, the owner was willing to sell her blow dry bar. Within a few months, Karley took over the Blo location in Tampa.
When she first got started, she admittedly felt like she was in over her head with all it took to run a franchise. Karley worked hard to overcome that feeling, taking on the responsibilities of a receptionist, manager and owner— wanting to learn first-hand what went into every aspect of her business.
Taking inspiration from the hands-on approach our corporate team uses, Karley had no problem finding the ability to grow her business, despite taking over the location during the pandemic. Karley has since expanded from just two employees to a staff of 15 in a few months. After successfully training her team, Karley was able to take a step back and now finds herself working more behind the scenes. Currently, she’s focused on marketing and internal growth.
Luckily, all her anxieties resolved themselves quickly— something she attributes to the guidance and support the Blo franchise support team offers to new owners.
“I love how the Blo team has been able to help me come up with ideas and how quickly they can create new marketing materials based on my ideas,” said Karley. “The corporate team has been so supportive throughout the entire process. Every month they help me set new goals, and each month we surpass them.”
A Busy Day for a Businesswoman
From engaging with her management team to training staff, Karley’s daily duties vary. What stays the same is her dedication to her business.
Although Karley spends more of her time on the operations side of the business, she still finds time to connect with all of her staff. Karley’s favorite part about working at Blo is the fact that she can make a real difference in the lives of her clients and employees. She enjoys watching people come in frowning after a long day and leaving feeling and looking their best.
“I love what I do: providing jobs and services that make women feel beautiful,” she said.
Her reviews share a similar perspective, with many praising the customer service that they experienced at her location. She credits being able to build such a strong foundation to using our corporate resources. Thanks to the support of her employees, Karley can allow herself to sit back and relax because she knows her employees love what they do, and they do it well.
Now, 10 months into ownership, Karley looks back at her decision to franchise as one of the best decisions she’s ever made, and she’s thankful to get the opportunity to follow her dream and have the time to pursue new ones. She recently signed a franchise agreement for a second location and is currently looking for real estate in the Florida market.
Looking to join a franchise that improves the lives of women in your community? Whether you’re a client, employee or franchisee, Blo Blow Dry Bar gives women a space to feel their very best.