FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · OHIO

GREAT CLIPS franchise in Ohio: what the public record shows

Franchisees of GREAT CLIPS in Ohio have taken 64 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $163,823). Those approved through FY2020 defaulted less often than franchise loans made in the same years nationally: 0 charge-offs among 57 resolved loans, where about 10 would be expected (0×). GREAT CLIPS's national ratio is 0.4×.

SBA loan outcomes · Ohiovs same-year franchise loans

Loans in OH

64

Charged off (all years)

0 of 58

Loss ratio in OH

0×

Loss ratio nationally

0.4×

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = OH. Loss ratio = charge-offs among loans approved through FY2020 ÷ the charge-offs expected if each had defaulted at the national rate for franchise loans approved the same year; 1.0× is the same. Only charged-off and paid-in-full loans count. A ratio is shown at 30+ such loans; “not clear” marks a ratio chance alone could produce. The all-years count mixes every era and is evidence, not a rate to compare. Borrowers are matched to the brand by name and SBA franchise code; some matches may be wrong or missing.

Market density · Ohio vs nationalTypical density

Businesses in this industry

2,830

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

23.8

national 26.6

Versus the country

-11%

thinner

Every business in GREAT CLIPS's industry operating in Ohio — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across the brand-state cells in the loan data, denser markets have historically charged off less often than the thinnest (see the research page). A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.

Labor cost · Ohio vs nationalTypical wages

Avg weekly wage, this industry

$619

Ohio, BLS QCEW 2025

National average

$698

same industry, all states

Versus the country

-11%

cheaper to staff

What GREAT CLIPS's industry actually pays workers in Ohio, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2025), employment-weighted across counties. This cost signal is independent of the FDD: a market can look demand-rich above and still carry a margin headwind here if local wages run hot for the sector.

Same-sector systems with SBA loan history in Ohio11 systems
SystemLoans in OHCharged off (all years)Loss ratio in OHUnits in OH
Sport Clips632 of 530.3×53
Hammer & Nails180 of 3——
European Wax Center100 of 7——
SMARTSTYLE101 of 5—35
SUPERCUTS91 of 9—14
The Woodhouse Day Spa90 of 7——
Fantastic Sams72 of 5——
Frenchies60 of 2—2
Planet Beach60 of 4——
Deka Lash5———
MERLE NORMAN COSMETICS52 of 4—26

Other systems in GREAT CLIPS's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Ohio. A loss ratio appears only where at least 30 loans approved through FY2020 have resolved; “—” means too few.

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