The Yellow Balloon vs City Looks Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of The Yellow Balloon vs City Looks including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
The Yellow Balloon Franchise
City Looks Franchise
Investment $55,000 - $103,500$94,500 - $275,000
Franchise Fee $25,000N/A
Royalty Fee 4%-
Advertising Fee --
Year Founded 19831963
Year Franchised 20001968
Term Of Agreement 5 years-
Term Of Agreement 5 years-
Renewal Fee $2.5K-


Business Experience Requirements

 
The Yellow Balloon Franchise
City Looks Franchise
Experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills
  • -

    Financing Options

     
    The Yellow Balloon Franchise
    City Looks Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees Yes/No-/-
    Start-up Costs No/No-/-
    Equipment No/No-/-
    Inventory No/No-/-
    Receivables No/No-/-
    Payroll No/No-/-

    Training & Support

     
    The Yellow Balloon Franchise
    City Looks Franchise
    Training --
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives-
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising-
    Operations

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 6

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed.

    -

    Expansion Plans

     
    The Yellow Balloon Franchise
    City Looks Franchise
    US Expansion --
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion No-

    Company Overviews

    About The Yellow Balloon

    Nadia Pidgeon opened her first The Yellow Balloon children's hair salon in 1976 near UCLA and a second location five years later near Universal Studios, serving the children of celebrities, like Warren Beatty, and child stars, like the Olsen Twins. The company began franchising in 2000.
    Each The Yellow Balloon salon caters to kids, featuring mini-arcades and toy boxes, and offering young customers balloons, cookies and popcorn. To commemorate a baby's first haircut, parents are given a framed photo, certificate and lock of hair. Adults can also have their hair cut at The Yellow Balloon.

    About City Looks

    Big-City Excitement
    City Looks caters to women looking for an exceptional hair-care experience and a full array of salon services. Located primarily in shopping malls and strip centers, the City Looks client wants convenience and high quality hair-care services in a comfortable environment.
    City Looks at a Glance * Year of inception: 1968. Changed name to City Looks in 1987. * Number of City Looks salon locations: 32 franchise and corporate owned locations * Geographic coverage: United States, Canada * Franchisee business profile: Single or multi-unit operator looking to own one or more units * Previous experience: No salon background necessary * Financial requirements: $150,000 liquid assets and $400,000 net worth