Soon to open its first franchise in Kingston upon Thames, Jacks is growing the brand by recruiting ambitious businessmen and women with around £40,000 liquid capital. Founder Sue Whitehead says she aims to turn Jacks into the Starbucks of male grooming: "You don't just buy an ordinary coffee at Starbucks, you buy a handcrafted beverage. Our customers don't just get a haircut, they get a lifestyle experience." Latest figures show that men in the UK spend over £770 million a year on their hair, but according to Sue they prefer a male-only environment. Jacks provides a comfortable setting complete with plasma TV, MP3 music stations, free beer and an online queue watch system. "Jacks is no ordinary barbershop," confirms David Tonchin, who helped mastermind the Dyno-Rod franchise. "Franchisees getting in now will reap the benefits of an industry poised to see dramatic growth in coming years." Sue furthers: "Jacks franchisees don't have to be hairdressers. We provide a 100 per cent support package, which includes comprehensive barber training programmes for staff. It's far more important to us to find ambitious people with sound business acumen and a relentless determination to succeed." Further details: 0870 228 4100