Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue II, 2016 | Page 30

MULTI BRAND BY DEBBIE SELINSKY Sibling Harmony Leveraging their differences to build a company I n some ways, brothers Jesse and Charles Keyser, 39 and 35, are very different, and that’s good. So are their three brands—Little Caesars, Sport Clips, and Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning—which also is good. They’ve built their business over the past decade by leveraging Jesse’s salesmanship and drive, Charles’ operational skills and passion for food, and their combined social media savvy into a steadily expanding franchise company. “Charles is my counterbalance,” says Jesse. “He’s a more conservative person. He makes sure I can go out and open doors at a quick pace without us getting into financial trouble. Before we sign a lease, we talk about it. If we both feel good, we do it. If one doesn’t, we put it on hold.” Their division of duties has Charles in charge of operations for Little Caesars (their first franchise) and Oxi Fresh, which the brothers signed on with in 2014 after being impressed by the brand at the MultiUnit Franchising Conference. Jesse, a single father of two, handles operations for Sport Clips, their largest franchise with 14 units and more in the pipeline. The competitive atmosphere between the brothers when they were growing up in a small town in Illinois has been laid to rest. “We both have different skill sets NAMES: Jesse and Charles Keyser TITLE: Co-owners COMPANY: Keyser Enterprises NO. OF UNITS: 14 Sport Clips; 5 Little Caesars; 5 Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning vans AGE: Jesse 39, Charles 35 FAMILY: Jesse has two children, Katja and Gunnar; both are single YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 11 Charles (left) and Jesse Keyser. 28 YEARS IN CURRENT POSITION: 11 MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE IS S UE II, 2016 muf16-2_keyser.indd 28 4/2/16 2:29 PM