CUSTOMER STORY

Mastering Lease Risk & Vendor Management with Leasecake

Discover how a family business transformed lease chaos into a strategic growth engine.

Background

Nozak Enterprise, a Supercuts franchisee, began as a family-run business in 1998 when they opened their first salon in Philadelphia. Over the years, they expanded to manage multiple locations, balancing growth with the daily demands of running a small business.

Noah Gross, President of Nozak Enterprise, has been deeply connected to the family business from an early age. Growing up, he swept floors and watched his father handle everything from payroll to vendor contracts. When he formally stepped into a leadership role in 2019, he quickly recognized the need for a more structured approach to lease management.

He saw that while operations were running smoothly, lease management was an afterthought. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted their business model, it became clear that Nozak Enterprise needed to take more control of its leases and real estate management.

“When COVID hit and we had to work directly with landlords to navigate leases, we realized we needed a better system—one that let us stay ahead instead of just reacting.”

As a small but growing company, Nozak faced a complex challenge: staying on top of leases, vendor agreements, and compliance tasks without a dedicated real estate team. That’s where Leasecake came in.

A Philadelphia family legacy growing 27 years strong.

Started in Philadelphia in 1998 by a hardworking family, Nozak Enterprise began with one salon and has since grown to multiple locations. Now managed by the next generation since 2019, the company is steadily expanding—with plans to add more salons in the near future.

Challenges

Before Leasecake, lease management at Nozak Enterprise was disorganized. Critical lease documents were buried in email threads and spreadsheets, making it difficult to track deadlines and obligations. Noah needed a centralized, easy-to-use system that would allow him to focus on growing the business rather than chasing down lease details.

Leasecake became the perfect fit—providing structure without adding complexity.

“Leasecake was a manageable way to get our arms around all our leases and locations. The abstraction process was incredibly helpful—having experts who truly care about our leases and business go through everything and turn it into a system that’s easy to navigate made all the difference.”

Instead of digging through PDFs of old, photocopied leases, Noah could now pull up the details instantly from his phone.

Then, during a crucial lease negotiation, everything changed.

“We were negotiating a new lease after using up all our renewal options. We had hired an outside lease advisor, and she needed our lease history—rent increases, key clauses, HVAC responsibilities. I pulled it all from Leasecake in seconds, and suddenly, she said, ‘Oh, you’re using Leasecake too?’”

The ability to quickly provide key lease details not only made negotiations smoother but also saved valuable time and money.

“That was my ‘aha’ moment. I realized Leasecake wasn’t just about storing leases; it was about enabling smarter, more strategic conversations. Our lease advisor’s job is to manage leases day in and day out, and because I had everything organized in Leasecake, I could communicate with her on a professional level, keeping the conversation fluid and reducing the back-and-forth. That meant we spent less time negotiating and saved money in the process.”

“If you’re new to the business and operations side of things, Leasecake is a tool that grows with you. It takes the ‘wild west’ of lease and vendor management and turns it into a structured process. That means you can focus on what really matters—hiring great employees, retaining customers, and growing your business profitably.”

Noah Gross

President of Nozak Enterprise

Solution

For small business owners like Nozak Enterprises, unexpected problems can quickly become costly disruptions. A forgotten inspection, a missing document, or an untracked vendor contract could mean lost time, financial penalties, or even an operational shutdown. With Leasecake, Nozak Enterprise shifted from scrambling to fix issues to proactively staying ahead of them.

One of the biggest challenges Noah faced was ensuring compliance and vendor accountability across multiple locations. With only one person handling everything from leasing to vendor contracts, he needed a system that could support him in keeping track of critical tasks. Here’s how Leasecake has made an impact:

Franchise Agreement Expirations & Compliance: Keeping track of vendor costs ensures Nozak isn’t being overcharged, giving Noah data-driven confidence when negotiating new contracts.
Fire Extinguisher Inspections: A fire code violation due to an overlooked inspection was a wake-up call. Noah implemented a tracking system in Leasecake, logging reminders and vendor pricing history to prevent repeat issues and ensure compliance.
HVAC Contract Management: After Nozak’s HVAC vendor merged with another company, the new team had no record of prior agreements. Because Noah had all contracts documented in Leasecake, he was able to hold them accountable and ensure services were delivered as promised. “I knew exactly what we had agreed to, and when they tried to tell me otherwise, I had the contract details right in front of me.”
Certificates of Insurance (COIs): Landlords frequently misplace COIs, leading to last-minute requests that disrupt daily operations. With Leasecake, Noah can retrieve and send them instantly from the mobile app. “Landlords can be disorganized. Just last week, I got a COI request, pulled it up in Leasecake, took a screenshot, and sent it right from my phone. I was probably the first tenant to reply.”

These proactive measures not only save time but also protect Nozak Enterprise from potential financial setbacks. What used to be last-minute scrambles are now seamless processes, allowing Noah to focus on running and growing his business instead of putting out fires.

Results

Centralized Lease Management Simplified

This family-run franchise transformed chaotic email chains and spreadsheets into a unified lease system with Leasecake, making it effortless to access lease histories during critical negotiations.

Proactive Compliance & Vendor Oversight

By implementing automated reminders and detailed tracking, Nozak Enterprise now avoids costly oversights—from missed fire inspections to vendor contract disputes—ensuring seamless compliance across multiple locations.

Data-Driven, Strategic Negotiations

With all lease details organized and instantly accessible, lease discussions have evolved into efficient, informed conversations that save time and money, supporting sustainable business growth.

Advice to Other Operators

“Leasecake lets me compartmentalize. I don’t have to waste mental strain worrying about when lease events are happening. I trust Leasecake to remind me at the right time, so I can focus on running my business.”

The peace of mind Leasecake provides isn’t just theoretical—it has prevented real-world disruptions. When Nozak acquired a salon from another franchisee, Noah learned that the previous owner had nearly lost their lease due to a missed renewal deadline. That situation reinforced just how critical it was to have a system that ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

“I never want to be in that position. With Leasecake, I know that won’t happen to us.”

For Supercuts operators and other franchisees, Noah believes Leasecake is an essential tool.

“At the end of the day, what I love about Leasecake is that it helps us run our business smarter. And that’s what really matters.”

Leasecake is a top rated solution

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