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Cork N Canvas: The Accidental Franchise

By on October 19, 2012 in Biz Ops / Profiles

Cork n Canvas

Wall Street Journal (In Charge):

Like many new small-business owners, Cathy Deano knew nothing about franchising when she and a partner launched a series of bring-your-own-wine painting classes in Mandeville, La., four years ago. Yet from the moment Cork’n Canvas opened its doors, the business started getting offers from enthusiastic clients who wanted to buy into the concept and host their own classes.

Deano, 57, the subject of SmartMoney’s latest Take Two column on 50-plus small-business owners, says she’s as surprised as anyone that the business has branched out into 44 up-and-running locations, with 10 more in the works. A career fundraiser who heads a local art association, Deano says the initial concept was less about founding a fast-growing brand than creating a fun social event with fundraising potential for community needs.

Two years after flood waters from Hurricane Katrina ended her home-based catering service, Deano, along with her partner, Renee Maloney, came up with an idea of hosting painting classes led by local artists where participants were invited to bring wine and snacks.

franchise paint wine

Business Opportunities Weblog editor and publisher Dane Carlson lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, just 15 miles from Yosemite National Park. He accidentally became a professional blogger in 2001. He has added 12,203 posts to the site.

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