Thirteen years ago, Mary Jane Allen and her husband, Earnest, decided to sell their trio of nursing care facilities and–though already almost 60 years old–to do something different. But they weren’t sure what.
Then a copy of Entrepreneur landed on Allen’s kitchen table, courtesy of her son. That issue mentioned a franchise called Candy Bouquet International. Allen was intrigued.
Allen visited a Candy Bouquet franchisee in Mountain Home, Ark., about an hour from her home in Mountain View, spent a few weeks in training and found a storefront on the town square. A few weeks later, she opened her franchise.
One factor that attracted Allen to Candy Bouquet–and one she says applies to franchisees in big cities and small towns alike–is that the stores can look unique, according to an individual owner’s desire. “Your store can adapt to the personality of your town,” she says. “In urban areas, the personality of the store is different than in Mountain View.”
Plus, franchisees have the freedom to have more than candy in their stores. While the mostly custom bouquets provide the “wow” factor, gift boxes and souvenirs are popular items. Full article.