I’m very thankful to the dedicated men and women who serve our country, as is the entire Edible Arrangements International organization. As I discussed a couple of weeks ago, we recognize the employment challenges some veterans may face upon returning home from deployment or after being discharged. That’s part of the reason for instituting Hero’s Welcome.
We have created a two-path program that provides our veterans the opportunity to achieve success, by one of two ways: Owning their own business as an Edible Arrangements franchisee, or working in one of our stores as a contributing team member with a promising career path.
It’s going to take some hard work and strong initiative to make this happen. One thing we certainly will need is a dedicated group of mentors and coaches amongst our current franchisees to help steer the program along and help our candidates achieve success as new Edible Arrangements franchisees or team members.
If you are a veteran and a member of the Edible Arrangements franchise system who feels qualified to provide such mentorship, and you’d like to help us make Hero’s Welcome a reality, please email us at heromentors@edible.com and we will send you additional information!
I’m beyond exciting for this wonderful opportunity to give back to those who have given so much.
After bringing one of our delicious, made-to-order Edible Arrangements bouquets to an event and instantly becoming the center of attention, Jack got an inkling that there might just be something special about this unique brand and its fresh fruit product line. Once he discovered that all EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS® franchise locations are locally owned and operated, he knew he wanted one of his own. And now, he and his wife Rebecca are opening their third Florida location, in Orange City.
Working for years as a computer technician, Jack now enjoys a more people-centric role, bringing joy to the public on a regular basis. In fact, he moved from New Jersey to Florida in the first place just to be a part of our franchise. He is a franchisee who truly lives by the EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS® mission –“To Wow You”:
“It comes down to that WOW factor that we always speak about. Nothing beats experiencing it. That will push you more, day after day, to perform and to give to the business. Sometimes I take deliveries myself when I’m short on drivers, and even after five or six years in this business, I still enjoy seeing those beautiful smiles when people open the door, or you walk into the office and they see the basket. This is something that keeps fueling my engine.”
Jack’s positive attitude and entrepreneurial courage have enabled him to succeed as an EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS® Fruit Expert–so much so that he was recently profiled by Fairwinds Credit Union, the banking institution he works with in Florida. And now, with the new Orange City store—added to locations in Orlando and Lake Mary—his story continues to inspire.
Edible Arrangements International is just that—an international company. Over the past several years, I’ve taken pride in watching the robust growth the franchise has enjoyed, not just here in the United States, but all over the world as well. One of the top nations in which this growth has occurred is Saudi Arabia. In July 2008, we signed a master franchise agreement with Nourah Al Rossais to develop stores there, and now she has just signed a subfranchise agreement for the eighth Saudi Arabian Edible Arrangements location, scheduled to officially open next month.
The store will be owned and operated by Satam Al-Amar, an experienced Fruit Expert with a store in Al-Khobar already under his belt. It’s our first store in Al Dammam, the capital of Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. Added to current Edible Arrangements locations in Riyadh and Jeddah, this means that Edible Arrangements is now represented in the top three largest cities in the country.
I wish Satam and Nourah continued success in their efforts to strengthen the Edible Arrangements brand in Saudi Arabia. Nourah in particular is a fine example of what a master franchisee can accomplish, and the growth of our franchise in her home country sets an example from which anyone trying to expand a system overseas can learn.
I’ve just returned from a two-day special training session sponsored by the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives (ICFE). ICFE held this session right before the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) 52nd Annual Convention so franchise executives could attend both with only one trip away from their businesses. I could not stay for the entire IFA Convention as it conflicted with Valentine’s Day – one of the biggest holidays of the year for Edible Arrangements, but as a Certified Franchise Executive I did not want to miss out on the opportunity to present at one of the ICFE sessions. I was honored to be asked to be a part of the “Managing System Change – Challenges and Opportunities” training session. The session was moderated by Michael Seid, CEO and Managing Partner of MSA Worldwide. Michael has been a huge influence in my life and has helped guide me since the very beginning (I’ll save that story for another blog entry). Other presenters were Kay Ainsley, CFE, Managing Director at MSA Worldwide; John Francis, Strategic Business Advisor at PostNet International Franchise Corporation and Stuart Hershmann, Partner at the law firm of DLA Piper, whose area of expertise is franchise law and who has been Edible Arrangements external franchise attorney, and trusted friend, for many years.
The session focused on the unique challenges of managing change in the context of the franchisor/franchisee relationship and understanding the types of things that drive change: brand innovation, pricing strategies, different classes of franchisee ownership, second generation franchisee ownership, international expansion, mergers and acquisitions, and introducing or eliminating products and services. We also explored case histories with examples of successful and unsuccessful change strategies.
I am particularly interested in the subject of change in business because to me, change is synonymous with growth. A smart company continuously examines its product offerings and operational procedures, and measures what it’s doing against what customers want. If you are not adapting to respond to consumer’s ever-changing appetites, market trends, economic conditions and other factors that directly impact your business, you are not growing. And when you’re not growing, your business is dying. It’s that simple.
ICFE offers a wide range of continuing education programs to franchise executives for professional development. They also offer a certification program that leads to the “Certified Franchise Executive” (CFE) designation. . For more information on becoming a Certified Franchise Executive visit the IFA website.
Timothy and Deborah recently acquired two Edible Arrangements locations in Southern California. One is located at 29881 Aventura in Rancho Santa Margarita and the other is at 305 S. El Camino Real in San Clemente.
Deborah is the Director of Finance for Ossur Americas, a global leader in orthopedics, providing prosthetics, compression therapies, bracing and supports that increase people’s mobility. Deborah is responsible for managing their portfolio of equity investment companies, including growing their performance and acquiring additional companies.
Tim’s considerable experience in growing small businesses, start-up companies and non-profits will be invaluable in developing his Edible Arrangements enterprise. Tim has received multiple business awards for his leadership and involvement in the community, including a “Lifetime of Achievement Award” from the Chamber of Commerce. In Delaware Tim ran a business whose client list included Vice President Joseph Biden, Fox Commentator Carl Rove, NFL great Dan Marino, the CEO of ING Direct, the Chairman of the board of MBNA, and the Governors of Delaware, Virginia and New Jersey. Tim has served on boards and committees for several non-profit organizations, and he even created a fundraiser for the March of Dimes that raised over $20,000 in its second year! That kind of ingenuity, creativity and marketing know-how is what separates the average business owner from the highly successful one!
Like most new owners, Tim and Deborah are very excited about owning and operating Edible Arrangements franchises. They know that our unique arrangements and versatile product line can make any occasion memorable. Tim’s drive to make a difference in the community around him is typical of Edible Arrangements franchise owners who routinely contribute products and financial assistance to worthy causes. Tim will be managing both locations with Deborah’s assistance on holidays and weekends.
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