In 2004, Janine and her husband Jerry opened their first Edible Arrangements® store on Long Island, signing a 10-year franchise agreement. Things have gone so well that they have just signed on for another 10 years!
Janine explained why she and Jerry decided to pursue their small business dreams with an Edible Arrangements franchise.
“From the moment I saw my first Edible Arrangement, I loved the concept,” Janine said. “And that hasn’t gone away. Our product is wonderful and always makes people happy.”
Janine also noted that one of the biggest benefits of being a small business owner is that it has provided her flexibility over when she works. The result is a healthy work-life balance and a better quality of life.
“For me, it’s family first,” she said. “Being a small business owner at Edible Arrangements allows me to live this belief, and I am able to consistently spend time with my daughter.”
Despite always being very busy during the holidays, Janine says that the tradeoff of having quality time to spend with her daughter and family on a daily basis is wonderful!
“It is a good way to make a living and I would do it over again,” she noted.
And she has done it again!
In addition to signing on for another 10 years, Janine and Jerry also opened a second Edible Arrangements store in 2007, and have plans to open a third store within a year!
“I am very proud of what we have accomplished with our Edible Arrangements stores,” Janine said with a smile.
What is the Middle Market? I consider the Middle Market the backbone of the US economy. It includes businesses such as Edible Arrangements with revenues between $10 million and $1 billion, and it accounts for almost a third of American jobs. In fact, the Middle Market is estimated to have contributed over 1 million jobs to US economy during 2013 and 2014 alone!
Four years ago GE Capital and Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business created the Summit as a way to bring attention to Middle Market companies, which are often overlooked in comparison to larger, public companies. Despite the fact that they are often overlooked, it can be argued that these companies represent the most dynamic segment of our economy. In the third quarter of 2014, for example, Middle Market revenues increased by 7.5 percent! For the same time period, revenues of S&P 500 companies increased by a smaller 5.5 percent.
About 200,000 US businesses make up the middle market sector and I am proud that Edible Arrangements is among them and playing a part in driving the economy forward.
If you are interested in learning more about the Middle Market and its impact on the economy, I encourage you to go here. To view the Middle Market 3rd Quarter Report for 2014, go here.
Are you between the ages of 18-35 with a great idea for a business but not sure how to get it off the ground? Do you know someone who is?
This week the International Franchise Association (IFA) Education Fund launched a new program called NextGen – A New Generation in Franchising. As someone who became an entrepreneur at an early age and used the franchise model to expand my business, there was no doubt that I would help sponsor this new program. I know there is no shortage of great ideas among young entrepreneurs, just a shortage of resources to pursue and develop those ideas.
This program will introduce young entrepreneurs and students to the world of franchising and share the franchise business model as they’ve never seen it before.
Fifty prizes will be awarded for the best, most innovative business and marketing concepts for new franchise businesses or existing franchise brands.
Prizes include a travel voucher and complimentary registration for the IFA Annual Convention, which will be held February 15-18, 2015 in Las Vegas, and an opportunity to participate in the first NextGen in Franchising Summit, a two-day educational and networking program at the convention.
At the summit, contest winners will have a chance to engage directly with leading franchisor, franchisee and supplier members of the IFA as well as other young entrepreneurs, students and participants in the NextGen in Franchising Summit.
Additional cash prizes and scholarships will be awarded from the pool of 50 contest winners.
For more information and to enter the competition, visit nextgenfranchising.org. Here’s your chance to prove that when it comes to building a successful business, you can do it, too!
Darlene Deberry always wanted to own her own business. She often dreamed of it, but was never sure how to make her dream a reality.
Working as a portfolio manager for a micro loan enterprise program in North Carolina, Darlene remembers that as she would visit new businesses she found herself wanting to start her own.
“But I didn’t know how to start, where to begin or what type of business I would like to own,” she told me. “I just knew I had that entrepreneurial spirit and I wanted to grow something that was my own and create my own destiny. ”
On a trip to Brooklyn in 2005, Darlene walked by an Edible Arrangements store. She stopped, struck by what she saw.
“It was so beautiful and eye-catching—the store and the product,” she said. “It just made me feel good.”
As the months wore on, Darlene said she couldn’t stop thinking about the Edible Arrangements store.
Months later she came across an ad for Edible Arrangements franchise opportunities in Working Mother magazine. Still struck by the Edible Arrangements store she saw in Brooklyn, she decided to call and learn a little more.
“The staff at Edible Arrangements was most helpful in helping me to decide that this was the right fit and time for me to start a business,” Darlene told me.
She decided to take a leap of faith and join the Edible Brand.
“It was exciting and challenging at the same time,” Darlene said. “It was challenging getting all the pieces coordinated, like finding a good location and learning about the local marketplace.”
The Edible Arrangements corporate helped her find a great location and move through the process of opening a business.
Finally, in 2006, Darlene’s dream of becoming a small business owner came true when she opened her first store.
“I love Edible Arrangements!” she told me. ”No matter what the occasion, people are always excited to receive an arrangement or dipped fruit.”
Darlene will tell you that one secret to her store’s success is that she empowers and invests in her employees. Darlene and her husband and business partner David provide their employees with health care and 401k plans. Even part time employees are eligible for paid leave and sick time.
The result, she says, is that she is able to keep good employees, and that “makes my store stronger because it adds so much value to the business.”
Darlene and David are both originally from NYC and very active in their community, serving as volunteers and teaching financial literacy. They also teach bible study and Darlene is well-known as a hostess extraordinaire and famous for her family get-togethers.
Through their Edible Arrangements store, they frequently support local food drives, provide help for cancer and leukemia patients as well as recreational activities for children.
In November, Darlene and David will open their second Edible Arrangements store, proving that dreams do, indeed, come true. Often, more than once!
New franchisees Michelle and Arnold Antone with their family represent the true spirit of the American entrepreneur.
I wrote last week about how the Edible Arrangements® franchise community is a mosaic of global diversity, with franchisees representing nearly all walks of life.
That certainly applies to two of our newest franchisees, Michelle and Arnold Antone, who will soon be opening their first store in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Michelle, who has a Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Administration and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, held a federal position as a Deputy CEO, Chief Financial Officer for over 13 years before leaving to become an Edible Arrangements franchisee. Arnold, an electrician by trade, is retired from the federal service.
But that’s not what makes their story so interesting.
Michelle is a Native American and a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Arnold is a member of the Navajo tribe. They have been married for 21 years and own a ranch on the dramatic South Dakota landscape where rodeo is a big part of their life. In fact, Arnold is a competitive team roper and their oldest son, 19-year-old Drew, is a sophomore in college on a full rodeo scholarship! They also have two children still at home, Houston (13) and Devyn (12).
The closest Edible Arrangements to Rapid City is 100 miles away, so Michelle and Arnold are very excited to bring Edible Arrangements to their community.
And we are very excited to have them a part of ours.
Janine explained why she and Jerry decided to pursue their small business dreams with an Edible Arrangements franchise.
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