I have just returned from Muscat, the capital city of Oman where I met AlShaima our franchisee in the newest country to introduce Edible Arrangements. It’s always exciting to add another country to the growing lists of places where Edible Arrangements can touch people’s lives, but I was so impressed with AlShaima I couldn’t wait to share her story here.

She is such an inspiration! After studying Business Management at Bahrain University, AlShaima returned home to Muscat to start her own business in 1998. She wanted to start a flower and gift shop. I know the feeling – I got my own start owning first one, and then four flower shops! But AlShaima’s vision was a little different. She wanted to be a full service gift shop, so she offered flowers, balloons, chocolates, wrapping and other gifts. She says she simply opened the kind of store that she would want to shop in, and didn’t really have a business plan or marketing strategies in mind – she just, as she puts it, “thought of it on paper.” I have a feeling that her business schooling contributed more than she might realize, but her ambition, confidence and the decision to just “go for it” were a big part of her success.

That confidence was tested in June of 2007 when her shop was devastated by Cyclonic Storm Gonu. Intense tropical cyclones like Gonu are extremely rare over the Arabian Sea, but this totally unexpected storm made its way from the Indian Ocean to the Gulf of Oman where AlShaima’s shop was completely wiped out. With no insurance, AlShaima decided to try working at what she describes as “an annoying job” (she doesn’t say where, out of respect for her former employer) but she soon decided to reopen her flower and gift shop. She cites the old adage, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” when she speaks of Cyclone Gonu, and she is not exaggerating, since the storm caused more than 50 deaths and over 4.2 billion (US 2007 dollars) in damage in Oman.

She soon took over the location next to her store so she could expand, and increased her customer base because the same customers who shopped at the adjacent store now came to her shop. With her new store doing well, she was looking for something new to stay fresh and competitive. When she first saw Edible Arrangements, AlShaima had the universal reaction– “Wow, what is this?” Just as she had when she opened her first business, AlShaima thought, “let me try it.” She says her first week was like a miracle, customers were immediately drawn to the product and I suspect that AlShaima’s warmth and amazing personality helped to bond customer relationships. AlShaima’s daughters attend an American school in Oman, headed by a Canadian superintendent, who was thrilled to see Edible Arrangements come to Oman since she knew EA from Canada. She likes the idea that Edible Arrangements are beautiful like flowers, but environmentally friendly since they are not wasteful.

To celebrate the Muscat opening, AlShaima is donating gross profits from her EA store’s first week to famine relief in Somalia, in cooperation with the Oman Charitable Organization. AlShaima’s connection to the Oman Charitable Organization is close: her father took on the role of CEO of the governmental organization after retiring from the government ministry. AlShaima makes the connection to her work and her father’s this way: “Edible Arrangements is all about giving – that’s why we thought it was important to start our business with a gesture that reflects the generosity of our customers. We also wanted to show our support for and contribute to the valuable work of the Oman Charitable Organization in Somalia in a time of such great need.”

AlShaima keeps busy with her three daughters, aged 10, 7 and 2, her businesses and, after taking some marketing courses, she is now pursuing her MBA from Hull University in the UK. Every six weeks a new study module is flown in to Muscat from the UK. Even though she has built businesses before, she says she’s back to “Square One” with her new Edible Arrangements business. She opened her first store, right next to her flower shop in a busy mall in Muscat, and at the same time was working on her second EA store in the city. And she has plans to open a third store in Salalah, on the southern coast of Oman next year. The lifestyle there is very different: the city is the second largest in Oman, but is more rural and significantly less cosmopolitan than Muscat. There are fewer western influences, English is not spoken in Salalah and the people are quite reserved. Despite the cultural differences in the two locations, AlShaima is convinced that Edible Arrangements will be well received. People are already calling, inquiring when EA is coming to Salalah. With her drive, confidence and business savvy, AlShaima is sure to be successful throughout Oman!

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In 2010 Faith joined the Edible Arrangements Franchise System with the Anaheim, CA store. She has a genuine passion for business and recognizes the strong support she receives from her team of Fruit Experts, Roger, Justine and Kyle. Faith has recently added a second store to her enterprise located at 970 N Tustin Street in Orange, CA.

Faith earned her B.A. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance and Marketing from Chapman University, and then worked in the staffing, banking and restaurant industries. But she wanted to own her own business, and began researching how to make that happen. She decided a franchise would be the way to go. Franchising allows an independent business owner to experience the rewards of running an enterprise without having to “go it alone” since the franchisor provides marketing materials, national print and television exposure, and brand recognition and reputation. After much searching for the right franchise for her, Edible Arrangements caught her attention. She explains, “It’s a great product and has the successful track record I was looking for. Besides, I love chocolate and what could be better than working with chocolate dipped fruit! Now, I can honestly say that every day I enjoy going to work!”

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People love to watch the TV show “Undercover Boss” and see how CEOs act when they are out in the field incognito. I could never be a part of that show, because I’m never undercover – I go on the road meeting and visiting with franchisees all the time. It’s one of the most enjoyable and rewarding things about my job! I love to talk with them about how they first heard about Edible Arrangements, and why they decided to buy a franchise. Their stories vary, but they all have a common theme . . . people buy Edible Arrangements franchises because they are passionate about making people happy, and they know they can be successful putting that passion to work for them.

Earlier this year I had the chance to meet one of the youngest franchisees in our system. Right out of college Kristen got a job as a bank teller but she had a dream of one day owning her own business. “One day” came sooner than she expected. Her Dad had received several gifts from Edible Arrangements and began the initial research into the franchise on Kristen’s behalf. Kristen soon learned that a store about an hour from her home was for sale. She took a look, and a week and half later, quit her job, packed up and moved, and began running her Edible Arrangements store.

Kristen admits that when she first bought the business she was a bit “terrified” but she also felt like this was the perfect time in her life to own her own business. This was June of 2009, when many recession-fearing folks were hunkering down, not knowing what the economy held in store. Kristen knew she had what it takes to be successful and went for it! She learned marketing, took accounting courses, and is always looking for new ideas to grow her business.

And she’s moving fast, too! In just two years, Kristen has gone from being a single unit owner to the owner of three stores located in Oakville, Burlington and Milton, Ontario. At first she felt like she was living out of her car, bouncing back and forth from each store to get things done, but she’s quickly become a true enterprise owner. She feels like her employees are “her kids” even though, at 25, she’s hardly a mother hen.

Kristen loves dealing with customers and making arrangements but she really appreciates being in control and charting her own course. She knows she can’t be in three places at once, so she has put great people in each of her stores. She says she’s still a “rookie” in terms of tenure with the system, but she doesn’t feel like one and she makes the big business decisions for her enterprise to prove that she doesn’t manage like one, either.

When I met Kristen a few months back I was stuck by her energy, enthusiasm and drive to get the business to where she wants it to be. She was straightening out the basement on my visit – not an area her customers were ever going to see, but she just wanted everything in order. I was so impressed by that – here was a person who knew that running a business smoothly means everything is in order and operating well, from your products, to your customer service, to the back end of your operation that no one ever sees.

This July I shared Kristen’s story with other franchisees at our annual convention, and honored her work with the President’s Award, the highest award presented annually to a deserving franchisee! And I’ll keep going out on the road meeting and learning about the amazing franchisees in this system – but not undercover!

Manager Courtney, Kristen and Tariq
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How many people in life actually fulfill their dreams? I don’t have a number, but I have an idea that those who do are the ones who don’t just dream about what they want – they take action to get it. A common dream in the business world is the dream of owning your own business, being your own boss and creating an enterprise that gives you the financial and professional rewards you deserve.

And those attainable dreams are the reasons that many entrepreneurs who want their own business are attracted to franchising. It’s the perfect way to own your own enterprise and at the same time reap the many significant benefits of being something bigger. Leveraged marketing dollars, brand recognition, reputation and product reliability are just some of the benefits of buying into a successful franchise. Let me share a typical story from one of our recent additions to the Edible Arrangements family:

Pallavi was impressed with Edible Arrangements when she first experienced the product at a baby shower – beautiful, delicious and fresh. She tucked the experience away and when it was time for her to buy a gift, her positive Edible Arrangements experience came back to her. When her children were in school full time, she starting to think about getting a job, but that dream of owning something of her own was still in the back of her mind. Searching a business website, she came across Edible Arrangements again, and remembered her positive experiences once more. This time, the dream started to take shape. Her father owns several businesses in Pallavi’s hometown and she was confident that that early exposure to blending business and family life would work for her – she understood the commitment and passion that are necessary for a business to succeed. Pallavi’s decision to buy into the Edible Arrangements concept and open her first store in Lafayette, LA was easy for her – she enjoys the product herself, and believes in doing something that promotes healthy lifestyles. And she likes the idea that the products she sells make people happy.

And so, a dream of owning a business comes true. All you need is passion and commitment to your concept. And to stop dreaming and start doing!

Pallovi with her husband Steven
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Husband and wife, Tony and Jennifer, have opened their sixth Edible Arrangements store in Colorado Springs . Tony and Jennifer’s five other stores are located in Arvada, Aurora, Colorado Springs, Denver and Parker, Colorado. They have expanded their enterprise rapidly since opening their first store in the summer of 2006. Family and community are important to Tony and Jennifer and it’s a combination of their focus on customer service and attention to detail that have generated such good will in their area. After noticing a flyer in a local newspaper, the couple decided Edible Arrangements provided an excellent business model and an opportunity that would benefit both their family and community. We are so pleased to be able to share in their success. Please be sure to visit one of their stores soon.

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