Tag: small business

  • American Dream
  • Edible Arrangements
  • Entrepreneurship
  • family
  • franchisee
  • Long Island
  • opportunity
  • small business
  • Tariq Farid
  • work-life balance

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.

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  • entrepreneurs
  • Franchising and Franchisees
  • legislation
  • small business

One of the great rewards of creating a franchise such as Edible Arrangements® is that it has given so many people the opportunity to go into business for themselves, and chase their own version of the American Dream. In some areas of the country, however, that dream is under attack.

From the outside, a chain such as Edible Arrangements appears to be a large global operation, whose reach extends around the world. In reality, however, the Edible Arrangements franchise network is made up of hundreds of small business owners.

That’s why it was disturbing to learn about recent action by the city council in Seattle as well as legislation currently under consideration in other cities to treat individual franchisees as large, national brands and not locally-owned small businesses.

The issue has been raised as part of local laws related to increasing the minimum wage. The potential danger, however, really has nothing to do with raising the minimum wage. It’s one thing for everyone — big business and small — to be paying a higher rate, but being forced to pay a higher rate without requiring the same of non-franchised small businesses creates a lopsided playing field that could destroy franchisees. It gives other small business owners an unfair advantage. Franchisees are being punished simply because they chose to operate their small businesses as a franchise.

There are obvious benefits of purchasing a franchise rather than going it alone, of course. We provide guidance and training to help franchisees avoid making the same mistakes I made when I was starting my own small businesses. And there is the brand awareness and marketing support that comes with being a part of a national chain. For this support, however, franchisees are required to pay royalties.

The fact is that when they unlock their doors each day, our franchisees are the ones on the front line, competing against other small businesses in their market. They are the ones that ultimately determine their success.

As one Seattle franchisee told local media, “It’s insulting to suggest that I am not my own boss.”

The International Franchise Association (IFA) is trying to help Seattle franchisees convince the city council to treat franchises as small businesses. I have no doubt that if the Seattle ordinance remains unchanged and similar ordinances are implemented nationwide, it will put many franchisees out of business and could also severely damage a franchise business model that has been responsible for creating small business opportunities for millions of Americans.

It’s tough enough being a small business owner. Hopefully, leaders in Seattle and other cities considering similar legislation will not make it any tougher.

 

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