Check out an article from Nashville Parent about the upcoming opening of Children’s Orchard Murfreesboro, Tennessee:
While it sounds like an outdoors activity for children, it’s quite the opposite. The Children’s Orchard is a children’s clothing resale shop from [Minnesota] with a Murfreesboro location underway.
After moving from Minnesota, following their children to Tennessee as they pursued their college education, Angie and Jeff Geldert decided to open a store of their own. “We love living in Murfreesboro and want to give back to our new community and helping them by providing economical but stylish clothing options for their children,” says Angie. “Our store is an upscale resale store of children’s name brand clothing (sizes 0 – 14), shoes, toys, books and accessories such as bouncy seats, high chairs and strollers. We do not sell car seats or beds for safety reasons. We sell items at roughly 30% of the retail price. We offer a serviceman discount for military, police and fireman,” she adds.
If you want to sell your items to them, start prepping your stuff! They are still in the process of remodeling their store front to fit their needs, but they will open soon — hoping for the store build-out to be completed by March 4, open to buy clothing and other items by March 7 and a hopeful opening to the public in April. The location is set for 2705 Old Fort Pkwy., Murfreesboro. They will be open seven days a week Mon – Sat 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Sun 12 – 6 p.m. Call 615-410-7610 or visit childrensorchard.com/stores/murfreesboro.
The following excerpt was taken from the article “Creative Narrative, Original Messaging Offer Powerful Marketing for Unique Franchises” in the January 2016 issue of Franchising World:
NTY Franchise Company is the parent company of five unique re-sale based brands that focus on women’s designer fashion, children’s apparel and accessories, furniture/household goods, electronic sales and repair, and clothing for teens and young adults. Its franchise model is designed to sell gently used goods at 70 percent off the new retail price. NTY Franchise brands are attractive, as they save customers money and pay sellers cash on the spot for items they are no longer using.
“There has never been a better time for women to be creatively fulfilled and also pursue the role of motherhood. The digital era in a way has set us free. Our value cannot be hidden anymore; it’s out there in the open for all to see.”
– Sheree Commerford, stylist and founder of Captain and the Gypsy Kid, featured in the article mentioned above.
NTY Franchise Company has helped inspired moms like Sheree pursue their creative passions and achieve their dreams of owning a business many times over. Passionate about fashion and kids? Open a Children’s Orchard store and do what you love every day.
Check out the article for more inspiring tips and advice for running a successful business while raising a family.
Check out this insightful interview from Business-Opportunities.biz featuring two longtime Children’s Orchard franchisees:
Claudia Aguirre and Donahi Bunt, owners of a Children’s Orchard franchise in McAllen, Texas.
Successful franchisees Claudia & Donahi share their story
We recently spoke with Claudia Aguirre and Donahi Bunt, owners of a Children’s Orchard franchise in McAllen, Texas, and learned why they chose the franchise, what challenges they faced when they first started out and, lastly, what advice they have for potential franchisees.
How long have you been a franchise owner?
11 years.
What were you doing before becoming a franchise owner?
We both had worked part time in our families’ businesses for years. (Claudia in the Maquila field and Donahi in the telecommunications field.) It came a time that we wanted to have the experience to create and operate our own business.
Why did you choose Children’s Orchard franchise opportunity?
As moms, we know how expensive it is to dress the kids in style and how fast they outgrow their clothes. Children’s Orchard offers parents a way to make money by selling their children’s outgrown, gently used items. Plus, they can stick around and shop for fashionable clothing, toys and equipment for a fraction of the retail price. It’s a great concept!
What were some of the challenges you faced starting a franchise?
Finding a way to finance the business and creating an appropriate work and life balance was difficult, especially in the early years when we were just getting the business going.
Where did you research or get advice about starting a franchise?
We called some store owners and talked to a lawyer, but we already knew we wanted to be part of the Children’s Orchard team. During our first year of operation, we visited some of the top performing Children’s Orchardfranchises to learn about their daily processes.
How much does starting a franchise cost?
All of our money! Truthfully, it was an amount very close to what the corporate office told us, but we exceeded that during the first couple of years.
What does a typical day look like for you?
In the early years we were both full-time at the store. Little by little, we built a great team capable of handling much of the day-to-day operations. One of us takes care of the administration and the other takes care of advertising and marketing.
What is your secret to success?
Remember, your customers are the reason you are in business. When something goes wrong, spend your time and energy making it right. Don’t waste time searching for someone to blame. Stay focused on your goals, and track your results. Build a great team to help you reach your goals.
What would you do differently if you had to do it all over?
We would definitely invest more time into learning about our market before opening our doors.
Where do you see your business in five years?
We just moved to a bigger location for the third time, so right now, we just want to focus on getting everything under control and use this change to impact our sales and community involvement in a positive way.
What is one trend that really excites you?
Businesses becoming more eco-friendly is really exciting. It’s rewarding to be part of that trend by allowing parents to recycle their children’s clothes and toys.
What are your favorite online tools or resources and what do you love about them?
Google Drive: All our images, documents, ideas and campaigns are available on any device!
Constant Contact: We love being able to email market!
Do you (or did you ever) have a mentor?
We like to look for learning opportunities everywhere. Other store owners have helped with that learning process.
What advice do you have for others looking to own a franchise?
Understand that you are buying a franchise in order to mitigate risk and follow a proven success model. If you’re not willing to follow a franchise system, you’ll want to look for another opportunity.
Learn everything you can about the franchise before you buy. Get to know the management team, the owners and the history of the franchise. Talk to as many franchisees as possible, and ask questions. If possible, visit a few franchise units to see the day-to-day operation and talk to customers regarding their opinion of the business.
Would you recommend others be franchisees?Why?
Yes. Buying into a franchise gives you a proven system and support from people with experience in the industry. At the same time, you are the business owner, so you must stay focused in order to succeed.
Where can people get more information on Children’s Orchard franchise opportunities?
Halloween is here and your kids might need some last minute costumes…
Remember to shop at Children’s Orchard for some like-new, gently-used costumes for your kids. No matter what they want to be this year, at Children’s Orchard we can help. Stop by your local Children’s Orchard and see the fun things we have for your kids to dress up in!
No one wants to spend a ton of money on something that the kids will wear one night! Your kids will love the assortment and ideas for Halloween at Children’s Orchard…and you’ll love the low prices on like-new costumes – and we don’t mind a bit that it’s last minute!
NTY Franchise Company is Number 28 on the Fast 50! Take a look at this interview with Chad Olson. Source: bizjournals.com
We asked Chief Operating Officer Chad Olson:
What was a key accomplishment for your company in 2014? Our largest brand, Clothes Mentor, had a record year for new store openings — 34 in 2014.
Chad Olson (left) and Ronald Olson of NTY Franchise Company.
What was the most difficult challenge of 2014, and what did you learn from it?Keeping the lead funnel full for selling new franchises. We learned we needed to focus our online strategy for generating leads and we needed our people to be in the right positions to qualify the leads and sell the prospects on our franchises.
Where do you see your company in five years? Crossing the 500-store mark and well on our way to seeing our longer-term goal of over 1,000 stores across America coming into view.
How does it feel to be one of the Twin Cities’ fastest-growing private companies? We are excited to be one of the Twin Cities fastest-growing companies. But the reality is, we have a lot more to accomplish and a lot of room to keep growing.
Halloween is almost here…and at Children’s Orchard we have a large variety of costumes for your kids in a variety of sizes!
Maybe your son wants to be a superhero this year – or your daughter wants to be a doctor. Or maybe they have a new invention that is all their own that they can find the key pieces for at Children’s Orchard.
Stop by your local Children’s Orchard and see what we have for costumes.* You’ll be able to find something fun for your kids without breaking the bank…and with the great costumes you’ll find at Children’s Orchard’s low prices, you’ll feel a bit like a superhero yourself!
Your kids need warm feet and chances are their shoes and boots from last fall no longer fit.
It might just be time for a trip to Children’s Orchard…where you can find like-new, gently-used shoes and boots for your kids. We have a large variety of sizes and styles that you and your kids are sure to love.
Stop by your local Children’s Orchard today and find some new footwear for your kids. They will have a fun, new style that fits them, great quality shoes– and they’ll have warm feet!
Take a look at this great video from Twin Cities Live. It shows the fantastic prices you can get on like-new clothes at Children’s Orchard. Source: twincitieslive.com
There is nothing cuter than getting the kids all dressed up for the holidays. What is tough is convincing yourself to spend the money on those outfits that they will probably wear once.
Children’s Orchard in Minnetonka can help with that. They have clothes that are like new for a whole lot less. Becky Geyer from Children’s Orchard shows us some of the looks.
J.D.:
Khaki pants, Cherokee (original $16), $6
White polo shirt, Tommy Hilfiger (original $24), $8
Stiped sweatshirt, Polo (original $49.50), $15
Retail: $89.50 Children’s Orchard Price: $29
Jack:
Khaki pants, Gymboree (original $32), $10
Plaid shirt, Polo (original $49.50), $12
Navy v-neck sweater, GAP (original $30), $8
Jacket, Land’s End (original $45), $15
Retail: $156.50 Children’s Orchard Price: $45
Evelyn:
Black leggings, Children’s Place (original $20), $6
Ivory Paris motif sweater, Epic Threads (original $28), $8
Pink puffer jacket, GAP (original $105), $30
Retail: $153 Children’s Orchard Price: $44
Eteria
Pink leggings, Epic Threads (original $18), $6
Black love statement sweater, Epic Threads (original $28), $10
Our days and nights are getting cooler, the leaves are starting to change to vibrant fall colors, and it’s time for your kids to start wearing sweaters and warmer clothes. It’s most definitely sweater season!
At Children’s Orchard we have a large variety of sweaters, as well as jackets and coats, to help keep your little ones warm this season.
Stop by your local Children’s Orchard today and see all the great gently-used, like-new sweaters and other apparel, shoes, boots, and accessories we have for your kids for fall – at up to 70% off of retail prices!
Michelle Vaudrin is the Senior Director of Operations for Children’s Orchard and Clothes Mentor. Before joining Children’s Orchard in 2016, she worked in leadership roles for Burlington, American Eagle, and Macy’s.
Michelle attended the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a Retail Merchandising and Business Administration degree. She brings an extensive background in training in strategies, merchandising, customer service, and multi-unit store operations to the team.
Jenny Mann
Vice President of Operations | Executive Director of IT
Jenny Mann is the Vice President of Operations for Clothes Mentor and Children’s Orchard. In January of 2020, Jenny also took on the role of Executive Director of IT, overseeing BST, our Point of Sale system, and the e-commerce platforms for both brands. Prior to this, Jenny was the Director of Marketing for NTY Franchise Company since January 2013. Jenny started with the NTY Franchise Company in 2008 with Clothes Mentor and has held many roles, including; Store Manager, New Store Opener, and Regional Operations Manager. Before joining NTY Franchise Company, Jenny worked for Old Navy (Gap, Inc.) and Target in management roles.
Chad Olson
Chief Operations Officer
Chad Olson has been Chief Operations Officer of NTY Franchise Company since January 2007. From May 1994 to December 2006, he held various positions for Winmark Corporation (f/k/a Grow Biz International, Inc.), including Field Operations Manager for the Once Upon a Child concept from 1999 to 2002, and Regional Operations Manager for the Plato’s Closet concept from 2002 to 2006.
Sean Marrs
IT/Tech Administrator
IT/Tech Administrator
Marissa Stacy
Jr. Graphic Designer
Jr. Graphic Designer
Ashlyn Aarness
Social Media Specialist
Social Media Specialist
Ashley Huebner
Director of Marketing
Ashley Huebner oversees Children’s Orchard’s marketing and advertising efforts to drive sales, build brand awareness, and lead the planning on how to market the brand effectively. She leads creative initiatives by driving the brands’ vision in aesthetics, tone, and trends to elevate our brand position as a leader in the resale category.
Ashley joined the Children’s Orchard team in 2015. Ashley has 10+ years of Graphic Design experience. Ashley holds a strong background in design, user experience, and a passion for creativity. She holds a BA degree in Advertising and Art.
Sarah Primmer
VP of Finance & Human Resources
Sarah Primmer is the Vice President of Finance and Human Resources for NTY Franchise Company. She joined the company in January 2014. Prior to joining NTY, Sarah spent over 25 years as the controller and business manager of a local sales and marketing firm calling on Target stores.
