Learn about NTY Franchise Company’s merger with Children’s Orchard in this quick read from forbes.com. Find out why Chad Olson and team decided to merge, how they did it and where the Children’s Orchard franchise is headed in the near future as a result.
Secrets to a Successful Small Business Merger
Every small business merger is unique, but they all share a few common challengers, from choosing the right partner, to managing the transition, to branding and post-merger management. Here’s how five small business owners pulled it off.
Building a Franchise
A longtime franchise veteran sought to turn his prototype children’s apparel resale shop into a national franchise by merging with Children’s Orchard, a recognized brand with 32 stores.
Why Merge?
Olson’s prototype store, NTY Kids, needed a recognizable, trusted brand to grow. Children’s Orchard needed point-of-sale software to bring its stores into the 21st century—technology available through another business Olson owned.
What Happened
Olson and his team moved slowly, announcing the merger to franchisees over the phone, and not making a single change to operations until they had met with each owner face-to-face. “It was all about building that relationship and credibility with the franchisees.”
Takeaway
A merger can be a frightening prospect for franchisees because it affects how they run their individual businesses. “These people are entrepreneurs. They’ve invested money. This has been their life and blood and livelihood for a lot of years.” Patience and empathy is vital.
Would you like to find out what makes a successful children’s clothing franchise? In this video, a store owner explains why customers buy and sell children’s clothing, shoes, equipment, toys, games and more at her store time and time again.
What makes a successful children’s clothing franchise?
Do you prefer a text version or want to read along with the video? If so, you can find the full text transcript below.
News Anchor: Do you have a bunch of stuff sitting around the house, particularly unused clothes that you no longer wear? Well your trash may be another person’s treasure. Reselling new or gently used items has become a multi-billion dollar industry and with a few small tips you too can get it on the craze. Kathy Wagner has been doing this for quite sometime, reselling clothing, particularly children’s clothing.
Children’s Orchard: A high end children’s resale franchise
News Anchor: First of all, Kathy, I know that some people may not know the difference between consignment stores, clothing resale franchises, and garage sales. What is the difference?
Kathy: Well, in consignment stores you take your clothing to them, they sell it and then you get your money. With a resale shop, you come in, we peruse the items, we buy what we think will sell, and you get paid right away.
News Anchor: That is fantastic. Now you have had the store for 13 years, but it has been around for about two decades. So it must really be working. We know that kids are constantly growing, so you have to get rid of old stuff and get new stuff. Why not make some of your money back on it. What do we need to know?
Low cost, high quality children’s clothing
Kathy: Well the main thing is that we want things to be clean and neat. We don’t designate for seasons, we take all seasons all of the time. We want clothes that have been washed with in a week and are neatly folded, and in good shape.
We take clothing from infant to junior sizes. We buy all brands, the less expensive the item is the better it needs to look. This is simply because people can go to the budget store and buy things on sale.
We specialize in higher end items, especially smocks. People come in and they love to buy our smocks which can be very expensive when buying brand new. We price them at one fourth to one half their retail value. People come in looking for certain things. Like the Lily Pulitzer that you have there. We have people who come in weekly to check their favorite brands and their sizes. Same thing with our playmobils, legos, and blocks. People are coming in with a need. The best thing about our job is that we can take a need and then we can find a source.
There is no waste there which is important. So I see your tips here to turn those leftover items at home into cash.
Sort through your children’s closets to find items they’ve outgrown or rarely wear
Children’s resale stores want current fashion styles and trends
Items should be free of wear, tear, and stains. Wash clothes before reselling
Save time by having a valid ID ready, and know if you want cash or credit towards a purchase in the store
What kind of folks do you see coming in looking to sell their items? I would imagine it is people from all walks of life.
Yes, you are right. But the biggest portion of our sellers are coming from the middle of the road. They are families who appreciate a good bargain and they are looking for someone who sees the value in the things that they have put their cash and their heart into.
Children’s clothing resale franchise is a win win
Everyone wants to think that what they have is valued, and they get excited to think that someone else wants what they had. It is a perfect marriage of a need for recycling and finding the source which makes you feel justified in getting rid of items, and having someone come in and find something awesome at a price they can afford.
Well, we appreciate you being here. There is a lot of money to be made and some great items to be purchased this summer. Asses your kids clothes before the start of the new school year. For more tips and tricks, visit TWCNews.com and click on the “In depth” tab under our News tab.
Moms can make money and save money by trading in and trading up their children’s clothing, shoes, equipment and more at Children’s Orchard Cleveland, TN. Check out the excerpt from an article below to find out more. You can also read the full article at timesfreepress.com.
Bring something, take home something—the art of swapping
By Lynda Edwards
Excerpt:
Photo by Doug Strickland, courtesy of Times Free Press
Make room for baby
But Bettieville isn’t the only local shop that trades in gently worn clothes — some focus on baby clothes and items.
Up in Cleveland, Tenn., on Paul Huff Parkway, Children’s Orchard owner Dan Black has offered customers, often women, a similar chance to save money and score a fashionable find. He buys baby clothing and accessories such as motorized rocking cradles, strollers and toys. The sellers can choose cash or a store credit.
“We offer 25 percent more in credit than we would in cash, and moms can find cute outfits in style because we ask that the clothing be no more than five years old,” says Black, who has run the store — part of a nationwide chain with another location in Murfreesboro — for 12 years and can tell how old a baby outfit is simply by its color palette.
Black does not sell vintage clothes, so you won’t find clothes to create a grunge-rock baby in red-and-black plaid and Doc Marten boots or a Greed Decade baby in a neon onesie with 1980s shoulder pads
“I have three children of my own plus grandbabies, so I have seen infant clothes through several decades,” he says, chuckling. “In the 1990s there were parachute pants that the rapper MC Hammer wore and made popular with kids for awhile.”
He and his wife opened the store with her mother and father and, since the older couple retired, now run it themselves. As scary as the 2007 recession was, Black was pleasantly surprised that 2008 was one of Children’s Orchard’s best sales years.
“We do sell some new items like baby bottles, but customers can save so much on clothes and also strollers and cradles and bouncing chairs that are in excellent condition after another mother has used them,” Black explains.
“We have about 200 regulars who have sold us clothing more than once. As their baby grows older and too big for one size, they sell it and swap it for another larger size in the store or just buy it here.”
While Black’s tiny clients hurtle forward into the future, back in Bettieville, dancer Dorothy Demure has found a time tunnel into the past via a pair of 1970s sky-high heels. She is too young to remember the decade, so she is puzzled by the clear plastic chamber beneath the shoes’ large rounded toe. Another customer, who lived through the 1970s, explains that the shoes were known as Disco Goldfish Heels and each chamber was filled with water so tiny, live goldfish could swim in them.
Jodie Simon is older than Demure but fit and trim. She gravitates toward a sheath dress whose narrow bands of crimson and magenta give it a luxurious couture sheen; it would have looked great in Studio 54 in the late ’70s and early ’80s. But she tosses it to a friend.
“I’m just not sure my personality is bold enough for those colors — yet,” Simon says. “The good thing is, there will be another swap next month and another chance to get something great.”
NTY Franchise hosted its first-annual conference for Children’s Orchard earlier this week. Many hardworking and inspiring franchisees joined together in Minneapolis, MN, for store tours at the Mall of America, sessions about the NTY point-of-sale system, reporting, marketing, hands-on experience at the corporate Children’s Orchard store and plenty of fun.
The following snapshots show just a few of the highlights from the 2016 Children’s Orchard conference.
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.
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!
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
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.
