NTY’s Online Resale Plans and More Featured in Franchising USA

Online sales, loyalty programs and other high-tech offerings from NTY Franchise Company’s resale brands were recently featured in the July issue of Franchising USA. Read about it now:

July 2016 cover of Franchising USA featuring Chad Olson
July 2016 cover of Franchising USA.

Resale Retail Company Wants to Use Technology to Rule Industry

Although it’s in the business of selling gently used products, one Minneapolis based franchise is hoping to bring something new to the resale retail industry in the form of technology.

NTY, which stands for ‘New To You’, is a company that owns the franchising rights to five brands in the resale retail industry:

  • Clothes Mentor, which buys and sells used women’s fashion;
  • Children’s Orchard, which buys and sells children’s items;
  • Device Pit Stop, for purchasing and reselling electronics;
  • New Uses, which specializes in buying and reselling items for the home; and
  • NTY Clothing Exchange, the company’s teen and young adult resale retail brand.

With its largest brand, Clothes Mentor, the company wants to introduce an online store so people can shop for used items online the same way they would shop for new items on the internet, NTY’s chief operating officer Chad Olson said during a recent interview from the company’s headquarters in Minneapolis.

A lot of new websites have popped up online over the last several years that offer the service of reselling used items to customers, Olson noted, which has changed the online resale retail landscape. With this change in the landscape comes opportunity for Clothes Mentor, which will start rolling out its online store in baby steps.

First off, customers will have the ability to ‘click and pick,’ meaning they can make a purchase at their local Clothes Mentor store and then pick it up at the physical store. From there, the online store will expand until it is an integral part of the business.

Clothes Mentor also has an app that will allow the brand to push messages out to customers, allow customers to check their loyalty program points and give them electronic receipts so they don’t have to hang onto the paper ones in case they want to return something. Eventually, Clothes Mentor’s online store will also be available through the app, but that is a ways off as the brand is just getting started with its online store.

“This is a pretty big shift in our business model, so we’re going to make sure we do it right,” Olson explained.

Clothes Mentor isn’t just using technology to give customers a better experience, though. It’s also using technology to give its franchisees a boost, too. Specifically, it’s collecting more data on customers so franchisees can give them more personalized marketing. Recent generations like Millennials appreciate this more personalized marketing, Olson observed.

Across all five of the company’s brands, it has 193 stores open with another 56 in development. Clothes Mentor, NTY’s flagship franchise, claims the majority of those locations.

“Our number one goal is to offer the customer what we refer to as ‘Ultra high value retail’,” Olson said. “The stuff that we’re selling at the store level is at a much deeper discount than anywhere else they can find it because it is gently used.”

Aside from giving people the opportunity to save money, NYT also offers people the chance to recycle their items and receive cash in return, Olson mentioned.

In the Beginning

Clothes Mentor was founded in Columbus, OH by a local couple in 2001. Aside from the Columbus store, Clothes Mentor had a licensed store in Canton, OH. Olson and his father, Ron Olson, decided to go into business together, both having retail franchising experience with another company.

When they began looking at what opportunities were out there for their own business, they found out about Clothes Mentor and noted the two stores were doing quite well. From there, the father and son negotiated the franchising rights to that brand in 2007 and have been adding to the NTY family ever since.

Energy

NTY’s franchisees come from all walks of life, from kindergarten teachers to former professional bull riders. Regardless of their background, though, NTY wants franchisees to have a strong work ethic and enthusiasm.

“We would like them to have general business acumen, but more importantly, is that they have the energy, the drive, the motivation to be entrepreneurial,” Olson said. “We’re looking for people that want to be their own boss, but who have experience in one facet or another. We want them to bring their own skill set to the company.”

Training and Support

Training involves flying new franchisees out to Minneapolis for the company’s comprehensive three week business training program. NTY trains them in finding and leasing a location, plus business plan training.

“We basically prepare them in that training to go to a bank to obtain financing,” Olson said. “So we create a three-year profit and loss and cash flow statement. So, they leave here after that first bit of training prepared to find and obtain a location and obtain financing for the business.”

Once they have a location and financing, franchisees come back to Minneapolis for two weeks of operations training, where they are taught all aspects of how to operate the business. At least one of those weeks is spent in a real store environment.

Once the new franchisee is set up, they can expect NTY to visit their location a minimum of three times throughout their first year. Once will be prior to their grand opening and will include additional training. Subsequent visits will be during the grand opening and then again 90 days after the grand opening. Each visit is to ensure new franchisees get off to the best start possible.

Franchisees will continue to get visits from the company at least once per year for business consultations, Olson added. In between visits, the company offers monthly support calls.

“The ongoing support is fairly extensive because obviously in the franchise business, if our franchisees aren’t successful, then us as a franchisor will not be successful making money,” the COO said.

Expansion

All of NTY’s brands are open to expanding anywhere in the United States. Currently, the company has a presence in 30 states and is relatively well spread out, although a tad thin on the west coast, Olson noted.

“There’s lots of franchising opportunity available, especially on the west coast,” he explained.

For entrepreneurs who embrace technology, NTY, and Clothes Mentor in particular, offer a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor of something new and exciting in the resale retail industry.

See more from Franchising USA.

Clothes Mentor is Catching On: Must Read for Entrepreneurs

Clothes Mentor was recently featured in an article from The News & Observer about lesser-known franchises that offer big opportunities to today’s entrepreneurs. Check out excerpt from the article below and prepare to be inspired. You can also read the full article on newsobserver.com.

Clothes Mentor logo horizontal

Beyond fast food: New franchising ideas draw entrepreneurs

They’re not household names like McDonald’s or The UPS Store, but small franchises beyond the usual restaurant groups and retailers are attracting buyers who want something new or different and see greater challenges and opportunities with lesser-known businesses.

[…] Adam Scott looked at several relatively small companies before deciding on Clothes Mentor, which has nearly 140 shops in about two dozen states that sell women’s used clothing. Scott, who previously owned a franchise that shipped packages, was looking for a team atmosphere that he felt huge franchises with thousands of locations didn’t offer.

“I wanted a certain culture,” says Scott, who lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. “I could tell they really have an interest in the success of their franchisees.”

Scott asked other franchise owners about their experience with Clothes Mentor, something that’s recommended anyone do before buying a franchise. What he heard persuaded him that even though Clothes Mentor isn’t on the tip of consumers’ tongues, it was a good fit for him.

“I have to feel that I’m going to like who I’m in business with,” he says.

Highlights from the 2016 Clothes Mentor Conference

The ninth annual Clothes Mentor conference was a success! Franchisees and store managers from all across the nation gathered in Minneapolis last week to network, learn about new programs and initiatives for the brand and, of course, have a lot of fun! Check out the following snapshots from the opening session, which included fashion shows featuring Clothes Mentor’s plus-size and millennial customers, the welcome reception at SkyDeck in the Mall of America and the closing event at Aria in Minneapolis.

2016 Clothes Mentor Conference

Clothes Mentor conference 20162345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546

CLOTHES MENTOR Makes Franchise of the Day!

Clothes Mentor customer looking through rack of colorful tops
Photo credit: Shutterstock

Clothes Mentor was recently named Franchise of the Day by Entrepreneur. Read the brief write-up here, or check it out at entrepreneur.com.

Franchise of the Day: Up Your Style With Some New Duds

When it comes to style at a low cost, Clothes Mentor has got ya covered.

The chain isn’t the first resale franchise founders Lynn and Dennis Blum opened. Previously working on two others, Once Upon a Child and Plato’s Closet, the duo sold them to Grow Biz International (now Winmark Corporation).

Clothes Mentor opened its doors in 2001 offering a place for women to buy and sell shoes, purses, clothing and other delightful duds. It caught the eye of Grow Biz co-founder Ronald Olson, who had left the company in 2000. He began franchising Clothes Mentor in 2007.

Today, the franchise is ranked as No. 260 on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list for 2016.

CLOTHES MENTOR: Customer Shares Her Resale Experience

Read this article to see one customer’s experience with selling items to her local store. You can also see the original article with more photos at springbargains.com.

Clothes Mentor customer buy receipt and cash

I’ve never sold or consigned clothing before, but with trying to make sure that I’m only wearing clothes I love combined with the unfortunate event of gaining weight in the past year, I had some newer clothing that doesn’t fit well and I thought I’d try consigning it.  (OK, not really consigning, where you don’t get paid until the store sells it, but taking it to a place where they give you cash for it up front.  But I always think of it as consigning because I always think of these stores as consignment stores!)

I chose to consign at Clothes Mentor, because it seems like a lot of the other stores in town (Plato’s Closet, Seven Status, Hut no. 8) cater towards a younger crowd and my clothing is likely not hip enough!  I’d been into Clothes Mentor once, and thought that the clothing I wanted to sell was on par with what they sold.

So, I took a small box of clothing in to see how it worked and if I’d actually get anything for it.  They paid me about $2.50 per item the first time, and then after realizing I really wasn’t going to fit in a few things in the near future, I sold clothing a second time and got closer to $3.00 per item.  Here’s what I learned.

#1 – They are serious about the two-years-old-or-newer rule.

They really won’t take anything that’s older than about two years, even if it’s still theoretically in style (according to my finely-tuned sense of fashion – ha!).  I had a couple of dresses from Banana Republic that were really cute, but several years old, and they passed on them and everything else that was older than two years.

I did figure out that you can look at the tag on your clothing to see when it was manufactured, so you have an idea of how old it is.  The tag on side of the garment on most name-brand clothing has a date on it, like this:

Clothes Mentor clothing label on plaid shirt

I haven’t found that off-brand clothing has the date on the tag, but they also will not take anything that’s not a name brand, so for purposes of selling clothing, it doesn’t really matter.  I personally wouldn’t even bother taking in something that’s not a name brand, no matter how cute it is, because in my experience they really aren’t going to buy it.

(By the way, if you are going off the date on the tag, I think that they have a little leeway with it, because clearly stuff that was manufactured in July for a fall line of clothing would be in stores for awhile, so I would guess that it’s probably 2.5 years after the tag date.)

Frankly, I was a little surprised at a few of the items that they rejected, because I knew I’d seen stuff in the store that was older-looking than what I’d brought in, but they clearly know how to run the shop, not me, so I wasn’t upset or offended that they didn’t take some of my items. 🙂

#2 – You need to bring in clothing without any damage.

They don’t seem to like items that have any sort of damage, even a minor thing like a pulled string that could be easily be cut off and be as good as new.  So, I would definitely check your garments over well, and clip any loose threads.  (I also think that it doesn’t hurt to bring in clothing that’s folded neatly and not horribly wrinkled.)

#3 – They won’t take turtlenecks.

This one surprised be, but I learned the second time I sold items that they won’t take anything with “high necks” (in my case, it was a turtleneck).  I asked why and they said they just don’t sell well.

#4 – Expect to get an average of about $3 per item.

When they pay you for the items, they give you a receipt that shows what they purchased from you, but it doesn’t say how much they paid for each item.  In my case, the first time I sold items, they bought a pair of shoes, some tops, and I think a scarf; and I got an average of about $2.50 per item.

The second time, I had a couple of pairs of pants and some tops and got just under $3.00 per item.  I’m totally speculating here, but I think they probably paid more for the pants and less for the tops, because some of the tops were just t-shirts.

I’m sure if you brought in some really nice dress apparel, you’d probably get more per item, but I wouldn’t expect to get too much more.

One other thing that I will mention is that you drop off your clothing and then have to come back to pick it up and decide if you want to accept the offer that they give you for the clothing that they do want to sell.  The first time I did it, they were really busy with drop-offs and mine wasn’t done until several hours later.  (You have to pick up the items they didn’t want in 72 hours.)

The second time, they told me they’d have it ready in about 15 minutes – I chose to go run another errand instead of sticking around, but just keep in mind that it could be a really fast process or it might be a few hours, depending on how busy they are.

Overall, I’d say that consigning/selling at Clothes Mentor was a great experience.  Since they pay you on the spot, it’s a great way to get extra cash quickly even if you won’t get rich doing it. 🙂  I would totally do it again – hopefully next time because I’ve lost a little weight and can sell items as I’m sizing down! 🙂

Have you sold or consigned clothing?

I’m far from an expert!  Please share your tips for consigning or selling adult or children’s clothing!

Stylish College Student and Blogger Tries Clothes Mentor Wexford

Check out a post from Sarah, a Pittsburgh college student and style blogger, who recently tried Clothes Mentor Wexford. She was delighted with the selection and created three amazingly stylish outfits on the cheap. Keep reading to see what she found. Or check out the post on Sarah’s Pittsburgh & Pearls blog by clicking here.

A MORNING AT CLOTHES MENTOR WEXFORD

All college girls love a great deal. Free pizza? I’m in. Even if it means attending a meeting for a club that I’m hardly a part of. I was beyond excited when Andrea from Clothes Mentor Wexford asked me to visit her store and shop around. Mention the words “J.Crew” and “Kate Spade” and “discounted” in the same sentence and I’ll try and be there as soon as I can.

Clothes Mentor focuses on buying gently used better brand-name fashions and accessories, and their selection is fantastic. Some of my favorite finds were pieces from J.Crew (shocker, right?), Kate Spade, and Banana Republic. Not to mention that everything in the store is in great condition. It’s perfect for college girls who want to incorporate trendy and high-end products into their wardrobes without having to deal with the prices that usually follow. Trends may come and go and wardrobes are always changing anyways, so why spend the full price when you can experience high-end resale?

Andrea proposed that we try a challenge: to see how many fabulous outfits we could put together for about $100 — we ended up picking out 3 ensembles (dress, shoes, & accessories) that are perfect for spring events.

Clothes Mentor mention in Pittsburgh & Pearls blog with blogger in black dress and red handbag

Look #1: Little Black Nanette Lepore Dress

Guys, I am absolutely OBSESSED with this entire outfit. I actually ended up buying the dress and heels since it took me a little too long to stop twirling around in them. My go to trick for styling little black dresses has always been to incorporate a pop of red, usually with red lipstick and shoes. In this case I decided to switch up the pop by using a bold pattern in the same neutral color palette as the rest of the outfit with my choice of shoe.

The Betsey Johnson choker statement necklace was also a really bold move for me since I usually opt for simpler accessories with this kind of neckline. I loved how edgy and young it made the dress feel, while remaining extremely classy.

Dress : Nanette Lepore – $45

Necklace : Betsy Johnson – $35

Shoes : Nine West – $24

(bonus: Dolce & Gabbana handbag)

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

Total : $104

Clothes Mentor Pittsburgh & Pearls blogger wearing a yellow dress and white handbag

Look #2: Blue & Yellow Eliza J

I fell in love with this dress from the second I walked into Clothes Mentor. I usually don’t opt for pieces that are incredibly bright, or yellow, but when in Rome, right? Inspired to create a look that was bold for spring, I contrasted a royal blue necklace and matching suede shoes against the lemon color (a little hard to see, sorry!) I also really loved the texture in the dress, which made it feel incredibly appropriate for spring and summer. I also fell in love with these heels, which have a navy pleather accent on the toe and felt like a modern take on a vintage design.

Dress: Eliza J – $14

Shoes: Ralph Lauren – $24

Neckace: Talbots – $10

Bracelet: Nordstrom (x2) – $6 each

(bonus: Lenvin handbag – $750

& Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses – $99)

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

Total: $60

Clothes Mentor Pittsburgh & Pearls blogger wearing pink dress and holding pink handbag

Look #3 – All Pink Kate Spade

My dream world is entirely Kate Spade everything. I seriously wish I had a lifestyle where I could wear their dresses everyday. I was so excited to have found this dress as it combines a few of my favorite things; Kate Spade, tweed, and the color pink. It reminds me of Elle Woods or Jackie O, and the second I tried it on I felt so chic. Adding all pink accessories, including the Kate Spade handbag made me feel like Barbie, and I loved every second of it.

Dress: Kate Spade – $85

Heels (not pictured, but here): Julianne Hough – $24

Bracelet: Talbots – $12

(bonus: Kate Spade Handbag – $40)

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

Total: $113

I ended up leaving with the Nanette Lepore dress, two pairs of heels and two bracelets for exactly $100! I was beyond excited, and can’t wait to style these pieces with my own wardrobe for you in the future!

For more information on Clothes Mentor Wexford, you can follow them on Facebook and Instagram, or visit their website at http://www.clothesmentor.com/stores/wexford/

See more from Pittsburgh & Pearls.

CLOTHES MENTOR: Spartanburg is the Third Store for Cherneys

Check out an article about Clothes Mentor Spartanburg, which is the third store for Bill and Sadie Cherney in South Carolina:

Bill and Sadie Cherney are owners of Clothes Mentor, a women's resale shop located at 1450 W.O. Ezell Blvd. in Spartanburg. Photo courtesy Tim Kimzey/tim.kimzey@shj.com
Bill and Sadie Cherney are owners of Clothes Mentor, a women’s resale shop located at 1450 W.O. Ezell Blvd. in Spartanburg. Photo courtesy Tim Kimzey/[email protected]

Sadie and Bill Cherney own three Clothes Mentor franchises, with locations in Greenville, Columbia and — as of Jan. 7 — Spartanburg. The Spartanburg location of the high-end women’s resale shop, 1450 W.O. Ezell Blvd., is currently adding inventory from local sellers. Sometime in March, the store will open to customers looking to buy gently-used designer clothes, shoes and jewelry. The business has also established a partnership with Miracle Hill thrift store, which will take clothing the store doesn’t buy so women who need it can find it easily at a cheap price.

Following in family footsteps

Sadie: My parents were in resale before. (Bill and I) were living in Las Vegas. We knew that we wanted to be on the East Coast. We love the Upstate, and we knew we wanted to be in the Upstate. We heard about this concept and felt like it was a really great fit and that it would fill a need. So, we opened our store in Greenville, and that was in May of 2013.

Fashion forward

Sadie: We sell women’s high-end resale. We try to fit every woman. We do sizes 0 through 26. We do maternity, petite, athletic wear. Women can sell items for cash on the spot, which is convenient and easy. Then, other women are able to reuse those items, give them a purpose and restyle them. There’s something really awesome about providing someone with clothing they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. We believe a lot in quality, and that wearing quality garments that can last for a long time doesn’t have to be expensive.

The entrepreneurial bug

Sadie: I’ve always had an entrepreneurial bug. Bill is so good with people. We knew we wanted a franchise. We wanted the structure of a franchise and the support of a franchise. This lets us both kind of showcase what we’re good at.

Bill: Women’s fashion isn’t a forte of mine. But, I’ve taught for over 10 years. I taught at Greer High School for four years. Working in a field that’s primarily populated with women is not new to me. While I’m not an expert on the fashion side of the business, I enjoy learning about it.

The buying process

Sadie: Right now, we’re in a buying process. That usually takes about 8 to 10 weeks, where we amass the inventory from our local sellers, the individuals who sell to us. Then, we’ll have a huge grand opening. We have a soft target date, but we’re not 100 percent sure. Definitely hoping for March.

Small business success

Sadie: Sometimes, with a small business, people get hung up on the ways you can’t compete with a big box (retailer), but at the end of the day, as a small business, you’re mobile and connected to the people that help you and work with you. I know it makes our jobs much more fulfilling, and I hope it does the same for our staff.

Getting ready to open

Sadie: Oh my gosh, our grand openings are bananas. Both of the openings have had easily over 100 people in line. They get there at, like, 4 a.m. We’ll bring them coffee and doughnuts. It’s crazy. It’s nonstop for 12 hours. It’s awesome because it’s like this big party to celebrate everything we worked to build, and a frantic after-party to get everything back out on the floor. In March, if we have that crazy grand opening, we will have merchandise to serve our customers. So that way, in the following day and week and month, they’ll still have fresh product.

Bill: We always try to put out hundreds of new items every day in all of our locations. We want people to come back and be excited about what they’re going to see and what they’re going to find.

Written by Zach Fox for GoUpstate.com

CLOTHES MENTOR: Ardmore Store has Treasures for Everyone

Photo courtesy Mainline Media News: Clothes Mentor Ardmore Owner Sharon Nagy poses with a poster of an article featuring herself at 7-years-old selling Kool-Aid from a cart her father made. She hopes to raise money for medical research into the disease that took her father's life.
Photo courtesy Mainline Media News: Clothes Mentor Ardmore Owner Sharon Nagy poses with a poster of an article featuring herself at 7-years-old selling Kool-Aid from a cart her father made. She hopes to raise money for medical research into the disease that took her father’s life.

Check out the Mainline Media News article about the soon-to-be-open Clothes Mentor store in Ardmore, Pennsylvania:

Clothing has the power of transformation. A new little black dress, shiny red heels or a tailored coat can make a woman feel like a million bucks. Yet, why spend most of a paycheck on expensive clothing? Clothes Mentor, a franchise of stores based in the U.S., buys and sells previously owned designer clothing at 70 percent off the original retail value.

“Clothes mentor is unlike consignment, we do pay cash, on the spot. It’s a resale shop like you’ve never seen before. It’s not a thrift store, it’s not a step up from that, it’s really a concept where the modern, fashion-conscious woman can come in and be outfitted in something that’s new, fresh and exciting,” Sharon Nagy, owner of Clothes Mentor Ardmore, said.

The store, at 50 Greenfield Ave., Suite 56C, is set for grand opening on Thursday, Feb. 4 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. During the grand opening event, the first 25 customers in line will receive mystery gift cards, ranging in value from $10-$25 dollars.

Photo courtesy Mainline Media News: A glimpse into the Clothes Mentor store at 50 Greenfield Ave., opening Feb. 4.
Photo courtesy Mainline Media News: A glimpse into the Clothes Mentor store at 50 Greenfield Ave., opening Feb. 4.

Stepping into the store is equivalent to opening up a fashionista’s dream closet, full of rows of color-coordinated clothing, designer handbags, heeled boots, vibrant scarfs, and sparkling jewelry. The pieces range from items from well-known department stores to high-end designers.

“When you come in and you find a Calvin Klein dress that sold for a hundred dollars and it’s thirty in our store, they feel really pretty in it and they are equipped for whatever is out there, whether it is an interview, meeting friends or going out for dinner with their husband,” Nagy said.

The store has treasures for everyone at every budget.

Nagy explains, “We have costume jewelry, we even have some Tiffany pieces and David Yurman. We have in the store everything from Old Navy, Target, Kohl’s, Penny’s all the way up to Dior, Gucci and Christian Louboutin.”

The inventory is created by the community. Anyone can stop by and bring in new or gently used woman’s clothing, shoes, accessories and handbags. Clothing must be laundered and brought in without hangers. People can take advantage of curbside service where they drop off their items and call the curbside number so that they do not have to carry items from their cars.

“We do an inspection, and then we put it into our very sophisticated matrix system that we have that is supported by our franchisor and it tells us the price,” Nagy said.

Clothing that meets requirements will be placed in the store and the previous owners will be paid a portion for the clothing, about 30 percent of the resale price.

However, Nagy explained that for handbags that are mechanized for $50 or more as well as garments mechanized at $200 or more, previous owners will receive half of the resale price. They may also choose to receive store credit which adds an additional 35 percent of the sale to their credit.

Clothes Mentor has items for sizes 0-26 and is looking for more items, especially plus and active wear. “We are setting the store for spring so I’m looking for more summer items that have been in the stores the last few years,” Nagy said.

Opening the store is a lifelong dream that has been in the works since Nagy was a little girl, living in North Carolina. Nagy worked as a nurse up until five years ago. She also has a passion for theater and has performed in 15 shows in both the local community and city since moving to the area over a decade ago.

Nagy, joking about how she was able to explore the glitzy world of theatre before embarking on her business, said, “So then I got that out of my system and now I was like, “OK, now what do I want to do when I grow up? I think I’ll have a store.’”

Nagy was inspired by the mission and concept of the Clothes Mentor franchise.

“When I discovered this concept, where they pay cash and it was for women, and it’s supported by a franchise, it’s not something that I had to do totally on my own. It’s nationally known but locally owned and operated…It’s a concept where we get the support of marketing, advertising and training from the franchise. They helped me get this going but it has been a dream of mine forever.”

Photo courtesy Mainline Media News: Christian LouBoutin heels with the trademark red-lacquered soles and Prada boots
Photo courtesy Mainline Media News: Christian LouBoutin heels with the trademark red-lacquered soles and Prada boots

Helping others score amazing deals and find beautiful items that can have a second life is also a thrill for Nagy. “I always had resale in my blood, growing up finding that treasure and loved the concept of consignment shops and resale shops,” she said.

Nagy was an entrepreneur from a young age. At 7 years old, her father built her a Kool-Aid stand and she sold the fruity refreshment for a penny. A local reporter took a picture of her, proudly sitting at the stand, which she found in the archives and created a poster of the article.

“I played store a lot as a little girl, I used to put price tags on everything in the house and make my parents shop,” Nagy said.

Her father’s Kool-Aid stand inspired her to open her own business. She hopes to give back to her father and plans to use some proceeds from the store to fund Penn Medical Center’s research.

“I’m going to implement a one cent [buy one, get one for a cent] sale to raise money for a particular disease that my father had. He built this Kool-Aid stand for me, he was terminally ill. I’m going to use this to raise money to study the very rare diseases that he had.”

In this new business venture, Nagy combines her compassion for her family and community.

“It’s all about helping each other, I guess that’s the nurse in me, too,” Nagy said. “I still have that desire to help people feel better about themselves, and that’s what this is all about.”

During the year, Nagy plans to have several exciting events including a “Girls Night Out” partnering with local vendors as well as events for teachers and private parties.

Clothes Mentor Ardmore will also be developing a Personal Shopper program down the line. Eventually, customers will be able to fill out a form online and “the personal shopper [selects] items for them based on their style, their color their preferences, sizes, their lifestyle, what they have interest in.” The program will be free of charge.

Nagy is also looking for talented people who are welcome to apply online to be part of her team in the store. Her vision for the store is a place where the customers and store team thrive together and make the Ardmore location a staple in the community.

“I want it to be a place where people can come and hang out. Every day it’s a new store because things are flying in and flying out. People are excited to bring new things and stop by and see what’s the latest and greatest. But just to be able to say, “Hey how’s it going?” and see your team members making friends with the community and just be a warm atmosphere.”

Nagy is thankful to everyone in the community who has contributed to making her dream a reality.

“The community feels a little ownership of this, I love that… They’re so supportive. We have such an eclectic demographic area around here, it’s great. We’ve got all kinds of folks. Just to see what they were going to help me create in the store, and seeing the team, the excitement, it’s a contagious excitement,” Nagy said.

For more information, visit the Ardmore store website.

Article by Jessica Paradysz, Correspondent for Mainline Media News

CLOTHES MENTOR: 6 Ways To Treat Your True Customers Well

NTY Franchise Company graphic with title of article

Clothes Mentor franchisee Kate Paynter wrote this helpful article for the Women On Business website. Read the article below or check it out on womenonbusiness.com.

Every year, I make a point to set a new goal for my business. Not just for me, but for all the men and women I’m proud to call team members. The goal becomes a theme that we will build on throughout the year, affecting everyone from the CEO to the front line employees. Or as I like to refer to them, my “true” customers.

Prioritizing customer service for the end customer or final consumer is nothing new. But when you are a multi-unit business owner with several layers of management, you probably don’t spend much time engaged in traditional customer service. You do have customers, however; you just may not have thought of them that way.

In 2016, I’m making it a priority to treat my true customers well. Those would be the district managers I interact with on a daily basis and count on to help the business succeed. In turn, I’ll encourage them to treat their “true” customers, the store managers, well. It’s a mission I want to trickle all the way down to our front line employees whose true customer is the final consumer.

Whether you are a business owner or manager, chances are you are providing a work experience for somebody. That somebody is a customer. Employees pay with something much more valuable than money. They pay with their time, their skills, and their effort. Supervisors that expect their teams to treat customers like royalty have an obligation to do the same for their staff.

Here are some ways to get it done:

1. Solicit Regular Feedback

Whether you use anonymous surveys, open discussions, or exit interviews, putting mechanisms in place to generate specific feedback from employees is a critical starting point.

What is the best part about working here? What is the worst part? What would you do differently if you were in charge? Where are we missing opportunities?

2. Schedule Time to Review Feedback Regularly

Weekly, monthly, quarterly — whatever time you select, have a plan for how it will be discussed. I like to review everything before the meeting, then offer my managers a summary of what we will be discussing.

Remember not to spend the entire time on what needs to improve. Dedicate some time to what the employees say is being done well. Not only is that an opportunity to offer praise for good achievement, it’s a chance for your team members to hear what’s working and see how they can implement it, as well.

3. Finish Each Meeting with an Implementation Plan and Make Good on It

Nothing will undercut your efforts to generate regular feedback than a collective sense from your employees that they aren’t being heard. This doesn’t mean you have to solve every problem, but letting people know that their concern was discussed goes a long way.

Compile your meeting notes into a summary email and distribute it to all team members. Begin with what’s going to be a top priority, followed by midterm fixes, long-term fixes, and tabled issues. Finish with anything that won’t be addressed again but offer a detailed explanation why.

4. Be Nice

I’ve been a business owner for more than 20 years and know the pressure women feel to prove that they have the toughness to succeed in business. However, a perpetual scowl and grumpy demeanor will do far more harm than good. It’s difficult to expect your front line employees to wear a smile when dealing with customers if they are regularly greeted with their supervisor’s frown.

Being nice isn’t a weakness, being afraid to be nice is. If you show confidence in your mission and consistency in your operation, there is no reason you can’t be respected while still being nice.

5. Use Your Business to Inspire Your Employees

Would your employees consider their positions to be their jobs, their careers, or their callings? Some would say that answer has more to do with the work than the organization providing it, but I believe a company’s management team has a lot to do with how meaningful they make the work.

As a resale store owner, I don’t describe our team members as selling used clothes. We’re putting cash in local women’s pockets for their gently used items. We’re helping people look like a million bucks for pennies on the dollar. We are selling confidence through clothing without busting the family budget. That’s important work that we can all rally behind.

6. Measure Results

At regular points throughout the year, we’ll take stock of how our efforts are coming. We will look deeply at our retention rates, compare employee satisfaction levels, and review where we are succeeding and where we need improvement.

Don’t make the mistake of waiting until the end of the year to check in on your progress. If your goal is to improve or maintain a high level of “true” customer satisfaction, there is no sense in waiting until December to find out that what you’re doing isn’t working. Analyze results. Develop what’s working. Scrap what isn’t.

For me, success looks like this piece of feedback from one of my most trusted managers. She is one of my true customers whom I am proud to serve.

“Continued support from such a great family/company to work for is making my experience here one to cherish. ‘Take care of the employees and they will take care of the customers’ greatly describes the way you run this “family,” and it truly makes me enjoy going to work everyday. I couldn’t be happier!”

About the Author
Kate Paynter is a pioneer in the $12 billion resale industry. She and her mother, Becky, own and operate several resale franchise units in Cincinnati, Ohio, including upscale women’s resale clothing store, Clothes Mentor.