Thinking about opening a franchise store? You’ve got to listen to this radio piece from 97.5 BEN FM featuring multiple Clothes Mentor store owner Chris Barnett of Pennsylvania. She’s passionate about the brand and her community, and it shows in the success of her stores. Click on the icon below to listen.
Check out Barnett’s West Chester and Springfield stores.
Check out this article published in the December issue of Franchising USA featuring NTY Franchise and female store owners:
Female entrepreneurship is booming in America. The number of women-owned businesses in the U.S. continues to climb and is now estimated to have surpassed 9.4 million enterprises.
The American Express 2015 State of Women Owned Businesses Report shows that women-owned small businesses are on the rise, with around 30 percent of all small businesses owned by women in 2015.
However, that’s nothing compared to what’s going on in the $12 billion resale industry.
NTY Franchise Company, one of the fastest growing developers of resale brands in America, recently announced that of its four franchised brands, a whopping 67 percent of its franchisees are female. With trendsetting brands such as women’s upscale resale franchise Clothes Mentor and recently acquired children’s resale store Children’s Orchard, NTY Franchise Company executives are optimistic that those trends will continue.
“Without a doubt, women have become the driving force of our franchise growth,” said Chief Operating Officer Chad Olson. “I think there are a lot of things to like about resale, and many of them are particularly important to women.”
Kate Paynter and her mother, Becky Finger, have led the resale revolution in Cincinnati for decades, with several resale franchise brands including Clothes Mentor. Paynter says their resale franchises buy more than $10 million worth of gently used items from local sellers annually, all while supporting charitable causes dear to her and her mom.
“It’s been a dream of ours to serve in this community,” Paynter said. “Along with putting dollars in the pockets of other Cincinnati women, we’ve been able to support local charities like March of Dimes, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Pink Ribbon Girls. All while doing what we love!”
Suzanne Simpson, another pioneer in the resale industry, says she’s been able to pay local women more than $4.6 million in the past few years with her resale brands like Clothes Mentor in Ocoee, Florida. Like Paynter and her mom, Simpson enjoys putting more money in local women’s pockets while also donating to One Heart for Women and Children, a local charity that provides the necessary resources for families as they transition through and overcome varying hardships of daily living in the Central Florida area.
“It’s been a true blessing to do what we do here,” Simpson said. “When we succeed, our community succeeds. We help local families put some extra money in their pockets when we buy their gently used items, plus we get to support great charities like One Heart for Women and Children. I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”
For Clothes Mentor franchisee Christine Ilvedson, the regular interaction with customers-turned-sellers has made her life as an entrepreneur more enjoyable. Though she operates in the small market of Fargo, North Dakota, her Clothes Mentor is one of the top revenue generators in the entire NTY Franchise system. She has spent more than $2 million purchasing gently used items from women in Fargo in the past five years.
“I’m living my dream,” Ilvedson said. “I spend my day interacting with customers who engage with us so often that we’ve become friends. I’m able to provide them with some money for the great stuff they bring in to sell, then helping them look great at a fraction of what they would pay at retail.”
Whether the resale brand focuses on apparel, children’s items, household goods or electronic devices, female entrepreneurs are flocking to resale opportunities for several reasons.
It’s environmentally and community friendly: A recent story in the LA Times focused on the growing body of social science indicating that “women consistently (highly) rank values strongly linked to environmental concern — things such as altruism, personal responsibility and empathy.” Resale stores keep unwanted items out of landfills and extend their use by offering them to new customers. Further, resale stores in the NTY Franchise Company system offer their goods for as much as 70 percent less than retail price, making it easier for people to get the items they love without straining the family budget.
Greater emotional connection with customers: Unlike retail stores focused exclusively on selling items, resale stores feature twice as many engagement opportunities, thanks to their two-way commerce model. Store owners develop more meaningful relationships with customers that make regular visits to buy and sell items and apparel.
Shopping is half the job: A 2013 survey of more than 2,000 people found that men got bored with shopping in just 26 minutes while women could easily last for two hours. In a job where 50 percent of your interactions with customers involving shopping their used goods, women are more likely to not just survive the daily shopping task, but enjoy it.
Founded in 2006 by resale godfather Ron Olson, NTY Franchise Company features five brands, all with a different focus: Clothes Mentor, Children’s Orchard, Device Pitstop, New Uses and NTY Clothing Exchange. The brands are all resale-based and cover women’s designer fashions, children’s apparel and accessories, furniture and household goods, electronic sales and repair, and clothing for teens and young adults.
Read more from Franchising USA at franchisingusamagazine.com.
Yet more families are making a few shared minutes of quiet contemplation a part of their daily routines. When handled with flexibility and a sense of humor, they say, the practice can calm their children, reduce stress and anxiety and help them focus.
Meditation is increasingly taught in the West as a secular discipline aimed at gaining awareness, or mindfulness—the ability to notice and focus calmly on thoughts and feelings as they arise, without reacting or judging. More than two dozen books on mindfulness training for children and teens have been published in the last three years.
A growing number of schools are teaching mindfulness. A 12-week program of mindfulness training was linked to improvements in children’s ability to pay attention and control their emotions, and to reductions in stress, depression symptoms and aggression, according to a controlled study of 99 fourth and fifth-graders published last January in Developmental Psychology. The study is one of dozens in the past several years linking mindfulness training to improvements in children’s behavior and emotional health.
Luring a squirming youngster into meditation at home can be hard, however, and sticking to it takes flexibility and a sense of humor.
Chris and Stephen Barnett decided to try meditating with their 8-year-old daughter Eliza early this year after they noticed she was having trouble paying attention in school. Teachers mentioned her daydreaming in class, and testing at school showed Eliza’s performance didn’t match her ability, says Ms. Barnett, Garnet Valley, Pa.
Mr. Barnett, who owns two Clothes Mentor resale stores with his wife, has been meditating several days a week for years, and Ms. Barnett has dabbled in meditation too. After she researched the potential benefits for children, they decided to start meditating sitting quietly with Eliza for 5 to 15 minutes after breakfast each morning.
They had a few false starts. The Barnetts tried breathing and counting exercises, but Eliza turned them into a game. Ms. Barnett looked into a simple practice, gazing at a candle flame, and found the ritual helped Eliza quiet down. “Eliza gets to pick the candle, and we put it in the center of the breakfast table and sit quietly,” backs straight and eyes fixed on the flame, Ms. Barnett says.
“It’s hard not to laugh” when Eliza starts humming sometimes, or makes the candle flame flicker by exhaling deeply, Ms. Barnett says.
Eliza loves the time with her parents, Ms. Barnett says. “There’s an intimacy about sitting around the table as a family, in complete silence.” Eliza recently has been reading with more focus, says Ms. Barnett. Her grades have risen and teachers are no longer reporting problems focusing. Also, meditation sometimes lightens Eliza’s mood, Mr. Barnett says, from a little disagreeable to sweet and cooperative.
Teachers caution that children shouldn’t be pressured to meditate. “Keep it playful,” says therapist and mindfulness trainer Eline Snel, author of “Sitting Still Like a Frog,” a book on mindfulness for children.
Preschoolers may not be able to sit still for more than 10 seconds; this is enough for them to learn to take a deep, relaxing breath. Five-year-olds may be able to be fairly quiet for 3 to 5 minutes; 6- or 7-year-olds often can do so for 5 to 15 minutes. Starting around age 8, some teachers say, most children can sit quietly for at least a minute for each year of their age, and their ability grows with practice.
Showing your child what meditation looks like and setting aside a specific time of day to practice it can spark their interest. “The best teacher is a parent who meditates,” says Angela Stewart, who teaches a meditation class for parents and children at Atisha Kadampa Buddhist Center, Providence, R.I. “Children will naturally want to try, because they’ll see you doing it and getting benefits from it.” Although meditation is part of the Buddhist tradition, its benefits can be experienced by anyone.
Amy Wright Glenn, who meditates regularly, says her son Taber sometimes imitated her when he was a toddler, sitting beside her with legs folded, saying, “Mommy, I meditate too.” Taber, now 4, sometimes initiates meditation sessions when Ms. Glenn and her husband sit on their porch in the evening. They light a candle and Taber takes the lead, saying, “Now, let me teach you today. Close your eyes. If you hear sounds, that is OK, just breathe,” says Ms. Glenn, a Pompano Beach, Fla., yoga teacher, author and blogger at PhillyVoice.com. Candle-gazing can cultivate the ability to concentrate, teachers say.
Mark Muesse, an associate professor of religious studies at Rhodes College, Memphis, Tenn., who also teaches meditation, plays a game with children using a resonant Tibetan singing bowl, which vibrates with a prolonged, haunting ring, telling them, “raise your hand when you can no longer hear the bell,” he says. Small children learn to extend their attention without realizing they’re doing so, he says. Parents at home can use any kind of resonant bell or chime.
Listening to guided meditations help children pay attention longer. Ms. Snel’s book includes a CD with 11 meditations including a 4-minute track for children as young as 4, “The Little Frog,” which encourages users to imitate a frog at rest—being keenly aware of sights and sounds, but sitting completely still.
Other exercises help children anchor their attention by focusing on their breathing, a basic practice for beginners. Ms. Snel encourages children to “lower their attention from their heads to their bellies, like a small spider on a thread,” and notice the calm movement of their breath. She advises against using a timer for such exercises because it tends to “bring all kinds of other thoughts into your mind, such as, ‘When is the end?’” she says.
Parents also can have children lie faceup on the floor, place a bean bag or stuffed animal on their stomachs, watch the object rise and fall with their breaths, and notice their heart rate declining as their breathing slows, says Maria Hersey, director of education and training for MindUP, a Miami, Fla.-based nonprofit that develops mindfulness programs for schools.
Children who can’t sit still can still take part. The goal of meditation is to calm and stabilize the mind, not to sit still, says Dr. Stewart, a clinical psychologist. In her class for children 5 and up, “many are able to hold a traditional meditation posture, but others might be pulling their sweatshirts over their heads to block out distractions,” she says. “They’re going to get urges to wiggle.”
She urges them to “try your best to keep bringing your attention back to your breath, until you notice a calm, peaceful feeling inside your heart. Then, shift your attention and stay with this feeling.”
Many children also need to look around during meditation, says Ms. Snel, founder and director of the Academy for Mindful Teaching, a Leusden, Netherlands, training organization. Most learn to sit quite still after practicing for a while.
Setting a predictable routine, with certain activities leading to meditation exercises, can help children prepare to settle down, Dr. Stewart says.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
FARGO, N.D. – One-local business owner is showing women that they can be successful entrepreneurs.
Christine Ilvedson owns and operates Clothes Mentor, a woman’s resale clothing store.
The store pays local women for recycling their clothing and accessories, and has put up to $2 million dollars back in the pockets of customers.
Ilvedson has become a local pioneer in the growing resale industry in Fargo, and says she simply went for where she saw a need.
“And you know, I kind of just wanted to do something on my own, and like I said I saw a need for it in the community this opportunity presented itself and I went for it. It was a little scary in the beginning but you know it’s been five and a half years now,” says Ilvedson.
She also says connecting with customers was key in her store’s continued success.
“I’ve gotten to know the girls quite will, and have development some personal relationships with them so that’s really great that they are about the customers that much, and care about what’s going on with me and my life and put that forth in everyone that comes in,” says customer Bri Clemenson.
Statistics show that businesses owned by women make up 30 percent of all businesses in the country.
At Rock Hill, South Carolina’s grand opening today, over 175 people were standing in line before the doors opened. People are excited to have a Clothes Mentor in Rock Hill…where they know they will get high quality, gently-used designer clothing for a lot less. Congratulations on a successful store opening! Source: heraldonline.com
You can watch the full video here.
ROCK HILL – A new brand name “gently-used” clothing store opened Friday morning in Rock Hill, drawing a line of at least 175 people, including one Fort Mill woman who arrived around 4:30 a.m. – 5.5 hours before the 10 a.m. grand opening.
Denise Mitchell was the first person in line at Clothes Mentor, located in the Winthrop Commons shopping center on Cherry Road. She and 24 people behind her received a $25 gift card from the store to buy shoes, clothes, purses, accessories and other items.
When Mitchell arrived, she said she took a nap in her car in the parking lot until other eager shoppers showed up. She had to be there early, she said, to buy a pair of pink Coach boots, which she quickly found inside when Shawn Cox, the Rock Hill Clothes Mentor owner, opened the doors.
Clothes Mentor has more than 130 stores across 29 states, including two stores in Charlotte. The Rock Hill Clothes Mentor is the fourth location in South Carolina.
Shawn Cox and his wife Alyssa own the store. Alyssa Cox was behind the register on Friday morning, scanning items and taking cash and cards from customers looking for a deal.
Most people in line said they were looking for new items for their wardrobe and Clothes Mentor’s used clothes gives them a chance to fill their closets without spending too much money.
Sara Starnes and her son Matt of Rock Hill arrived at 9 a.m.
“If he hadn’t taken so long eating breakfast, we would have been here at 8:30,” Sara Starnes said. The pair stopped by for a pancake breakfast at McDonald’s before joining the line outside Clothes Mentor on Friday.
Expecting her fourth child, Sara Starnes said “I look for discounts” and Clothes Mentor has items that “could suit everybody.” Starnes was shopping primarily for maternity wear, she said, and found Clothes Mentor to have items she needs for half the price of other stores.
Starnes and many other shoppers first swung through the store earlier this week when items weren’t yet for sale but customers could swap their own clothing for cash. Clothes Mentor is similar to a consignment shop. The store offers cash on the spot for gently-used designer or name brand pants, shirts, shoes and more.
On Friday, Shawn Cox raffled off gift cards to a salon and spa and other local stores. He and an army of staff helped manage the long line on Friday and, when the doors opened, workers stood back as shoppers swarmed the aisles.
A Rock Hill police officer was on hand for crowd control.
To help shoppers navigate the tight space, workers stored items in baskets behind the counter while customers shopped. That helps keep customers from lugging baskets or carts around the store.
The Rock Hill store is open daily at 725 Cherry Road. Monday to Friday hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The store is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 6 p.m. Sundays.
To sell clothes to the store, customers should wash their items first. No appointment is needed. The store may decline to buy clothes based on the item’s condition, its inventory, or the brand.
Favored brands include: Ann Taylor, Gap, J. Crew, White House Black Market, Chicos, Calvin Klein, Old Navy, North Face, Michael Kors, Prada, Coach and Burberry.
For more information, visit the store’s website or Facebook page.
It’s October and at Clothes Mentor, we have you covered. Whatever you need for the season – whether it’s like-new scarves, coats, jackets, boots, or sweaters, we have a large variety of different styles for you to choose from. We carry high quality, designer pieces that are on-trend, modern, and gently-used.
Freshen up your fall wardrobe with some like-new pieces from your local Clothes Mentor. Whether you’re walking through the pumpkin patch or walking through the office – you’ll look fabulous, trendy…and you’ll get some great pieces at fantastic prices!
Scarves are one of those things that never go out of style. They bring a certain sense of chic femininity to your look and can add color and brightness to a neutral look. They are nice to wear for warmth, of course, too since it’s now fall. They’re a staple accessory that always works.
This season scarves are being shown on the runways as much slimmer with silky fabrics. The skinny scarf is a chic way to pull your look together and wrap – or double wrap – your neck in soft silk.
Add a bright color or pattern to pull your look together. It’s a fun way to keep yourself warm – and it’s modern and fashion-forward at the same time!
Congratulations to the Lee’s Summit Clothes Mentor store for reopening today after going through a tornado in July. We’re so glad you’re all okay and that things are getting back to normal. Stop by the Lee’s Summit Clothes Mentor and support them in the community as they make a new start! Source: kshb.com
LEE’S SUMMIT, MO – Clothes Mentor is reopening its doors for the first time since an EF-1 tornado tore holes in the roof and forced the store to throw away its entire inventory of clothes.
“This entire store would have had to be replaced if it wasn’t metal. The counters were ruined. The walls had to be replaced, the fixtures,” said Clothes Mentor store owner Lee Gardner.
The road to recovery was a $100,000 one, covered by insurance. No one was hurt in the store during the tornado despite two employees being inside at the time.
They choose one of the two bathrooms inside the building to hide in. It turns out that was the only room not damaged.
Gardner says there have been blessings through the rebuilding process.
“The outreach from the community and the customers that we’ve had and how concerned they were about us and wanted us to re-open, well they wanted to help us clean,” said Gardner.
The store will open Thursday, October 1, 2015- three months to the day of the tornado.
Expecting a big turnout, the store won’t start buying clothes brought in until 1 p.m., choosing to focus solely on sales for the first few hours.
Store hours will be 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Take a look at this fun interview with Christine Ilvedson, owner of the Clothes Mentor in Fargo, North Dakota. Source: business-opportunities.biz
Clothes Mentor, the nation’s top women’s clothing franchise, buys and sells high quality, gently-used designer clothing, shoes, jewelry and other accessories that are like new — but for a lot less.
We recently spoke with Christine Ilvedson, owner of Clothes Mentor in Fargo, N.D., to find out more about her experiences in opening up a franchise. We learned what challenges she faced, how much she spent before opening the doors and what she would do differently if she had the chance.
How long have you owned a franchise?
Five and a half years.
What were you doing before becoming a franchise owner?
I was in retail management.
Why did you choose your franchise?
I chose Clothes Mentor because I saw a need for an upscale women’s resale store in our community. There were places in Fargo that paid cash on the spot for children’s’ clothing, another that paid cash for teen clothing but none that paid cash for women’s fashions.
What were some of the challenges you faced when starting your franchise?
Finding a great bank to work with who shared our vision was probably our biggest challenge. For a lot of franchises finding the ideal retail space to lease is challenging, but luckily we had no problem with that.
Where did you research or get advice about starting a franchise?
I spoke with other Clothes Mentor franchisees and with other entrepreneurs that had a lot of experience with franchising.
How much did you spend before your doors were officially opened?
About $120k, including $45k we paid to locals selling us their gently used clothing and apparel for inventory before we opened to sell.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Most days I’m on the sales floor greeting customers and sorting through clothing items they are looking to sell. Some days I work from home answering emails, working on marketing or doing payroll/bookkeeping, and some days I’m running errands or at meetings.
What is your secret to success?
Treat your customers really well, treat your employees even better and lead by example.
What would you do differently if you had to do it all over?
Looking back now there are a few things with our grand opening I would have done differently (time of year we opened and some advertising ideas). I also would have trusted my instincts a little more!
Where do you see your business in five years?
Hopefully growing and changing! We have expanded once but would love to expand again if the opportunity presented itself. Now that we are well established in the community we are looking to do more charity work and partnerships.
What is one trend that really excites you?
Clothes Mentor has a new loyalty rewards program that is so awesome! It is a great program that has a wealth of information for us as owners and our customers are loving it!
What are your three favorite online tools or resources and what do you love about them?
I love our online banking and online payroll resources.
We LOVE social media… especially Instagram and Facebook.
We have a great website for our franchise owners… all the resources and networking at our fingertips!
Do you (or did you ever) have a mentor?
I did not have an official mentor but sought advice from as many business owners as I could.
What advice do you have for others looking to own a franchise?
Go for it! Do your research and make sure there is a need in your community. Talk to as many other franchise owners as you can. Be positive and realistic.
Would you recommend others be franchisees? Why?
Absolutely! Clothes Mentor Corporate helped me SO much in our opening processes. I honestly would have been lost trying to do all that on my own. Everything from writing our business plan to ordering hangers was laid out for me in a step-by-step process. They are full of great resources and guidance.
Where can people get more information on Clothes Mentor franchise opportunities?
Visit the website here.
Where can people find your Clothes Mentor franchise on social media?
It goes without saying that coats are always on-trend in colder weather, but this season it’s all about statement coats. It’s important the coat keeps you cozy, of course, but why not do it in style? There are some great statement coats that will keep you warm and chic at the same time.
Keeping in mind that you wear a coat every day as we get into colder weather, your coats can be key pieces in your fall and winter wardrobes. You want them to be modern and on-trend – while also fitting your lifestyle and your look.
Stop in to your local Clothes Mentor today and see what we have for some stylish, like-new coats. You will most likely find a very chic, designer coat in either a newer trend or a classic look that will keep you warm and in style – at a price you will love!
