Like Mother, Like Daughter at Children’s Orchard Manhattan Beach

It’s all about family at Children’s Orchard in Manhattan Beach, CA. Click here to read more about the family-owned franchise in The Beach Report.

“I grew up in retail; my dad was in retail in Philadelphia,” Mintz explained. “So I was familiar with the business, although I come from a marketing background, and my daughters also came from public relations and marketing.”

That marketing background has paid off in terms of building their business, and so does Mintz’s daughter Cindy’s FIDM fashion degree.

“She decorates the store, and she’s great at putting outfits together for customers. That’s her favorite thing to do,” Mintz said.

Children’s Orchard has a selection that pleases both shoppers and sellers.

“I think because of where we are located in Manhattan Beach, we get wonderful brands, and we are able to price them very reasonably for shoppers. It’s a good experience for both our shoppers and the people who sell to us, Mintz said. “Sellers can benefit even further with the 30 percent or more in store credit we offer them, so that they can shop here very reasonably. The whole idea is to take advantage of trading in an item that isn’t needed and buy something that is. It seems to work for everybody.”

The shop frequently offers unique, one of a kind items such as a recent sale: a child’s BBQ replete with a grille and skewers for little ones to use.

Click here to check out more from The Beach Reporter.

Children’s Orchard Rowley is a Family Business for Families

Check out this great article from newburyport.macaronikid.com featuring Children’s Orchard Rowley.

Children’s Orchard Rowley: Family-Owned by Three Generations of Women

By Emily Cowan

Thirty years ago, an Ipswich grandmother named Maureen started a local business she hoped would help her children and grandchildren – and it’s still going strong. We caught up with her daughter Steph Johnson and granddaughter Jamie, now owners and operators of Children’s Orchard Rowley, to find out more about the family business and how things have changed since Maureen opened that first store.

Newburyport Macaroni Kid: How did your family get into the kids’ consignment business?

Steph: My mother got into the business almost 30 years ago after meeting the owners of the Newburyport store, before it was a franchise. She had just had her third grandchild (Jamie), and loved the idea of recycling for future generations. She opened her first store in Ipswich, and we were there for ten years before moving to Rowley.

MK: What’s it like working with your mother/daughter?

Steph: I loved working with my mom. We worked well together for 20 years before she retired. Now I have my daughter working for me I think we work well together. It is great having flexibility.

Jamie: I started working here as a teen after school and weekends. I took a few years off after graduating college, but I hated my job! So I came back to help my mother with the online outreach and advertising.

Working with/for my mother is great. I’m always learning new things from her, and I feel like she is learning from me as well. There is also the convenience factor of working for her. If I’m sick or need the day off, she works for me and vice versa.

Also, we each enjoy different seasons. She loves the winter and I love the summer, so if she wants to ski on my day off I work, and if I want to go to the beach on her day off she works for me. Working together has helped my brothers out too because if they need someone to babysit one of us is always available.

MK: Thirty years is a long time! Has buying and selling kids’ clothing and equipment given you any insight into parenting trends over time?

Jamie: I’ve been working part-time in the store for about 15 years, and I have noticed a lot of changes. The internet has made parents much more product-savvy. When grandparents come in they don’t go for name brands, they just know the item they want. This generation of parents knows what brands they want specifically, so we carry more of those.

Other changes are driven by changing guidelines and pediatrician recommendations. For example, we no longer sell bedding because it’s not recommended in the cribs. Instead, we sell more sleep sacks to keep the kids warm. Product recalls also play a huge role in what we are allowed to buy and sell.

MK: What do you most enjoy about working at the store?

Steph: I love the flexibility of working for myself and working with family. At the end of the day I have real peace of mind.

Jamie: I love helping new parents or grandparents. When they come in all stressed out about what to buy, I enjoy pointing out what items sell best. When they are trying to decide between strollers or baby equipment they think their child will like, I give them my honest opinion. Sometimes I sell them the cheaper of two items because I know that product will work for them – it isn’t always about the money.

When someone comes in and says “it’s my first time here, my friend just told me about you,” I feel like we are being successful. We are a small, locally owned business and we rely on high-quality inventory, excellent customer service, and word of mouth to stay afloat.

Click here to see more from newburyport.macaronikid.com.

Children’s Orchard: A Resale Franchise for the Next Generation

Kids are always growing—and so is our Children’s Orchard franchise! Watch this brief video featuring COO Chad Olson to find out more about the high demand for gently used children’s clothing, toys and equipment, and how the Children’s Orchard franchise is suited for the next generation of both consumers and franchisees.

Children’s Orchard Manhattan Beach is All About Family

Check out this article from tbrnews.com about the family behind Children’s Orchard Manhattan Beach:

A garden of gifts at Children’s Orchard in Manhattan Beach

By Genie Davis

Children’s Orchard offers a wide variety of gifts and practical items from clothing and shoes to toys and equipment for infants through pre-teen children. Owner Carol Mintz and her two daughters buy and sell children’s apparel, shoes, toys and equipment.

“I’ve owned the business for seven years,” Mintz said. “I bought it because my daughters were having babies, and, as a grandmother, I figured I should get a head start on all that,” she laughed.

An added bonus: her daughters Cindy and Carrie were interested in the business, so the shop has become a family affair. The store was a natural fit for their interests, too.

“I grew up in retail; my dad was in retail in Philadelphia,” Mintz explained. “So I was familiar with the business, although I come from a marketing background, and my daughters also came from public relations and marketing.”

That marketing background has paid off in terms of building their business, and so does Mintz’s daughter Cindy’s FIDM fashion degree.

“She decorates the store, and she’s great at putting outfits together for customers. That’s her favorite thing to do,” Mintz said.

Children’s Orchard has a selection that pleases both shoppers and sellers.

“I think because of where we are located in Manhattan Beach, we get wonderful brands, and we are able to price them very reasonably for shoppers. It’s a good experience for both our shoppers and the people who sell to us, Mintz said. “Sellers can benefit even further with the 30 percent or more in store credit we offer them, so that they can shop here very reasonably. The whole idea is to take advantage of trading in an item that isn’t needed and buy something that is. It seems to work for everybody.”

The shop frequently offers unique, one of a kind items such as a recent sale: a child’s BBQ replete with a grille and skewers for little ones to use.

“Currently I have a $1,500 Bloom crib that converts to a toddler bed that retails for $1,500 that I’m selling for $700 in perfect condition. I also have a three-piece Pottery Barn toddler kitchen that retails for $700 available for $180, and a children’s piano that retails for $150 and I’m offering for $60.”

Among her less unique but nonetheless stellar bargain items are strollers of all types, ski clothes, and of course, holiday clothing. Mintz says the store buys holiday items all year long, and now shoppers can take advantage of items such as holiday dresses for children from 30 to 50 percent off.

“For little ones I have holiday pajamas,” she added. “Our post popular items would be clothing, that is the number one, followed by toys. We have a really good book selection, too, from board books to chapter books.”

For bargain holiday shopping, the children’s selection at Children’s Orchard is indeed blooming with possibilities. The shop is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. in Manhattan Beach.

Click here to see more from tbrnews.com.

Gifting Season: LinkedIn Article Features NTY Franchisees

Check out excerpts from a linkedin.com article below, which features several franchisees from various NTY Franchise Company brands.

Why these franchisees see franchising as a gift

By Jim Judy

The holidays are here, so what better way for me to celebrate than to hear why actual franchise owners see franchising as a wonderful gift. As a franchise consultant, I’m always happy to hear how they are thriving in their franchise business, but even I was surprised by the response I received for this story.

I’ve heard from dozens of franchisees from numerous franchise systems excited to share their thoughts on what they love about franchising.

Enjoy what they have to say, and have a wonderful holiday!

[…]

“This year we feel even more thankful than previous years. By opening our Clothes Mentor franchise we fulfilled our dream of having a family business and have the opportunity to spend more time together. Being a franchise owner has given us the opportunity to save for our retirement, and provide long term job security for our son. Our #Dream2016 has come through.” – Pieter de Smidt, Clothes Mentor of Sugarland, TX

“I’m thankful for franchising!  Combining my entrepreneurship passion with best practices, systems and tools from a proven franchiser is a winning combination.  2016 was a great year!” – Bradley R. Swenson, Device Pitstop of Maple Grove

“We are thankful for a franchise with a proven track record to give us the confidence to open multiple, very successful businesses. By following the “resale-retail recipe” provided, we are not forced to build a business model from the ground up, but to utilize the wealth of knowledge our franchisor has handed to us to create our own businesses in our market and have the freedom to be creative and find ways to improve even more on operating our own individual stores.” – Shawn & Alyssa Cox, Clothes Mentor Charlotte – Midtown, NC, Charlotte – Arboretum, NC & Rock Hill, SC

“Being part of a franchise provides a broader opportunity for success, and gives an established brand to build on.  I’m thankful for the partnership, resources, technology, and ongoing support from the franchise I am partnered with.” – Shasta Webber, Children’s Orchard Huntersville, NC

“Franchising give me the flexibility to make more family time.  There are no clocks to punch and no supervisor to decline vacation requests.” – Brad Peterson, Device Pitstop Burnsville, MN

“After just spending 90 minutes with my franchise operations manager, I feel like I have a focused business strategy to wrap up 2016…and he planted seeds for me to start developing my 2017 business goals.  I am thankful for having a built-in, business-savvy coach who wants us to succeed as much as we do.” – Chris Barnett, Clothes Mentor Springfield, PA

Click here to see the full article on linkedin.com.

Children’s Orchard Huntersville Featured in Local Magazine

Find out what drives Children’s Orchard Huntersville franchisee Shasta Webber in this inspiring article from Lake Norman Women Magazine.

My Passion? My Life!

By Leslie Ogle

With great family and friends and a successful career, things could not have been going better for Shasta Webber, owner of Children’s Orchard in Huntersville. But oftentimes, we have to deal with sudden intrusions that demand our immediate attention. Such was the case for Shasta in 2010, when she needed to remove a kidney. One week after the surgery, she suffered a pulmonary embolism (a sudden blockage of a major blood vessel in the lung) that could have taken her life.

“At the time, it would have appeared that I was most passionate about my career,” Shasta recalls. “Although I desired success, I realized I was doing a horrible job at letting the most important people in my life know they were just that: the most important thing in the world to me. Since that health scare, I’ve recognized that my life and the people in it are my passion. Even with the craziness of a new business, I make sure my loved ones know what they mean to me, and never feel like they’re ‘penciled in.’ I make time for my family because we never know what tomorrow brings.”

Shasta grew up in Catawba, North Carolina, and eventually found a career in human resources. After 20 years in corporate America, she decided to pursue two items on her to-do list—finish her college degree and own her own business. Bachelor of business administration, graduating Magna Cum Laude at age 40, check; opening her own business, check.

“My incredibly positive and motivating husband, Craig, keeps me going, as do the great people who work at the store,” Shasta says. “They have put their trust in my and the business; they work hard to make it successful. In return, I want to make them proud.

My mom has also been another great motivator and influence in my life; she is my biggest fan and an enormous part of my support system.”

Children’s Orchard, Shasta points out, is a “well-organized resale store that boasts an intuitive software,” which allows them to quickly price items at 60 to 70 percent below mall- and department-store prices. Shasta was delighted to discover an opportunity that was so aligned with her own strategies, philosophies and goals.

While Shasta never had children of her own, she and Craig have their furry babies (one dog and two cats) and are passionate about North Meck Animal Rescue and other animal rescue efforts. They also support several other charities, including Make-a-Wish and Little Smiles. Shasta would like to continue to volunteer and remain an integral part of the Lake Norman community.

“We just love this area,” she grins. “I grew up here and could not call anywhere else home. I’m amazed by the people I meet, especially the women I encounter every day. They’re constantly working to maintain the work-life balance we so frequently talk about. In order to deal with it, they must have amazing time management, support, patience, agility, among their abilities to face the challenges that life throws at them. And I’m pretty sure some of them have super powers!”

Click here to see more from Lake Norman Woman Magazine.

Chad Olson and Children’s Orchard Featured on Forbes.com

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.

Read the full article on forbes.com.