Small Business Stories -Candy Bouquet Video

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Small Business Stories -Candy Bouquet

Alex Fees: I’m Alex Fees on SBTV.com and joining me here now at the IFA Conference in Orlando, Florida is Margaret McEntire. Margaret it’s good to meet you. I appreciate your being here. Margaret is the owner and co-founder of Candy Bouquet International. Also “Chief cook and bottle washer” is that right? Margaret McEntire: That’s right I’ve done it all. Alex Fees: You do it all. Alright, tell me about Candy Bouquet International out of Little Rock, is that correct? Margaret McEntire: Yes, Candy Bouquet started in my garage. It’s your typical thousand dollars in a dream for a lady. After a few years in business somebody wanted to buy franchise from me, and I realize the idea it was franchisable. So in 1993, I started franchising to date there are around of thousand stores in 40 plus countries. Alex Fees: Wow! Margaret McEntire: So I’ve learned a lot about culture and people. Alex Fees: Yeah, and a lot about franchising. Margaret McEntire: A lot about franchising I hope. Alex Fees: How important that has been in your development? Margaret McEntire: It’s been very important. The IFA has been very instrumental. We network here. We have round tables. I’ll teach some and then I learn some. We all learn from each other. A lot of the younger people come in with incredible new ideas. I see a lot of co-branding going on. A lot of deals going on it’s just a fun place and a lot of buzzing this way. Alex Fees: Margaret, how long have you been a part of IFA? Margaret McEntire: I’ve been coming to this convention for 12 years. Maybe this 13 I think. Alex Fees: What changes have you seen in IFA during that time? Margaret McEntire: The growth is unbelievable. This year I think they were tapping 33 hundred people and when I started coming there might have been 200, 300. Alex Fees: Yeah, they have break out sessions now that are larger. Margaret McEntire: Yeah. Alex Fees: Well, Margaret sounds like the Candy Bouquet International has really taken off quite well for you. What now do you see happening in the future? Margaret McEntire: I’m looking it doing another franchise company. Alex Fees: Really? Margaret McEntire: I’m working on— Alex Fees: Would you care to debut that here on sbtv? Margaret McEntire: Oh no, not yet. It’s a very interesting concept. Also I’m doing some re-branding and re-grouping with Candy Bouquet. Things need to be new and fresh always. There’s usually that trend happens after 10 to 15 years in franchising. Alex Fees: Yeah. Margaret McEntire: We have new facilities and little rock. We just totally remodeled everything, and re-bumped everything. We have new franchise documents rolling out, and change is good. Alex Fees: Margaret, you say in franchising, there is a change every 10 or 15 years. Have you noticed that industry wide, is that in the case of other country? Margaret McEntire: Absolutely, you can remember McDonalds is probably your prime example. They used to have a single arch actually you take SubWay you take they’ve added pizzas in subway. You take a sonic drive ends. They kind of died out for few years totally re-branded and came back with a totally different look. We have a new look. We’re using a lot of the chocolate coloring which is you know that’s what we are it’s chocolate. Alex Fees: So that is just evolution. Margaret McEntire: Evolution, absolutely. Alex Fees: So Margaret you know SBTV co-owner Susan Wilson Solovic? Margaret McEntire: Yes, we’ve been partners in crime. Alex Fees: Tell me about that. Margaret McEntire: She called me when I was just out of the blue, and want to know me, and then I was curious about her. With same age we became friends. And she’s done a fabulous job with your company. Alex Fees: Alright, Margaret, thank you very much. Margaret McEntire: Thank you. Alex Fees: Glad to meet you. Margaret McEntire: I appreciate it. Alex Fees: Again, Margaret McEntire is the owner and co-founder of Candy Bouquet International. Margaret McEntire: Thank you sir. Alex Fees: I forgot a website. Where can we get information about your company? Margaret McEntire: Yes of course, www.candybouquet.com. Alex Fees: Candybouquet.com. Margaret McEntire: B-O-U-Q-U-E-T. Alex Fees: Alright, Margaret, thank you. Margaret McEntire: Thank you.

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Alex Fees: I’m Alex Fees on SBTV.com and joining me here now at the IFA Conference in Orlando, Florida is Margaret McEntire.

Margaret it’s good to meet you. I appreciate your being here. Margaret is the owner and co-founder of Candy Bouquet International. Also “Chief cook and bottle washer” is that right?

Margaret McEntire: That’s right I’ve done it all.

Alex Fees: You do it all. Alright, tell me about Candy Bouquet International out of Little Rock, is that correct?

Margaret McEntire: Yes, Candy Bouquet started in my garage. It’s your typical thousand dollars in a dream for a lady. After a few years in business somebody wanted to buy franchise from me, and I realize the idea it was franchisable. So in 1993, I started franchising to date there are around of thousand stores in 40 plus countries.

Alex Fees: Wow!

Margaret McEntire: So I’ve learned a lot about culture and people.

Alex Fees: Yeah, and a lot about franchising.

Margaret McEntire: A lot about franchising I hope.

Alex Fees: How important that has been in your development?

Margaret McEntire: It’s been very important. The IFA has been very instrumental. We network here. We have round tables. I’ll teach some and then I learn some. We all learn from each other. A lot of the younger people come in with incredible new ideas. I see a lot of co-branding going on. A lot of deals going on it’s just a fun place and a lot of buzzing this way.

Alex Fees: Margaret, how long have you been a part of IFA?

Margaret McEntire: I’ve been coming to this convention for 12 years. Maybe this 13 I think.

Alex Fees: What changes have you seen in IFA during that time?

Margaret McEntire: The growth is unbelievable. This year I think they were tapping 33 hundred people and when I started coming there might have been 200, 300.

Alex Fees: Yeah, they have break out sessions now that are larger.

Margaret McEntire: Yeah.

Alex Fees: Well, Margaret sounds like the Candy Bouquet International has really taken off quite well for you. What now do you see happening in the future?

Margaret McEntire: I’m looking it doing another franchise company.

Alex Fees: Really?

Margaret McEntire: I’m working on—

Alex Fees: Would you care to debut that here on sbtv?

Margaret McEntire: Oh no, not yet. It’s a very interesting concept. Also I’m doing some re-branding and re-grouping with Candy Bouquet. Things need to be new and fresh always. There’s usually that trend happens after 10 to 15 years in franchising.

Alex Fees: Yeah.

Margaret McEntire: We have new facilities and little rock. We just totally remodeled everything, and re-bumped everything. We have new franchise documents rolling out, and change is good.

Alex Fees: Margaret, you say in franchising, there is a change every 10 or 15 years. Have you noticed that industry wide, is that in the case of other country?

Margaret McEntire: Absolutely, you can remember McDonalds is probably your prime example. They used to have a single arch actually you take SubWay you take they’ve added pizzas in subway. You take a sonic drive ends. They kind of died out for few years totally re-branded and came back with a totally different look. We have a new look. We’re using a lot of the chocolate coloring which is you know that’s what we are it’s chocolate.

Alex Fees: So that is just evolution.

Margaret McEntire: Evolution, absolutely.

Alex Fees: So Margaret you know SBTV co-owner Susan Wilson Solovic?

Margaret McEntire: Yes, we’ve been partners in crime.

Alex Fees: Tell me about that.

Margaret McEntire: She called me when I was just out of the blue, and want to know me, and then I was curious about her. With same age we became friends. And she’s done a fabulous job with your company.

Alex Fees: Alright, Margaret, thank you very much.

Margaret McEntire: Thank you.

Alex Fees: Glad to meet you.

Margaret McEntire: I appreciate it.

Alex Fees: Again, Margaret McEntire is the owner and co-founder of Candy Bouquet International.

Margaret McEntire: Thank you sir.

Alex Fees: I forgot a website. Where can we get information about your company?

Margaret McEntire: Yes of course, www.candybouquet.com.

Alex Fees: Candybouquet.com.

Margaret McEntire: B-O-U-Q-U-E-T.

Alex Fees: Alright, Margaret, thank you.

Margaret McEntire: Thank you.

Transcription by: Scribe4you Transcription Services