CHILDREN’S ORCHARD: New Season – New Clothes!

 

With prices up to 70% off of retail, you can find high-quality, like-new apparel at Children’s Orchard for your kids to wear this fall. Don’t worry about spending a fortune on a new wardrobe for your kids. At Children’s Orchard you can find some great quality, like-new pieces at great prices – and you can bring the gently-used, outgrown apparel that no longer fits to the store to sell at the same time. It’s a win-win for parents and kids!

Children's Orchard girl holding stack of clothing in her arms with text that says a new season, some like-new clothes

 

NEW USES: Dorm Decorating

Starting college, or going back for your next year, is an exciting experience. You’re on your own and you’re starting a new phase of school. And for many of you, this means living in a dorm room. So, how do you make your dorm room a place that is your own and an atmosphere that is conducive to studying and relaxing?

The best way to do this is to bring some things from home that are yours and personal to you – and mix in some fun décor that will make a small space efficient, decorative, and fun. Needless to say, this can be costly, adding to all the other costs you are facing going to college – from wardrobe to books.

Thankfully, there’s New Uses – the best place to find some great decorating ideas for small spaces. Maybe you need a perfect little desk or some shelving that will go above it, or maybe some organization for your closet, or colorful artwork for your walls. At New Uses you will find the pieces you are looking for – at up to 70% of retail prices. You might also find something truly original you might not find anywhere else – and it will be great quality, gently-used, and like new.

Don’t sweat decorating your dorm room when you have so many other things to take care of. Go to New Uses and decorate that room on a budget you can work with – and make it a truly original space for you to live, study, and hang out with your friends!

New Uses model in dorm room doing her homework on a bed with desk and microwave and exercise ball in the room as well

CLOTHES MENTOR: Show Your CM Style!

We have a brand new area added to our website that we think you’ll really like! We all love fashion – and we all love to be inspired by different styles and trends. What better way to do that then to post pictures of your favorite outfits on Instagram – and then have them post directly to the Clothes Mentor website?

This fun idea is now on our website, so every time you post a photo of a great outfit or trend, using the hashtag #cmstyle, and then your store location, the photos will automatically be displayed on this website under Shop and #CMStyle. Now you can not only enjoy your style, you can share it to inspire others too!

Clothes Mentor graphic with Instagram logo and text that says show your CM Style, use #CMStyle

 

CHILDREN’S ORCHARD: A Great Business Idea

Resale franchise offers low cost fashions

Even if you don’t have kids, you know how fast they outgrow their clothes. Parents struggle between keeping their kids in fun clothing without spending a fortune on it – while they outgrow it in leaps and bounds.

Something they loved that fit them a month ago might not fit them at all now. Which brings us to a great concept in franchising: Children’s Orchard. As ideas in great franchises go, this one is cutting edge. Because parents want their kids to be able to dress in a practical but fun way – and to be warm with the right accessories. But, if they bought something new every time their child outgrew it, they would never be able to put food on the table.

Children’s Orchard: a top franchise opportunity

One of the best concepts to come out of the franchise market is Children’s Orchard. In the huge, growing resale market, nothing addresses it better than Children’s Orchard.

While other markets are just as important within our structure – people want different styles and choices – the kids market addresses an entirely different need: It isn’t just a choice to change sizes, it’s a MUST!

As kids outgrow their clothes faster than they can even make a dent in wearing them out, this store is a growing necessity that will draw customers in.

Experts in franchising 

As a franchisee, you also have NTY Franchise Company backing you up with unmatched experience, enthusiasm, and great ideas.

Their support is unparalleled, and they’re tech savvy, forward-thinking, and incredibly supportive of their franchisees.

Small business, big profits

As a business owner, you want to invest in a business that is not only going to make you money, but grow quickly so that you see a profit. Our tried and true methods help ensure you that this will happen.

We are a strong advocate for you, give you unmatched support in your business, and make sure your training is strong and solid. With our management team’s many Children's Orchard mom and toddler looking through three racks of little girl clothes in storeyears of experience, and many new businesses opened and going strong, we help your business take off and keep going stronger.

It’s that experience that helps us to make sure you do your best and make your money back faster. No one wants to invest their life savings without having some kind of insurance that they won’t lose it – with NTY Franchise Company you have a team behind you to make sure your business keeps growing with proven business methods, solid support, and the enthusiasm to really help you out.

A cutting edge franchise opportunity 

Children’s Orchard is a great idea that is ready to take off. Besides offering customers great quality in kids clothing, toys, and accessories, we are filling a need in the market that just isn’t out there right now.

It’s great to not only move toward a successful business, but be in one that is cutting edge. As kids grow, Children’s Orchard can grow along with it in your community. Be that business owner with new ideas – but with years of solid experience standing right behind you.

OUR PROMISE:

Learn more in one phone call with one of our experienced, and helpful staff members than spending hours surfing the internet.You can schedule a no pressure, one-on-one call with our VP of franchising by clicking this link.

CLOTHES MENTOR: Randi Zeid on the Great Styles You Can Find at Clothes Mentor

Randi Zeid, a Clothes Mentor store owner from Ohio, gives us some good examples of the great designer fashions you can find at Clothes Mentor…and all the pieces are like-new, gently-used, and on-trend styles. Source: wkyc.com

If you’re searching for the perfect outfit for an inexpensive price, Clothes Mentor is the place to look! Owner of Clothes Mentor, Randi Zeid along with her mother and daughter, show us some of the lightly used designer clothes that can be found at any one of their 5 Northeast Ohio locations!

 

CLOTHES MENTOR: Style Profile: Clothes Mentor Manager Goes for Classic Style with a Twist

In an article from Inforum, manager Shantelle Peterson shares her thoughts on style! Source: inforum.com

FARGO—Shantelle Peterson doesn’t hesitate to name her style icon.
“My grandma,” she says. “She’s always looked stylish and so classy.” The 30-year-old manager of Clothes Mentor in Fargo flips through her phone, sharing photos of her 94-year-old grandmother’s timeless, polished style.
Peterson puts her own twist on classic looks by adding edgy elements like funky shoes. I spotted her downtown and liked her positive energy and all-black ensemble. Describe your style. A hodgepodge of everything. It changes depending on my mood. What’re you wearing today? Everything is from Clothes Mentor. I have on MIA shoes, an Express blazer, Lou & Grey pants and a Coach bag. Where do you shop? Clothes Mentor, T.J. Maxx, Gap, Loft—I’ll shop anywhere. Who’s your style icon? My grandma. She turns 95 this month. She’s never worn jeans and she always looks put together. Both of my grandparents were snappy dressers. What’s your favorite thing in your closet? I have a strong attachment to all of my shoes. I have well over 100 pairs, easily. My latest favorites are a pair of cobalt blue Steve Madden fringe heels my husband bought for me. What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever worn? I’m not sure, but I take every bad outfit as a learning experience. What are your signature pieces? I always wear my wedding ring and my Cobber ring, my watch and a necklace with my son’s initial and birthstone. If you had an unlimited amount of money, what would you buy for your wardrobe? I’m jaded, I don’t think I could spend a lot on one thing. But bags and shoes are always good investments.

Shoes are Shantelle Peterson’s finishing touch for any outfit. Anna G. Larson / The Forum

 

NEW USES: New Home Goods Store Opens in Woodbury

A second article about the new Woodbury, Minnesota New Uses store, owned by Will Berthiaume and Valeta Cornwell, tells why it is such a great fit for them. The ribbon cutting for the store takes place this week! Source: woodburybulletin.com

Will Berthiaume and Valeta Cornwell know a thing or two about downsizing their belongings. Come to think of it, they also know a thing or two about having to try to fill an empty house.

That’s why they’re so happy to open their new Woodbury business, New Uses. The business concept is simple – it’s like a consignment store for furniture and home goods, only they pay cash up front for the merchandise they take in and resell.

It’s a perfect fit for the couple, who have a little bit of experience on both sides of the furniture and home goods store cash register.

Bethiaume and Cornwell met when they worked together in San Francisco. When he moved in with her, he had to get rid of some of his belongings since she already had so much of her own. That worked well, until the couple moved to a larger home in Texas. There, Cornwell’s furnishings were not enough to fill their home, so they started hitting estate sales to find newer, cheaper-priced items to fill up the vacant space.

Oh, but then they decided to move to Minnesota to be nearer to his grandchildren. The problem was, their chosen home here was going to be much smaller. So they had an estate sale of their own.

With all of the downsizing and then later replacing of home furnishings, they kind of started to enjoy the estate sale circuit. The problem was, their home, again, was only so big.

“We got some really good deals,” Cornwell said, “but when we filled the house again, it was like, ‘Well, now what?’”

Settled in Minnesota, they knew they wanted to go into some kind of business where they could still enjoy the estate sale hobby. Only, they really didn’t want to start their own business, either.

Somewhere along the way, they heard about New Uses, a franchise that buys and sells gently used home goods and furniture. They researched the franchise, decided they liked what they saw, and signed on with NTY Franchise Co.

New Uses is not new to Minnesota. In fact, the franchise is headquartered out of Minnetonka, with stores in Minnetonka and Maple Grove, and now Woodbury. However, no two stores are exactly alike, as each one receives new merchandise daily – even by the hour – as people can bring in items they would like to sell, and receive cash on the spot.

Now their new business gives them new reason to hit the estate sales and garage sales, only they don’t have to actually go to the sales anymore because Woodbury folks have already brought in plenty of merchandise.

The store has been open to receive items for the past six weeks, but sales didn’t start until the official grand opening on June 25. Word apparently spread about the business, too, because there were 81 people lined up outside the door that morning – many of whom had already picked out items and wanted to get to those pieces before anyone else could – and another line had formed outside the door on the second day, as well.

“That’s been a great surprise for us,” Bethiaume said. “Valeta is almost on a first-name basis with a lot of them already.”

New Uses is located at 8150 Coller Way in Woodbury. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 651-797-3136 or visit http://www.newuses.com/store/woodbury/

 

DEVICE PITSTOP: A Tech-Savvy Franchisee Dishes On Opening a Resale Franchise

In an article from Entrepreneur, Device Pitstop owner Josh Powell talks about his success at his store in Lexington, Kentucky, and gives some insight into the process. Source: entrepreneur.com Device Pitstop is a franchise built on concepts Josh Powell knows well. The franchise is a resale chain that buys, sells, trades, repairs and upgrades computers and mobile electronics – tools that Powell was well versed in due to his work producing videos for his local PBS station. For Powell, becoming a Device Pitstop franchisee meant using knowledge he already accumulated to make some money. Here’s what he has learned. Name: Josh Powell Franchise owned: Lexington, Ky. How long have you owned a franchise? Five years. Related: No Gender Bias Figured Into What These Franchisees Chose to Do Why franchising?   The initial and ongoing support is essential key to the success of the business. Most businesses last less than three years, so it is important to have a team of people who can help you take the journey during the difficult times and the times of celebration. What were you doing before you became a franchise owner? Before owning Device Pitstop, I was a director/producer at a local PBS affiliate. Why did you choose this particular franchise? I love technology and I love the concept of resale. It was easy to grasp because I was already using both concepts in my personal life. So, why not have some fun and make some money? How much would you estimate you spent before you were officially open for business? $160,000: Total $32,000 (approximately): Working capital $30,000: Fixtures $15,000: Initial advertising (TV and radio) $12,000: Signage $10,000: Franchise fee $60,000: Inventory Where did you get most of your advice/do most of your research? Most of my advice and research came from my mentor and friends who helped me open the store. They had heard of the concept before and were interested in it. Also, my knowledge of technology helped to influence my decision. Related: It All Adds Up to the Fact That This Franchisee Made the Right Choice What were the most unexpected challenges of opening your franchise?  The biggest surprise was how successful my franchise was immediately. I wanted to make sure that my processes were scalable. Managing customer growth as well as internal growth issues like personnel were certainly a challenge. What advice do you have for individuals who want to own their own franchise? Find a business model that you love, not just something that makes money. When you believe in a franchise and you love what you are doing, then the success will follow. What’s next for you and your business?  Growth. I am always looking for new avenues of revenue or new processes to streamline our current systems. This year I’ve put a lot of focus into developing our processes, and the result has been an improved bottom line.  As for the next 12 months, I am always looking for new locations.

Device Pitstop orange car painted with Device Pitstop logo and phone number and other advertising on the sides
Josh Powell/Photo Credit Josh Powell

 

CHILDREN’S ORCHARD: We Buy & Sell Toys & Equipment Too!

All the Children’s Orchard’s stores sell great quality, gently-used apparel and shoes, but they also sell other items your kids need. After all, clothing is not the only thing kids outgrow. If you stop by your local Children’s Orchard store you will see a large variety of other items that your kids can use…maybe a fun like-new toy, needed equipment, or a great DVD they have been wanting to watch – and we know kids like to watch a favorite DVD over and over again! And, at the same time you can sell the toys, equipment, and DVDs that they have outgrown. Let’s face it, kid’s interests change. They want a newer toy or a newer movie – and parents know the importance of good equipment – whether it’s a playpen, stroller, or high chair. At Children’s Orchard you have the advantage of finding just what your kids need that is like-new at a much lower price. Make sure your kids are not only clothed in what they need, but entertained – and kept safe with the right equipment – at the same time. And if you bring in your gently-used items to sell, you can also use the credit toward some like-new items that will save you a boatload of money…which will only make it easier the next time they’re ready for a change. Children's Orchard toys: building connectors, toy box, stroller, Jenga game and soft rattle  

CLOTHES MENTOR: Another Fun Commercial for Clothes Mentor!

In the second of three new Clothes Mentor commercials, we give you a glimpse at some of the great outfits you can find at Clothes Mentor – at up to 70% off of retail prices. Our apparel, shoes, and accessories are great quality, gently-used, and like new. The styles in our store range from classic to on-trend, and we carry sizes and styles for all women. Take a look at the commercial and stop by a Clothes Mentor near you!