Clothes Mentor Sugar Land Celebrates its Grand Opening!

Check out this article from the Fort Bend Independent (fbindependent.com) featuring the new Clothes Mentor Sugar Land:

Upscale-Resale Fashion Chain, Clothes Mentor, Comes To Sugar Land

America’s first national resale chain for adult women, Clothes Mentor, opens Dec. 8th at 2581 Town Center Blvd. N in Sugar Land.

Clothes Mentor is a thriving women’s fashion chain with 18 stores in Texas and 150 open or being readied nationwide. Their first Houston store is a women’s resale experience with nothing like it close by.

Clothes Mentor offers style, sophistication and quality that help make women more beautiful. Most items originate from better specialty or department stores. Everything is like-new, clean and top quality. Clothing is organized and displayed beautifully in a fine retail environment.

“We’re a totally different form of shopping,” say store owners Pieter, Esther and Oscar de Smidt.

“We fit the style, brand and value consciousness of Houston women who love fashion and adore 70% savings. And customers selling us good-condition merchandise receive immediate cash, not a consignment form.”

Clothes Mentor helps local women replenish their wardrobes with better-brand apparel and accessories that are stylish, in good condition and at dramatic savings. They carry business, casual, smart and sophisticated apparel in sizes 0 to 26. There are tops and bottoms, jeans, dresses, career separates, coats and jackets, purses, designer handbags, shoes, jewelry, belts, scarves and other accessories. Customers find bright lights, sophisticated displays and private fitting rooms. All major credit cards are accepted.

Clothes Mentor buys good-condition clothing from neighbors and is very picky about quality. Items must be current style, freshly laundered and free of stains, fading, missing buttons or broken zippers. Clothing can be brought in any time, without appointment. If accepted, customers receive cash on the spot – not if and when the item sells (like at a consignment store).

Store owners Pieter, Esther and Oscar de Smidt offer Clothes Mentor to savvy adult women.

Early response has been outstanding with customers praising this great source of better clothing at 70% savings.

For information, call 346-309-2498 or check www.clothesmentor.com/sugar-land/.

Pieter, Esther and Oscar de Smidt own the Clothes Mentor upscale-resale fashion store in Sugar Land and may open other stores in the future. They came from The Netherlands when their daughter, Ashley, was two weeks old to live the American dream.

Pieter is a credentialed physical therapist who continues to practice here. He works in a local hospital and teaches manual therapy to other physical therapists. Esther is an interior designer and has worked as a home stager for 15 years.

Recently, they sought a business they could own and run together as a family and Esther fondly remembered the Clothes Mentor she frequented in San Antonio. The concept seemed perfect for all three including adult son, Oscar, who is the store manager. They know customer response has been impressive at other Texas and national Clothes Mentor stores and felt Houston women would respond similarly.

The de Smidt family lives in Houston and loves fitness, family time and their dog, Oreo. Their daughter Ashley is pursuing a career as a physician and loves to shop in the store.

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CHILDREN’S ORCHARD: Successful Franchisees Share Their Secrets

Check out this insightful interview from Business-Opportunities.biz featuring two longtime Children’s Orchard franchisees:

Claudia Aguirre and Donahi Bunt, owners of a Children’s Orchard franchise in McAllen, Texas.
Claudia Aguirre and Donahi Bunt, owners of a Children’s Orchard franchise in McAllen, Texas.

 

 

Successful franchisees Claudia & Donahi share their story

We recently spoke with Claudia Aguirre and Donahi Bunt, owners of a Children’s Orchard franchise in McAllen, Texas, and learned why they chose the franchise, what challenges they faced when they first started out and, lastly, what advice they have for potential franchisees.

How long have you been a franchise owner? 

11 years.

What were you doing before becoming a franchise owner? 

We both had worked part time in our families’ businesses for years. (Claudia in the Maquila field and Donahi in the telecommunications field.) It came a time that we wanted to have the experience to create and operate our own business.

Why did you choose Children’s Orchard franchise opportunity? 

As moms, we know how expensive it is to dress the kids in style and how fast they outgrow their clothes. Children’s Orchard offers parents a way to make money by selling their children’s outgrown, gently used items. Plus, they can stick around and shop for fashionable clothing, toys and equipment for a fraction of the retail price. It’s a great concept!

What were some of the challenges you faced starting a franchise?

Finding a way to finance the business and creating an appropriate work and life balance was difficult, especially in the early years when we were just getting the business going.

Where did you research or get advice about starting a franchise?

We called some store owners and talked to a lawyer, but we already knew we wanted to be part of the Children’s Orchard team. During our first year of operation, we visited some of the top performing Children’s Orchard franchises to learn about their daily processes.

How much does starting a franchise cost? 

All of our money! Truthfully, it was an amount very close to what the corporate office told us, but we exceeded that during the first couple of years.

What does a typical day look like for you?

In the early years we were both full-time at the store. Little by little, we built a great team capable of handling much of the day-to-day operations. One of us takes care of the administration and the other takes care of advertising and marketing.

What is your secret to success?

Remember, your customers are the reason you are in business. When something goes wrong, spend your time and energy making it right. Don’t waste time searching for someone to blame. Stay focused on your goals, and track your results. Build a great team to help you reach your goals.

What would you do differently if you had to do it all over?

We would definitely invest more time into learning about our market before opening our doors.

Where do you see your business in five years?

We just moved to a bigger location for the third time, so right now, we just want to focus on getting everything under control and use this change to impact our sales and community involvement in a positive way.

What is one trend that really excites you?

Businesses becoming more eco-friendly is really exciting. It’s rewarding to be part of that trend by allowing parents to recycle their children’s clothes and toys.

What are your favorite online tools or resources and what do you love about them?

Google Drive: All our images, documents, ideas and campaigns are available on any device!

Constant Contact: We love being able to email market!

Do you (or did you ever) have a mentor?

We like to look for learning opportunities everywhere. Other store owners have helped with that learning process.

What advice do you have for others looking to own a franchise? 

Understand that you are buying a franchise in order to mitigate risk and follow a proven success model. If you’re not willing to follow a franchise system, you’ll want to look for another opportunity.

Learn everything you can about the franchise before you buy. Get to know the management team, the owners and the history of the franchise. Talk to as many franchisees as possible, and ask questions. If possible, visit a few franchise units to see the day-to-day operation and talk to customers regarding their opinion of the business.

Would you recommend others be franchisees? Why?

Yes. Buying into a franchise gives you a proven system and support from people with experience in the industry. At the same time, you are the business owner, so you must stay focused in order to succeed.

Where can people get more information on Children’s Orchard franchise opportunities?

Visit the website here.

Where can people find Children’s Orchard on social media?Facebook