Monthly Archives: February 2012

The Birds, The Bees and Adam & Eve

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Let’s talk about sex, baby.

 

No, really, let’s talk about it. It is Valentine’s Day after all! Sex is an important part of our lives. After all, none of us would be here if it weren’t. As a matter of fact, it’s such an important part of our world that physicians, like Dr. Ruth Westheimer, have made it their business to tell every one how best to ‘get down to business.’

 

Sure, it’s a little uncomfortable to talk openly about sex, but the fact of the matter is that sexual health is an important part of your overall well-being. It’s nothing to be ashamed of– it’s something to be celebrated. That’s why, this Valentine’s Day, we’re talking with adult retailer Adam & Eve.

 

As David Keegan, Adam & Eve’s General Manager of Franchising puts it, “The concept of sex and wellness is at the forefront of many health conversations,” and the award-winning adult retailer is right in the middle of it all.

 

For over 40 years, Adam & Eve has not only been making Valentine’s Day special for couples, it has been combating the stereotypical notion of adult-oriented retail with modern, open, and inviting stores.

 

“Adam & Eve store inventory is 75 percent soft goods,” explains Keegan. Soft goods are items like  lingerie, hosiery, loungewear and bachelorette party gifts. You know, the types of things you could find at  Victoria’s Secret stores nationwide, though Adam & Eve prides itself on their larger selection and variety of items. “ Less than 25 percent are adult goods,” he adds.

 

The two time industry Retailer of the Year award winner, carefully designs its stores in such a way that customers, especially for females and couples feel welcomed. Adam & Eve stores have a reputation for being very clean, and well-lighted too. Let’s be honest, if a woman feels comfortable at Adam & Eve, her husband is probably guaranteed a trip back sometime in the future. Happy Valentine’s Day indeed.

 

A big part of Adam & Eve’s business strategy hinges on who it puts at the helm of each store. “It’s a business that an individual, investors, or family partners can grow.. We really want to see our franchisees and employees succeed,” says Keegan, “ therefore, we are selective about who we recruit.” This selectivity is absolutely shown in Adam & Eve’s stellar customer service record. When it comes to franchisees, Adam & Eve has experienced success with women and couple entrepreneurs, though David adds, “we’re always looking for people with a vast business or entrepreneurial background. Retail sales, communications and strong customer service experience is a big plus, too.”

 

Clearly, Adam & Eve’s growth strategy and dedication to customer service is paying off. Like unit sales grew by an average of 4 percent in 2011 and 8 percent in 2010. Overall sales for the adult-oriented retailer continue to grow at a double-digit rate. “I wouldn’t say the recession was necessarily good for business,” jokes Keegan, “but you do the math, – for the price of dinner for two and a movie, you can have a lot of fun at home and enhance your romance too.”

 

Adam & Eve is currently pressing forward with plans to expand in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, San Francisco and St. Louis.

Adam & Eve logo

Q&A with LivHOME Senior Vice President of Franchising, Mimi Zeller

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We sat down with LivHome’s Senior Vice President of Franchising to discuss why she loves LivHOME and what makes the senior care franchise so special.

 

How did you become involved with LivHOME? What does your job entail? I became involved with LivHOME because I believe in the LivHOME business model and at-home senior care is something I strongly believe in. As Senior Vice President of Franchising, it’s my job to oversee franchise development and the franchise operations for the entire company. It’s a unique and rewarding opportunity to offer a franchisee.

 

What makes it a unique at-home senior care franchise? What about the business model attracted you? LivHOME’s home care model gives clients a better quality of life in their own homes. The model also provides franchisees the opportunity to compete on quality, not prices, and deliver a differentiated, higher quality home care service to their community. I’m delighted to be part of a team that can do this for families and business owners.

 

Have you ever been a franchisee? What’s your business background? I’ve never been a franchisee, but I have worked with more than 5,000 franchise operators in my 25 years in the franchising industry. I began my career in franchising while working with Domino’s Pizza, Inc. in their world headquarters. While at their west coast regional office, I oversaw 725 franchise locations in 8 western states as the Franchise Operations Director. Later, I was the Senior Vice President of Operations for Mail Boxes, Etc., now The UPS Store, for 3,400 domestic franchises. To round it all out, I was also the CEO of a regional fast-casual food franchise.

 

Wow, that’s quite a bit of franchise industry experience. What’s been the most rewarding part of being a part of a franchise? The most rewarding part of working in a franchise is seeing individuals realize their dreams of owning their own business. LivHOME also offers the opportunity to do something good on a daily basis and help seniors in need.

 

Could you quickly describe for me the franchisee selection process to me? What do you look for in a potential franchisee? Do you have a profile in mind? We look for franchisees who are passionate, driven, can follow LivHOME’s process and standards, and are interested in working full-time in the business.

 

How extensive is the training for your new franchisees? Do you try and develop personal relationships with them? LivHOME has five training stages: pre-training, training in Los Angeles, post-training, on-site opening training and ongoing training.

 

Tell me more about the ongoing training and support you provide. Ongoing support is one of the key components of our overall franchise support process. We believe in effective communication with our franchisees and offer face-to-face support as well as extensive online programs a franchise intranet, and sharing of best practices.

 

What do your franchisees cite as the most rewarding part of their jobs? LivHOME franchisees experience a rewarding and personally fulfilling life by providing much needed services on a daily basis to those in need. And making a great living doing it.

 

What can we expect from LivHOME in the years to come? You can expect national expansion of a professionally led home care franchise.

 

How’s business? Is LivHOME growing? Yes! Our model has a very reasonable initial investment as compared to other franchises.

Early Bird, Night Owl: Should You Extend Your Hours?

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The old adage that nothing good ever happens after midnight may no longer be true– at least in the business world. Franchises and other chains are staying open later and starting service earlier, hoping to earn business from both the early bird and the night owl.

 

McDonald’s reported, along with strong quarter 4 earnings, that the hours of midnight to 5 a.m. are the fastest growing time segment in its U.S. business. Nearly 40% of McDonald’s U.S. outlets are open around the clock, according to the Wall Street Journal. Should you be doing the same?

 

These days, everyone’s schedules are changing. The traditional 9-to-5 workday is a thing of the past. Many of us work multiple jobs, start the day later or work well into the night. It only makes sense that the businesses the population relies on (and vice versa) change, too.

 

If you’re contemplating changing your hours, there are three things to consider:

Does the projected added revenue cover the added wage expense? Staying open longer (or later) means you’ll be paying your employees a bit more to keep your business open. Make sure to go over your finances to see if you can afford to do this for a few months, until the word that you’re open later gets around.

 

Have your current customers already expressed a need for your to be open beyond your current hours of operation? Do your customers often wish you were open more days or at different times? If so, you’ll probably reap the rewards of longer hours. If not, you might earn the business of new customers whose schedules don’t allow them to swing by between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

 

How will you get the word out to your current and potential customers? It doesn’t do you any good to change your hours of operations to accommodate your customers unless they know about it! Have your employees tell your regulars you’re changing your hours. Post reminders on your front door and print them on your receipts. Contact your local community newspaper’s retail reporter with a press release announcing the new hours, if you feel it’s necessary.

If you’re still unsure if your customers need or want different operating hours (or you feel you could snag a few more by staying open later) talk to your employees and current clients. Both parties probably will be happy to clue you in on trends they’ve noticed and what they want from your business.