Franchising Today - Summer 2016 - 54
APRICOT LANE BOUTIQUE gramming and state-of-the-art pointof-sale systems. "We have a network of franchisees who share what's working and what isn't, and that's where the real strength comes from," Petersen adds. "We're learning from each other, and some of our best answers and ideas come from our franchisees." IMPORTANT CAUSE By following its mission of "do the right thing," Apricot Lane believes its franchisees will make a positive impact in their communities. unique. Once that fit is right, we bring them into the system we've prepared for them through an initial home training program." The home training system is a series of computer modules and tests that franchisees conduct on their own time while Apricot Lane tracks their progress. There is a lot to learn in retail, Petersen says, so after home training is a one-week corporate training program in Vacaville, Calif., followed by on-site opening training and merchandising. After opening, the company goes through a 120-day "hand-holding" period to ensure the franchisee is off to a great start. And then, more training is ongoing through webinars, video training and annual continuing education conferences. "Those first four months are critical; critical to create good habits so they're not going down the wrong road," Petersen says. "We'll focus on that with monthly calls, guiding, teaching and training, and then ease that hand-holding back for as much as they want or don't want. We provide 54 franchising-today.com SUMMER 2016 ongoing resources and opportunities for our franchisees to pick and choose what works best for them" As additional support to its franchised stores, Apricot Lane enlisted Cambeo Group, which specializes in retail support and streamlining internal processes such as human resources, marketing, operations, financial and social media. "I would have to hire a whole bunch of people that would provide the level of support Cambeo brings," Petersen notes. "It's been a phenomenal relationship." Through this system, all the stores stay connected at the internal level. Petersen says Apricot Lane is unique because it can offer so much more than a typical franchise establishment thanks to its 24 years of franchising experience, flexibility and culture. Its franchising infrastructure gives franchisees "the opportunities that only big retail stores typically enjoy." These opportunities and resources include leveraged buying, training modules, store assessments, customer surveys, automated employee training pro- Apricot Lane's mission is: Do the right thing. "We believe that if we're doing that, we will accomplish our vision, along with the right fit of finding franchisees who want to also make a positive impact in the lives of people and their communities," Petersen says. Apricot Lane wants its franchisees to have causes they care about and support. Petersen is very passionate about the issue of human trafficking and has united with 3 Strands, whose mission is to combat human trafficking through sustainable employment, education and engagement initiatives. Apricot Lane stores sell 3 Strands bracelets made by Cambodian girls who have escaped human trafficking. This issue is especially close to Petersen's heart because one of the Cambodian girls he hosted five years ago is now his daughter. "I'm just really proud of our system to embrace an issue like that." Petersen is also proud of the culture he has created in Apricot Lane: that everyone feels empowered to run their own franchise and is dedicated to both the stores and causes. "We exist solely to the support and success of our franchisees," he says. "I'm proud of the culture, our team, our franchisees and the way we support each other and the culture that's been born out of that. We've been successful here, and I think life's too short to not be doing something you love."
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