奇幻冰激凌特许经营商的甜蜜胜利

图注:凯特·泰勒《企业家》职业作家负责与特许经营相关的趋势和话题写作

DECEMBER 06, 2014

Franchise Players is Entrepreneur’s Q&A interview column that puts the spotlight on franchisees.

2014年12月6日

《特许精英》是《企业家》一个问答采访栏目,重点关注特许经营商。

David Olmo is living the dream of every kindergartener with a sweet tooth. One year ago, Olmo left his career in construction to open a Sloan's Ice Cream shop. The over-the-top ice cream shop has quickly become a local favorite with events like princess story time with Elsa from Disney's Frozen. Here are the realities of living the sweet dream of being an ice cream franchisee.

大卫·欧默(David Olmo)活在每一位爱吃甜食的学前儿童都向往的梦幻中。一年前,他离开自己的建筑事业,开了一家名为“斯隆冰激凌”的商店。这家略显夸张的冰激凌店很快在当地大受欢迎,开设了来自迪士尼《冰雪奇缘》里面艾莎公主的故事时间。下面我们就来看看一名冰激凌特许经营商的甜蜜梦幻生活在现实中究竟是怎样的。

Name: David Olmo姓名:大卫·欧姆

Franchise owned: Sloan’s Ice Cream in Delray Beach and Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Fla.

特许经营所有者:位于佛罗里达州德拉海滩和劳德代尔海的斯隆冰激凌商店

How long have you owned a franchise?

Q:你开这家特许经营店多久了

One year. Our Delray Beach location had its grand opening in June

A:一年了,六月份的时候我们在德拉海滩的店举行了盛大开业。

Why franchising?

Q:为什么要做特许经营?

Owning a franchise gives you the opportunity to work with an already known brand, while still having the freedom of owning and growing your own business. By teaming up with proven operators, you are given the exposure needed for effective advertising. Franchisors work hard to develop successful concepts and also provide tremendous support to franchise partners.

A:拥有一家特许经营店有机会与知名品牌合作,同时还可以自由地掌管并经营自己的生意。与优秀的运营商合作,他们会给你展示非常有效的广告推销策略。特许经营授权商努力培养成功的经营理念,也给特许经营伙伴提供巨大的支持和帮助。

What were you doing before you became a franchise owner?

Q:在成为特许经营商之前你做什么工作?

Before signing an agreement with Sloan’s Ice Cream, I was working in construction, remodeling buildings.

A:在与斯隆冰激凌合作之前,我在建筑行业工作,改造建筑物。

Why did you choose this particular franchise?

Q:你为什么选择这一家特许经营企业?

From the first time I visited Sloan’s Ice Cream at the City Place location, I was enamored with the concept. The ice cream is simply outstanding, and families really enjoy coming to Sloan’s to experience such a creative and magical atmosphere. I wanted to connect with a proven brand that, above all, has a great product, and that’s definitely one of many things Sloan’s has to offer.

A:当我第一次参观City Place大厦里的斯隆冰激凌店时,就被那里的理念吸引。冰激凌太好吃了,而且家人非常喜欢到斯隆冰激凌店去感受那种非常有创意的魔幻氛围。最主要是我很想与优秀的品牌合作,而斯隆可以提供很多支持,当然也包括品牌知名这一条。

How much would you estimate you spent before you were officially open for business?

Q:开店之前你估计自己要投入多少资金?

I estimate the total cost for opening Sloan’s is around $650,000 to $850,000. This includes inventory, equipment, labor etc.

A:我当时估计开斯隆冰激凌店大概需要650000美元到850000美元,包括仓储、设备、劳动力等成本在内。

Where did you get most of your advice/do most of your research?

Q:你主要去哪里做了咨询和调查?

I did most of my research by visiting the Sloan’s Ice Cream City Place location. I enjoyed the concept and the whole business outlook. We also have a lot of support from our franchisor, who gives great advice and was always available to answer questions throughout the process of signing the agreement.

A:我主要通过参观City Place大厦的店面来做研究调查。我非常喜欢他们的理念,看好整体生意发展前景。特许经营授权方也给了我们很多支持,在签署合作协议的过程中给了我们很多建议,总是耐心为我们解答问题。

What were the most unexpected challenges of opening your franchise?

Q:当时开特许经营店最意想不到的挑战是什么?

The biggest challenge we faced was with timing. I thought we would be able to open the shop a lot sooner than was actually possible. Also, dealing with the city and getting necessary permits.

A:最大的挑战就是时间,我们开业时间比原计划的晚了很多。还有就是跟与城市协调,拿许可证比较费劲。

What advice do you have for individuals who want to own their own franchise?

Q:你对想开特许经营店的人有什么好的建议?

Do your due diligence and make sure it’s something you really want to get involved with. You really need to ask the right questions to make sure you feel comfortable moving forward. It’s also always helpful to consult with an attorney.

A:努力做好自己该做的事情,确保这是你真正想做的一件事情。一定要咨询正确的问题,这样往前发展才会顺利一些。还有就是咨询一些律师总是有帮助的。

What’s next for you and your business?

A:下一步你和你的冰激凌店有什么计划?

In addition to operating our Delray Beach location, we have acquired the development rights to build 10 total Sloan’s Ice Cream stores throughout South Florida. We are currently working on opening the second location in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea by the beginning of December. I am very hands-on with construction and want this second store to be perfect. Once we feel confident that everything is on-point with Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, we can start focusing on finding additional sites in areas such as Miami, Key West and Naples.

A:除了经营在德拉海滩的店面外,我们还在南佛罗里达州拿到新开十个特许经营店的特许权。12月初以来,我们一直在筹备位于劳德代尔海第二家店面的开业。我亲自动手搞建筑设计,希望能把这家店做得非常完美。等劳德代尔海的店进入正式经营轨道,我们有足够多自信时,就开始在迈阿密、基维斯特岛和那不勒斯这些地区寻找新的店面地址。