Why Consignment? - Just Between Friends

Transcription

Contents
Just Between Friends Consignment Sales Event Franchise...................................................1
What is a Just Between Friends Franchise?...........................................................................4
The Just Between Friends Story.............................................................................................7
Just Between Friends in the News........................................................................................10
Why Consignment?...............................................................................................................12
How Big is the Industry?........................................................................................................15
Who Are Our Customers?.....................................................................................................18
What Are My Startup Costs?.................................................................................................21
Can I Scale a Just Between Friends Franchise?..................................................................23
What Training and Support Do We Offer?.............................................................................25
How Do We Define Territories?.............................................................................................28
A Day In The Life...................................................................................................................32
JBF On Demand....................................................................................................................35
What Do Franchisees Say?...................................................................................................38
Just Between Friends is about Giving Back..........................................................................40
Meet the Management Team.................................................................................................43
FAQ.......................................................................................................................................48
Next Steps.............................................................................................................................50
jbfsalefranchise.com
Just Between Friends Consignment Sales
Event Franchise
Just Between Friends is the dominant brand in the rapidly growing
consignment sales event industry
Just Between Friends is the leading pop-up
consignment sales event franchise in North
America. In this age of thrift, discount and
bargain shopping are no longer stigmatized.
As a result of the Great Recession and online
shopping, consumers are more savvy than ever
— and they expect every dollar to go further.
Our franchise owners collect sellable items
from consignors and hold at least two large
consignment events a year. People seeking
bargains purchase the items, and the franchise
owner makes a percentage of every item sold.
It’s a great win for all parties — consignors can
earn money back on unused baby clothes and
gear, maternity items, and kids clothes in great
condition, as well as children’s toys and games,
and parents, grandparents, and guardians can
purchase amazing items at a fraction of the retail
price, saving hundreds of dollars on an entire
seasonal wardrobe. The franchisee earns a nice
margin by providing a truly valuable service to
the local community. And donated, unsold items
go to local charities that help families in need.
Investment in a Just Between Friends
franchise starts at $14,900, making it very
affordable. Franchisees can opt for a single
territory and hold a minimum of two events a
year, which makes for an easy-to-manage,
flexible business. Single-unit franchises are
excellent for anyone looking for supplemental to
full-time income, from the stay-at-home parents
who want to generate more income to the mom
who wants to reenter the workforce—or even
someone currently working and looking for a
way to own his/her own business. Want to run a
full-time and higher-revenue business? You can
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purchase more than one territory and have as
many events a year as you can handle, creating
a full-time business with employees.
Humble beginnings
From our beginnings in a Tulsa living room
in 1997, the Just Between Friends brand has
grown to 150 franchises in the U.S. and Canada.
By helping families buy and sell their children’s
outgrown clothing, maternity and baby gear,
children’s games and toys, and much, much
more, we became a nationally recognized brand
and have been featured on a wide variety of
national media outlets, such as the Today show
and Good Morning America. Our franchise model
is unique in that there is a low investment to
join, and our franchisees can choose between a
significant and supplemental, part-time income
or a franchise as a full-time career.
Every year, our Just Between Friends
franchisees host hundreds of events. With
every franchisee we welcome into our network,
we know our franchisees are, in turn, helping
parents dramatically improve their lives by
saving money buying things for those they love
the most: their children. It boils down to our
mission statement, which has remained the
same since our first-ever sales in event in 1997:
“To glorify God by bringing communities and
families together in a welcoming, friendly venue
that allows them to care for children and be good
stewards of what they have been given.”
“Just Between Friends has taken off in such
a way because our brand actually helps families
of all kinds save money,” says Shannon Wilburn,
co-founder and CEO of Just Between Friends.
“Our franchisees feel empowered because they
are making a huge impact on their communities.
The more events our franchisees can host, the
bigger the impact they can have.”
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What are the financial qualifications to
buy a Just Between Friends franchise?
Just Between Friends’ initial entry fees are
minimal compared with other retail franchises.
Our franchise system works to suit the needs
and schedules of our franchise owners. With the
minimum requirement of two sales per year, our
system can either be a substantial supplemental
income with flexible involvement or it can
become a full-time career path. The full financial
details are listed below:
• U.S. Franchises — $14,900 USD
• Canadian Franchises — $16,900 USD
• Royalties are between 2% and 3% of
gross sales, less the sales tax
• Both fees and royalties are much less
than the average franchise fee of $35,000
and average royalties of 6%-8% of gross
sales.
In addition to the franchise fees listed above,
we estimate you will need $15,000-$20,000 in
capital for materials to launch your first event.
The word is spreading fast about Just
Between Friends
Good news travels fast, but when the news is
helping families save money, the word seems
to travel even faster! Our brand has been
featured in a wide variety of national media
outlets, including the Today show, Good Morning
America, CBS Early Show, Fox News, CNN,
Inside Edition — just to name a few — and
hundreds of local publications across the nation.
The reason behind the media’s love affair
with the brand and our tremendous growth is the
inherent benefits of our concept. Just Between
Friends affords parents and caretakers an
opportunity to save and earn money by buying
and selling their children’s outgrown clothing and
toys.
“One of the most exciting aspects of our
brand is just how many people discover us
through word of mouth,” Shannon says. “In the
communities where Just Between Friends hosts
events, we create an enormous amount of buzz
because people love to tell their friends about
this great opportunity to save money!”
How big is the Just Between Friends
opportunity?
Americans spend an enormous amount of
money clothing and providing for their children.
According to a study published by North Dakota
State University, Americans spend 3.8% of
their household income on clothing. Money, an
online resource dedicated to analyzing American
spending trends, figured that Americans with an
average annual income of $50,000 spend about
$2,000 on clothing. For those with children,
this number is almost entirely devoted to their
clothing. A joint study conducted by Parenting
and Women and Co. pointed out that 90% of
parents spend more on their children’s clothing
than their own, especially in the month leading
up to the school year.
The ever-present need for children’s clothing,
as well as the benefit of appealing to parents on
a budget, is why we’ve been able to grow from
$2,000 in our first sale in Shannon’s Tulsa living
room in 1997 to $25.6 million in revenue last
year! Our ability to meet the demand for families
to buy and sell their children’s clothing and
gear has made us one of the hottest franchise
systems in the country. This year, we were
included in Entrepreneur magazine’s prestigious
Franchise 500 list, and Forbes included us in its
list of Top Five Franchises in the $150,000 and
under investment category.
“I think our brand succeeds because of what
we offer to the communities where we are,”
Shannon says. “There is a high level of altruism
among our franchisees across the board. We
constantly hear from our franchisees, and they
get teary-eyed over how their events better
their communities by helping people clothe their
children with dignity.”
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What is a Just Between Friends Franchise?
Consignment sales event franchise offers low investment and a
potentially high return
America. We got started in a Tulsa living room in
1997, and our brand has grown to more than 150
franchises who host hundreds of Just Between
Friends events every year — in 27 states in
the U.S. and in one city in Canada. By helping
parents buy and sell their children’s outgrown
clothing and items, we have become a nationally
recognized brand that is continuing to grow like
wildfire across the country. Our franchise model
is unique in that while there is a low investment
to join, our franchisees can choose between
making a significant and supplemental, parttime income or owning a Just Between Friends
franchise as a full-time career.
If you’ve never heard of pop-up consignment
sales, you may be surprised to learn that these
temporary, two- or three-day events have
become extremely popular and fashionable
mainstream businesses. In this age of thrift,
discount and bargain shopping are no longer
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stigmatized, but embraced. As a result of
the Great Recession and online shopping,
consumers are more savvy than ever, and they
expect their dollar to go further. Just Between
Friends has mastered the ultimate treasure hunt
for bargain-hunting parents — a sales event that
allows them a chance to buy an entire wardrobe
for their children at a fraction of the price they
would pay for new items.
Low investment, high potential return
It is relatively easy to become a Just Between
Friends franchise owner. The initial investment
is affordable, and our franchise business model
requires a minimum of two sales per year. While
some of our franchisees are stay-at-home
parents who want to make additional money for
their families, others own multiple territories and
are running the business as a full-time career
with employees. The beauty of our model is
it suits the lifestyles of our owners, and they
have a choice about how big they want their
businesses to grow.
The ongoing costs are also low. The
events are run by our franchisees and staffed
primarily by team members, many of whom are
consignors who are earning more money on
their item sales by working events. This means
that the main investment the franchisees have to
make is renting a venue large enough to serve
their sale population.
“I wanted to find a way where God could use
me,” says Bridget Jones, owner of Just Between
Friends franchises in Georgetown and Round
Rock, Texas. “My husband and I always looked
for something, and JBF was a perfect fit for us.
Yes, it’s a business, and we are trying to make
money for our family—but it’s not about us; it’s
about the community, it’s about the people and
the kids that come in and the consignors’ checks.
I get to put those checks in the mail and bless so
many families, and that’s what it is about for us.”
JBF caters to an untapped market
Americans spend 3.8% of their household
income on clothing, according to a study
conducted by North Dakota University. This
study determines that the number varies
drastically across income levels, and those who
earn more, spend more. However, Money, an
online resource dedicated to analyzing American
spending trends, found Americans with an
average annual income of $50,000 spend about
$2,000 on clothing per year. A study conducted
by Parenting and Women and Co. pointed
out that 90% of parents spend more on their
children’s clothing than their own, especially
leading into the school year, which is when many
JBF sales events take place.
Like the clothes and toys and equipment
we resell, the Just Between Friends’ target
demographic is constantly being renewed.
According to Babycenter, a publication that
studies American parenting trends, there are
4 million babies born each year in the United
States. All those new parents will have to find
resourceful and affordable ways to clothe
their children as they grow rapidly. Enter Just
Between Friends: We serve families with
children ages 0-12. At one of our events, a
parent can get an entire wardrobe for his/her
children at a fraction of the price those clothes
would cost new. In addition to clothing, we also
help families save money on maternity and baby
gear, children’s games and toys, and much,
much more.
Since Just Between Friends is appealing to
a younger demographic, it makes sense that
we are meeting young parents where they
are—online! We provide all our franchisees an
opportunity for a second revenue stream with
Just Between Friends On Demand, an online
sales event allowing shoppers and consignors to
buy and sell their items right away.
“We do not take for granted the good that
comes from each sales event or the trust our
families place in our commitment to hold safe,
family-supportive events, season after season,”
Shannon Wilburn says. “We believe in being
good stewards of our resources—taking care of
each other and reaching out a hand to those who
need it, as we all do at one time or another.”
We are the only brand in our industry with a
product and safety specialist
In a need-based market with a built-in
demographic of millions, there is bound to
be significant competition. However, we offer
something other children’s consignment sales
franchise systems don’t, and it’s what our
customers value most—child safety.
Every year hundreds of children’s items
are recalled due to being unsafe. While our
competition passes the full responsibility of
keeping their customers’ children safe on to
their franchise owners, Just Between Friends is
the only brand that employs a full-time product
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safety specialist.
Kami Snowbarger, Director of Product
Communications and Safety & Recall Specialist
with Just Between Friends, is well known in
the safety industry and has a great working
relationship with the National Consumer Product
Safety Commission and other national safety
organizations. She is regarded as an expert in
the secondhand safety realm and is featured
locally and nationally for that expertise.
“A good example as to why product safety is
important would be if a woman is expecting a
baby, she is going to try and get everything she
needs,” Kami says. “If this woman needs a car
seat, she may go to a consignment sale, or she
may check on Craigslist to save money. She will
not know that the items are safe. We appeal to
our customers because they know when they
attend a Just Between Friends sales event,
everything on sale is safe for them to buy for
their children.”
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Kami is especially active in training
franchisees and their team members about
children’s recalls and safety practices and is
available to franchisees during their events
to answer questions. She is a valuable asset
to our franchise system, not only because no
other brand can offer our expertise, but because
without a product and recall specialist on staff
to monitor what items are being sold, no other
brand in the secondhand pop-up consignment
marketplace can claim that the items being sold
are safe to purchase. Our franchise owners and
our growing base of customers around the nation
know that when they enter in one of our sales
events, they are buying and selling items that are
safe for them to take home.
The Just Between Friends Story
How a young mother went from helping families in her community
to building a brand helping families across the country
Sometimes the most extraordinary opportunities
are right under your nose. For Shannon Wilburn,
CEO and co-founder of Just Between Friends,
the light bulb went off when she realized that her
children were growing out of clothing almost as
fast as she was buying it. Might other mothers
be interested in buying the beautiful, lightly
used clothing items that sadly were just being
stored in her children’s closets? This thought,
as Shannon would soon find out, was going to
change her life.
Recent studies have focused on Americans’
spending habits when it comes to children’s
clothing. What they’ve found plays a significant
part in our business. Parents spend 3.8% of their
annual income on clothing, according to a study
performed by North Dakota State University. This
is not a standard percentage among people of
all income levels, however. Money discovered
that Americans with an annual $50,000 income
spend around $2,000 on clothing. In essence,
these studies demonstrate parents’ demand for
children’s clothing. We know that most parents,
90%, spend more on their children’s clothing
than their own, from the results of a joint study
by Parenting and Women and Co.
With such a huge market, Shannon and
another like-minded mother, Daven Tackett,
decided to put on a consignment sale in
Shannon’s living room in Tulsa. They invited
other local mothers to buy and sell the clothes
their children seldom wore.
“We called the event Just Between Friends,”
Shannon says. “Because we really thought
that this was going to be a little event between
friends. We just wanted to make a little extra
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money for our families.”
The very first Just Between Friends sales
event in Shannon’s living room grossed $2,000.
The incredible success of this small sale inspired
Shannon and Daven to think bigger. If they found
a larger venue, Just Between Friends could host
two events a year and serve the entire Tulsa
metropolitan community.
“We had no idea it was going to become
the community event that it is,” Shannon said.
“The Tulsa sale now grosses almost $1 million
annually!”
Just Between Friends breaks into the
mainstream
Shannon believed that if Just Between Friends
consignment sales events were a hit in Tulsa,
then the concept could work anywhere. The
company opened their doors to franchising in
2003.
“I never thought that I could be a
businesswoman,” Shannon says. “Other people
went into business. I was a mother and a wife,
and I loved my life. My husband is a pastor, and
when we decided to go forward with franchising,
we prayed about it. I went out and bought the
book Franchising for Dummies, and I read
it cover to cover. We wanted to start with 10
franchisees, and that’s what we did. It was an
immediate proof-of-concept.”
Now the company hosts hundreds of events
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per year around the country and has franchises
in 27 states, as well as one franchise in Canada.
Last year, the company grossed $25.6 million,
which is a tremendous leap from that $2,000
event in Shannon’s living room.
Just Between Friends is a concept that
benefits everyone, which drives the brand’s
popularity across the country and earns publicity
from national and local media.
“I’ve literally saved my family thousands of
dollars by not having to buy my children new
clothes,” Shannon said. “In fact, I didn’t have
to buy my children new clothes until they were
in middle school. The success of our brand is
built around saving families with young children
money. In good times and bad, we all can use a
little extra money in the bank.”
Future of Just Between Friends is
getting brighter every year
Because of our brand’s inherent appeal to
families with young children, our customers
have the potential to remain with us for years.
We sell items for children ages 0-12. According
to an internal survey to determine how many
families we help, we discovered that Just
Between Friends sales events serve nearly
700,000 families nationwide. In this age of thrift,
the stigma of shopping for lightly used items
is quickly vanishing. According to a survey
conducted by thredUP, a leading consignment
website, almost 9 out of 10 parents would clothe
their children in secondhand attire. What’s more,
half of the Millennials surveyed believe that
buying clothing secondhand supports an ecofriendly lifestyle. We believe that as well, and our
Just Between Friends sales events are entirely
stocked with recycled items, keeping our children
in the latest fashion and keeping the earth green
while we do it!
One reason Just Between Friends is
growing around the country, with plans to grow
internationally, is that our franchise model suits
the lifestyles of our owners. Just Between
Friends can be a supplemental income or a
full-time career. While many of our owners are
young parents and grandparents who earn
a healthy additional income by hosting the
minimum of two sales events per year, other
franchisees own multiple territories and are the
main breadwinners in their families.
Ongoing costs are also low because the
events run by our franchisees are staffed
primarily by team members—some of whom are
consignors who earn more money on their sales
by working the events. Some of our franchise
owners choose to use employees to staff their
sales events, while other owners choose to
use a blend of employees and consignors. This
means that the main investment the franchisees
make is in renting a venue large enough to serve
their communities’ sale population.
“Our model allows our franchisees to be
present in their children’s lives and contribute to
the well-being of their communities,” Shannon
said.
Because our core demographic is composed
of young parents who are used to shopping
online, our brand has expanded into scaling
the consignment sale online. Now our 150
franchisees have the opportunity for a second
revenue stream with JBF On Demand, an online
sales event that allows shoppers and consignors
to buy and sell items right away. The potential
market for this segment of our business is
vast, and because our franchisees buy items
for the online sale at a greatly reduced price,
the profit margins for the franchisees increase
substantially.
“This is an empowering business,” Shannon
says. “It definitely empowered me. The majority
of our franchisees are women, and I’d like to
think that we have empowered them. I think our
concept works because it feels good to help
young parents buy their children beautiful clothes
without breaking the bank. Our franchises are
definitely making an impact in their communities,
and that is what we’re all about.”
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Just Between Friends in the News
The media has a love affair with the leading pop-up consignment
franchise
From the very beginning Just Between Friends
has had a compelling story to tell. In 1997, a
young mother in Tulsa hosted a consignment
sale in her living room hoping she’d make
some extra income by selling her growing
children’s lightly used clothing and baby items.
In 2015, that mother is the CEO of the leading
pop-up consignment sale franchise in North
America, and our brand has helped hundreds
of thousands of families save millions of dollars
on children’s clothes, maternity and baby gear,
children’s toys and much, much more.
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Our easy and beneficial concept has already
been grabbing the national spotlight with
appearances on Fox News, the Today show,
Good Morning America, CNN, and Inside Edition
and mentions in national and local publishing
media across the country. No one can turn
down a feel-good story on thousands of families
making and saving money while clothing their
children, or keeping them entertained with lightly
used children’s games and toys that we sell at
our events.
The media’s love for Just Between
Friends helps us grow
There has never been a better time to
join Just Between Friends
We’ve been able to strike a chord with the
media because we strike a chord with our core
demographic.
Just Between Friends serves families
with children from infancy to middle school.
Considering how expensive it is to meet the
clothing and entertainment needs of children,
our customers need us for at least a decade.
According to Babycenter, a publication that
studies American parenting trends, there are
4 million babies born every year in the United
States. Therefore, our target customer base is
increasing every day!
With more than 150 franchisees in 27 states
in the U.S., plus one in Canada, we host
hundreds of pop-up consignment sales events
every year. Our temporary presence in cities
and towns nationwide tends to get us media
coverage as an event—something short-term
that is exciting because it only lasts a few days
and happens just twice a year. As an example,
in March and April of 2015, Just Between
Friends was covered in the media more than 250
times across the nation, an astonishing level of
press for any brand. The press, along with our
demographic, helps keep Just Between Friends
an evergreen brand.
There’s no better way to make money than
knowing you’re contributing to the betterment
of those around you. Just Between Friends
requires an affordable initial investment with
an agreement to hold a minimum of two sales
events per year. Overhead is also low because
your events can be staffed by team members,
some of whom are consignors who get paid
more on the items they sell by working the event.
Some of our franchise owners choose to use
employees to staff their sales events, as well.
Renting a venue that easily accommodates
shoppers is another part of the investment, but
we help you find the ideal location.
Because the Just Between Friends’
franchise model suits the lifestyles of parents,
grandparents, or anyone with a passion for their
communities by being flexible and scalable, it is
no wonder that the brand continues to expand its
reach around the country and has plans to grow
internationally.
We grow our brand by saving families money.
There’s never a wrong time to keep money in the
bank.
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Why Consignment?
Low initial investment and a minimum of two sales per year, our
model allows our franchisees to make a big impact in a short
amount of time
America. If you’ve never heard of a pop-up
consignment sale, you might be surprised at how
popular they have become. We live in the age of
thrift, where discount and bargain shopping is no
longer stigmatized and helping the environment
is super-“in.” As a result of the Great Recession
and online shopping, consumers are more savvy
than ever, and they expect every dollar to go
further.
While making money is important, it is
even more important to feel good about how
we make our money. Just Between Friends is
the epitome of Conscious Capitalism—giving
franchisees a way to make money while helping
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support their communities. With an affordable
initial investment and a minimum of two sales
events per year, Just Between Friends can either
supplement a family’s income or become a
full-time career. The ongoing costs are also low
because the events run by our franchisees are
staffed by team members, some of whom are
consignors who earn more money on their sales
by working the events. Some of our franchise
owners choose to use employees to staff their
events, while others use a blended staff of
consignors and employees. This means that the
main investment the franchisees have to make
is in renting a venue large enough to serve their
communities’ sale population.
How our events work
Once the papers are signed—and you are no
longer just dreaming about presiding over your
own pop-up consignment sale—the reality of
putting on that three-day-plus sale will present
itself. Don’t worry. We will be right there with
you through the entire process of helping you
through your first event. You will be trained
by Just Between Friends franchise owners
who have successfully staged and operated
consignment sales in their territories. These Just
Between Friends all-stars will walk you through
everything you need to know about running your
first sale during a 40-hour period of hands-on
training.
In addition to the extensive training, we will
help you take care of the hardest aspect of the
business: finding a suitable venue for your popup consignment sale event. Leading up to the
sale, owners will spend 8-10 weeks gathering
gently used children’s clothing, maternity and
baby gear, children’s games and toys and
various equipment, finding the consignors, and
building a staff. Our model is successful because
consignors who help out at the event get a
bigger percentage of their items’ profit, and are
incentivized to become team members.
“I do six events a year, and that is
manageable for me as a mother,” says Laura
Staggs, owner of three Just Between Friends
franchises in Colorado. “The beautiful thing
about my job is that I can take my kids to school,
go to their after-school activities, and spend the
rest of my time setting price lists. You don’t have
to be a mom; anyone can own a Just Between
Friends franchise. We have men and women
who own franchises. The minimum requirement
is one sale in spring or late summer, and one
sale in the fall. Owners can choose to have as
many events as they would like.”
While some want to keep their franchise
activity small, other franchisees run the business
full-time and own multiple territories. Again,
the beauty of the model is that your reward is
entirely up to you. You can choose to do the
minimum of two sales events per year and
potentially earn a nice supplemental income for
your family, or like Laura, you can do multiple
events per year, scale your business, and take
on multiple territories to have as large a business
as you would like to manage.
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What are the financial qualifications to
buy a Just Between Friends franchise?
Our initial entry fees are minimal compared with
other retail franchises. Our franchise system
works to suit the needs and schedules of our
franchise owners. With the minimum requirement
of two sales per year, our system can either be a
substantial supplemental income with a flexible
schedule or it can become a full-time career
path. The financial details are listed opposite:
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•
•
•
U.S. Franchises – $14,900 USD
Canadian Franchises – $16,900 USD
Royalties are between 2% and 3% of gross
sales, less the sales tax
• Both the fees and royalties are much less
with average royalties of 6%-8% of gross
sales.
In addition to the franchise fees listed above,
we estimate you will need $15,000 to $20,000 for
materials to launch your first event.
How Big is the Industry?
Just Between Friends serves an evergreen demographic of families
with young children, all of whom spend an enormous amount of
money on their children
Americans spend an enormous amount of
money on clothing their children! However,
because of the tremendous size of the market,
and with so many people contributing to its
value, it is hard to pin down the exact dollar
amount. This isn’t for lack of trying either:
Institutions like universities, publications of
all kinds, think tanks, and the retail industry
itself consistently and continually issue studies
analyzing just how much money parents are
spending on their children.
What we do know for certain is that clothing
and equipping children can be expensive.
According to a study published by North Dakota
State University, Americans spend 3.8% of their
household income on clothing. This number, of
course, varies drastically across income levels.
However, Money, an online resource dedicated
to analyzing American’s spending trends, found
that Americans with an average annual income
of $50,000 spend about $2,000 on clothing a
year. For those with children, this number is
almost entirely devoted to clothing their children,
as a joint study conducted by Parenting and
Women and Co. pointed out that 90% of parents
spend more on their children’s clothing than their
own, especially leading up to the school year.
The same study revealed that the average
American spends $114 on children’s clothing
in the months leading up to school year, which
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does not include toys, baby equipment and gear.
That number also does not include the amount
of money parents are spending on their children
the rest of the year!
Our growth reflects the size of the
industry and what families want most:
a little help from Just Between Friends
What started as a one-day sale grossing
$2,000 in Shannon Wilburn’s (CEO and cofounder of Just Between Friends) living room in
Tulsa has become a nationally recognized brand.
Just Between Friends has 150 franchisees in
27 states, who host hundreds of events in the
United States, as well as one city in Canada.
We’re proud to report that in 2014, our brand
grossed $25.6 million.
Our growth is a result of several factors.
Just Between Friends serves families who
have children from infancy to middle school—
so our customers are likely to stay with us for
several years. According to thredUP, a leading
online shop that sells lightly used women and
children’s clothing, 86% of parents would dress
their children in secondhand clothing, and
half of Millennial parents believe that buying
secondhand clothing is an eco-friendly way to
shop. Being that Millennials make up our core
16
demographic, Just Between Friends is on the
cutting edge of how and why people are going to
shop for children’s clothing and equipment going
forward.
“We are looking for people who want to give
back,” Shannon says of the qualities that make
for successful Just Between Friends franchise
owners. “We are looking for families who care
about their community. This is a business—
yes—we want our franchise owners to treat
it like a business, and we want them to make
money. But that’s not the first and foremost
thing that should be important to them. We
want our owners to really feel passionate about
their communities. I tell applicants that if you
can’t scream from the rooftops that they are
a Just Between Friends owner you better find
someone who can do that for you. We want our
franchisees to be proud to own a Just Between
Friends and not be nervous about sharing that
with their community—to tell them why they need
to come to a sales event and how they will save
50%-90% off items they will find at the event.”
You control how large your Just
Between Friends franchise becomes
The Just Between Friends franchise model offers
uniquely flexible options to suit the lives of our
franchisees, and it is as flexible and as scalable
as our franchisees would like. This model suits
the lifestyles of young parents or grandparents
who desire a supplemental income, and it also
is perfect for business people who want to make
Just Between Friends a full-time career. We only
require that our franchisees host a minimum of
two sales events annually per territory.
Compared with other franchise systems,
our initial investment is minimal and will vary
depending on whether you’re buying one or
more territories. The ongoing costs are also
low, as the events run by our franchisees are
staffed by team members, some of whom are
consignors who earn more money on their items
for sale by working the events. Some of our
franchise owners use employees to staff their
sales events, while other owners use a blend of
consignors and employees. The main investment
the franchisees have to make is in renting a
venue large enough to serve their communities’
sale population.
“When my wife and I first visited a Just
Between Friends sales event, we had an
epiphany,” says Kris Kimmell, owner of a Just
Between Friends franchise in the Houston
metropolitan area of Texas. “We walked around
the sale and saw how organized it was and how
many people were there. We thought, ‘We can
do this.’ It really was love at first sight.”
17
Who Are Our Customers?
Just Between Friends draws mothers, fathers, grandparents, and
anyone who has children to love and care for
It’s no wonder that Just Between Friends has
managed to find so much success in attracting
a growing base of parents to our hundreds
of pop-up consignment events every year.
We’re living in the age of thrift, where bargain
shopping has become mainstream and hunting
for discounts is a sign of a savvy consumer. For
parents, our core group of customers, the high
costs associated with raising a child necessitates
that their dollars go further than ever before.
Our internal data reveals that folks of all income
levels are actively engaged in bargain shopping
to clothe their children.
Just Between Friends serves families with
children from infancy to middle school, which
means our customers could stay with us for a
decade or more! And the Just Between Friends’
demographic is constantly growing, in large part
18
because the stigma around shopping for gently
worn secondhand clothing and lightly used toys
and games has all but disappeared. According
to Us Again, a blog that stresses the benefits
of the secondhand market, the secondhand
clothing trade is valued at $1 billion worldwide.
The popularity of our sales franchise events is
a testament to this. According to a recent study
of our customer base, we determined that our
events help nearly 700,000 families across the
nation.
We are in the enviable position of
appealing to younger demographics
Many companies break the bank trying to stay
relevant and appeal to a younger demographic.
We naturally appeal to that demographic. In fact,
we recently conducted an internal study to find
out just who our customers are. This is what we
found:
Almost 80% of our customers are under 40,
with almost 25% aged 20-29 and more than 55%
between aged 30-39. We also found that our
pop-up consignment sale events benefit people
from diverse financial backgrounds. Almost
28% of our customers have household incomes
ranging from $50,000 to $74,999, 21% of our
customers have incomes ranging from $50,000
to $100,000, and 19% have household incomes
ranging from $25,000 to $49,999. Our customers
also know how to spend money wisely, and they
spend a lot of it at our sales, with over 60% of
our customers spending more than $50 per sale,
while 32% spend anywhere from $101 to $200
per sale.
A growing segment of our customer base is
grandparents who are raising their children’s
children. According to AARP’s publication
devoted to senior citizens’ issues, there are more
than 5.8 million children living in homes owned
by the grandparents, and of that number, there
are 2.5 million grandparents who have taken on
the responsibility of raising the children. With
an average income of a little over $60,000 with
both grandparents in the household, according
to research conducted by the Ohio Department
of Aging, it is no wonder that more and more
grandparents are coming to our events. In
any economy, good and bad, thousands of
grandparents and parents alike are learning
about the money-saving joys of being thrifty.
“It’s been an opportunity to afford my family
flexibility,” says Kelly Hardy, owner of Just
Between Friends franchise locations in Newark,
Delaware, and Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. “I had
worked a corporate job for over 20 years, but
JBF gives me the opportunity to spend more
time with my kids; I put them on the bus and get
them off every day. I always wanted to own my
business, and Just Between Friends has given
me that opportunity.”
We are meeting our demographic
where they are: online
For parents, word of a Just Between Friends
pop-up consignment event coming to town is
great news. Your sale will give parents a chance
to buy an entire wardrobe or fleet of toys for their
children at 50%-90% off retail. And because our
brand is in the enviable position of appealing to
Millennials, it makes sense that Just Between
Friends is meeting young parents where
they are: online! The brand is giving its 150
franchisees an opportunity for a second revenue
19
stream with Just Between Friends On Demand,
an online-only sales event that allows shoppers
and consignors to buy and sell their items right
away.
“JBF has given me the flexibility to be a
mom and also to have my own business,” says
Yendi Pang, owner of a Just Between Friends
franchise in Vancouver, Canada. “For those
looking at a socially responsible company, that is
what JBF is. You can do part-time and still be a
mom to your kids—JBF definitely offers that.”
20
What Are My Startup Costs?
Just Between Friends is a low-investment, work-from-home
franchise
*The results of each franchisee are likely
to differ, but one franchisee talks about her
experience with multiple territories.
Entrepreneurs researching ownership of a
work-from-home franchise rightly look for which
business opportunity presents the best potential
for long-term success. We’re proud to announce
that Just Between Friends was recently named
the number five “Best Franchise to Buy in 2015,”
by Forbes, which measured five years of our
continued growth when determining our ranking.
The reason why we rank so highly is in large part
due to what our continued growth over the last
five years symbolizes in the marketplace: the
Just Between Friends work-from-home franchise
has plenty of room to grow, as consumers all
across the nation prove that the age of thrifty
shopping is here to stay.
The great benefit of owning a Just Between
Friends consignment sales event franchise is
the savings you will pass on to your customers,
many of whom will be parents starting families
and grandparents who want to dote on their
grandchildren. Your own investment in a Just
Between Friends franchise will be affordable,
with a relatively quick ramp-up time and tons
of support to ensure that your sales events are
successful.
The beauty of our model is that your business
can be as large or as small as you would like
21
to manage. While some of our work-from-home
franchise owners are stay-at-home parents who
own one territory, many own multiple territories.
Our minimum requirement is that you host two
sales annually per territory. We encourage our
owners to host as many events as they’d like,
and with the advent of our online platform, JBF
On Demand, owners can host a permanent
consignment sale online—often with a larger
Name of Expenditures
Method of Payment
When Due
To Whom Payment Is To
Be Made
Initial Franchise Fee
$14,900
Cash
Execution of Franchise
Agreement
JBF
Initial Equipment
$2,600 - $5,500
As you arrange from
supplier
Varies with supplier
Persons or entities
other than JBF
Estimated Travel and
Living Expenses during
training and site visit
Estimated training
expenses are from
$1,800 - $2,800
Cash
Prior to training and
site visit
Persons or entities
other than JBF
Building Lease
$900 - $3,750
Cash
As required by landlord
Landlord
Business Registration
and tax permits
$800 - $1,000
Cash
Before opening
Government
Insurance
$500 - $1,000
Per policy
Per policy
Insurance company
Advertising
$2,380 - $3,730
As required
At or before event
Persons or entities
other than JBF
Additional Funds Initial Period from
signing franchise
agreement to first sale
(Not more than 300
days)
$2,500 - $5,500
As required
As required
Persons or entities
other than JBF
Website and
management tools
$588 ($49 per month)
Cash
Half due January 15,
Half due July 15
JBF
JBFDesignOnline.
com (optional at the
discretion of each
franchisee)
$0 - $400 per calendar
year, prorated
By January 15 the
current year
Subject to change by
30 days prior written
notice
JBF (but this optional at
the discretion of each
franchisee)
Total
22
Approximate Amount
financial reward.
Below, you will see the Item 7 Startup costs
that are listed in our Franchise Disclosure
Agreement. The costs listed below reflect startup
and operating costs for the first 12 months
you are in business — but they don’t reflect
the amount of money you need to possess to
become a franchisee.
$26,968 - $39,168
Can I Scale a Just Between Friends
Franchise?
How big your Just Between Friends franchise business becomes is
up to you
With an affordable initial investment and a
minimum of two sales events per year, Just
Between Friends can either supplement a
family’s income or become a full-time career.
For Shannon Carter, a multi-unit franchise
owner in Northern California who helps our
corporate staff with technology information
project management, it didn’t take long to
become profitable.
“My husband was initially cautious about
investing the money into this business, but after
the first event he was sold,” she says. “It’s so
worth it, what we’re doing to help people.”
One of the reasons our brand has been able
to grow like wildfire across the country is that our
franchisees can shape their businesses to suit
their needs. Some use their pop-up consignment
events for supplemental income, while other
franchisees run their businesses as a full-time
career, playing host to multiple events per year.
“I used to work full-time outside the home,
and this opportunity with JBF allows me to
refocus,” says Shannon Carter.
Your community has been waiting for
you to start a Just Between Friends
franchise
We are living in the age of thrift, where discount
and bargain shopping are no longer stigmatized,
but embraced. As a result of the Great
Recession and online shopping, consumers
are savvier than ever before and expect their
dollar to go further. Just Between Friends has
mastered the ultimate treasure hunt—a pop up
consignment sale that allows parents a chance
23
to buy an entire wardrobe for their children at
a fraction of the price they would pay for new
items.
“The concept really resonates with people,
it’s not a tough sell, people make money and
save money by attending our sales events,” says
Tracy Panase, who owns three Just Between
Sales franchises in Pennsylvania. “When I
started JBF six years ago, we were the first sale
in the state of our kind in the state, which helped
us get a jump on the competition. It was a nobrainer in partnering with JBF because in being a
national organization they were more organized
and had better technology, which helps us to
remain competitive. I think that it’s fair to say that
our customers don’t look at us a business – they
see us helping charities and helping families. We
really are able to build a community around our
events.”
More are becoming Just Between
Franchise customers every day
Just Between Friends serves families with
children from infancy to middle school —
meaning our customers could stay with us for a
decade or more! Due to the growing popularity
24
of secondhand shopping and consumers’
desire to lead eco-friendly lifestyles, the Just
Between Friends demographic is growing
rapidly without any sign of slowing. According
to an internal survey, our events serve nearly
700,000 customers nationwide, a number that
is likely to grow as we add to our foothold in
North America and the public becomes more
aware of our online consignment platform: JBF
On Demand, which allows our owners to have a
second revenue stream by selling items online
in addition to hosting sales events. Babycenter,
a publication that studies American parenting
trends, says 4 million babies are born every
year in the United States—our target market is
increasing every day
Another reason for our phenomenal success
is the attention we receive from national media:
Just Between Friends has been featured on the
Today show, Good Morning America, Fox News,
CNN, and Inside Edition, just to name a few, as
well as in hundreds of local publications across
the nation.
What Training and Support Do We Offer?
Just Between Friends franchise owners receive training and support
that goes far and above what our competition offers
Just Between Friends is spreading like wildfire
across the United States and Canada because
our franchise owners go above and beyond to
make their pop-up consignment sale events
successful. When we opened our doors to
franchising in 2003, we knew we would also
have to go above and beyond with our training of
franchise owners.
The Just Between Friends concept is a
proven business model. This business is
rewarding for the franchisee who holds the
event, and it is highly beneficial for parents who
need to make every dollar stretch. Our faithbased franchise dramatically changes the lives
of its franchisees and its customers.
The Just Between Friends franchise model
is ideal—with a low initial investment, your
business can either supplement your income or
become a full-time career.
“Our training is completely hands-on,” says
Dawn Pfannensteil, Training and Support
Manager with Just Between Friends. “Once
we onboard a new franchisee, they are given
a wealth of material to review. We train our
owners in every aspect of their business, from
advertising in your community, to utilizing social
media, to designing their website, to the point
of sale system, to how to set up and tear down
a sales event. We have weekly calls with our
owners until after they complete their first event,
so that we can guide them through the process.
We are with them every step of the way.”
Our support staffers are also franchise
owners
Once the papers are signed and you are no
25
own pop-up consignment sale, the reality of
putting on a three-day plus sale will present
itself. Don’t worry. We will help you through
the entire process of staging and running your
first event. You will be trained by Just Between
Friends franchise owners who have staged
and operated several financially rewarding
consignment sales in their territories. These allstars will walk you through everything you need
to know about staging your first sale during an
in-person, 40-hour training session, as well as
almost 20 hours of on-site training at one of our
approved events.
“I’m a little biased, but the support that Just
Between Friends offers our new franchisees is
tremendous,” says Laura Staggs, a Head Trainer
for Just Between Friends and a successful
owner of a Just Between Friends franchise
in Colorado. “We go through the beginning of
running a sale to the end of the running a sale.”
Prior to purchasing your JBF Franchise,
you will be asked to do venue research in your
territory. We want to make sure that you are
set up for success before you make your initial
investment.
Before you even begin planning your first
sale, we will ask that you attend a Just Between
26
Friends sales event in a location convenient for
you. You will shadow the owner and get a feel for
how a successful pop-up sales event should run.
At our classroom training, you will get a great
grasp of our brand, see how to run a successful
sales event, obtain our marketing materials, and
learn how to implement our marketing in your
territory. You will also have a great relationship
with your mentor, meet some of our great
trainers and begin a relationship with them that
could turn into a mentorship.
“We also have a yearly conference where
we bring in industry experts,” Dawn says. “It’s a
great way for owners to learn about a number
of different topics that can help them in their
businesses. This also gives our owners a
chance to talk shop and learn from each other.
Our owners are a very tight-knit community
and are very open with each other if they are
utilizing practices that are enabling them to be
successful.”
Our training and support staff guides every
new owner through the process of hosting their
first sales event, ensuring that a new owner is
using the practices and methods learned during
their training. Again, no need to worry! We guide
you through process of finding a terrific venue for
your first event, which is a process that begins
before you partner with us in order to ensure
that a Just Between Friends franchise can be a
viable business in your area.
“Once someone goes through their first sales
event, we will have a follow-up call to review
how it went,” Laura says. “If for some reason the
event didn’t go well, we will provide additional
coaching and training. Just Between Friends is
unique in that we also have a 24/7 hotline that
our owners can call for any reason.”
How your community will help make
you successful
For parents, word of a Just Between Friends
pop-up consignment event coming to town is
great news. Your sale will give those parents
a chance to buy an entire wardrobe or fleet of
toys for their children at a fraction of the price
they would pay for new items. As a result of our
beneficial business model, news of your sale will
generate a lot of buzz among local parents, and
local media are always hungry for a feel-good
story.
“One of the most exciting aspects of our
brand is just how many people discover us
through word of mouth,” says Shannon Wilburn,
CEO and co-founder of Just Between Friends.
“In the communities where Just Between Friends
hosts events, we create an enormous amount
of buzz because people love to tell their friends
about any opportunity to save money!”
In addition to your community loving the fact
that you’ve arrived, you will also be able to reap
the benefits of your second community: Just
Between Friends franchise owners who are
active on social media—ready and willing to
help.
“Owners have a private Facebook group
that is very active,” Laura says. “We are always
bouncing ideas off each other, asking each other
what is working and what isn’t. We are a tightknit group.”
In short, we are here for you every step of the
way. Your success in your territory will benefit not
only your community but the entire Just Between
Friends brand.
27
How Do We Define Territories?
Just Between Friends franchise owners are successful because we
do an exhaustive amount of research
Location is everything in business, but it’s
especially important when you’re in the pop-up
consignment business. We want our franchise
owners to be a hit in their communities, not only
because we want financially successful events,
but because we want to help as many families
as we can purchase their children’s clothing, toys
and gear at a fraction of what it would cost new.
After launching 150 franchises in 27 states in
the U.S., as well as one city in Canada, we’ve
developed a rigorous metric for developing
territories to ensure that our franchisees are
successful. This is how we do it:
Our territories are typically comprised of areas
that have a minimum population of 100,000,
with at least 25%-40% of the area population
fitting in with the core Just Between Friends
demographic: families with children ages 0-10.
In addition to our population requirements,
we also look at other information such as the
28
average household income to ensure that a
new Just Between Friends franchise is being
placed in areas where our owners are likely to be
successful.
Because the success of every Just Between
Friends franchise location is dependent on our
owners being involved and engaged members
of their community, we require that at least one
owner (if the ownership of the franchise is split
between two parties) live within 30 miles of the
territory in which the event will be held.
For Shannon Carter, a multi-unit franchise
owner in northern California who also helps
our corporate staff with information technology
project management, the thrill of helping
her community inspired her to take on more
territories.
“I’m a mother of six kids; seeing the sale in
my area was a big deal to me,” Shannon says. “I
started with just one event, and we had so much
fun in running our first sale that within six months
we bought another one. I didn’t know what to
expect when I went into this business, but I knew
that I was helping so many people, in addition
to myself. As an owner, I get to shop first, and
having six kids to shop for, it’s like paradise to
have everything I could ever want for my family
right there — for pennies on the dollar. My
husband was initially cautious about investing
the money into this business, but after the first
event he was sold. It’s so worth it as to what
we’re doing to help people.”
We will hold your hand through the
entire process of planning your first
sale
Once the papers are signed, and you are no
own pop-up consignment sale, the reality of
putting on a three-day plus sale will present
itself. Don’t worry. We will help you through the
entire process of staging your first event. You will
be trained by Just Between Friends franchise
owners who have staged and operated several
financially rewarding consignment sales in their
territories. These all-stars will walk you through
everything you need to know about staging your
first sale during an in-person, 40-hour training
session and almost 20 hours of on-site training
at one of our approved events.
“Our training program is above and beyond
what our competition offers,” says Cathy
Williams, Director of Franchise Development
for Just Between Friends. “We have a fulltime corporate staff who are there to help you
29
every step of the way. Our corporate training
is conducted by top-achieving Just Between
Friends franchise owners who are out there
doing what you’ll be doing every day.”
Finding a venue is ultimately the task of our
owners, but no need to worry! We will guide you
through the process of finding a terrific venue for
your first event.
What territories are available?
We are currently looking for potential franchisees
in the following areas. If you are interested in a
territory not listed, please contact us to discuss
whether it might be available. Please note Just
Between Friends is currently sold out in the
following locations: Colorado, Dallas/Ft. Worth
Metroplex, Kansas City, Houston, Milwaukee,
Oklahoma, Philadelphia, Minneapolis/St. Paul,
Sacramento, Seattle, and St. Louis.
This information is not intended as an offer
to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy,
a franchise. It is for information purposes
only. Franchise opportunities and/or multiunit opportunities may not be available in
30
all jurisdictions. Some jurisdictions require
registrations of franchise offerings and specific
disclosures. If you are a resident of a U.S. state
or a country that regulates the offer and sale of
franchises, are receiving this message in one of
those states or countries, or intend to operate
a franchise in any of those states or countries,
we will not offer you a franchise unless and until
we have complied with any applicable pre-sale
registration and/or disclosure requirements in the
applicable jurisdiction. The fact that a geographic
area is mentioned on our website does not
mean we have completed this process for that
area. Any financial performance representations
made herein reflect the historical performance
of existing franchisees. New franchisee’s
individual financial results may differ from the
results stated herein. Written substantiation for
the representations made herein are available
upon reasonable request. Our website and
the information on our website has not been
reviewed or approved by any federal or state
governmental or regulatory department or
agency (domestic or international).
State/Country
City
Canada
Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan
Alabama
Huntsville
Arkansas
Rogers/Bentonville, Fayetteville
Arizona
Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa
California
Orange County, Thousand Oaks
Connecticut
Hartford, New Haven
Florida
Jacksonville, Gainesville*, Space Coast, Miami area
Georgia
Atlanta area
Hawaii
Honolulu
Illinois
Chicago Area, Naperville
Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City
Kansas
Wichita
Kentucky
Louisville
Louisiana
Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Shreveport/Bossier City
Maryland
Baltimore, Cumberland, Edgewood
Massachusetts
Boston area
Michigan
Lansing
Missouri
Columbia*
Mississippi
Jackson
Montana
Missoula County
New Mexico
Albuquerque
Nebraska
Omaha, Lincoln
Nevada
Las Vegas
New Jersey
Jersey City, Newark, Cherry Hill
New York
Albany, NYC, Long Island, Syracuse, Rochester
North Carolina
Charlotte, Raleigh
North Dakota
Fargo
Ohio
Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton
South Carolina
Charleston
South Dakota
Sioux Falls
Texas
Abilene, Beaumont, Bell County*, College Station, El Paso, San Antonio, Wichita Falls*
Tennessee
Memphis, Nashville
Virginia
Richmond
Washington
Bellingham
Wisconsin
Dane County East, Green Bay, Oshkosh, Waukesha*
Many other areas are available! Please keep in mind that the territory needs to be large enough to support a sale on its own. Franchise
owners must live within 30 miles of the territory where there must be a minimum population of 100,000.
*Franchise locations for sale by owner
31
A Day In The Life
How a mother of four became one of the most successful Just
Between Friends franchise owners
sports arena in Pittsburgh. Today’s sale is much
smaller and is in Kelly’s second territory. This is
only the third time that Kelly has staged a sale
in this venue, but she’s already had to expand,
doubling the amount of space she’s rented for
the event. As far as the eye can see, there are
racks of children’s clothing, clearly identified
by gender and age, there are mountains of
children’s shoes, and the entire back room is
packed with children’s toys, games, furniture,
lighting fixtures, baby equipment, bedding, and
bicycles.
“I love Just Between Friends because of how
flexible it is,” Kelly says. “Even with a 7-weekold, I was able to pull off this event because I
was able to work around my schedule.”
Kelly Robie expects 2,000 people to attend her
Just Between Friends sales event in Monroeville,
Pennsylvania, a large suburb of Pittsburgh.
The doors are set to open in a half hour, and
she’s been in the venue since dawn to attend
to the final details. As she’s walking down the
aisles, checking the racks of clothing one last
time, ensuring everything is as it should be, she
has a funny thought: “I wonder if the snow last
night will prevent anyone from coming. Snow in
March? That’s Pittsburgh.”
A staffer rushes up to Kelly with news that
will drive all of her fears away; there is a line of
people from the door to the end of the parking
lot, shivering, waiting to get in. This is going to
be a busy, busy day.
Kelly runs the one of the largest Just Between
Friends sales event in the JBF system of
franchisees. That sale is held in the fall in a giant
32
The hottest ticket in town
When Just Between Friends was featured on
the Today show, co-host Matt Lauer called
us the hottest ticket in town. When the doors
open to Kelly’s sales event, it is easy to see
why. The crowd of young mothers, fathers,
and grandparents pushing strollers is literally
sprinting to the racks of clothing. What was
minutes ago a silent room is now filled with the
excited din of shoppers. The energy is palpable,
and for good reason—these shoppers are
purchasing their children’s wardrobes and toys
at a fraction of what they would cost new. Across
the street there is a Babies R Us with an empty
parking lot.
If anyone knows how expensive buying
children’s clothing is without the help of Just
Between Friends, it’s Kelly. As a mother of
four young children, Kelly was a consignor for
two years with Just Between Friends before a
former owner of the Pittsburgh-North territory
approached her with an offer to purchase the
franchise.
“I was a stay-at-home mom, and I was
enjoying being at home,” Kelly says. “I was
excited, though, by the prospect of doing
something outside the home. My husband works
full-time and travels often for his job. It was great
to have something to keep me busy when he
was away.”
Kelly’s success didn’t surprise her; she
worked relentlessly to launch her business. She
went to preschools and daycare centers in her
area, and she succeeded in not only establishing
relationships but in generating the kind of wordof-mouth buzz that other businesses only dream
of.
“You really have to become a part of your
community,” she says. “People respond to
positivity. We are also lucky to have the Just
Between Friends corporate team because they
develop our marketing materials, which we
customize as we see fit. It really helps a lot.”
If you’re successful, we’re successful
Just Between Friends is spreading like wildfire
across the United States and Canada as a direct
result of our franchise owners going above and
beyond to make their pop-up consignment sales
events successful. When we opened our doors
to franchising in 2003, we knew that we would
also have to go above and beyond in terms of
how well and how much our franchise owners
are trained.
Just Between Friends offers a flexible
business model that can either be supplemental
income or a full-time career with multi-unit
development. The initial investment is affordable,
and the ongoing costs are low.
“Our success is up to us, as owners,” Kelly
says. “But we get a ton of support from the
corporate office. If I have a question, I can reach
out to them at any time. They are extremely
helpful and encouraging. The owners also are
very well connected to each other. We have
a Facebook group that is very active. We are
always picking each others’ brains for ideas.”
Kelly has a lot to be proud of, but she’s not
about to rest on her laurels. Her success has
33
been so significant that she’s working on building
a life where her husband can quit his day job and
join her full-time in the business.
“I really love Just Between Friends,” she
says. “When I was looking into this business,
I was just a mom. This experience has helped
me grow as a person. I love being able to help
my community. I love helping families save
money and make money with clothing items they
no longer need. If you’re looking into a popup consignment business, I recommend Just
Between Friends. I might be biased, but I think
they’re the best.”
34
JBF On Demand
Just Between Friends owners can set up a permanent consignment
sale online
More than half the country goes online to buy
their goods. There are hundreds of websites in
every retail segment, from travel to housing to
clothing, that exist solely to offer the consumer
a better deal. According to Statista, a resource
that keeps tabs on where and how American
consumers spend their money, the amount of
online shoppers will rise from 201 million in 2015
to 218 million in 2018.
Just Between Friends, the biggest pop-up
consignment sale franchise in the nation, is
known far and wide for the life-changing amount
of savings that our sales pass on to families with
young children. In fact, Matt Lauer of the Today
show called us “the hottest ticket in town” for
this very reason. With the advent of our online
store flash sales called JBF On Demand, our
franchisees will not have to wait to host brick-
and-mortar sales events to pass on the savings
to our customers, and they can earn a significant
second revenue stream by selling items anytime
online.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of JBF On
Demand is that our franchisees can earn an
even higher dollar amount for every item sold:
“With JBF On Demand, we buy items for
garage-sale prices,” says Laura Staggs, owner
of a Just Between Friends franchise in Colorado.
“Because we buy them cheaper from families in
our territory, we earn a higher profit when we sell
those items online. For example, a Gymboree
jumper that would normally go for $50 full price
can be bought by us for $2 and then sold again
for $20. It provides a great additional revenue
stream in a segment of our business that has
phenomenal growth potential and provides a
35
great service to customers who do not want to
wait for one of our events to come around.”
Meeting our customers wherever
they are
So many companies break the bank to stay
relevant and appeal to a younger demographic.
Because our business is entirely devoted to
helping families save money on buying clothing,
toys, and baby equipment for their children, we
naturally appeal to that younger demographic.
We recently conducted an internal study to find
out just who our customers are. This is what we
found:
Almost 80% of our customers are younger
than 40, with almost 25% between 20 and 29
and more than 55% between the ages of 30 and
39.
JBF-Shopper1Our core group of customers
is exactly the demographic that is doing the
majority of shopping online: Millennials are our
core group of customers and are the generation
most inclined to shop online. For them we
developed a platform called JBF On Demand,
36
where online shoppers can get their lightly
used children’s clothing, games, baby gear, and
much, much more around the clock. According
to research conducted by PMR, a company that
specializes in measuring customer satisfaction,
70% of people younger than 35 are active online
shoppers. The same study also found that the
higher the household income, the more shopping
a person will do online. Luckily for us, we appeal
to people of all income levels. In this age of thrift,
the thrill of a discount appeals to everyone.
Almost 28% of our customers have household
incomes ranging from $50,000 to $74,999, 21%
of our customers have incomes ranging from
$50,000 to $100,000, and 19% have household
incomes ranging from $25,000 to $49,999. Our
customers also know how to spend money
wisely, and they spend a lot of it at our sales,
with more than 60% of our customers spending
more than $50 per sale, while 32% spend
anywhere from $101 to $200 per sale. Can you
imagine how much money our customers will
spend when they find out they can buy their
children’s clothing without even going to one of
our consignment franchise sales events?
“Our goal is to meet the needs of customers,
our consignors, and our communities,” Laura
says. “Our goal is to get the clothing, toys, and
baby equipment out there that our community
can use. We cannot keep up with people
contacting us to come buy their clothing, and we
are constantly trying to keep up with the needs of
mothers who want to buy their children’s clothing
at a discounted price. What’s nice about JBF On
Demand is that you can buy items at very low
prices from the community and make so much
more in profit.”
Why we’re successful
For parents and grandparents with young
children to care for, word of a Just Between
Friends pop-up consignment event coming to
town is great news. Your sale will give them a
chance to buy an entire wardrobe or fleet of toys
for their children at a fraction of the price they
would pay for new items. Just Between Friends
serves families with children from infancy to
middle school—meaning that our customers
could be with us for a decade or more!
Not many companies can boast an everexpanding core demographic, but 4 million
babies are born in the United States every year,
according to Parenting, an online resource
that analyzes parenting trends. With that many
babies being born, our franchise owners can rest
assured that many more families will discover
just how much they can save by shopping at
Just Between Friends pop-up consignment sales
events for years to come.
Just Between Friends now has 150
franchisees in 27 states in the United States, as
well as one city in Canada, who host hundreds
of events in hundreds of places in the United
States and Canada every single year. With JBF
On Demand, the families who have come to rely
on our pop-up consignment sales events to buy
their children’s wardrobes can purchase items as
they need them.
“The majority of customers who shop at my
events are young mothers who are extremely
internet-savvy,” Laura says. “They are already
doing a great deal of shopping from home, and
they love the opportunity to buy from me at any
time they like. They can’t get discounts like this
anywhere else.”
37
What Do Franchisees Say?
Just Between Friends franchise owners talk about what they love
about the business
The Just Between Friends concept is a proven
business model. This business is potentially
rewarding for the franchisee who holds the
event, and it is highly beneficial for parents who
need to make every dollar stretch. Our faithbased franchise dramatically changes the lives
of its franchisees and its customers.
With an affordable initial investment and a
minimum of two sales events per year, Just
Between Friends can be either a supplemental
income or a full-time career. The ongoing
costs are also low, as the events run by our
franchisees are staffed primarily by team
members—some of whom are consignors who
earn more money on their sales by working the
events. Some of franchise owners choose to use
employees to staff their sales events, while other
owners choose to use a blend of employees and
consignors. This means the main investment
the franchisees have to make is in renting a
venue large enough to serve their communities’
population of families with young children.
Our owners are our best asset. They are
ambassadors not only for our brand but for
families in their communities. Here is what they
have to say about why they chose Just Between
Friends, and how partnering with us changed
their lives and improved their communities:
Before I did JBF, I thought I had a dream
job,” says Deborah Freeman, a Just Between
Friends franchise owner in Douglas County,
Colorado. “I worked for National Geographic
doing documentaries. Now, truly, this my dream
job—hands down. I get to serve moms and be at
home with my kids.”
“When my wife and I first visited a Just
38
Between Friends sales event, we had an ‘aha’ moment,” says Kris Kimmell, owner of a
Just Between Friends franchise in the Houston
metropolitan area of Texas. “We walked around
the sale and saw how organized it was and how
many people were there—we thought, ‘We can
do this.’ It really was love at first sight.”
“Collectively, as a franchise, we can pool our
money together and have fantastic technology,”
says Jennifer Hundley, owner of a Just Between
Friends franchise in North Bay, California. “I
realized that I can do this better with a Just
Between Friends franchise. I researched the
competition, and I realized they don’t have much
of a presence. I’m not hearing the praises from
the owners, and I’m not hearing the praises
from the customers. If I want to have this
amazing website, or if I want to do some new
marketing plan, or if I want to brainstorm with
other owners, I can call the corporate office and
feel comfortable discussing it with them. The
collective mind is invaluable.”
“I had never shopped at a sale before, but
I fell in love with the company instantly,” says
Kelly Hardy, owner of a Just Between Friends
franchise in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, and
Newark, Delaware. “The support we get from
corporate is great. If I call Shannon (CEO and
and co-founder of Just Between Friends), she
picks up the phone. I don’t know how many other
franchise owners in other companies can say
that.”
JBF-Shopper-Line “I really love Just Between
Friends,” says Kelly Robie, owner of two Just
Between Friends franchises in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. “When I was looking into this
business, I was just a mom. This experience has
helped me grow as a person. I love being able to
help my community. I love helping families save
money and make money with clothing items they
no longer need. If you’re looking into a popup consignment business, I recommend Just
Between Friends. I might be biased, but I think
they’re the best.”
39
Just Between Friends is about Giving Back
How the pop-up consignment sale franchise goes above and beyond
helping families save money nationwide
The reason the co-founder and CEO of Just
Between Friends wants to partner with people
who aren’t afraid to shout about the brand from
the rooftops is because this pop-up consignment
sale franchise is about so much more than
making money. We want our owners to be
financially successful, and we have found that
financial success comes from taking care of their
own communities – those people they care about
the most.
Our business model is based on altruism: by
helping more than 700,000 families nationwide
save money on buying children’s clothing,
games, toys, maternity and baby gear, we
have become the leading pop-up consignment
franchise in North America. Families who come
to our events save anywhere from 50%-90%
over retail, the costs of raising a child are
minimized, and the savings are felt immediately.
“One of the most amazing things that
our owners are able to do is empower the
community,” says Dawn Pfannensteil, Training
40
and Support Manager with Just Between
Friends. “We’re able to bring recognition to our
nonprofits, we’re able to help them with their
mission. We give families in the community an
outlet to make more money for their families, to
help with that bottom line, and to help with that
budget. There’s nothing more empowering than
mailing those consignment checks because
you know the benefit and the positives of what
those families will do with that money. These
families can now afford to go on vacation, or
they can put the money toward bills. To know
that you were able to put all of that together—it’s
amazing. We get shoppers all the time who say,
‘I could not clothe my children without you.’ So,
for me, as the Training and Support Manager,
for me to give the tools to new owners coming in
so that they may empower their community, it’s
unbelievable.”
Our owners have big hearts
All JBF owners care about their communities.
So it’s an easy next step that when our owners
set up their sales events, they partner with a
local nonprofit. We see our role in the community
as an essential part in fulfilling our company’s
mission: “To glorify God by bringing communities
and families together in a welcoming, friendly
venue that allows them to care for children
and be good stewards of what they have been
given.” We’re a faith-based business, and for us
that faith comes first.
“I wanted to find a way where God could use
me,” says Bridget Jones, owner of Just Between
Friends franchises in Georgetown and Round
Rock, Texas. “My husband and I always looked
for something, and JBF was a perfect fit for us.
Yes, it’s a business and we are trying to make
money for our family—but it’s not about us. It’s
about the community, it’s about the people and
the kids that come in and the consignors’ checks.
I get to put those checks in the mail and bless so
many families, and that’s what it is about for us.”
A nonprofit is brought in to benefit from
every one of our sales events, and our owners
and their team members donate items and
goods to local organizations that help local
women, children, and families. We serve groups
that provide clothing closets, crisis centers,
transitional emergency care, food banks, and
many other wonderful services. Over the years,
we have been able to give back more than $15
million in cash and in-kind donations to dozens
of nonprofits nationwide. The amount of money
and donated items we are able to give back will
only grow as we expand our footprint in North
America.
An example of the tremendous amount
of donated items we are able to extend to
nonprofits is made evident by this thank-you
letter from Eastside Baby Corner, one of our
nonprofit partners near Seattle, Washington:
“I just want to extend a very heartfelt
*thank you* to you and all the consignors you
encourage to support Eastside Baby Corner! The
MOUNTAIN of donations we hauled away from
Pickering Barn last night is a much-needed boost
to our inventory. We’re creating 20 to 25 infant
layettes every week, and we’re desperate for 0to 9-month size clothing. I can hardly wait to start
sorting through the donations! Your consignors
can take pride knowing that their contributions
will be quickly distributed to children in need.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
We want to help you help your
community
We do not take for granted the good that comes
from each sales event or the trust our families
place in our commitment to hold safe, familysupportive events, season after season. We
are dedicated to our communities because we
are a part of them. We are moms, dads, aunts,
uncles, and grandparents who are invested in
making our small parts of the world a better
place. We are bargain lovers, of course, but
41
beyond that, we believe in being good stewards
of our resources—taking care of each other and
reaching out a hand to those who need it – as
we all do at one time or another.
“As a JBF owner, you’re required to run the
event, which gives the added benefit of having a
visible continued presence in your community,”
says Tracy Panase, owner of three Just Between
Friends franchises in Pennsylvania. “Our
42
customers grow to know and trust us because
they don’t see us a business, but as an arm into
the community. We work really hard to partner
with local nonprofits, charities and local faithbased organizations, and so our customers have
a sense that we really are giving back because
they know that our donations are going to stay
and help the community and benefit a local
need.”
Meet the Management Team
Our dynamic corporate team has the skill set to help make your Just
Between Friends franchise a hit in your community
SHANNON WILBURN, CEO & CO-FOUNDER
Just Between Friends’
CEO Shannon Wilburn
co-founded the company
back in 1997 as one
of two moms in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, who wanted
to save money on
children’s items while
dressing their kids in
the latest and greatest
fashions. Together with
her co-founder, Daven
Tackett, she held a
sale in her living room (complete with kitchen
drawers for cash registers) that grossed slightly
over $2,000. And she was thrilled! Since then,
the concept has grown—as has its reach—as
now you can find JBF sales events across the
country! But the road to success hasn’t always
been easy. In fact, growth has often brought
many challenges and obstacles to overcome.
That’s nothing new to Shannon.
When her father went from oil company CFO
to using a wheelchair and being unemployed,
12-year-old Shannon began to learn what it
meant to live on a tight budget. Little did she
know her newfound need for consignment
shopping would later turn into a career that
would help hundreds of thousands across the
country. Now, she is able to help families make it
through, too—and she still shops consignment,
not because she has to, but because she loves
saving money!
Now, she continues to oversee operations
and work with her staff to support franchisees
as they grow their businesses. Shannon also
speaks across the country, encouraging those
who would follow in her footsteps to work hard
and dream big—because you never know
what amazing things will happen! She enjoys
spending time with her two children and husband
of 25 years.
CATHY WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR OF FRANCHISE
DEVELOPMENT
Cathy works with Just
Between Friends to
assist applicants,
develop territories, and
explore new market
opportunities. She brings
years of expertise in
sales, where she learned
to excel in customer
service driven by her
passion for helping
others create success.
She is an entrepreneur
at heart, having spent much of her career
working in nontraditional business settings to
produce amazing results. Her bright outlook
on life has helped her deal with the insanity
of raising four kids, three of whom are now off
in the world, with her youngest son in college.
She and her husband love to do life together—
whether that’s by reading, shopping, or staying
active through running, tennis, and skiing. Cat
loves to travel and above all else treasures time
with family and friends. She is a make-it-happen,
43
sunshine kind of person who will make sure you
have what you need when you need it. If you are
interested in purchasing a JBF franchise, you will
get the pleasure of talking with Cat!
TIFFANY DAVIS, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND HR
Tiffany’s daily
responsibilities include
keeping all things with
numbers squared away
and the budget in line.
Often found buried in
spreadsheets full of
columns of numbers,
Tiffany oversees the
financial aspects of the
company. Tiffany was
born in Waterloo, Iowa,
but raised in Broken
Arrow, Oklahoma. She moved to Kansas for two
years during her college years, then to Alva,
Oklahoma, for two years—only to return to her
beloved current hometown of Broken Arrow with
her husband, David. Tiffany and David have
three children under the age of 7, so they stay
busy! Tiffany loves to coach youth fast-pitch
softball and has had the privilege of coaching
some of Oklahoma’s finest softball players for
the past 12 years. She also loves spending
time with her family, cooking out, and watching
Sooner football. After living so much of her life in
landlocked Oklahoma, her dream is to retire to
an exotic island. Aloha!
44
LAURA STAGGS, FRANCHISEE CARE COORDINATOR
Laura provides one-onone support—answering
questions for JBF
owners and making sure
they have what they
need to effectively run
their sales events. With
more than 14 years of
experience running her
own JBF events, Laura
has the moxie and reallife experience owners
need—specializing in
communication and public relations. For 11 years
Laura taught fourth grade and special education
while also growing her JBF business. She hung
up her teaching hat in 2009 to work on her JBF
businesses exclusively. She stays busy running
seven events each year while pursuing her first
love—being a full-time mom to her two boys.
When Laura is not busy helping franchisees or
running one of her sales events, you can find
her hanging with her hubby and kids, playing
softball, or enjoying the beauty of life—watching
the big horizon skies from her favorite spot on
the front porch. And her hidden talents? Laura
throws a mean curveball and can whip up an
amazing tortilla soup!
DAWN PFANNENSTIEL, TRAINING AND
SUPPORT MANAGER
Dawn coordinates
training for new Just
Between Friends
Franchise Owners,
as well as providing
ongoing training and
support for all JBF
franchise owners—giving
them the tools they
need to effectively run
their sales events. You
typically can find Dawn on her phone offering
technical expertise in the various JBF systems or
leaping tall buildings to respond quickly to owner
e-mails. During her spare time she roots on the
Colts, even though she has been transplanted
to the Tulsa area. At her home headquarters,
she keeps the wheels on the family bus moving
with her husband, two kids, and two cats. They
are a sports-loving family that somehow keeps
tabs on seven fantasy football teams while
running the kids to their various activities. When
the SUV is not in chauffeur mode, Dawn enjoys
working out, finding and sharing great deals with
friends and family, and sneaking a few minutes
of relaxation through hunting down great apps
to add to her phone (because you can never
have too many fabulous apps!). Her mysterious
background includes time in minor league sports,
sign-language interpretation, human resources,
and recruiting for a Big 5 accounting firm—until
she found her true love for life, Just Between
Friends.
KAMI SNOWBARGER, DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT
COMMUNICATION, SAFETY & RECALL SPECIALIST
Kami works with JBF
to keep our sales as
safe as possible. She
is highly involved in the
child product safety
industry, working with
the Consumer Product
Safety Commission
to make sure our
franchise owners and
shoppers have the
latest information on
safety recalls and everchanging product safety guidelines. Her vast
knowledge of product recalls and attention
to detail led to her current position; she is
passionate about keeping children safe. Kami
is an Oklahoma native who has lived in Jenks
most of her life. Kami’s home is always bustling
with the energy that comes from fun-filled with
time spent with her husband and two amazing
kids. She loves to spend her evenings unwinding
by stalking Pinterest, scrolling Instagram, and
surfing Facebook.
ERIN PATRICK, FRANCHISE ADMINISTRATOR
Erin’s core
responsibilities
include administrative
support of new and
established franchise
owners, along with
overseeing additional
administrative areas of
Just Between Friends.
She keeps things
running smoothly by
processing paperwork,
answering questions,
and connecting franchise owners with other Just
Between Friends support systems. Born and
raised in the Far East (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania),
Erin came to Oklahoma in 1983 to attend Bible
School and never left. After working in politics for
several years, Erin developed a love for working
closely with the local community and a knack for
helping sort through complex issues by building
bridges to reach common ground. She and her
husband have raised six (yes, six!) kids and
enjoy spending time with their five immensely
talented grandchildren. When she’s not assisting
Just Between Friends franchise owners or doing
life with family and friends, you will find Erin
enjoying her vegetable and herb garden, writing
her award-winning blog, or snapping pics that
capture her unique take on life in the fast lane.
45
ANGELA LEWALLEN, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Angela handles
just about any and
every kind of project
imaginable for corporate
team support. On any
given day, Angela
handles many tasks
within the corporate
office—from running the
JBF company store to
exporting documentation
to various franchisees
across the nation. If
something administratively needs to get done in
the office, Angela is your girl! Angela was born in
Oklahoma and graduated from East Central High
School. She has been married to the love of her
life, Jason, since 1998. They have four sons and
one beautiful granddaughter who keep them on
their toes! Before coming to JBF, Angela was
first a stay-at-home mom and also spent some
time as a preschool teacher. She has consigned
with Just Between Friends for nearly 10 years
because she just can’t stay away from the
phenomenal deals! Angela loves spending time
with her family, watching her boys play sports,
finding amazing bargains, and being a part of the
JBF team.
KATHY HANOVER, DESIGN ONLINE AND
BRANDING COORDINATOR
Kathy works with Just
Between Friends’ online
marketing software,
supporting franchise
owners by proofing and
approving marketing
materials for publication
and distribution. She
helps maintain branding
consistency and provide
a second set of eagle
46
eyes to make sure information is accurate. Her
degree in business administration and keen
eye for details help JBF stay looking pretty
and typo-free. Her professional background
includes work in the insurance industry and as
a part-time proof reader and typist during her
college days. Kathy’s strong organization skills
have made her invaluable at area sales events,
where she keeps the most organized workroom
you’ve ever seen. This has also served as a
model for other sales’ plans and processes. A
Tulsa native, Kathy has been married for over a
quarter of a century to husband, Kevin, and has
two wonderful sons. She is very active in her
church and loves spending time with her family
and traveling.
Special Projects Team:
DIANNE DAVIS
Dianne supports Just
Between Friends in
the areas of strategy,
marketing, meeting
and event planning,
and operations. She
has worked alongside
Shannon to position
Just Between Friends
for success since 2000.
Dianne’s expertise
comes from more than
25 years of experience
in corporate America in the hospitality and travel
industry. It was there that she learned skills and
strategies that allowed her to launch her own
business in 2000. In addition to JBF, she also
works with other corporations, organizations, and
associations in the areas of event production,
strategy, marketing, and public relations.
Dianne’s love for a challenge, coupled with her
strong industry relationships and never-say-
die attitude, make her a key component in her
clients’ success. She is a native Oklahoman,
and though she loves traveling the world for both
business and pleasure, she is always excited
to come back home to family—Richard, three
children, her precious
grandbabies Kennedi,
Kinslee, and Austin,
and her three best
rescue dogs Cooper,
Abby, and Maggie.
AUTUMN LEW
Autumn serves Just
Between Friends in
the areas of marketing,
communication arts
and design, and
executive team consulting. She utilizes her 25plus years of experience in the corporate and
independent design worlds to create messages
that communicate the fun of mind-blowing
savings to those who soon find the pure joy of
retail alternatives. Autumn loves using words and
imagery to reach people and make an impact.
She runs Graphic Minion Studios in Stillwater,
Oklahoma, where she and her hot husband and
two awesome kids (along with their two collie
rescue dogs) settled after a history of traveling
across the country (and before that, the world—
Autumn is originally from Manila, Philippines).
When she is not playing with her Mac toys, she
loves reading, running, cooking, and Netflix
binging. Her goal in design is simple: Do more
good.
47
FAQ
Everything you need to know about starting a Just Between Friends
franchise
Interested in becoming part of the “hottest ticket
in town” but want more information? Read on for
answers to frequently asked questions.
WHAT IS THE FRANCHISE FEE AND WHAT ARE THE
ONGOING ROYALTIES?
•
•
•
•
U.S. Franchises — $14,900 USD
Canadian Franchises — $16,900 USD
Royalties are 2%-3% of gross sales, less the
sales tax
Both the fees and royalties are much less
and average royalties of 6%-8% of gross
sales.
HOW MUCH CAPITAL IS REQUIRED TO OPEN A
FRANCHISE?
In addition to the franchise fees listed above, we
estimate you will need an additional $15,000 to
$20,000 in capital for materials needed to launch
your business.
WHAT DOES THE FRANCHISE SYSTEM INCLUDE?
Download our What do I get for my Franchise
fee PDF for a complete listing of what is included
with your franchise fee. The value will astonish
you! Highlights include:
• Owning and operating a well-known pop-up
consignment event
• Use of the name and trademark
• Branding and marketing tools
• Operations manual, proprietary procedures,
and online bar-coding system
• 100-square-foot color event banner
• Custom-built website design
48
•
•
•
•
Self-guided, automated, online consignor
registration
Team member scheduling module
Marketing tracker system
Corporate support and support from other
Just Between Friends owners who have
seen exponential growth in their territories.
HOW LARGE ARE THE TERRITORIES?
Just Between Friends territories are established
using statistical data supplied by our mapping
services provider, along with other key
demographic information.
• Territories are built around concentrations
of populations with families who include
children ages 0-10 living in the household.
• JBF errs on the side of generosity when
creating territories, as our main goal is to see
our franchisees have great success within
their territory.
DO I NEED TO LIVE IN THE TERRITORY WHERE I
HOLD MY JUST BETWEEN FRIENDS EVENTS?
Just Between Friends Franchise System Inc.
requires that at least one 50% owner live within
30 miles of the territory in which the event will be
held.
• Your success depends on building a core
group of customers and consignors within
your territory.
• Being involved and establishing relationships
in your territory and community is key to your
long-term success.
HOW MUCH MONEY CAN I MAKE FROM A JUST
BETWEEN FRIENDS EVENT?
Many factors go into determining how much
money a particular franchise will earn. We
provide some information based on the historical
performance of our existing franchisees in Item
19 of our Franchise Disclosure Document.
We recommend that you do some additional
research by talking to exiting JBF franchisees
and exploring costs in your geographic area
to make your own projections. Any financial
performance representations made in the
FDD or on this website reflect the historical
performance of existing franchisees. New
franchisee’s individual financial results may differ
from the results stated. Written substantiation for
the representations made on this Website or in
the FDD are available upon reasonable request.
HOW MANY HOURS DOES IT TAKE TO PUT AN
EVENT TOGETHER?
•
On average, a typical sale takes eight to 10
weeks of intensive planning, but we expect
our owners to work their business 20 hours
per week in the off season.
• This can be done while working around other
activities in your life.
• Part of the beauty of owning a JBF sale is
that you have flexible hours throughout the
year, with more time required during the
planning and sales event times.
The larger the event gets, the more time and
energy it takes and, generally, the more money
you make. Franchisees who work their business
a little each day have seen the greatest success.
DO I NEED TO HAVE EXPERIENCE TO OWN A JBF?
Experience is always helpful, but your
experience does not necessarily need to be in
consignment events. The JBF franchise system
is looking for candidates with a strong customer
service or sales background, organizational
skills, and computer literacy, as well as
candidates who are outgoing and friendly when
working with the public.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I AM THINKING OF HAVING A
BUSINESS PARTNER?
Many of our Just Between Friends franchises
are owned by more than one person. If you
are thinking of working with a business partner,
each 25% or more owner must go through the
application process.
WHAT DO I DO WHEN I AM FULLY PREPARED TO
OWN A JUST BETWEEN FRIENDS FRANCHISE?
•
Step One: Fill out an application online. Only
fill out an application if you are ready to move
forward with owning a Just Between Friends
franchise.
• Step Two: Please give complete, brutally
honest answers. We take every application
seriously, and any typos, blanks, or
incomplete answers could keep you from
being granted an interview. You can help
yourself by doing the absolute best job
possible.
• Step Three: You must sign a non-compete
agreement if you want further information
about Just Between Friends beyond what is
provided on this website. This non-compete
states that you cannot take this information
to start your own competing event.
• Step Four: You will be required to sign a
release allowing us to conduct a background
check, as well as providing us with a current
credit report and score.
Once Just Between Friends determines that you
are a candidate who meets our pre-established
ownership criteria, a JBF representative will
contact you to start you on the road to owning
your own consignment sales event.
49
Next Steps
What to expect in the Just Between Friends franchise application
process
When you fill out the “Request for Information”
form, we will immediately send you a welcome
letter detailing what makes “the hottest ticket in
town” unique and what you might expect in the
process of purchasing a Just Between Friends
franchise. Neither your submission of application
materials to us, nor our communications with
you should be interpreted as the offer to grant
you a franchise. These communications start
the information gathering process where we
find out more about each other. Our franchisee
evaluation process is detailed and involves
consideration of multiple factors. We give every
applicant careful consideration, but, for a variety
of reasons, not every applicant is offered a
franchise. Additionally, Some jurisdictions require
registrations of franchise offerings and specific
disclosures. If you are a resident of a U.S. state
or a country that regulates the offer and sale of
franchises, are receiving this message in one of
those states or countries, or intend to operate
a franchise in any of those states or countries,
we will not offer you a franchise unless and until
we have complied with any applicable pre-sale
registration and/or disclosure requirements in the
applicable jurisdiction.
Once you’ve read and signed the
confidentiality agreement included in
our welcome letter, we will have our first
conversation on the phone, which gives us a
chance to introduce ourselves, learn a little about
you, and answer a few questions. From there,
we’ll schedule a time to provide you with in-depth
information about the brand and to learn about
you.
50
We will go into specific detail about important
topics, including how we build territories,
population and demographic requirements, and
others. Once you have signed a Nondisclosure
Agreement, we will send you a venue research
guide to help you as you begin the process of
finding a suitable space to host your first event.
We will then provide you with our Franchise
Disclosure Document, and you will be required
to take at least fourteen (14) days to review
the disclosures and agreements. During this
time, we will make our final determination about
whether we are able to offer a franchise to you,
and, if so, we will provide you with a written
notice that your application for a specific territory
will be approved upon our receipt of your signed
agreements and initial franchise fees. Until you
receive this notification from us, you should
not assume that we have finally approved your
application and are offering to enter into a
franchise agreement with you.
Once you have submitted the executed
agreement and the required fees—
congratulations, you’re a Just Between
Friends franchise owner! You will enter the
comprehensive support system to help you get
ready for a successful first sales event in your
territory. Your first training session will be coming
up, and we will be excited to meet you.
Ready to start a conversation?

Why Consignment? - Just Between Friends

Transcription

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