Candy Bouquet Intl. - Margaret McEntire - Food and Drink - Schofield Media Chicago

“I’m like a kid in a candy store every day,” founder and CEO of Candy Bouquet Intl. Margaret McEntire says. “It is just so much fun coming to work here, because we all have a blast.”

For a company that calls itself the world’s biggest candy store, it’s no surprise that employees enjoy their work. But, when McEntire first started the company in 1989, it was not quite as easy as pie. Even through two unsuccessful partnerships in the first couple of years, however, she wasn’t ready to give up. “I figured I was already this far in debt, that I might as well keep it up by myself,” McEntire says. “I just knew that winners never quit, and quitters never win. I kept telling myself that the best key to business is persistence.”

So, the Little Rock, Ark.-based candy franchise persevered and began growing exponentially, McEntire says. “I bought an old, abandoned blue jean factory in Little Rock to build our distribution center, and we just grew from there,” McEntire says. Only six years after its inception, the company entered the international market.

Today, it develops its own flavors of candy – including buttered popcorn and cranberry sauce – and partners with an upscale chocolate manufacturer to produce private-label truffles and other candies, McEntire says. Its bouquets of candy are packaged to resemble exotic flower arrangements, she adds.

Flexible Franchise
Candy Bouquet is a franchise operation, but the way it operates is anything but traditional. Franchise operators are allowed a high degree of flexibility, and are even able to work out of their homes – without paying any royalties. “They are required to buy a lot of products from us, but we’re giving them the best deal that we can,” McEntire says. “Franchisees also know exactly what their operating cost will be every year. They’re not looking at corporate like we’re gouging them on costs.

“In a cash-tight business like this, if we don’t charge a royalty, it encourages people not to cheat,” she continues. “Because, if a store has $500 in cash today, they can put it in their back pockets if they want to. But, if they know we’re not charging anything, they don’t have to hide their income. It’s an interesting away to do business, but it works well for us.”

The biggest advantage to operating this way is that all employees and franchisees become involved in new-product development. “We have a great crew of extremely creative people,” McEntire asserts. “Franchisees are always calling us to spread their ideas. We get calls and e-mails all the time – this is where we get our best ideas.”

McEntire says franchisees come from all walks of life, ranging from former lawyers to stay-at-home moms.

Training Day
With hundreds of franchisees operating 1,000 stores, approximately 30 to 40 percent are home-based operations. In the required five-day training period, home-based operators get extensive training in advertising and marketing. “They have no visibility, but it all depends on how they approach marketing challenges,” McEntire says.

“The training program in general is very intense,” she adds. “There is homework every night, but they come here to learn about all kinds of business aspects. We also teach them how to go after corporate accounts and use our online training program. Franchisees can make whatever they want out of this business, and it just turns out that most people want to be successful.”

Many of the home-based franchisees operate kiosks in malls, and others sell bouquets in hospital gift shops on a consignment basis. “I talked to one home-based franchisee who had already paid all the fees back, and she’s only been in business for less than a year,” she adds.

Community Focus
The organization strives to be cognizant of the needs of its headquarters’ community. In fact, the profits from bouquets created at its headquarters go straight to charity. “My sister runs a school for children with disabilities, so we donate a lot of money to them,” McEntire says. “We also donate to the children’s hospital nearby, and participate in church raffles. This is a great way to gain more exposure, also.”

And, when McEntire noticed many young warehouse workers struggling to pay their way through college, she developed a scholarship program. As long as students maintain a B average and work at least 30 hours per week for Candy Bouquet, she will pay their tuition in full. “I have put 37 kids through school since we started the program,” she says.

As a result, she says, the warehouse is operating better than ever. Even in a survey among franchisees – where distribution centers are often criticized – not one person complained, McEntire asserts.

However, the most common complaint from new employees has little to do with the success of the business in general. “Just about every employee seems to gain a bit of weight here,” she says. “That is the one downside to this business. But, people are starting to look at life and realize what’s important. They want to do something that makes them money, but they also want to have fun – and there’s nothing more fun than this.”

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