How did you get into the industry?
For years I’ve wanted to own a business that could provide for my family. I had my eye on a boutique concept and in 2016 that dream became a reality as we opened The Gibson Co. as a way to connect community, local artists, and lovers of home decor.
Tell us about your franchise model.
Our franchise model is a fantastic way for entrepreneurs who are passionate about community to step into a business of their own. We have better strategies that are proven to work and our on-point organization makes it easy to operate a Gibson Co. franchise.
Where do you see opportunities or challenges in the business moving forward?
There have been opportunities and challenges throughout the years, but all have driven us to further success. Our current challenge is the state of the economy. The opportunity is to draw people together and make it easy for them to shop local and support small businesses and artisans. When patrons shop at The Gibson Co. they can feel great about directly affecting their local community — and thereby artists and their families — through their purchases. There are few other concepts that present this amazing type of synergistic opportunity.
What is your goal for the business moving forward?
Our focus on local communities will be a consistent vein that runs through our franchise network. Our goal is to build a family of successful families in different communities. We want to create a supportive community of like-minded entrepreneurs who all share in the success of The Gibson Co.
What are your unique points of training and support?
Our franchisees will experience close, hands-on support from the very first day of ownership. From there, they have access to our strategies, processes, procedures, software, and systems that have made us who we are today. We have taken the past two years to form our in-depth operations manual to include every step needed to troubleshoot any obstacle that could possibly arise and to make operations as straightforward as possible.
Describe a difficult moment in your franchise journey.
One of the most difficult moments in our franchise journey thus far has been navigating a tricky economy. If anything, this has driven us towards innovation where we can be creative and find new ways to reach our clientele and make each shopping experience exceptional.
Define your Franchise Model:
A. Training and Support Model?
Training kicks off at our location followed by hands-on training at the franchisee’s location. We provide ongoing support throughout the life of the franchise. Our franchise partners will have hands-on involvement from start to finish.
B. What is the Fee Structure?
Franchise Fee: $30,000 one-time fee
Royalty Fee: 5% of annual sales
C. Territory Definition?
We strive to be hyper-local and outline our territories accordingly. All franchise partners gain an exclusive territory with a population of approximately 100,000 people.
What does your franchisee do in the business every day?
Our franchise partners will be working on the back end of the business, vetting vendors, scheduling staff, doing payroll, and other necessary operational tasks. They also have the opportunity to exercise their creativity and have fun. For example, they may be dreaming up themes for upcoming seasons.
Describe the ideal franchisee.
An ideal franchise partner for The Gibson Co. will be a go-getter and a never-quitter. The family or individual who owns this boutique must be passionate, people-oriented, and driven. They will need to enjoy hands-on learning and a fast-paced environment.
What are your goals for your company in the future?
We would love to see one to two The Gibson Co. franchises in every state across the US!
Thank you to Clarissa Gibson for conducting this interview. For more information about The Gibson Co.’s franchise opportunity, visit their franchise page at www.shopthegibsonco.com/pages/market.