#133: Fashion, Affordability, and a Unique Experience: This Franchise Offers It All! with Lindsay Rando

Who knew that “a total lovely mistake” would wind up leading Lindsay Rando to co-found what is today a thriving boutique franchise? How did she find her way to co-founding Bobbles & Lace? By connecting the dots between things she has loved forever: People, fashion, unique expressions of personality and fun! All those ingredients together equal a marriage of affordability, high fashion and a truly unique shopping experience. It only made sense to take this “recipe for success,” which includes eight locations and counting in hot-spots around the Northeast, and offer it more broadly as a franchising opportunity. It’s a great model for entrepreneurs like Lindsay, a busy mom with her eye on multiple balls, to scale a successful business with minimal up-front costs and a strong local anchor to manage new locations.

The best part of Lindsay’s franchise vision is the way it embraces individuality – the hallmark of any memorable retail experience. Owners are encouraged to bring their own personalities and let their individual fashion sensibilities fly, but they’ve also got the benefit of support: A step-by-step playbook to help get a thriving boutique up and running. Lindsay has made the mistakes, so you don’t have to! And when you do have to navigate the inevitable missteps or when one of those balls drop? Forget being perfect, advises this 25-year veteran business dynamo. “You have to learn to be very forgiving of yourself,” says Lindsay, “and be okay with being okay.”

Here are key takeaways from the conversation:

·       Sometimes finding your passion project – the business of your dreams – means connecting the dots (and they may be dots that go all the way back to childhood)!

·       Franchising offers a great model for relatively low-cost, low-stress scalability.

·       Customer experience is everything when it comes to attracting and retaining patrons.

·       If you’ve got a solid, enthusiastic team in your home office, you’re putting your best foot forward when it comes to introducing franchise opportunities.

·       Feel like you’re dropping balls? You might try being okay with not being okay in all ways for all things at all times!

·       Getting no’s and making mistakes? Guess what? Be forgiving of yourself and then just keep on going!

Are you ready to find your true calling and walk away from your teaching job once and for all?

It is your time to get a solid grasp on the potential opportunities available to you so you can get started on your entrepreneurial journey and change your life!

Download your copy of this free, valuable PDF resource and access 20 different descriptive business ideas that are perfect for a teacher turning entrepreneur.

The Teacher’s Guide to Finding Your Perfect Business Idea (without going back to college)