HISTORY: In business since 1995, began franchising in 2009. Framed art in every home and office; it is a seven-billion dollar/year industry, but that is just the tip of the iceberg, because most people have never done custom framing and we see that as a huge untapped market waiting to be served and here is why.
We live in an image-conscious society; we dress for success and we want our homes to be warm and inviting. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the art we have hanging on our walls has a lot to say about our lifestyle and our values.
So, why haven’t more people done custom framing? It’s human nature that we enjoy doing things that are easy and fun, but avoid doing things that are difficult and/or painful. This industry is fragmented and it uses an antiquated production and distribution system, involving many layers of middlemen, each taking a profit and ratcheting up the price.
Fancy Art, *NFP has developed new concepts and innovations that change that. Our patented racking system allows us to display thousands of frame samples when most shops have only a few hundred. We have a proprietary order management system that makes it easy for the customer to choose and make changes until they get it perfect to their taste and budget; it’s like a Build-A-Bear Workshop™ for grownups.
Then, our hub and spoke business model allows the orders to be uploaded via the internet to our production facility where most of the work is done; the frame, the matting and the glass are all fabricated to the order specifications and then returned back to the franchisees shop, where the final fitting and delivery is made to the customer.
This gives us economies of scale that can’t be beat. By dealing direct with manufacturers and eliminating the waste and inefficiencies, we are able to offer our customers a competitive advantage, as well as the greatest selection and the highest quality. Once the customer discovers that they can create their own personal masterpiece at an affordable price, they want to repeat the experience over and over again.
INVESTMENT: $101,000 - $203,000 total investment; SBA and third party loans available to qualified candidates.
TRAINING/SUPPORT; Prior to store opening new franchisee orientation and training takes place for one week at our corporate headquarters and covers all aspects of running the business as well as on going support from the local Hub (Area Facilitator). Area Developer/Facilitator will receive an additional three weeks of training.
QUALIFICATIONS: Strong people skills, business/management or retail background is a plus. Financially stable and the desire and aptitude to learn and implement a proven system.