Franchise brands of all kinds are constantly on the search for qualified new leads—and may shell out big bucks to find them. Wine & Design, however, has discovered a healthy pool of engaged, viable franchise prospects inside the doors of its studios in the form of its own artists and clientele.

The paint and sip franchise that was founded in 2011 and has since grown to more than 70 locations in 20 states, experiences a great deal of organic growth thanks to customers and artists who love the brand so much that they’ve decided they want to keep the party going.

Two such Wine & Design franchisees are Bailey Wilkinson and Terri Welch, who first came to know the brand as an artist and customer, respectively.

Wilkinson and her husband, Chris, own two Wine & Design studios in South Carolina, one in Myrtle Beach and the other in North Myrtle Beach, while Welch’s studio is in Christiansburg, Virginia.

Wilkinson was an art major at Coastal Carolina University when she first learned about Wine & Design. She was looking for a part-time job in the field when she came across a job posting on Craigslist for an artist at the brand’s North Myrtle Beach location. She started working there in 2013 while still in college.

“I loved the job so much, I began wondering how I could do it full time,” Wilkinson said.

Wilkinson went back to work at the North Myrtle Beach location after she graduated from college in 2015. Not long after, she and Chris learned that the Myrtle Beach market was up for grabs and wasted no time. About six months later, they purchased the North Myrtle Beach location from the existing owner with whom Wilkinson had a strong relationship. Today, Chris handles operations at the North Myrtle Beach studio while Bailey runs the Myrtle Beach location in addition to being its main artist.

“What sold us on the franchise was the branding,” Wilkinson said. “As a graphic designer, that was very important to me. As a high-end paint and sip concept, Wine & Design is very consistent in its branding and marketing is done very well. What also helped sell us was corporate support—the team was very communicative and took a hands-on approach when we said we
were thinking of opening a franchise.”

Thanks to her experience as a Wine & Design instructor, Wilkinson can relate to the artists at her studios.

“A lot of times, business owners have not worked in the industry their business is in, so I think that really helps me stay grounded,” she said. “I know what artists need and what problems they can run into with customers. I can absolutely relate to them and share my knowledge since I’ve been doing this for such a long time.”

An enthusiastic customer for two years prior to purchasing, Welch called her local Wine & Design studio in Christiansburg, Virginia, to book a private party in early 2016 when she was told the studio was closing for good.

“Before I even knew what was coming out of my mouth, I said ‘I’m going to buy it,’” Welch said. A few weeks later, she owned the business.

It wouldn’t be easy in the beginning, though—Welch had never owned a business before and the studio’s numbers did not look great, either. Despite the challenge, Welch plowed on and ended up growing her business by 200% the first year, prompting er to win the Wine & Design Market Growth Leadership Award at the brand’s annual conference.

Looking back, Welch is still thrilled she decided to purchase the Wine & Design location she loved so much as a customer and already has her sights set on the nearby city of Roanoke to open a second Wine & Design studio. In fact, she’s already been holding events in the city through the brand’s On Wheels program with her existing business to increase community
awareness.

“I love everything about the Wine & Design brand and all of the systems they have in place,” Welch said. “Anytime I’ve ever needed anything, I can call the corporate team and someone is always available to answer questions and give me clarity. I love that open-door policy. It’s awesome to be able to pick up the phone and talk to the CEO—you just don’t get that in the corporate world.”

Wine & Design is heavily entrenched in the communities in which it operates, so its no wonder so many artists and customers feel so connected to the brand. Each studio functions as an extension of the people within it, creating a sense of kinship that makes customers and employees alike want to be a part of something bigger.

“I firmly believe that is the single most important reason that my studio is thriving is due to the connections I’ve made in my community,” Welch said. “When people know you care about the community in which you live and work, they care about helping you and doing business with you. I just love what I do, and I love the people aspect of this business. I love that I can help other people with a business I enjoyed as a customer.”

The startup costs for a Wine & Design franchise range from $69,950 to $221,200. The franchise fee is $25,000. To learn more about franchising with Wine & Design, visit www.wineanddesign.com/franchise/.

By: Cristina Merrill

1851 – No Limit Agency