Michelle Flynn of Fredericksburg, Virginia spent 15 years in the restaurant industry and in construction before franchising with Wine & Design. After a family friend opened their own Wine & Design studio in Charlottesville, and another friend opened a location in Richmond, Flynn felt inspired to consider franchising herself.
Flynn saw the market opportunity in Fredericksburg and dove in. “At the time, I had been working in an office with no windows for two years. I really wanted to do something fun where I got to interact with people and make people smile,” said Flynn. “I had looked into other concepts, but they were considerably more expensive and allowed me much less flexibility. Wine & Design was growing in my state and seemed to be doing pretty well. It seemed right and I jumped on it.”
Flynn’s Wine & Design is now in its fifth year of business, and she couldn’t be happier with the opportunities that business ownership has provided for her. “I was very much a novice business owner, but the team at Wine & Design afforded me so much help,” said Flynn. ”We are allowed so much creativity as franchise owners and as artists that work with our teams. It really is ‘Wine &
Design’—we are not boxed in to just painting. Anything creative that you can do while drinking a glass of wine and having fun fits into our box.”
As owners, Flynn went on to say that Wine & Design owners are given the freedom to diversify as much as they can. “The longevity of your business really relies on that adaptability to the market,” said Flynn. “I’m in my fifth year in business, and I owe our success to that flexibility to adapt to
new trends.”
Wine & Design franchisees aren’t even limited to the space their studio occupies. Flynn’s division often takes Wine & Design to-go to visit corporate campuses and small businesses for team building exercises. “We go to neighborhoods and apartment complexes and things like that with the Love Where You Live program,” said Flynn. “Recently we have added DIY, which is basically everything that is not painting. We do chunky blankets, and some studios do pottery, stained glass or cookie decorating. People are even doing succulent workshops. Your options are virtually endless. If you can make a workshop out of it, we can offer it.”
“I really love the small-business community mindset that we have,” said Flynn, who as a franchisee is encouraged to interact with the local community and other small businesses in the area. “We’re a big team and a big family. I think that family aspect is huge for me and something that I love and appreciate.”
Sheri Hill, Wine & Design’s Franchise Sales Manager seconded Flynn’s sentiments about the brand. “I would say our divisions that set us apart are all included with the franchise, and they allow our franchisees to provide more class offerings and projects for our customers of all different age ranges,” said Hill. “We’re not just a paint and sip concept—we also have that DIY
aspect.”
Hill also cited the training program and corporate support as another key differentiator for Wine & Design compared to other concepts. “Our training program touches on all aspects of the business,” said Hill. “We do a lot of virtual training before the in-person training at our corporate headquarters. We have monthly marketing webinars and a franchise advisory council just to be a second set of ears and eyes to help us with rolling out new projects or concerns from franchisees. The support of our corporate team is great, whether you’re looking for help on the business side of things, or just for ideas about how to be more involved in your community.”
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.www.wineanddesign.com/franchise/.
By: Allison Stone
1851 – No Limit Agency
