Franchisees Fly High with Wild Birds Unlimited

by FBR

As the first and largest franchise catering to the backyard bird feeding hobbyist, Wild Birds Unlimited was founded on a simple idea that is reflected in their tag line: bringing people and nature together. It’s an idea that took root in 1981 with a single store in Indianapolis, IN. Today, Wild Birds Unlimited boasts over 300 franchises throughout the US and Canada.

Their success is in large part due to a franchise support system that is second to none in their industry. In fact, Wild Birds Unlimited has a staff of 38 people in their franchise support group who are dedicated to helping their franchise owners succeed. They will even customize their support to the goals of the franchise.

Franchisees receive assistance in creating a comprehensive business plan, selecting a store location, and negotiating a lease. They receive help with store layout and design. There is an eight-day intensive retail training course, sales training, point-of-sale training, and of course, comprehensive backyard bird-feeding training.

And this is all before you even open your door.

After opening day, WBU’s stellar franchise support continues. Franchisees receive retail support including your own business consultant, purchasing support, product evaluations so you know which products will add value to your stores, 12-month marketing programs with month-by-month support materials, merchandise education, market research, technical support, and even HR support.Add to this one of the lowest initial franchising fees in their industry, and you can see why they have experienced such strong and steady growth.

We Help Our Franchisees Succeed

Jim Carpenter, CEO of Wild Birds Unlimited, turned his passion for his hobby into a thriving business. And he wants to help others do the same. That’s why he keeps the franchise fees so reasonable and is committed to supporting his franchise owners in every aspect of their business. “Our business is really helping our franchisees succeed in their business endeavor,” says Jim.

As he sees it, he has an obligation to give franchisees the tools and the training they need to succeed. He wants franchisees to concentrate on keeping their customers happy. “We understand that every grocery store has bird seed,” says Jim. “What we try to do is provide a superior experience and encourage our franchisees to build loyalty by getting involved with their local communities, providing birdseed for fundraising, and working with nature centers.”

This attitude is reinforced by Wild Birds Unlimited’s commitment to their Pathways to Nature fund, which has provided over $700,000 to support education, conservation and wildlife viewing projects throughout North America since 1999. In addition, their Pathways to Nature for Kids helps children reconnect with nature and provides more than 400 young people with scholarships to attend summer camps at National Audubon Society Centers across the United States.

A Passion for Birds

Jim Carpenter sees the ideal franchisee candidate as having a passion for birds, nature, and people. And that description fits Bob Shanman perfectly. After 23 years of working for one of the largest engineering firms in the world, downsizing forced Bob to re-evaluate his career. It was then that Bob decided to turn his passion for bird watching into his business. And he hasn’t looked back since opening his Wild Birds Unlimited franchise 12 years ago.

Not that everything went smoothly for Bob.

As a first-time retailer, he made a few serious mistakes at the beginning. But he contacted WBU’s support group, and they immediately got him the help he needed to correct the situation. And because of the support he received, he was able to recover and thrive. In fact, he recently won Wild Birds Unlimited’s Lifetime Achievement Award. “It’s an unbelievably great group of people to work with,” Bob explains. “They are there to help you succeed because they know if you succeed, they will succeed. It’s really a big family.”