Franchisee Focus: Sweet Dreams & Reality as a Woman Combines Her Love of Baking with Business
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Today, you'll get an inside look at what's involved in becoming a franchisee through one Latina's perspective and experience.
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Let's get to Lucia Lubbock's story.
THE LITTLE BAKER
Lucia as a little kid enjoying sweets
Lucia Lubbock loved to bake as a child. Rice Krispies Treats were her favorite thing to make.
βIn my house, my mother and my dad, I donβt remember that they [cooked] at all. My mom didnβt like the kitchen.β
For Lubbock to be able to own a store full of sweets is something she never imagined possible.
The journey took turns she didnβt expect.
Lubbock says, βWhen [her daughter, Ximena] was six, [Ximena's] dad passed away.β Lubbock was left supporting her daughter and herself with help from her mom.
Lucia with her daughter, Ximena
INDUSTRY: Food (Candy), Retail Sales - Franchise
STARTED BUSINESS: October 2020
LATINO/HISPANIC CONNECTION:
Lucia Lubbock - Born in Mexico
Parents - Mexican
EDUCATION: CUIH (Centro Universitario de IntegraciΓ³n Humanistica β Bachelorβs degree in Hospitality
DREAM JOB AS A KID: βWalt Disney World. I wanted to be Mickey Mouse.β
BIGGEST GOAL YET: βI would love, love, love to open a store in Disney World.β
Lucia with chocolate-covered strawberries
LETβS DO IT!
Lubbock remarried seven years later. βWhen we were in Texas, we lived in the middle of nowhere.β
Thatβs when Lubbock was able to devote more time to her passion again. βI was always making cakes, chocolatesβ¦β
Her peanut clusters were quite the hit since she would send them to her husbandβs workplace.
βAt Christmas parties, everyone was expecting my peanut clusters.β
But when her daughter grew up and moved to Orlando, Lubbock missed her daughter terribly.
βOne day, I asked my husband, whyβ¦ donβt [we] move to Orlando? And he said, βYeah, letβs do it!β And I was, like, βReally?ββ
Lucia with her husband, Keith
WHICH FRANCHISE?
Her husband is the one who suggested they look into a franchise.
So, day and night, Lubbock would research franchises.
They seriously considered two other franchises before settling on River Street Sweets*Savannahβs Candy Kitchen.
And then they took the plunge.
Lubbock and her husband sold everything and moved to Orlando.
WHAT ITβS REALLY LIKE
βI thought it was just going to be like working for someone elseβ¦β
Instead, she says it turned out to be more of a team approach. She says the franchisor helps with all kinds of questions.
βIt can be something about the employees, about the chocolate, about, I donβt know, vendors. Anything.β
βI think if it was not a franchise, I would never do it. Because they took our hand and [guided] us, step by step.β
She says she and the other franchisees have meetings twice a week where they go through any issues, so everyone can learn from each other.
Lubbock says she also has a monthly meeting with the franchisor to go over any concerns and, of course, goals.
I asked her what the hardest part is about being a franchisee.
βJust the royalties every week.β
Thatβs because, no matter if she does a lot of business or has disappointing sales, every week, the franchisor takes a chunk of money, the royalties.
Lucia with chocolate S'mores
THE MONEY PART
Lubbock and her husband took out an SBA loan, in addition to using their savings, to become franchisees. She did not tell me how much they paid to secure their franchise.
But, according to the 43rd annual Franchising 500 issue of Entrepreneur magazine, the start-up cost to open a River Street Sweets*Savannahβs Candy Kitchen is between $474,100 to $920,500 and the franchise fee is $40,000.
The Lubbocks started with the loan process in May of 2019.
January of 2020, they were dealing with the permits.
Construction was supposed to start on March 15, 2020.
But then things came to a standstill when the pandemic struck.
Lubbock says, βI thought it was going to be, like, two weeks. And it was, like, two months.β
Then she got the call that threw everything into a tailspin.
AGAIN?
She was told, βYou need to do [it] all over again - to qualify for your loan. Again. We were like, βAgh!β I mean, we had already paidβ¦ engineers, contractors, lease, insurance, [a] lawyer, [the] franchise.β
βBy then, we were in a whole [lot of] debt. We owed alreadyβ¦ Everything was invested.β
Getting the store ready
NO FREAKING OUT
She didnβt freak out. Lubbock remembers, βI never cried. I was always positive that we were going to have it.β
Thankfully, they were approved again. So, finally, in October of 2020, they opened their River Street Sweets*Savannahβs Candy Kitchen franchise in Kissimmee.
Grand Opening Day arrives - Oct. 23, 2020
Because the pandemic was still raging, ββ¦ by the end of that year, we lostβ¦ [more than] $25,000.β
She says she worked for a year before she could write herself a check.
COVERED COSTS
Lubbock does say that many costs are paid, though. βThe gasoline is paid for by the store. My meals are paid by the store. My cell phone is paid by the store.β
She says, last year, their best month was July. βI thought, oh, we are super good. We are doing great. And then, September was, like, oh my God, why is this so bad?β
But, now, in February, sales have skyrocketed. βWe are doing the same amount that we made last July. So itβs something super good.β
YOUR TIME
But there is definitely a price she has to pay, in terms of a commitment in time, at least for now.
βPersonally, I donβt have days off. No days off. I just wake up and think about what I need to do.β
Finding and keeping employees, as is happening in many businesses, can also be challenging.
Lubbock says she offers them good schedules, shows empathy and tries to work with their needs. And itβs still difficult.
She gives an example of an excuse she heard from an employee in the past who told her, βIβm sorry. I canβt go to work because I broke a nail.β
Still, she loves what she does with all her heart.
Lucia with some chocolate goodies
YOUR PLANS VS. GODβS PLANS
Lucia when she had no idea her plans would become big plans
Lubbock points to a Facebook post she saw the other day. βThey were saying, your plansβ¦ and it was just showing like a little flowerβ¦ And Godβs plans? [It was] showing a lot [of] beautiful flowers.β
She truly believes Godβs plans for her were far bigger than her own plans for herself.
For Lubbock, who idolized Mickey Mouse as a kid, itβs a dream come true to have her shop three miles away from Walt Disney World.
And about that favorite of hers, Rice Krispies Treats?
βI used to make those Rice Krispies Treats, and now we sell them like crazy.β
Same goes for those peanut clusters that were such a hit at her husbandβs Christmas parties.
βAnd now we sell the peanut clusters like crazy, too.β
Lucia making her childhood favorite, Rice Krispies Treats
THE TIP JAR (tips passed out courtesy of Lucia Lubbock)
STARTING OUT: Lubbock says you need to do your research of potential franchises.
βWe went to Savannah, actually, to the storeβ¦β
She says, she and her husband met the franchisor and the franchisorβs family. βWe got an interview. They [showed] us all of β¦ corporate.β
Lubbock says you also need to pay attention to the franchising costs involved to make sure youβll be able to start seeing a return on your investment pretty quickly.
STEEPED IN SKILLS (mid-career): Lubbock believes that, if you have solid experience in any field, you should focus on that instead. βThen, they donβt need a franchise. I mean, they can just do it [on] their own.β
STARTING OVER: βI think that they need to be completely 100% sure that thatβs what they want to do.β
PRACTICAL APPLICATION: βItβs not the same to [make] 20 chocolates for a night with friendsβ¦β vs. making β200 chocolates in a day to sell, right? Itβs completely different.β
Lubbock points out that, in her case, she loves making chocolates. She enjoys it, no matter how many she has to make. Someone else may find it very stressful and not fun, especially if they have to do it every day.
IβLL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN: βI think that, if youβre going to open a business β I know every single store is different β but try to live as close as you can [to the store].β
PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Lubbock works ββ¦ from 10 to 7 every single day.β She says, if thereβs no traffic, it takes just 20 minutes to get to the store.
βIf thereβs traffic, sometimes, it takes us 1 hour and 15 minutesβ¦β
Also, sometimes, sheβd like to run home to eat something quickly and then go back to the store. She canβt do it. She says she lives too far away.
BEST ADVICE FROM βLA CASAβ/BEST βHOUSEβ ADVICE:
βWhen I was growing up, I was not sure what I wanted to beβ¦ both of them (her mom and dad) told me, 'If youβre going to be doing desserts, youβre going to be [the] best.'β
In other words, they knew, even before she did, that she would do really well making desserts and encouraged her.
Lucia (middle) with her mom (far left) and brothers and sister
NO NEED TO GO IT ALONE
HELP ON THE OUTSIDE...because we can all use a helping hand:
Video and Sales
If youβve been wanting to incorporate video into your marketing plan, but donβt know how, check out this FREE webinar from SCORE Orlando. According to the webinar description, online video content can help convert sales by up to 30%.
This Zoom webinar will show you not only which hardware and software youβll need, but you'll also learn how to make an effective video. Here are the details:
Saturday, March 5, 2022
10:00 a.m. EST β 11:00 a.m. EST
Virtual Webinar
FREE
https://orlando.score.org/event/power-video-marketing
WORKING ON THE INSIDE...because we know our culture has a hard time asking for help:
Racism in a Small Business Environment
This blog post shares fundamental strategies you can use to fight racism in a small business. From advising you to come up with a DE&I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) plan to cultivating an anti-racism culture to building a racially-safe workplace, the blog post is designed to give you the basics in dealing head-on with racism concerns.
https://www.score.org/blog/how-handle-racism-small-business
INSPIRATION FOR THIS ISSUE:
I always thought it would be cool to own a Dunkinβ Donuts franchise (Note: Thatβs not an endorsement. Thatβs just my wishful thinking.)
Thatβs also my love for their coffee that makes me think it would be a cool business to own.
Of course, I donβt make great coffee. I donβt even cook.
So I think any food or beverage-related business would be a bad fit for me.
But maybe it would be a great business for you.
Thatβs why Iβve been wanting to do a piece on franchising for a while.
Some franchises are, indeed, lucrative and do incredibly well.
Some, however, can be catastrophic for a franchisee.
Several years ago, I remember speaking with a franchisee [of a DIFFERENT franchise, not mentioned in this article and that I will keep nameless]. He told me that the franchise that he had been involved with, at one time, had a location in Times Square in New York. And he said, even that location in the middle of New York City, had trouble making money.
The franchisee told me he had to talk a fellow franchisee out of taking his own life because of how badly the business went for him.
I know thatβs a pretty extreme example. But that story stayed with me.
Thatβs why I wanted to do a deeper dive on franchises.
In Lucia Lubbockβs case, she cannot say enough good things about the franchise she owns, River Street Sweets*Savannahβs Candy Kitchen. She is happy with the franchise and recommends it (NOTE: Thatβs her opinion based on her experience. I, personally, have NO OPINION on this franchise, one way or the other).
I do think itβs important to make sure people interested in this type of business model do a lot of careful research to be certain it makes sense for them.
Franchises arenβt cheap. Many franchises require a lot of up-front money. There are some that do not. But, in either case, it is a business decision that can be life-changing, so the decision has to be taken very seriously.
If itβs something you have considered, I hope Lucia Lubbockβs candid thoughts and insights can be your springboard for more thorough research about whether a franchise is right for you. Good luck with whatever you decide!
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It's a family thing: Lucia's daughter, Ximena, now grown up & helping out mom on Grand Opening Day