The Beehive Concept
Our mission, simply put, is to nurture the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of emerging designers and provide them with new markets and opportunities for their products. We feel that by doing so we enrich the local community by introducing one-of-a-kind, handmade products to the local marketplace, offering alternatives to the mainstream shopping experience, and connecting customers and local/regional artists and designers.
Beehive Co-op has achieved this goal for the past two years by being actively local, engaged in the community, and willing to provide support and growth opportunities to a wide variety of people. From the beginning Beehive Co-op was conceived of as more than one store. As we gained exposure and experience we felt the best way for us to grow was to plant local roots in each community. Since we couldn't immerse ourselves in every location, it made good sense for us to take the franchise system and use it to our advantage (we actually consider ourselves an "anti-franchise" franchise). By working with local owners we felt we could grow to become a network of innovative stores relatively quickly and then be able to further develop better resources and opportunities for the owners, the participating designers, and for our customers.
A franchise is defined as authorization granted to someone (the franchisee) to sell or distribute a company's goods or services in a certain area. The Beehive Co-op franchise is a 10 year contract, renewable by mutual agreement, during which time you are authorized to use the Beehive Co-op name and identity, operation methods and procedures, and marketing and promotional materials. In addition, a franchisee is required to pay a Royalty fee which provides the system with funds for on going research and development, systems improvement, and national advertising. Listed below you will find a brief outline of what is provided to you as a franchisee.
The Franchise Fee:
Design & Branding:
- Use of the name, trademark & logo.
- Comprehensive branding manuals and resources for the Beehive Co-op identity, store design,
fixtures, and display products.
Operation Methods:
- Policies, procedures, systems
- Comprehensive operation manual
POS System software and hardware. You are responsible for providing a computer.
Marketing & Promotions:
- A site specific website.
- Start-up advertising, marketing, and PR campaigns.
Training for you and whomever else you choose.
Start-up support:
- A dedicated contact person
- A step-by-step opening guide that will guide you through the process of opening a Co-op
- Assistance in hunting for the perfect location. Additionally, we will work with you to maximize revenue
streams within the capacity of your chosen square footage
Wholesale product consulting.
Royalty fee:
- On-Going Research & Development for Systems improvement
- National PR and Advertising Campaigns
- Local Advertising Templates
- Local PR Consulting (hourly limit per month)
- Local Web Consulting (hourly limit per month)
- Local Merchandising Consulting (hourly limit per month)
- Local Promotions Consulting (hourly limit per month)
The Beehive Co-op brand is strong and has received national attention. We are dedicated to growing this brand and partnering with owners all around the country and maybe even the world in order to achieve our mission. Our intention is to work with you and develop an active and evolving partnership. Each store will have its own personality by virtue of the distinct locations and designers involved, yet each store must reflect the standards, consistency, quality, and spirit of the overall brand.