Candy Bouquet News Room
Featured Stories
Bonny LeVine Award
Franchising World Magazine
This award was created in 1994 in memory of esteemed IFA member and Postal Instant Press co-founder Bonny LeVine in recognition of her outstanding accompishments in franchising and of ther staus a s a role model for women in the franchising community. The Bonny LeVine Award is bestowed upona female franchisor or franchisee who has demonstrated ability in franchising as evidenced by her contributions to the growth of the business; contributions through her community through board positions, volunteer work and activities that promote the professional advancement of women; and, of course, her contributions as a mentor to women in franchising.
Margaret McEntire,
President and CEO, Candy Bouquet International, Inc.
The woman who received IFA's award for mentoring laughs when she recalls the support, or lack thereof, that she got when she started her own business. "When I started, not only did I not have a mentor, but most people thought I had lost my mind," says Candy Bouquet founder Margaret McEntire. "In fact, I had very little support until I had 175 stores and won the Business Woman of the Year Award in Arkansas," she says good naturedly.
Without benefit of a mentor or even prior experience (her previous two attempts at business ownership failed due to her partner bailing out on her), McEntire built her Candy Bouquet franchise to its current 510 stores in 37 countries and 49 states. It was an experience that made a lasting impression, and that formed the basis of her franchisee training program.
At the core of her business philosophy is taking care of the company's franchisees. Although her franchisees, 95-plus percent of whom are women and minorities, are spread around the world, McEntire maintains personal contact with each one, taking phone calls and answering e-mails personally when they have questions or want to talk about the business.
One franchisee wrote to her, "Just a small thank you for sharing your ideas and helping women all over the world." Another wrote, "I know how busy you are and yet you always make time for us and all our questions or problems."
"My most precious commodity is my time, and if that's what I'm giving, then I'm giving something very valuable in order to make a difference in someone's life," McEntire says of her hands-on leadership approach.
McEntire has some advice for professional women in franchising. First, she says women ought to "listen to learn, but then form your own opinions." Second, McEntire says women sometimes need to seek out their mentor, rather than wait for one to come to them. This is a preaching that she practices in her own career. Fresh out of college, McEntire wanted to put her new degree to use teaching children with disabilities. But, because there was no school for such children in Fayetteville, AR. where she lived, she wrote a grant and started one of her own.
"I didn't know what I was doing, but I knew I wanted to do it, so I sought out people who could help me," McEntire says. She found her mentors in a local priest, a preacher and a school board president, who she says knew the people, the connections and had the know-how to make her goal a reality.
McEntire's mentoring benefits not only the women in her company, but the community around her. She developed a concept called Rebuild America From Within, the goal of which is to infuse capital into inner cities across the U.S. by establishing franchised businesses there. McEntire also developed a college tuition reimbursement program for her employees, as well as a welfare-to-work program. One young employee with two small children has proudly left the welfare role and will enter college in the fall, thanks to the program.
In addition, McEntire's Teach a Man to Fish Program helps adults with disabilities find meaningful work experiences by encouraging her franchisees to hire them as employees. These individuals receive on-the-job training and paychecks, and raise funds for the organizations that provide housing and assistance to them.
Mentoring is important because it changes the world," McEntire says emphatically. People in the US get obsessed with money, but as you get older, you start to think, ‘what am I going to leave my kids?' Yeah, I can leave them money, but why not leave them much more? You could make a lot of money and give it all away, or you could help somebody and change their lives forever," she says.
"My son wrote a paper for school called 'My Mom The Lunatic' about how I started my company, but the last line was, ‘...and I hope I turn out just like her.' It brought tears to my eyes," McEntire says proudly. For her, that's what mentoring is all about.
For more information on the franchise oppotunities available, click here.