All work, All play; Here's a new one: the family that plays together stays … in business

Entrepreneur,  March, 2002  by Devlin Smith

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WHEN JAKE IS FEELING UNDER THE weather and can't go to preschool, his mom, Nicole Gulledge, brings him to work. But the 3-year-Old isn't sleeping under a desk or waiting for Nicole to get out of a meeting. Instead, Jake gets to hang out in a giant playground, the showroom his parents opened last spring when they brought the Woodplay franchise to Tampa, Florida.

With more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience between them, Nicole, 37, now sells Woodplay redwood play sets to families, day-care centers and housing developments, while husband Jason, 34, handles the on-site installation. After nine months in business, the couple is earning nearly $1 million in sales.

"It's a great balance, because we're not necessarily working together seven days a week in the same space," Nicole explains. "Jason is in the field, in the warehouse or meeting with developers, [and] I'm usually in the store."

In and out of the store, family comes first. The Gulledges start business at 10 each morning so they can eat breakfast together before taking Jake to school Nicole takes Fridays off and Jason has his Saturdays free, allowing each one-on-one time with their son. Sundays are family day.

Jake's play set itself symbolizes the Gulledge family's success in blending their personal and franchise lives. "It has a picnic table underneath, and Jason and I had dinner by candlelight on [it]," Nicole says. "It was just us adults enjoying the play set in a totally different aspect."

Start From the Bottom

LEARN HOW TO BE A FRANCHISOR BY BEGINNING AS A FRANCHISEE.

TRACEY WILLS WANTED TO BE A FRANchisor. She thought it would be a great way to expand her pharmacy and durable medical equipment business. Her next step? Become a franchisee. "I thought, what better way to learn about franchising than to buy one?" the 37-year-old explains.

Four years ago, Wills opened the doors to her Oklahoma City-based The Women's Health Boutique, a women's medical product retailer. The store sells items such as breast pumps, support garments and skin-care products. The boutique also carries prostheses, wigs and hats for breast cancer patients.

Prior to running her two businesses, Wills was a nurse, something she feels made The Women's Health Boutique a good match for her. "Any business that relates to your past experience is probably going to be an easier business for you to enter," she says. "The learning curve for me was probably not as steep as it would be for someone else."

Wills is still interested in franchising her business, but has no plans to let go of The Women's Health Boutique. "I'd still like to be a franchisee once I become a franchisor," she says. "My franchise [would be] in another line of business that would not compete with the boutique."

Even with-a medical background, operating two different businesses is hard work. Wills spends one day a week at the store and makes frequent visits, often discussing new products and clinical information with employees.

Though few of her employees have medical backgrounds, Wills says many have personal experiences to relate. "A couple of them have had breast cancer themselves," Wills says, "and therefore have a strong tie to the customers."

COPYRIGHT 2002 Entrepreneur Media, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning