Taking a vision from concept to franchise

Tariq Farid didn’t start out trying to become a franchiser. He just hoped to start a successful retail business selling bouquets made from cut-up fresh fruit. But from its earliest days, Farid’s business had at its core what every successful franchise needs: a concept.

For a year before opening the first Edible Arrangements, in 1999, Farid worked on perfecting his idea of edible bouquets. He tested different fruit-cutting equipment to find what would best transform cut pineapples, honeydew, and cantaloupe into attractive flowerlike petals and decorative leaves. (And Farid knows his flowers: He started the first of four floral shops when he was 17.) He produced brochures and took his own photos to create mouthwatering shots for a website whose details he paid as much attention to as he did to the store itself. Most important, he says, he settled on a brand image well before opening day. “One of the best things I ever did starting out was hire someone to have a proper logo designed,” he says.

The back office wasn’t overlooked, either. Farid, a computer geek at heart, had previously built a software system for his floral stores. Using that know-how, he installed a system for Edible Arrangements that could track the status of online orders and would also record buying patterns, so he could follow up with smarter customer service.

A great example of someone who took a weird concept and turned it into a solid business model. I love reading about stuff like this!