When most people think of hobby stores, they imagine model airplanes and train sets. But what about the 66 million people that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says venture outdoors to spend their free time feeding birds and watching wildlife?

Since 1981, Wild Birds Unlimited has focused on catering to the interests and needs of those nature hobbyists. WBU franchisees occupy a bird-feeding market worth $4.3 billion a year, offering bird-feeding and wildlife-watching enthusiasts with supplies and resources while simultaneously encouraging nature appreciation and environmental preservation.

But they do more than encourage. As part of WBU�s Pathways to Nature conservation fund, which is co-sponsored by the national Fish and Wildlife Foundation, each WBU store donates part of its proceeds to fund education, conservation and wildlife-viewing projects at refuges and parks.

As a dispenser of information and the exclusive source for special bird-feeding products, Wild Birds Unlimited maintains a community presence that is enhanced by its partnerships with groups such as the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Bird Studies Canada, the Canadian Wildlife Federation, the Organization for Bat Conservation and the American Camping Association.

 

Investment Required
The fee for a Wild Birds Unlimited franchise is $18,000. The fee for an additional store is $9,000.

Wild Birds Unlimited provides the following range of investments required to open your initial franchise. The range assumes that all items are paid for in cash. To the extent that you choose to finance any of these expense items, your front-end investment could be substantially reduced.

 

On-Going Expenses
Wild Birds Unlimited franchisees pay a royalty fee equal to 4% of gross sales, a local advertising fee equal to 2% of gross sales, a regional and local advertising co-op fee equal to a maximum of 2% of gross sales, an advertising fund fee equal to 0.5% of gross sales (maximum of $2,500 a year) and an annual fee for point-of-sale software.

What You Get�Training and Support
Right off the bat, WBU franchisees benefit from one-on-one field consulting and are given site-selection and lease-negotiation assistance. Online forecasting tools provide checklists for site selection, and WBU staff review the age, income, family-type and lifestyle demographics of proposed locations. Training covers store operations as well as the retail industry � topics such as floor-plan layout, marketing, purchasing, human resources, finance, information systems and trends.

Before a store�s opening, a customized financial plan is prepared with franchisees, and after opening, support continues through yearly visits from a regional consultant who reviews the franchisee�s operations.

Online, WBU franchisees can access sales summaries, operational and product news and marketing ideas, in addition to order customized materials and supplies. Each location is also given a Web page with a link from the franchisor�s main site. Additional learning opportunities are also online, including product updates, nature education and customer-service resources.

Franchisees also receive regular updates on marketing and product development. Print advertising, online information  and partnership development is customized for franchisees� markets and marketing guides, direct mail, print advertising, newsletter templates, display suggestions, public relations and education-outreach ideas, special purchasing programs and trend updates are season-tailored. WBU also prepares ads, in-store signs and in-store video presentations for franchisee use.

Every month, WBU conducts a financial analysis comparing sales figures from all WBU stores to help franchisees understand the market and gauge their performances. A financial forecaster tool is also available, as are special services for handling backroom management, cash flow, operational issues, multiple-store management and store transfers, human resources and visual merchandising.

A human resources system helps train employees and includes advice about recruiting, selecting and training employees, while store-manager training consists of optional reading, projects and discussions at WBU�s franchise support center. To build knowledge about the interests of WBU customers, a self-administered bird-feeding specialist program is offered in print or on CD-ROM and covers the basics about the hobby and WBU�s core products.

A toll-free phone line and e-mail communications are other sources of assistance.

Territory
Wild Birds Unlimited grants exclusive territories.