Apricot Lane Boutique | 7
cessful,” he says.
Every month, they hold conference
calls with their franchisees, where they talk
about what’s working and what isn’t in their
stores. “When you bring in that varied back-
ground and experience level and you’re open
to that level of communication, it brings an
unbelievable level of strength and support to
the entire system,” says Petersen. “Besides our
corporate buyers, we have buyers attending
fashion markets all over the country – they
are called, franchisees and everyone benefits
from each other.”
Apricot Lane’s intensive training pro-
gram begins with ensuring the trainee is a
good candidate. Each prospective franchisee
must complete a DISC profile. The results
are compared against the “eagles” within
the franchise system. The brand’s real estate
team actively goes out and scouts locations,
and meets with potential owners to look
at real estate. Once a franchisee has joined,
they begin a home training programwherein
they are sent a computer, as well as manuals
and written tests, which they have to submit
back. “We’re going to teach them as much
as we can while they’re at home, working
around their schedules with work and their
families,” Petersen says.
Later, during corporate training, own-
ers go to Los Angeles for a day to meet the
company’s buyers in the local fashion district
to get a look into the industry. Amerchandis-
er is sent to their store once corporate train-
ing is completed, to assist with merchandis-
ing and setting up. “Once we leave that, 90
days after they open is our post-opening
training and that is where good habits are
being developed,” Petersen says. “We’re then
with them on an ongoing basis throughout.”
3
STRANDS GLOBAL
Giving back to the local community and
making a difference around the world is
critical to Apricot Lane Boutique. It is one