Winmark Corp. announced the launch of Winmark Franchise Partners, a consultancy for entrepreneurs and management teams looking into franchising as a business growth strategy
The parent company of Play It Again Sports, Plato’s Closet, Once Upon A Child, Style Encore, and Music Go Round has a 30-year history in the franchising business.
Winmark Franchise Partners is also seeking emerging brands that have begun to franchise, hit a wall in growth and would benefit from fresh eyes to provide direction and support. Winmark Franchise Partners expands upon traditional consulting services to also offer investment capital for select proven, sustainable business models.
“So often, great emerging franchise concepts stay emerging and either fail or never grow beyond 100 units,” said Steve Murphy, president of franchising at Winmark Corporation. “For these entrepreneurs and emerging franchisors, there is limited human, financial and intellectual capital to assist them in overcoming these obstacles. With our long history, we’ve experienced first-hand the successes, challenges and opportunities franchisors face throughout their lifecycles. This is why we decided to launch Winmark Franchise Partners. We have a strong reputation in franchising, and have the knowledge and expertise to help these entrepreneurs and emerging franchisors and are looking to partner with the right concepts that we believe have the power to grow through franchising.”
Winmark is a franchisor, generating over $1 billion in system-wide revenues annually. Winmark has spent the last three decades establishing a track record of success and credibility through its first five clients – Plato’s Closet, Once Upon A Child, Play It Again Sports, Style Encore, and Music Go Round. As of April 1, 2017, these retail brands collectively have nearly 1,200 franchises in operation across North America. Winmark Franchise Partners was developed to partner with other businesses and emerging brands to help them find their path to similar success.
To help spearhead Winmark Franchise Partners with Murphy, Winmark Corporation announced this past January the appointment of Alan Majerko to vice president of corporate development for Winmark Franchise Partners. Most recently Majerko served as director, emerging brands with Buffalo Wild Wings. Prior to this he was with Great Clips for 12 years in marketing, financial analysis and franchise development roles.
“What’s great is that we can be creative in how we work with concepts,” Majerko said. “Before we even begin an engagement, we first want to spend time getting to know the entrepreneur and the concept better. Having a better understanding of the business owner and their personal goals and objectives will allow us to provide the right partnership solution that best fits their needs. We are focused on finding entrepreneurs or management teams who need help and would value direction from our deep and talented corporate team.”
