Author - Charles Willis

Top 10 Qualities of Successful Franchisees

Top 10 Qualities of a Successful Franchisee

There’s no such thing as a perfect business owner, but there are those who are more successful than average. While every successful franchisee has their own way of taking care of business, there are some common qualities they share. As a franchisee or any business owner, you can refer to this quick list to help keep your focus on the things that are going to affect long-term sales. 10. Stick to the Plan This is critical when opening your franchise business. In [...]

By   Jul, 18, 2017  Industry ,
Our first paint and sip franchise in Toronto, Canada

Upward Expansion: Pinot’s Palette Breaks International Boundaries

It Starts With Strategic Growth When we opened our first Pinot’s Palette® studio in Houston, our goal was simple: To own a fun business. Seven years later, we’re still having fun. But we’ve opened over 100 more studios along the way, and this week we’re entering new territory. Literally. We’re going international as our first studio opens in Toronto, Canada! We’re excited to be the first major paint and sip franchise in Canada. I think Canada and Pinot’s Palette have a [...]

By   Aug, 08, 2016  Updates , , ,

Quality Control Measures that Work

Advice Through the Grapevine from Charles Willis, CFE, Pinot’s Palette Co-Founder and President Every Pinot’s Palette location faces the same need for systems that ensure quality and a great customer experience. That’s why we came up with five quality control measures that help our franchisees across the country create great, consistent experiences that keep customers coming back. Net Promoter Scores Getting direct customer feedback is crucial, and we have a very simple method. We send all customers a follow-up email – the [...]

By   Sep, 04, 2015  Industry

Delegation: The Key to Harvesting Big Benefits for Your Business

Advice Through the Grapevine from Charles Willis, CFE, Pinot’s Palette Co-Founder and President I understand what it’s like to be a new business owner:  When Pinot’s Palette CEO and co-founder Craig Ceccanti and I opened our first franchise in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood in 2009, we had a lot to learn—primarily about letting go of the idea that we had to manage every small task of growing our business. Like parents who couldn’t bear to leave their newborn for even a [...]

By   Jul, 08, 2015  Industry
What is an FDD?

What Is an FDD?

The Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), mandated by the Federal Trade Commission, is the legal document presented to all potential franchise candidates a minimum of two weeks prior to signing the Franchise Agreement. While thorough, the FDD explains the Franchise Agreement in easy to understand terms and outlines the history of the franchise company. The purpose of this is to allow potential franchisees to do their due-diligence before deciding to sign an agreement. This document is broken out into 23 [...]

By   Jun, 20, 2013  Industry

The Microwave Theory – When Businesses Offer Services That Can’t Be Maintained

When Businesses Offer Services That Can't Be Maintained This is a story that I have told at almost every Pinot’s Palette Boot Camp, and it helps explain why we offer services that we excel at and not others. A young and aspiring pre-made sandwich shop concept began to receive requests from their customers to offer more in the restaurant. Since the company didn’t want to be seen as a non-customer friendly establishment, they decided to add the customer request that was [...]

By   Jun, 13, 2013  Industry

Mr. and Mrs. Right – Finding the Right People to Represent Your Company

I want to first say congratulations to our CEO, Craig Ceccanti, and his new fiancée Alexis Stephens on their recent decision to wed. Alexis has already been a part of the Pinot family for years now and we look forward to making it official. I wish you guys the very best. With this news I wanted to write about the right people, not in who you should marry, but who you should have representing your company. In the Paint & [...]

By   Jun, 07, 2013  Industry

Seven Daily “Must Do” Small Business Tips

We asked Pinot’s Palette President, Charles Willis, to share seven things small business owners should do every single day. Check out his leadership list below. 1. See the opportunity to make something better – Everyday something happens; good, bad, or indifferent. Accept it, and use this as a perfect situation to make sure it does (or doesn’t) happen again. 2. Pinch yourself – Because you are doing what you love, but remember it is hard work to maintain success and grow. 3. [...]

By   May, 08, 2013  Industry