NANCY BREAM’S STORY
Nancy Bream is the kind of person who just inspires confidence. Spend a few minutes with her, and you come away with the feeling that you are in very good hands. Her loyal TCBY customers no doubt feel the same way. Because for 11 years, Nancy has gone the extra mile to make their experience in her store a positive one. And that’s why they keep coming back for more.
Nancy never set out to be a franchise owner. But she loved TCBY, and thought that she could do much more with the store she frequented than the semi-absent owner. So she approached him about buying the store from him, and eventually got him to agree. Nancy says that she knew she would be successful from day one: “The store was in a great location in an appealing area of the city, and there was a loyal customer base that loved the delicious and healthy products. I knew that was a win-win situation.”
Nancy soon learned some valuable lessons on franchise ownership. For starters, she discovered that it’s very different – and maybe even harder than teaching high school – which was one of her previous careers. “You have to be conscious of what you can do to make it an experience for every customer,” says Nancy. Because she is so important to the overall customer experience, Nancy tries to spend as much time as possible in the store. “I love being there with my customers every day, and I think they appreciate that I’m so involved in the business. It just really works for me.”
She also discovered franchise owners need to act professionally – with their employees, with their customers, and with TCBY corporate. And open and honest communications is critical. “Owning a business is the American dream, just like owning a house. I’m in control of my own destiny, but I can never let my guard down. I need to act like a business owner at all times.”
The American dream is really paying off for Nancy. She and her recently retired husband are opening additional stores, and they’re bringing in a partner to help them manage everything, and ensure that they have plenty of time to spend with their grandchildren. But they’ll never be far from one of their TCBY stores. As Nancy says, “Owning a business always has its ups and downs. But there’s never been a day in 11 years as a TCBY owner that I didn’t want to come to work. I love people, and I want to make them happy. Being a TCBY owner lets me do just that. And I get to make money while I’m at it!”
