Front Porch Mercantile: Introduction to Franchising and Running a Bricks and Mortar Shop

Front Porch Mercantile: Introduction to Franchising and Running a Bricks and Mortar Shop

Charlie Bradley Ross Monday, 1 January 2018

This is a 39 minute interview with Wendy Batten, the founder and director of Front Porch Mercantile, a retail store in North America selling beautiful, reclaimed furniture that you can buy fully upcycled with their own ethical paints.

Wendy is also a coach and works with two of the biggest ethical paint lines in North America. But even more impressive is that just five years in, Wendy had franchised the business and at time of recording, was opening store number three and four! Now known as Front Porch Lifestyle, Wendy and husband John share their coaching and professional photography alongside DIY inspiration.

In this Lesson, Wendy imparts wisdom on setting up a successful shop, and how to plan for franchising.


In this Interview you will learn:

  • Wendy's eureka moment for starting the business.
  • Why Wendy has such a passion for sustainability.
  • How they source their reclaimed products.
  • Who the target market is and how to get in front of them.
  • The steps to setting up a shop.
  • Top tips for building and running a bricks and mortar business.
  • The drivers behind Wendy's quick success.
  • An overview of franchising, and how it works for Wendy's business.

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