Once Upon A Child

Once Upon A Child is a unique business model franchised by the Winmark Corporation. Established in 1984 and franchising since 1992, the franchise is one of the largest and most prevalent children's resale businesses in North America. They sell gently used clothes, books, toys, shoes, equipment, and much more. 

Once Upon a Child is a trusted dealer for parents with young and preteen children. By monitoring safety standards and recalls, the franchise checks its equipment, toys, and other products. It even trains its franchisees to focus on product safety. The franchise's sale system has a built-in pricing matrix that provides price quotes for items with a touch screen monitor. 

As you run your franchise, you'll be in charge of all operations in your store, from which you'll sell quality new and used children's apparel and kid fashion, equipment, toys, furniture, and other accessories.

Why You May Want to Start a Once Upon a Child Franchise

With considerable brand awareness driven by its stores, Once Upon a Child may be a fun business opportunity for any entrepreneur that loves kids' fashion and wants to be active in their community. 

The stores are typically located in strip malls and suburban centers and are usually several thousand square feet. As a franchisee, you are entitled to an exclusive territory around your store, which is usually a few-mile radius. However, the franchise uses mapping software to weigh such factors as traffic patterns, population density, and average household income to institute external territories' boundaries. 

Winmark, the parent company, tends to offer extensive support and training to store franchisees in various areas, including field operations, marketing and advertising, site selection, styles and trends, pricing, and business planning.

What Might Make a Once Upon a Child Franchise a Good Choice?

To be part of the Once Upon a Child team, you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

Even though the franchise brand is well-recognized, good returns are not guaranteed. Your franchise depends on your hard work, customer service, and attitude. You should continually strive to offer the best services and products to your customers.

How to Open a Once Upon a Child Franchise

The first step to opening your franchise is to get qualified. You can fill out and submit an inquiry form to get started. Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you'll want to take a close look at the competition and demographics in your area, especially since this franchise caters to families with young children. 

Be prepared with questions as you speak to existing franchisees and ask questions directed to the Once Upon a Child team. If your net worth and available liquid capital match the brand’s requirements, you may qualify to open a Once Upon a Child franchise, and you can get started with an initial investment.