Start a Winnie Couture Franchise in 2024

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $193K - $378K

Units as of 2021: 10 66.7% over 3 years

Winnie Couture is a gown outlet that sells high-quality bridal wear. Chris Lee, the chief executive officer, and his partner, Winnie Chlomin, the chief creative designer, started their company in 2007. Back then, it was a unique boutique in Beverly Hills, California. Now, it is a national franchise. The pair started franchising Winnie Couture's beautifully crafted designs in 2018.

Since beginning to franchise, Winnie Couture has opened several franchises throughout the United States.

Why You May Want To Start a Winnie Couture Franchise

As a franchisee, you'll be responsible for ensuring that you maintain Winnie Couture's high standards and good reputation. For many brides, their wedding day is one of the most important days in their life. Choosing the right gown is a big part of the experience, and as a franchisee, you will be tasked with helping them make the perfect choice.

Winnie Couture is looking for franchisees who want to be directly involved in their business. Naturally, this will mean that they have to work with brides-to-be and their families and friends. Therefore, a potential franchisee should be a people person, a good communicator, tactful, and cheerful. It may also be helpful for franchisees to be knowledgeable about the gown industry and have a background in running a business.

What Might Make a Winnie Couture Franchise a Good Choice?

Winnie Couture may be a known name in the wedding gown industry. The brand has designed dresses for celebrities including Jennifer Aniston, Kelly Clarkson, Helen Hunt, and Carrie Underwood. As such, opening a Winnie Couture franchise could offer a more predictable outcome than investing in a completely new brand that may struggle to thrive in an already crowded and competitive industry.

To be part of the Winnie Couture franchise 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 potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How To Open a Winnie Couture Franchise

Opening a new business is a big leap, so you should ensure that you are as prepared as possible. First, ensure that there will be a market for a Winnie Couture franchise in your chosen area. Bridalwear is a specialized market, so you need to check the demographics in your locality and see if there is competition.

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement with the Winnie Couture franchise, you must perform your due diligence. Establish if entering the bridal industry is the right opportunity for you. As part of your due diligence, you may want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the Winnie Couture franchising team questions.

A Winnie Couture franchise agreement usually runs for ten years. You should make sure that you can sustain your business over that time. The Winnie Couture brand may offer continuous support as you go through your franchising journey.

Company Overview

About Winnie Couture

Industry	Retail
Related Categories	Apparel & Accessories
Founded	2007
Leadership	Chris Lee, CEO
Corporate Address	9437 S. Santa Monica Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Social	Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2018 (6 years)
# of employees at HQ	20
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US.
# of Units	10 (as of 2021)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Winnie Couture franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$45,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$192,800 - $377,500
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$250,000 - $500,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$150,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	10% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	6%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Winnie Couture has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	10 hours
Classroom Training	54.5 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	No