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Frequently Asked Questions About a Happy & Healthy Franchise Opportunity
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1. Who is Happy & Healthy Products and how long has the company been in business? Happy & Healthy Products, Inc. (H&H) has been in business since February 1991. We are the national franchisor for the fantastic product which we produce called Fruitfull®.Fruitfull® is the most amazing, delicious, frozen fruit bar in the world. It is absolutely loaded with huge chunks of fruit. (Please review our website to learn more about our wonderful products.) We are a national company. Our headquarters are in Boca Raton, Florida and the factory is in La Habra, California. We distribute Fruitfull® through our franchisees currently in select states and we are continuing to expand our product distribution by selecting qualified Fruitfull® franchisees in areas where distribution is needed.
2. What is a Fruitfull® franchise? A Fruitfull® franchise is primarily a wholesale business. Basically, franchisees wholesale Fruitfull®, Happy Indulgence® Decadent Dips™ and Be Happy and Healthy™ Snacks, Breads and Cookies to locations such as hospitals, colleges and corporate cafeterias to name just a few. The frozen products are displayed in either a custom Fruitfull® freezer or placed in the store’s own conventional freezer (like at an account such as a convenience store.) Non-frozen items are displayed in attractive racks. Furthermore, with a Fruitfull® franchise, there is a second opportunity to increase sales. How? Franchisees can also sell Fruitfull® themselves while participating in the many retail events (such as fairs and festivals) that go on throughout the year.
3. What do you mean by a custom Fruitfull® freezer?
H&H offers custom display freezers to our franchisees. You loan your freezer to a wholesale location to stock and display the product. Because you are wholesaling the product, it is basically sold when it is delivered. The personnel at that location takes care of selling the product to the ultimate consumer. The freezer acts as the advertising medium or “silent salesman” for the product and draws consumers over to it.
4. Is it necessary for me to have previous experience in the frozen novelty or ice cream business? How about experience in the wholesale business? Absolutely not. Happy & Healthy Products, Inc. carefully screens applicants to select hard working, ambitious decision makers. No experience is necessary. We train you and set up your initial wholesale accounts. We guide you as you build your business, every step of the way.
5. Can just anyone become a Fruitfull® franchisee? No. We at H&H feel that both the product and its quality, along with the franchisee and their service are equally desirable features of our program. That is why Fruitfull® is not available to everyone who may want to handle it. H&H only accepts franchisees who meet the qualifications we feel best match our program. We feel that our franchisees are a part of our “Fruitfull® family”.
6. How much is the investment to get my business up and running? H&H offers five different investment levels. Retail Only Franchise, which allows you to only retail Fruitfull®. This investment includes a custom Fruitfull® freezer, one pallet of Fruitfull® and a watermelon cart which you would use at special events such as fairs, festivals and sporting events to retail Fruitfull®. Only a few franchisees have started at the Retail Only Level. Almost all of our franchisees have started at the next two levels with approximately half at each level. These franchises allow you to not only retail Fruitfull®, but also, to wholesale the bars to accounts such as health clubs, gourmet food stores and universities. Standard Wholesale/Retail Level Franchise includes 10 custom Fruitfull® freezers, 2 pallets of Fruitfull® and one week of field marketing and training where you will secure a guaranteed 10-15 accounts. Grand Wholesale/Retail Level Franchise, which is an expanded version of the Standard Level. You will receive 20 custom Fruitfull® freezers, 2 pallets of Fruitfull® and 2 weeks of field marketing and training where you will secure a guaranteed 20-30 accounts. Super Grand Wholesale/Retail Level Franchise includes 30 custom Fruitfull® freezers, 3 pallets of Fruitfull® and 2 weeks of field marketing and training where you will secure a guaranteed 30-40 accounts. Premium Wholesale/Retail Level Franchise includes 50 custom Fruitfull® freezers, 3 pallets of product and 2 weeks of field marketing and training where you will secure a guaranteed 30-40 accounts. H&H highly recommends anyone who is considering running their business on a full-time basis or has partners, to at least invest in the Grand Wholesale/Retail Level. Click here for a complete breakdown of the five different investment levels.
7. What are the best wholesale accounts? That’s easy - any place that sells Fruitfull®! Actually, Fruitfull® can be sold in almost any location you can imagine. We feel you will never know what your best account will be until you give a location a try. Examples of some of the best accounts of our current franchisees include: hospitals, colleges, health clubs, military bases, corporate cafeterias, hardware stores (yes - hardware stores!), gas stations, ethnic markets and video stores. Click here for a list of potential wholesale accounts. Any of these locations, as well as the many you can think of on your own, has the possibility of being your number one account.
8. I have no sales experience. How will I get my initial wholesale accounts? That’s no problem. Many of our franchisees have little or no sales experience. As part of the Standard Wholesale, Grand, Super Grand and Premium Level Franchises, Happy & Healthy Products, Inc. will send a highly trained marketing consultant to spend a week (or two at the Grand, Super Grand and Premium Level) training you in your immediate area. They will physically go out with you and set up your initial wholesale locations - either 10-15 at the Standard Level, 20-30 at the Grand or 30-40 at the Super Grand and Premium Levels. They do not leave until at least the minimum number of locations are signed.
9. How is H&H able to get quality accounts? We believe that we get the best accounts in every market for four reasons:
10. Will I learn how to get additional locations in order to expand my business? Yes. While the marketing consultant is establishing your initial accounts, they are also teaching you how to get locations on your own, so you will have the ability to expand your business. We offer a systemized format that makes getting accounts on your own easy. Your marketing consultant will teach you all the elements of this program. It is an unbeatable program - a tried and proven process that works! Remember, H&H is in this business to help you sell fruit bars.
11. Will I receive additional help after the marketing consultant leaves town? Definitely! A Happy & Healthy Products, Inc. franchise offers you an excellent opportunity to be in business for yourself without being in business by yourself. Therefore, if you are selected to become one of our franchisees, our entire staff and your fellow franchisees will always be available to answer any questions that you may have.
12. What other services can I expect from Happy & Healthy Products, Inc.? Currently, H&H sponsors either a 3-day Convention or a 2-day Winter Symposium every year for the benefit of our franchisees (we switch every other year). The main purpose of either the Convention or Symposium is to help franchisees learn new and better ways to operate their Fruitfull® franchise and to develop strong ties between H&H and our franchisees. We also are continuously updating our website to keep all franchisees up-to-date on current events and for the franchisees to trade information and ideas with one another. In addition, we are always working on new marketing materials and ideas as well as developing new products. Got questions? We are never more than an email or a phone call away.
13. I currently have a full-time job. Can I work this business on a part-time basis or is a full-time commitment necessary? If selected, you could start full-time, but we actually prefer our franchisees to start part-time and ideally build to a full-time business. As stated earlier, we recommend anyone who wishes to start full-time to invest in the Super Grand or Premium Level Franchise. However, it is possible to start at any level and build to a full-time business. Or, if you prefer, you can keep your business part-time forever.
14. Once the business is started, how much time is necessary to run it? That is one of the best things about this business. It can be totally adapted to your schedule. You can put in as little or as much time as you want. Our franchises offer the benefit of being in a business where you basically “get out of it, what you put into it.”
15. Can I work from my home? Yes - almost always. In fact, the vast majority of our current franchisees do work from their homes.
16. Who do I purchase my Fruitfull® bars from? All orders for Fruitfull® are placed online through H&H’s corporate offices. H&H arranges transportation for all shipments of Fruitfull®. Generally, new shipments are available every week.
17. Where do I store the fruit bars? Usually, H&H ships the product to a local commercial cold storage that is convenient to you. You then pick up your product on an as needed basis. Speaking about the product... when you attend one of our area Workshops, you will not only have the opportunity to taste Fruitfull® while you are there, but also, you will leave with a box filled with our fantastic product so that you can share it with your family and friends. You will love Fruitfull®.
18. How do I service my accounts? You simply pick up product at your commercial cold storage and deliver the product once a week to your wholesale accounts. Your service to your customers is as important as the product itself; therefore, H&H’s marketing consultants will spend a considerable amount of time teaching you how to properly service all of your accounts on a timely basis.
19. Do I need a freezer truck or van to do my deliveries? No, but a vehicle of some sort (like a car) is necessary. Most of our franchisees start delivering product using their existing family vehicle. Many franchisees gradually build to larger delivery vehicles, such as a van, as their businesses grow. We explain how this works at our Workshop.
20. Does H&H have any materials that will help promote the product at wholesale locations? Lots! H&H prides itself on the amount of extremely colorful, eye-catching and informative point of sale materials that we offer. The POS material helps direct the consumer’s attention to the product either inside the Fruitfull® freezer or in the account’s own conventional freezer. The marketing materials include (but aren’t limited to) posters, fliers, nutritional brochures, flavor board signs, umbrellas, parrots, flags, shirts and much more. We have also implemented a new Fruitfull® Fun Flier program, which we post on our website for downloading and printing new fun fliers for franchisees to display at their accounts. Each month, you can visit our website at www.happyandhealthy.com and check out the new Fruitfull® Fun Fliers for that month in the “What’s New” section of our website.
21. What about the watermelon cart? Do I need that to participate in the many events that go on in my area? We think so! Retail events are the most fun part of the business, and they can be very profitable. And, the great thing is that the whole family can participate, from the kids to the grandparents. The watermelon cart can also be used at company picnics, fund-raising activities and/or on loan permanently to a large account such as an amusement park. However, we have made the watermelon cart kit an optional piece of equipment (except for the Retail Only Franchise) that you can either purchase now or hold off until you decide to start participating in retail events.
22. Since a number of the products are frozen, is this a very seasonal business? You might think so, but in reality, it is a year round business that is busier during the summer months with the frozen products. Then, during the winter months, sales of the Be Happy & Healthy™ snacks, breads and cookies kick into high gear. In fact, year after year, many of H&H’s Top Producers have been from cold climate states. While you will definitely benefit from an increase in your sales as spring and summer roll around, you will have continued sales in the autumn and winter if you have a good base of year round accounts. H&H teaches you how to move your freezers to where the people are, depending on the season (for example, health clubs in the winter - golf courses in the summer).
23. Is it best to start my new business during the summer months? No. While starting in the late spring or early summer will certainly lead to instant sales, the majority of our current franchisees would have preferred to start in the autumn, winter or early spring months. By their own admission, starting prior to the busiest season allows you to get acclimated to your new business, be better organized and develop a regular delivery system with your accounts. The most important thing, though, is to get selected and get started!
24. What is the return on investment for an average Fruitfull® franchise? Although we would like to be able to tell you, the federal government (specifically the Federal Trade Commission) has strict rules and regulations regarding the practice of any franchisor giving earnings claims to potential franchisees. In short, we can not furnish any information regarding the actual or potential sales, costs, income or profits of an H&H franchised business. Therefore, to help you find the answer to this and many other questions you might have, we will provide you at the Workshop (after we have received a completed application) with a list of all of our current franchisees and past franchisees. We invite you to call or visit as many of them as possible before you make your decision. The more you find out about H&H, we think, the more excited you will be about this business. We are proud of our reputation, our product and our family of franchisees.
25. Does H&H provide financing for purchasing the franchise? No, we do not provide initial financing. We feel that until you commit your capital, you do not commit yourself. We want our franchisees to be as committed to this business as we are. Many of our current franchisees have been successful in securing financial backing from family members or friends who believed in them, from finding a partner, from commercial banks that specialize in business loans and from the Small Business Administration. In fact, Happy & Healthy Products is now approved and registered on the SBA Franchise Registry at www.franchiseregistry.com.
26. Most franchisors charge fees such as royalty and advertising fees. Does H&H collect royalty and advertising fees from a franchisee? H&H has never collected a royalty fee nor do we have plans of ever doing so. As previously stated, our success is dependent on your success. When you sell fruit bars, we sell fruit bars. We don’t charge royalties. H&H does charge franchisees an advertising fee. The fee is a modest $41.66 a month which is collected once a year (total $500). This is further covered in our FDD.
27. Your FDD? The Franchise Disclosure Document is a document or offering circular that the FTC requires all franchisors to give to prospective franchisees on or before the first personal meeting and at least 14 days before the potential franchisee can make any payments or sign any agreements. The purpose of our FDD is to give a potential buyer a complete understanding of who we, H&H, are and what a Fruitfull® franchise opportunity is all about. The FDD is just one of the documents we will be giving you if you desire to learn more about our franchise opportunity. After we receive a completed application (which does not obligate you or us), we will give you, at the Workshop, a tremendous amount of information. We want you to learn as much about us as possible.... We are very proud of our relationships, our record and of our reputation.
28. How quickly can I start? If you are selected to become a Fruitfull® franchisee, the time between when payment for the franchise is made in full and the actual start of your business will fly by. Generally, it takes about 4 weeks from the time full payment is received to when you will be ready for H&H to arrange for a marketing consultant to be in your area and get you started.
29. What is the worst thing about this business? The worst thing is that it is hard work. You physically are carrying boxes (6 lb. box to 38 lb. case) and mingling with your customers. You aren’t sitting behind a desk being told what to do. You are your own boss.
30. What is the best thing about this business? The rewards of this business are so many that they can’t possibly fit in this little space. This is a subject that we think you will truly enjoy talking to our franchisees about. Some franchisees have told us that they love the fact that the business is so much FUN! And we mean fun, fun, fun. It is such a great product and people are so drawn to it. It’s easy to wholesale something that offers so much to believe in. Other franchisees love the fact that the business affords them so much more time to be with their families. Some are thrilled by the opportunity to really be their own boss and start an organization and watch it grow. You will get a lot of enthusiastic and heartfelt responses from our franchisees when you ask this question.
31. Fruitfull® sounds like it may possibly be the perfect business for me. How can I receive more information? The first thing you need to do is to carefully read through all the materials found on the website. If interested further, please fill out the confidential application form by clicking here. Remember - this does not obligate you or us, but we must have the completed application in order to establish that you are not a competitor of ours and have a bona fide interest in possibly acquiring a Happy & Healthy franchise. This is necessary for you to receive additional information. One of our company representatives will be in touch to schedule a phone call. They will answer all of your questions and tell you about our monthly workshops. The Workshop is a 3-hour presentation in which we go over all of the details and answer all of your questions regarding the business and the FDD. We discuss pertinent information such as market areas, number of franchisees in a given area, location picks process, delivery options, cold storages, finances, overhead costs, freezer equipment, Fruitfull® and additional products available. We even discuss why this business may not be the right business for you! The Workshop is designed to provide you with all the information necessary to help you make an informed business decision regarding the investment opportunity and daily operation of a Fruitfull® franchise.
32. What happens after I attend one of your Workshops? After participating in a Workshop (assuming that you decide to investigate the business further), we will then activate your application to initiate our qualification process. Your character and credit references will not be contacted until that time. This qualification process normally takes us about two weeks. As previously explained, we feel that the individual franchisee, more than any other aspect of the business, is responsible for the degree of success, or lack of success of an individual franchise. That’s why we want to select the right people. During the qualification time, we hope that you will call or visit as many of our franchisees as possible. Learn all you can. We want to be sure that you are making the right decision for you, personally. And, by the same token, we want to be sure that you have what we are looking for in a franchisee. Assuming that you want us and we want you, life is good! At that time, we would be honored to welcome you as a member of our Fruitfull® family. Don’t hesitate to call a H&H representative at 800-764-6114 or 561-367-0739 with any questions. Please click here to fill out and submit your confidential application form as soon as possible.
Remember...the sooner we receive your completed application, the sooner you’ll receive your first bite of the Fruitfull® experience!
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Happy & Healthy Products, Inc.