Candy Bouquet––

A Home Business Where Success Is Sweet

By Kaaren Valenta

Lisa Petrovich has a degree in fashion merchandising and worked in retail for years but she never imagined that she would one day have her own business and that it would be a Candy Bouquet franchise.

“I never dreamed I would be doing anything like this,” she said. “I just kind of fell into it.”

Candy Bouquet International, Inc, is the largest candy franchise in the world. According to Entrepreneur magazine, it is the number one franchise in the food/retail sales category and one of the fastest growing franchises in the world.

The concept –– “flower” arrangements made from candy –– is simple and appealing. Founded more than a decade ago by a woman in Arkansas, the company has more than 650 franchises worldwide, representing 49 states, 44 foreign countries, and the territories of Puerto Rico and Saipan.

Lisa Petrovich found the franchise last summer while looking at the monster.com website on her home computer, searching for part-time jobs.

“I had been a stay-at-home mom for 15 years, but my children are at an age now where I wanted to find a part-time job –– get my toe back into the water –– but I wanted to work at home,” she explained. “I saw an icon on the website that said ‘Be your own boss,’ clicked on it and came up with franchises in home and garden, travel, health, food. The Candy Bouquet kept coming up so I sent away for information.”

The day she decided to become a franchisee happened to be September 9, the 14th birthday of her son, Nick, who is an eighth grade student at the Newtown Middle School. Ms Petrovich and her husband, Steve, have three children: Nick, their elder son, Stephen, 16, a sophomore at Newtown High School, and Madalyn, 10, a fourth grader at Sandy Hook School.

“My family has been so supportive. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without their complete cooperation and support,” she said.

Lisa and Steve Petrovich are from Weirton, W.Va., where they grew up as high school sweethearts. They moved to Sandy Hook nine years ago. Steve Petrovich sells computer services for a company that has an office in Stamford.

“There are only four or five Candy Bouquet franchises in the state of Connecticut,” Lisa Petrovich said. “The franchise is based in Little Rock, Arkansas, and it is very popular in the South. It is slowly but surely coming up this way.”

Margaret McEntire launched Candy Bouquet in her garage in 1989 with $1,000 and a dream. Her unique idea was to create floral-type bouquets, replacing flowers with colorful candies and chocolates wrapped on stems and highlighted with bright accessories.

She twice opened retail stores, but both times circumstances forced her to close the stores even though she knew the concept was right. Eventually she decided that franchising was the way to go.

“There are Candy Bouquet stores but I didn’t want a storefront,” Lisa Petrovich said. “I had been in retail long enough that I knew I wanted the flexibility of doing it from my home.”

Custom bouquets are available for $25 up.

“I’ve done them for as much as $100,” she said, “but there is something right for every customer. I supply the container unless someone has something very special that they want me to use.”

She also delivers locally and can ship anywhere in the world.

“The bouquets are pretty sturdy. They’ve all arrived safely at their destination,” she said.

To be a Candy Bouquet franchise owner, Ms Petrovich spent a week in Little Rock learning the business.

“I went to candy school,” she said, laughing. “It sounds silly but there was a lot to learn about how to make the bouquets, how to pack them, how to price them. It was exhausting, but informative.”

After she returned home, she received a starter pack of gourmet candy plus additional items that she had ordered, and was ready to go. She immediately had a positive response.

“It appeals to people because it is something different,” she said. “It’s an alternative to flower arrangements. Any occasion that you could send a floral arrangement, you can send a candy bouquet.”

“I do love floral arrangements, but a candy bouquet lasts longer, if you don’t eat it. It depends on how much restraint you have.”

Although she is already quite busy with her new business, she appreciates that its flexibility allows her to stay involved with her children’s activities, go to a dentist appointment, or volunteer at her church.

“In my stage of life, with my kids at the ages they are, this is a perfect business,” she said.

When she made the decision to buy the franchise, she had her husband’s enthusiastic support, but she was concerned about her children.

“They have really been a great help,” she said. “They want to be involved. It has been a real good learning experience for my kids. I’ve always tried to motivate them, and now they are motivating me. They talk to me like I talked to them –– ‘How many baskets did you make today, Mom? You better get busy.’”

“And, of course they love to eat the candy!”

More information about Candy Bouquet is available on the Internet at www.candybouquet.com. To reach Lisa Petrovich, call 270-3737.