1851

While<a href="https://franchise.wbu.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=collaboration-between-wild-birds-unlimiteds-development-and-operations-teams-helps-lead-to-improved-systems-2709436" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> Wild Birds Unlimited</a> may be a top franchise company that consistently ranks high on industry lists, the brand is hardly resting on its laurels.

For Wild Birds Unlimited, success is very much about interdepartmental collaboration, which is why the retail operations and franchise development teams held working meetings in December to refine brand processes and determine best practices and areas for improvement going into 2019. Coaches, training managers, the franchise development team and more all met to<a href="https://1851franchise.com/wildbirdsunlimited/wild-birds-unlimited-ceo-jim-carpenter-s-listening-tour-yields-valuable-franchisee-feedback-2709063" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> review numbers and analyze feedback</a>.

&ldquo;We reviewed the last 12 to 18 months to identify our big wins and where we have the opportunity to improve,&rdquo; Wild Birds Unlimited Chief Development Officer Paul Pickett said. &ldquo;We took a look at all new franchisees and their path through the franchise development and on-boarding process, reviewing all metrics, including whether they opened a new store or purchased an existing one.&rdquo;

Wild Birds Unlimited reviewed how these new franchise store owners performed on key metrics, such as the brand&rsquo;s daily savings club membership, as well as responses to customer surveys. The team also reviewed the number of community talks each location held and the average ticket amounts at each location.

The cross-department analysis of new franchisees in the system is of great value to Wild Birds Unlimited due to its ability to yield better results when it comes to<a href="https://1851franchise.com/wildbirdsunlimited/how-wild-birds-unlimited-helps-franchisees-build-a-business-to-be-proud-of-2707849" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> finding franchisees who are a good brand fit</a>.

&ldquo;The interesting thing in franchising is that in so many brands, operations and development are on opposing teams,&rdquo; Pickett said. &ldquo;Development is pushing to get more, more, more, while operations is emphasizing the need for the right people. In development, sales goals are very important, but it&rsquo;s still a symbiotic relationship because bringing the right people into the franchise system amplifies the brand&rsquo;s culture and will lead to better results.&rdquo;

Wild Birds Unlimited Director of Retail Operations Amy Moore emphasized<a href="https://1851franchise.com/wildbirdsunlimited/why-wild-birds-unlimited-s-chief-development-officer-keeps-up-with-franchisees-once-they-ve-joined-the-system-2705418#category" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> the importance of attracting qualified franchisees who want to succeed</a> within the brand&rsquo;s system and how the operations and development teams were able to work together for the greater good of the brand.

&ldquo;We appreciate the openness and willingness to be transparent, to be open to both compliments and constructive criticism to make it a better process,&rdquo; Moore said. &ldquo;Ultimately, it&rsquo;s that franchisee&rsquo;s ownership experience that&rsquo;s the most important to us. We&rsquo;re committed to keeping franchisees satisfied.&rdquo;

The Wild Birds Unlimited franchisee validation process has also benefited from the interdepartmental collaboration, Pickett said.

&ldquo;When we looked at the data for the last couple of years, we saw that some of the franchisees who had developed relationships with other store owners were able to interact more than just through phone calls and store visits and actually shadowed the store owner for a day or two,&rdquo; Pickett said. &ldquo;We found that that&rsquo;s an amazing tool both from the candidate and franchisee standpoint. Prospective franchisees were able to get an idea of what their daily lives with Wild Birds Unlimited would look like, and existing franchisees were able to provide valuable feedback on candidates, which gave us good points to move from.&rdquo;

As a result of these discoveries, Wild Birds Unlimited is taking several action steps, including reducing the number of existing franchisees that candidates must speak to in favor of having them shadow and spend more quality time with existing franchise store owners. Wild Birds Unlimited is also working on changing up its discovery day, referred to as Meet the Flock Day.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s changing our process to promote that method of validation versus the one we currently have in place,&rdquo; Pickett said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s making edits to the franchise development process that will ensure an even better fit for both us and our candidates.&rdquo;

Ultimately, the meetings were really about talking about brand goals, looking at the past year&rsquo;s results and how they compared to previous years and steps the brand can take to ensure a strong caliber of franchisee.

&ldquo;You can&#39;t make those decisions without having both teams in together and on the same page,&rdquo; Pickett said.

The startup costs for a Wild Birds Unlimited franchise range from $150,837 to $260,991, which includes the franchise fee. The franchise fee is $30,000 per location. To learn more about franchising with Wild Birds Unlimited, visit<a href="https://franchise.wbu.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=collaboration-between-wild-birds-unlimiteds-development-and-operations-teams-helps-lead-to-improved-systems-2709436" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> https://franchise.wbu.com/</a>.

Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise Satisfaction Award

Collaboration Between Wild Birds Unlimited’s Development and Operations Teams Helps Lead to Improved Systems

1851 Franchise

Reviewing the franchisee validation process and store numbers for new franchise owners are just two important discussions that took place during interdepartmental meetings late last year.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

collaboration-between-wild-birds-unlimiteds-development-and-operations-teams-helps-lead-to-improved-systems

Comfort Keepers

Comfort Keepers - Midyear Press Release 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Comfort Keepers® Hits Mid-Year Stride With Strong Franchise Growth and Rising Demand for In-Home Care

comfort-keepers-franchise-midyear-momentum-2025

petbar

petbar - Garrett Dewan - Why I'm Investing - 1851 Franchise

Why Garrett Dewan Is Choosing To Reinvest in petbar

petbar-franchise-austin-garrett-dewan-multi-unit

Paris Baguette

NJBIZ: Paris Baguette Ramps Up Expansion With New Franchises, Facility and 2030 Growth Target

njbiz-paris-baguette-ramps-up-expansion-with-new-franchises-facility-and-2030-growth-target

Busy Bee Jumpers

Top 10 Reasons To Buy a Busy Bee Jumpers Franchise in 2025

top-10-reasons-to-buy-a-busy-bee-jumpers-franchise-in-2025

Home Halo

home-halo-former-athletes-frachisees-image

Why Former College Athletes Can Make Winning Home Halo Franchise Owners

former-college-athletes-home-halo-franchise

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Wendy's CEO Kirk Tanner Steps Down - Breaking News - 1851 Franchise

Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner Steps Down Amid Challenges, Leaving Franchisees Facing Uncertainty

wendys-ceo-transition-kirk-tanner-franchisee-uncertainty

"Come in, We're OPEN" sign against abstract background

Small Business Optimism Dips, Raising Concerns for Franchise Owners

small-business-optimism-dips-raising-concerns-for-franchise-owners

Photo of Roof Scientist truck and trailer

Roof Scientist Expands Into Northern Indianapolis as Entrepreneur Dale Speckman Launches New Business in Fishers

roof-scientist-expands-into-northern-indianapolis

Image of Donald Trump pointing with red stripes in the background

August 1 Tariff Deadline Is Said to Have ‘No Extensions’: What This Could Mean for Franchises

august-1-tariff-deadline-franchise-impact

What June’s Jobs Report Means for the Franchise Industry

what-junes-jobs-report-means-for-the-franchise-industry

Unlocking Superpowers: How KidStrong Is Building the Next Generation of Confident Kids — and Thriving Franchise Owners

kidstrong-franchise-confident-kids

Image of a kid growing up, developing with kidstrong, high fiving and smiling. 

How KidStrong has Become the Franchise Disrupting Child Development by Partnering with Purpose-Driven Franchise Owners 

kidstrong-franchise-opportunity-child-development

Picture of kids for franchise business Kidstrong which focuses on child development and fitness

KidStrong Is Pediatrician-Recommended for Raising Confident, Capable Kids and Families Can't Get Enough

kidstrong-child-development-program

Bringing Robots to Main Street: How Elad Inbar’s RobotLAB Franchise Is Powering the Local AI Revolution

bringing-robots-to-main-street-how-elad-inbars-robotlab-franchise-is-powering-the-local-ai-revolution

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How To Create a Strong Incentive

how-to-build-strong-incentives-to-attract-prospective-franchisees

Kansas Couple Revitalizes Local Childcare With Children’s Lighthouse

From Corporate Careers to Community Roots: Kansas Couple Revitalizes Local Childcare With Children’s Lighthouse

kansas-couple-opens-childrens-lighthouse-gardner-olathe

From Prescriptions to Pastries: Kari Khandelwal Creates a Comforting Community Bakery 

From Prescriptions to Pastries: Kari Khandelwal Creates a Comforting Community Bakery in Overland Park, Kansas

paris-baguette-franchise-overland-park-khandelwal

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores - Agg - 1851 Franchise

Collaboration Between Wild Birds Unlimited’s Development and Operations Teams Helps Lead to Improved Systems

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS