From Corporate Employee to Franchisee: How BoConcept Helped One Entrepreneur Realize His Dreams of Business Ownership

The BoConcept* brand has always been a part of Soren Krogh-Jensen’s professional career. After graduating from business school, he took a job with the brand’s head office in Denmark. And now, as a BoConcept franchisee based in California, he’s helping to fuel the leading furniture design brand’s efforts to expand in key development markets across the U.S.

Today, Krogh-Jensen operates two BoConcept stores in San Francisco and San Jose with his wife Caroline Krogh-Jensen. But his experience with operations began long before he moved to the U.S.—in fact, Krogh-Jensen’s passion for BoConcept has taken him all around the world. While he was working at the brand’s corporate office, for example, he expressed an interest in traveling internationally. So BoConcept sent him to New York to launch one of the brand’s first North American stores. After that, an opportunity popped up to be a brand manager for BoConcept in Dubai, which Krogh-Jensen took on without hesitation. It wasn’t until him and his wife decided that they wanted to be closer to their family in the U.S. that they decided to become franchisees. But since launching their first California location in back in 2008, they haven’t looked back.

“BoConcept is all I’ve known my entire working life, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. Being a part of this brand has opened the door to so many opportunities for me and my family, both personally and professionally. And what we’re offering consumers in terms of furniture design is completely unique,” said Krogh-Jensen. “BoConcept brings a level of accessible quality to the table that’s otherwise missing. We offer our customers a personalized shopping experience and the best possible designs, which is why we’ll continue growing in California and beyond.”

Since its founding in 1952, BoConcept has been on a mission to bring sleek, modern design elements that are also functional to people all over the world. Every item in the brand’s constantly evolving collection is designed with the urban-centric consumer in mind, and its products provide a solution for the interior challenges that come with city living. And Krogh-Jensen says it’s that unique positioning that’s fueling the brand’s success so far in the U.S.

“My wife and I have been franchisees for nine years now, and there’s no doubt that we’ve seen BoConcept grow. That’s why I’m just as passionate about the brand now as I was when I first started working for the corporate company years ago—BoConcept is always staying ahead of the curve and introducing new designs that set the standard in the furniture industry,” said Krogh-Jensen. “As our two stores in San Francisco and San Jose continue to grow, it’s becoming increasingly clear that there’s a real demand for our stores and services in the U.S. market. I’m excited to see where that demand will take BoConcept next.”

With nearly 300 locations in 60 countries across the globe, it’s clear that BoConcept is already catching on among business owners and consumers alike. And with its sights set on finding new franchise partners to open up new locations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, San Diego, the brand is anticipating rapid growth in the months and years ahead.

“Franchisees like Soren and Caroline who share our passion for helping people find their dream furniture designs will continue to fuel our development efforts across the U.S. Between growing demand in our segment and our position as an innovating leader, it’s an exciting time to be a part of the BoConcept brand,” said Steen Knigge, director of U.S. marketing for BoConcept. “We’re looking forward to building on the success that our California locations have experienced so far. By following our proven system, we’re confident that new franchisees who sign on to open up their own stores will be able to thrive as business owners.”