1851

Nancy Castillo and Lois Geshwilm have decided it&rsquo;s time to retire and sell their <a href="https://franchise.wbu.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=life-cycle-of-a-store-nancy-castillo-and-lois-geshwilm-saratoga-springs-ny-2703618" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wild Birds Unlimited</a> store.&nbsp; &nbsp;&ldquo;You work all of your life to get to retirement. We&rsquo;re going to retire and enjoy. We live in a beautiful part of the country,&rdquo; said Lois. &ldquo;We enjoy birds a lot.&nbsp; We are looking forward to getting up late, relaxing with a cup of coffee and enjoying the birds in our backyard. We want to hike and look at birds. Basically, we are looking to wind down.

When Nancy and Lois began their journey as store owners of the Saratoga Springs, NY <a href="https://wildbirdsunlimited.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=life-cycle-of-a-store-nancy-castillo-and-lois-geshwilm-saratoga-springs-ny-2703618" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wild Birds Unlimited</a> in 2003, retiring was the last thing on their minds. Said Nancy, &ldquo;Everyone knows that when you start a business, you don&rsquo;t want to do that business until the day you die. The ways to exit your business are - you pass away, you sell it, you close it, or you pass it to family. We don&rsquo;t have family in Saratoga, and we have no intention of closing the door on our customers. Our store is our baby; it&rsquo;s a wonderful creature we created. We knew it would be for sale at some point.&rdquo;

It was five years ago that Nancy first sat in on a workshop about &ldquo;Selling Your Store&rdquo; at the annual Wild Birds Unlimited conference. Wild Birds Unlimited offers workshops on succession planning and selling your franchise as part of its plan to more successfully support local store owners at all stages of the business.

&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a life cycle to everything,&rdquo; says Chief Development Officer Paul Pickett. &ldquo;Like nature, our store owner experience has a beginning, middle and end. We have an expectation that we will provide an exceptional ownership experience, just as we expect our franchisees to provide an exceptional retail experience to their customers. We have expectations for ourselves regarding site selection, getting through the first critical year as well as ongoing coaching and providing store owners a pathway to success. This package also includes providing the tools store owners need to gracefully and strongly exit their business.&rdquo;

Nancy and Lois have prepared their store for sale and have met with their accountant and attorney as part of the preparation. &ldquo;In selling the store, it&rsquo;s very nice to have some tools to lean on, which the franchise does provide. They are constantly working to try to make these tools better. When you really appreciate it is when you go to your professional advisors, and they remind you that not everyone has that level of support when it comes time to sell their small business. Our accountant came right out and said we are fortunate that the franchise does some of these things to help us sell. We don&rsquo;t have to start from square one. A lot of things we perhaps would not have thought of are there, and Wild Birds Unlimited makes the process much easier than if we had started the process from scratch,&rdquo; Nancy explained.

Nancy and Lois noted that they are particularly grateful for their business coach, Betsy Westfall.&nbsp; Intense coaching is part of the company&rsquo;s free and optional &ldquo;Enterprise Coaching&rdquo; model. &ldquo;Betsy has been a fantastic partner since we started the business, then moved into the Enterprise Coaching model and now as we exit. We bounce things off her. She has been a valuable partner in our business,&rdquo; said Nancy.

As the two set to retire, Lois has one more observation: &ldquo;I live life to the fullest. I love our location and home and our cat. I love the people who come into our shop and the staff we employ. &nbsp;Now, I am getting older and want to be able to enjoy life at a different pace.&rdquo; She adds, &ldquo;The business was like a child. You have conflicts, such as &lsquo;how&#39;s it going to be when I go?&rsquo; As I am getting older, I ask what do I want in life? I&rsquo;m now looking forward to more time for myself.&rdquo;

Even though Nancy and Lois are selling their store, Paul explains that not all Wild Birds Unlimited franchises are sold to a 3rd party. Family member succession plans are becoming more common, he notes. &ldquo;A plan to exit your business should begin in the initial stages of investigating the franchise opportunity.&nbsp; A solid succession plan will ensure a smooth exit at any stage of business ownership.

&nbsp;

Life Cycle of a Store: Nancy Castillo and Lois Geshwilm, Saratoga Springs, NY

1851 Franchise

Backyard bird feeding franchise supports local store owners at all stages of their business.

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

life-cycle-of-a-store-nancy-castillo-and-lois-geshwilm-saratoga-springs-ny

Dillas Quesadillas

Beyond Fast Casual: How Dillas Primo Quesadillas Is Leading the QSR+ Revolution

beyond-fast-casual-how-dillas-primo-quesadillas-is-leading-the-qsr-revolution

Homewatch CareGivers

How Homewatch CareGivers® Became the Wellness-Forward Home Care Franchise Built on 45 Years of Purposeful Human Interactions

how-homewatch-caregivers-became-the-wellness-forward-home-care-franchise-built-on-45-years-of-purposeful-human-interactions

Keke's Breakfast Cafe

Building a People‑Powered Breakfast Franchise: How Christie Schatz Shapes Culture at Keke’s Breakfast Cafe

kekes-breakfast-cafe-culture-and-brand-values

KidStrong Franchising, LLC

Why KidStrong is Targeting San Diego for Franchise Growth 

why-kidstrong-is-targeting-san-diego-for-franchise-growth

The Growth Coach

The Growth Coach Closes Record-Breaking Year, Marking Major Gains in Franchise Sales and Corporate Expansion

the-growth-coach-closes-record-breaking-year-marking-major-gains-in-franchise-sales-and-corporate-expansion

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

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

California Pizza Kitchen’s Sale Is the Latest in the Era of PE-Backed Turnarounds in Franchising

california-pizza-kitchens-sale-is-the-latest-in-the-era-of-pe-backed-turnarounds-in-franchising

Buying a fitness franchise, people exercising

Boutique vs. Big Box Gym Franchises: Which Offers Best ROI in the $7 Billion Fitness Market?

buy-fitness-franchise-boutique-big-box-comparison

Pieology Pizza Enters Chapter 11 Following Costly Bid To Save Struggling Stores

pieology-pizza-files-chapter-11-bankruptcy

CNBC: McDonald’s Will Assess if Franchisees Are Offering Value for Customers Under New Standards

mcdonalds-franchise-standards-value-metric

How AI Is Transforming Restaurant Operations and Franchises

ai-impact-restaurants-franchises-human-centric-technology

AI-related job cuts, October U.S. job cuts, American job cut record

AI-Fueled Layoffs Reshape the U.S. Job Market — And Highlight Franchising’s Resilience

ai-job-cuts-franchising-path-forward

Paris Baguette Welcomes Zac Sulma as New Chief Operating Officer

new-coo-zac-sulma

Photo of group of dogs standing together in day care facility

Top Pet Boarding and Day Care Franchise Opportunities for 2025

top-pet-boarding-daycare-franchises

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

Do You Qualify? A Look at the Chick-fil-A Franchise Requirements

do-you-qualify-a-look-at-the-chick-fil-a-franchise-requirements

The Top 15 Pet Wellness and Vet Care Franchises for 2025

top-pet-wellness-franchise-opportunities

The 15 Top Pet Grooming Franchises To Consider for 2025

the-15-top-pet-grooming-franchises-to-consider

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

Life Cycle of a Store: Nancy Castillo and Lois Geshwilm, Saratoga Springs, NY

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS