Tot Squad Expands into Washington D.C. with its First Franchisee

2016 has been an eventful year so far for Tot Squad. The innovative company, located in play spaces and large retailers like Babies R Us, Buy Buy Baby and Whole Foods, helps parents clean and properly install baby gear. Jennifer Beall Saxton, Founder & CEO of Tot Squad, celebrated a huge milestone in June as the brand expanded into Washington D.C. with its first franchisee, Hayden Little.

“I have to say, we hit the jackpot in having Hayden as our first franchisee. Hayden is not only a savvy business professional with great insights and feedback, but she is also really committed to our mission of coming to the rescue of busy parents everywhere,” said Saxton. “She has secured relationships with the most popular baby and maternity boutiques and kid activity centers in her area.”

Little has partnered with Fit4Mom to clean strollers after workouts and the company celebrated its development into D.C. by giving away 500 free stroller cleanings at launch events at retailers throughout the city.

With Tot Squad planning to add more franchisees, Saxton highlights the importance of taking the time to properly vet every potential franchise candidate. The company has hired Andrew Horton and Kris Nieb of Velocity Franchise Development to help point Tot Squad in the right direction, raise awareness of the brand and find the best-qualified franchisees to fuel its growth.

“One of the biggest (but good to have) challenges has been keeping up with all the franchise inquiries.  The vetting process is thorough for a reason: we want to ensure it’s a good fit for both parties, but that means there are numerous candidates at different stages in the process,” says Saxton.

On top of expanding into D.C., Saxton was selected as one of 10 finalists in the Women Founders Network competition and was also a finalist at Hera Fast Pitch in San Diego. Both are events where Saxton pitched Tot Squad to other female entrepreneurs. Saxton says that participating in these events and continuously networking with people in the industry has been key for growth and success.

“Hera was such an amazing opportunity to meet women from a variety of industries with different perspectives. The judges asked some new and challenging questions – participating in these events keeps me focused on what resonates with potential investors and what areas of my business model I need to work on,” says Saxton. “In terms of networking, I love meeting successful women that I can learn from as well as other young entrepreneurs. Whether you win or lose, there are always great takeaways in every pitch competition.”

Right now, Saxton is working on raising $1 million to $1.5 million in this round of fundraising to help build a strong executive team and pilot the kiosk concept at a major retailer. A vital component of fundraising for Saxton is forming partnerships with organizations set up to help new small businesses. The company is part of the SoFi entrepreneur program - a community that supports new entrepreneurs with student debt - and has received over $150,000 in financing from the organization. Saxton has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from contacts she’s met through SoFi and gained large retail partnerships after competing in events like the International Franchise Association’s NextGen in Franchising Global Competition in 2015 where she came in second.

In terms of management, franchise veteran David McKinnon, Co-Founder of Service Brands International and Chairman at TriniD, acts as the board observer to Tot Squad while Saxton serves on the board of directors and recently added a second executive to the leadership.

“I am so grateful that Meranee Phing Naaman recently agreed to join the board. Meranee is a partner at the private equity shop Riverside Company and has extensive experience both in the baby and franchise industries,” says Saxton. “We are on the hunt for a third board member and strategically, I think an executive with a strong retail background would round out the group.”

In addition to finding the right people, Saxton has hefty plans for 2017 with a focus on development and a goal to open Tot Squad franchises in at least 20 more cities by the end of 2017. With a clear focus and Saxton at the helm, Tot Squad is positioned for record growth throughout next year and in years to come.