1851

To <a href="http://franchise.wbu.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=wild-birds-unlimited-builds-morale-and-spreads-cheer-with-the-mistletoe-tour-7898" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow">Wild Birds Unlimited</a>, the holidays are an opportunity to rejoice, reflect and plan for the future. It involves travelling thousands of miles and lots of holiday cheer. 

Manager of Visual Merchandising Jane Jones, Director of Retail Operations Amy Moore, and four other <a href="http://wildbirdsunlimited.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=wild-birds-unlimited-builds-morale-and-spreads-cheer-with-the-mistletoe-tour-7898" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wild Birds Unlimited</a> staff members take a journey every year, which they have dubbed the Mistletoe Tour. It&rsquo;s an opportunity to bond with each other, spend some quality time with a number of their wonderful Wild Birds Unlimited franchisees, leverage the holiday season and take stock of their performance. It may, in fact, be the most productive and fun activity they do all year. 

About six years ago, Jones and Moore brainstormed the idea that is now named the Mistletoe Tour. 

&ldquo;We realized how great it would be to go to the stores during or just before the holidays to wish our franchisees a happy holiday,&rdquo; says Moore. &ldquo;We decided to take pictures along the way, and from that we&rsquo;ve built a sort of library, which we share online. So as we&rsquo;re traveling, owners can track where we are, see products and pictures of owners and staff.&rdquo; 

Most importantly, the tour does a fantastic job of building morale throughout the company. Exploring the field and getting out of the office is very beneficial for the small team, which includes business coaches and their training and human resources manager. 

&ldquo;Our experience at every store is completely different,&rdquo; says Jones. &ldquo;We spend about an hour to an hour and a half gathering ideas, figuring out which products are selling best, what marketing has been the most effective, and what each location&rsquo;s upcoming marketing plans are.&rdquo;

They also take this time to recognize what franchisees are doing well and what they themselves could be doing better. 

&ldquo;We welcome, and encourage, any suggestions for improvement,&rdquo; says Moore. &ldquo;We want to really know how we&rsquo;re doing as a support team so that we can serve franchisees as best we can. It&rsquo;s good for everyone involved, and, in turn, is good for business.&rdquo;

Jones, in particular, has taken note that something they can improve on is being more explicit about how elaborate they want the decoration in each of the stores to be. 

&ldquo;I make the assumption that people know how to decorate for the holidays,&rdquo; says Jones. &ldquo;Retail is a different game than just decorating around your home. It needs to be elaborate, like a really big Christmas tree.&rdquo; 

This is just one example of a great lesson they learned during the tour&mdash;to realize that just because they think something is obvious, it may not be to franchisees. It&rsquo;s really up to them to communicate what they want and think will be best for business. 

The travelling team of the Mistletoe Tours favorite aspect of the trip, however, is the rah-rah spirit it induces. Those feelings create momentum to help them make the most of the holiday season, and still have the energy afterward to consider, &ldquo;what&rsquo;s next?&rdquo; 

While reveling in the present, yet looking towards the future, the Mistletoe Tour crew conducts some of their best ideation sessions in the car travelling from store to store. 

&ldquo;We brainstorm ways in which we can better communicate with our franchisees what will make the biggest difference to their business. Every year, we ask ourselves what we can do differently to provide anything and everything franchisees may need to maximize the holiday. I find a lot of value internally to talk shop in a less informal environment.&rdquo;

<div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">&nbsp;</div>

Wild Birds Unlimited Builds Morale And Spreads Cheer With The Mistletoe Tour

1851 Franchise

6 Franchise Support Center staff members travel over a thousand miles to visit Wild Bird Unlimited stores during the holiday season

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

wild-birds-unlimited-builds-morale-and-spreads-cheer-with-the-mistletoe-tour

Busy Bee Jumpers

Busy Bee Jumpers Buzzes into Franchising: Three New Franchisees Signed in First 30 Days

busy-bee-jumpers-buzzes-into-franchising-three-new-franchisees-signed-in-first-30-days

Fitness Premier

Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs Reports Strong Midyear Momentum 

Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs Reports Strong Midyear Momentum with Revenue Gains, Record Membership, and Strategic Expansion

fitness-premier-mid-year-growth-2025

Woodhouse Spas

image of a woodhouse spa franchise buildings exterior 

Woodhouse Spas Continues Strong Momentum With Double-Digit Growth in Q2

woodhouse-spas-q2-2025-growth-expansion

Layne's Chicken Fingers

Layne's Chicken Fingers-Mountain-State-Devo-June-2025

Layne’s Chicken Fingers Eyes Expansion in Mountain States

laynes-chicken-fingers-franchise-mountain-states-expansion

ServiceMaster Restore

ServiceMaster Restore Powers Into the Second Half of 2025 With Growth and Purpose-Driven Impact

ServiceMaster Restore Powers Into the Second Half of 2025 With Strong Growth and Purpose-Driven Impact

servicemaster-restore-powers-into-the-second-half-of-2025-with-strong-growth-and-purpose-driven-impact

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

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

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

hooters-franchise-model-company-owned-closures

Drone Delivery Takes Flight in QSR: The Future of Franchise Operations?

drone-delivery-takes-flight-in-qsr-the-future-of-franchise-operations

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 

Wild Birds Unlimited Builds Morale And Spreads Cheer With The Mistletoe Tour

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS