1851

This summer, Jan Hatch, who opened her <a href="https://franchise.wbu.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=wild-birds-unlimited-franchisee-jan-hatch-breaks-first-year-sales-record-2704555" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wild Birds Unlimited</a> franchise in Greenwood, Indiana in early 2015, was awarded the franchise&rsquo;s annual High-Flying Fledgling Award for the highest 1st year retail sales.

Hatch attributes the success of her store to a strong brand and an easily applied operational system, which allowed her to get her store up and running quickly, largely bypassing the learning curve that most new business owners experience.

&ldquo;The work was already done for us before we got here,&rdquo; said Hatch. &ldquo;Jim Carpenter [founder, president, and CEO of Wild Birds Unlimited] and his team created a brand and concept that is so unique and so appealing. All we had to do was follow the system and open the doors.&rdquo;

Hatch, whose interest in owning a <a href="https://wildbirdsunlimited.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=wild-birds-unlimited-franchisee-jan-hatch-breaks-first-year-sales-record-2704555" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WBU</a> store grew out of her passion for the brand as a customer, said that the company&rsquo;s rock-solid foundation allows her to stay focused on her customers.

&ldquo;We can stay 100% guest-focused,&rdquo; said Hatch. &ldquo;In that first year, I had to prove to people that they could trust me and I&rsquo;d be there for the long haul. Now I have more than 2,000 customers and I feel like I know 80 percent of them on a personal level. I yell &lsquo;hi&rsquo; to them when I hear their voice without even turning around.&rdquo;

Hatch&rsquo;s store is one of five WBU locations in the Indianapolis, IN market, where the brand&rsquo;s flagship store and Franchise Support Center are located. That close proximity to other Wild Birds Unlimited stores has presented a number of benefits, including increased brand awareness among customers and a strong support system between franchisees.

&ldquo;We partner with other stores in this area,&rdquo; Hatch said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll loan each other inventory, call each other with questions, and we invest in advertising opportunities together.&rdquo;

In addition to the support she receives from other stores, Hatch, like nearly all WBU owners, is engaged with one of the brand&rsquo;s four franchisee coaching programs, which provides guidance on every facet of the business&rsquo;s operations.

&ldquo;My coach will do anything for me,&rdquo; Hatch said. &ldquo;She&rsquo;ll take my midyear report and help me look at it from all different angles. We&rsquo;ll figure out exactly where I&rsquo;m doing well and where I can I can make improvements, or we&rsquo;ll look at what other stores are doing differently and figure out which of those differences I could successfully apply in my store.&rdquo;

When pushed to identify what makes her store in particular so successful, Hatch pointed to her adherence to the brand&rsquo;s original focus of selling top-of-the-line bird food and feeders.

&ldquo;WBU owners have a lot of leeway not only in how they run their stores but also in the inventory they invest in,&rdquo; said Hatch. &ldquo;We try to keep our scope narrow in that respect. We want to concentrate on the hobby itself and not get distracted with other peripherals. I&rsquo;ve seen other stores have success with additional gift items, but sales on those items are a little less predictable. People know the brand for food and feeders, so you know there will always be a strong demand for that. We&rsquo;ve added some things like fountains and birdbaths, but ultimately those gift items are about one percent of our sales.&rdquo;

That strategy continues to pay off for Hatch, whose store has been even more successful in its second year than its award-winning first year.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had so much more success in our second year,&rdquo; Hatch said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;d set goals coming out of our first year, and we&rsquo;ve exceeded all of them. Now that we are really established in the community, we&rsquo;ve got so many regular customers who are telling their friends about us, all we have to do is keep applying the system and taking care of our customers.&rdquo;

Wild Birds Unlimited Franchisee Jan Hatch Breaks First-Year Sales Record

1851 Franchise

Jan Hatch was awarded the High-Flying Fledgling Award in June for breaking the brand’s first-year retail sales record

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-franchisee-jan-hatch-breaks-first-year-sales-record

Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions

Filta Franchise - David Hoover Franchisee Feature - 1851 Franchise

From Stadiums to Sustainability: How David Hoover Is Scaling Impact With Filta

filta-franchise-david-hoover-scaling-impact

TruBlue Home Service Ally

Be a Community Hero: How TruBlue Franchisees Are Changing Lives Beyond Business

be-a-community-hero-how-trublue-franchisees-are-changing-lives-beyond-business

Caring Transitions

Caring Transitions Wraps Up Record-Breaking Q3 With National TV Launches, Platform Growth and Key Leadership Promotion

caring-transitions-wraps-up-record-breaking-q3-with-national-tv-launches-platform-growth-and-key-leadership-promotion

SweatHouz

SweatHouz SWTHZ Franchise - Hunter and Mallory Mitchem - Franchisee Feature - 1851 Franchise

From Aerospace to Wellness: Hunter Mitchem’s Journey to a SweatHouz Empire

sweathouz-franchise-hunter-mitchem-6g

Onigilly Japanese Kitchen

Onigilly - Low Operating Costs Drive High Returns for Franchisees - 1851 Franchise

Maximize Your ROI: How Onigilly’s Low Operating Costs Drive High Returns for Franchisees

onigilly-franchise-fast-casual-franchise-opportunity

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

Bed Bath & Beyond - Franchise Expansion - Retail Strategy - 1851 Franchise

Bed Bath & Beyond Launches Franchise Model as Part of Comeback Strategy

bed-bath-beyond-franchise-expansion-retail-strategy

Senior Entrepreneurship - Franchising - 1851 Franchise

Senior Entrepreneurship Is Rising — And Franchising Is a Key Outlet

senior-entrepreneurship-franchising-silver-startups

U.S. Government Shutdown - Impact on Franchises - 1851 Franchise

Government Shutdown Stalls SBA Loans: How the Shutdown Could Impact Franchises

government-shutdown-impacts-sba-loans-tourism-franchises

Subway Franchisees Resist Expensive Remodel Directives

subway-franchisees-resist-expensive-remodel-directives

The American Franchise Act: What It Means for Franchisors and Franchisees - 1851 Franchise

The American Franchise Act: What It Means for Franchisors and Franchisees

american-franchise-act-joint-employer-standard

image  of Happinest franchise collection and all their brands that work together. 

The Happinest Advantage: A Marketing Partner Invested in Your Bottom Line

happinest-franchise-marketing-strategy

Baker McKenzie: A Global Law Firm with a Leading Franchise and Brand Expansion Practice

baker-mckenzie-a-global-law-firm-with-a-leading-franchise-and-brand-expansion-practice

Ty McBride on Turning Preservan Into a Franchise: No Shortcuts, Just Persistence

ty-mcbride-on-turning-preservan-into-a-franchise-no-shortcuts-just-persistence

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

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

Top Education Franchises To Consider for 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Top Education Franchises To Consider Investing In for 2025

top-education-franchises-investment-opportunities

Power Eats: Smoothie King Rolls Out Food Nationwide To Fuel Franchise Growth

smoothie-king-food-menu-power-eats

Top Early Childhood Education and Child Care Franchises for 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Top Early Childhood Education and Child Care Franchises for 2025

early-childhood-education-child-care-franchises

Top Arts and Creative Learning Franchises for 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Top Arts and Creative Learning Franchises for 2025

top-arts-creative-learning-franchises

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

DoodyCalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

doodycalls-franchise-deep-dive

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Barb Volk and KidStrong logo

Why This Orangetheory Fitness Franchise Owner Is Developing KidStrong Franchises

kidstrong-franchise-owner-barb-volk-2025

Wild Birds Unlimited Franchisee Jan Hatch Breaks First-Year Sales Record

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS