Peach Partner Program
Have you dreamed or wondered about what it would be like to own and operate a Big Peach Running Co. in your hometown or favorite community? If so, you’ve come to the right place to find some initial information and determine if the opportunity is right for you… To be sure, we’re always looking for fun, community-minded, fitness-inspired, ambitious, and entrepreneurial persons to consider and evaluate our Peach Partner (Franchise) program. If this is YOU, read on! Our FAQ section (below) will provide most of the foundational details. If there are additional curiosities or it makes sense to make a new friend, please drop us a note at PeachPartner@BigPeachRunningCo.com.
What are the “Personality Requirements” to operate a Big Peach Running Co.?
It all starts with our Mission: “To grow, to support and to enhance an active lifestyle.” Trust us – – it is not about how many stores we have open, how many pairs of shoes we have sold or the quantity of miles we have collectively covered. Perfectly enough, these statistics take care of themselves when our Mission is passionately pursued. And if such meaningful work cranks you up, geeks you out and gets you going, we are kindred spirits! From there, we believe the cornerstones of our organization best reflect who we are AND who we like to hang out with… Here they are:
The Big Peach Guest Promise
The promise below was placed on the wall of our first store as soon as the paint dried. This was before hiring our first Guest Advocates and long before the door was open to the public. We knew that an unfailing delivery of this commitment would determine the success we had with our Guests and the impact we could have by serving in our community.
We proudly portray that The Promise has not changed. Nor has its importance.
AT Big Peach, we promise to:
- Constantly deliver exemplary customer service and exceptionally useful product knowledge.
- Continually provide our Guests an environment that is friendly, comfortable, and fun.
- Always be mindful of the privilege — and the responsibility — we have to make our wonderful city a better place to live, work, and play.
Our Core Values
We did not author our Core Values until we arrived at our 10th Anniversary. Simply put, we did not feel we could make or claim such important bastions for our business without confidently knowing what materially mattered in the past and still steered us confidently into the future. Now as a brand that is two (2) decades old, our Core Values have 10+ years of dutifully and beautifully serving our constituents. Most notably, we unapologetically indicate we have a Core Value that sits atop the others and is first among equals: Our Best Business Asset Is Our Team. And if we, ultimately, have the good fortune of journeying together, you’ll quickly learn and understand why…
Big Peach Core Values
Our Best Asset Is Our Team
We develop talent from within the organization so a healthy information exchange is always available, productivity is always visible, and Leadership Team positions can always be filled from the current roster at BPRC. Everyone begins as a Guest Advocate, and no one retires from this position.
Make It Better
We desire a culture that demands and expects continuous improvement. and we will build our business fully dependent on each team member’s respective and recurring personal commitment to such. And while we recognize the tension that always accompanies the innovation and constant change required to make things better, we also vow to embrace and conquer it.
Always Choose Service Excellence
We cherish the numerous roles our Guests ask us to play for them, fully recognizing that friendliness and genuine interest in their pursuits will always be the underpinning of any relative success we achieve. We focus firstly on our guests; all else follows.
We Take Fun… Seriously
We demonstrate how fully capable we are of growing our business, pursuing our passion, and increasing our potential, all while maximizing the amount of fun we have AND that we bring to others.
The Service Quotient
We now know how much goes into maximizing our organizational and brand potential. Heck, that is part of our enthusiasm for sharing it with you! Even so, we know that our foundation and reputation are contingent upon the quality of service we provide to our Guests and the confidence they have to stake their credibility on recommending us to others. Through countless hours of research and the confirmed satisfaction of hundreds of thousands of purchases, these are the characteristics that are deemed most valuable to those we serve inside our stores and online:
Friendliness, Patience, Empathy, Gratitude, Enthusiasm, Willingness
The Peach Pledge
Last – – but certainly not least – – our Leadership Team and Peach Partners often make a simple introduction. It’s along the lines of, “We are Big Peach.” But please do not allow its simplicity to suggest any lack of substance. After all, it’s a pledge (also an acronym). And we say it because any relative success or favorable influence mandates that we are BIG on the following with ourselves, with each other, and with those who are most instrumental in presenting our potential to others:
Perseverance, Excellence, Accountability, Clarity, Honesty
What are the benefits of owning a Big Peach Running Co.?
We believe that every community deserves something like Big Peach. In fact, we would contend that a vibrant community has a natural tilt in the direction of local businesses, healthful living and communal spaces that bring people together for social and undeniably beneficial reasons. Fortunately for us, Big Peach checks the box and hits the mark on all of those! Moreover, we know there are lots of community-minded persons who have the talent and dedication to bring these assets to the fore… but they likely cannot or do not wish to do it alone.
These are some of the benefits we provide to maximize potential and bring goodness to deserving persons and communities:
Admired Reputation
Whether with Guests, constituents in the communities we already serve or business partners in the industry, the reputation of Big Peach as an organization and brand is unmatched. We invite you to do your own research with those who have shopped or done business with us. Our commitment to inclusive activities and workplaces, fun and productive environments, healthy and mutually beneficial results and community engagement speaks for itself… And it does so while also inviting some select others to join us to continue such meaningful work!
Keystone Business Partners
Let’s be honest: This business is impossible without showcasing the footwear, apparel and accessory brands that newbies, novices, enthusiasts and experts in a fitness-minded lifestyle seek. And more than ever, the most popular and successful brands in this industry are tightening their wholesale distribution rosters and increasing the requirements necessary for access to the most sought-after products. With Big Peach, you get immediate access to the leading brands and products. Our past performance, credit history and longstanding partnerships do the work necessary for an operator with plenty of potential but an absence of current scale or connections to feature the products necessary to be successful.
Proven Systems and Guidance
Whether you elect to take the next step with Big Peach or not, we’ll tell you what it takes to be successful in this channel. It’s three (3) things:
- A steady flow of traffic into your store, accompanied by a high conversion rate.
- Team Members who meet (or exceed!) customer expectations to acquire the products they want or need – – where, when and how they want or need them – – as they ensure a truly remarkable service proposition and a “never miss” approach toward revenue.
- An ability to manage operating expenses and inventory in a manner that eliminates wasteful spending, maximizes gross margin, promotes achievement of important benchmarks and clarifies the expected returns on your various investments.
If you already have access to the resources necessary for – – or an assurance of – – these elements, we suggest you forge ahead without us or other partners. On the flip side, if any of these give you pause or cause you concern, let’s connect. This is what we do. These are the systems we’ve built.
Rewarding Work
Do we really need to put any commentary underneath this heading? You would not be reading this if you did not already have a suspicion this could be really cool… And, man, for so many reasons it really is!
Alright, I’m still interested. What are the next steps?
Step #1
Please send a note to peachpartner@bigpeachrunningco.com with the following information: Your name, your current occupation (if any) and your preferred market(s) for consideration. If you can attach a resume, even better! One of our Peach Partner Advisors will respond to you within two (2) weeks of receipt of your inquiry.
As you consider this first step, please keep this in mind: Big Peach does NOT offer financing. And as you likely estimated, this is NOT an inexpensive venture to bring to life… If you do not have access to – – or cannot sensibly secure – – at least $250,000 in capital, the timing is not right for us. We can assist you with locating institutional financing and pursuing SBA loans… BUT your own collateral and credit history must speak for any such arrangement. We do not serve as guarantors in our Peach Partner endeavors or make any financial investment to cover initial expenses. We reserve the right to obtain your credit score before taking any of the next steps.
Step #2
Assuming a prospective and mutually beneficial fit, we will arrange a videoconference or visit for you with one or more of our Peach Partner Advisors. This conversation will allow us to better get to know each other and talk specifically about your situation and the market(s) in which you’re interested. Our discussion will preview the Franchise Disclosure Document and help you understand some of the economics of this industry and our business.
Step #3
As is both sensible and necessitated by law, we will provide you with our Franchise Disclosure Document and require you to review and acknowledge receipt of such information. You will have no less than two (2) weeks to digest and consider the information contained therein (it’s a 50+ page document!). After this “No Contact” period, we will reconnect at a mutually convenient time. When we do so, we will obtain your updated level of interest in pursuing ownership of a Big Peach location.
Step #4
In this conversation, we will get specific about the possibilities and particulars of opening a Big Peach with you (or your organization) as the owner in the market(s) desired.
Step #5
If Step #4 yields no unconquerable barriers to our prospects of working together, we will arrange for a real estate assessment and commence with a market-specific business plan. Alongside these collaborative efforts, you will be encouraged to connect with other Peach Partners and visit other Big Peach stores. It is important for you to have a solid sense of our culture and the myriad activities and responsibilities that constitute our work, potential and Mission.
Of course, many other steps follow. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…😊 More broadly, the steps that follow Step #5 are customized to your specific situation with marketplace dynamics, financial planning, available real estate and personal considerations. We will also introduce you to additional Team Members, including our master real estate, legal, store design and accounting experts… Only after the most important factors are determined and decided to be favorable for YOU will we suggest that you sign a Peach Partner Agreement with us.
What other questions are good FAQs?
How long does it usually take to get a store open?
Although each situation is different, a store will typically open 6 – 9 months after a Peach Partner Agreement is signed. Regardless of the time, we will assist you every step of the way, including real estate negotiations, interior design, vendor relationships, opening orders, staff training and much, much more.
Can I be an “absentee owner” with the Peach Partner program?
Again, each arrangement is different. And we have evidence that the Owner-Operator model works wonderfully well in this industry. At the same time, if you are willing to invest in proven performers whom we have also vetted through our required training, we will allow what we refer to as “strategic absenteeism.”
Can I own multiple Peach Partner locations?
Yes. We have Peach Partners who own more than a single location. Although not easy or expected, we can also acknowledge that some efficiencies and beneficial scale reside with those Peach Partners who have multiple stores.
Would Big Peach open another store in my market?
Your Peach Partner agreement will include an area that is protected from intrusion from any other Peach Partner, prospect or Company-owned store. This protected area is traditionally determined by assigning you specific zip codes that encompass a certain radius and population base. In addition, these zip codes entitle you to 100% of the revenue of all online purchases made in these zip codes.
After my store is open, what kind of support will I receive?
As a Peach Partner, you will continue to receive weekly support with your inventory and booking orders for the life of our agreement. For the first year, you will have a monthly call to discuss specific metrics and crucial areas of the business. Each year, you will also have monthly calls available to discuss key priorities, industry trends and new opportunities or challenges. Equally as valuable, you will have 24/7 access to your comprehensive Store Summary, our systemwide Footwear reports and many other tools that are exclusive to Peach Partners to help them maximize their business and make good decisions. We know that “we’re in this together” – – and we orient our Team and our efforts to properly represent the important journey and enjoyable companionship we have with you!
At Big Peach, we’ve enjoyed a fast-paced past. But even more importantly, we look forward to a bright and beautiful future that ensures Big Peach is within easy reach for special communities everywhere and so many deserving patrons!
Might this future include you? Again, please send a note to peachpartner@bigpeachrunningco.com if you wish to learn more!
