Flower Tent: Blossoming Success in Seasonal Flower Retail

Flower Tent is a unique seasonal flower retail franchise that brings vibrant blooms directly to communities through its iconic outdoor tent locations. Founded in 1992 by Tom Ansilio in Wyoming, Pennsylvania, the concept was inspired by his earlier ventures in mobile retail.

Recognizing the potential of temporary, high-traffic setups, Ansilio transitioned to selling flowers, capitalizing on the demand for convenient, fresh floral products. The franchise began offering opportunities to entrepreneurs in 2009 and is headquartered in West Wyoming, Pennsylvania.

Operating primarily during the spring season, Flower Tent franchises offer a variety of bedding plants, hanging baskets, and potted flowers. The business model is designed for an 8 to 12-week operational period, allowing franchisees to benefit from a focused sales window with reduced overhead costs. This seasonal approach provides a balanced work-life dynamic and the potential for impressive returns on investment.

What sets Flower Tent apart is its status as the only national flower franchise with a proven, technology-resistant model. By utilizing temporary tent setups in strategic, high-visibility locations, the franchise minimizes traditional retail expenses while maximizing customer engagement.

Training

Flower Tent provides a hands-on training program designed to prepare franchisees for operating their flower retail businesses. Here are the structured components of the training:

1. Initial Training Program: Franchisees must complete a mandatory two-day training program before opening their first Flower Tent Business. The program includes classroom instruction and two to three days of greenhouse visits, focused on operations and administration.
2. Training Costs and Access: There is no tuition fee for the franchisee and one trainee to attend the training program. Additional trainees may be charged a reasonable tuition fee. Travel, lodging, and wage expenses are the responsibility of the franchisee.
3. Program Content: The training covers point-of-sale system and iPad use, equipment and signage setup, tent operations, staffing, product receiving, and plant care. It consists of approximately 8 hours of classroom training and multiple hours of hands-on, on-the-job training conducted at the Flower Tent offices in West Wyoming, Pennsylvania.
4. Training Staff: The program is led by experienced personnel including the Vice President, President, and Operations Manager, each with extensive years of experience in training flower tent operators.
5. Performance Requirement: Satisfactory completion of the training program is required to proceed with the franchise. If a participant fails, they must repeat the training, or the Franchise Agreement may be terminated.

Territory Protection

Flower Tent offers its franchisees a defined "Protected Territory" for each Flower Tent Business. This territory is identified and approved by the franchisor prior to the business opening and is detailed in the Franchise Agreement. Franchisees must operate each business within this designated area, ensuring a structured approach to market division.

While the franchisor accepts the site and designates the Protected Territory, it does not guarantee that other Flower Tent Businesses or company-operated locations won't exist nearby.

However, the acceptance and formal identification of a specific operational territory offer a form of territorial clarity. This system helps minimize internal competition and supports focused local marketing and sales efforts.