How Much Does a Paint & Sip Franchise Cost vs Independent Studio?

How Much Does a Paint & Sip Franchise Cost vs Independent Studio?

Simple answer: by "Grand Opening" you will have around $15-20k invested in an independent studio like our clients do, or at least $50-130k plus if you go the franchise route.

You may have noticed the growing trend in the past few years -- many studios jumping on the paint & sip franchising "bandwagon". The franchisor's claim is that if you pay to use their brand and model, your studio will be a guaranteed success. But you're not buying McDonald's "golden arches" that everyone knows, TV advertising and all -- most of your local potential customers just want to "paint & party", they couldn't care what flag it flies under as long as you are exceeding in customer service and have a nicely branded studio space.

The franchise fees, royalties, advertising, and other expenses that most paint and wine franchises charge franchisees cuts too far into the profits for any studio owner to make a decent return on investment (ROI) and good profit margins and doesn't provide franchisees with all of the glimmery implied guarantees of fun, success, and class volume that they experienced on their "discovery day" trip to a franchised studio or during a phone call. This article explains the business and financial dynamics of investing in a "paint and sip" studio, both independent and franchised.

How Much is the Profit for a Paint & Sip Franchisee?
Profit, defined: difference between the purchase price and the costs of bringing the service to market.
Profit margin, defined: a measure of profitability. It is calculated by finding the net profit as a percentage of the revenue.

In other words, the lower your costs, the higher the profit margin can be.

Example: Jane wants to be an entrepreneur. She plays with this, and buys a pre-made candle for $5 and then sells it to a friend for $10. It was a lot fun, and she made money doing it!

Cost price = $5
Selling price (revenue) = $10
Profit = $10 − $5 = $5
Profit percentage (profit divided by cost) = $5/$5 = 100%

Now, onto "overhead". Jane has no overhead, so her profit margin is high--
Business overhead, defined: an ongoing expense of operating a business.

If Jane pays to advertise her candles and a fee to sell them from a booth at the local market, her profit margin will go down because of the newly added "overhead". However, if she makes this move / expansion, there could be increased volume and revenue that may offset her expenses... or not, it depends on the demand, which can never be guaranteed. All small business is a risk, never a guarantee. Jane can expand, but it's in her own best interest to do this slowly, at the lowest cost and risk possible -- Rome wasn't built in a day.

What is the Monthly Overhead (Cost) of a Paint & Sip Studio?
An independent studio, like the ones we co-create, has many costs, but a franchise has even more, and customers just want to "paint and party" -- flying the flag of the franchise at your location isn't going to guarantee customers. Here's a list of common basic expenses for any sip and paint studio--
*Studio lease / rent
*Utilities (heat / cooling, electricity use, sometimes water / sewer fees).
*Internet

In addition, there are monthly "variable costs"--
Variable costs, defined: costs that change in proportion to the service that a business produces.

Common variable costs of paint and sip studios include--
*Art materials
*Art instructor pay

The more tickets you sell, the higher your variable costs of materials and payroll will be. But making sales is good, and these variable costs are a predictable percentage of each ticket price, although we want to keep them to a minimum because that cost cuts into profits.

Franchises add another expense to their studios, the "royalty"--
*Royalty fee, defined: payment made by one party, the franchisee, to another that owns a particular asset, the franchisor, for the right to ongoing use of that asset (using their brand, use of the paintings, etc).

There are no fees to pay with an independent studio -- you own it! Royalty fees for paint and sip franchisees are typically set at 5% to 8%, but they are also known to tack a 2% to 6% "advertising" royalty, or assess fees on alcohol sales, per sold painting, or other factors, it all depends on which paint and sip franchise.

So, with a franchise, not only do you pay $15-30k upwards for the use of their name, logo, and other benefits claimed in their "franchise fee", but you pay them a portion of every dollar you earn, as a "royalty fee", for the duration of your contract, normally 5-8 years. This adds to your costs and lowers your profit.

Return on Investment (ROI)
When you make an investment, you do so in order to profit from a "return". You expect to earn back the money you invested, within a reasonable amount of time, plus a profit for the act of investing in it--

ROI, defined: in purely economic terms, it's one way of considering profits in relation to capital invested.

When we speak of the paint and sip industry, your investment is what you put in "on the front end"  -- business licensing, obtaining the lease space, buildout and improvements, inventory, initial advertising, hires and training -- every dollar you spend to get into business. With a franchise, add their fees to it and you will find that most franchisees spend $60k to $130k by the time they have their "grand opening", that's their investment. Our independent studios spend $15-20k on average, total, depending on costs in their local market.

Naturally, each studio owner would like a "good return on investment", the question is, how long it takes until that investment, plus a return, the profit, comes -- all the while paying the monthly overhead, variable expenses, and royalty fees in a franchise?

We have given you the facts--
*customers just want to "paint & party", the flag you fly under is of no consideration to them as long as you offer a good brand and high level of customer service.
*a franchise will cost you at least five times as much an independent paint and sip studio, at a higher front end investment and variable monthly expenses, with no guarantee of more customers.

Simple story -- you can open faster and on a better budget with us, and get just as many customers as your "next door", high cost franchise as long as you follow our step-by-step advice. We've opened 30 studios in the US since 2010, who will be next?

Click the link for a side by side comparison of independent vs. franchise requirements, benefits, and costs.
How Much Does a Paint & Sip Franchise Cost vs Independent Studio?

Paint & Sip Business Plan & Bank Loans

One of our recent consulting clients had inquired with both Pinot's Palette and Painting With a Twist paint and sip franchises before deciding to go with us, which is very common. This person seemed obsessed with the paint and sip business plan portion, which is fine, but I had to ask them about their seeming fixation.

As told to me, one of the franchises didn't supply them with their business plan, but instead "provided some data" and told them to work with their local SBA in order to write a complete paint and sip business plan for a bank loan.

This, to me, seemed quite odd -- a paint and sip franchise charging a huge fee and not even supplying the business plan? As independent consultants we've been providing our clients with general versions for years in order for them to secure studio space leases and bank loans.

Our client, having spent a great amount of time writing their business plan, in collaboration with the SBA, didn't want all of their hard work to go to waste and asked if we could proof their version and provide feedback.

Our review -- to put it nicely, this "plan" was a disorganized "fantasy" sprawled out in wandering subjects and type, laced with repetitive adjectives like "the best", "most wonderful", "the one and only", etc. It didn't give a snapshot of the business and how it would work, instead, it seemed like a long list of pleading hopes and hypothetical promises. That isn't how I worded it to the client in my response, but that was my candid impression of this "business plan". There is no way that a landlord or banker with any common sense is going to accept or approve an unprofessional plan like that.

After professionally educating my client on the purpose and goal of a properly written business plan, I was able to coax them, in their own interest, into dropping the unrealistically and unprofessionally worded portions of it. In the end, we went back to our long-proven business plan, customized it to her name, financial situation, local demographics, and business needs and she was quite satisfied and achieved her end goal of getting a bank loan for her paint and sip business.

Since then we've decided to roll out our 

"Paint & Sip BUSINESS PLAN & BANK LOAN Kit"

for everyone -- independent art studios, paint and sip franchise customers -- anyone looking for a business plan, bank loan, or both. We customize it to your situation and needs, and though we can never absolutely guarantee a lease space or bank loan, we have clients all over the US that have obtained either or both using these plans.

We're celebrating 6 years of our "paint and wine blog" this month! It's also our 6-year anniversary of being in the "paint & sip" business. This month we co-created studios #28 and #29, who will be our 30th? 

Here's the latest--

*Website redesign -- we just spent a reasonable amount of time redesigning our website and it's fresher and friendlier than ever, check it out! The Paint & Wine Studio Business Consulting Website

*GOLD ULTIMATE Level -- this is our first new product since 2012 because everything worked fine. But, we devised this program to be easier and faster -- all of the benefits of full GOLD consulting, 100% access to all of our info and guidance, plus your top SEO mobile website, AND the instructor certification seminar in your studio in conjunction with your Grand Opening, training 4 staff members, AND our 100 royalty free paintings, for one flat rate that is 20% less than itemized discount rates. We will have you open in 100 days or less, done deal! This is a limited offer so please check it out now! GOLD ULTIMATE Paint & Sip Business Consulting

*NEWSLETTER -- we've posted a newsletter sign-up form. If you're even the slightest bit interested in owning your own paint and wine oriented studio, learning how to paint in the paint and sip style or improving your methods, and anything else related to the art or business of the industry, sign up now to be in the mix! You can find the sign-up at the bottom of every page of paintandwine.com

*FREE DOWNLOAD -- "The TOP 10 Mistakes Paint & Sip Studios Should Avoid!" is our free PDF with some awesome insights on what to avoid as a "paint & sip" studio, just click the title to get there and enter your info.

*INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION SEMINAR -- our new Georgia studio has been a big hit and several groups have trained here already. It's a private studio on our property in the historic district and everything is geared around painting and teaching, there is no business instruction. We visit and lunch at three amazing local restaurants during the class. Discounts apply for those in the consulting programs, check it out from the links on every page of the website. Runs Tue-Thu for 3 days at your request.

Brunswick, Ga. Ben Affleck just shot his movie, "Live by Night" here, one block from our studio, look for it in 2017!

*YOUR CITY SEMINAR -- I was on the road for openings all over the U.S. this year We trained with some great owners and staff, the locals were awesome, and the launches went off without a hitch and the businesses are growing fast. This seminar remains the most effective way to do the Grand Opening of your business while training the entire team.

Alright, we hope your summer is going well!

Sincerely,
Brian Bullard, Director
www.paintandwine,com
info@paintandwine.com

When we last left off, we had returned to St. Louis, Missouri, my hometown, after nearly five years of doing "paint & sip" in my Houston, Texas art studio. It was during that time I began opening paint and wine oriented businesses throughout the US as an art business consultant.

Fast forward to "now" -- the St Louis Paint & Wine Studio was a huge success, we were nailing private parties and team building in no time. But the purpose of being there for 16 months was to save up for our next move -- to the "Golden Isles" of the Atlantic coast of Georgia, just south of Savannah. It was our life dream to live near the ocean and now it has happened -- we packed up, rolled out, and are renovating our new "National Paint & Sip Training Center" studio in an historic victorian district of the south. Classes will star in May, 2016, and it will be the ultimate sip and paint training center for seminars, painting training, and all sorts of business and art-related courses as well as tourism, because it's beautiful here and there is plenty to see and do.

Meanwhile, we just opened our 23rd co-created paint and wine oriented studio in Pennsylvania (PA), and the upcoming art studio is in New Jersey. There's also an entire story about me, my training and experiences, and how I got to be an expert business consultant in the paint & wine industry, let alone the arts, posted here, I hope you enjoy it, click here to read.

Our new city in Historic Brunswick Georgia, home of our new "National Paint & Sip Training Center"

The Paint & Wine Studio Whirlwind Month of Business!

Hey y'all (or "hi everybody" if you're up north, like we are now), it's been a wild few months. Two months ago we moved from our Houston location of 4 years to my hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. 800 miles with lots of pets and all in tow. Prior to that we had already scouted and contracted the new studio location, in Maplewood, MO, where we had lived from 2006-2008. It's a hip, urban community that supports small businesses and unique ventures like ours, so it was an easy choice for "The Paint & Wine Studio".

These are our new neighbors -- coffee shops, boutiques, a pizza establishment, brewery, deli,...list goes on, gotta love the midwest!

Anyway, I cut the lease deal before arrival. On the topic of leases -- lately, everyone writes or calls about my paint and wine consulting programs, informing me that " we are about to sign a lease", which is like telling a potential hired attorney "we are about to sign a settlement agreement". Are you kidding me? The studio lease for a sip and paint, let alone any other business, is the single most important piece of overhead which will dictate your profit margin and future, do you want to leave that to its own devices or put an expert on it? I can save you thousands of dollars and a lot of headaches by proofing your contract and negotiating a fair lease agreement, email me, enough said.

Anyway, two months ago we rolled into town, new home, new space, two weeks into that I started work on the studio (6 weeks ago). I wanted it to look the same as the Houston studio because I love that place and wanted it to remind me of all the good times there (umm, that's about as nostalgic as I get, so don't expect more, lol), and I knew it worked and customers loved it, so that's what I decided on.

Three weeks in, I was getting the walls and floors done, and it was matching the Houston studio, but I had to be off to another state, to train the instructors and host the Grand Opening of our new studio there. No prob, I packed a few bags and off I went, my paint and sip business client had followed all of my advice and it was all set up, so I did my thing and all went well. Yes, I give the seminar in St. Louis now but you can fly me in to train the instructors and do your Grand Opening of your own paint and wine oriented business at your studio.

"Selfie" with 21 Texan painting friends.

I made it back Sunday, completed the work in 5 weeks for my own studio, not bragging but that is the fastest new studio opening ever. For those of you hellbent on opening in 30 days, I can do it in 60 days, but there's going to be a premium for that!

Friday, September 19th, two months after arriving in STL, we had our Grand (re)Opening, all looked great and went as planned, and we're very happy with our new home, the public is also very excited, we booked 3 private parties, all anonymous through our website because I had geared the SEO (search engine optimization) for St. Louis prior to leaving Houston.

We made the rent in 7 days of sign-ups and hardly trying because I was too busy with decorating, lol. The next 21 days are profit.

Like I said, a whirlwind month, or more. I would love to help you with your paint and wine oriented business so you can save money going into it and succeed. Helping others with their business is our passion, since year 2000, send an email to info@paintandwine.com if you want the best that the industry offers at a fair price and I will hook you up!'

Check out this link to learn about our programs!
http://www.paintandwine.com/houston-art-business-consulting.html

Best regards,
Brian Bullard
The Paint & Wine Studio
paintandwine.com

We've gotten a lot of customers from St. Charles, Missouri, near St. Louis lately!

St. Louis & St. Charles Wine & Painting Classes

If you're looking for wine and painting classes in the St. Louis and St. Charles, MO, area, check out our website at

http://paintandwineclasses.com/

If you are interested in creating your own paint and wip studio or buying your own sip and paint website, or need a new one, please inquire with us by writing info@paintandwine.com

Paint & Wine Business Consulting - Cheaters

Hi, Brian Bullard here, the industry "paint & wine" business expert. I've seen it all in 28 years of owning and developing all types of art businesses, not much surprises me anymore, I just know what to look for. Professionals know how to get to the root of things quickly. You, like most people that visit this site, are probably an expert at something -- your occupation, career, lifestyle, etc. There are some things you know better than others, that is part of being a professional.

Today, in my duties as a professional in the business, in between building a sip and paint website for one client and coaching another in social media techniques, I decided to do a little Google search on my own paint and wine business. It's necessary to check your own rankings now and then, but also to check on others, that's when I found this--

Do you see something wrong here? I do, it's my own name being used in the "meta description" tag of a competing site. Let's ponder why someone would use my name on their "paint and wine industry" consulting website.... okay, didn't take long, did it? Because I'm the best. You can try to copy my programs or techniques, but you can't be me, you normally can't buy my name either. My info is reserved for my clients and they gladly pay me for it so I can help them develop their own paint and wine oriented business.

The page was indexed and cached by "googlebot" on Jun 11, 2014. It is now June 15, 2014, four days later, and they removed my name. This is an old SEO "black hat" cheating technique I know from 1996 -- cheat, then after index, remove to avoid problems. But now they have a problem!

So, what will I do? Will I trademark my personal name? Hire a lawyer? Waste thousands of dollars in litigation?

No. I'm smarter than that! I'm a pro, I know how to do all of that, and more. I play fair, but I don't put up with abuse. I'm not impressed by this person's website, paintings, or techniques in having to use my name to promote her business. She offers a manual for $1000, a ludicrous price, but maybe it will teach you how to steal the names of professional artists who know what they're talking about.

What brought you here? My number one ranking blog and website for the wine and paint business industry which was created on my vast knowledge of how the web works -- my name, the one I was born with, I own that and all behind it, just like you have yours, it's not for sale.

What these types don't understand is that I went through all of this 20 years ago while I was developing my own seminars in the faux finishing and mural industry. I know all of these tricks, nothing new, sip and paint is in diapers compared to that. 18 years ago, in 1996, I was finding my own name being secretly "spamdexed" to up my competitor's search rankings, thank you.

Thanks for visiting, if you're interested in getting into the business, check out my sip and paint consulting offerings and seminars.

If what you're reading, industry drama, turns you off, I fully understand. Get me on your side now and I'll fight all of your battles, you can host paint and wine class and do the fun stuff.

As usual, thanks for checking in. I love the paint and wine industry, only job I ever had that keeps me smiling all day and night, I love working with all the people who want to have fun with paint!

Best Regards,
Brian Bullard, Owner,
The Paint & Wine Studio

The Paint & Wine Business Seminar

Training paint & sip staff  in Maryland, July 2013

I've been teaching seminars in the "art & business" for fourteen years now and it's one of the most rewarding things I do at "The Paint & Wine Studio". We've been lucky enough to have people attend from all over the United States. The "clients", as I call them, come for a variety of different reasons. Some want to go full force with their own "sip and paint" business, others want to see if they're cut out for the business or if it meets their expectations, and then there are the ones who see it as a great opportunity to get away and become completely surrounded in the dynamic art atmosphere that we offer, hence -- "The Paint & Wine Studio's Seminar".

The feedback throughout the years has been tremendous. I've been blessed with great compliments, at the same time I've heard all of the horror stories of people traveling far and wide to a "business seminar" only to be bored by a very dry delivery of lacking substance, accompanied by terrible food.

My goal with seminars is to be anything but dry and boring, to strip the information to its essential and "easy to remember" bare bones and reiterate it several times, so it's learned. We get "face time", working with our hands and minds, the clock ticks away and it's a constant, energy-filled race to hold times and fit all of your paintings and questions in. You become part of the team, I don't know where else in the world you can simply walk into a business and learn the ropes in an onsite crash course like this.

My job is to not only to share information but to raise your confidence with a "can do" attitude. The client leaves tired yet "supercharged" about their opportunities in the paint and wine industry. They know the minimum required to successfully operate a sip and paint business and have taken part in that first hand. They can literally, at that moment, walk into any studio, anywhere, and know what the business focus and operations should be.

It's three days and two nights of excitement and dynamic energy in Houston, Texas. I also take the business seminar "on the road" as I did in Baltimore, Maryland, last year, training the local instructors during the day and holding the Grand Opening at night, with a chosen instructor teaching on the 2nd night, with my assistance.

If you want to experience the industry before making major investments, or if you're dead-set on owning and operating a sip and paint business, you can read more details about the "Total Immersion" seminar at this link.

The Paint & Wine Studio Total Immersion Business Seminar

Sip & Paint Branding

There's a big difference between employing a general concept and copying another business. I learned business and branding in Europe, where one first sets out to be proficient in the basic and advanced skills of whatever interests them, what they have a passion for. For me, that was art and painting, so I worked for several companies, with some of the best artists, traveling, all the while learning the business of the art world -- what it takes to be unique and sell.

Corporate team-building event.

I quickly learned that "art" is somewhat, if not completely, secondary to the business of selling any kind of painting. Of course, if you're selling something, whether a product or service, it needs to be of high quality and have a value. A "value" is not to be confused with something discounted or "cheap". The value is the amount of worth, as appraised by the potential customer.

Creating a unique business is not the matter of copying the exact model of a competing business and "painting" it a different color. If this concept is employed, the only thing setting you off from the competition is the price, and inevitably, novices believe if they copy a successful business and offer a lower price they will be successful -- which couldn't be further from the truth.

Being unique involves risks, making your own decisions as to what will be attractive and sell to the potential clientele. The higher the risk, the higher the potential reward --  or possible loss, and that's why there needs to be a rational level and approach to assuming business risks.

When you own a unique brand there's a special pride to it -- it's custom-made, not a copy.

If you're interested in owning a uniquely designed paint and wine oriented studio, please click here for more information.

Creating Your Own Paint & Wine Oriented Studio - Not a Franchise.

Paint and Wine Locations and Branding

Customers at "The Paint & Wine Studio"
often drive nearly an hour to attend, passing
up several "sip & paint" businesses along
the way. It's all because of our unique brand.

One of the things I hear most often from callers is "there aren't any sip and paint businesses or franchises in our town yet", or, "there's only one and they do a lot of business". That's a fine observation, and it's important to be aware of your environment in the business marketplace, but existing presence should not be the deciding factor in whether to open a "sip and paint" oriented business-- or any other type of business, for that matter.

I like to use the analogy of an Italian restaurant, and you probably have a few of these in your own town. Maybe the simplest level is a "Fazoli's" franchise, drive-thru and all. It's Italian, fast-food style. There might be a sort of small "family-operated" eatery within minutes, not fancy but the food can't be beat, especially for the price. And then you have the "high-end" establishment, which is usually a restaurant named "Tony's", it is in St. Louis, Missouri, my hometown, where there's no lack of Italian dining establishments.

Put yourself in the customer's position-- in this scenario you have never eaten Italian food, and driving by a "Fazoli's" franchise you hit the drive-thru and enjoy spaghetti for the first time. It was quick, convenient, in a nearby location and served its purpose. Your friend mentions a Fazoli's near her house, 20 minutes across town. Will you drive there to try it? No, because the successful model of a franchised business is that you know what you're getting no matter where that restaurant or store is -- it should all be the same. You're not driving 20 minutes only to get the same food and service when it's right next door!

But, having a literal hunger to discover what else is offered in the world of Italian food, you ask your friend if they know of any other eateries -- you've already been to the franchise, you know how that tastes. Your friend mentions a "hole in the wall with the best sauce I've ever had", and you make a beeline for it. You're amazed that such a small, family-operated business can churn out such unique and delicious Italian food. Unbeknownst to Fazoli's, they just turned you on to the best marinara sauce in town by existing in the first place, and have probably lost you as a customer.

With a family event impending, and not wanting to take them to the very casual "hole in the wall", you seek out fine dining, Italian style, and phone your friend. "Go to Tony's and you'll think you're in Italy -- they have beautiful canvas paintings on the wall, the finest china and service, the food is presented as art itself, and you can even sit in an actual gondola, imported from Italy, while drinking wine -- it's heaven, a 45 minute drive for you, but the experience of a lifetime!" You could do that or take the family to the Fazoli's franchise, so the choice is obvious.

You may only get to go to "Tony's" twice a year because of the higher price and longer drive, but everyone in the radius is willing to drive the distance and pay more for the experience, so they do good volume. Tony's doesn't care where Fazoli's opens another franchise, in fact, they're happy when another Italian business opens because it leads customers on a trail -- straight to Tony's.

The moral of the story is that business branding, not franchising, is the key to success in any business. To be a success in the "paint and wine" business you need to be different from the rest, not a mere copycat of a franchise, because if you are, your potential customers might as well go to the franchised business -- they know what they get there.

Branding and developing unique paint and wine as well as other "art and entertainment" businesses is just one of our specialties offered through "The Paint & Wine Studio". Please visit this link for more information.

Paint & Wine Studio Business Consulting

Paint and Wine Franchise "Name Fees"

The franchisee is paying to use the franchisor's name and logo and this is commonly referred to as a "name fee". Our sources tell us they are informed by competing "sip and paint" franchises that the name fee is $20-25,000 dollars on average.

My question to any potential business owner is if the franchisor's brand is well-known enough to justify the cost. If it's a "McDonalds" franchise, one of the best-known business franchises in the world, you're going to want those "golden arches" flying over the building, and it's worth the cost -- you're buying into a well-established international business franchise that everyone identifies with. 

With "sip and paint" franchises, what you're really paying in a name fee is a supposed track record of that name and logo having local appeal, not a nationally recognized brand by the common consumer, because the majority of customers are not even familiar with the concept of "sip and paint", let alone worried about a brand name. The question is if the franchised name and logo will have appeal in your own local market-- or if you can't come up with your own name and logo that is regionally desirable and brand your paint and wine business, all the while saving you $20,000 plus.

In our consulting program, we help our clients develop their business name, logo, and brand based on many factors, all proven by successful experience. The end result is a paint and wine business, name, and logo that our clients own, 100%, and at a fraction of the price of a franchise. It's like owning a "Burger King" next to a "McDonald's", before anyone knew who either company was, so it's even ground (no pun intended). From there, the client can develop several locations or franchise out their own name as desired.

To learn more about our program, please click this link

Open Your Own Paint & Wine Art Business - Not a Franchise!

Paint & Wine Business Seminar

Damon, an Army Officer, attended our"Paint & Wine Studio" seminar. He served twice as an infantry commander in Iraq, and several months in Haiti, commanding in both the 101st and 82nd Airborne. He attended in order to help his wife develop her sip and paint business and described our program as "a fantastic training experience".

In March of 2011 we began offering the "Paint & Wine Business Seminar". Having over a decade of experience teaching seminars in the arts and small business, it only made sense to begin hosting entrepreneurs with an interest in the "sip and paint" industry.

The course was an immediate hit for several reasons -- it's the first and only seminar of its kind, covering every operational aspect of the paint and wine oriented studio. Prior to this, you either opened and "winged it", or entered an expensive franchise with a long-term agreement. Either way, you just kind of hoped you would enjoy being in the industry after a heavy investment. In our seminar you get to "test drive" all aspects of the business, from painting technique, inventory, class layout and setup, customer payment processing, receiving and hosting, down to the clean-up.

Since its inception, we've taught several mother and daughter operations and a mixed bag of individuals from all over the United States. Many came with just "wanting to check it out", and left being deadset on starting a business. Others came with the intention of doing business and left doing so as well, but said they were grateful for the experience because there was more to it than they realized, and this would help them immensely.

We will continue to offer the seminar throughout the end of 2013, here's a link to the program.

Total Immersion Paint & Wine Business Seminar

Sip & Paint Business - Franchise vs Independent

Potential "paint and wine" studio business owners call daily, asking me to compare the differences between signing up with a franchise versus my independent "sip and paint" business consulting services. To understand the two different business relationships, one has to understand how a franchise works.

In a nutshell, when you become a "franchisee", you buy the rights to use the name, logo, business model, and any other proprietary business information and / or products or services that the "franchisor" offers in their contract. 

With my independent business consulting program, I help you develop your own unique business name and logo, and apply my successful business models to your unique "paint and wine" studio and local area to make your business a success.

What's the difference? About 50 to 100,000 dollars of your own investment money, and freedom, because once I co-create the business with you, you're not obligated to pay anything afterwards -- no royalties, no contracts or long-term agreements, no requirements for you to spend on advertising, it is unrestricted concerning the services and products you offer, your work hours-- you have free reign over your entire business with my program.

This is a side by side comparison I created to answer the common question of "What is the difference between an independent paint and wine business and a sip and paint franchise?".

http://www.paintandwine.com/paint-wine-business-franchise-consulting-cost.html

Welcome to the "Sip & Paint" Blog!

Hi, and welcome, however you found us -- if looking to buy into a sip and paint franchise, if you attended a painting class where you brought your own wine, and painted, and are now considering holding classes yourself -- we're glad you're here.

Art schools and classes are nothing new, but the idea that customers can bring their own wine during classes, is. It's more complicated than it looks and involves a lot of liability -- something that many overlook.

Why would we care?

For starters, it's in everyone's best interest to ensure that alchohol is used responsibly in this society, and not endangering others, so we will cover liability and company policies you can set concerning such.

Secondly, consumers and potential business owners need to be aware of their rights concerning franchises. You may be happy when you "qualify" to franchise, and be honored that you can buy into their system, but what are the downsides of buying a sip and paint franchise? Nobody seems to want to talk about that, as franchisees would have a conflict of interest and possibly void the franchise agreement by speaking out.

We're unbiased here, and as art business experts, we're going to tell you the truth about "sip and paint" franchising so you can be informed in your decisions!

Please sign up for our feed, and happy reading!