Franchise Training and Support

Wild Birds Unlimited has created a culture dedicated to continuous growth and improvement.

New and existing WBU owners have access to 40 years of expertise thanks to the experts who manage our Franchise Support Center. To help you meet the day-to-day challenges of franchise ownership and establish a good foundation for long-term success, we provide franchise training and support for every area of your business. As a franchisee, you’ll be in business for yourself, but never by yourself.

This team of more than 50 professionals, located in Carmel, Indiana, will help to equip you with the tools and best practices you need to operate your store. Each member of the support team brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to every interaction.

Business Coaches

During your first year of operations, our New Owner Development Team is dedicated to helping new franchisees get off to a strong start to store ownership. After that first year of operations, you will work with a designated Business Coach to put systems in place and implement WBU best practices.

Finance

You’ll be trained to use the Wild Birds Unlimited Financial and Accounting Tools to help you plan for and understand profitability and cash flow in your store. You will also gain insight into financial best practices by reviewing case studies of actual store operations.

Nature & Hobby Education

From hands-on product training to ongoing hobby education, you’ll have access to the resources you need to become your community’s backyard bird feeding authority. You’ll quickly become a bird feeding and wildlife expert.

Marketing

Our marketing support is designed to help you attract new customers and create loyalty among existing customers. We provide you with a yearly marketing plan that integrates direct mail, email marketing, an online presence, educational outreach, public relations, and other advertising, resulting in a comprehensive strategy. We will guide you through the process of building a marketing budget that maximizes the resources within your local market, including your launch and grand opening plan.

Merchandising & Purchasing

You will benefit from a broad mix of Wild Birds Unlimited private label merchandise that will set you apart from your competition. Our custom seed blends, select and private labeled feeders, and our exclusive hardware system are best in class. You will also gain the skills necessary to buy, price, and sell our products.

Human Resources

We’ll help you recruit, train, and retain excellent employees. You will have 24-7 access to Wild Birds Unlimited’s specially developed training programs to improve your staff’s effectiveness. Our ongoing training programs will help you motivate your staff to understand and maintain your store’s mission through superior customer service and high salesmanship standards.

Information Systems & Technical Support

We’ll train you to use WBU’s proprietary point of sale system and run reports that will help you analyze business performance. You’ll learn to use this information and insights to make informed decisions about marketing, labor, scheduling, product assortment, inventory levels, and other operating expenses. As a Wild Birds Unlimited franchise owner, you will have access to training resources and toll-free phone support to help ensure everything runs smoothly.

Franchise Store Owner Community

Connect with other Wild Birds Unlimited franchise store owners through the WBU Intranet, over the phone, or in-person. Whether you’re in search of a specific product or simply want input and advice from a colleague, you can count on your fellow store owners to help.