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Recent out of an unfulfilling finance profession, Neil Hershman was on the lookout for one thing completely different — one thing he might construct together with his personal fingers. That search led him to 16 Handles, a New York-based froyo model he frequented as a buyer.
Astrophysics diploma in a single hand, finance resume within the different, Hershman discovered himself behind the counter of his first 16 Handles franchise, sleeves rolled up and working the shop from open to shut.
What began as a aspect undertaking rapidly spiraled into one thing larger. “Open and shut, each single shift I used to be working,” Hershman says. “I used to be in a position to advance the enterprise [and] herald extra income to the purpose the place the revenue was so nice that I made a decision to depart all my different initiatives and simply concentrate on 16 Handles.”
At a time when different entrepreneurs have been retreating, Hershman expanded. He began constructing new shops throughout New York Metropolis throughout Covid-19, when retail leases have been low-cost and opponents have been shuttering. “As a substitute of getting scared, I used to be the one coming in and constructing,” he says.
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Quickly, he wasn’t simply working areas. He was main all the firm.
Since buying the model from founder Solomon Choi in 2022, Hershman has led a nationwide enlargement of the froyo chain from 30 to 150-plus areas. His surprising journey from buyer to franchisee to CEO provides him a singular edge in immediately’s crowded dessert market.
Hershman is behind among the model’s wildest flavors, starting from Harry Potter references to “french fry frozen yogurt” (a play on McDonald’s ceaselessly damaged ice cream machines). “I’m a part of the shopper base,” he says. “My household, my mates, everyone seems to be a part of the shopper base. So it is simply concepts that we now have.”
The outcomes converse for themselves. “Our gross sales progress has been phenomenal, like once we launched french fry, or the Squid Video games-inspired taste, or the butter beer out of Harry Potter,” he says. “Our gross sales are up like 30-40% the week that we launched in comparison with prior years. So it actually does make a distinction.”
However constructing a thriving model takes greater than taste. It takes belief, consistency and loyalty — not simply from prospects, however from the group. That is why the primary individual Hershman employed was Lisa Mallon, who co-owned the Fairfield, Connecticut, location along with her husband for 13 years.
“Who is aware of the model higher and believes within the model greater than individuals who have been profitable with the model?” Hershman says. “Anyone who’s received 13 years of working a retailer open to shut and is aware of buyer interactions and [what] prospects need, learn how to make the perfect bang to your buck on this enterprise.”
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This technique helps the model keep constant, that are the callouts Hershman appreciates most in buyer critiques.
“We used to have one woman who ordered each single day, and it could at all times come by way of across the identical time, to the purpose the place whenever you heard the printer printing at the moment, we knew it was her order and what to do,” he says.
In the future, she left a five-star evaluation with an image of her froyo on her espresso desk. “Love this place, nice chocolate,” she wrote.
For Hershman, these few phrases have been a supply of encouragement. “Although it feels monotonous that we’re packing the identical order each single day, there’s any individual on the different finish who all day might be trying ahead to this second of opening up this bag,” he says.
Hershman confused the significance of paying shut consideration to critiques, whether or not optimistic or essential.
“[Loyal customers] know what to search for greatest,” he says. “These are actually essential for us as a franchisor to know what is going on on with our areas, and for retailer operators to know what is going on on within the buyer’s thoughts.”
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Hershman and his group preserve a detailed eye on evaluation platforms like Yelp to assist refine operations and construct belief whereas maintaining in thoughts that not each critique is a name to motion.
For instance, one of many challenges Hershman recognized is just not getting the complete image of a buyer’s expertise based mostly on their evaluation. “You simply get the perimeters, so it makes it a bit of laborious to make use of these critiques as a long-term choice maker,” he says.
However, essential critiques can present readability, and good critiques can construct credibility. Each are alternatives to develop as a enterprise.
Hershman’s story is about seeing potential the place others see plateaus and making actually particular moments for patrons, who will return for the constant expertise time and again.
After taking on as CEO and reimagining 16 Handles for a brand new era, Hershman’s recommendation to entrepreneurs is straightforward however highly effective:
Obsess over the shopper expertise. From staple merchandise to add-on providers, every little thing might be improved to construct belief and domesticate repeat enterprise.Construct buyer loyalty at each flip. Studying and responding to buyer suggestions lets prospects know their voices are heard.Innovate with function. Not each enterprise thought will see the sunshine of day, however specializing in fixed enchancment will preserve your small business aggressive.See your small business by way of the eyes of a buyer. Spending time on the entrance strains may give you a contemporary perspective on what’s working and what must be improved.
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Editorial contributions by Jiah Choe and Kristi Lindahl
