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NEW USES: Franchisee Hoon Featured in Entrepreneur

New Uses franchisee Mark Hoon with family standing in New Uses store with purple walls

Learn about franchisee Mark Hoon and how he manages multiple resale stores in Minnesota. Read the Franchise Players article below or click here to see it on entrepreneur.com.

What’s Old Is New Again for These Two Resale Franchisees

Mark Hoon has never been an employee. He was only 16 years old when he started selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door, 18 when he opened his first vacuum cleaner distributorship. His wife, Barb, has been by his side professionally for more than three decades. And, together, the Hoons owned businesses ranging from cleaning appliances to real estate before finding their calling as resale franchisees in 2008. Today, they are pioneers in the resale home furnishings market as owners of one of the nation’s first New Uses franchises.

Name(s): Mark and Barb Hoon

Franchise owned: New Uses, in Maple Grove, MN; and Clothes Mentor locations in Maple Grove, St.Cloud, and Woodbury, MN. Both brands are under the umbrella of NTY Franchise Co., an upscale consignment/resale company.

How long have you owned a franchise?

[Mark responding] I’ve been a franchise owner since 2008. [New Uses dates back to June 2013.]

Why franchising?

Both Barb and I are great copiers, but not great inventors. We bought into the fact that a person can take years to invent and perfect a model. Franchising takes years off the time, expense and risk that comes with opening a new business. Franchising also allows us the lifestyle of being in business for ourselves with a system in place to give us direction and accountability.

Finally, having our daughter and son involved and preparing them to take over one day is very rewarding. Our children are earning the right to take over the business, and that makes us very proud.

What were you doing before you became a franchise owner?

Both Barb and I began our professional lives as independent contractors working as a distributor for Kirby Vacuum.

Why did you choose this particular franchise?

We were already familiar with the parent franchisor, NTY Franchise Company. We had initially purchased three Clothes Mentor stores, another of their resale franchise brands, and were pleased with the model. We decided on a New Uses store because it offered the same proven system, with a different product base. We also wanted a new business for our son to grow into, since he was graduating from college.

How much would you estimate you spent before you were officially open for business?

The total cost was $224,000. The breakdown was: franchise fee, $20,000; buildout, $100,500; inventory, $40,000; deposit and rent: $13,500; labor, $10,500; advertising, $15,000; and miscellaneous, $24,500.

Where did you get most of your advice/do most of your research?

Mentors! My father, Carl — for raising me with ethics and care. Gene Windfeldt, business owner and entrepreneur — for work ethic, discipline, focus and big thinking. My wife — for teaching me structure, honesty and follow-through.

What were the most unexpected challenges of opening your franchise?

Barb and I really didn’t have any unexpected challenges. We went into the business having done the research and understanding what we were getting into; and we had a comprehensive three-year business plan. There were some tweaks we had to work on, but not anything I would call a challenge.

What advice do you have for individuals who want to own their own franchise?

Buying a franchise is not “buying a business”; it is buying an opportunity to own a business. Your actions, attitude and work ethic are what will make it a business. You are not a business until you are able to be paid and make a profit. Until that happens, it is only an expensive hobby.

What’s next for you and your business?

Winters in Florida!. Over the next five years, we will be working with our kids to help them to understand what entrepreneurship is, the lifestyle it creates and how to manage the two. Both Barb and I expect to be active in the business for years to come. Our business is like a child to us. You can’t just kick it out of the house and never see it again. Years of both physical and emotional work will keep us connected in some capacity, even as we transition out of full-time operation.

See more from Entrepreneur.

Ronald G. Olson

President

Ron Olson has been President and a Director of NTY Franchise Company since October 2006. Ron’s background included starting his career at Dayton’s Department Store, where he held many management positions. In 1977 he opened his own furniture store in Minnesota, which was a Drexel Heritage prototype store. In 1988 he co-founded Grow Biz International, now called Winmark. The first franchise rights that Olson purchased and started marketing was Play It Again Sports. Olson continued buying the Franchise rights for Once Upon A Child, Plato’s Closet, and Music Go Round. Today there over 1,000 Franchise locations.

Under NTY Franchise Company, the franchise rights were bought for Clothes Mentor and New Uses. In 2013 Olson bought Laptop Exchange and changed the name to Device Pitstop. In 2014 the company opened NTY Clothing Exchange and NTY Kids, now Children’s Orchard. There are currently 204 stores sold and 133 stores opened under the NTY Franchise umbrella.

Chad Olson

Chief Operations Officer

Chad Olson has been Chief Operations Officer of NTY Franchise Company since January 2007. From May 1994 to December 2006, he held various positions for Winmark Corporation (f/k/a Grow Biz International, Inc.), including Field Operations Manager for the Once Upon a Child concept from 1999 to 2002, and Regional Operations Manager for the Plato’s Closet concept from 2002 to 2006.

Sarah Primmer

Vice President of Finance & Human Resources

Sarah Primmer is the Vice President of Finance and Human Resources for NTY Franchise Company. She joined the company in January 2014. Prior to joining NTY, Sarah spent over 25 years as the controller and business manager of a local sales and marketing firm calling on Target stores.

Michael D. Smith

Vice President of Strategic Planning

Michael D. Smith has held numerous roles with NTY Franchise since 2010. He is currently the Vice President of Franchise Development and Strategic Planning. From December 2000 to July 2010, Michael held the position of Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the franchise company Laptop Xchange. From June 1994 to December 2000, Michael held numerous roles within the Grow Biz International brands of Play It Again Sports and Computer Renaissance. These roles included Corporate Store Management, Field Operation Specialist, and Franchisee.

Jenny Mann

Vice President of Operations | Executive Director of IT

Jenny Mann is the Senior Vice President Clothes Mentor and Children’s Orchard. In February of 2024, Jenny took on her current role overseeing IT, Marketing and the e-commerce platforms for both brands. Prior to this, Jenny was the Director of Marketing for NTY Franchise Company since January 2013. Jenny started with the NTY Franchise Company in 2008 with Clothes Mentor and has held many roles, including; Store Manager, New Store Opener, and Regional Operations Manager. Before joining NTY Franchise Company, Jenny worked for Old Navy (Gap, Inc.) and Target in management roles.

Michelle Vaudrin

Senior Director of Operations

Michelle Vaudrin is the Senior Director of Operations for Clothes Mentor and Children’s Orchard. Prior to joining NTY Franchise Company in March 2016, she worked in leadership roles for Burlington, American Eagle and Macy’s. Michelle attended University of Wisconsin-Stout with a degree in Retail Merchandising and Business Administration. She brings extensive background in training of strategies, merchandising, customer service and multi-unit store operations to the team.

Ashley Huebner

Director of Marketing

Ashley Huebner oversees NTY Franchise Company’s marketing and advertising efforts to drive sales, build brand awareness and lead the planning on how to effectively market both brands. She leads creative initiatives for NTY Franchise Company, driving the brands’ vision in aesthetics, tone, and trends to elevate our brand position as a leader in the resale category. Ashley joined the Clothes Mentor team in March of 2015. Ashley has 8+ years of Graphic Design experience. Ashley holds a strong background in design, user experience, and a passion for creativity. She holds a BA degree in Advertising and Art.

Jessica Fix

Franchise Contract and Office Administrator

Jessica Fix is the Franchise Contracts and Office Administrator for NTY Franchise Company. She started with the company in January of 2018. Jessica works alongside the Franchise Development Team and provides office support to the headquarter office. She has 20 years in the franchise industry, previously working for Carlson Leisure Group/Travel Leaders Franchise Group in a variety of roles, such as Database Coordinator, Legal Contract Administrator, and Executive Assistant to the Franchise Sales Team.