This Husband-and-Wife Duo Started a Business They Couldn’t Find in Their Hometown. 6 Months in, It Did $1 Million in Sales.

For Ken and Sarah Barlow, the thought to unfastened a stiff yogurt franchise started during a elemental family moment. Their young girl asked if she could spell location to “make her ain crystal cream” aliases take her ain flavors and toppings. The mates realized that their hometown of Forest Acres, South Carolina, did not person a self-service frozen yogurt business astatine the time. 

“That spread mattered not conscionable to her, but to families for illustration ours who loved that experience,” Sarah tells Entrepreneur successful a caller interview. “That infinitesimal planted the seed.”

The couple realized that bringing a self-service stiff yogurt shop to the area wouldn’t conscionable fulfill a need; it would besides unfastened the doors to “something joyful” and “community-centered,” Sarah says. 

“This organization has ever been location for us,” she adds. “We’re full foodies who emotion frequenting our favourite spots successful Forest Acres. Supporting different section businesses is thing we genuinely enjoy.”

The Barlows decided on a 16 Handles franchise successful early 2024 and opened their shop successful June 2025. Within six months of opening, they had done $1 cardinal successful sales.

The question and reply beneath has been edited for clarity and concision.

Sarah and Ken Barlow.

Going into franchising

Walk maine done the infinitesimal you decided, We’re really going to bargain this franchise.
Sarah: There wasn’t really 1 melodramatic infinitesimal wherever we conscionable woke up and decided to do it. It was much a bid of conversations and investigation that gradually gave america assurance that this was the correct opportunity.

As we learned much astir 16 Handles, talked pinch the franchise team, reviewed the numbers and learned astir their imagination for the early of the company, we started to consciousness much comfortable pinch the decision. We could spot really the conception would fresh successful our marketplace and felt for illustration the marque had room to grow.

What assumptions did you person astir franchising going successful that turned retired to beryllium wrong?
Ken: One presumption we had going into franchising was that because location was an established firm structure, everything would tally very smoothly each the time. We quickly learned that franchises are still operated by people, and for illustration immoderate business, location tin beryllium challenges and hiccups on the way. What amazed america is that being a franchise proprietor still requires a batch of elasticity and problem-solving. The franchise strategy gives you a awesome instauration and support, but you can’t conscionable put things connected autopilot. You still person to accommodate erstwhile issues originate and activity closely pinch the firm team to find solutions. That’s astir apt been 1 of our biggest lessons arsenic owners.

Growth strategies

You built a $1 cardinal business successful conscionable six months. How did you do it? What were immoderate of your strategies for growth?
Sarah: A large portion of our maturation really came down to 2 things: location and being progressive successful the community from time one. We were very intentional astir securing what we felt was the champion imaginable location for our shop successful a highly trafficked shopping halfway successful a densely populated portion of town. That visibility and dependable travel of ft postulation made a immense quality early on. It put america successful beforehand of group constantly, which helped america build consciousness quickly and consistently bring successful caller guests. 

The 2nd awesome facet has been really profoundly we’ve tried to plug into the community. Since opening, we’ve hosted complete 70 fundraising events for section nonprofit organizations, and we’ve besides made it a privilege to support section sports teams, schools and creation companies directly. Those relationships person been incredibly meaningful, but they’ve besides helped thrust real, repetition postulation into the store. For us, maturation hasn’t been astir 1 azygous maneuver — it’s been astir being successful the correct place and making judge we’re showing up for the organization successful a real, accordant way.

Ken: Community partnerships and section events person been a immense portion of our business. I wouldn’t opportunity they’re conscionable “nice to have” — they’ve had a existent effect connected our gross and, conscionable arsenic importantly, connected building a loyal customer base.

Sarah and Ken Barlow

Advice for imaginable franchisees

What action steps did you return erstwhile you decided you wanted to research franchising? What do you urge for group who don’t cognize wherever to start?
Ken: Once we decided we were superior astir exploring franchising, the first point we did was get our financial business successful order. We looked astatine what we could realistically invest, talked pinch lenders and made judge we afloat understood the full costs — not conscionable the first franchise fee, but build-out, moving superior and everything that comes pinch opening a location. 

From there, we spent a batch of clip researching different franchise brands and really trying to understand the systems down them. We asked a batch of questions, talked to existing franchisees and tried to get a realistic image of what day-to-day operations would really look like. 

We besides went into it knowing it wasn’t going to beryllium a speedy process. Between find calls, approvals, tract selection, leases, building and training, it takes time. Probably longer than astir group expect astatine the beginning. For anyone conscionable starting out, our biggest proposal would beryllium to get financially prepared early and beryllium diligent pinch the process. Don’t unreserved into it. Take the clip to really understand the marque you’re considering, talk to arsenic galore group arsenic you tin and beryllium fresh for a learning curve. Franchising tin beryllium a awesome path, but it’s not an overnight decision; it’s a committedness that takes readying and persistence.

Advice for their past selves

If you could talk to yourselves the week earlier signing the franchise agreement, what would you say?
Sarah: I deliberation we’d show ourselves 2 things: First, trust your instincts, and second, beryllium patient. There are truthful galore unknowns earlier you motion a franchise agreement, and it’s easy to second-guess yourself aliases wonderment if you’re making the correct decision. Looking back, each of the research, questions and owed diligence we did gave america a coagulated foundation, and we’d punctual ourselves to spot the activity we had already put in. 

We’d besides show ourselves that everything is going to return longer than expected. From tract action and building to permitting and opening day, almost each measurement of the process takes much clip than you deliberation it will. That’s not needfully a bad thing; it’s conscionable portion of building a business.

Most importantly, we’d show ourselves that the agelong hours and challenges will beryllium worthy it. Seeing the shop go a portion of the community, supporting section organizations and watching customers make 16 Handles portion of their routines has been incredibly rewarding. The travel won’t ever beryllium easy, but it’s 1 we’ll beryllium gladsome we took.