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What do you do?

Fastframe, USA was started in Newcastle,  England in 1986 with the first American Fastframe store opening in Thousand Oaks, California in that same year.  Since then, over 300 U.S. and almost a dozen foreign franchises have been opened. This custom picture framing store offers a quick turnaround for its framing customers while maintaining a high level of quality and customer satisfaction.

Leah De Lane opened her Fastframe franchise in Morgan Hill in late April 2005. During that first month, she was able to double the average new store sales for the month of May.  The store has continued to grow since then causing some of her competitors to not only take notice but to consider moving their businesses to other locations. Recognizing her lack of experience and training in this business inspired Leah to not only take full advantage of the Fastframe training but also to spend almost a year working at another Fastframe franchise in her effort to learn every aspect of the business.

Her passion for making the business a big success is reflected in every aspect of the way in which she manages the store.  She has created insanely great customer service by developing a knowledgeable and friendly staff, a comfortable environment, expert workmanship, and a quick turnaround on customer orders. (7-10 days versus 2-3 weeks with her competitors)   Thank you cards and an invitation to return are part of each customer transaction.

What's great about my mentor?

Leah would be quick to also recognize the efforts of Carol Harrington, a SCORE volunteer, as being very instrumental in mentoring and assisting her in getting started in this new franchise purchase.  In Leah’s words, “Carol quickly became more than a counselor, she’s truly a mentor whose experience coupled with her excitement about my progress has inspired me to excel.”