Mother and Daughter Duo Team Up to Turn a Passion for Nature and Bird Watching into a Successful Business Ownership Opportunity

Abbie Pressley and Melanie Moore aren’t your average mother-daughter duo. Their close relationship is solidified by more than family—they’re also business partners.

Since Melanie Moore was young, she’s bonded with her mother, Abbie Pressley, over their shared love of nature and bird watching. And that passion continued to get stronger with time. That’s why when Abbie decided that she wanted to break out of the health care industry and take on something new, pursuing business ownership in a nature related industry seemed like the best choice. Her daughter Melanie agreed, and right off the bat, they knew where to look first: Wild Birds Unlimited .

“We were already familiar with Wild Birds Unlimited when I started researching different business ownership opportunities. Melanie and I share a passion for nature, and we had been customers of another store for a while,” said Pressley. “What inspired us to take that passion and interest as consumers to the next level and pursue franchise ownership was a combination of the people behind the Wild Birds Unlimited brand and their business model.

I initially looked into a competitive brand to see what they had to offer, but Wild Birds Unlimited was so superior in every way. There was no question in my mind that our choice had to be Wild Birds Unlimited.”

Business ownership journey

Pressley finalized the purchase of her Greenville, South Carolina franchise on November 1, 1997. For the first year and a half, she ran the business on her own. However, it was always Melanie’s plan to join her down the line if the business continued to grow. And grow it did. When the time was right, Melanie decided to join her mother in the business and make Wild Birds Unlimited her career as well.

Working as a mother-daughter team has proven to have its advantages. In addition to spending more time together, Abbie and Melanie are able to manage different parts of the business according to their individual strengths. They both love spending time working with customers every day, but they oversee different aspects of the business behind the scenes. For instance, Pressley executes email and post card marketing campaigns, while Moore handles updating their Facebook page.

But it’s not just their business model that has made their Wild Birds Unlimited store so successful over the past 20 years. It’s also their passion for the brand.

“Being a part of the Wild Birds Unlimited brand is incredibly rewarding. Our customers come to us either because they’re looking to become more knowledgeable in their bird watching hobby or they’re just eager to get started, and we get to guide them on that journey. It’s a joy to educate them about nature and help them to better understand the ways that they can enhance their own backyard,” Pressley said.

Franchise success and support

With over 320 locations across the country, Pressley and Moore are two of many franchisees who are experiencing success alongside Wild Birds Unlimited. The brand goes above and beyond to support its local owner. From initial and ongoing training to a strong business model that’s been proven to work in all kinds of communities, Wild Birds Unlimited is designed with its franchisees in mind. And with start-up costs ranging from $146,692 to $228,406—including a $30,000 franchise fee—the brand’s business ownership opportunity is affordable for many candidates.

“Setting every single one of our local owners up for success is our top priority. That’s why we go the extra mile to ensure that the tools and resources we have in place are both innovative and stable,” said Paul Pickett, Chief Development Officer for Wild Birds Unlimited. “We love seeing franchisees like Abbie and Melanie experience consistent growth year after year, and we’re looking forward to continuing to bring this opportunity to new franchisees—and consumers—in communities across the country.”

Both Pressley and Moore encourage others to take advantage of that opportunity. As they continue to build their business in Greenville, they recognize that this model can work for countless others in other communities.

Moore said, “This is a great opportunity for anyone, especially if you have a background in business and a passion for nature. The system works, and it’s the best way to make a career by doing what you love."

Cassie has over five years of digital and traditional media experience. She joined NLA after working as a television news producer in both Milwaukee and Chicago, and now specializes in aligning strategies across the board for her clients, ultimately building buzz and telling compelling stories through content marketing, social media, digital campaigns and traditional PR. Cassie has a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast and Electronic Communications from Marquette University.

In her spare time, Cassie enjoys traveling and exploring what new cities have to offer in addition to spending time with her friends and family.