Tree Elves - Christmas Tree Delivery Service 

Introduction to Tree Elves
Tree Elves is a seasonal King of Pops business offering super-premium Christmas tree delivery and related services. Combining fun with meaningful traditions, Tree Elves delivers premium trees along with unique holiday experiences, such as themed elf drop-offs and set-up. King of Pops provides Carterpreneurs® the opportunity to replicate this successful model in their communities as an optional off-season revenue stream.

Glossary Of Terms

• Tree Delivery – Service of delivering a Christmas tree to a customer's home or business. 
• Elf Chat – Customer service chat with a "Tree Elf" to plan delivery details. 
• Tree Pick-Up – Scheduled customer pick-up of a pre-sold Christmas tree. 
• Tree Lot – A physical location where customers select and purchase trees.
• Tree Retrieval – Tree Elf's Collect and remove a discarded tree for recycling or disposal.
• Tree Stand – A base to hold a Christmas tree upright and watered.
• Tree Size – The height (not width) classification of a Christmas tree. 
• Delivery Window - Customers request a window rather than a specific time. 
• Upgrade – Option to enhance a tree order with premium features or services. (add lights, decorate, increase pop QNTY, turn the tree drop into a KOP catering.  

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The Tree Elves Business Model 🎄🚚

Pre-Season Prep

1. ✅ Finalize participation plans and delivery zones – HQ determines which areas will be served and cartrepreneur® involvement is structured. 
2. ✅ Plan operations – Set up strategies and operational workflows for a smooth launch.
3. ✅ Order trees – Ensure the right quantity and quality of trees are ordered to service the delivery zone. 
4. ✅ Order tree stands – Confirm tree stands are in stock and match the trees being delivered.
5. ✅ Order seasonal pop flavors – Select and order KOP Christmas flavors to offer during the holiday season.
6. ✅ Order elf shirts – HQ designs shirts for the elves to wear during deliveries and events.
7. ✅ Acquire elf supplies (chainsaw, shears, baskets, gloves, holiday lights, elf hats, car decorations) – Gather all necessary tools and accessories for tree preparation and themed deliveries.
8. ✅ Train slingers as elves – Teach team members about their new roles, ensuring they know how to engage with customers, set up trees, and bring magic. 
9. ✅ Send mailers – Prepare and distribute tree elf marketing materials to attract potential customers in the delivery zone. 
10. ✅ Build Square marketing campaign – Set up a targeted marketing campaign on Square to drive sales and brand awareness.

Sales Process: 

Tree Delivery Sales:   The sales period commences in the latter half of November, either immediately preceding or following Thanksgiving. Upon scheduling a tree delivery, the Cartrepreneur® issues an invoice to the customer, which must be settled to confirm the delivery.

Tree Pick Up Sales: Rather than arranging a delivery, the Cartrepreneur® can set up a "pick-up" appointment, for which an invoice is issued. Payment must be made before the scheduled pick-up to confirm the service.

Tree Lot Sales: The sales period for tree lot sales starts either concurrently with or after the delivery sales commence. Customers visiting the lot choose their tree, and once selected, the Cartrepreneur® processes immediate payment through a menu on Square. Tree retrieval and stand sales are optional.

Hubspot: 

All inbound and manually entered leads are placed in the Tree Elves pipeline.

• • Viable leads without a deposit are categorized as "lead."
  • Leads outside of the service area are bumped to "out of delivery zone."

Leads that place a deposit begin in the "deposit" section and manually flow through the following pipeline, updated by the Cartrepreneur® 

• ➡️ Deposit
• ➡️ In communication / Unable to connect
• ➡️ Invoiced
• ➡️ Paid
• ➡️ Delivered
• ➡️ Closed Won / Closed Lost

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Tree Delivery Process

Delivery Windows – Trees scheduled within the delivery zone are divided into four "delivery windows":

• 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
• 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
• 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Optimized Routes & Schedule – The Cartrepreneur® organizes deliveries into the most efficient route and creates a delivery shift schedule based on the delivery windows.

Pre-Shift Preparation – Prior to each delivery shift, two Tree Elves will:

• Gather the correct tree according to size. 
• Cut the trunks and trim the base branches. 
• Load the car with necessary supplies: pops, shears, broom, watering can, tree care cards, and any special requests or upgrades.

Customer Communication – The elf texts the customer when they’re on their way and sends another update when they are next up for delivery via text or phone call.

Arrival at Customer’s Home or business – Upon arrival:

1. The elves knock on the door, greet the family, and get shown to the setup location and answer questions. 
2. The elves then head outside to prep the tree:
   • Cut twine and open the tree.
   • Shake out pine needles, leaves, and debris.
   • Assemble the stand and place the tree in it, pre-leveling it.

Tree Setup – The elves bring the tree, pops, basket, broom, watering can, and tree care tips into the home. 

• Set up the tree and clean up any debris.
• Ensure the tree is to the customer’s satisfaction, trim if necessary, and clean up the area.
• Sing a carol, take a photo if desired, and hand out pops.

Next Delivery – Once the tree is set up, the elves text the next customer with their ETA based on the map and head to their next delivery.

Return to tree lot or storage hub – After completing the delivery window, the elves return to the hub to prepare for the next shift or day.

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Tree Retrieval Process

Retrieval Day – Customers select a "day" for tree retrieval and place their tree and tree stand outside on their stoop for pickup. The elves will come by at any time during that day to retrieve the tree.

Alternate Scheduling – If placing the tree outside is not possible, customers can schedule a specific time window for retrieval. In this case, the elves will enter the home to collect the tree.

Pre-Retrieval Preparation – Prior to the retrieval shift, two Tree Elves will:

• Gather necessary tools (shears, gloves, broom, etc.).
• Load the vehicle with equipment and tree care supplies, ensuring everything is ready for tree removal.

Customer Communication – The elf will text the customer when they are on their way and confirm their scheduled time if a window is selected.

Retrieving the Tree – Upon arrival:

• If the tree is outside, the elves will collect it from the stoop along with the tree stand.
• If the tree is inside, the elves will enter the home, carefully remove the tree, and take it with the stand.

Clean-Up – The elves will ensure the area is clean after tree removal, sweeping up any fallen needles or debris.

 

Next Retrieval – After retrieval, elves move to the next pickup, informing the customer of their ETA via text or call. Return to Hub – After all pickups, elves return to the hub to prepare for the next shift.

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Tree Lot & Tree Storage

Tree lot or tree storage requires daily maintenance to ensure the trees remain in optimal condition. This includes checking for theft or damage, keeping the trees damp and shaded to maintain freshness, and tracking the inventory by size. Additionally, trees should be prepared for pick-up, sales, or deliveries as needed.

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Tree Recycling

Carterpreneurs are responsible for finding local recycling centers or stores that accept used Christmas trees. They must manage the logistics of dropping off the trees after the holiday season, ensuring that the trees are properly recycled in an environmentally friendly manner. This process includes coordinating pick-up schedules, transporting the trees, and confirming the recycling locations are equipped to handle the volume.

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Royalties, Fees, Minimum Expectations, and Rules for Tree Elves

Tree Elves operates under a simple fee structure designed to ensure a smooth experience for both HQ and Carterpreneurs®.

Tree and Product Sourcing:
HQ sources the trees, tree stands, and elf shirts on behalf of the Carterpreneurs®. These products must be purchased directly from HQ. The trees are priced based on size, and market price, and shipping fees are determined by the quantity ordered. 

Tree Deposit:

A $60 tree deposit will be paid directly to HQ by the customer. The Cartrepreneur® will invoice and collect the remaining balance from the customer. The $60 deposit will then be applied toward any remaining balance owed to HQ for Tree Elf products (trees, stands, elf shirts, etc.).

Royalties and Fees:
HQ will collect a 5% royalty on all revenue generated, excluding tax and tips. Carterpreneurs® will receive suggested pricing guidelines from HQ, but have the flexibility to set their own prices based on what makes sense for their market.

No Minimum Royalties or Participation Fees for 2025:
For 2025, there is no minimum weekly royalty, no 1% margin brand fee, and no additional fee required to participate in the Tree Elves program.

Pre-Season Deposit and Tree Elf Product Invoicing: 
Carterpreneurs® will be invoiced for a 25% deposit pre-season for their trees and stands. If the $60 tree deposit does not cover the remaining balance owed, the Carterpreneur® will be charged the difference on a net 15 basis after the trees are delivered.

Delivery Zones & Owned Territories

Carterpreneurs® have the first right to operate Tree Elves within their owned territories. If a Carterpreneur® decides not to participate in one or more of their territories, other Carterpreneurs® can express interest in operating within that territory exclusively for Tree Elves.

For unowned territories, delivery zones will be established in advance based on interest and execution plans. Any remaining unowned territories that enter the system through inbound processes will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis using Hubspot.

FAQ 🙋

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If I own a King of Pops Territory but am not participating in Tree Elves, and someone else delivers a tree in my territory, can they sell pops?

Each Tree Elves delivery includes 4 holiday pops. As part of the Tree Elves experience, Carterpreneurs® can upgrade the pop quantity to 28 (adding two 12-packs to the original 4 pops).

If the quantity exceeds 28 pops, the Carterpreneur® must reach out to the territory owner for approval. The owner will then determine the next steps.

Similarly, If during the tree delivery sales process, the delivery evolves into a potential full King of Pops catering event, the Tree Elf Operator must notify the King of Pops territory owner, who will be entitled to that catering opportunity and the corresponding revenue. The King of Pops territory owner may choose to allow the Tree Elf Operator to manage the full catering aspect if they wish. Ultimately, the King of Pops territory owner will lead the steps to an agreement with the Tree Elf Operator on how to proceed.

Both participating Carterpreneurs® must agree on the arrangement. If there is any dispute, HQ will provide a final decision.

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Can I source my own christmas trees or tree stands? 

Not at this time. We may explore this in the future. 

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Am I required to do the "Elf persona" and theming? Can I just deliver trees for convenience?