February 2018 Franchising USA 6#4

Franchising usa The magazine for franchisees

VOL 06, ISSUE 4, feb 2018

$5.95 www.franchisingusamagazine.com

America’s Favorite Cupcake Franchise Bakes Up a Recipe for National Success

11 Things You Should Know

before buying a franchise special

business services Franchising Feature How to Finally

gain work/Life Balance in 2018 LATEST NEWS

FINANCIAL ADVICE FROM THE BANKS

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Franchising usa The magazine for franchisees

FRANCHISING USA VOLUME 6, ISSUE 4, 2018 president: Colin Bradbury. colin@cgbpublishing.com

Publisher: Vikki Bradbury. vikki@cgbpublishing.com

Comments

f r o m t he p u bl i s he r & e d i t or

advertising: Jane Jacob. advertising@cgbpublishing.com

Editorial Department: managing editor: Diana Cikes editor@cgbpublishing.com

Editorial team: Gina Gill Rob Swystun

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DESIGN: Jejak Graphics. jejak@bigpond.com

COVER IMAGE: GIGI’S CUPCAKES

CGB PUBLISHING Canadian Office: Sidney B.C Canada U.S. Office: 800 5th Ave, #101 Seattle, WA 98104-3102 Sales: 847 607 8407 Editorial: 778 426 2446 www.franchisingusamagazine.com Proud member of the IFA:

Welcome to the February issue of Franchising USA. Franchising provides a safer way to start a business, but as with any new business there are still many things to consider when taking the leap to entrepreneurship.

So we’re sharing some great concepts for you to consider, along with plenty of tips and advice on how to succeed from our Industry Experts.

Our Front Cover features Gigi’s Cupcakes, a franchise that has grown from a single store on Broadway to one of the most sought-after gourmet cupcake and bakery franchises. Turn to page 10 to read how America’s Favorite Cupcake Franchise is Baking Up a Recipe for National Success and is seeking franchisees who want to bring the Gigi’s brand to new, exciting markets.

Our Special Feature looks at Business Services Franchising, with the Interface Financial Group on the Feature Cover.

Find out how this franchise represents a technology enhanced and technology advanced system, and learn how IFG can help you maintain a healthy cash flow through its innovative financing

solutions. Here you can also explore the various options available in Business Services Franchising as our Feature Article takes a look at the many outside services required by most businesses, including shipping and handling, tech services, supply orders, electrical and cleaning services; a never ending list that offers no shortage of opportunities for someone looking to invest in this industry.

This issue we’ve included some Veterans News highlights in our Veterans in Franchising supplement, along with some inspiring stories and advice from veteran turned franchise owners. Be sure to read their stories as they share the lessons they learned in the military that have led to business success.

We’ve brought back another round of Ask the Expert, where industry expert Evan Hackel explores and answers reader questions about franchising. Have a question about your franchise? Email your franchising question to Evan at ehackel@ingage.net and it could get featured in a future issue.

Happy reading!

SUPPLIER FORUM International Franchise Association 1501 K Street, N.W., Suite 350 Washington, D.C. 20005 Phone: (202) 628-8000 Fax: (202) 628-0812 www.franchise.org

“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.” - Steve Jobs

The information and contents in this publication are believed by the publisher to be true, correct and accurate but no independent investigation has been undertaken. Accordingly the publisher does not represent or warrant that the information and contents are true, correct or accurate and recommends that each reader seek appropriate professional advice, guidance and direction before acting or relying on all information contained herein. Opinions expressed in the articles contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publication is sold subject to the terms and conditions that it shall not be copied in whole or part, resold, hired out, without the express permission of the publisher.

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contents

February 2018

On the Cover 10 Cover Story: Gigi’s Cupcakes -

America’s Favorite Cupcake Franchise Bakes Up

a Recipe for National Success

10

14 11 Things You Should Know Before Buying a Franchise 19 Special Business Services Franchising Feature 40 How to Finally Gain Work/Life Balance in 2018

In Every Issue

15

6

What’s New!

Announcements from the industry

19

Business Services Franchising Feature

43 Veterans Supplement - News and Information

for Veterans in Franchising

57 A-Z Franchise and Services Directory

16

Expert Advice 12 The Next Step

George Knauf, Senior Franchise Business Advisor, FranChoice

14 11 Things You Should Know Before Buying

a Franchise

Kenneth, Marketing Director, Text Request

16 Ways to Empower Franchisees to Become

24 Franchising USA

Better Leaders

Jeff Oddo, President, City Wide Maintenance

40 How to Finally Gain Work/Life Balance in 2018

John Waldmann, Co-founder and CEO, Homebase

30 Ask The Expert 38 Evan Hackel

Have Your Say 54 Paul Bosley, Managing Member, Business Finance Depot

32

Business Services Franchising Feature On the Cover 24 The Interface Financial Group: Financing Outside the Box! 34 Innovative Methods of Reducing Your Carbon Footprint 32 It’s Not Either/Or… It’s And

34

30 Business Service Franchises: The Executive Franchise In Every Issue 20 Feature News 26 Feature Article Expert Advice 30 Business Service Franchises: The Executive Franchise

36

Christopher Conner, President, Franchise Marketing Systems

32 It’s Not Either/Or… It’s And

Paul Elliott, President of Consumer Brands, BrandMuscle

34 Innovative Methods of Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

Luther Garcia, CEO at ECS Global Solutions

36 Local Search Marketing for Franchises: How You Can Generate More Customers in 2018 Josh Allen, Director of Marketing at Location3

40 Franchising USA

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what’s new!

Tint World® Partners with Consumer Priority Service

National Automotive Styling Centers™ teams up with service plan leader to provide extended warranty options on mobile electronics Tint World® Automotive Styling Centers™, a leading auto accessory and window tinting franchise, has partnered with Consumer Priority Service (CPS), a leader and innovator in the field of service plans, to provide customers the option of extended warranty coverage for mobile electronics.

“CPS is trusted by millions of customers worldwide and our partnership will give peace of mind to Tint World® customers,” said Charles J. Bonfiglio, Tint World® CEO. “Accidents and defects happen.

By giving our customers the option to purchase an extended warranty through

CPS, they will rest easy knowing that their mobile electronics investment is protected. On top of that, CPS handles the entire claims process with their five day service guarantee, so the customer gets their repaired or replaced product, and our franchisees can focus on running their stores.”

The partnership will offer Tint World® customers two types of programs determined by the franchise location: an extension of the manufacturer’s warranty and/or accidental coverage. Tint World® customers who work with CPS will have complete control of the claims process, from updating their service plan’s

information to scheduling and tracking the progress of service calls or claims.

“Tint World® customers will have the option to extend their coverage beyond the manufacturer’s warranty for up to four years,” said Nelson Muniz, executive sales manager at CPS. “Or, if they’re interested in accidental coverage, which covers everything from manufacturer defects to water and impact damage. No matter the warranty, our ultimate goal is to give the customer a complete, hassle-free service plan experience, on and offline.” tintworldfranchise.com

Pearle Vision® Carries Increased Franchising Momentum into 2018 The 2017 franchising achievements of Pearle Vision have brought even more clarity and focus to the brand’s growth – expansion that includes Pearle Vision strategically opening and adding to its development pipeline new EyeCare Centers across North America.

Now, to build upon the momentum being generated, Pearle Vision has earned a prestigious franchise industry accolade, reinforcing the strength of the franchise opportunity. Pearle Vision has earned the #1 ranking in the Health Products category of Entrepreneur magazine’s recently released “2018 Franchise 500” list, considered the world’s first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking.

Additionally, Pearle Vision ranks #72 overall among all franchises in the ranking, placing the brand in the top 20

Franchising USA

percent of U.S. franchise concepts. The respected ranking validates the progress the company has made in the past year.

In the past 12 months, new Pearle Vision EyeCare Centers have opened coast to coast with new franchisees in Bellevue, Wash., Atlanta, Ga., suburban Detroit and suburban Oklahoma City. Plus, existing franchisees are deepening their connection to the brand by investing in additional locations. From New England to Florida and Arizona to Ohio, seasoned franchisees who understand the strength of Pearle Vision’s complete value proposition have their sights set on new center growth.

The first two area developer agreements in 2017 are also fueling Pearle Vision’s growth. Launched in early 2017, the new opportunity has resulted in Pearle Vision awarding groups of qualified franchise

investors the rights to open throughout entire designated market areas (DMAs) or states. Thus far, area developer groups are planning to or have already opened centers in Tampa and Phoenix. Prime U.S. markets remain available for expansion and the company is working to fill all available territories.

For more information, visit www.PearleVision.com.

Anago Cleaning Systems Ranked in Top 100 on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500® Fort Lauderdale-based company places #2 among best commercial cleaning franchises Anago Cleaning Systems (Anago), an industry-leading commercial cleaning franchise with over 35 Master Franchise locations and over 1,400 Unit Franchises throughout the U.S. and internationally, has been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as #68 overall and #2 for best commercial cleaning franchises on their prestigious list for 2018. The exclusive publisher received more franchise applications this year than any other in the last 25 years.

Since 1979, Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500® has served as the franchise industry’s most comprehensive and competitive ranking system. Thousands of franchises each year vie for a spot on the coveted list which makes this year’s Top 100 ranking for Anago an invaluable resource for franchisee growth and brand strength.

Anago also ranked better in categories such as unit growth, financial strength, brand power, and stability than other

national franchisors across the country.

“Every year, we look forward to seeing where Anago ranks within this franchise list because it’s the most compelling in the market,” says Adam Povlitz, President of Anago Cleaning Systems. “What better way to show value to our prospective Franchisees than being recognized as a Top 100 franchisor in the world.”

“This year’s Franchise 500® ranking features both up-and-comers who bring fresh ideas to an ever-changing industry, as well as savvy stalwarts that have thrived for decades. We are proud to highlight and celebrate them all,” says Jason Feifer, editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur. “Our results show that the industry is strong— and that the most enduring franchisors are those who learn to balance innovation with reliability. That’s how to attract new customers while keeping the old ones happy.”

For information on Master franchise opportunities with Anago, please visit www.AnagoMasters.com.

Miracle Method® Surface Refinishing Opens in Birmingham Miracle Method Surface Refinishing, the largest professional bathroom and kitchen refinishing franchise, has opened a franchise in Birmingham, Alabama under ownership of local entrepreneur Steven Weber.

“Steven stood out to me as an ambitious leader, and he fits the mold of the type

of entrepreneur we look for,” said Gwyn O’Kane, vice president of franchise

development at Miracle Method. “He’s got a great focus on what matters—improving people’s lives—and I think that will serve him and the Birmingham community well.”

Weber, serving in the United States Marine Corps after college and exiting as a captain, began his civilian career working in consumer finance. After years of progress and occupying multiple executive-level positions, Weber felt it was time for a career change.

“After taking some time off to consider my next move, my wife encouraged me to pursue creating something for myself,” Weber said. “We reviewed a few different franchises, and Miracle Method stood out as having the greatest opportunity for growth with a reasonable investment cost.”

Miracle Method offers a variety of

refinishing services and specializes in ceramic tile, bathtubs and surrounds, showers, countertops and sinks.

To learn more about franchise opportunities, please visit fss.miraclemethod.com or call 877-434-5096.

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what’s new!

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Signs Franchise Agreement for 26 New Restaurants in Texas and Georgia

Multi-Unit Operators Merge to Form Brand’s Largest Franchisee and Accelerate Nationwide Growth

Glen Johnson

Tropical Smoothie Cafe, the leading fast casual cafe concept known for its better-for-you food and smoothies with a tropical twist, announced its largest franchisee DYNE Hospitality Group has signed a multi-unit agreement that will bring 26 new cafes to the DallasFort Worth, Texas and Savannah, Georgia markets.

The brand has made significant strides with franchise development and is experiencing tremendous momentum on the heels of a successful 2017, with their aggressive efforts resulting in the execution of more than 180 agreements.

Anchored by existing franchisees Glen Johnson and Nick Crouch, DYNE Hospitality Group will bring 22 Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations to Dallas-Fort Worth and four to Savannah over the next several years, with the two cafes slated to open in Fort Worth during the first quarter of 2018.

Johnson and Crouch merged their entities in December 2017 to form DYNE

Franchising USA

Nick Crouch

Hospitality Group, which now stands as Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s largest franchisee. The now partners are two of the brand’s top-performing operators and have continued to expand their portfolios since joining the company more than five years ago. Their decades of experience and ongoing success in the industry have inspired DYNE’s mission, which is to create opportunities through operational excellence, a practice they’ve learned through their partnership with Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

Today, DYNE Hospitality Group owns and operates 41 Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations throughout Florida, Georgia, Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

The company has an additional 12 in development that will open in 2018 and set an overall goal to have 100 operating cafes in five years.

For more information about opening your own Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise, please visit www.tropicalsmoothiefranchise.com.

Sizzler® Celebrates 60 Years as America’s Family Steakhouse

Sizzler®, the family-casual steakhouse known for its U.S.D.A. Choice steaks and Craft Salad Bar, is celebrating 60 years as America’s go-to restaurant for great food at a great value. From steaks cut fresh in-house every day, to fresh salads and soups all created from scratch in real kitchens, Sizzler has been serving guests all-American cuisine since 1958.

What started as a small, converted office trailer turned family-steakhouse where guests would flock for a 99 cent steak dinner in the Culver City, CA has catapulted into a successful family-casual franchise concept, boasting nearly $272 million in sales. Known for serving quality steaks at an affordable price, the tradition that began with the original Sizzler steakhouse still remains as the brand currently has 134 locations in 10 states nationwide.

“Sizzler’s history of great food, served by friendly people at an affordable price hasn’t just been our mantra, but the backbone of the Sizzler brand,” said Kerry Kramp, CEO of Sizzler. “We’ve been able to keep a strong momentum with a focus on exceeding guest’s expectations by consistently offering high-quality food that’s freshly prepared daily in-house.

Consumers have a wealth of options when it comes to dining out, and we are honored that they’ve chosen to dine with Sizzler for the last 60 years.” www.sizzler.com/franchising

Purview Life Announces Opening of New Location in Oklahoma the financial opportunity that Purview Life presents in relation to the initial investment,” said Villio.

“We are very comprehensive in the way we approach aging care management,” commented Villio. “With the aging population exploding, and limited competition in this area, I felt the opportunity was much too exciting to pass up. Plus, I get to serve such a vast client base, including our greatest generation and their families, in a way that is fulfilling beyond financial measure.”

Purview Life and FranChampion announced that Purview Life has signed an agreement with Jeff Villio and opened a Purview Life franchise in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

This announcement represents the official launch of Purview Life

into franchising its business model which provides comprehensive life care management services to aging adults and adults with physical or mental challenges. Ranging from simple decision

support to crisis intervention, health care, power of attorney, all

the way to guardianship. “After researching and studying several franchise opportunities over a few years, nothing came close to

The Purview Life team is happy to welcome Mr. Villio to its family as its newest franchise owner. “Mr. Villio brings a level of management experience and genuine compassion for people that our business was built on.” Said Imane Rose, Purview Life Managing Partner.

Susan Boyd, Founder of Purview Life, recalls her decision to franchise. “Years ago, I owned one of the first home care agencies in the Tulsa area and shared my desire to franchise the home health care concept. People disagreed and told me it wouldn’t work. Shortly thereafter, the home care franchise sector exploded.

Deciding to franchise Purview Life, which offers more revenue streams and better financial opportunities for franchisees than home health care, ensures that I won’t make the same mistake again.”

For more information, please visit purviewlife.com.

Captain D’s Converts Former Church’s Chicken into Newest Location in Houston Captain D’s, the nation’s leading fast casual seafood restaurant, has grown its footprint in Texas with a conversion of former Church’s Chicken to its newest franchised location in Houston.

The brand has continued to target Houston as a prime market for expansion, and the opening of this new location is fueled by the tremendous success and surge in franchise development Captain D’s experienced in 2017.

The Houston restaurant is owned and operated by Michael Knobelock and marks the first of four Captain D’s locations he plans to develop in the community over the next several years. A franchising industry veteran, Knobelock has extensive experience as a multi-unit operator, and also owns 43 Church’s Chicken and 20

Little Caesars franchises nationwide, as well as two Captain D’s restaurants in Mississippi. The Houston conversion marks Captain D’s 14th location in Texas and signifies the brand’s accelerated development plans for the region.

“I’ve loved Captain D’s since I was a kid, so it was one of the first brands I looked at when I decided to diversify my portfolio.

The brand’s evolution over the past several years has solidified its position as an industry leader, and it was obvious to me that the compounding success it’s achieved is a direct reflection of its unwavering commitment to its guests, franchisees and product innovation,” said Knobelock.

Captain D’s expansion in Houston comes on the heels of the outstanding success the brand has experienced over the past

several years. This success fueled a surge in franchise and corporate development throughout 2017, with more than 20 new locations opened and numerous development agreements signed to open new restaurants in key markets nationwide, including Florida, South Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas and Virginia. www.captaindsfranchising.com

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cov er sto ry

Gigi’s Cupca kes

America’s Favorite Cupcake Franchise Bakes Up a Recipe for National Success

Gigi’s Cupcakes has grown from a single store on Broadway near Nashville’s Music Row in 2008 to one of the most sought-after gourmet cupcake and bakery franchises.

As the brand approaches 10-years of sweet success, they are looking for franchisees who want to bring the Gigi’s brand to new, exciting markets.

Gigi’s Country Roots When Gina “Gigi” Butler moved to Nashville 24 years ago, opening a cupcake bakery never even crossed her mind. The California native had big plans to become a country music star, and made the crosscountry move to fulfill her dream. Gigi spent nearly a decade cleaning houses by day and singing in Nashville’s famous honky tonks by night.

Franchising USA

While her hopes for reaching the top of the charts never materialized, that didn’t stop Gigi from finding sweet success with another kind of major hit-- cupcakes.

Gigi’s brother called from New York City, while standing in line for two hours to buy a red velvet cupcake. Once he tasted the New York City bakery cupcake, he knew Gigi made a better cupcake. She had been baking on the side using family recipes for years. When he encouraged her to use her baking talents to open her own cupcake shop, her entrepreneurial drive got cooking.

With little “business experience,” Gigi was unable to find a bank willing to loan her start-up funding. So she took $100,000 in cash advances on her personal credit cards to build-out and launch her cupcake store. When the doors opened to Gigi’s Cupcakes on Broadway in February of 2008, just steps from Nashville’s legendary Music Row and the bars where she once sang, she had just $33 left to her name.

And the response was delicious.

The line spread out the door and around the corner, exceeding her wildest dreams.

Gigi’s Cupcakes quickly became the talk of Nashville. Within two years, Gigi’s had grown to 35 stores. In four years, that number increased to 60 stores. And now the famous cupcakes with icing piled high are a celebration across the country.

Ten Years of Cupcakes This month, Gigi’s Cupcakes will

celebrate its 10-year anniversary. Today, with the financial support of a private equity partner, a growing team at the support center headquarters in Fort Worth, a strong network of vendor relationships, and franchise locations across 24 states, the delicious journey continues with goals to open 15-20 shops in 2018.

“It is incredible to see how one small cupcake shop has grown to nearly 100 locations,” says Gigi Butler. “I am humbled by the support from our customers across the country and blown away by the expansion of this brand.

The future looks very exciting for Gigi’s Cupcakes.”

Endless Flavor Options Gigi’s rotates its menu seasonally, and its signature flavor names are delightfully creative. While the cupcake is the signature treat, with its “Gigi’s swirl” of icing piled high, Gigi’s also offers a diverse menu designed to satisfy a variety of sweet-tooth cravings, such as minicupcakes, personal cheesecakes and freshbaked cookies as well as coffee and tea in many locations.

“Our seasonal favorites, including White Chocolate Raspberry and Strawberry Stuffed French Toast cupcakes, keep our guests looking forward to the changing of the seasons and the return of their favorites,” says Judy Renfrow, Gigi’s CEO. “We have a roster of rotating cupcake flavors, including gluten-friendly options,

alongside our cheesecakes, cookies and cakes, giving anyone with a sweet tooth something that they can love.”

Cupcakes are a Booming Business Americans consume 770 million cupcakes a year, and for Gigi’s customers, every day is a reason to celebrate with cupcakes.

“In today’s fast-paced world, people don’t have time to bake from scratch,” says Renfrow. “They still want the celebratory feel that cakes bring, and our cupcake and bakery franchise offers the convenience, variety and individual portions that make cupcakes an easy choice. We have a stellar brand recognition that keeps our customers coming back again and again.”

Answering that demand is a growing network of Gigi’s franchisees – ranging from seasoned business professionals, to families working their business together, to professional athletes and retirees who are ready for a second act. Gigi’s Cupcakes is looking for franchisees that are just as passionate about baking and the brand as Gigi Butler herself. The organization is working to increase new stores by 20% this year, and large markets in the Southeast and Midwest are targeted for expansion.

“It is incredible to see how one small cupcake shop has grown to nearly 100 locations. I am humbled by the support from our customers across the country and blown away by the expansion of this brand. The future looks very exciting for Gigi’s Cupcakes.” - Gigi Butler

In return, Gigi’s offers a proven business model that operators crave with an updated technology infrastructure, digital delivery, and a rewards program that enables repeat customers and increased revenue opportunities.

Gigi’s support center provides new franchisees assistance through every step in the franchising process, with training and support from a powerhouse leadership team. Franchisees do not need prior baking experience to make this business a sweet success.

Franchisees who are eager to learn the secret ingredient to Gigi’s success can find more information on franchising at gigiscupcakesfranchise.com.

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ex per t advice

George Knauf, Senior Franchise Business Advisor, FranChoice

The Next Step Not knowing the next step in any situation is either where I have seen people stop making progress or even fail. It is also the biggest cause of the needless fear and anxiety that crushes franchise ownership dreams for candidates looking at franchise opportunities.

With that in mind, let’s get you some next steps so you can pursue your goals.

As you begin pursuing your dreams of business ownership you find out very quickly that there are more options than you may have ever imagined. The tough part can be that they may not look exactly like the job you have had all these years.

So, which ones do you pursue?

As I have mentioned many times before, the first part of finding your perfect franchise is to know yourself, your skills, your likes and dislikes as well as how you want to work and what you want to accomplish. This personal inventory is something I spend my days helping people work through and it can be very enlightening to have your model mapped out so that you can better target franchise opportunities.

Once you know yourself then you can better sort the field of opportunities in front of you. There are a number of resources like this publication, blogs, books and advisors like me that can help you take your model and find the companies that are a fit. While you can go it alone at this step you can also lean on proven experts to speed your progress and have the answers you need.

Next step #1: Use experts to target franchises - industry magazines, books, a Franchise Consultant, etc Once you are in the process of investigating franchise opportunities you may find that you need access to answers unique to you and your investigation. This might be someone to help you evaluate the numbers from a resale franchise or to look over your financials. Could also be someone to help you sort through

Franchising USA

“You don’t need to be afraid of talking to a good franchise company; they are as likely to close the file as you are if the right fit isn’t there.” financing options or answer franchise specific legal questions.

No need to sit around wondering if you have the money, guessing what those numbers all mean or stressing about trying to understand the contract. You may not need help, but if you do it is your choice to use those experts or not.

See if you need the help before you start writing checks. Find the questions then how to answer them, not the reverse.

Roughly 20% of our candidates hire a franchise attorney (yes there is a difference from your family attorney) to help them understand the contract.

Next step #2: Use subject matter experts to improve your understanding of the details in the process.

The biggest, and free, resources available to any franchise candidate are the franchisor and their franchisees. Time and time again candidates try to hide and Google stuff instead of spending their valuable time where it is most effective, with the franchise company.

Now, logically I understand that this is an extension of going to a retail store where we walk in with our guard up and then when a sales associate walks up and says ”Can I help you?” we quickly fire off the protective response “No, I’m just looking”.

Let’s disarm that fear right here and now. If you feel a high pressure sales pitch as you are looking at a franchise then you are probably in the wrong place!

Every successful franchise brand I know has achieved that success by teaching candidates what they do, learning about the candidate and finding perfect fit. You don’t need to be afraid of talking to a good franchise company; they are as likely to close the file as you are if the right fit isn’t there.

Next step #3: Engage the franchise companies you have targeted and their franchise owners, they have a lot of answers and information you can only get from them!

After all of that let’s say you have become the proud new owner of a franchise. Now what?

Well, you will want training, a place to operate and the tools for success.

The first person you will want to connect with is the head of the franchise training program, your first new best friend. Find out how the training program works and how to schedule yourself into it.

If you need assistance finding a retail site, negotiating a lease or starting build out then you will want to meet the real estate and construction teams or outside contractors. Learn about how they can help you with those steps and when to start that process.

The other process you may be starting right out of the gate is getting your new brand out in the market you will be opening in. This would likely have you working with the brand’s marketing experts to set up a website, social media and marketing. We see franchisors starting this process earlier than ever before to get their new owners the fastest ramp up possible.

Next step #4: Engage the in-

George Knauf

and agreements if you have a partner.

On the accounting side you will want

someone to do your taxes and look over your numbers.

Next step #5: Set your business up right with help from a good lawyer and accountant.

In the franchise world it is very rare to find a situation where the answer does

not exist. Your keys to success will be

finding the people with the answers or the professionals that know where to find the answers you need.

Don’t sit and feel hopeless because you

don’t have the answers you need to pursue your dreams.

What is your success story? Let’s go find it!

George Knauf is a highly sought after, trusted advisor to many companies; Public, Independent and Franchised, of all sizes and in many markets. His 20 plus years of experience in both startup and mature business operations

house experts for training, real estate, construction and marketing launch.

makes him uniquely qualified to advise

If you did not use an accountant or lawyer in the investigative process then once you become a franchise owner is where you engage them. The lawyer you need here is not the franchise attorney mentioned above, but is the family or contract attorney you were already familiar with.

You will want to set up a business entity

into business for themselves in order

individuals that have dreamed of going to gain more control, independence, time flexibility and to be able to earn in proportion to their real contribution.

Contact the Franchising USA Expert George’s Hotline 703-424-2980. www.myperfectfranchise.com

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ex per t advice

Kenneth Burke, Marketing Director, Text Request and Owner of Kenneth Burke Media

11 Things You Should Know Before Buying a Franchise “You can’t just go out and buy a franchise like a cup of coffee. When you get a franchise, you’re also entering into a business agreement with that brand.”

11 things you should know before buying a franchise.

1

How is buying a franchise different than starting a business from scratch?

Kenneth Burke

Franchising is a different animal than other types of businesses, so there’s a natural learning curve for potential buyers. But what if we could minimize the learning curve, or even remove it?

I asked my friend Julie Batycki this question. She’s the VP of Operations and Development for Educational Outfitters.

She’s opened dozens of stores and trained all their owners.

“You talk to hundreds of people a year,” I said. “If there was one document you could give people before they talk to you, so they can skip the learning curve, what would that document need to say?”

The following is that document. Here are

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There’s always risk in opening a business.

Even franchises can’t guarantee the success of a new location! But starting a business from scratch is like creating an original work of art. You choose all the supplies, decide what to create, and hope it turns out well.

Buying a franchise, on the other hand, is like getting a paint by numbers kit. If you follow the instructions, you should create something beautiful.

2

What does the buying process look like?

There are lots of little steps. Typically, it goes like this: You reach out to a franchisor or broker for an overview of the business. If you want to take a next step, then you’ll get into the details of startup costs, territory, unique aspects, etc. If you’re serious about the opportunity (after due diligence), then you submit a formal application and talk with current franchise owners to get a better feel for life as an owner.

If you meet the application criteria, and the brand likes you, they award you a

franchise. Then you pay your franchise fee, get any needed financing, and start setting up shop.

The vetting and application process could take a few weeks to a few months. The time between purchase to grand opening is normally 3-6 months, but could be longer if you need to build your store from the ground up.

3

Why are franchises “awarded”?

You can’t just go out and buy a franchise like a cup of coffee. When you get a franchise, you’re also entering into a business agreement with that brand. And since franchisors want to make sure new franchisees will be good business partners, they “award” franchises.

In other words, it’s an acknowledgment that you meet all requirements to own a location, and that both parties want to work with together.

4

What territory size can you expect?

Franchise territories are normally based on population density. Every brand has their own criteria, but you can generally expect a large enough territory for your store to succeed. No franchisor wants to open a location that’s doomed to fail.

“Every franchise has an “Opportunities” section on their website. Search around for a few that align with your values, skills, and goals. When you find them, reach out!.”

5

How much work does it take?

Starting a business is always a lot of work, and buying a franchise is no exception.

You’re still in charge of every detail of the location’s day-to-day operations.

The big difference is that a lot of stressful and important decisions are already made for you. You can focus on growing your business instead of figuring out what to do next, but it will still take the majority of your time and energy.

6

How much does it cost?

Costs vary drastically between brands. An Educational Outfitters franchise, for instance, can be started for as little as $82,000, while a McDonald’s could cost you $1,500,000. Most fall between $150,000-$400,000. Reasons for variation include: • Construction • Inventory • Personnel • Commercial space • Hardware and software • Initial franchise fee, among others You’ll also need to support yourself until your business brings in enough revenue to provide an income. Often, brands with fewer locations have lower startup costs, but that’s not a rule.

7

What kind of people do franchisors want?

Franchisors want to work with people who share their values, and who are willing to put as much effort into helping the company succeed as they do. That’s one reason it’s so important to research

franchises thoroughly - you’ll have to operate by their values.

8

How much support to franchisees get?

You’ll get about as much support as you want. Franchisors can’t run your business for you, but they want you to succeed.

Most offer early and ongoing training to make sure you do.

9

Can I buy a franchise and have someone else run it?

You can, but that’s not recommended. New businesses normally don’t make much in the beginning, and most owners can’t afford someone to run it for them.

There are also certain duties you’ll be responsible for anyway, because you’re the owner. However, franchisees who make their locations succeed create the opportunity to become more hands off owners.

10

How big of a commitment are we really talking about?

Buying a franchise usually involves several hundred thousand dollars, a 5-10 year contract, ongoing royalties, and most of your time. For some, this is well worth the value you get in buying a franchise.

Either way, buying a franchise is a serious career move.

11

How do I get started?

Every franchise has an “Opportunities” section on their website. Search around for a few that align with your values, skills, and goals. When you find them, reach out!

Franchise development professionals are always happy to talk. If you take the first step, they’ll help you through the rest.

Kenneth is the marketing director for Text Request, a business texting platform. He’s also the owner of Kenneth Burke Media, a boutique marketing agency, and has helped dozens of businesses, from pre-launch startups to billion-dollar companies, achieve their goals. www.textrequest.com

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ex per t advice

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ex per t advice

Jeff Oddo, President of City Wide Maintenance

4 Ways to Empower Franchisees to Become Better Leaders Franchisees are unique in that they fill the role of both leader of their own business and an instrumental part of a much bigger machine of the franchise itself.

As a franchisor, the goal is to select franchisees that have great leadership skills so you can get out of their way and they can flourish.

Whether they are born leaders or not, it’s your responsibility to make sure franchisees feel empowered to take ownership of their businesses by

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developing their leadership skills, so they can in turn effectively lead their own business. Empowering franchisees allows them to harness a feeling of independence while motivating them to reach their potential by becoming effective leaders of successful businesses. In the end, if this is achieved, the entire franchise system is elevated.

Here are four ways franchisors can empower franchisees to become better leaders.

1

Help your franchisees find their purpose

When an entrepreneur is in the process of selecting a franchise system that fits with their personality and values, they often

seek franchise opportunities that will give them a greater purpose. At City Wide, we emphasize a school of thought that we refer to as “the Ripple Effect.” Another way of saying this is, our purpose is to make a positive difference in the lives of the people we serve. That means we should be treating everyone with the same amount of respect and understanding as you would treat a loved one.

When considering how best to maximize your chances at helping franchisees utilize their leadership capacity, think about the basics: what is your company’s purpose?

How do you live out your values? What is your mission? Identify these during the “courting” phase to make sure candidates are in alignment.

“Empowering franchisees allows them to harness a feeling of independence while motivating them to reach their potential by becoming effective leaders of successful businesses.”

90-day priorities. We want to ensure each corporate employee is prioritizing the objectives and values of City Wide.

In turn, a franchisee who is empowered by positive communication and regular performance feedback will be able to pass this communication style on to his or her employees, creating clear communication channels in every direction.

3

Know the difference between being a leader and manager A franchisor must know the difference between leading and managing because too much of either trait may be ineffective.

Leadership focuses on the person – this allows you to focus on what each franchisee needs to do to meet their long-term goals. A manager, on the other hand, deals with the day-to-day tasks.

These day-to-day tasks, while important, focus on short-term goals, systems, and processes.

2

Have open communication lines with franchisees

Studies have shown that when people are happy at work, they perform better.

In fact, a recent study by the Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick’s Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy has shown that happy professionals are 12 percent more productive. As a franchisor, you should make sure the process of giving and receiving feedback is both transparent and frequent.

At City Wide, we created “Scorecards” at the upper management level to measure how successful franchisees are at key success indicators (KSFs), such as selecting objectives, goals, and

Part of being a leader is being a visionary, while also ensuring that tasks are completed and deadlines are met. Make sure that your franchisees know the difference between leading and managing so they can strike a balance between the two and know when to use which skill. If they focus too much on one trait over the other, their employees may end up on a different page and won’t be able to meet the expectations of their position.

4

Support your franchisees and offer them opportunities

The last thing any franchisor wants is for a franchisee to feel like just another number in the crowd. At City Wide, franchisees have performance groups that meet at regular intervals to share ideas and best practices. We also have a coaching structure in place so the franchisees have an organized system in place to support them.

Jeff Oddo

The franchisee coaches we hire are highlevel senior executives that have the sole responsibility of mentoring franchisees.

Each coach has a maximum of 20 franchise locations that they oversee, as opposed to other franchises across the nation that can average a roster of up to 50 locations. These close relationships with small groups of franchisees allow the mentors to get a sense of what a franchisee may be struggling with, and to help them better identify and accomplish their goals.

Taking the time to empower and support franchisees can only improve the franchise system as a whole. Franchisors should realize that it is in fact their role to not only teach their franchisees important skills, but also empower them to become better leaders so they are able to lead their employees. This is the beauty of a franchise – the system allows unique opportunities for franchisees to create their own path while offering support along the way.

Jeff Oddo is the president of City Wide Maintenance, a sales and management company in the building maintenance industry with more than 50 franchise locations across the United States. www.citywidefranchise.com

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FranchisingFeature b u s i n e ss s e r v i c e s

february 2018

the interface financial group

financing outside the box!

innovative methods of

reducing your carbon footprint

it’s not either/or... it’s and Business Service Franchises:

The Executive Franchise

senio r ca r e FR A NCH ISI NG FE AT U RE

what’s new!

Wray Executive Search Opens in Los Angeles

Wray Executive Search continues its expansion with the opening of a new office in Los Angeles, led by Assistant Vice President Sarah Cavey.

Ms. Cavey has 20+ years of hospitality experience. Prior to joining Wray Executive Search, Ms. Cavey held sales leadership positions with Lucky Strike Entertainment and McCormick & Schmick’s. During her tenure, she focused on sales team development, creation and execution of outside sales strategies, talent acquisition and implementing sales processes to create cohesiveness in sales and operations across regions she oversaw.

Sarah grew quickly within the leadership positions, which she attributes to her inquisitive nature and drive to make a difference. She is excited and honored to

be able to assist Wray’s clients to find the right candidates and to help candidates achieve their career dreams.

“We are very excited to have Sarah on our team. Her blend of drive, smarts and sophistication, along with her deep knowledge of our core industry will serve our clients exceedingly well”, said Bob Gershberg, CEO Wray Executive Search.

Los Angeles, one of the most substantial U.S. economic engines, is a global city with thriving businesses and a deep talent pool of industry thought leaders. It is estimated 15% of the nation’s leading restaurant chains are headquartered in Southern California. Sarah and the entire Wray team are excited to connect with Southern California businesses to provide

the first-class service and executive recruitment to build the best leadership teams. www.wraysearch.com

Emerging Franchises Sets Up for a Successful 2018 just as the big brand names you know today. All their brands are unique since they focus on niche markets that are still untapped.

Emerging Franchises, a Franchise Development Company that represents and assists in the building and organizing of the hottest franchise companies both in the United States as well as internationally, is coming into 2018 strong with two sales to start off the New Year.

With little territory available for the older brands, Emerging Franchises bring fresh innovative brands that have great potential

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In addition to franchise sales and growth, Emerging Franchises also assists in New Franchise Development. Everything from Franchise Disclosure Document creation, Logo Creation, Logo registration, Website updates/creation, Operations manuals, Training Manuals, Franchise sales videos, promotional videos, Brochures, and much more.

“We are essentially the one stop shop for your franchise needs, we make it happen,” stated owners Samantha Rincione and Greg George.

This year Emerging Franchises has signed with over 30 companies and has no expectations of slowing down anytime

soon. Some of the brands you can find in the Emerging Franchises portfolio include Stacked Pickle, Fóumami, Chutneys Indian Grill, Thumbs Up Diner, Dog Stop, Peño Mediterranean Grill, Buzzed Bull Creamery, Mr. Bagel Meister, YourZone45, Bar-B-Cutie Smokehouse, UFood Grill, Lobster Pot, At Home Therapy, Shine Window care, Trattoria Mia Pasta, Uncle Al’s All-American Café, Burger Village, Firenza Pizza, Hot Harrys Burritos, Benzer Pharmacy, and Dapper Doughnut.

Emerging Franchises has also brought on approximately 25 agents to represent them throughout the United States and Internationally. The agents will be used to vet out proper candidates and match then between our brands and our potential franchisees. www.emergingfranchises.com

Window World Made the Season Brighter for Children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® With $1M Donation Window World is excited to announce it donated $1 million to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® this past holiday season. The donation brings Window World’s total contribution to St. Jude to more than $8 million over the past decade. In 2018, Window World is celebrating 10 years of giving to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“We are truly grateful to the Window World team for forging such a strong relationship with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital over the last 10 years,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Our lifesaving work relies on charitable contributions from organizations like Window World, which help us continue the groundbreaking research and pioneering treatment of childhood cancer and other lifethreatening diseases.”

Window World, America’s largest exterior remodeling company, looks beyond its customers’ front doors to focus on community outreach and is passionately committed to helping others through Window World Cares®, the charitable arm of Window World.

Chairman and CEO of Window World, Tammy Whitworth, and her late husband, Todd, started Window World Cares in 2008

after the birth of their first child, Anna Grace. Anna Grace was born premature and spent the first days of her life in a hospital.

Tammy and Todd decided to partner with St. Jude after gaining firsthand experience of the strain of worrying about a child’s health.

“Having a child in the hospital is difficult enough for parents,” explains Tammy. “St. Jude takes care of their financial burden while providing families with some much-needed hope. We at Window World feel blessed to be able to further St. Jude’s mission.”

Read more about how Window World Cares is changing lives and helping others, or make your own donation to St. Jude by visiting WindowWorldCares.com.

Kitchen Tune-Up Announces New Franchise in Sioux Falls, South Dakota Kitchen Tune-Up Franchise System. “We have excellent franchisees in Rapid City, Aberdeen, and now Sioux Falls. We are

confident that Steve & Susan will represent our brand impeccably and finally Sioux

Falls can experience the unique services of Kitchen Tune-Up.” Kitchen Tune-Up has a new location in their home state of South Dakota.

Kitchen Tune-Up is serving Sioux Falls and the surrounding communities with its customized services.

business for over fifteen years offering

While most kitchen remodeling services

Susan. “Joining an established national

finish its work in as little time as one to

Tune-Up now gives us the ability to offer a

service standards, known as its Customer

cabinet painting and faux finishing,” said

can take weeks, Kitchen Tune-Up can

franchise and partnering with Kitchen

five days. Kitchen Tune-Up’s customer

Harrisburg residents Steve and Susan

wide range of kitchen services in addition

Up’s operations along with the support

“We have been looking for the perfect

Aberdeen. “We’ve been in the kitchen

to,” said Heidi Morrissey, president of the

Sneller have launched Kitchen Tune-

of the company’s home office located in

to cabinet painting,” Susan continued.

partners to award the Sioux Falls market

Service Trustpoints, ensure a hassle-free experience from start to finish.

For more information about Kitchen Tune-Up franchise opportunities, please visit www.ktufranchise.com.

Franchising USA

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what’s new!

FASTSIGNS International Inc. Named Best-in-Category Franchise for 2018

by Franchise Business Review

Independent Survey Shows FASTSIGNS Ranks Highest in Franchisee Satisfaction in the Business Services Category within the Top 200 Franchise Brands FASTSIGNS International, Inc., franchisor of FASTSIGNS®, the leading sign, graphics and visual communications franchise, recently announced that it was named Best-inCategory in the business services sector on Franchise Business Review’s list of the top franchises for 2018. This is the 13th annual ranking of the top 200 award-winning franchise opportunities.

“We are incredibly proud to have been ranked number one for franchisee satisfaction in the Business Services category for the second consecutive year by our franchise owners,” said Mark Jameson, EVP of Franchise Support and Development, FASTSIGNS International, Inc. “Our entire organization is designed and committed to provide each of our franchisees with the tools, resources, support and training they need to succeed in their local markets. This recognition

is confirmation that our efforts have continued positively impact the lives of our franchise network and we look forward to another successful year ahead.”

FASTSIGNS was among 307 franchise brands, representing over 28,000 franchise owners, that participated in Franchise Business Review’s research.

“There are thousands of successful franchise companies operating in North America, but many of those companies do not offer a solid investment opportunity

for the actual franchise owners,” says Eric Stites, CEO of Franchise Business Review.

In addition to this achievement, FASTSIGNS International, Inc. was ranked the #1 franchise opportunity in its category and 70 overall on Entrepreneur magazine’s 2018 Franchise 500®, the world’s first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking.

Learn more about sign and visual graphic solutions or find a location at www.fastsigns.com.

Liberty Tax Service Appoints New Chief Financial Officer Liberty Tax Service names Nick Bates as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Bates will succeed Kathy Donovan, who will provide consulting services to Liberty Tax Service until March 31, 2018, in order to promote a smooth transition.

Mr. Bates has extensive experience at both public and private companies.

Most recently, he has served as the Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller for Liberty Tax Service. Prior to that, Mr. Bates spent five years at Catapult

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Learning, LLC, most recently as the Chief Financial Officer. Prior to Catapult, he held several positions at MedQuist Inc., in various financial roles.

“Nick has been an integral part of our management team and is well respected

by the entire organization. We are thrilled that he is able to step right in and immediately make a positive impact on the organization,” said Ed Brunot, CEO of Liberty Tax Service. www.libertytax.com

AtWork Group Named to Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500® List for Eighth Consecutive Year AtWork Group, an award-winning national staffing franchise, has been ranked No. 88 in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500® list, extending their yearly streak for making the ranking to eight years in a row. The ranking was a marked improvement over No. 139 in 2017, which itself was up 210 spots from their 2016 ranking.

“We’re honored to celebrate making the Franchise 500® list for eight consecutive years,” said Jason Leverant, president and COO of AtWork Group. “We’ve been able to report a 78 percent growth in sales and a 35 percent increase in unit growth thanks to having the right franchise owners and maintaining a strong focus on customer

service. Staying true to these values has allowed us to distinguish ourselves in the industry and continue our momentum.”

AtWork Group is currently operating close to 100 locations in 26 U.S. states.

The company offers staffing solutions to businesses in all industries, providing quality candidates for administrative, call center, customer service, accounting and light industrial positions. Flexible employment solutions are available including temporary, temp-to-hire, payrolling and full-time placements.

AtWork was recently ranked No. 18 in the Franchise Times Fast & Serious, a list of

smartly growing brands. The company also recently received a Franchise Times Top 200+ ranking for the fifth year in a row, and Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) recognized AtWork as being one of the largest staffing companies based on revenues, as well as one of the fastestgrowing staffing firms in the U.S. AtWork has also been listed on Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 5000 annual list four times, coming in at No. 2,790 in 2017.

For more information on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500® list, visit www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500. www.atworkfranchise.com

Minuteman Press International Awarded #1 Marketing & Printing Franchise Ranking by Entrepreneur Minuteman Press International is proud to be Entrepreneur’s #1 rated printing and marketing franchise in 2018.

“It is a testament to our Minuteman Press franchise owners who follow our tried and proven system, our corporate staff, our regional franchise support teams, and our franchise business model that we are the #1 ranked marketing and printing franchise by Entrepreneur in 2018,” says Bob Titus, Minuteman Press International President & CEO. Bob continues, “To achieve this number

1 rating for 15 consecutive years and 26 times overall really shows our continued strength as the leaders of the printing industry with high core values. This is a tremendous accomplishment and honor, and we look forward to continuing to build on our unique position as the modern printing industry and support our franchise owners in the years to come.”

In 2018, Minuteman Press International plans to continue their pattern of franchise growth and expansion. Franchisees are able to benefit from Minuteman Press’ unique royalty incentive program, ongoing

local and corporate franchise support, strong mass purchasing power, easy to use business management software, and continued research and development of products and services. www.minutemanpressfranchise.com

Franchising USA

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T he I nter face Fina ncial G roup - I FG

Financing

Outside the Box!

Q. Are you getting the financing your company needs and deserves?

Q. Is your financial institution holding back your growth?

Q. Are expansion plans on hold due to lack of working capital?

A. If so, it’s time to think outside of the established financial resources box!

Franchising USA

The Interface Financial Group (IFG) provides innovative solutions to these questions in a well-established franchise format mode.

IFG has a long history, over 46 years, of servicing client companies that are in a growth mode but for whatever reason they find it hard or even impossible to access that all-important growth capital from the conventional marketplace.

‘Cash Is King’ is an old and perhaps even tired expression, however it is still very much appropriate today – companies that operate with good cash reserves can often achieve their growth plans faster than those companies that struggle with cash flow issues.

Ensuring a healthy cash flow is key to all

businesses, and healthy cash flow depends on customers paying their invoices in a timely fashion – something that is often hard to achieve and often beyond the ability of the supplier. In this day and age customers are taking longer and longer to pay what they owe, using their suppliers as a financing vehicle. Net 30-day terms have now become Net 60 days – if you are lucky!

How does IFG solve the problem? Simply by buying invoices once they are created, and providing their clients with instant cash flow – the sale basically becomes a ‘cash-on-delivery’ transaction.

By buying the invoices, and it should be noted that this is a buy/sell transaction; there is no lending involved - IFG handles

the waiting period to get paid, leaving the client with cash to grow their business.

IFG pioneered this service in North America over four decades ago, and now offers similar services in 8 countries.

Another innovative feature is that IFG delivers the service through what is now a proven franchise channel. Working in concert with franchisees, IFG has created a financing vehicle that resolves cash flow issues for clients, while at the same time creating growth opportunities for their franchisees.

Some of the facets that make the IFG 50/50 franchise stand out from the crowd: • franchisee and franchisor always handle all transactions together • franchisor provides capital leverage to enhance the franchisee’s ROI • franchisor deli vers a virtually paperless franchise for their franchisees The franchise is styled as 50/50 because the franchisee and the franchisor always work in concert with each other, handling the necessary due diligence in a transaction together with the financing of a transaction. This naturally creates a substantial comfort zone for franchisees

“‘Cash Is King’ is an old and perhaps even tired expression, however it is still very much appropriate today – companies that operate with good cash reserves can often achieve their growth plans faster than those companies that struggle with cash flow issues.” as they are now part of a syndicate with their franchisor who has over 46 years of experience and history.

Franchisees are engaged in financing the purchase of invoices with the franchisor, and the level of their involvement is geared to once again create a comfort zone for the franchisee. With the leverage element provided by the franchisor, franchisees will earn income on capital that they have not invested – in other words they are working with ‘other people’s money’ and as such creating a return greater than there capital contribution.

IFG 50/50 franchisees are engaged in all the ‘people’ aspects of a transaction, while the franchisor handles all of the paperwork involved. Once again this represents another substantial comfort zone for franchisees inasmuch as they are not involved in form filling, contract preparation, ledgering etc. Their focus

is on working with business owners and resolving their issues in a people-to-people approach. The IFG franchise represents a technology enhanced and technology advanced system. With a state-of-the-art operating platform, transactions can be completed in hours rather than days, thus enhancing the service to the clients.

The Interface Financial Group offers a rare combination of services – being able to step in and help their clients when “the bank says no or no more”, while at the same time providing a vehicle for individuals transitioning from the corporate world into self-employment and business ownership with a proven model, where franchisee and franchisor always work together creating a three way success story – it’s success for the client, success for the franchisor and, of course, success for the franchisee. www.interfacefinancial.com/franchise

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Featu re

b y G i n a G i l l Fr a n c h i s i n g U S A

Business

FRANCHISING FEATURE A business cannot run completely on it’s own, there are many jobs that have to be performed day to day and a lot of behind the scenes labor is performed to create success. Many hands make light work as they say and for a business that is more than true.

The backdrop of a business actually relies on outside sources to function daily. There is shipping and handling, tech services, supply orders, electrical and cleaning services; the list is never ending.

Some small businesses usually fulfill the majority of their services on their own, but everyone can’t be well-versed in everything and will have to request the service of other businesses, especially in emergency cases.

Franchising USA

While bigger businesses have a continuous arrangement with outside sources for day to day duties, as well as inconsistent services.

Business services is one of the safest franchises to start up. For those looking for a career change and a better work life balance, business services is an easy and safe guarantee that provides a lot of personal freedom.

Most business services do not have a set location, but are mobile and therefore a franchisee would set up the franchise as instructed and usually work from home and on their own time. This process would normally take a lot of selfmanagement and time management, but a lot of franchisors have a set plan to keep things consistent and on track. It would be useful to speak with trainees and current franchisees to see if it’s the best fit for your lifestyle.

The great thing about business services is the clientele it usually has established, which means a franchisee would have an immediate source of profit right from the beginning.

There are lot of choices in this particular genre; in 2017 there were over a hundred thousand business service franchises established in the US.

Cleaning services One of the most common business service franchises is the cleaning service. A lot of small businesses would perform a lot of the minor cleaning tasks and daily rituals but a deep clean is usually serviced out to another business. Even larger businesses have a routine cleaning schedule but will hire a steam cleaning or carpet cleaning service, for example.

A lot of hotels, office buildings and hospitals have a serviced out cleaning service that is constantly used. These services can be provided at any point in the day, but are usually performed late at night. Though a franchisee wouldn’t typically be involved with the tasks, once and awhile it may be expected to jump in if there is a quick turnover.

No experience is required to run a cleaning services franchise but a research of clientele would be recommended.

EATURE

Some of these franchises have long term contracts with other franchises, with a client list that is full and guaranteed from the get-go. Contact with franchisors should be considered before establishing an investment to ensure there is potential for clients within the area.

Repairs, Electricians, Construction and Plumbing When a business runs into an unexpected problem, they still have to open their doors to the public and continue service.

If there is a plumbing issue at hand, they need immediate assistance, therefore they usually have a contract set with a reliable

plumbing franchise that can adhere to their emergency needs. Though plumbing is one of the repair services that a business would rely on heavily, it’s only one of the many handyman services needed to run a business.

Between leaks, repairs, floods, updating, renovations and every other type of construction service a business needs to survive, most businesses depend on

Franchising USA

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Featu re

b y G i n a G i l l Fr a n c h i s i n g U S A

IT One of the most common business services is a technology-based franchise. Almost every type of business runs on form of technology nowadays – from cash registers to debit machines to wifi services – and businesses are willing to pay the price to get their technology up and running as fast as possible. However, IT repairs and updates, as well as emergency run-ins can be complicated and need immediate attention for the business to continue running.

“Between leaks, repairs, floods, updating, renovations and every other type of construction service a business needs to survive, most businesses depend on someone else to perform the task.”

someone else to perform the task.

This is a great franchise to run if you have a background in handy work or construction. It allows franchisees to fulfill a passion while also living a great work life balance.

An issue to consider is the local businesses, which may take stiff competition. Small businesses usually cannot offer competitive prices but a longterm contract may already be in order with the majority of clients in your area and there may be sense of loyalty as well.

Insurance Company All businesses need insurance and a franchise that sells business insurance is a remedy for success. Insurance rates are higher for businesses, whether it’s building insurance or group health insurance.

Although you might find that most current businesses are already insured, they could be looking for a deal when their contract is up.

This type of investment would take a

Franchising USA

lot of research. A background in sales and insurance would be helpful but not necessary. A franchise in insurance would allow for a safe investment because it covers all its tracks and would work through all the red tape legally.

Training and support would be key factors to consider during research and speaking with current franchisees, their clients and their employees would give a clear perspective of how the business is run. Research into the credibility of the franchise would also be helpful and a look at the clientele list, as well as how long contracts are held.

Though it may come off as a possible mobile franchise, clients prefer insurance companies to have a tangible base, creating a larger start up fee for an office.

For the most part an insurance franchise can run itself, and usually has a pretty experienced and reliable set of employees to run the business, but the franchisee may have to step up to a lot of menial tasks every once and awhile.

The only issue with tech services is that a lot of businesses may have set deals with their internet carrier for tech support.

Again, a list of guaranteed clientele can be requested during your research and a oneon-one visit with local businesses to see how they adhere to their software needs would be recommended.

There is no experience necessary for this type of franchise, but it could be beneficial. However, more franchisors offer lengthy training in case you have to step in on the job.

Tech companies have a lot of small business competition, as well as big box store competition like Best Buy, that offers on location services. So a survey for the competing numbers would be helpful before a location is determined.

Business services is one of the safest start up franchises to consider. It usually has a low investment fee because it’s likely to be mobile without a set location and the best part is a list of clients is automatically a part of your business plan, which guarantees profit and success.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: After receiving an English Degree, followed by a Journalism Diploma, Gina

Gill became a freelance journalist in 2008. She has

worked as a reporter and in communications, focusing on social media. She currently works as a community information officer with Epilepsy Society, while pursuing her writing career at the same time.

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Christopher Conner, President, Franchise Marketing Systems

Business Service Franchises:

The Executive Franchise

Chris Conner

Franchising USA

The franchise marketplace has gone through a significant evolution over the past ten years in that more and more of the candidates that enter the franchise marketplace are what would be described as higher-educated and higher-qualified franchise buyer than the market had seen previously.

The reason for this new wave of buyers who bring college educations, MBA’s and advanced careers is the declining job market for higher income employees.

Many industry segments have seen significant decline in what were traditionally high paying opportunities for employees. According to Fox Business, Real Estate Agents who in the mid-2000’s realized an income of $39k-$136k per year have lost over 200,000 jobs in the segment, the pharmaceutical market who once was a premier industry segment for sales and marketing positions have lost over 50,000 jobs paying between $75,000 to $106,000 per year. Banking, Construction, Journalism and other market segments have experienced some of the same trends.

This movement from an employee standpoint has pushed people who in most cases have not been an entrepreneur or business owner to consider starting a business and this is where franchising offers a significant value proposition.

For many of these candidates who come from a “white collar” office environment, working in the restaurant or retail industry segments is a difficult life transition to grasp, where the business services market segment tends to be a much easier transition to business ownership.

Business service franchises are businesses that offer B to B services and are usually incorporating a higher level of management and strategic sales that would be associated with selling a business service.

The business services segment in franchising has expanded exponentially in the past decade driven largely by this influx of new, qualified franchise candidates. Business service franchises have not only grown in quantity of franchise units, but also in number of franchise brands that have taken to the market and are offering opportunities.

Real Estate Business Services have expanded with franchise brands such as HomeVestors (almost 1,000 franchises), Five Star Painting services (almost 300 franchises) and new brands such as

A-1 Painting or Arbitrage all of which provide real estate services and have very strong performance track records in addition to strong franchise growth.

The Pharmaceutical former employees tend to be drawn to the healthcare market segment in franchising which offers an enormous array of opportunities such as Visiting Angels Home Care (1,000 locations), Caring Matters Home Care and Alerion Home Care & Wellness which are effective in-home senior care franchises.

The healthcare market has expanded significantly with the growing senior population and needs of this demographic.

Regardless of what the business services market segment might be, there are opportunities for buyers. Accounting and financial services franchises have experienced significant growth with the automation of the banking sector shrinking the number of job opportunities in the banking industry. Franchises such as RMH Business Solutions, Padgett Business Services (300 Franchises) and others offer small business consulting services and financial guidance.

Franchisees are offered tools, technology and systems needed to open a business using their brand and operating model.

Home services (Patch Boys, Inspection Boys), Janitorial (Jantize America), sales training (RC Evans Institute and Sandler

“The business services segment in franchising has expanded exponentially in the past decade driven largely by this influx of new, qualified franchise candidates.”

Sales Training) and other market segments also offer significant business service franchise opportunities.

Some of the key benefits to the business service franchise model are that these businesses often tend to be home based, offering a lower initial investment and typically do not have the cost of goods associated with traditional businesses, which leads to a great opportunity for a strong return on investment on the franchise. There are a wide range of business service franchises available; follow your passion and interests and find the franchises that fit your passion and interests before you settle on a brand.

Christopher Conner is the President of Franchise Marketing Systems and has spent the last decade in the franchise industry working with several hundred different franchise systems in management, franchise sales and franchise development work. www.franchisemarketingsystems.com

Franchising USA

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Paul Elliott, President, Consumer Brands, BrandMuscle

It’s Not Either/Or… It’s And Over the last two years, during which time I have been exclusively focused on brand-tolocal marketing, one fact has become extremely evident...

Paul Elliott

Franchising USA

Franchisees typically do not have adequate funds available to propel growth of their local business. However, according to BrandMuscle’s 2018 State of Local Marketing Report, 86% say co-op funds are critical to the success of their business.

Whether.it’s the absence of co-op support from the brand or insufficient budget allocation from the local business, the resulting reality is the same.

Franchisees often settle for single channel or single tactic advertising campaigns to help control costs. While these campaigns may be affordable and easy to execute by the business or their chosen agency, they are frequently poorly aligned with the consumer journey, and therefore, unlikely to make the cash register ring.

For example, it may be easy and affordable to, once again, renew that Yellow Pages listing or buy that local newspaper ad, but is that really reaching your target consumers in a way that will impact their buying decision?

The reality is that today’s consumer has changed dramatically from just a few years ago. Their journey from research to purchase is fully enabled by technology and infinite access to information.

They are smarter and better informed.

They can easily compare prices, access

“Small budget local campaigns require precision focus and perfection in execution to maximize every dollar spent and impression or click delivered.” the thoughtfully-chosen channels and tactics to inform, motivate, and predispose consumers to engage and purchase from the local business partner.

This is the point in the article where your job, as the reader, is to ask, “how can I possibly execute a holistic and integrated media campaign on a shoestring budget?”

Well, I am glad you asked. But first, let me give you a little background.

customer reviews, and even check local inventory. They can purchase with the single click of a button, and have come to expect personalized and highly relevant experiences in all aspects of their lives.

Based on these new consumer expectations, marketers are starting to realize that it’s not a question, or one form of advertising or another (eitheror). Reaching today’s consumer requires a multi-channel, multi-touch approach to influence consumers throughout their purchase journey. No longer can marketers simply choose between tactics like direct mail, out-of-home, radio, newspaper, paid search, mobile ads, social, etc. Effective campaigns that will drive profitable sales growth require a more strategic and holistic approach, seamlessly integrating

Prior to joining the ranks of local marketers, I spent the prior 15+ years planning and executing large scale brand/ enterprise campaigns. On the enterprise marketing side, there has historically been an unstated acceptance of a degree of wasteful marketing spend, for both traditional and digital tactics. Whether it’s sending direct mail coupons to the customer who has already made the purchase or paid search/display ads targeting the wrong consumer or geographic location, it is simply considered the cost of doing business.

While that may be acceptable at the enterprise or brand level, where budgets tend to be large enough to cover up mistakes, the same does not hold true at the franchisee level. Small budget local campaigns require precision focus and perfection in execution to maximize every dollar spent and impression or click delivered. Without this level of “Precision Marketing,” franchisee budgets simply cannot work hard enough to deliver impactful business results.

So, the answer to the question of how a franchisee can execute an integrated media campaign on a shoestring budget lives in the precision of execution.

Precision marketing is about getting rid of wasteful marketing spend by enhancing the effectiveness of integrated marketing through the use of data, insights and advanced marketing technologies. It is a new and more accountable form of marketing that is transforming the

preconceived notions about what’s possible, and what should be expected from your marketing investment.

No longer can franchisees (or enterprise marketers, for that matter) blindly spend their precious dollars on single channel tactics with little understanding of their effectiveness in making the cash register ring. Instead, data and insights must be infused throughout the planning process to provide precise guidance on the right mix of traditional and digital tactics to use, while advanced technology is then utilized to precisely pinpoint and deliver marketing messages at the right time and place to impact consumer or business behaviors.

In the future (or current day at BrandMuscle) franchisees will have the power to achieve an even more intelligent form of advertising; one that combines demographic, psychographic and behavioral data with consumer location insight to influence engagement at the optimal time and place.

Imagine a world in which your advertising meets consumers where they are going (not just where they are or where they’ve been) -- based on their preferences, observed behaviors and “patterns of life.”

Consider it the next frontier of local advertising.

As President, Consumer Brands, Paul Elliott leads client delivery across the company’s footprint of Cleveland, Kansas City and Austin, and is responsible for innovating, enhancing and delivering the future of BrandMuscle’s Precision Marketing offerings. Paul is a recognized thought leader in integrated marketing and customer engagement, with nearly 20 years of experience helping global brands and their local outlets achieve significant results and return on their marketing investments. www.brandmuscle.com

Franchising USA

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Luther Garcia, CEO at ECS Global Solutions

Innovative Methods of

reducing your carbon footprint

“While there is a pressure to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, doing so can lead to more efficient business practices, massive savings, and a greener business.�

Franchising USA

Reducing your carbon footprint should be a priority of every business, no matter the industry.

A carbon footprint is your impact on the environment based on the sum of your greenhouse gas emissions. The excess carbon dioxide emissions directly contribute to global warming, causing an increase in temperatures and changes in sea-level patterns that could put plants and wildlife in danger, devastate coastal economies, and cause an onslaught of pollution-related illnesses. Consumers are responding to these atmospheric changes by reconstructing their buying habits based on corporation’s environmental policies.

Besides replacing the bulbs, they can also be turned off more frequently. From a young age on, most of us have been taught to turn off the lights when they’re not in use. This still holds true, but intelligent building technology is making it possible for the lights to do it for you.

Automatic sensors can already respond to movement in a room and switch off when there is no activity detected. Intelligent lighting systems can sense not only movement, but temperature and sunlight, to increase or decrease the brightness and amount of lights in use based on the current readings of the room. These energy savings can make a significant impact on an electric bill.

While there is a pressure to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, doing so can lead to more efficient business practices, massive savings, and a greener business.

Major strides have been made in recent years to combat the increasing need for energy, especially in a technologydriven world. If you don’t already have separate bins for garbage and recycling, you should get on that today, but there are new and innovative ways of measuring and directly minimizing your carbon footprint that you can implement. With intelligent building technologies, any business can find ways to become more efficient.

Heating & cooling units account for about half of the energy use in a standard building. It’s important to monitor these machines regularly so they run at full capacity and don’t waste energy.

Changing the air filters frequently will help them break down less easily. Not overworking the machines is another way to keep them running at full capacity.

Work on reducing the fluctuating of temperatures, so your systems can run more smoothly - the AC unit shouldn’t need to fluctuate more than a few degrees during the day. Curtains or blinds can also help with temperatures. The systems could be working perfectly, but if the insulation is weak, all of that heat could be leaking out or seeping into drafty areas and window cracks. Strengthening the insulation will take some of the load off of heating and cooling units.

The biggest impact that a business can make to reduce their carbon footprint is to upgrade lighting fixtures. Replacing incandescent bulbs with light emitting diodes (LEDs) is the easiest and most cost-effective step towards becoming a more energy efficient entity. The lifespan of an LED is more than two and half times that of an incandescent. Now that LEDs are less expensive than when they first appeared on the market and are able to give off the same warm, familiar glow of an incandescent bulb, they’re on their way to becoming the default light source.

State and local governments offer financial rebates or tax breaks for environment-savvy practices. This can inform you on what technologies will be

Increasing the number of people in your office could be a unique solution.

Single-family homes use more energy per person than multi-family homes and buildings, like apartments. Two people can get the same use out of one lit room with facilities. Consider moving to a shared office space, downgrading in size, or closing the office on weekends and holidays.

Luther Garcia

most cost-effective, and might reveal that solar panels or wind turbines could be in your business’s future.

Establishing an environment-friendly culture in your office is a fun way to reduce unnecessary energy use. No need to require every employee to eat vegan, but the amount of energy needed to produce the meat we require every year is staggering. Just reducing pork or beef from one meal a week can have an impact, so moving Taco Tuesday to Pizza Friday can still make a difference.

The first step towards reducing your carbon footprint is getting an energy audit to calculate your emissions.

Implementing effective carbon management policies can reduce the negative impact of pollution and sustain our environment for future generations.

Luther Garcia is the President and CEO at ECS Global Solutions, a leading provider of integrated building and energy intelligence solutions.

ECS Global Solutions was founded to serve the growing needs of businesses seeking cost effective demand side management. Their client base includes Fortune 500 companies in the retail, real estate management, healthcare and financial sectors, as well as municipal and governmental authorities, real estate developers and contractors. Luther has served as the company’s President and CEO since he led its acquisition by Finnergy Global in the Summer of 2013. www.ecs.global

Franchising USA

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Josh Allen, Director of Marketing at Location3

Local Search Marketing for Franchises:

How You Can Generate More Customers in 2018 While 2017 was a year for strong growth in digital advertising among franchise systems, there is still evidence that many franchises are sorely lacking when it comes to local search marketing strategy.

Regardless of which industry vertical your franchise business operates in, your customers are online - 82% of customers conduct online research about business locations before actually visiting a store or making a purchase.

As users become increasingly savvy in their online research and more selective, it’s time for your franchise system to harness the power of local search marketing in order to increase in-store visits and in-store revenue.

The Top 3 Things You Need to Be Doing Right Now

Get Mobile, or Get Left Behind Mobile shopping-related searches have been on the rise, increasing by 120% in the last year, with an astounding 78% of

Franchising USA

local-mobile searches (i.e. “best Mexican restaurant near me”) resulting in offline purchases. Consumers are increasingly onthe-go and when they conduct localized mobile searches, they tend to have a higher level of purchase intent, as the user is seeking something that fits their needs at that moment. Many customers also often search using brand-agnostic phrases rather than specific products or services (i.e. “men’s haircut” vs. “Great Clips”), signaling to business owners that they’re more interested in researching multiple options in their area rather than committing to a single brand. With this growth in mind, it’s key for franchises to adopt a mobile-first mindset, and develop an integrated strategy that includes a mobile-friendly website complete with action items like calls and form fills aimed at increasing customer conversions.

Everything Is Local - Your Franchise’s Digital Presence As online user search behavior becomes increasingly localized, “near-me” searches and similar location-based queries continue to grow exponentially. Google reports nearly 33% of mobile searches are location-based queries. If your franchise location isn’t easily discoverable online, potential customers might visit your competition instead. The easiest way to

improve your chances of online discovery is to establish consistent, accurate and robust information about your location in key directories like Google My Business, Facebook, Bing Places, Apple Maps and more. Additionally, ensure your core business information (name, address, phone number, business hours, website link) is consistently listed across directories and populate your profiles with non-branded keywords related to your business. This will help improve your overall search ranking, and make your business listings more visible. While you might have marketing brand standards and requirements, it’s important to complement branded content by populating business listings with custom details specific to your location (products, services, offers, affiliations, certifications, etc.) Lastly, customer reviews should be monitored and responded to on a regular basis, as businesses with more reviews (and responses) tend to rank higher in customer search results. Creating a high-quality local digital presence for your franchise location ensures consumers can easily find you online, and find your franchise location offline.

Hyper-Local Paid Search for Increasing Store Visits Committing advertising dollars toward

pay-per-click campaigns (PPC) focused on geographical areas related to your franchise location can help you increase awareness and drive more in-store traffic, often with only a small investment. While paid search ads don’t have the same aesthetic appeal as a flashy billboard or creative radio spot, they often provide a higher return-on-investment if executed properly.

Many franchises make the common mistake of casting a wide net and bidding on broad, competitive keywords like “pizza”, “department store” or “haircut,” rather than taking the time to develop more segmented campaigns using detailed keywords and geo-targeting parameters.

Tremendous amounts of money is wasted by brands taking the former approach, when better research and data-driven strategies can reduce costs and increase customer volume at the same time.

When it comes to your franchise, you can easily tap into specific user searches that feature location information or keywords in order to identify consumer trends in your area. For example, searches like “happy hour deals near Times Square” provide both location intent and user

“When it comes to your franchise, you can easily tap into specific user searches that feature location information or keywords in order to identify consumer trends in your area.” category interest that you can leverage when building campaigns. Then, by developing advertising copy that connects with the user’s original search query (rather than simple, branded copy), you can create a better user experience and lower your overall costs. This leads to more customers for your business and less wasted budget. By letting actual, relevant user data influence your campaign structure, you can easily reduce waste and maximize your investment in franchise paid search advertising.

When executed well, an integrated local search marketing strategy can provide incredible ROI for your franchise. By building a foundation around an optimized mobile presence, accurate online business information, and investing in paid search campaigns that use existing customer data to reach more of your target audience, you can drive more customers to your franchise in 2018 than ever before.

As Director of Marketing, Josh is responsible for planning, developing and managing Location3 and LOCALACT

Josh Allen

brand strategies, with a focus on establishing new business partnerships among franchise systems and multilocation brands. He also works with Location3 client partners to establish key initiatives for increased franchise engagement and growth. He is an active member of the International Franchise Association and has previously been featured by the American Marketing Association, Franchise Update Media, MediaPost and more discussing franchise digital marketing strategy. www.location3.com

Franchising USA

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Ask t h e E x pert

Evan Hackel

Ask the Expert: “What’s the best way to hire the best employees for my franchise?”

John P., owner of a home cleaning franchise in Iowa.

Dear John, I am willing to bet that there is a second part to your question that you left unsaid.

I suspect you are wondering not just how to hire good employees, but how to recruit them for the money you have to pay. Many franchises are facing this problem.

Let me start by addressing retention, a related issue. If you get good people to stay with you longer, you will need to hire fewer employees. And as you know, it costs a lot of money to recruit, hire and train new employees.

If you have good employees now, paying them a little more is cheaper than hiring new people. Another way to keep good workers is to offer them health benefits.

Too costly, you say? Well maybe. But the money you spend on a health plan could be less than the cost of high turnover.

Consider structuring your health plan so that employees who have worked for you for a certain period of time will qualify to take part. If you do that, you’ll be eating away at one of the biggest dissatisfiers out there.

Okay, let’s discuss hiring now. The first step is to do a really good job of

interviewing. To review how well you are doing it, take my quiz, “Are You Doing Everything You Can to Recruit a WorldClass Workforce?” on the Ingage blog.

I would also encourage you to take a close look at your best current employees and ask, “What are they doing that makes them so successful?” Do they have great attitudes, do they take extra care about their grooming and personal appearance, are they excellent listeners? Once you pinpoint their desirable traits, you can screen for them when recruiting new employees.

Also consider administering a personality test to evaluate applicants’ attitudes and suitability to your job. If your franchise makes one of these tests available to franchises that are hiring, I would encourage you to use it. If not, many companies out there offer inexpensive personality tests. Look for them online.

I would also urge you to think about the real costs of employing and paying people, and to consider paying good employees a little more to keep them on board. Many owners of small businesses think that every payroll dollar they spend comes

Evan Hackel

right out of their pockets. But that is not really true. Better employees increase profits. They build repeat business, sell more, keep your premises cleaner, and pay you back in more ways than you expect.

My father, who was a very successful retailer, often said, “Hire slow . . . leave slow.” He meant that if you invest time and care to hire carefully, the employees you bring on board will be with you for a very long time.

A Note from Evan . . .

Have a question about your franchise?

Email your franchising question to ehackel@ingage.net. I look forward to hearing from you! Please note that your questions may be edited for length prior to publication.

About Evan Evan Hackel the creator of the Ingaged Leadership concept, is a recognized franchise expert and consultant.

Evan is CEO of Tortal Training, a leading training development company in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Principal and Founder of Ingage Consulting, a consulting firm in Woburn, Massachusetts. Follow @ehackel.

To learn more about Ingage Consulting and Evan’s book Ingaging Leadership, visit Ingage.net.

Franchising USA

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ex per t advice

John Waldmann, Co-founder and CEO, Homebase

How to Finally Gain Work/Life Balance in 2018 time for the workday to end. Where some people lack the discipline to start working, we lack the discipline to stop.

People always say they’re going to work less and spend more time on health, hobbies, and family. I’m sure you’ve vowed yourself to get your work-life balance in order — I certainly have.

managers. You can have both, and you should. Healthier, happier local business owners make for better managers, creatives, and entrepreneurs.

For franchise owners and managers, work-life balance doesn’t come easy.

(Let’s get real: Nothing as a small business owner comes easy, but work-life balance is undoubtedly one of the hardest achievements.)

1. Set Boundaries

Start by setting time-based boundaries.

When will you be working, and when will you be “off”? When can your employees, clients, vendors, and partners expect to connect with you? If it helps, program an automatic out-of-office email reply for messages sent outside work hours.

I’d bet money that this topic is included in every article discussing work-life balance.

And there’s a reason. Balance starts with boundaries.

Also, ask your loved ones to help by asking you to place physical boundaries on phone and computer usage as well as office hours.

Work and life don’t have to be mutually exclusive for franchise owners and

Franchising USA

But, how can local business owners spend more time with family and friends and less time at work without closing their office, losing money, or forsaking business? Do yourself and your business a favor by making these four changes in your life:

You, I, and every other small business owner have chosen this career path because we don’t shy away from hard work. This is an admirable trait…until it’s

That’s where boundaries can help us.

2. Learn Something New As you establish boundaries and balance, you’ll most likely face a lot of vacant

“By setting boundaries, adopting new hobbies, scheduling everything, and staying focused on your goals, you’ll find yourself working less and living more.”

3. Schedule Life, Not Just Work For local business owners, it’s easy to “default” to work. Like I said above, when you face any unfulfilled time (whether on a Monday morning or Saturday night), you’re most likely working. I know I am.

An excellent way to combat this and establish balance is to schedule everything in your life. (Yes, I mean everything.)

It may seem silly, but intentionally scheduling non-work activities helps you complete them. It can also help you establish a routine that reflects better worklife balance.

For the first few weeks of 2018, try scheduling everything from meals to exercise to date nights to laundry. If you know that you neglect specific activities in favor of working, like family time or hobbies, definitely put those on your schedule.

time on your schedule. These unfulfilled periods can make you feel like you’re wasting time, forsaking business, and losing money.

Achieving work-life balance isn’t just about working less; it’s also about living more. For some, the living part can be more difficult.

Make it your goal for 2018 to learn something brand new.

Master a new language, take piano lessons, pick up archery, or read a new book each week. Challenging your mind and body not only keeps your mind sharp but also gives you something to do besides working, eating, and sleeping.

Learning a new craft or hobby can also introduce you to a new community outside your colleagues and family.

4. Set Goals and Ignore Everything Else As entrepreneurs, we’re no strangers to setting goals. Whether physical, financial, or personal, we’ve built our businesses around goals and dreams that we hold. But goals aren’t only for growing a business; they can also help us achieve work-life balance.

Local business owners are often faced with many projects (like marketing, hiring, and more) that slowly eat away at their personal time.

Are you struggling to figure out which projects to cut from your overwhelming work schedule? Start by defining your primary goals and their related tasks.

Ignore everything else not related to your goals. Learn to say “no” to tasks that aren’t contributing to business or personal growth. And if your task list is

John Waldmann

“Work and life don’t have to be mutually exclusive for franchise owners and managers. . . Healthier, happier local business owners make for better managers, creatives, and entrepreneurs.” still too long, try delegating or outsourcing additional projects.

Over to You Work-life balance doesn’t have to be the elusive goal that we’ll chase forever. It’s a real possibility, and you can achieve it today, tomorrow, or in 2018.

Making these four changes in your life will help your chances of establishing a work-life balance. By setting boundaries, adopting new hobbies, scheduling everything, and staying focused on your goals, you’ll find yourself working less and living more.

John Waldmann is the co-founder and CEO of Homebase, which provides a new free real-time software solution that helps over 60,000 small businesses eliminate the paperwork of managing their hourly employees, help manage overtime and curbs absenteeism and turnover. www.joinhomebase.com

Franchising USA

ex per t advice

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Veterans in Franchising february 2018

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vets in franchising

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How my Military background guided my success in the franchise industry Franchising USA

SAME DRIVE. DIFFERENT BATTLEFIELD. TAKE THE NEXT STEP > VETFRAN.COM OFFERING FINANCIAL SUPPORT, TRAINING & MENTORSHIP Veterans interested in franchising can take their skills learned in the military to successfully own and develop small businesses. Learn more and support veterans in franchising at www.vetfran.com.

• 650 franchise companies participating • 151,000 veterans and their spouses found careers in the franchise industry • 5,100 veteran franchise owners

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Are you a veteran running a successful franchise? Our VETERAN READERS could use your EXPERT ADVICE! Share your tips for success and provide new Veteran franchisees with the advice they need to be successful in franchising.

Franchising is a great choice for Veterans. Tell our VETERAN READERS about your concept and why it’s a great fit for veterans.

What’s unique about your franchise? How does your Veterans Program work? What areas are you currently targeting? All this and more can be covered in our unique package that gives you FREE follow up editorial in a following issue of choice if you book our VETERANS COVER STORY!

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A mer ica’s S w imming Pool C ompa ny ( ASP )

POOL FRANCHISE LOOKING TO EXPAND OFFERS VETERANS VALUABLE DISCOUNTS

Veterans can enjoy year-round savings from the United States’ No. 1 swimming pool repair, maintenance and renovation company, but a lucky few get even more.

That’s because every year around Veterans Day, America’s Swimming Pool Company (ASP) holds a contest among veterans vying to become franchisees and waives the entire fee for the winning veteran.

Two runners up also receive a 50 percent discount on the franchise fee.

And during the rest of the year, all veterans enjoy a 15 percent discount on the franchise fee, Jef Flournoy, VP of Franchise Sales and Development at ASP, explained during a recent interview.

At the moment, the Macon, GA-based franchise has about a dozen veteran owners among its 99 franchise locations.

Flournoy praised the great work ethic of veterans and called them not only great business owners, but great leaders within the ASP family.

Great for Customers and Owners Founded by current CEO Stewart Vernon in 2002, ASP has been franchising for the past 12 years.

With the swimming pool industry being so fragmented and offering a relatively low quality of service at the time, Vernon saw the opportunity to create a company that would become a national brand in the industry that promised professionalism, stellar service and the use of the latest technology for both customers and franchisees alike.

On the consumer side, ASP has Pool Ops. With Pool Ops, franchisees can schedule appointments and then track those service calls. When service is complete, Pool Ops will send a complete report via email to a pool owner outlining everything that was done to their pool — from a simple cleaning to any maintenance they

a business from marketing to billing to running QuickBooks.

After Pool School, brand new franchisees go through ASP’s Guerrilla Action Marketing Plan for another 10 weeks of training. This training is a little less demanding, consisting of a call once per week with an ASP operations team leader.

“We really want franchisees to get off to a good start and get into good habits,” Flournoy said.

Along with a local marketing team, the company has a national PR firm that supports franchisees, plus staff at headquarters who handle technical questions from franchisees throughout the day.

Regional round table meetings are held where franchise owners get together to discuss best practices and build relationships between each other. Flourney described those as meetings where six to 13 people who are all involved in the pool industry gather in a room to share their best ideas and best practices with the goal of making everyone a better business person.

requested — along with a time-stamped photo of the clean pool or the piece of equipment that was worked on. From this report and photo, the owner knows for certain the service was completed.

The report even gives details like which chemicals were used to balance the water, how much of the chemicals were used and which technician completed the work.

VETERANS in Franchising Page 45

SEPTEMBER 2017

Lastly, the annual owners meeting lasts for two days and is a smorgasbord of information for franchisees where industry vendors give presentations on the latest technology in the swimming pool market.

Nationwide Expansion Flournoy himself is a former ASP franchisee. About 10 years ago, right before his wife enrolled in dental school in Augusta, GA, he bought an ASP franchise in that city and ran it for about eight years while his wife attended school. After she completed her pediatric residency, she received a lucrative job offer back in Macon where the couple were both from.

Flournoy sold his ASP franchise, the couple moved back to their hometown of Macon and he immediately called ASP and requested a job on the corporate side of things where he remains today.

On the franchisee side, ASP boasts a comprehensive training program and a strong support system.

For 11 days from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m, franchisees attend ASP’s Pool School on its campus in Macon, which features 14 working pools that have every kind of pool equipment conceivable. But, Pool School isn’t actually the beginning of their training.

“Before Pool School starts, they would receive between 30 to 35 hours of what we would call pre-Pool School training,” Flournoy explained. Much of this training happens online.

Typical ASP franchisees are between 25 and 55 years old and have to be willing to follow the franchise system. They do not need to have swimming pool experience, Flournoy noted, but will usually have

At Pool School, in addition to the hands-on maintenance training, franchisees receive instruction in every aspect of running

V E T ER A NS I N FR A NCH ISI NG

For information on how to submit a VETERAN EXPERT ADVICE byline, please contact editor@cgbpublishing.com

www.franchising

usamagazine.com

“We really want franchisees to get off

a good start and get AS PtoPO OL into good habits.”

FR AN CH ISE LOO KING

some kind of customer service or sales experience, although that’s also not

required. But they do need to possess an undergraduate degree.

- Jef Flournoy

Right now the franchise is in 21 states, TO EXPA ND but the VP of Franchise Sales andOFFE RS ASPVETE starts as a predominantly homeRAN S grows into based business and generally VALU Development is expecting to expand that. ABL E DISC OUN a business that requires a small TSoffice and “In the next three to five years, we should warehouse space, Flournoy noted. While be in 30 to 35 states,” he outlined. it’s not really a retail franchise, some The only places the franchise is franchisees have added a retail element to completely sold out is in Dallas, Atlanta, their businesses.

Orlando and in Montana.

For veterans looking to become business

MI LITARY SK ILL S

owners, America’s Swimming Pool Company offers great opportunities and for a lucky few, an amazing opportunity at particularly interested in expansion in OPE NED savings getting started.

THEwhile Houston, Memphis, Richmond, VA, Las DOO R TO LEAD ERS Vegas and Tampa, FL. www.aspfranchising.com HIP There are franchises available everywhere else throughout the country and ASP is

ROL E

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PRO FI L E

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“As we implem ent our strategi A Brand You c plan focused on bringin Can Believe g in experienced In restaurant operato in America” Little Caesars based on the rs to add new Pizza has been net number franchise units into previou named “Best stores added Value in Americ of sly untapped 2008-2015 a”** for nine markets, we are looking straight years, and the to reach new ** “Highest-Rated brand appeals customers in ways,” said Ed to consumers Chain – Value new on several levels.

Ader, directo Money” based for the The brand equity r of franchise development on a nationw throughout the built ide survey for Little Caesars of quick-service past six decades . restaurant consum , along with the proven Little In addition to conducted by ers in-line shoppin Caesars Pizza Sandelman & g center business model and ongoing and strip mall Associates, 2007-2015 Express location franchisee support s, the driving the compan expansion plan , are also include y’s growth. s opportunities for franchise About Little location Caesars Pizza Building on Franc traditional franchi s to open in nonse venues—unique hisee Success Headquartered in Detroit, settings like Little Caesars Michigan, Little convenience Caesars® is provides qualifie stores, college the fastest growing campuses and d multiunit franchisees military bases, pizza chain in Americ with the tools just to name a few. a*. Founded they need to follow the in 1959 as a single, familybrand’s proven owned restaura system, including ongoing Little Caesars nt, Little Caesars Pizza will work training, architec has become closely the third largest services to help with its franchi tural chain in the sees to develop pizza with design world** and and Express locations with construction, today has stores in all 50 U.S. preferred lenders customized states, as well architectural to assist and build-out with financin as 18 countri and territories. plans. That design g, research and es development flexibility makes it an of new product attractive fit s, and continu for all kinds For more inform al marketing venues. promotions. of ation about Little Caesars franchi se opportunities * “Fastest growing , visit www.F carryout pizza ranchis e.LittleCaesar chain or call 1-800-5 s.com Franchising 53-5776.

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V e t er ans in Fr anchising

what’s new!

Big Whiskey’s Wrapped Up a Stellar Year of Sales Growth, Franchise Expansion, and Community Givebacks

With new franchise deals, expanding markets, and strong sales growth, 2017 was an eventful year for Big Whiskey’s American Restaurant & Bar®!

Last year brought record-breaking numbers and several milestones for the Southwest Missouri-based restaurant brand. In March, Big Whiskey’s opened their first franchise location in Bentonville, AR, experiencing record-breaking sales within the first few weeks of business.

Quickly following, in May, a second franchise location was opened in Kansas City to kick-off a summer of more expansion.

In June, the brand welcomed a multi-unit franchise deal in Las Vegas, with the first location confirmed on Las Vegas Boulevard! Shortly following, in August, Big Whiskey’s eagerly opened their sixth corporate store and very first free-standing location in Republic, MO, expanding their existing footprint in the Midwest.

A new campaign, “Game On” was launched in September to ring in football

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season. The updated branding and campaign goals set the tone for expanded seasonal marketing blitzes. It proved to be a huge success and provided an extra boost to existing sales growth ahead of the holiday season.

Franchise expansion continued this Fall with another two-store deal signed for Birmingham, AL, in September. The first Alabama and Las Vegas locations are expected to open in late 2018.

“The continued support of our loyal customers, and eagerness of new customers to welcome our brand is invaluable to us,” states company President, Austin Herschend.

As Big Whiskey’s celebrated exciting new opportunities and sales growth, many Americans were experiencing tragedy when hurricane season hit. The company has always held a commitment to partnering with community organizations, and quickly reached out to Springfieldbased Convoy of Hope, to help hurricane victims. Following a month of fundraising

efforts in the aftermath of hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the brand raised $10,000 for the national disaster relief organization, Convoy of Hope, and their continued relief efforts. Throughout 2017, Big Whiskey’s has contributed over $30,000 to various community organizations and causes.

In a casual dining market that has struggled this past year, Big Whiskey’s American Restaurant & Bar continues to trend up month over month. With multiple store openings set for 2018, that trend is expected to continue. Big Whiskey’s also aims to expand their charitable partnerships in 2018 and continue to support a variety of community causes, both in cities they serve and beyond.

Big Whiskey’s supports and welcomes veteran franchisees into the Big Whiskey’s franchise system. To learn more about becoming part of the Big Whiskey’s family and available franchising opportunities, please email franchise@ bigwhiskeys.com. bigwhiskeysfranchise.com

Goal-shattering $1.25 million donated

by Sport Clips Haircuts to VFW for Help A Hero Scholarships Sport Clips Haircuts recently donated $1.25 million to the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. Foundation to support active-duty U.S. service members’ and veterans’ scholarships through the Help A Hero program. This year’s fundraising target was shattered when Sport Clips’ clients and product partner donations exceeded the original $1 million goal, and Sport Clips made its own Veterans Day contributions of $1 per haircut service.

Help A Hero began as an initiative between Sport Clips and the VFW to provide phone calls home for deployed and hospitalized service members and veterans. The initiative then transitioned in 2013 to the VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A

Hero Scholarship” program. To date, more than 900 VFW-administered scholarships have been awarded to qualified, activeduty military and veterans who wish to pursue college degrees and vocational certifications.

“It’s exciting to see these service members and veterans using Help A Hero scholarships, getting additional training and education, and launching successful, productive civilian careers. Many have used this scholarship to complete their education and are already reaching their personal and professional goals,” says Sport Clips Founder and CEO Gordon Logan, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Life member of the VFW. “Saying ‘thank you’ in this way to our very-deserving military takes the hard work of team members

and our generous, supportive clients and product partners. We’re grateful and humbled in making this donation.” ”The impressive level of support shown

by Sport Clips owners, stylists, clients and product partners sets an inspiring precedent,” said VFW National Commander Keith E. Harman. “Help A Hero scholarships provide our service members, veterans and their families with vital financial support and stability, and we’re thankful for this record-breaking donation which ensures that we can continue to provide the high level of support our warriors deserve.”

As a part of this year’s fundraising efforts, Sport Clips partners John Paul Mitchell Systems, American Crew, Nioxin, Sexy Hair and Gibs Grooming donated to the Help A Hero program.

Sport Clips is the Official Haircutter of the VFW, and its Help A Hero campaign is just one of the many ways it supports active-duty military and veterans. To find out more, visit your local Sport Clips or SportClips.com.

About The Veterans of Foreign Wars The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is the nation’s largest and oldest major war veterans organization. Founded in 1899 and chartered by Congress in 1936, the VFW is comprised entirely of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. With nearly 1.7 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in nearly 6,400 Posts worldwide, the nonprofit veterans service organization is proud to proclaim “NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS” than the VFW, which is dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs. For more information or to join, visit our website at www.vfw.org.

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what’s new!

Image One Facility Solutions Celebrates 100th Franchise Owner Milestone Expanding Commercial Cleaning Brand Joins Elite Club of Franchises Image One Facility Solutions, a top commercial cleaning franchise recognized for owner satisfaction and affordability, continues its ascent as a service industry franchise. Image One is announcing it has reached a symbolic milestone in the world of franchising — there are now more than 100 franchise owner-operators in its system.

“Stepping back to soak in what we have accomplished as a maturing franchise, I am so proud of what our team and franchise owners have been able to do to expand our model and create a trusted commercial cleaning brand,” said Image One President and Co-Founder Tim Conn. “This milestone underscores the impact our corporate support team has on leading and guiding existing franchise owners and inviting qualified candidates who are committed to building their own business to join us as a fellow owner.”

Image One USA is actively seeking qualified military veterans to become franchise affiliates with the growing franchise. And now, with actively partnering with VeteransOpportunities.com, a growing online veteran community, Image One USA is on the fast track to welcoming qualified military veterans to its system.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be actively recruiting qualified military veterans to join our system as independent business owners,” said Tim Conn, co-founder and director of operations for Image One USA. “This is the kind of business model that allows people who bring a mission-oriented, positive attitude to the table to really thrive. Our franchise affiliate model will provide veterans all the necessary training and ongoing support to

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fully own and operate an Image One franchise in their respective communities.”

Recently rated one of the top emerging franchise systems by Franchise Business Review and one of the most valuable franchise opportunities currently on the market, Image One USA provides military veterans the ability to own and operate a recurringrevenue business at a fraction of the cost of some other franchise models. The company also extends an attractive startup option that allows franchise owners to finance more than half of the franchise fee, opening the door to ambitious veterans with limited capital.

“This is a fantastic investment and business model for military veterans looking for the right business fit for them,” said Matthew Amici, president of VeteransOpportunities.com. “Businesses like Image One USA are creating unprecedented opportunities for veterans to realize their full professional potential and create lasting legacies for their families through business ownership.”

For more information, please visit www.imageoneusa.com/ franchise/franchise-spotlight/military-veterans

The public and policymakers need to understand franchising.

Our purpose

@OurFranchise is an industry-wide campaign created to spread the word about the value of franchising and share the stories of men and women just like you, who are leading the way as franchisors, franchisees, and franchise employees. The franchise business model has been proven time and time again to work, but it’s threatened when the public and politicians don’t understand how it operates to benefit local, independent franchise establishment owners and their communities. Putting a spotlight on real leaders succeeding with the franchise model is how we’ll ensure franchising is stronger than ever before.

Follow us

Share the tools and resources offered on AtOurFranchise.org/resources

Help us keep the momentum going

Since our launch in June 2016, we’ve reached 1.7 million people through outreach efforts, including events in key cities and states, where we spoke directly with business owners, employees, policymakers, and the media. Additionally, we’ve reached people across America through our website and social media channels, digital advertisements, and the promotion of We the Franchisees on Politico – but there is much more work to do. As a franchisor, franchisee, or franchise vendor, you are a leader in your community – and we need your support, now more than ever.

You benefit by joining

By joining @OurFranchise, you’ll get access to exclusive stories and resources that can help grow your franchise business, educate employees at all levels about the franchise business model, and share the economic importance of franchising with consumers. You will also have the opportunity to share your franchise success story with your peers.

Visit AtOurFranchise.org Contact Erica Farage, Senior Director of Political Affairs and Grassroots Advocacy and Multi-Unit Franchisee Engagement International Franchise Association efarage@franchise.org (202) 662-0760

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This is just the beginning

Make sure you stay up to date with the campaign’s latest efforts through email updates and social media.

Visit our website to read and share the latest stories of franchisors and franchisees making an impact in their communities. Become a franchise advocate to help ensure Americans, now and in the future, have the opportunity to start franchise businesses. Take the lead today!

V e t er ans in Fr anchising

profile: Jared Toppenberg, AdvantaClean

Jared Toppenberg

Profile

Vets in Franchising:

“Rewards Follow the Work!”

Jared Toppenberg knows what it’s like to be a live target. He routinely hovered his Army combat chopper a couple of hundred feet off the ground, supporting troops in Iraq and Afghanistan during intense fighting. Many times, the enemy trained their weapons on him, hoping to take him out.

“The bullets would come so close, you could actually hear them “snap” as they whipped by the canopy at supersonic speed,” said Toppenberg. “You don’t really think about getting hit because you’re too focused on protecting the guys on the ground.”

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These days, Toppenberg’s work is just a bit less risky, but still very rewarding. He has owned an AdvantaClean franchise near Tacoma, Washington since 2014.

AdvantaClean is the nation’s fastest growing light environmental service™ franchise business. Like many vets returning to civilian life, he wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to do, but he did know he wanted to be the “top dog” of an operation.

“In the military, each person has a specific

“I can’t think of anything more rewarding and satisfying than building something you can be proud of, watching it grow, and fulfilling the vision you had for it.

Rewards follow the work, not the other way around.”

“If I had tried to do all of the research and vetting on my own, I might still be doing that, today,” laughed Toppenberg. “It’s an extensive, time consuming job. Having a TES coach made all the difference in the world. AdvantaClean has been just what I was looking for to help me reach my goals of Income, Lifestyle, Wealth, and Equity.

They specialize in mold remediation, moisture control, and emergency water removal, among other applications. I had a background in my family’s plumbing business, so this was an easy segue.”

task, and you mold a team around people with those tasks to complete successful missions. But each team must have a leader who is focused, precise, detailed, and can help his crew capture the vision of the mission from start to finish. My time in the Guard gave me the confidence to be that kind of leader. I just needed to find a conduit for it.”

Jared knew a 9-5, “between the lines” job was not for him. He wanted to do his own thing, but not start anything from scratch. He started heavily researching franchise businesses. He attended a seminar conducted by a Navy vet who is an alternative career coach with The Entrepreneur’s Source®, North America’s leading career transition coaching franchise. The TES rep offered guidance and resources to help find just the right franchise fit for Toppenberg. In the end, he chose AdvantaClean.

“AdvantaClean has a history of seeking out veterans to become franchise owners,” said Jeff Dudan, CEO/Founder of AdvantaClean. “With Jared, we knew we would be getting a guy who was used to following a system, could multi-task, adapt, and still deliver a positive outcome for the client, no matter the challenge. He was our “Rookie of the Year” in 2014, exceeding his first-year revenue goals. We believe he will be a top performer within our company for years to come.”

One of the reasons Jared chose a franchise business, over starting one on his own was simple. He could be in business FOR himself, but not BY himself.

AdvantaClean’s proven systems and successful strategies gave him even greater confidence from the jump. It also offers on-going, comprehensive training and support for him and his team, creating another platform for success.

Plus, Toppenberg has reached out to network with other franchise owners, developing friendships and connections, just like when he was a chopper pilot in the Guard. He knows he can bounce ideas off of them, and get answers to questions on everything from complex jobs to filling out paperwork correctly. However, just because a franchise has a great brand, and

a positive, proven track record, doesn’t mean one can sit back, and just let the business and money-roll in.

“My team and I know we have to prove ourselves worthy of our client’s trust every day,” said Toppenberg. “Any vet who is thinking about franchising as a business opportunity must know this: you will work harder than you have ever worked before.

But it’s worth it, because it’s YOUR business. I can’t think of anything more rewarding and satisfying than building something you can be proud of, watching it grow, and fulfilling the vision you had for it. Rewards follow the work, not the other way around.”

Asked about any surprises in his transition from military life to successful civilian business owner, Toppenberg smiled.

“The military, as you know, has a very no-nonsense way of doing things which I had gotten use to after almost 19 years of service,” according to Jared. “Their thinking is: ‘Here’s your mission. You’ve trained for it. Go do it. No excuses!’”

“In my job now, I have had to become more aware of people’s feelings, making sure I approach them the right way, especially when it comes to motivation.

The military doesn’t train very well for that!”

Jared Toppenberg is the owner of AdvantaClean-South Sound serving Tacoma, and other nearby communities.

He has been with AdvantaClean since 2014, and captured the company’s “Rookie of the Year” honors for exceeding corporate revenue goals that year. Toppenburg is a 19-year National Guard veteran. While on active duty, he served as a combat helicopter pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan, providing close support for ground troops, as well as flying reconnaissance missions into enemy territory. He has also provided his professional flying skills to local, state, and federal law enforcement drug task force agencies. www.advantaclean.com

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have your say: Scott Quagliata, Marco’s Pizza

How My Military Background guided my Success in the Franchise Industry

After leaving my 20year career in the army to work for a technical professional services firm, I never would have expected to see myself as franchisee or the Vice President of Veterans’ Programs and Recruiting for Marco’s Pizza.

I saw several of my military peers transition into franchising after retiring from the military and I quickly learned why franchising is a natural fit for veterans.

Franchises provide structure and clear, proven systems to follow. One day, I was speaking with Joe Walker, a friend from the Army who at the time owned 14 Marco’s Pizza franchise locations. After a few conversations, he offered to assist me in opening my own location.

A few months later I went to Discovery Day, where I learned more about the

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“Utilizing the benefits that come with being a part of the military is key to becoming a successful franchisee.” franchise opportunity, and had the pleasure of talking to the President of the brand. We discussed how the franchise wanted to do more for Veterans and he offered me the newly created position of Vice President of Veterans’ Programs and Recruiting on the spot, which meant I would recruit and assist with onboarding newly transitioned Soldiers into the franchise. Accepting the role was best decision I made, as it has provided me with a platform to help Veterans transition back into civilian life in a meaningful and impactful way. My own transition from the military was successful for a variety of reasons, including many that others can and should take advantage of. These include:

Utilizing Your Veteran Support System If I didn’t network with other veterans, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I wouldn’t have gone to Discovery Day, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to speak to Marco’s President and I wouldn’t be helping other Veterans transition into civilian life through franchising. Seeking career opportunities post-service can be an extremely daunting task, so seeing where fellow Veterans are finding success is key to getting started on the right foot.

Veterans looking to franchise should use the networks that they have; talk to other Veteran franchisees who are doing well and traveling down the same path as you. Developing and maintaining those relationships are important because at the end of the day, everyone wants to see each other succeed as you would have in the military.

Tapping Your Leadership Experience Being part of the military, you need to have an inherent work ethic. Those with a strong, natural work ethic come to learn why this skill is a necessity – there’s often a sense of urgency to complete tasks.

Failure to do so in a quick and efficient manner can have severe consequences.

This carries over to owning a franchise as well. You learn how to prioritize what is required of being a franchisee and to take care of the tasks at hand quickly and efficiently, as your team, employees and livelihood depend on your responsibility.

There are several parallels between being in the military and owning a franchise.

You want to get your employees to work toward a common goal as you would in the military. Leading a store team is similar to leading a platoon – both are about the size of 30 people. The mentoring skills you used in the military are required to build a successful and hard-working team. Just as the military is, owning a franchise is a people business. If you don’t understand or are unable to influence people, it’s highly unlikely that you will be able to succeed.

You must understand the needs of your teammates, customer and vendors. Failure to do so limits your chances at success.

Putting Trust in the Business Model No one is an expert in everything. Far too often business owners try to be the jack of all trades, which hurts the business more than it helps. A business is specialized just as the Army is. You probably won’t find an intel sergeant in charge of firing a howitzer any more than finding someone who hasn’t studied accounting wouldn’t be completing tasks that an accountant would.

Find the right people to complete the tasks that you wouldn’t be able to accomplish properly on your own. People specialize in different areas for a reason - let go of the need to control every aspect of the business and delegate tasks to someone who can do the job and do it well.

A lot of pressure comes with being a business owner, but asking for help and having established support systems backing you can alleviate some of that stress. This is why franchises are an ideal fit for veteran entrepreneurs –

Scott Quagliata

“Continue fostering those relationships with the people you’ve served with, continue putting the skills you developed in the military to use and most of all, trust the business model.” each franchise has built-in operational standards for you to follow.

Utilizing the benefits that come with being a part of the military is key to becoming a successful franchisee. Continue fostering those relationships with the people you’ve served with, continue putting the skills you developed in the military to use and most of all, trust the business model. Veterans who follow these pieces of advice will be better postured to succeed as franchisees.

Scott Quagliata was commissioned out of ROTC after graduating from Washington and Lee University in 1989 and served until he retired in 2009. After years in a corporate setting, Scott purchased a Marco’s Pizza in Charlottesville and became the Vice President of Veterans’ Programs and Recruiting. marcosfranchising.com

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H AVE YOU R SAY

Paul Bosley, Managing Member, Business Finance Depot

Franchise Financing Available in Today’s Market Today’s franchises come in all sizes with a wide variety of franchise equipment.

Consequently, the appropriate financing for the diverse franchises varies considerably based upon the amount of capital required.

This article offers an overview of the best financing available based upon the amount of money required to properly capitalize any given franchise.

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Financing a Franchise for $350,000 or Less In 2014, the Small Business Administration (SBA) introduced the Small Loan Advantage loan program some lenders refer to as the SBA Express loan.

After the “The Great Recession”, many homeowners lost their real estate equity which is used as collateral requirement for a SBA 7(a) loan approval in most cases.

Consequently, many perspective borrowers were unable to secure financing because they lack the equity in their home required to collateralize their loan request. The SBA Express loan is capped at $150,000 to limit the lender’s risk since the borrower’s real estate collateral is not required and business assets are used to collateralize

the SBA Express loan. Since the collateral used to secure an equipment lease is the equipment being financed and the collateral for the SBA Express loan is the equipment needed to operate the business, these two debt financing products are compatible!

Capital Leases – Leasing Equipment to Own The most common financing option for the equipment needed to operate any franchise is a capital lease. The main purpose of a capital lease is to finance the equipment purchase while preserving the owner’s working capital. Franchisees can finance the purchase of their proprietary equipment, security systems, computer

“The best part about this financing combination of a SBA Express loan & equipment lease is that the collateral is your business assets … not your home … just your business assets!” hardware & software, flooring, outdoor signage and other tangible items needed to run the business using an equipment lease. The owner(s) are required to personally guarantee equipment lease.

The required down payment ranges from a lease payment up to 20% of the amount financed. Lease documentation fees may range from $95 to $495. Repayment terms typically range from 12 months up to 60 months. All payments are tax deductible, so these payments will lower business’s taxable income and, in turn, tax liability.

Since the plan is to keep their equipment long term, a typical capital lease offers a $1.00 end of term purchase option.

Small Business Administration (SBA) Express Working Capital Loan This government backed loan is designed to provide up to $150,000 of working capital to support the company until the business generates positive cash flow. The loan process 90 days to complete before the loan is funded. The SBA Express loan approval requirements are good personal credit & some liquid assets and the loan process requires attention to detail. If the use of the loan funds is to finance a new location, the loan can be approved in advance, however the funds will not be distributed by the bank until the new location has received a certificate of occupancy. This insures that the money will be used to operate the new business & will not be used to pay for build out expenses. The interest rate for this loan is calculated by starting with the prime rate as published in the Wall Street Journal which is currently 4.5%. The bank charges a 2.75% risk premium on this loan so the interest rate is 7.25% now. The repayment term is 10 years and there is no pre-payment penalty so if the franchisee is extremely profitable, the loan can be prepaid to save interest expense.

In conclusion, equipment leases and SBA Express loans are complementary products that will enable the owner of a franchise with good personal credit to finance the opening and expansion of a franchise.

The best part about this financing combination of a SBA Express loan & equipment lease is that the collateral is your business assets… not your home … just your business assets!

Financing a Franchise for $350,000 or More The SBA 7(a) Loan will provide financing ranging from 70% to 90% of the total project costs which typically includes the equipment needed to purchase the franchise rights, organization costs, location buildout, deposits, inventory & operating working capital. The owners’ equity injection ranges from 10% to 30% of the total project costs and cannot be borrowed money such as a home equity loan. The borrowers must provide their resume(s) demonstrating industry experience, transferable management skills and/or related education. The collateral for the loan includes all business assets.

Addition collateral is often required which is typically residential real estate only up to the loan $ amount. Good personal credit is required.

The loan repayment term is 10 years.

Prepayment penalties typically range from 1-4% over the initial term period.

The interest rate is typically prime rate as published in the Wall Street Journal (4.5%) plus a risk premium typically 2.75% so the current rate offered is 7.25%. Closing Costs are approximately 3% of loan amount and are usually added to the loan amount.

Real Estate Acquisition The SBA loan will finance up to 90% of the real estate acquisition cost. The owners’ equity injections are typically

Paul Bosley

10% of the acquisition cost of the real estate and cannot be borrowed money such as a home equity loan. The business must occupy at least 50% of the useable space which provides an opportunity to lease out up to 49% of the useable space. The collateral is real estate being purchased.

Good personal credit is required. The loan repayment term ranges from 20 to 25 years and is fully amortized with no balloon payment. The interest rate is calculated starting with the prime rate (4.5%) plus a risk premium which will vary based up the appraisal and the strength of the borrower. The closing cost is typically 3% of loan amount added to the amount financed at closing. The timing to close is 90 days and varies with bank work load, time for real estate appraisal & borrower responsiveness.

Conclusion There are many benefits of the SBA 7(a) program to finance a new or expanding franchise business. The business owner will have only one monthly debt payment amortized over the longest repayment term available with no significant prepayment penalty. The use of funds is nearly unlimited to any legitimate business purpose. Since the SBA 7(a) loan is backed by the federal government, it offers the lowest APR available. Consequently, we recommend you strongly consider this form of financing for the wide variety of uses that this flexible loan product offers for business financing.

Paul Bosley is a Managing Member of the Business Finance Depot. www.businessfinancedepot.com

Franchising USA

H AVE YOU R SAY

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Pollo Campero has served flavorful chicken made with our original family recipe since 1971. Our menu includes fried, grilled, and boneless chicken for wholesome, customizable, easy-to-share meals. Join our family!

Compounded Annual Sales Growth of 12% for the past six years 25 best fast-food chains in America – #6 Business Insider Over 350 restaurants system-wide with rapid expansion plans in 2018 and beyond

Learn more about franchising with Pollo Campero at CAMPERO.COM/FRANCHISING

POLLO CAMPERO Franchising USA : 7”x4.875”

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A uniquely FLAVORFUL FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY

7-Eleven Franchising with the world’s #1 convenience store is easier than you think.

Been looking for. Your earning potential is as big as you want to make it. We offer a gross profit split, which means your success is as important to us as it is to you.

It also might be the smartest business move you’ve ever made.

It’s turnkey – we provide the store, land and equipment.

Start-up is fast (3-6 months). You get extensive training and support from 7-Eleven pros.

As a 7-Eleven Franchisee, you’ll be partnering with a brand known and loved around the world. We’re consistently ranked as a top-five franchisor with more than 54,200 stores worldwide.

Our field consultants and operations teams offer a wealth of support and information. Leveraged vendor relationships mean national buying power.

World-famous brand. World-class opportunity.

Take a second and learn why franchising with 7-Eleven could be the career changer you’ve

America’s Swimming Pool Company Dive into the America’s Swimming Pool Company Opportunity ASP is the nation’s most recognized swimming pool franchise with over 254 locations in 20 states.

If you are seeking an affordable, turn-key business with proven profit potential, the ASP swimming pool franchise opportunity is the clear choice.

As the recognized industry leader, ASP offers a proven pool service franchise system to help you succeed faster, grow bigger and enjoy all the benefits of working

Phone: 1-800-782-0711 Fax: 972-828-5017 Website: Franchise.7-Eleven.com Email: Franchise.Inquiries@7-11.com

for yourself—no pool experience necessary!

An ASP franchise opportunity offers a proven system to succeed and grow in the thriving swimming pool business. Our franchise leads the industry with a commitment to reliable brand reputation, world-class training, technologically advanced systems, original marketing strategies, exceptional franchisee support.

Ready to test the water?

Contact: Jef Flournoy Phone: 888.814.8093 Email: jefflournoy@asppoolco.com Website: www.ASPfranchising.com

bluefrog Plumbing +Drain

loyal, cheerleader clients,” describes the inspiration of the business.

bluefrog Plumbing + Drain is a Limited Liability Company that was formed on December 30, 2013. Franchises have been offered since January of 2014 and are granted for the operation of a plumbing repair business using proprietary methods and the bluefrog Plumbing + Drain mark. The headquarters are located in Phoenix, Arizona. The bluefrog Plumbing + Drain management team consists of Gary Findley, CEO, Jeff Moody, President and COO.

bluefrog Plumbing + Drain is a modern day approach to the plumbing industry. It is a strategic plumbing company that strives for perfection and makes customer service it’s number one priority. The market for plumbing products and services is well established and highly competitive; By utilizing state-of-the-art technology and streamlined systems and processes, the owner operates his or her business with simplicity, efficiency, and profitability.

The mission of bluefrog Plumbing + Drain is to make a positive difference in people’s lives. The vision statement: “bluefrog Plumbing + Drain, the premier franchise plumbing service company in North America. Founded on brand

Contact: Gina Roberson Phone: (888) 354-2806 Email: gina@bluefrogplumbing.com Website: www.bluefrogplumbing.com

BurgerFuel Worldwide

When you buy a BurgerFuel franchise, you’re not just buying into gourmet burger business. BurgerFuel is a 360-degree lifestyle experience where fast cars, street art, music and creativity reign supreme, and our unique culture is something other brands can’t emulate.

Meet the ultimate gourmet burger franchise We’re BurgerFuel, a global, gourmet burger concept – and we like to do things differently. We live, eat and play by the motto ‘life’s too short to eat bad burgers’ and this drives us to provide an even better, healthier, more gourmet alternative to fast food.

As a BurgerFuel Franchisee or Master Franchisee, you’ll benefit from the robust operational support, and sophisticated systems, world-class training and innovative marketing programs that we provide to support our premium brand.

franchising usa A-Z Listings are a great way to promote your business, giving you a presence within our publication and also the Franchising USA website.

Each detailed, full colour A-Z listing comes with a 150 word write up and your logo.

We’re currently seeking Franchisees and Master Franchisees to join the BurgerFuel movement as we expand within Indiana (and beyond). Hit the application link to take the first step in your BurgerFuel USA journey.

Contact: Chris Mason Phone: +1 646 287 1078 Email: chris@burgerfuel.com Website: www.burgerfuel.com

Excellent for branding and recognition.

Choose a 12 or 6 month package or simply add the A-Z directory onto your Focus, Profile or Ad! To learn about the A-Z directory or any other products please contact Vikki Bradbury: advertising@cgbpublishing.com or 778-426-2446

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Business Finance Depot Business Finance Depot specializes in packaging equipment leases and SBA Express Working Capital loans for start-up and existing businesses.

Our company also works with SBA 7(a) lenders, alternate financing sources, crowd funding financing sources and companies that specialize in using retirement funds to capitalize a new business. Please visit our website for more information.

Our main clients are franchisors seeking financing for their new franchisees and manufacturers seeking financing for their equipment purchases.

Website: www.businessfinancedepot.com Email: paul@businessfinancedepot.com Phone: (800) 788-3884 Contact: Paul Bosley

Chronic Tacos

menu also features kid’s meals and a breakfast menu available all day. Customers can choose from vegetarian and gluten-free options, as well as choices of: Carne Asada, Carnitas, Al Pastor, Pollo Asado and variations of fish or shrimp. There is something for everyone. Each restaurant incorporates original artistic designs inspired by traditional “Day of The Dead” art, creating a unique ‘Taco Life’ experience at each location.

Chronic Tacos is a California-inspired Mexican grill that celebrates authenticity and the individuality of its guests through fresh, made-to-order Mexican food. The Chronic Tacos experience consists of walking down the prep line and personally choosing everything that goes on your meal. Founded in 2002, the Southern California-based company has over 40 locations operating across the United States and Canada, as well as a Japan expansion on the way. Chronic Tacos is committed to serving only the highest quality ingredients and all-natural meats.

They offer a wide variety of traditional Mexican items including: tacos, burritos, bowl-ritos and more! The

Clayton Kendall Clayton Kendall provides comprehensive branded merchandise programs for more than sixty franchise communities nationwide, resulting in greater brand exposure, cost-savings, streamlined operations and brand compliance.

With a customized online store as the organizing principle, our websites give franchisees the ability to purchase their advertising and marketing tools in one easy-to use program.

We provide marketing collateral, signage, POP

Foot Solutions Are You Passionate About Helping People Look Good and Feel Great?

Foot Solutions is the world’s largest specialty wellness franchise focused exclusively on helping people feel good from the feet up. We offer an individualized Holistic Foot Analysis, top-quality customized orthotics and expertly-fitted stylish shoes that are comfortable and supportive.

If you want a business that gives back to your community and improves the lives of people with foot

Grease Monkey Franchising, LLC Grease Monkey® and SpeeDee Oil Change and Auto Service® centers provide preventive maintenance and repair services that help customers meet vehicle manufacturers’ recommendations and warranty requirements. With over 500 locations, Our Less Hassle, More Hustle customer service approach is designed to help customers make educated, informed decisions about maintaining their vehicles in a comfortable, nopressure setting.

Franchising USA

For more information or to find the nearest Chronic Tacos, visit www.chronictacos.com.

Phone: (949) 680-4602 Email: info@eatchronictacos.com Contact: Randy Wyner / randy@eatchronictacos.com Website: www.chronictacos.com

displays, printed materials, promotional products and apparel. Our services include graphic design, merchandising, sourcing, warehousing and fulfillment, kitting and proprietary technology with advanced management reports. All programs are scalable and user-friendly. Customer service is our forte’.

Contact: Dan Broudy, Chief Executive Officer Phone: 412-798-7120 Email: dan@claytonkendall.com Website: www.claytonkendall.com

and alignment conditions including diabetes, arthritis and more, Foot Solutions might be the perfect fit for you: Reasonable Hours | High Margins | Low Labor Requirements | High Consumer Retention | Not Impacted by Economy | Not Seasonal | Fastestgrowing Market Age 40+ | Opportunities from $85,000 - $240,000 Single and Multi-unit For more information: Call 770.955.0099 Email fscorp@footsolutions.com Visit www.footsolutionsfranchise.com.

With over 60 years of combined automotive experience, Grease Monkey ® and SpeeDee® franchise owners enjoy a proven system and business model. Each process offers a flexible approach, so franchisees can customize their facility and menu of services for a specific market and investment profile.

Contacts: Jeff King, Director Franchise Development;

Jon Piper, Manager of Franchise Development Email:

jking@greasemonkeyintl.com; jpiper@greasemonkeyintl.com

Phone:

303-308-1660

Website: www.greasemonkeyfranchise.com

HealthSource –America’s Chiropractor HealthSource — America’s Chiropractor ® — is the industry leader in chiropractic and physical rehabilitation care.

Our highly profitable franchise clinics provide state-of-the-art care to their local communities.

We offer single and multi-unit opportunities

honkamp krueger Honkamp Krueger & Co., P.C. (HK) is a Top 100 CPA and business consulting firm in the U.S. and the 3rd fastest-growing Midwest-based firm (Accounting Today, 2017). Specializing in franchise services, HK offers 40-plus forward-thinking, innovative solutions to franchise organizations in all 50 states.

In addition to our tax, accounting and consulting services, HK offers total hire-to-retire solutions through our human capital management affiliate, HKP. Through our HK Financial Services affiliate, HK offers world-class wealth management solutions.

Hooters of America, LLC Since being founded in Clearwater, FL, in 1983, Hooters has become a part of Americana. From day one, Hooters has committed to making customers happy.

With our world famous, often imitated but never replicated, chicken wings, and numerous other quality menu items, Hooters

International Franchise Professionals Group

for individuals looking to join the recessionresistant healthcare industry.

Contact us to learn how you can own a business that cares for the community, is highly profitable, and that you can be proud of!

Contact: Wes Sattler Phone: (440) 934-5858 Email: development@healthsourcechiro.com Website: www.healthsourcechiro.com

Our depth and level of franchising expertise along with our track record for providing independent and objective franchise advisory/consulting services clearly differentiates HK from all other franchise advisors across the country.

When you partner with HK for your franchising needs, you will always have easy access to one of our owners who will walk in your shoes with you and who has a unique perspective on being an entrepreneur and business grower.

Phone: 888.556.0123 www.honkamp.com

is that special place where everyone can enjoy a great meal, in a warm and inviting environment, with exceptional customer service.

Contact: Stephen Sweetman Phone: 770-951-2040 Email: franchising@hooters.com Website: www.hooters.com/franchising

IFPG to power their business. All of these individuals understand the value of being associated with IFPG.

The International Franchise Professionals Group (also known as IFPG) is a membership based organization that has over 700 members. Our members consist of Franchisors, Franchisor Brokers, Lenders, and other Franchise Professionals that help potential candidates in the process of buying a franchise.

The IFPG is a strictly membership based organization that does not participate in any referral fees from our franchisor members or our brokers, thereby allowing all of our members to work freely together.

Our long-term success is predicated on retaining our members and providing all the tools needed to help you sell more franchises, and close more deals.

Hundreds of nationally recognized franchise companies have chosen the IFPG and its members to represent their brand; hundreds of experienced franchise consultants and brokers have chosen the

If you’re a franchisor, franchisor broker, or another profession that serves the franchising industry call us today at (888) 977-IFPG to learn about membership opportunities.

Jiffy Lube International

A proven model, Jiffy Lube offers convenient, quality service including the Jiffy Lube Signature Service® Oil Change using premium Pennzoil lubricants, brake and tire service as well as ancillary service offerings.

Jiffy Lube pioneered the fast-lube category more than 35 years ago, changing the way millions of drivers care for their vehicles.

Today, Jiffy Lube remains the #1 name in the quick lube industry in North America.

With more than 2,000 independently owned and operated service centers across the U.S. and Canada, Jiffy Lube sees more than 20 million customers each year.

Contact: Aimee Menard Phone: 800-327-9532 Email: aimee.menard@shell.com Website: www.jiffylube.com/franchise

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Little Caesars As the largest carryout-only pizza chain in the world, Little Caesars is doing something right. Little Caesars is an international brand and household name. It’s come a long way since starting as a single store in metro Detroit in 1959.

The Little Caesars brand and distinction of being named “Best Value in America”* for the last ten years is proof of its commitment to satisfying customers by providing one of America’s favorite meals at an affordable cost.

Today, Little Caesars is looking for franchisees to bring HOT-N-READY® pizza to a wide range of communities

Mathnasium Learning Centers Mathnasium is an international franchiser of more than 900 math-only learning centers world-wide, where students K-12 attend to boost their math skills.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, Mathnasium specializes in teaching kids math the way it makes sense to them through customized learning plans and our patented Mathnasium method.

Mathnasium has been ranked as one of the fastest growing educational franchises in the world by

Midas Midas, a recognized brand throughout the world and highly renowned name in complete car care, is proud to be one of North America’s original franchise opportunities – and one of its best.

With Midas, you experience the best of both worlds - the support of an experienced franchise organization and the satisfaction of operating your very own auto service enterprise. As a Midas franchisee, you become a trusted name the day you open your doors for business. Building consumer trust is at the heart of our brand. We work every day to earn that trust by providing expertise, responsiveness, and the best value to every customer every time.

Benefit from nearly 60 years of “The Midas Touch”

Our Town America For 45+ years, Our Town America has been providing new movers with traditional hospitality by mailing warm housewarming gifts from local businesses in a premium welcome package.

It is Our Town America’s mission to welcome new movers into their community, to help local businesses gain new loyal and long-term customers, and to provide franchisees with an excellent business opportunity.

Thousands of satisfied business owners throughout the United States attest to the success and effectiveness of the Our Town America program, while dozens of locally-owned franchises validate the Our Town America concept as a viable business opportunity. Franchisees are neighborhood

pinot’s palette Pinot’s Palette is a pioneer of the paint and sip experience – a revolutionary way to enjoy art and wine, meet new people and bond with friends. #1 paint and sip for franchisee satisfaction – Pinot’s Palette is a unique, art-inspired entertainment concept catering to adults, corporations and kids.

By combining art and wine into a single concept, Pinot’s Palette now offers an inclusive, social activity for guests to enjoy with friends, family or work team members.

Franchising USA

nationwide. The company also offers opportunities in non-traditional franchise venues, including convenience stores, college campuses and military bases. Little Caesars works closely with franchisees to develop locations with customized architectural and build-out plans. *“Highest Rated Chain-Value for the Money” based on a nationwide survey of quick service restaurant consumers conducted by Sandelman & Associates, 2007-2015.

Phone: 800-553-5776 Email: USdevelopment@LCEcorp.com Website: www.LittleCaesars.com

Entrepreneur magazine, a top franchise to buy by Forbes magazine, and has remained in the top 50 franchises for franchisee satisfaction by Franchise Business Review.

With Mathnasium you can be a part of a community of franchisees who do well by doing good. If you are ready to take the next step, contact us today!

Phone: 855-351-MATH (6284) Website: Mathnasium.com/Franchise Email: FranchiseAd@mathnasium.com Contact: Franchise Development Team

Midas has built a stellar reputation in the automotive service and repair industry nearly six decades. We want to help you succeed. Before you open a location and as you continue to operate your shop, Midas will help you with the following: • Business management system for your shop • New franchisee orientation • Ongoing training and training resources • Operational support.

• Development support • Optimizing and marketing your business: Join Midas today by calling 1-800-365-0007 or visiting www.midasfranchise.com!

This website and any request for information or forms are not a franchise offering or an offer to sell a franchise.

marketing consultants, showing local business owners how to target their best prospects with enticing offers via direct mail.

Since beginning to franchise in 2005, Our Town America has been consistently ranked a Top 50 Franchise by the Franchise Business Review, making them the only Advertising brand to land a spot in the 10-year Hall of Fame and the sole company to be crowned the Franchise Business Review’s All-time Top Company.

Website: http://ourtownamerica.com Email: franchising@ourtownamerica.com

Pinot’s Palette’s entertaining environment, expert guidance from trained local artists and exceptional customer experience creates strong word of mouth, community recognition and a loyal customer base.

Pinot’s Palette looks for franchisee partners who love to entertain and values that fit comfortably within the Team Pinot culture. Not art experience required!

Franchising since 2010 with more than 130 locations in 33 states, Pinot’s Palette is an established, awardwinning concept leading the paint and sip industry.

Website: www.PinotsPalette.com/Franchise or Email: Franchise@pinotspalette.com

Pollo Campero Pollo Campero has served flavorful chicken made with our original family recipe since 1971.

Our menu includes fried, grilled, and boneless chicken for wholesome, customizable, easy-toshare meals.

In 2017, we were named #6 in Business Insider’s “25 best fast-food chains in America right now.”

With 350 system-wide locations, including company-owned and franchised stores, we have established a support network for franchisees who want to join our growing family.

Remedy Intelligent Staffing Remedy Intelligent Staffing is a nationwide staffing organization with over 50 years of recruiting and selection expertise to match qualified candidates with employment opportunities where they will succeed.

Our franchise brands, Remedy Intelligent Staffing and Westaff, place candidates in a variety of positions, primarily light industrial with a secondary niche of administrative/clerical. Our three core offerings include temporary, direct hire and temporary-to-hire staffing services.

Restoration1® Restoration1® is the fastest growing restoration franchise in the emergency restoration industry for mold, water, fire and smoke damage, handling jobs of all sizes across the nation for residential and commercial property’s.

Our business is based on local and regional relationships with insurance adjusters, building inspectors, subcontractors and policy holders.

It is always in high demand and not affected by economic trends because it is based on necessity, not discretionary spending.

Our model is a powerful opportunity for the right

SUBWAY® When you own a Subway® sandwich shop, you’re part of the world’s largest Quick Serve Restaurant chain and one of its most recognized brands, and you’ll get the support and experience that comes with it.

Be part of a winning brand that keeps customers coming back for delicious meals made just the way they want. Subway® is the undisputed leader in fast, wholesome food.

Our sandwiches are made to order right in front of the customer, precisely the way they want - using

With 6 straight years of Compounded Annual Sales Growth, we are now positioned to rapidly expand throughout the US. Franchising with Pollo Campero means serving up fresh, unique flavors with broad appeal and taking part in a franchise opportunity with strong earnings potential. Join our family!

Phone: (972) 770-2800 Website: us.campero.com/franchising Email: franchising@campero.com Contact: Gustavo Duran, Executive Vice President

The parent company, EmployBridge, with corporate headquarters in Atlanta, GA, operates more than 490 offices nationwide and is the 10th largest provider of staffing and workforce solutions in the world. With annual sales over $3.2 Billion, we employed over 460,000 associates on assignment at more than 19,900 companies throughout the USA. Contact: Chad Wright, Franchise Development Director Phone: 877-478-4033 Email: franchise@employbridge.com Website: www.remedyfranchise.com

candidates, as it involves no inventory, no brickand-mortar location and high-volume growth that continues through almost any economic climate.

Our ethics, professionalism, quality and availability are carried out at each of our franchise locations.

Our team is committed to giving franchisees the support system they need to succeed in these same areas. Restoration 1 Franchisees can reach full potential with our superior training, technical support and in-territory support.

Contact: Gina Roberson Phone: 800-993-0803 Email: gina@restoration1.com Website: www.restoration1.com

freshly baked breads, select sauces and a variety of delicious toppings. When you join the Subway® family, you’ll get world-class support before you even make your first sandwich and well beyond.

Our franchise support system features: training, product development, advertising, purchasing cooperative, field support and much more.

Contact: Ralph Piselli, North American Franchise Sales Manager Phone: 203 877 4281 Email: Franchise@subway.com Website: www.subway.com

The Dry Boys

We are the ONLY water-damage restoration franchise that rewards exclusive territories.

The Dry Boys is a water-damage restoration company that concentrates strictly on floods, water damage and any water related disasters of any size.

You will receive customized One-On-one training on your schedule from myself, I will teach you and relay to you everything I have learned and experienced over the past 25 years on the field, I will duplicate real-life scenarios, floods and disasters in our state of the art training center so when you go out in the field, you have already seen it all. But training is only the beginning; the support that follows is what will make the big difference.

From a small flood in your basement to a major hurricane disaster we are ready and capable of restoring your residential of business property in rapid fashion.

We’ve implemented a unique system that allows us to be more efficient when we respond to any job and our locations have an advantage of getting the work done with a resourceful process that benefits the home owner and the franchise owner alike.

The

You can get more information about our business at our website www.TheDryBoys.com or call us at 844 99-DRYBOYS – I urge you to take a look at the site and learn more about our company.

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the inspection boys The home Inspection business is one of the most In-Demand trades in the country and The Inspection Boys is the lowest Start-Up franchise inspection business opportunity in the nation.

The Inspection Boys has a unique marketing structure to get you up and running quickly, has an amazing training and support system to ensure that you’re ready to go out and conquer your territory and most of all it offers a corporate team that will be with every step of the way.

Besides for being the lowest start-up inspection

The Interface Financial Group – IFG 50/50 The Interface Financial Group – IFG 50/50 is an affordable home-based franchise that provides short-term working capital to small and medium-sized businesses by purchasing current, quality invoices at a discount, thus accelerating the client’s cash flow and growth.

All transactions are syndicated 50/50 with the franchisee and the franchisor, and that means less working capital required to fund transaction: IFG does the bulk of the due diligence and the ‘paperwork’ for the transactions, and IFG 50/50 franchisees will concentrate their efforts on building the referral relationships – they do the ‘people work’.

Key advantages of being an IFG 50/50 franchisee include: • No staff to hire, fire, or manage

The pizza press Founded in 2012, The Pizza Press is a unique concept dedicated to elevating the ‘build your own pizza’ model to an experiential level, by creating an immersive 1920s Americana newspaper theme in which great food, craft beer, ambiance, and service are combined.

The theme, inspired by the special dough press, harkens back to an era of simpler times of neighborhood newsboys. Guests are encouraged to created their own custom pizza or select one of the signature pizzas named after

TopFire Media TopFire Media is an integrated digital marketing and public relations agency, specializing in the franchise industry.

Our clients benefit from our years of experience in franchise SEO service, public relations, media relations, content writing and management, social media marketing, and web design. We work to bring all of these elements together to achieve a common goal – our clients’ success.

Veterans Business Services Veterans Business Services provides the most advantageous franchise acquisition terms for Veterans and provides innovative entrepreneurial training for qualified Veterans seeking grants under the VA Vocational Rehabilitation Program.

Veterans Business Services (“VBS”) specializes in entrepreneurial opportunities for Veterans and has an extensive reach into the Veterans community and can generate significant interest from qualified Veterans who wish to start a franchise or small business.

VBS offers multiple marketing methods that have proven effective with helping franchise organizations with their expansion plans. Utilizing custom email marketing

Franchising USA

franchise business in the nation, The Inspection Boys also offers you the lowest royalty program, the lowest overhead cost and the largest territory sizes in the trade.

When you join the Inspection Boys, you will join more than just a franchise business, you will join a family oriented team that cares and looks out for your success and accomplishments.

Reach out to us today at 800 819-4403 or at info@theinspectionboys.com and find out for yourself. You may also check us out at TheInspectionBoys.com

• No storefront to own, lease, or maintain • No Inventory or stock to purchase • No extensive travel because IFG franchisees do business locally • Business-to-Business, professional environment with regular business hours of operation • Flexibility to relocate for part of the year or permanently and continue doing business Our franchisees are excellent communicators, relationship builders with decision-making and problem-solving skills, and much more sales & marketing oriented. IFG has been in the ‘invoice discounting’ business since 1972, and employs its franchise network in the US, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK, Ireland, Australia, Mexico and South Africa. www.interfacefinancial.com

major newspapers such as “The Times,” “The Tribune,” “The Chronicle” and others. The pizzas are published in under four minutes. Pair your pizza with over 18 different craft beers, which change regularly and regionally. Seasonal offers, featuring local and fresh ingredients, keep things topical. Order in person or online, from our new loyalty app, or from our catering menu.

Contact: Cassandra Bremer Phone: 417-612-9217 Email: cbremer@franchisedynamics.net Website: www.thepizzapress.com

Our integrated approach combines our public relations and franchise SEO service prowess and is designed to generate brand awareness, drive consumer engagement, and build credibility for your company.

Phone: (708) 249-1090 Fax: (708) 957-2395 Website: www.topfiremedia.com Email: info@topfiremedia.com Contact: Matthew Jonas

campaigns, news press releases, and online franchising e-magazine articles, VBS gets the message to qualified Veterans who are invested in starting a franchise.

VBS supports service disabled Veterans who are enrolled in the self-employment track within the Veterans Administration and provides outreach efforts to transitioning military through TAP and ACAP programs. As a graduate business of the Entrepreneurial Bootcamp for Veterans (“EBV”), we also assist other graduates of EBV and provide coaching support through mentoring programs. VBS is where Veterans turn to make their franchise dreams a reality.

Contact: James Mingey Phone: 202-349-0860 Email: info@veteransbusinessservices.us Website: www.veteransbusinessservices.us

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ARE YOU READY TO BE

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GRAB A PIECE OF THE PIE WITH THE FASTEST GROWING PIZZA CHAIN IN AMERICA! *

Visit LittleCaesars.com or Call (800) 553-5776 to learn more about exciting franchise opportunities. *Based on 2015 U.S. storeUSA growth. © 2017 LCE, Inc. 62622 Franchising