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FRANCHISING USA VOLUME 5, ISSUE 3, 2016 president: Colin Bradbury. colin@cgbpublishing.com
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f r o m t he p u bl i s he r & e d i tor Welcome to the February issue of Franchising USA. During this time of uncertainty, franchising can offer a solid and proven system with a clear path to follow towards success. And as always, we’ve packed this issue with
plenty of no-nonsense, practical advice and information to help keep you focused and on track.
On the Cover this month is Business Finance Depot, a franchise that has successfully helped hundreds of franchisees find the right financing. Turn to page 10 to learn how this Florida company is introducing game changing financing to franchising.
Our Special Feature starting on page 23 looks at Business Services Franchising,
with America’s Swimming Pool Company on the Cover. By focusing on individual franchisee growth, this one-man company grew into the first successful pool
maintenance franchise in the U.S. Turn to page 26 to learn the simple formula that helped founder and CEO Stewart Vernon grow the company nationwide.
We’ve also included a wide selection of articles by our Industry Experts, including
advice on Acquiring An Existing Franchise by George Knauf on page 44, and Advice
for Finding and Growing Your Next Business Services Franchise by Bob Caramuso on page 40. Want to be your own boss? David Banfield offers practice advice on page 12
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
to help you make the right decision.
Looking for some tips or advice on a particular topic or issue? Let me know! Send your comments to editor@cgbpublishing.com and we will do our best to find an
Industry Expert to cover the topic in a future issue. We’re here to support our readers by providing the latest and most useful information on franchising, so keep those comments coming and let me know what topics would best support you. Happy reading!
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 2017
On the Cover
10 Cover Story: Business Finance Depot
Introduces Game Changes to Finance
23 Special Business Services Franchising Feature 44 Acquiring an Existing Franchise
38
32
18
12 The Ad Said...Be Your Own Boss!
In Every Issue 06 Franchising News Announcements from the Industry 28 Feature Article Business Services Franchising Feature Article 47 Veterans Supplement News and Information for Veterans in Franchising 67 A-Z Franchise and Services Directoy
Spotlight On Service 20 The Entrepreneur’s Source
32
Focus 14 AdvantaClean
12 The Ad Said...Be Your Own Boss! David Banfield, President, The Interface Financial Group
12
Expert Advice
18 Minimum Wage vs. Living Wage: What Franchise Owners Need to Know Jason Leverant, President and COO, AtWork Group
44 Acquiring An Existing Franchise George Knauf, Senior Franchise Business Advisor, FranChoice
62 Clutter or Keeper: Five Habits to Dump or Save in the New Year Kyle Zagrodsky, President, OsteoStrong
64 Ten Reasons Franchisors Should Share FDD’s ASAP Rick Bisio, A Franchise Coach
ON THE COVER 26 ASP Pool Franchise Focuses on Franchisee Growth 38 Advance Your Franchise By Outsourcing Your HR IN EVERY ISSUE 24 Feature News 38 Feature Article Franchisor in Depth 34 Our Town America EXPERT ADVICE 32 You Can be Brand Compliant Without Sacrificing Your Own Identity Jay Feitlinger, Founder & CEO, StringCan Interactive
38 How to Advance Your Franchise By Outsourcing HR Haley Crum Blanton, CSP, Executive Vice President, FrankCrum
40 Advice for Finding and Growing Your Next Business Services Franchise Bob Caramuso, Owner, Image Onee USA
42 Not All Franchise Brands Shine Matthew Jonas, President, TopFire Media
34
BUSINESS SERVICES FRANCHISING FEATURE
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what’s new! Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Establishes Parent Company to Meet Demands of Rapid Growth
CoreLife Eatery Announces Franchise Expansion The executive team at CoreLife Eatery is pleased to announce that the active lifestyle restaurant will be expanding into the Midwest with the announcement of its first franchisee, experienced restaurateur Joyce Lunsford.
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit announces the formation of Dickey’s Capital Group and reorganization of leadership positions in order to more effectively meet the demands of rapid growth. The newly-formed Dickey’s Capital Group, Inc. is the parent company of all business entities under the Dickey’s name. With the new organizational structure, these entities will be better equipped for expansion. The barbecue franchise opens approximately 12 stores a month and is preparing to open in their 45th state, with plans to expand internationally in 2017. Roland Dickey, Jr. has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the parent company Dickey’s Capital Group, where he will serve as executive management of assets. Laura Rea Dickey has taken over as CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. Renee Roozen has been promoted to President of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. “The Dickey’s brand has seen tremendous growth throughout the past several years. We look forward to continued expansion of Dickey’s locations and product and service offerings nationwide and abroad,” says Roland Dickey, Jr. “With great growth comes change and I look forward to partnering with Laura Rea Dickey and Renee Roozen to continue evolving the brand while staying true to our Texas barbecue heritage.” www.dickeys.com
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Lunsford, a Michigan native, has been in the quick service restaurant business for many years and owns nearly 50 franchise restaurants including Pizza Hut, Sonic and Moe’s Southwest Grill. “Over the years, I have always tried to find good concepts,” commented Joyce Lunsford. “CoreLife Eatery is a unique brand where the focus is on the quality and the food, which is rare nowadays within the restaurant industry. The customization of the interior and exterior, the focus on health and wellness, the energy from the moment you walk in the doors….I just think there are so many exciting benefits of the concept.” From Lunford’s corporate office in Stevensville, Michigan, her initial plans call for 25-30 CoreLife Eatery locations throughout Michigan and possibly into Indiana. The first Michigan location will be in Bucktown, a suburb of Grand Rapids, and is slated for an April 2017 opening. Future restaurants are slated to open in the suburban areas of Ann Arbor and Detroit as well as other locations to be determined throughout the State. Lunford’s franchise agreement is for 51 CoreLife Eatery locations over the next eight years. There are currently six New York CoreLife Eatery locations operating in Syracuse, Webster, Greece, New Hartford, Henrietta and Vestal as well as two Ohio locations in Columbus and Strongsville. CoreLife Eatery plans to expand to 300 total locations, including both corporate and franchise restaurants, over the next five years. http://eatatcore.com/franchising
Restoration 1® Ranked Among the Franchise Elite in Entrepreneur’s Esteemed 38th Annual Franchise 500® Restoration 1® was recently ranked in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500®, the world’s first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Recognized by entrepreneurs and franchisors as a top competitive tool of measurement, the Franchise 500® places Restoration 1® as #96 for its exceptional performance in areas including financial strength and stability, growth rate, and brand power. “This milestone is a true testament to the brand’s appeal and the ever-growing demand for restoration and mitigation services,” said Gary Findley, CEO of Restoration 1®. “Even as we grow, customer satisfaction is still our biggest priority, and we are excited to bring our reliable services to more communities throughout the nation. It’s been a great year for the company and we anticipate many more milestones in 2017.” “We spend months gathering and crunching data in order to produce the Franchise 500 ranking. We’re proud of the result and the way it continues to be a resource for the franchise community,” says Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur. “Like every industry, franchising is ever-evolving and must smartly react to new technologies and consumer demands.
We know it takes a lot to stay competitive, and are excited to celebrate those that do it best.” Over its 38 years in existence, the Franchise 500® has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for entrepreneurs. Restoration 1®’s position on the ranking – which jumped 287 spots within one year, moving from #383 in 2016 to #96 in 2017 – reinforces its strength in the industry. www.restoration1.com
Enviro-Master™ Expands its Footprint and Offers New Franchises Enviro-Master, ranked in Entrepreneur’s 2016 Franchise 500 and named to INC’s 5000 fastest growing companies in the U.S. for 2015 and 2016, is expanding its footprint by adding 18 new franchises in the U.S. and Canada over the next 12 months to round out its 85-franchise territory footprint. Pat Swisher, President and CEO of EnviroMaster and considered to be the founder of the Hygiene Industry, is experiencing significant growth as the result of recently purchasing his former book of commercial hygiene business from Swisher Hygiene™,
which he founded in 1983 and sold in 2004. “Our system sales grew by 45 percent in 2016,” Swisher says. “Our company’s revenue grew by 37 percent in 2016 with a 100-percent increase projected for 2017.” Enviro-Master, which services restaurants, exercise facilities, schools and any type of business that has public restrooms, boasts a three-year growth rate of 771 percent. Enviro-Master is an approved vendor for more than 220 brand-name businesses nationwide including McDonald’s, Home Depot, Outback Steakhouse, Wendy’s, and more.
Enviro-Master’s business model in based in fundamentals such as recurring revenue, limited competition, large markets and services that will never be out-paced by technology. “Franchise opportunities in recessionresistant industries are incredibly rare,” says Swisher. www.enviro-master.info
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what’s new!
Blink Fitness Launches New Ad Campaign with Real Members, Not Models to a broad range of consumers, tapping into the 85% of Americans who have previously been too intimidated to join a gym. In addition to Blink’s unique stance on fitness, the company is committed to providing a Feel Good Experience™, which includes enthusiastic staff members, a clean environment, an open, spacious, and colorful design, energizing music and motivating and affordable fitness training.
Blink Fitness, the premium-quality, value-based fitness club, launched its 2017 ad campaign featuring 16 of Blink’s very own members of varying shapes and sizes, with one common thread: self-confidence.
(64%) of Americans find it discouraging to
A survey commissioned by Blink Fitness and conducted online by Harris Poll in December showed that nearly two-thirds
focuses on how exercise makes you feel,
work towards unrealistic body images they see in the media. Blink Fitness has been
tackling this issue head on by challenging industry norms and celebrating its Mood Above Muscle™ philosophy, which
not just how it makes you look. This
groundbreaking brand positioning appeals
Blink has opened more than 50 companyowned locations since 2011, and plans to reach 300 clubs nationwide in the next five years through corporate and franchise expansion. Blink Fitness has nationwide franchise opportunities available with a focus on the following markets: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Miami, and Tampa. www.blinkfranchising.com
Always Best Care Announces New Owners of the Philadelphia Main Line Territory Always Best Care Senior Services, one of the leading senior care franchise systems in the U.S., announced that Michael Friedberg and his partner Di Guo acquired the Philadelphia Main Line territory. Always Best Care of Main Line provides senior care services in the Philadelphia metro area and surrounding communities. The new business is a family operated business. “We are very happy to have the Friedberg family join Always Best Care,” said Jake Brown, President of Always Best Care. “Richard, Rimona and Michael bring a special skill set to our brand and we feel confident in the level of care they will provide to the Main Line area.” Founded in 1996, Always Best Care is one of the nation’s leading providers of non-medical in-home care, assisted living placement services and skilled home health care. The company delivers its services through an international network of more than 200 independently owned and operated franchise territories
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throughout the United States and Canada. By working with case managers, social workers, discharge planners, doctors, and families, Always Best Care franchise owners provide affordable, comprehensive solutions that can be specifically matched to meet a client’s particular physical or social needs. www.alwaysbestcare.com
IFA Franchise Education & Research Foundation Announces 2017 Scholarship Recipients
Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies Expands China Presence with Opening of Four Schools Kids ‘R’ Kids International, Inc., an international early childhood education franchisor with more than three decades of experience, announced the opening of four international academies in China.
Students Nationwide Win Opportunity to Attend the IFA Annual Convention in Las Vegas Each year, the Foundation honors students attending U.S. accredited colleges or universities through several scholarship programs as part of its ongoing commitment to giving back and supporting future generations of entrepreneurs. In addition to financial aid, each of the scholarship recipients received a complimentary registration and travel stipend to attend this year’s International Franchise Association’s Annual Convention in Las Vegas from Jan. 28 – Feb. 1, 2017. “Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, and we believe that investing in the next generation is a crucial step in ensuring the franchising industry continues to thrive for decades to come,” said Lawrence “Doc” Cohen, CFE, Chairman of the Foundation. “We are thrilled to recognize this year’s scholarship recipients, each of whom displayed a remarkable passion
for business and entrepreneurship. We look forward to welcoming all of these ambitious, hard-working students to this year’s convention and introducing them to the infinite opportunities the franchising community offers.” In keeping with its commitment to supporting future generations of entrepreneurs, the IFA Franchise Education & Research Foundation also hosts an annual NextGen in Franchising Global Competition, a worldwide program that engages young entrepreneurs ages 21-35 seeking careers and business opportunities in the franchising industry. #IFA2017 will feature more than 50 educational sessions, as well as 300 supplier partners in a cutting-edge Exhibit Hall, offering the latest tools and resources needed to develop a thriving franchise business. To register, please visit http://IFA2017-GeneralConvention.com.
The new schools are now serving hundreds of children in Nanjing, Beijing, Dalian and Tianjin. Last year, the Duluth, Georgia-based company opened its first international school in Beijing, followed by a second opening in Shanghai last summer. Kids ‘R’ Kids International, Inc. will open an additional six locations across China in 2017. As part of its long-term growth strategy for international development, Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies is looking to expand in cities across South America, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Colombia, and India. Domestically, the brand is seeking qualified franchisees to expand its presence in existing markets while delving into new areas across the country. For more than 30 years, Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies has upheld its long-standing principle of strengthening and encouraging childhood development on an emotional, intellectual, social and physical level through a unique partnership between its child care providers and parents. kidsrkidsfranchise.com
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B usiness Fina nce Depot
Florida Company Introduces Game Changing Financing to Franchising One Florida-based company is rewriting how franchisors finance their locations through a combination of equipment leasing and government loans. Starting out by financing fitness gyms over a decade ago, Business Finance Depot has since expanded its services to franchises
and currently works with United Franchise Group’s stable of brands, and others.
Paul Bosley, the Managing Member, said the packaging of equipment leases and Small Business Administration (SBA) Express loans is a new approach to franchise financing.
“We are basically combining 2 financing
products that have been out there for a long time and introducing them to the franchise industry for the first time.”
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Changing the game Prior to Business Finance Depot arriving on the franchising scene, there were three main ways for franchisees to procure funding for their new businesses, Bosley explained during a recent interview from the company’s headquarters in Mount Dora, FL. Those were: • SBA 7(a) loans, which are for any amount from $250,000 up to $5,000,000. The franchisee would have to use the real estate they own as collateral. • Rollover as Business Startups (ROBS), a program from the Internal Revenue Service, which allows entrepreneurs to dip into their retirement savings to fund a new business without the withdrawals being taxed as income or penalized for early withdrawals. • A credit card offer from some finance companies that would provide five credit cards each with a $20,000 limit to franchisees with good credit. The
franchisees would be charged no interest for one year and then be charged standard credit card interest rates after that. With such limited and unsavory options available for franchisees, it was relatively easy for Bosley and Business Finance Depot to come along and change franchise financing. Business Finance Depot offers franchisees an SBA Working Capital Loan, plus an equipment lease for all the equipment necessary to run their franchise. The beauty of the Working Capital Loan is that the business itself is the collateral, so franchisees don’t have to use their real estate as collateral and they don’t have to use money from their retirement savings. The collateral for the equipment lease is the equipment. The Working Capital Loan has a 10-year window to repay with an interest rate including all fees of 7% and no early payment penalty, meaning franchisees can pay it off ahead of time if they have the means to.
“We are basically combining 2 financing products that have been out there for a long time and introducing them to the franchise industry for the first time.” - Paul Bosley Big business What many people don’t realize is that much of the equipment they see on a daily basis isn’t actually owned by a company, but rather it’s leased by a company. From airplanes to heavy equipment to computers, software, ovens and even the counters people see when they walk into a business, much of that equipment is probably being leased. The equipment lease usually requires a 10 - 20 percent down payment, Bosley explained, with the rest of the lease being financed over three years. The franchisee then owns all the equipment at the end of the lease period. By combining these two financial products, Business Finance Depot is able to give franchisees about $250,000 worth of equipment and operating capital at about a 10% blended interest rate and no early payment penalties, Bosley said.
Settling the SCORE Bosley found his way into the franchising industry almost by accident. After serving as the Leasing Manager for Keiser Corporation and Promaxima Manufacturing for over a decade, Bosley decided to become a volunteer for the SCORE, a division of the Small Business Administration of the federal government, which offers free business consulting to entrepreneurs. Through his volunteer service with
SCORE, Bosley met many SBA lenders. One of those lenders contacted him and asked if he’d be interested in packaging SBA loans for new entrepreneurs and he agreed. Shortly after, a representative from United Franchise Group contacted him about packaging the loans and leases for its stable of brands and now Business Finance Depot is working with multiple franchisors to get their locations up and running and put their franchisees on the road to success faster and easier than before.
“All that equipment can be put into a lease package,” Bosley said. “Leasing is actually a big business. There are a lot of companies that exist that do nothing else but leasing.” Franchising offers some lucrative opportunities for leasing companies. For example, in the Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park franchises, the parks have small cabins families can rent on a nightly basis. Those cabins are actually delivered on trailers, which makes them titled vehicles, which makes them perfect for leasing.
“Our niche is to look at a franchise, figure out what equipment they need, and package that equipment into a lease and then combine that with a working capital loan for $150,000,” Bosley said.
The Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park company is thrilled that they can offer their franchisees a leasing package for the cabins, which are manufactured by Cavco, Bosley said.
In addition to the franchises owned by the United Franchise Group; which includes names like Experimac, John Smith Subs, Signarama and SuperGreen Solutions; Bosley has also started working with Leisure Systems Inc., which owns the Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park franchise.
businessfinancedepot.com
For franchisors who are looking to give their franchisees the best possible chance at success, game changing financing like that offered by Business Finance Depot is a welcome addition to their finance options.
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ex per t advice
David Banfield, President, The Interface Financial Group
The Ad said‌
...and the information that followed talked about an exceptional franchise opportunity example. The ‘Be your own boss’ expression is very often linked to franchising. Why franchising? Quite simply because it represents a well-established and proven
method of doing business. Franchises come in all shapes and sizes, but they all have some fundamental traits that set them apart from non-franchise startup businesses.
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“It is imperative that you talk to franchisees that are operational on a day-to-day basis to ensure that you have a full understanding of what the franchise entails.” Franchising represents a proven method of doing business. Generally speaking, the franchisor has been there and done that and, as such, established a tried and tested procedure. Everything has been considered right down to the specific location for the franchise. Franchising also represents a speedy entry into business compared to a more conventional ‘startup from scratch’ approach. Franchising brings with it an organized training program and backup and assistance programs so that, although you are the boss, you’re not necessarily on your own. Franchising gives you the opportunity to be ‘open for business’ in a comparatively short period of time without all the hassle of having to reinvent the wheel in the process. Therefore, if it’s so good, why wouldn’t everyone want to be their own boss. Needless to say, owning your own business, franchise or otherwise comes at a cost The cost of entry into a franchise varies greatly from an investment of less than $100,000, to investments that range into many millions of dollars. Therefore, it may be that such an expenditure for a business startup may not be in everybody’s budget and comfort zone. And that comfort zone extends not only to a financial involvement, but there will always be a risk involved in any business, albeit wellcontrolled and managed in a franchise environment. When considering a franchise or even a regular startup business, you have to consider if your temperament is wellsuited to business ownership, and being the boss. As the ‘boss’ you are often
also the company IT person, the HR department, the maintenance manager, and so on. A franchise will certainly give you training in many of these aspects, but always remember that when it comes down to actually ‘doing the job’, that task will probably fall on you as the owner. You need to therefore ask yourself whether or not you have a mindset and ability range that can cope with wearing many, many different hats. Many people transition from the corporate world into franchising as their second career. Many will tell stories of working 50 or 60 hours a week in a corporate environment, thus their desire to move into business ownership. Owning your own business and being the boss does not make you immune to working those same long hours. The logic behind that is often that “I am the boss and I’m now working for myself”. While that may be completely true, long and unsocial hours are still long and unsocial hours, regardless of who the boss is. At the beginning of every new year, many people resolve to change their circumstances and, in numerous cases, that translates into becoming their own boss. While franchising is an accepted method of entry into the business world and facilitates becoming your own boss in a timely and often cost-effective manner, it must be remembered that this is a very important step to undertake. Always look at your own internal inventory to see if you are indeed well-equipped for the life of a franchisee as you work through your investigation process. It is imperative that you talk to franchisees that are operational on a day-to-day basis to ensure that you
David Banfield
have a full understanding of what the franchise entails. In researching any business, be it a franchise or a startup opportunity or resale, it is absolutely imperative to conduct extensive and thorough due diligence to ensure that what you are transitioning into exactly what you think it is, and that you are financially, physically and mentally equipped to handle the challenges that come with being your own boss. We have mentioned many attributes that are inherent in a franchise, and another that should not be overlooked is the fact that as you consider a franchise, there is a wealth of information available to you from existing franchisees, past franchisees and the franchisor. The franchise discovery process should provide you with an abundance of information to ensure that you’re making the right decision to be your own boss. David Banfield is the President of The Interface Financial Group, a position that he has held for over 20 years. He has been instrumental in starting Interface as a franchise opportunity and building it to its current international status. Prior to his involvement with Interface, he worked extensively in the banking, credit and factoring financial service areas. www.interfacefinancial.com
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Ad va ntaClea n
Strong Corporate Culture LEADS TO SUCCESS
for Environmental Services Fr A strong corporate culture that involves helping and giving back to the community is key to the success of one light environmental services franchise. AdvantaClean, which deals with moisture issues in buildings such as mold contamination or structural damage due to water, prides itself on its national partnership with St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and the various local charities its franchisees partner with. Through these partnerships, franchisees help families who have sick children who cannot return to their homes due to environmental issues like mold or water damage.
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CEO Jeff Dudan in a recent interview from the company’s headquarters in Huntersville, NC said having a robust culture of helping those in need attracts franchisees who share this spirit of car-ing. And in today’s world, he added, where information is shared so widely on social media, a strong corporate culture is crucial to have. A company used to be able to differentiate between its brand, which was public facing, and its culture, which was more internal. However, things have changed. “Today, a company’s culture and brand are tied together,” Dudan said. “We have a very strong culture that makes it clear from the time you walk in the door here at our headquarters or at our franchise locations what is important to us and what our values are. That culture informs everyone who works at AdvantaClean as to what the expectations are as to how customers
are to be treated and how our franchisees are to carry themselves. It’s a powerful differentiator for us.” Even before AdvantaClean started its partnership with St. Jude’s, it was espousing a culture of community commitment. Early in its existence, the company was partnered with a local children’s oncology hospital in Huntersville and it responded to a water damaged home. The insurance company paid to re-move the water, dry the home and repair damage to the home. But, the home had a crawl space that was covered in mold due to issues with groundwater. The crawl space needed to be reme-diated and it required permanent solutions put in place to deal with the mold issue. What made the situation even more critical was the homeowner’s eight-year-old daughter who had terminal cancer. The
ranchise
“We’re the leaders and we’re the ones people try to imitate and emulate because we have forged this innovative path for a long time in our niche.” - Michael Plummer Jr.
family wanted to bring her home so they could care for her in the com-fort of her home, but couldn’t do that with the mold in the crawl space. “We as the franchisor went out and performed indoor air quality testing and we provided some filtration systems and some equipment that needed to be installed and two or three of our local franchise owners went there and did all of the cleanup for no charge and we completely remedi-ated the home,” Dudan recalled. “The family was able to bring the girl home.” That kind of story happens all over the country now and also reflects the kind of story Dudan wants associated with the brand.
Getting Started The company actually got its start helping people.
“Our franchisees need to take a leadership role in the community and not just be a participant.” - Jeff Dudan Founded in Winter Park, FL, the four original partners had met while doing recovery efforts after Hurricane Andrew in Florida. As the work started to wind down in south Florida, the four partners moved to central Florida and opened the first AdvantaClean location in 1994. In 1995, Dudan moved up to North Carolina to start the company’s second location in Charlotte.
corporate locations before switching to
AdvantaClean opened several more
market segment.
a franchising model. Between 2006 and
2008, the company sold all of its corporate
units under the franchising model and then launched franchising opportunities for the general public in 2009.
Currently, AdvantaClean has 230
operating territories in 31 states in what Dudan describes as a highly durable
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Ad va ntaClea n
“Our services are non-discretionary,” the CEO explained. “When something happens to some-body’s home, which is their biggest investment and greatest asset, these things have to be taken care of immediately. There will always be a need for people to live in clean, safe and healthy homes and we’re really about clean, safe and healthy homes and businesses.”
Sharing the Culture
Buildings are in a constant battle with the outdoor elements, Dudan said, and it’s just a matter of time before moisture gets into a place where it doesn’t belong.
making a differ-ence in people’s lives.
That can be from a flood, a burst pipe, an overflowing toilet, groundwater or many other unfore-seen circumstances. AdvantaClean will dry the structure and make sure that it’s safe, perform mold remediation and clean air ducts and offer permanent solutions to moisture problems in attics, basements and crawl spaces to make sure the moisture and air quality problem never returns.
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“Today, a company’s culture and brand are tied together. We have a very strong culture that makes it clear from the time you walk in the door here at our headquarters or at our franchise locations what is important to us and what our values are.”
Dudan said franchisees should be able
- Jeff Dudan
to interact with people well so they can attract referral partners, customers and others who can help them build their business.
But, above all, franchisees should share the company’s values, which involve
“Our franchisees need to take a leadership role in the community and not just be a
participant,” Dudan noted. “People who
get a personal benefit from going out over and over again and help-ing people and taking them from a place of fear where
they don’t understand what’s going on and
getting them back to a place where they’re comfortable and they’re confident that
they’re living in a clean, safe and healthy
home, would probably be a good fit for our brand.”
Training and Support AdvantaClean offers extensive training at its headquarters in Huntersville including all of the production aspects and systems the company uses, as well as the marketing. The franchise manages a lot of the marketing and leads for franchisees by driving leads to a call center where the company books appointments for franchisees so their time can be spent on executing their jobs. For those looking to give back to their communities and help others live the healthiest and happiest lives they can, AdvantaClean’s robust corporate culture of caring can lead to business success. www.advantacleanfranchise.com
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This advertisement does not constitute an offer of a franchise. A franchise offering can be made E\ XV RQO\ LQ D VWDWH LI ZH DUH ´UVW UHJLVWHUHG H[FOXGHG H[HPSWHG RU RWKHUZLVH TXDOL´HG WR RIIHU franchises in that state, and only if we provide you with an appropriate franchise disclosure document. Franchises are not available in all states.
www.bigofranchise.com 877-890-5874
ex per t advice
Jason Leverant, President & COO, AtWork Group
Minimum Wage vs. Living Wage:
What Franchise Owners Need to Know For business owners, the evolution of employment law is becoming a large-scale challenge. As a staffing franchise, we work with owners to determine accurate wage targets in response to changes in minimum wage in states -- and some cities-- throughout the country. Almost every discussion we have with owners includes questions about minimum wage, living wage, and why they matter.
Jason Leverant
Navigating the brave new world of employee compensation is an issue on the minds of many franchise owners - and for good reason. As states and cities pass laws to increase the minimum wage this year and beyond, franchisees are left wondering how these new wage mandates will impact the structure, staffing and future of their businesses. Franchising USA
From understanding the origins of the minimum wage and living wage in the United States to adjusting your strategy to responsibly address these issues within your own company, franchise owners are entering uncharted waters where being informed and planning ahead are the keys to managing the new labor environment.
A look back to move forward Minimum wage is the lowest wage permitted by law and is enforced by legislation. Historically, minimum-wage jobs were intended to be bridges to higherpaying positions. When workers start out in positions that earn a fixed minimum wage, the goal is to learn the skills needed to become more productive workers, which, in turn, helps people command higher pay and move upward on a defined career path. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than half of minimumwage workers are under 25 years old and are typically secondary earners in their families. In fact more than 60 percent
of minimum-wage workers in this age range are enrolled in school. Generally, these minimum-wage positions provide supplemental income to households where additional family members bring in higher sources of income. Somewhere along the line, the concept of minimum wage turned into a political issue where people began to focus on those who depend on minimum-wage jobs as their sole sources of income. The reality is this group is the minority of minimum-wage workers, and minimum wage has never been considered a living wage because it was never intended to be a person’s primary source of income. Living wage, on the other hand, is a term used in public policy to describe the minimum income necessary for a worker to meet basic needs, such as housing, food and clothing -- and varies based on location. There are discrepancies in the perception of what a living wage is and businesses should approach living wage within reason. In some instances, minimum wage and living wage rates can be close in amount. Some U.S. cities, such as Washington D.C. and Albuquerque, have passed living wage ordinances, though, these laws often only apply to businesses that receive state assistance or have government contracts.
Wage impact on franchises Where does this leave franchise owners? The strain of managing HR functions and
“Franchise owners should take the opportunity to discuss the importance of advanced training and education as pathways toward a more financially secure future for workers.” staying on top of new employment laws -- in addition to day-to-day responsibilities -- is often too much to handle. Questions surrounding minimum wage, living wage and overtime rules have already caused many franchise businesses to close.
to increase productivity, absenteeism, turnover rates and customer satisfaction -all of which would benefit businesses.
How to educate employees
One false perception is that most franchises have the budgets of large corporations. The truth is most franchisees are small business owners using limited resources to make a living. While the Department of Labor says three out of five small business owners support a gradual increase in minimum wage, an aggressive increase would be an additional obstacle for many small business owners who need to balance budget constraints with hiring the most qualified employees.
In today’s politicized world, the wage conversation can quickly become the elephant in the room. Many employees are unaware of the origins of minimum wage and may believe the term is interchangeable with living wage. Franchise owners need to take responsibility by having candid conversations with current and prospective employees so they understand the difference in a clear and straightforward way.
Misconceptions aside, productivity in our country is sluggish. Some economists argue higher wages have the potential
This is one conversation you don’t want to delay. Ideally, you can bring up the minimum wage vs. living wage issue
during the onboarding process to prevent future conflicts and misunderstandings. Employees working in unskilled positions should know that minimum wage isn’t (and was never intended to be) a living wage or one’s main source of income. Rather, franchise owners should take the opportunity to discuss the importance of advanced training and education as pathways toward a more financially secure future for workers. As employees gain experience and enhance their qualifications, this provides a whole new set of benefits that owners and employees can enjoy together. Jason Leverant is president and COO of AtWork Group, a national staffing franchisor with more than 93 franchise and company-owned locations. www.atwork.com
Franchising USA
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T he Entrepreneu r ’s Sou rce
Long-Time Business A Point for Many Entre “The education is primarily focused around realizing that the business is not the dream. The business is just the vehicle and we show them how to use that vehicle to create income, then lifestyle, then wealth and equity, treating the business as a vehicle that does that for them.” - Terry Powell own business or invest in a franchise. “They really need education, awareness and discovery about the options of doing that,” Powell explained during a recent interview from the headquarters of The Entrepreneur’s Source in Southbury, CT.
For those who hear the call of entrepreneurship, but just don’t know how to take that first step toward self-sufficiency, a nationally recognized brand based out of Connecticut aims to be their source of empowerment. That company is the Entrepreneur’s Source. Founded 33 years ago by Terry Powell, The Entrepreneur’s Source is a business coaching agency with a twist. It works with individuals who are thinking about being self-sufficient, but who aren’t yet ready to take that leap and open their
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Over the past 33 years, The Entrepreneur’s Source has honed its coaching methodology and created a process that allows the company to take individuals through the education, awareness and discovery process in what Powell refers to as a safe space. In The Entrepreneur’s Source context, a safe space means the individual goes through the coaching process without any obligation to open their own business or invest in a franchise. Part of the coaching process is discovering what goals the entrepreneur wants to accomplish and creating a Possibilities Profile for the entrepreneur.
Franchise Referrals As an individual goes through the education, awareness and discovery process, the coach they are assigned will introduce the budding entrepreneur to
three different business models that mesh with their Possibilities Profile. The coach introduces the would-be entrepreneur to these different concepts (typically franchise models) in that safe space where they aren’t required to make any commitments to a business. Together, the coach, the potential entrepreneur and a franchise representative from each of the three franchises will go more in-depth with the entrepreneur about what it will take to be a business owner of one of these concepts. Over the past 33 years, Powell said, about 95 percent of the people they’ve worked with discovered options they admittedly never would have looked at on their own or would, by own admission, prematurely have dismissed. The Entrepreneur’s Source has helped tens of thousands of people take control of their futures and explore self-sufficiency. “The education is primarily focused around realizing that the business is not the dream,” he explained. “The business is just the vehicle and we show them how to use that vehicle to create income, then lifestyle, then wealth and equity, treating
Acts as Jumping Off epreneurial Journeys the business as a vehicle that does that for them.” Presenting business opportunities this way prevents individuals from just buying themselves a job, he added. Over the course of the company’s existence, The Entrepreneur’s Source has worked with over 700 franchise concepts that represent a balanced mixture of industries and investment levels.
A Much-Needed Service About 75 percent of the adult population in the United States has a strong or very strong desire to be self-sufficient, Powell noted. However, of that 75 percent, only about five percent of that group are ready willing and able to start their own business or invest in a franchise. These are the people that most franchise brokerages prioritize, as they are at the stage where they want to take the leap into becoming self-sufficient and they simply need to be guided toward the right franchise business. The rest of that 75 percent, though, needs help getting to that jumping off point and those are the people The Entrepreneur’s Source helps. Just like all major sports teams have a “farm club” or minor league team associated with them to develop talent, Powell compared The Entrepreneur’s Source to being a farm club for entrepreneurs, where they go to develop their entrepreneurial skills before opening their own business. “The need for the service is because there is a growing number of the population that keeps reaching out and seeking
information, education, awareness and discovery and nobody is really providing that to them in a way that allows them to get beyond their fears and concerns about being a business owner and achieving the dream of being self-sufficient,” Powell explained.
A Franchise Itself Headquartered in Southbury, CT, The Entrepreneur’s Source itself is a franchise, which means its coaches are all invested in the success of their clients, because when their clients are successful, it means the coaches’ businesses are successful.
And most of the entrepreneurs that go through The Entrepreneur’s Source system do end up successful, Powell pointed out, noting that the franchise businesses The Entrepreneur’s Source works with say the clients referred to them by the company are nine times more likely to be in the top third of earners in their franchise system than other franchisees. For would-be franchise owners who are just in the consideration phase about opening a business, The Entrepreneur’s Source is a great source of empowerment. www.entrepreneurssource.com
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FranchisingFeature business services
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Pool Franchise Focuses on
Franchisee Growth advance your franchise by outsourcing your HR Franchising USA
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what’s new!
AdvantaClean CEO Shares Lessons Learned From Appearance on CBC’s Undercover Boss
After a schedule change derailed his planned reality television debut last year, the CEO of AdvantaClean Systems Inc. appeared on an episode of CBS show Undercover Boss that aired on January 11. The episode featuring entrepreneur Jeff Dudan and his Huntersville-based business was initially slated to be released last May as the series’ season finale, but the installment was not aired as scheduled. The episode featured Dudan, disguised as an employee named “Dusty,” crawling into tight spaces under houses, cleaning filthy air ducts and wading in to clean up a water damaged home — all while receiving unfiltered feedback from workers about the company and Dudan himself. Dudan reported the experience was both
exhausting and rewarding, with travel and long hours. “After a while, you get used to the cameras, and you learn to throw yourself into the experience at hand,” Dudan said in the May 2016 interview. “I would definitely do it again.” “What we learned was meaningful and will definitely help us as we open new markets with more outstanding AdvantaClean franchise business owners,” he said. AdvantaClean offers environmental services for residential, commercial, institutional and governmental properties, including emergency water or mold removal and air duct cleaning. Dudan, a native of the Chicago area who played football at Appalachian State University,
launched the business in 1994. It has since grown to include 222 franchised territories operating in 31 states, according to a recent news release from the company. advantacleanfranchise.com
The Growth Coach Continues Franchise Expansion into 2017 Over the years, The Growth Coach has carved out its own niche as the premier coaching brand facilitating change for small and medium sized businesses. By implementing a carefully developed proprietary coaching system that addresses life balance, personal goals, and accountability while leveraging the power of learning in a group setting, The Growth Coach has seen its franchisees develop strong businesses of their own while building up others in their communities. In 2016, the brand added strong master franchises in Latin America and Asia to its team, bringing its presence worldwide to an impressive 16 countries, including the United States. With more and more entrepreneurs seeking
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help to increase their capacity and that of their managers and sales teams, 2017 looks to be a year of expansion for the franchise. The Growth Coach will be targeting several additional countries with master franchise opportunities as well
as developing many domestic territories with coaches from a variety of business
backgrounds poised to make a difference in the business of others.
growthcoachfranchise.com
45th-year Innovations for Industry Leader
Local Door Coupons Surpasses One Million Dollar Revenue Mark from Franchise Sales
Launched on June 19, 1972, Our Town America, the nation’s leading New Mover Direct Mail Marketing franchise, is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. CEO Michael Plummer, the Our Town America corporate staff, and each of the more than 50 Our Town America franchisees around the country are proud of the company’s 45 years of growth and success. The entire Our Town America franchise family is joining forces to celebrate in style by introducing a brand new 45th anniversary edition Welcome Package envelope and gift certificate. While the core concept of connecting new families with local businesses has remained the same since inception, the program itself has evolved to the technologically innovated leader it is today. Additions of digitally tracked certificates, highly refined targeting down to the demographic specific to the business, and even POS integration for brands, have enabled Our Town America to stay at the forefront of their industry while keeping their core values and mission the same. So now, they say, it’s time that their look reflects the innovations. This new 45th anniversary edition Welcome Package envelope (pictured above) possess a sleek, classy and professional look custom-built to help all Our Town America clients make an even bigger impression on new movers in 2017. And speaking of gift-giving, Our Town America is celebrating its own birthday by giving back to new clients who become sponsors in 2017 – offering the first month of services for free and reducing the one-time set up fee to just $45.
Danny Nieves and Brian Tijerino’s business, Local Door Coupons, is a streamlined, modernized version of a traditional advertising concept. With 2016 coming to a close, the company has already surpassed $1 million dollars in sales – mainly stemming from franchise sales and royalties. The simplicity of Local Door Coupons has proven to be extremely attractive for franchisees and lucrative for small local businesses. In 2015, Local Door Coupons attracted the attention of social media mogul and investor, Jason Stone which resulted in Stone acquiring a large stake of the company. He used his prolific social media following to introduce his millions of followers to the LDC launch and potential franchising opportunities. Within 24 hours of announcing their new Franchise opportunity, Tijerino and Nieves were bombarded with over 200 franchise inquiries. Local Door Coupon’s headquarters has also experienced a growth in advertising clients as well. In the last year LDC has expanded their client list from small mom and pop businesses to national brands such as Subway, GNC, Marcos Pizza, Edible Arrangements, Denny’s, and Smoothie King.
The Our Town America team is excited to make 2017 their best year yet…and they can’t wait to see what they can accomplish in the next 45 years!
After successfully overseeing the opening of various franchises across the United States in big cities such as Atlanta, Houston, Washington D.C, Oklahoma City, Toledo, Arlington and Los Angeles the LDC headquarters is projecting to expand their franchises to an impressive 25 total locations by the end of the fourth quarter and over 100 locations by the end of 2017.
www.ourtownamerica.com/franchise-us
www.localdoorcoupons.com
Franchising USA
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A mer ica’s S w im ming Pool C ompa ny ( ASP )
Pool Franchise Foc on Franchisee Gro
for Overall Franchise Success
Focusing on individual franchisee growth rather than overall company growth has helped turn a one-man company into the first successful pool maintenance franchise in the United States. Founder and CEO of America’s Swimming Pool Company (ASP) Stewart Vernon has a simple formula for growing the company nationwide and that formula is to give franchisees the support they need to be successful on an individual level and keep the focus on their success. At ASP’s annual franchisee conference, which the company recently held, Vernon
Franchising USA
prefers to look at how much the franchises themselves have grown throughout the year rather than how much the company as a whole has grown. “Those are the metrics that we put first and foremost,” Vernon said during a recent interview from the company’s headquarters in Macon, GA, where Vernon started the franchise back in 2002. ASP cleans, repairs and renovates swimming pools in 23 states across the country. It began franchising in 2006 and currently has 100 franchise partners in about 250 different territories. Surprisingly, Vernon credits the success of ASP as a franchise to not really knowing how to create a franchise.
Getting Started Vernon describes himself as a lifelong
entrepreneur. He gave up playing baseball as a 15 year old so he could start a car washing business in his neighborhood. By the time he left for college, he had a multivehicle operation going. In college, the budding entrepreneur knew he didn’t want to attend grad school or get a career in corporate America. He wanted to start a business as soon as possible. It was almost by accident that Vernon stumbled into pool cleaning. An acquaintance casually mentioned that he should look into it as a business because the local pool cleaning businesses in Macon at the time overcharged people and offered terrible service. Knowing that all he had to do was offer better service and charge less, Vernon set out at 22 with a single truck, combing Macon for any sign that a home contained
cuses owth
ccess
“We try to be the one stop shop for homeowners who have a pool in their back yard.” - Stewart Vernon “Being young and ignorant as hell and being a hard worker, I dug in and we put in our first location,” the ASP founder recalled. That first location was sold to a banker friend in Charleston, SC who hated his job and who envied Vernon for making more money than him while also doing something he enjoyed for a living. It didn’t take long for the former banker to start making good money with his franchise and that led to Vernon recruiting his brother-in-law — who also hated his job — as ASP’s second franchisee. Vernon says it was after getting his second franchisee that he realized just how many people out there loathe what they do for a living and are just waiting for a low risk, high reward business opportunity to help them get unstuck from their corporate lives.
Making the Model
a pool in the back yard. Once he identified a home with a pool, he would directly market to that household to gain their business with his promise of superior service for less money.
It worked In just a few years, Vernon had 10 trucks on the road and had cornered the midGeorgia market for pool maintenance, garnering over one million dollars in revenue. He knew if he wanted to expand further that he would have to look into franchising, which he started studying in earnest in 2005. Vernon discovered that a couple of pool maintenance companies had tried to franchise their model, but had failed. So, he knew he had an amazing opportunity, but also a daunting task ahead of him.
With this epiphany of just how many people were looking to get out of the rat race and into their own business, Vernon specifically designed the business model to have low barriers to entry. To get started, he explained, there is no need to hire anyone or lease a building. Everything can be done out of a franchisee’s home. Making the business this easy to start, Vernon explained, enables ASP to bypass the two main fears of new would-be entrepreneurs: hiring people and leasing a building. “The beauty of the business is from day one, you can start it with one man, one truck. Low over-head, low risk,” he said. Once most franchisees get the hang of running the business and start to get more trucks on the road, they do tend to get themselves a building, Vernon noted. After 2006, the ASP CEO had seven franchise owners who were all much happier with what they were doing with their lives.
Now, Vernon targets these kind of white collar workers who have become miserable in their corporate jobs and who want to start their own business, but who don’t know how.
Pool School Rather than looking for people who have experience in the pool trade, Vernon noted, he wants well capitalized entrepreneurs. Most franchisees when they start have never cleaned a pool, he said, but that doesn’t matter because ASP has Pool School. Pool School is a campus at the ASP headquarters in Macon that has 12 different pools on it for the purposes of showing new franchisees how to clean and renovate pools. As long as franchisees are hard working and willing to learn, getting the hang of the business is easy.
Pool Ops To make things even easier for franchisees, ASP has created its own proprietary software called Pool Ops, which helps franchisees digitally run their businesses. And that business is all about offering homeowners a hands-off experience with their swimming pools, so they don’t have to clean the pool or balance the chemicals or bother going to the pool store. “We try to be the one stop shop for homeowners who have a pool in their back yard,” he said. About one quarter of franchisees’ revenue comes from renovating pools that are nearing the end of their lifespans, which involves redoing the interior shell and fixing up the exterior and equipment of the pool. By focusing on individual franchisee success, Vernon has grown ASP into possibly the easiest way for wouldbe entrepreneurs to become real entrepreneurs. www.aspfranchising.com
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BUSINESS SERVICES
franchising
e r u t Fea
Most business minded people consider the world of franchising, even those uninterested in starting their own company would look into the world of franchising some point in their career. Being your own boss could lead to a better work life balance and a bigger sense of freedom, something most of us strive to achieve in our jobs. A franchise can assure that quality of life because it’s already supported and succeeding. Investing in a franchise can create the type of work life balance we all dream about, plus people without any business background, could become a franchisee. More and more companies are leaning towards the world of franchising and
Franchising USA
creating a lot more options for franchisees to consider. It allows investors to follow their passion, while being successful with the support from head office.
That is a limitation to a business service
We tend to forget that there are a lot of different franchises available and a very successful and prosperous choice is a business services franchise.
serve in the area, there will be no profit.
Of course a business in itself is successful and running, but it depends on other services and companies to help keep it going. A business service franchise usually has a guaranteed set of clients, well-established businesses that have investments and contracts with their service providers. Investing in this type of franchise allows you the freedom to provide to your customers, without having to search for them. Before applying for a business service franchise, it would be wise to research their affiliates and how many companies you would service within the surrounding area.
industry, if there are not many companies in the surrounding area, a franchise may refuse an application. Without clients to
A problem first time business owners run into is losing customers or not having
enough, they could face a struggle with the overall economy or a misunderstanding with supply and demand. The business service industry is not dependent on
clients, but rather businesses and even if the economy is faltering, big name
companies will keep its doors open and continue to need certain services to succeed.
There are many different service
industries in the franchising field and
while providing a service to a well known company may be exciting, you can also
follow a personally passion in your choice of services.
“A technology servicing franchise usually has a well-established clientele but can also appeal to smaller businesses or one incident situations.”
Technology Services
background in technology, it would be
Nowadays most businesses are dependent on some form of technology to function properly and turn a profit. From debit machines, to the internet, computers and surveillance cameras. Our world is dependent on technology and the business world has become more successful due to innovation.
beneficial but not crucial.
It’s nearly impossible to run any type of company without depending on technology. A technology servicing franchise usually has a well-established clientele but can also appeal to smaller businesses or one incident situations.
franchise would create a lot of competition
Employees would be trained within their field and as a franchisee; there would be a lot of liberty to allow others to run the business. If you have a passion or
There are many different fields to consider within this industry alone and a lot of
competition as well. It’s likely that a lot
of internet service providers are already well established within most of the
communities, so it’s unlikely to enter a
franchise with them. While starting a new and a lot of businesses already have a
contract with big end service providers. However it is worth considering because
mobile and internet franchises create a lot
of profit. Definitely research the big names and see what is available in your area,
speak with a franchise representative, if this an area you would like to consider.
Cleaning Another service provider that will not sway with the ebbs and flows of the economy is a cleaning service. Though some companies may tend to take over their own cleaning and maintenance during a rough patch, big cleaning franchises have an established clientele with long term contracts. Again, if this is a field you are considering, it is best to do research and look at contract stances and what clientele the franchise has guaranteed agreements. Hotels usually use corporate cleaners, as do big businesses, so you have to consider the available clients surrounding you and where you want to set up. As a franchisee, this business opportunity can run on its own, while you can create
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areas and are unlikely to create more within their field. It’s the type of franchise that needs a lot of research, especially with the wide variety of services, but the initial work pays off. A well-established franchisee looking for a different field of interest could likely pick up a service business and balance all his franchises without much stress or loss of home life. Of course it is great for a first time investor and is also suitable for long term franchisors who are looking for more. Overall, the business service industry is a safe bet, while also being a profitable one.
a decent work life balance. The hours of operation will be dependent on a lot of the businesses because they may prefer services during the after-hours. However, most floor work is provided by employees.
Shipment and Delivery A lot of companies are dependent on shipment and delivery. Even offices depend on shipping and delivering services for supplies, whether it be pencils, or paper or coffee or toilet paper. Once again, this is a franchise that may or may not have a set of clients contracted to a service, which will easily create a successful path to profit.
There is a lot of competition within the shipment and delivery industry, making it important to perform a lot of research before hand and it would be suggested to talk to a lot of other franchisees within the field. For those considering a franchise, sometimes the business service is easily forgotten but not reasonably so. It’s easy to run, creates a great work and life balance, while also has a proven success rate. There is less stress depending on the established clientele and the franchise branding gives an investor an upper hand against small businesses. However, a lot of these franchises are well-established in certain
“There is a lot of competition within the shipment and delivery industry, making it important to perform a lot of research before hand.”
Franchising USA
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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Jay Feitlinger, Founder & CEO, StringCan
You Can be Brand Compliant Without Sacrificing Your Own Identity Many people become franchisors because they see an abundant business opportunity and the ability to grow a company without having to manage every component and location on their own.
When you start to dig down to the heart of it all, many of these issues revolve around one thing: brand compliance (or a lack thereof). The franchisor expects all of its locations to be “on brand,” while the franchisee wants some level of independence and creative expression. Is it possible to have a thriving relationship between the two? The answer is… absolutely yes. And the entire brand can flourish as a result. Here are four tips for successfully navigating this challenging, yet highly rewarding, set of circumstances.
Others become franchisees because they love a certain brand, and begin to envision themselves enjoying a career path with that brand that has largely already been paved for them. But somewhere along the way, these dreams can get broken – on both sides. Conflicts arise, tensions get high and the entire company suffers as a result of these soured relationships.
Love the one you’re with
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Perhaps the most important thing for both parties involved in a franchise to remember is that their individual perspectives may be different, but their ultimate goal is the same. They each want individual franchise locations to grow, and they also want the larger organization to succeed.
Secondly, you’ve signed the paperwork and hitched your wagon to one another – legally and financially. So instead of nitpicking and finding faults in the other person, come to the table ready to share ideas and to listen to them as well. The more you actively work on appreciating the benefits the other person brings you, the less you’re likely to finger point and increase internal friction. A harmonious relationship all starts with this open and appreciative mindset.
“Instead of inhibiting one another, work side by side to fill needs and grow each location so the brand is like one strong tree with different, yet complementary branches.” needlessly drag your entire organization down. The solution is to work in tandem, peer to peer. For example, franchisees have been known to seek outside help from external marketing agencies or sales consultants when they feel they’re not equipped in these areas. They see this as reasonable, but the practice often ends up raising the ire of the franchisor. After all, they see it as outsiders intruding on brand management without understanding the brand guidelines and goals.
Listen to your Customer Insiders Sometimes franchisors get caught up in thinking they know their brand best, since they’re at its helm. It can be easy to forget that it’s the franchisees who are actually on the front lines, interacting with customers on a daily basis. In fact, the owners of your individual franchise locations can offer some highly unique insights into the motivations, preferences and needs of your customers. It’d be wise for all franchisors to regularly invite feedback from these folks, and to truly consider responding to the information in order to improve the business. Make a point to keep the conversations non-judgmental, so that franchisees can feel free to express concerns and doubts, as well as what’s positive.
Work in Tandem The franchisor/franchisee relationship can be especially sticky because it’s not a traditional working union. Both parties feel like they are the rightful owner of the business (and they both are, just in different ways). But power struggles will
Instead of taking this approach, a franchisee should first go to his franchisor. Explain where you feel your training or support is lacking, along with what you need to succeed. If you would like a new piece of marketing collateral that’s unique to your particular location, for instance, ask your franchisor if she can help you get that. As long as you keep your lines of communication open and ask for what you need, you won’t have to keep any secrets or risk angering your franchisor. And if the franchisor truly wants you to succeed (as she should), she’ll get you what you need or put you in touch with someone who can.
Customize when warranted Most franchisors have a standard set of “customizable” marketing pieces that they offer to their franchise locations to use. The problem is that these are typically extremely limited. They might leave placeholders so that the location owner’s name and the name of the town can be slotted in…but everything else is often kept completely standard. This is a disservice to everyone! Instead of making everything so “cookie cutter,” try creating pieces that are truly customizable but still
Jay Feitlinger
brand compliant. They can still begin as templates, but should allow for differences that develop thanks to geographical locations. Your marketing and sales pieces should allow for freedom – within the greater brand’s boundaries. When it comes to the franchisor/franchisee relationship, keep in mind that you’re both on the same team and want to win. Keep the dialogue open, and remember that brand compliance is necessary for a franchise and its parent organization to be successful, but that individuation is also key for market appeal and sales. Instead of inhibiting one another, work side by side to fill needs and grow each location so the brand is like one strong tree with different, yet complementary branches. Franchisee turned online marketing agency owner, Jay Feitlinger is Founder & CEO of StringCan Interactive, a digital marketing agency with offices in Arizona and France. StringCan helps multi-location franchise businesses reach more customers and achieve their inbound marketing and online advertising goals. StringCanInteractive.com
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O ur Tow n A mer ica
Franchise Celebrates 45 Years of
Helping People Get Settled into their New Communities Franchising USA
A Florida franchise that specializes in helping people get settled into new communities is going to be moving into a new community itself soon. Our Town America celebrates its 45th anniversary this year and it’s just about to close a deal on a new 44,000 sqft space for its headquarters in Pinellas Park just outside of Tampa. The pending move and the milestone anniversary are just two elements of what promises to be a busy year for the franchise. Our Town America connects people who have just moved into a neighborhood with local businesses in that neighborhood by direct mailing the new resident a
welcoming envelope filled with gift certificates from the local businesses. “We make relationships, essentially,” CEO Michael Plummer Jr. said during a recent interview from the franchise’s headquarters in Pinellas Park. But the good fortune goes both ways. Not only do new community residents get great deals and a reason to go explore their new area, the local businesses get a chance to bring in new customers.
All New Look The franchise has recently undergone a complete overhaul of its brand, with a newly designed Welcome Package envelope and gift certificate look. Deciding on the new look of the brand was a huge undertaking for the company, Plummer said. While Our Town America is now in its 45th year of business, however, they started franchising in 2005. Today, it has 50 individual franchisees, with some of them running multi-unit franchises. Most of those franchises are home-based. Plummer said people who have a sales background would be a good fit for an Our Town America franchisee, but a sales background isn’t necessary, as the business’ focus is on building relationships. “Someone who is willing to go out and build those relationships would do well,” the CEO noted. “So, we’re looking for a good community organizer, maybe somebody who is involved with a ParentTeacher Association or a real estate agent, for example, somebody who has the ability to go out and talk to people.” Plummer pointed to his own sister-inlaw, who has been an Our Town America franchisee for less than a year, as a good example. Having worked behind the scenes in the insurance field for 25 years, she has zero sales background. However, because she’s so good at connecting with people, she’s doing particularly well with the company. Our Town America has a goal of having a
“We’re the leaders and we’re the ones people try to imitate and emulate because we have forged this innovative path for a long time in our niche.” - Michael Plummer Jr. franchise in all major metropolitan areas, Plummer noted, but it also works well in smaller towns. Any markets that have a lot of people moving into the area are ripe for an Our Town America franchise.
overwhelming and unhelpful when trying to decide where to go. The direct mail gift certificates, on the other hand, offer a more personalized connection to local businesses.
He specified Texas, North Carolina, Utah, New Jersey, the greater New York metropolitan area and Boston as growing markets that Our Town America wants to get into right now.
“In a more social age where people feel like they’re connected because they’re online all the time, people aren’t really connecting,” Plummer mused. “People aren’t really making those personal connections.”
Real Connection Even though people have what Plummer described as a plethora of options online to check for recommendations for restaurants and other businesses in their new neighborhoods, there is still room for a direct mail service that delivers free housewarming gifts and draws those businesses out from the crowd like Our Town America. Many of the online resources, he noted, are full of reviews that can become
Often, he pointed out, when people move into a new city, it can be an overwhelming experience because they’ve moved for a new job or because of a life-changing experience like a divorce or a death in the family. People are uprooting their lives and it can be difficult for them to get settled into a new neighborhood because they don’t really know anyone. Our Town America offers that personal connection to them at a tumultuous time.
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O ur Tow n A mer ica
“We’re looking for a good community organizer, maybe somebody who is involved with a ParentTeacher Association or a real estate agent, for example, somebody who has the ability to go out and talk to people.” - Michael Plummer Jr. On the other side of the equation, it helps to replenish the customer bases of local businesses. In any given year, a business will lose about 18 percent of its customer base because of people moving away from the neighborhood, he noted.
of experience and expertise that Our Town America boasts.
The Our Town America Difference
“We’re the leaders and we’re the ones people try to imitate and emulate because we have forged this innovative path for a long time in our niche,” Plummer stated.
While there are other direct mail options that try to replicate what Our Town America does, Plummer mentioned, no other company gets it quite right and that’s partly because they don’t have the 45 years
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Having been doing this so long, the company knows how to do welcoming packages better than anyone else in the industry.
To get trained in the art of connecting neighborhood newcomers and local businesses, the company offers their three-
week Coming to Town training program. This program entails twice weekly phone calls with new franchisees to coach them on sales scripts and to ensure they’re getting their businesses set up properly. After that, they get a solid week of salesfocused training in Pinellas Park followed by a week of in-field training in their markets with a top Our Town America franchisee. The franchise also helps new recruits with appointments, growing their client list, development of marketing materials and more. With their rebranding efforts, their new headquarters and their milestone anniversary so much, Our Town America has positioned itself for success for the next 45 years. www.ourtownamerica.com/franchise-us
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FRANGUIDE.COM 703-424-2980 FIND YOUR FRANCHISE WITH FREE GUIDANCE FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS
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Haley Crum Blanton, CSP, Executive Vice President, FrankCrum
How to Advance Your Franchise by Outsourcing HR
Saving Time and Money Allows Focus on Your Business Gr
Although you may have been operating your franchise for some time, it’s possible that you haven’t considered outsourcing your HR functions – or you may only be outsourcing individual functions such as payroll. You know it’s not practical (or cost effective) to get all the professional HR services you need by hiring specialists, but
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when you try to stay on top of these issues yourself, you can open yourself to liability, fines and sanctions; not to mention the loss of valuable time better spent growing your franchise. You may think you don’t have an option – that a franchise owner needs to wear all the hats. Many owners struggle to squeeze out good profit margins, are short staffed or are new to an ownership role. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything, particularly when your role as an employer introduces HR tasks to your daily to-do list. Just think about it. Do you feel basic HR processes like payroll, benefits selection/ administration, workers’ compensation, employee relations, compliance and hiring
account for more of your time and budget than you’d like? Time and budget that might be more profitably spent on growing your franchise? Do you worry that your franchise isn’t on top of these tasks to the extent you’d like? Although HR outsourcing takes many forms, the most comprehensive is that of a Professional Employer Organization, or PEO. A PEO is a “one stop shop” for HR functions, offering workers’ compensation, payroll, benefits and comprehensive HR assistance. PEOs leverage their experienced people, their processes, technology and insurance products to take away the mystery of HR, minimize your liability and allow you to focus on your franchise operations.
“HR administration typically costs an average of 8.5 percent of your gross payroll. Contracting with the right PEO can reduce that by at least 50 percent, while giving you the benefit of working with HR experts.” benefit of working with HR experts. Through the economies of scale a PEO offers, you can lower the cost of benefits administration and workers’ compensation insurance, while realizing other efficiencies that will boost your bottom line. 3. Grow your business: Research published by the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations indicates that PEO clients have higher growth rates than other small businesses. That’s due in great measure to the fact that these business owners are able to focus their energy and efforts toward their business, their customers and their profitability.
s Better rowth How a PEO can benefit your franchise We’ve outlined here the most important benefits PEOs offer to help you decide whether this is a viable option for you: 1. Save time: Your time is too valuable to spend it finding the right workers’ compensation coverage, processing payroll, filing reports and taxes, selecting and managing employee benefits and worrying about HR liability issues. Imagine how much more profitable (and enjoyable) your franchise would be if you were able to focus on your core business. 2. Save money: HR administration typically costs an average of 8.5 percent of your gross payroll. Contracting with the right PEO can reduce that by at least 50 percent, while giving you the
4. Reduce risk and liability: Whether it’s avoiding hiring mistakes, minimizing unemployment costs, avoiding on the job injuries through a robust risk management program, ensuring that payroll reports and tax filings are timely and correct, understanding how to maximize employee performance or so many more HR concerns, outsourcing through a PEO provides knowledgeable specialists to consult with you, often at no additional cost, to help safeguard your business from liability. 5. Attract and retain the best employees: Smaller businesses like franchises often find it difficult to level the playing field and compete in hiring with larger businesses that are able to offer more comprehensive HR and employee benefits programs. A PEO can provide you with a wide range of employee benefit options as well as online tools that allow your employees to have 24/7 access to their personal HR information, while giving you reports
Haley Crum Blanton
and information that help you manage your HR program. However, not all PEOs are created equal, and not all offer the same services and pricing arrangements. As you consider your options, you may want to study the experience (www.frankcrum.com/peocase-studies/) of other business owners. Maybe it’s time to take a look at how a PEO can get you back to growing your franchise and losing some of those extra hats you’ve been wearing. After all, you didn’t buy your franchise to become an HR specialist! Haley Crum Blanton, CSP, is Executive Vice President of FrankCrum, a national professionalemployer organization (PEO) and President, FrankCrum Staffing. A certified staffing professional, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management at Eckerd College and a J.D. degree from Stetson University College of Law. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Women. www.frankcrum.com
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Bob Caramusa, Chicago area franchise owner, Image One USA
Advice for Finding and Growing Your Next Business Services Franchise
The decision to become a franchise owner is more than just about numbers; it’s about finding long-term business allies For anyone reading this magazine and considering buying a franchise, congratulations—you’ve taken the first step of a long journey. Now comes the hard part: deciding which business to choose. Many elements factor into that decision, including your budget, location, professional experience and interests. I found a franchise family through purchasing a business services
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franchise. And, I believe many of you may also be a good fit to run a business services model, especially if you’ve grown comfortable in the B2B setting professionally.
Don’t say yes until you’ve said no to enough others
I’d like to first offer advice to those searching and also speak to those already in the trenches with a services franchise business. Doing your due diligence and finding the right franchise is only half the battle; the other half starts once you sign that franchise contract and venture out as a new business owner.
I started my search for the perfect franchise the same way as you: I combed through franchise magazines, searched online for the right option and narrowed it down to a few. And then, I found my match in Image One USA, a commercial cleaning franchise headquartered not far from where my wife and I live in the Chicago suburbs. They were looking to expand and I was looking to take control of my future and be my own boss.
Here are some words of wisdom to both present and future franchisees in this sector:
The deeper I researched and the more I spoke with Image One, I realized this was much more than just a janitorial
“It’s kind of like dating and finding the right spouse: you’ll know when you know.” schedules of the decision makers at the companies with which you’d like to do business. While it’s not necessary to the success of my franchise, I come from a sales and marketing background, which really helped me get started. Many of my first initial conversations with Image One were about marketing. What’s been great is that they’ve always been willing to listen to my ideas and feedback. Most franchisors are going to provide you with templated materials to help you market your products or services, but the best ones are going to have the time to conduct constructive conversations about what’s working and what isn’t.
Treat your clients like royalty… and expect the same from your franchisor services business. The franchise supplied a thorough operations manual, offered extensive training, gave franchisees customer support and guidance every step of the way. And so, I took the plunge. There were plenty of other franchise models (in industries other than business services) that I said no to, whether during my preliminary research or, later, in a face-to-face meeting. It’s kind of like dating and finding the right spouse: you’ll know when you know.
Market your business until you feel like you can’t anymore— and then spend more time marketing It’s hard to underestimate the importance of marketing your local franchise when you’re in the business services sector. Not only are you competing against other businesses, you’re also fighting the busy
So much of a business services model is about landing clients. But, landing is just the first step. What’s most important is to keep those clients long-term, and add to that core base of clients. To do that, you need to treat them like royalty—remember that they are the reason your business makes money, the reason you can pay your bills and support your family. As a franchisee, you should feel the same way you want your clients to feel about you as a services provider. Franchisors are in the business of creating opportunities for franchise owners to thrive; that’s what keeps them expanding and growing. What works best in my experience is to keep an open line of communication between you and your franchisor. If there are ever problems—and there will be, that’s the nature of business after all— bring it up to your franchisor right away. If you’re with a good one, they will resolve it quickly and effectively.
Bob Caramusa
Make sure you have a plan beyond those first few months One of the things that most impressed me with my franchisor was that they had a plan in place for supporting me not just during my first quarter in business, but for my first year—and even my first few years. It helped me developed my short-term and long-term business plan. And, as a franchisee, you really do need to ensure that you have a direction that is in line with your franchisor but is uniquely yours. I’m proud to say that my revenues have increased dramatically over the last few years. While it took time and some growing pains to get there, I’m on pace to be in a great spot as a business owner, employing others, serving a growing number of clients and operating a welloiled business. The franchisor-franchisee relationship is not always going to be a bed of roses, but when you find the right match, it can be a rewarding reciprocal arrangement that just makes strong financial sense. Bob Caramusa is a franchise owner with Image One USA, serving businesses and organizations in Chicago’s Northwest suburbs. He is the proud recipient of Image One’s 2015 Franchisee of the Year Award, a franchise with nearly 100 locations across Chicagoland and in Cincinnati, Denver, Detroit, Fort Myers, Nashville and Orlando. imageonefranchise.com
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Matthew Jonas, President, TopFire Media
Not All Franchise Brands Shine How strategic messaging can spur growth for a business services franchise Franchising USA
Driving down a bustling city street, it’s easy to identify businesses that are part of large franchise systems. There’s McDonald’s, Subway, Burger King and KFC, to name a few; not to mention Ace Hardware, Anytime Fitness, SportClips, and Jiffy Lube in the nonrestaurant franchise sector; but what about the others? What about the franchises that make up a good majority of the industry, that most average consumers aren’t even aware of?
Many of these business concepts fall into a different franchise category, frequently identified as business services. They include anything from commercial cleaning, office suppliers, small business tax providers, and a whole lot more. While these business service companies play a critical role in the franchise industry, and frankly the small business landscape as a whole, they often fall victim to characterizations that don’t justify the importance they play in the American economy. Sure, it’s easy to see why a franchisee prospect may be dazzled by the glitz and glamour of a distinguished restaurant franchise, but in reality, those lesser known business services franchises have just as much to offer, if not more than any other in the industry.
Engaging an Online Audience Nearly two billion worldwide have a social media profile, with those users and platforms having many different and unique purposes. Twitter is a place to acquire quick snapshots of information; Facebook uses sharing options and video publication to connect members; and LinkedIn connects professionals to those with like-minded interests. In order for business services franchises to connect with social media users, no matter the platform, they need to create thoughtful content. By developing messaging that is valuable to those users, a brand positions itself as a leader in the industry, despite its size or recognition. But, this isn’t unique to business services — this is a marketing tactic used by nearly every franchise concept. What sets business services franchise concepts apart is the ability to boast a typically low investment-to-return ratio. Rarely do restaurant investments teeter below the $1 million mark – acknowledging too that’s on the low end of the scale — while business services franchises seldom exceed that investment. Of course, return on investment depends on a number of other variables, but just recognizing the vast difference between
initial investment and capitalizing on that message, business services franchises have a marketing advantage to those high-cost, high-profile competitors. These messages must also be mirrored on a franchise recruiting website. If a franchisee prospect is attracted to a particular type of messaging — like financial performance indicators — through social media advertising, they’ll expect the same from the franchise website. The trick is getting them to spend quality time dissecting the information on a website and converting into a franchise lead.
Capturing the Mind of the Media While a well-developed public relations campaign won’t directly relate to lead generation for a business services franchise, public awareness and brand recognition will. Public relations is a lead influencer, and as such, plays a significant role in attracting franchisee prospects. With hundreds of franchise concepts in the United States alone, a brand’s ability to set itself apart with its unique selling proposition is critical. For business services franchises without the pizazz of a well-known and acclaimed franchise system, self-promotion and brand building becomes a hard-fought process requiring patience, creativity and dedication — all ingredients of a great PR campaign. Developing an influential campaign, however, is easier said than done, especially for the emerging business services franchise. And, it’s important to acknowledge that there is a significant difference between a franchisee prospect and a media influencer. While the prospect can be attracted to a particular franchise concept because of financial performance data, a reporter will throw that information into the pile of “things they don’t care about.” Instead, recognize that it’s not a reporter’s job to promote a particular business or service, and make the outreach effort about how they will benefit from writing about the proposed subject.
attention can stem from developing a comprehensive industry report or whitepaper that analyzes an industry as a whole, instead of one company’s particular success or failures. Overly promotional material is about as useful to a reporter as disappearing ink. While there are a variety of other ways a business services franchise can generate interest from prospective franchisees, nothing dominates quite like a polished marketing message. There’s no reason a business services franchise should get any less of the limelight than that of a popular restaurant or clothing store, and when the right messages reach the right people, they’ll listen. Matthew Jonas is the president of TopFire Media, an award winning, integrated public relations and digital marketing agency specializing in franchise marketing and consumer branding. Together with the leaders of iFranchise Group and Franchise Dynamics, Matthew established TopFire Media to provide a strategic and synchronized method for digital marketing in the franchise industry. As a digital marketing strategist with over a decade of in-depth experience in SEO and PPC, social media publishing, conversion-based marketing, inbound marketing, sales management, and online lead generation, Matthew has built a career dedicated to delivering an integrated marketing approach that achieves client success and long-term relationships. www.topfiremedia.com
Accomplishing any level of media
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ex per t advice
George Knauf, Senior Franchise Business Advisor, FranChoice
Acquiring An Existing Franchise On a daily basis I field calls from parties interested in buying a resale business. For the most part this is an attempt at risk mitigation, but the intent and the outcome are sometimes different. The key to success is having the right plan! Let’s start with how most successful businesses get sold. When a business is clearly successful within a community and the owner is engaged with their town then the most common way that a buyer is identified is that they will first be a raving fan of the business then at some point will go whisper in the business owners ear “When you are ready to sell, call me”. This is sometimes the most targeted and easiest sale for the seller. In some cases, though, the business is not an obvious success or does not happen to have the right raving fans that could be buyers. In this case the seller will resort to working with local business brokers or their franchisor to identify buyers. The franchisor side of that equation may be a
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great solution, but can take a little while as they may develop leads Nationally and you have to wait for a buy candidate to come to them from your area. If your franchise company bring a buyer to the table they will often be financially qualified ahead of time and have been through introductory calls so that they have a working knowledge of the business. Local business brokers are a very different equation. Many local business brokers operate in a very similar fashion to the real estate agent that sold you your home. They are incentivized to get you to a closing event but it does not matter what you buy or if you are a good fit for the role of the owner. They have no vested interest in the outcome. We have seen some outstanding local resale brokers out there but they often seem to be a rare find. When a business owner calls a local resale broker an interesting chain of events seems to be replicated. The broker “Recasts” or creates entirely new financials so that you can “understand” the owners financial benefit. The intent is to clarify the
financial benefit that the owner received in things they used as tax deductions or showed as business expenses, they are trying to justify the resale price so that you don’t expect to base it on what they actually reported as income. The challenge that this brings up is that you need to both evaluate the quality of the business and the accuracy of the recast financials. We would always hope to see that the local business broker recast those financials in a accurate manner but have seen many circumstances where liberties were taken that presented a picture that may not be a proper representation. Here is the real trap many people fall into: They begin looking for resales of their dream brand, then after they look at the ones on the market, if there are any, they take their desire to buy and start looking at anything that local broker has for sale. It can be a buying frenzy of sorts where a buyer has made a decision to leave their job and they just want to get something, anything, done!
“Work with that franchisor to find out if you are a good match for the business in the first place!”
So, here is what happens when the seller calls the local broker. That local broker has a list, that list is made up of known and proven buyers that are financially capable of closing a deal fast if they like it. If those known buyers pass on the business for sale then the broker will offer it to leads that call them or advertise it on the Internet. Since local brokers tend to sign exclusive sale agreements (6 months is pretty common) then they are now motivated to move it to anyone that can buy before they lose their exclusive contract. If you wander in their door with some money to spend then they will work to make a match between your money and a business they have on contract, especially if their exclusivity expires soon. So, what do you do? Well, there are a few things to keep in mind: • If you have identified a particular brand you like then start with the franchisor and make your desire for a resale known up front. • Work with that franchisor to find out if you are a good match for the business in the first place!
• If the franchise company does not have any resales then you could get to know the local franchisees. Go introduce yourself and make your desire to buy an existing business known. • If you don’t find something easily then contact someone like me. We are not local business resale brokers, we may know of resales in your area. A thought on resales as a risk mitigation strategy: Once you have sorted through the owners story and books (or recast books) then there are two areas I would suggest that you be very attentive to: 1. The fact that a business did a certain amount of business last year does not mean that they will do the same amount this year. What if the seller was a very engaged owner and customers flocked to them because there were his friend? Will they still flock to you? Will that level of business remain, shrink, grow? 2. Employees… Often the team that operates the business were staff that got along with the seller. Will they stay when you come on board or will they
George Knauf
leave and seek a different employer? Will that impact revenues?’
3. Would you actually have less risk
opening a new franchise location with
a brand that you are a perfect match for
using the same system as the successful
owners in your area? Timeline might be longer and cost may be less but it would be yours.
There is a lot to consider. 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 makes him uniquely qualified to advise individuals that have dreamed of going into business for themselves in order 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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Veterans in Franchising february 2017
www.franchisingusamagazine.com
purple heart vets honored at armed forces bowl in dallas
tutor doctor supporting veterans fastsigns named top franchise for veterans ÂŽ
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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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Veterans in Franchising Supplement february 2017 Our Veterans in Franchising special supplement has become a regular feature of Franchising USA. To share your story in the next issue, please contact Vikki Bradbury, Publisher Phone: 778 426 2446 Email: vikki@cgbpublishing.com
Contents On the Cover
Profiles
54 Purple Hearts Honored at Armed Forces Bowl in Texas
52 Fantastic Sams
58 Tutor Doctor Supporting Veterans
56 FASTSIGNS
56 FASTSIGNS Named Top Franchise for Veterans
Franchisee in Action
54 Sport Clips
52 Juice It Up!
Franchisor in Depth 58 Tutor Doctor
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V e t erans in Franchising
Fa ntastic Sa ms
Fantastic Sams Veterans Turned Entrepreneurs Honored with Awards Serving in the military may not sound like a proving ground for managing a lucrative hair styling franchise, but try telling that to two of Fantastic Sams franchisees – including one veteran who just won one of the company’s prestigious awards, and another who owns 11 salons in North Carolina. Sam Murray, who served two tours in the Middle East as a member of the U.S. Army Military Police, was the 2016 inaugural recipient of the company’s Horizon Award – given to a new franchisee – for his exceptional dedication to community relations and brand awareness. Sam joined the Army in 2002. “I had been in Iraq for about one month when I got my first taste of real action,” he says. “A taxi driver had been kidnapped in a neighborhood known to be a hotspot for insurgents and we quickly put together a mission plan and began practicing for his rescue. Because I was the newest man on the team, I was given the job of “door man” - I would be the first one in the door.”
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“We were able to break down the door. The man began crying, hugging us, kissing us on the cheeks and saying, ‘I love America.’” Back home, Sam decided to go into business for himself and began investigating franchise ownership. “I probably looked at 15 different franchises, including everything from school fundraising to restaurants, to kids’ bounce-house party props,” says Sam. “You name it, I looked at it. When I learned that Fantastic Sams was a viable option here, I immediately recognized the brand because I grew up going to them. I was an Army brat, and wherever we lived, there was always a Fantastic Sams.” Sam and his wife Mary Margaret became franchisees and opened their first salon in Mint Hill, NC, re-establishing the brand in the greater Charlotte market. As he worked with team members to build the company’s first salon featuring the new design, he was also busy introducing himself to members of his community. He ordered new logo dress shirts and tasked an intern, a high school neighbor,
“My training in the military, especially being fair but firm, has helped me succeed. I learned how important it is to always follow through with what you tell an employee you will do.” - Jerry Harmon to canvass the community to identify advertising opportunities, costs and contacts in advance of the salon opening. He also joined the Chamber of Commerce six months before the opening, attending meetings and becoming the “face” of his business. Fantastic Sams offers veterans special discounts and other benefits to help them get started. “The reduced pricing for veterans really sealed the deal for me,” Sam says. “And then the corporate team threw in a lot of free hair care products, so I had a fully stocked inventory on day one.” Since opening, Sam has been able to spend time with his family while also growing his Fantastic Sams salon franchise — the two goals he had in mind at the outset. And because the Murrays certainly love a challenge, Mary Margaret gave birth to their third child one week before the salon opened.
From Army Recon to Salon Jerry Harmon, who served in the Army in the 82nd Airborne Division from 1969 until 1977, is another “Tar Heel” franchisee. Today he owns and operates 11 Fantastic Sams salons in the eastern NC area. He recently won the Fayetteville Best Businesses Award. After basic training, he learned armored recon and attended parachute jump school, eventually becoming a fireteam leader – his first experience managing people, he says, adding that to this day he still uses many of the techniques that he learned in the military. “In the Army I learned that you must get your team’s respect before you can get their buy-in, and working with stylists is very similar,” he says. After leaving the military Jerry worked for various companies in management
positions. He and his wife Bonnie owned a beauty school and, in 1998, decided they wanted to get into the salon business. “We opened our first location in Clinton, NC, in May of 1999, and in 2005 decided we would sell the school and work to build the Fantastic Sams brand in the Fayetteville market,” Jerry explains. “My training in the military, especially being fair but firm, has helped me succeed. I learned how important it is to always follow through with what you tell an employee you will do.” Dealing with military privates and dealing with stylists is actually similar, he laughs. Jerry’s advice is to listen to what your stylists have to say and make them part of the decision making process so they will take ownership of the task at hand.
Many military veterans are exploring franchise opportunities and Fantastic Sams helps them by offering discounts, says Linda Chadwick, President and CEO. Qualified veterans can receive 25% off a multi-license package of three or more salons, she explains, so that in addition to opening their first salon franchise, future locations can be mapped out according to an established development schedule. “For a veteran who’s looking to get a strong business up and running, and not wait years for a solid return on that investment, this kind of forward thinking is very impressive,” she says. “Veterans often put a great deal of stock into creating a precise plan and then executing that plan faithfully.” fantasticsamsfranchise.com
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V e t erans in Franchising
Juice It Up !
Marine Corps Veteran Finds New Mission Running His Juice It Up! Franchise Discipline and skills he learned as a marine are the perfect framework to run this healthy food franchise
Willie Smith opens the doors of his Temecula, CA, juice franchise at 6:30 every morning. As soon as the doors are opened, he and his team are blending strawberries, blueberries and mango into delicious smoothies to sell at five different schools later in the day. After those are made and in the freezer to
prepare them for the afternoon’s mobile catering, Smith goes for his run. “I’ll run for about an hour or so, just to clear my mind and to get rid of stress, any kind of anxiety.” It’s his most productive time of day, idea-wise. And it gets him psyched for the busy day ahead as a multi-unit juice franchise owner for Juice It Up! In 2010, Smith retired as a master sergeant after 27 years in the Marines, a career that took him across the country and around the world, including two tours in Okinawa, Japan, and one in Afghanistan. Smith had an idea that franchising would be a good career move for his civilian life. In the Marines, he oversaw operations, managed supplies, learned sales skills, marketing
and communications through recruitment and also honed his leadership skills as an officer. And he’s especially glad that he discovered Juice It Up!, a healthy food franchise that would be a positive asset for his community. “When I got out, my thoughts were a franchise because I knew a franchise already had a system in place, they’d done the hard work of creating the business model, and I wanted to jump in and be able to follow guidelines and rules because I’m used to that. I got a broker and I told him my criteria: something healthy, something where I could be engaged in the community and something I could be proud to go home and tell my family, ‘Hey, we own this.’ I wanted something that added value to the community.” After shopping a few concepts that didn’t feel quite right, Smith went back to his broker, who then found Juice It Up! “Instantly, I fell in love with it. I talked to Carol (DeNembo, Vice President of Business Development) and other folks
Being able to give back to the community as a Juice It Up! franchisee was an important part of the deal for franchise owner Willie Smith. Franchising USA
at the corporate office, and it felt like a family.” Juice It Up! juice and smoothie franchise has been in business since 1995 and was the first franchise to introduce the superfruit açaí to the consumer market. Innovation has always been an important part of this classic Southern California brand, which has 100 units open or in development. The simple business model is easy to operate, with ongoing training and support, and requires no prior restaurant experience, making it an ideal opportunity for veterans. “They help you with the business plan, they help you every step of the way,” Smith says. “I was fresh out of the military — I didn’t know what to do. But they help you with everything.” That made it so much easier to transition from the armed services to being on the front (civilian) lines of helping people live healthier lives.
A different kind of leadership Leadership skills are a must in any good franchise owner, and Smith definitely wasn’t lacking in that department. Still, there was a bit of a learning curve when it came to how he exercised his leadership. Marines have a reputation for toughness,
Multi-unit franchisee Willie Smith of Temecula, CA, says franchising in general, and Juice It Up! in particular, are a great way for a veteran to create a new civilian life. so Marine leaders tend to do a lot of yelling and making people do push-ups to toughen up their charges. That doesn’t really work on civilians. “There is no screaming and yelling. That doesn’t translate,” Smith says, chuckling. “I had to go from telling people what to do to getting the buy-in from my employees on what needed to be done. I had to learn to listen to them and explain things to them. I had to change my style of mentoring, really.” One of the creative ways Smith has accomplished that is with his leadership book club. “You have to help your employees develop their own leadership skills. I have a book club where we go through leadership books, and it gives me the opportunity to mentor these kids.” “I love reading,” Smith says. “I found books were a good way to have a third party validate what I’ve been teaching them. It’s different when they hear it from a third party. It makes a bigger impact.”
Advice for other veterans Smith thinks veterans should be encouraged by the support – both moral and financial – that they can count on from Juice It Up!, which provides discounted franchise fees to vets. He also wants his fellow veterans to know that in many ways they’ll find the franchise world similar to the one they’re leaving behind, with a certain chain of command and step-bystep procedures to follow for all aspects of the job. Of course, there are always challenges. “The biggest thing I wish I’d known about is the transition from dealing with Marines to dealing with civilian kids working for you. I wish I’d had some guidance on that, about the importance of hiring the right employees or finding the right people vs. in the military, where you’re forced to deal with whomever you get. Here, you have to find the right people and then mold them for the right positions. You have to realize that’s your biggest asset — your employees.” www.juiceitup.com
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Spor t Clips
Purple Heart Vets Honored at Armed Forces Bowl in Dallas On a brisk and rainy December morning, more than 40 Purple Heart veterans congregated outside Sport Clips in Georgetown in preparation for our journey to Fort Worth, Texas for the Armed Forces Bowl.
While enjoying a hot cup of coffee and donuts, the flood of Sport Clips Clients were welcomed as the store opened for business. Children and their parents and regular patrons looked on in amazement at what Sport Clips was doing for our most honorable veterans. We boarded the bus about 9:30 a.m., headed for Amon G. Carter Stadium at the Texas Christian University campus. Our group was greeted like royalty, and our veterans and their families were treated to the VIP ESPN tent where food and drinks were plentiful. The conversations I overheard were truly amazing and watching the common bond between Vietnam, WWII, Desert Storm, & Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans was incredible.
“Our group was greeted like royalty, and our veterans and their families were treated to the VIP ESPN tent where food and drinks were plentiful.� Franchising USA
“The bus ride home was filled with thanks and praise to Sport Clips from our veterans.�
The entire game was truly an honor to our service members. Everything from the National Anthem to the coin-toss to timeouts to halftime to post-game was a tribute to our past, present and future service members. The highlight of the evening was definitely at the end of the third quarter, when more than 120 Purple Heart veterans from around Texas took the field to be recognized for their selfless acts. Watching the more than 30,000 fans in attendance stand in ovation gave me chills as the veterans smiled and waved.
It was a great day of football and
camaraderie, despite Navy’s 48-45 loss to Louisiana Tech. The bus ride home was
filled with thanks and praise to Sport Clips from our veterans. Thank you to Gordon
Logan and our entire Sport Clips Family
for making this day possible. It was truly an honor to be a part of it. www.sportclips.com By Adam Moskowitz, Sport Clips
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FASTSIG NS ®
FASTSIGNS Named Top Franchise for Veterans ®
FASTSIGNS International, Inc., the leader in signs, graphics and visual communications, was recently named a top franchise in a 2016 Top Franchise for Veterans Report. The brand ranked 11th overall, earning its designation as “The Best of the Best” Franchise for Veterans. FASTSIGNS celebrates our nation’s veterans by continuing to give them the tools that they need to build a successful business after their time in the Armed Forces. In addition, FASTSIGNS International was recently honored with the 2016 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the Department of Defense’s highest recognition presented to employers for their exemplary support of National Guard and Reserve members. FASTSIGNS International was among 158 franchise brands, representing over 22,000 franchise owners that participated
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in the research. Participating franchisees from a variety of industries were surveyed on 33 benchmark questions about their experience and satisfaction regarding critical areas of their franchise systems, including training and support, operations, franchisor/franchisee relations and financial opportunity. Leaders in the veteran community, FASTSIGNS reports that over 10 percent of its franchisees are comprised of military veterans. Disciplined, driven and self-motivated, veterans possess a number of valued skills and a wealth of experience essential to successful franchise business ownership. “It’s truly an honor to be recognized by our veterans and business owners,” said
Catherine Monson, CEO of FASTSIGNS International, Inc. “We remain committed to supporting our veterans and active duty servicemen and women by continuing to offer incentives and assistance for them and their families to achieve success. Our hope is that more companies and franchise brands will do the same.” As part of the commitment to veterans, FASTSIGNS International is also a proud participant of the International Franchise Association’s VetFran program (Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative), which assists military veterans in accessing franchise opportunities through training, financial assistance and industry support. Veterans that join the FASTSIGNS U.S. network can take advantage of specific incentives including a reduced
“Leaders in the veteran community, FASTSIGNS reports that over 10 percent of its franchisees are comprised of military veterans.”
franchise fee of $22,250, a savings of 50 percent, in addition to reduced royalties and advertising fees for the first year. FASTSIGNS International has also been recognized as a top franchise for military veterans by leading publications including USA Today, G.I. Jobs magazine and Military Times magazine. FASTSIGNS International is recruiting franchisees throughout the U.S. In addition to more than 400 U.S. and Canadian markets targeted for development, FASTSIGNS has 65+ international locations in nine countries open for continued expansion. As part of the brand’s development strategy, FASTSIGNS is also targeting co-brand and conversion opportunities whereby print shop owners can expand their services by adding FASTSIGNS to their existing business or convert their business into a thriving FASTSIGNS center. For information about the FASTSIGNS franchise opportunity, contact Mark Jameson (mark. jameson@fastsigns.com or (214-346-5679).
“It’s truly an honor to be recognized by our veterans and business owners. We remain committed to supporting our veterans and active duty servicemen and women by continuing to offer incentives and assistance for them and their families to achieve success.” - Catherine Monson sizes and across all industries attract more attention, communicate their message,
sell more products, help visitors find their way and extend their branding across all of their customer touch points including décor, events, wearables and marketing materials. Learn more about sign and
visual graphic solutions or find a location at fastsigns.com. Follow the brand on
Twitter @FASTSIGNS, Facebook at facebook.com/FASTSIGNS or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/fastsigns. Franchise Research Institute has named FASTSIGNS a top sign and graphics franchise and has awarded the company certification as a 2015 World-Class Franchise for four consecutive years. www.fsfastsigns.com
FASTSIGNS International, Inc. is the largest sign and visual communications franchisor in North America, and is the worldwide franchisor of more than 640 independently owned and operated FASTSIGNS® centers in nine countries including the US, Canada, England, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Grand Cayman, Mexico and Australia (where centers operate as SIGNWAVE®). FASTSIGNS locations provide comprehensive sign and visual graphic solutions to help companies of all
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V e t erans in Franchising
Tu tor Doctor
With an extensive history of partnering with veterans, Tutor Doctor has announced a new campaign designed to provide military veterans with significant discounts on its franchise opportunity investment and territorial advantages in regions all over the world. Marketing with Veterans Business Services since the fall of 2014, Tutor Doctor is now offering veterans a chance to purchase a franchise with regional licensing rights for the price of a local license – a $5,000 discount. This regional license grants a veteran franchisee a protected territory, plus the ability to take on new customers across the state from non-licensed areas, essentially giving them free reign to grow his or her business. Spearheading Tutor Doctor’s push to drive veterans to the brand is Bob Rosedale, a 1984 graduate of the Virginia Military
“Mr. Rosedale and the Tutor Doctor team present enthusiasm and support for veterans all over the country, and provide them with special incentives and training.” Franchising USA
Supporting Veterans with Discounts and Training
Institute and Air Force veteran, and now Tutor Doctor Vice President of Operations. Rosedale is a former franchisee who brought the first Tutor Doctor business to the state of Idaho. With Mr. Rosedale’s transition to the corporate office, the Idaho Tutor Doctor is now a corporate-owned territory that will serve as a flagship operation to pilot new programs before rolling them out system-wide Mr. Rosedale came to Tutor Doctor in 2011 following a 26-year career in the military, retiring as a United States Air Force squadron commander around the same time. He served in a variety of assignments both in the United States and
“Spearheading Tutor Doctor’s push to drive veterans to the brand is Bob Rosedale, a 1984 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and Air Force veteran, and now Tutor Doctor Vice President of Operations.” overseas, holding the rating of Command Pilot and serving from 2006-2008 as the United States Defense Attache at the United States Embassy in Riyadh, the capital and most populous city of Saudi Arabia.
During his service in the United
Following his stint in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Rosedale served a second diplomatic tour in the same position, assigned this time to the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain from 2008-2011.
Force Base in Texas after working as the
States, Mr. Rosedale was the Deputy
Operations Group Commander (2002-03), Commander (2001-02) and Operations Officer (2000-01) of the 86th Flying Training Squadron at Laughlin Air
Chief of Operational Support of Airlift Operations and Training at the United
States headquarters at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany.
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Tu tor Doctor
“The company helps more than 200,000 people annually and covers more than 500 territories in 15 countries around the world.” He earned an M.S. in Systems Management from the University of Southern California in 1989. Mr. Rosedale connected with Tutor Doctor in 2011 to continue his drive for managing, educating and learning, all passions that he developed throughout his military career. Now, he is leading a regional Tutor Doctor team to ensure United States veterans receive professional, high quality training and a chance to succeed in business endeavors after stints of active duty. Tutor Doctor is the only franchise that present the opportunity to provide services across the western regions of the United States, which features 13 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. The company partners with veterans administrations throughout
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the country and exemplifies passion, support for veterans and proper strategies to recruit, train and retain the highest qualified tutors and educators for proper business management. Mr. Rosedale and the Tutor Doctor team present enthusiasm and support for veterans all over the country, and provide them with special incentives and training. In addition to providing students with tutoring in various subjects, families choose Tutor Doctor to help students get ahead and prepare for advanced challenges, such as honors classes that can help them get into preferred universities. With the launch of its ACT/SAT Success
Program, students have access to the best one-to-one, in-home test preparation and training in X-Skills, which Mr. Rosedale designed to help students build these organizational and “executive” skills to assist them in school and beyond. The company helps more than 200,000 people annually and covers more than 500 territories in 15 countries around the world. For more information on the Tutor Doctor franchise opportunity for veterans and to hear directly from Mr. Rosedale, visit www.veteransbusinessservices.us/ product-item/tutor-doctor/.
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Honoring Those Who Serve Through Our Special Veterans Franchise Program
INDEPENDENT • FLEXIBLE • PROVEN • GROWING • EFFICIENT • SUPPORTIVE
Grease Monkey International is proud to offer qualified military veterans a $10,000 discount on their initial Franchisee Fee! Veteran Member Incentives • Franchise License Fee discount • 50% Quarterly Royalty Rebate for the first 4 quarters after opening • 25% Quarterly Royalty Rebate for the second 4 quarters • 10% Quarterly Royalty Rebate ongoing compliance program Franchise Opportunities X Single Units X Multi Units X Territories
With over 39 years of proven success, Grease Monkey® has become one of the largest franchisors of automotive fast lube centers, with over 300 centers operating in the United States, China and Latin America. You’re In Business For Yourself, Not By Yourself! The Grease Monkey® System guides franchisees in all aspects of running a profitable automotive maintenance business through unparalleled support: • Site Selection & Negotiation • Third-Party Financing • Training (Initial, Ongoing and In-Store Employee Certification) • Marketing & Advertising • Business Management and Accounting • National Account Purchasing
For more information, visit: GreaseMonkeyFranchise.com CONTACT: Jeff King, Director of Franchise Development Phone: 800-364-0352 • Email: jking@greasemonkeyintl.com OR, Lori Schneider, Franchise Development Specialist Phone: 720-454-4412 • Email: loris@greasemonkeyintl.com
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ex per t advice
Kyle Zagrodzky, President, OsteoStrong
Clutter or Keeper: Five Habits to Dump or Save in the New Year
The New Year is a time of diet oaths, savings pledges, and the hope that this is actually the year to break a bad habit or two. New Years is a time to look at what works and what doesn’t, and attempt to purge habits that hurt us and the people around us. But what if, in addition to promising you will exercise more, you took stock of your professional habits as well?
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As the world focuses on hope and the idea of a renewed energy and fresh start, this is also a time to think about your biggest business habits and choose what to keep and what to leave behind.
Start with the things you can see Sometimes as franchises grow, the branding can get a little helter-skelter. A great new idea comes in, followed by a concept location that looks completely different from the others. Two years later, the branding colors, logo, and design are changed yet again. In this scenario, the
result isn’t necessarily better branding, but three different designs that probably don’t connect in the eyes of the consumer. Franchising is all about continuity, so this year, start prioritizing branding uniformity. Stop tweaking in the never ending search for perfection, and start systemizing. In a franchise, branding consistency is perfection.
Let go of the losses, but keep the education I have some bad news: If you own a business, at some point you are going to fail. Hard. You will forget something, neglect something, or fail to see something crucial that has the potential to haunt you until the end of your days. The one and only way to exorcise these failures is to
“This year, abandon the impulse to do it all and increase your will to have faith in people. After all, where would you be now if no one ever took a chance on you?” face them, understand where you went wrong, and turn them from plagues to benefactors. How? Stop obsessing over failures and turn them into the greatest prize in life—education. Beating yourself up and ruminating over mistakes gets you nowhere, and you’re likely to repeat the same blunders again and again. If you instead examine your shortcomings with the same eye as a gemologist looking for diamonds in the dirt, you’re going to find opportunities for growth. Ditch the guilt, take the education.
you don’t delegate, your business can never grow, and sometimes growth is essential to survival. If you have a hard time delegating, it’s probably because you think other people won’t do the task as well as you do, and you’re right. The thing is, they’ll never learn how to do something as well as you—or even better—if you don’t give them the chance. This year, abandon the impulse to do it all and increase your will to have faith in people. After all, where would you be now if no one ever took a chance on you?
Let go of the need to be everything to everyone, and strengthen your faith in people
Purge bad relationships, and nourish amazing ones
Whether you are the head of a massive franchise fleet or just starting out, one of the golden rules of business that some franchisees never let themselves learn is when to delegate. A lot of people think delegation is mostly about decreasing their workload, which is true, but not the entire story of why delegation is necessary. If
Sometimes it’s hard to cut ties in business, but chains to a toxic partnership can ruin your business—and your overall well being. If you have been stuck with someone who just can’t seem to get along, do a cost benefit analysis that goes beyond the financials. Is this bad relationship poisoning your company? How is it affecting morale across the board? Sometimes value is about more than dollars. If you are in business with a truly toxic person, whether it’s the person who cleans the windows or your twin brother and business partner, take a moment to imagine what your business would look like without them in it. If you do what it takes to set yourself free from toxic relationships in your business, everyone will benefit, and so will the bottom line. Even if the choice seems to cost in the short run, your company will benefit by leaps and bounds in the long run. Toxic energy is a quick and widespread contaminate, and no business can function optimally around it for long.
Get rid of sleepless nights, keep your sanity and health If you’ve been burning the midnight oil to “get it done,” now is the time to recognize
Kyle Zagrodzky
that slowly killing yourself is no way to run a business. Sure, sometimes we all have to buckle down and pull an allnighter, but regularly failing to take care of basic physical needs isn’t a long haul strategy with any hope of success. If you often skip meals and neglect a good night’s sleep, if you never exercise, or if you can’t remember the last time you looked at a vegetable, it’s time for an intervention. Business owners aren’t required to be paragons of health, but if you are the primary lifeblood of your business and your health is poor, how can your business thrive? Sacrificing your own well being because you’re working ends up undoing all the work you have done. This is the year to start treating yourself with more respect so that you have more good energy to give. Kyle Zagrodzky is president of OsteoStrong, the health and wellness system with a focus on stronger bones, improved strength, and better balance in less than 10 minutes a week using scientifically proven and patented osteogenic loading technology. OsteoStrong introduced a new era in modern wellness and anti-aging in 2011 and has since helped thousands of clients between ages 8 and 98 improve strength, balance, endurance, and bone density. In 2014, the brand signed commitments with nine regional developers to launch 500 new locations across America. Today, the OsteoStrong brand is staying true to its growth towards a brand with global reach with the addition of more franchise sales and new regional developers. www.osteostrong.me
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ex per t advice
Rick Bisio, A Franchise Coach
10 Reasons
Franchisors Should Share FDD’s ASAP disclosing their FDD very early in the discovery process, and many of them do! When it comes to interacting with prospective franchisees, honesty and transparency is always the best policy. Disclosing the FDD earlier than required by law can be advantageous to a franchisor’s business in the long run. Here are 10 reasons franchisors should always share their FDD early in the process:
1
It establishes trust
Rick Bisio
When someone is serious about buying a franchise, one of the first things they’ll want to see is the FDD, or Franchise Disclosure Document. Although this document does not provide all the information needed to make an educated decision, the FDD plays an important role when it comes to laying out the basics of the business model, history and health of the franchise system. The Federal Trade Commission rules that a prospective franchisee MUST receive the franchisor’s FDD at least 14 days before the prospective franchisee signs a franchise agreement or pays any money towards buying the franchise. However, there is no law against a franchisor
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Sharing the FDD early in the process is a demonstration of honesty and transparency, and reflects well on both the franchisor, as well as the franchise system as a whole. Greater transparency from the franchisor establishes trust between the franchisor and the prospective franchisee, letting them know there is nothing to hide.
2
It fosters good decisionmaking
Sharing the FDD early on helps prospects make a more informed decision. Unless the franchisor’s goal is to intentionally limit the prospective franchisee’s access to information, they can only benefit from sharing the FDD early. By allowing prospective franchisees the time to make an informed, smart decision for themselves, the franchisor is also minimizing the risk that this prospective franchisee will end up being a poor fit for the franchise.
3
It allows prospects to ask questions
Anyone making an investment knows they need to read all information thoroughly before investing them, and ask about
anything that seems unclear. Sharing the FDD early in the process allows prospects the time to ask more , and better, questions. Have you ever been in a situation where you only thought of a great question after you’d already left the room? Giving prospective franchisees all the time they need to look over the FDD, and ask as many questions as they need to, makes prospects feel more comfortable with their decision to move forward in the buying process.
4
It leads to long-term success
It’s clear that sharing the FDD earlier than required leads to better decisionmaking on the part of the prospective franchisee. This is a win-win for both the franchisor and the prospective franchisee as it heightens the potential for long-term success for everyone involved. If the prospective franchisee is a good fit, they will care about their work, leading to a successfully run franchise location and more profits across the board.
5
It shows people you don’t play games
Not sharing the FDD until the end of the process is a sales game. Franchisors who truly want to find great franchisees won’t play this game. Prospective franchisees are people with goals, just like anyone else, and taking advantage of them from a position of power shows the franchisor is really only after one thing — a quick sale. Sharing the FDD early shows that the franchisor is willing to work with the franchisees, and wants to see them succeed just as much as the franchise system as a whole.
“Sharing the FDD early shows that the franchisor is willing to work with the franchisees, and wants to see them succeed just as much as the franchise system as a whole.”
6
It gives you an edge It may sound surprising after reading
this list, but many franchisors don’t share their FDD until they absolutely have to. Not sharing the FDD until the end of
the process gives the impression that the franchise is secretive, and this is not a
good look as far as prospective franchisees are concerned. It not only frustrates
interested prospects, but it makes them wonder what the franchise could be
hiding? Providing easy access to their
FDD gives a franchisor an edge over their more secretive competitors.
7
It shows pride Sharing the FDD early in the
process demonstrates that the franchisor is proud of the franchise system. It
shows confidence in the system, and this
confidence will spread to the prospective franchisee, as well. If a franchise system
is strong, that will be reflected in the FDD. By proudly displaying the document on
the company website for anyone to view, they are telling the world they are proud
of what they have created and excited for others to come on board.
8
It shows strength
Not sharing the FDD until the end of the process gives the impression that your system is weak. If you aren’t sharing it upfront, people will wonder why. An easily accessible FDD can serve as confirmation to a prospective franchisee that they are making the right choice, and will assure them that there will be no surprises once they sign the contract. If you are confident in yourself, others will be too.
9
It lets you control the message
Sharing the FDD early on gives the franchisor the ability to control the message. Instead of the prospective franchisee having to search the internet for information that may or may not be correct, they’ll have it all right away, and in the way you want it disseminated. This also gives franchisors a chance to respond to past problems with the franchise or things on the FDD that don’t look so great, and reassure prospective franchisees that this should not sway their decision to buy.
10
It shows respect
Sharing the FDD right away demonstrates respect for the prospective franchisee and changes the discussion
from making the sale to developing a relationship with this future franchisee. Businesses work best when the whole team is happy, and the same goes for the franchise-franchisee relationship. The buying process works best when it is a discussion between business partners, not a sales pitch that leaves the prospect wondering what is being left out of the conversation. This is a big investment on the part of the franchisee, and showing respect will go a long way towards establishing a successful relationship from day one. As a franchise coach, I’ve seen a lot of the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to FDD disclosure and interactions between franchisors and their prospects. Make sure you’re on the good side of the spectrum, and try for honesty, integrity and respect towards your prospective franchisees. If you do, I guarantee you’ll be more successful for it. Rick Bisio is the Amazon-bestselling author of The Educated Franchisee, a leading franchise coach with FranChoice, co-host of Rick Bisio’s Franchise Focus, and the creator of the FDD Exchange and the Franchise Glossary. www.afranchisecoach.com
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Your Golden Opportunity Midas is a globally recognized leader in the tire and automotive service industry for nearly 60 years. We are looking for motivated people to become part of our Midas franchise family! Build your long-term success with a brand name customers know and trust. • Powerful local and national marketing $FFHVV WR QDWLRQDO µHHW DFFRXQWV WR KHOS \RXU EXVLQHVV JURZ • Ongoing training and support • Excellent point of sale and shop management systems
This advertisement does not constitute an offer of a franchise. A franchise offering can be made by us only in a state if we are first registered, excluded, exempted or otherwise qualified to offer franchises in that state, and only if we provide you with an appropriate franchise disclosure document. Franchises may not be available in all states.
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midasfranchise.com 800-365-0007
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.
Big O Tires® BIG O Is Your BIG Opportunity. With more than 50 years in the tire and automotive maintenance industry, Big O Tires® is proud to be a worldclass leader. As we continue to thrive in an ever-expanding market, we invite you to be a part of the exciting opportunities as a member of the Big O Tires® family. Big O Tires® is proud to be one of the most progressive tire and automotive service franchises in the nation. When you join our family, we supply you with a powerful set of tools to help bring your business to the front of the pack: This website and any request for information or forms are not a franchise offering or an offer to sell a franchise.
Business Finance Depot
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
• Leading name-brand recognition. • Experienced franchise system. • Competitive marketing strategies. • Dynamic and perpetuating consumer engagement • Comprehensive start-up training. • Sales guidance from a network of retail experts. • Multiple warehouses stocked to meet inventory demands. • National and regional meetings/conventions. • Access to exclusive marketing resources. • On-site visits and strong support from Franchise Business Consultants. Contact us today! www.bigofranchise.com
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Boulder designs
subdivision into a landmark. In addition, the flexibility of Boulder Designs allows you to transition from your job into business ownership gradually as you do not need employees or a store front to start off like other opportunities. If you are looking for a rewarding business, or developing a niche market, Boulder Designs® may be what you’re looking for. Contact: Butch Mogavero Phone: 844-247-2632 or Email: info@bordermagic.com -info@boulderdesigns.net Website: www.bordermagic.com -www.boulderdesigns.net
If you are looking to own your own business, or add a new product line to your existing business; then Border Magic® may be what you’re looking for. Border Magic® provides durable continuous concrete landscape edging, walkways, and decorative stepping stones that have the look and feel of real brick or stone. If you are looking for a rewarding career, Border Magic® may be what you’re looking for. Boulder Designs is a simple system with low entry cost and minimal inventory requirements. Our signage can turn any business, park, memorial, or
Clayton Kendall Clayton Kendall provides a simple, easy to use e-store platform that connects your franchisees to Clayton Kendall’s integrated front-to-back inventory management system allowing for the creation, production, fulfillment, distribution and shipping of all your marketing and sales materials (uniforms, signage, branded merchandise) to be controlled with a
simple click of a mouse. Clayton Kendall is the single source marketing solution for national franchises such as Massage Envy, Orange Theory Fitness, European Wax Center, and Blaze Pizza. Contact: Dan Broudy, CEO Email: dan@claytonkendall.com Phone: 412-798-7120 (1-888-799-4757) Website: claytonkendall.com
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Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids For more than 20 years, Cookie Cutters has offered an interactive haircut experience that both children and parents won’t soon forget. Upon entering the salons, neon lights lead children to an in-store playground where they can climb and slide. Come time for the haircut, each station on the cutting floor is outfitted with unique fantasy chairs
Coverall® Coverall is a leading franchised brand in the commercial cleaning industry and one of the most respected franchisors of professional office cleaning companies focused on killing germs, removing soil and helping to create cleaner, healthier work environments. We help people start their own franchised businesses using the Coverall® brand, and processes, so they may deliver commercial cleaning services to their customers. Coverall began in 1985 as a three-person company headquartered in San Diego, California and now supports more than 8,000 Franchised Businesses in 90 markets across the United States and Internationally. Those independently owned and operated franchised
Fastsigns® Now more than ever, businesses look to FASTSIGNS® for innovative ways to connect with customers in a highly competitive marketplace. Our high standards for quality and customer service have made FASTSIGNS the most recognized brand in the industry, driving significantly more traffic to the web than any other sign company. We also lead in these important areas: • #1 Ranked Sign Franchise in Entrepreneur Magazine Franchise 500 three years in a row • Franchise Business Review FBR50 Franchisee Satisfaction Award 2006-2015 • Franchise Research Institute World Class Franchise 2011-2015
businesses and their employees professionally clean over two million square feet of commercial office space every day. With Coverall, becoming your own boss is easier than you might think, no experience necessary, and financing is available! Our Initial Training Program emphasizes franchised business operations and professional commercial cleaning tools and techniques, helping prepare you to run your business. The Coverall® Program sets the bar higher for healthy cleaning and differentiates Coverall franchised businesses from traditional janitorial service providers in the market. Start your franchised business with the leader in healthier office cleaning! Website: www.coverall.com/franchise-opportunities
• Franchise Research Institute #1 Rated Sign & Graphics Franchise 2014-2015 • CFA Franchisees’ Choice Designation 2004-2015 • FASTSIGNS is one of only a handful of franchises approved for $21 million in SBA financing for approved franchise candidates FASTSIGNS has over 400 markets approved for development in the US and Canada and is also seeking Master or Area Developer expansion in markets worldwide. For more information: Phone: 1-214-346-5679 Email: mark.jameson@fastsigns.com Or visit our Website: www.fastsigns.com
Foot Solutions
• Satisfaction of Helping Others
What Are You Looking For In A Business?
• Opportunities from $85,000 - $240,000 Single and Multi-unit
• Reasonable Hours • High Margins • Low Labor Requirements • High Consumer Retention • Not Impacted by Economy • Not Seasonal • Fastest-growing Market Age 40+
FRANFUND FranFund provides a comprehensive set of funding solutions for your new or expanding business including our exclusive FranFundSelect® program which provides working capital loans for up to $150,000. This program enables lightning fast approvals and funding in 5 to 7 business days or less with no personal assets, no SBA guaranty fee, no training certificate required, and minimal paperwork.
Franchising USA
– from race cars to motorcycles, firetrucks to airplanes – as well as televisions for the kids to watch shows or play video games. With a balloon, sucker and a smile at the end of each haircut, the Cookie Cutters experience is designed to keep children coming back again and again. Contact: Neal Courtney Phone: (801) 232-5697 Email: neal@haircutsarefun.com Website: www.haircutsarefun.com
Foot Solutions is the world’s largest specialty wellness franchise focused exclusively on helping people feel good from the feet up. For more information, visit www.footsolutions.com, email fscorp@footsolutions.com, or call 770-916-5997.
Our team of funding experts are here to work with you to create a customized capitalization solution for your specific situation, whether you’re launching a new business or expanding a current one. After all, it’s our mission to get your business up and funded in a fraction of the time! Phone:817-730-4500 Fax:817-546-1291 Website: www.franfund.com Email: info@franfund.com Contact:ksenay@franfund.com
Generation NEXT Franchise Brands At Generation NEXT we are focused on changing the landscape of the vending industry and continually strive to redefine the purchase experience between machine and consumer. Across all of our franchise concepts, innovation, technology and evolution are at the core of our business approach. From our revolutionary and groundbreaking Reis
Grease Monkey® Grease Monkey® centers provide preventive maintenance services and light mechanical repair services that help customers meet vehicle manufacturers’ recommendations and warranty requirements.
& Irvy’s Robotic FroYo machine, the world’s first ever frozen yogurt served by robotic technology, to our concept that pioneered the movement of healthy options; Fresh Healthy Vending which introduced healthy options to a sugar-filled industry, we are innovators and developers of the future of the vending industry. Contact: Paul Schmidt Phone: (888) 902-7558 Email: marketing@gennextbrands.com Website: www.gennextbrands.com
customers make educated, informed decisions about maintaining their vehicles in a comfortable, no-pressure setting. For more information contact:
Our Less Hassle, More Hustle customer service approach is designed to help
Jeff King, Director of Franchise Development Phone: 303-308-1660 Email: jking@greasemonkeyintl.com www.greasemonkeyfranchise.com
franchising usa
Excellent for branding and recognition.
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.
International Franchise Professionals Group
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
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.
Kid to Kid
why Franchise Grade ranked Kid to Kid as the #12 Best Franchise for 2015.
For more than 20 years, Kid to Kid franchisees have been a fixture in their local communities, serving parents and families with growing kids. This recession-thriving store concept allows parents to sell their outgrown kids clothes and buy gently-worn toys, clothes, and baby gear at affordable prices. Kid to Kid stores provide a bright, clean, and upscale experience for customers that result in nearly 70% gross margins to the franchisee. With more than 117 stores in operation and a track record of solid franchisee earnings, it’s easy to see
Oil Changes & More
Kid to Kid is seeking energetic individuals with great management skills who want to make a difference in their community while earning a living. Our owners enjoy operational, technical, marketing, and financial support from our corporate headquarters and a great community of successful store owners who work together to continually improve. For more information call our business development team: 801 359 0071 ext 100, or email sales@bcfranchise.com.
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Impact Permitting Impact Permitting has announced the launch of its franchise model for the state of Florida in response to the sharp increase in building throughout the state. Franchise opportunities, with an exceptional business model, extensive class room and inthe-field training and consistent ongoing support, are being offered to qualified candidates. Initial investment is $35,000 with little additional start-up costs as the franchise can be operated initially out of one’s home. No prior construction or permitting experience is needed. Impact Permitting helps companies and individuals
Phone: 561-440-1001 Website: www.impactpermitting.com Email: info@impactpermitting.com Contact: Nadine Austerfield
Little Caesars
continue to receive support, expert analysis and consultation from corporate as their business grows.
Little Caesars offers strong franchisee candidates opportunities in select locations across the country. As America’s fastest growing pizza chain, Little Caesars provides candidates an opportunity for independence with a proven system, a simple operating model and strong national brand recognition.
Little Caesars’ requires candidates desiring to open one store to have a net worth of $150,000 with a minimum of $50,000 in liquid, unencumbered assets (such as cash). Franchisees must also be able to obtain financing to cover the total costs of opening a franchised location.
Franchisees benefit from a comprehensive training program that focuses on all aspects of the business, including training, architectural and construction services to help with design, preferred lenders to assist with financing, the ongoing research and development of new products, and effective marketing programs. Franchisees
Le Macaron Development LLC Le Macaron French Pastries boutiques bring luxury to life with French macarons, gourmet chocolates and more. Our signature French macaron includes the best ingredients to create tasty, sweet morsels of crisp meringue and fillings made with gluten-free ingredients and no preservatives. The result? A delicate, sophisticated delicacy that invites customers to appreciate the quality of a thing done right. With a unique no-bake concept, Le Macaron Development LLC is poised for national growth in premier franchise locations alongside our more than 40 current
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 over 40 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 communities, 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
Franchising USA
through the maze of government rules and regulations that cover the permitting process by representing them at government permitting offices. Impact Permitting has grown from a small business with just three customers in 2006, to a prosperous business with a large and growing client base, comprised of both local and national companies, with a reputation earned by striving to provide the highest levels of service and care.
For the sixth year in a row, Little Caesars was named “Best Value in America”* of all quick-serve restaurant chains. Phone: 800-553-5776 Email: USdevelopment@LCEcorp.com Website: www.LittleCaesars.com
locations. Our modern, attractive boutiques are typically housed within 800 to 1,000 square feet, ideal for outdoor shopping centers, enclosed malls, tourist areas and a variety of different high foot traffic site options. Along with eat-in and carryout options, franchisees can also provide custom and pre-packaged gift selections as well as catering and delivery services. For more information visit www.lemacaron-us.com/franchise-available Contact: Kathe Moore Phone: 941-685-2334 Email: kathemoore@lemacaron-us.com Website: www.lemacaron-us.com
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.
while dozens of locally owned franchises validate the Our Town America concept as a viable business opportunity. Franchisees are neighborhood 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 Franchise Business Review Top 50 Franchise making them the only Advertising brand to land a spot in the 10-year Hall of Fame and the sole company to be crowed Franchise Business Review’s Top Company. Website: http://www.ourtownamerica.com Email: franchising@ourtownamerica.com
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.
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.
PIRTEK USA PIRTEK is the fluid transfer solutions leader in sales and service and the only franchise of its kind in the United States. With more than 30 years of experience in this field, PIRTEK boasts more than 400 Service & Supply Centers and a fleet of Mobile Service Vehicles in 23 countries. Powered by an industry-leading approach to sales and service and backed by a corporate center passionate about its franchisees and customers, PIRTEK offers unmatched service and logistics. This is a sales-driven, service-based business that
Remedy Intelligent Staffing Remedy Intelligent Staffing and Westaff offer premier workforce management services, including recruiting and screening professional job candidates, payroll and time attendance management, on-site supervision, and specialty staffing solutions to a wide variety of client companies, including manufacturing, industrial, clerical, administrative, accounting, finance, information technology, and professional 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
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
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
focuses on repairing and maintaining hydraulic- and pneumatic-powered machines. Although the brand might sound like an opportunity better suited for someone who can work a wrench, it’s a business well-matched for entrepreneurs who understand the value of building relationships and are prepared to capitalize on the opportunity to thrive wherever industrial equipment is used—and it is used virtually everywhere. For more information contact: Gwyn T. O’Kane, CFE, Vice President of Franchise Development, PIRTEK USA Phone: 321.504.4422 Email: gokane@pirtekusa.com Website: www.pirtekusa.com
Our team of experts in human resources, technology, risk management, and labor and employment law, ensure that we deliver on our commitment to consistently provide dependable, and flexible employees to meet and exceed our clients’ needs. Contact: Steve Mills, President 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
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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.
Sports Clips Established in 1993 and franchised in 1995, Sport Clips is one of the nation’s leading franchises with more than 1,500 stores nationwide. Founder and CEO Gordon Logan is a pioneer of the unique sports-themed haircutting franchise, including the development of the Sport Clips All-Star haircutting systems, operating procedures, and marketing programs. It’s a great recession-resistant business that’s all cash, no receivables, and no haircare industry experience is necessary.
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
FORBES as a “Top Ten Best Franchise” to buy for its investment category. Qualified veterans who are interested in owning a Sport Clips are eligible for a 20 percent discount off of Sport Clips’ franchise fee of $59,500 through participation in the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative, also known as VetFran, which was created in 1991 during the Gulf War. At Sport Clips, it’s good to be a guy but it’s great to be an owner! Visit sportclipsfranchise.com to learn more. For more information, contact Karen Young:
Sport Clips is ranked by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 20 “Fastest-Growing Franchises” and in the top 20 in the “Franchise 500.” It is also ranked by
Email: franchise.recruitment@sportclips.com Phone: (800) 872-4247 x. 1 Website: www.sportclipsfranchise.com
Sprout Financial
as we work from STATED information and your good personal credit history.
Sprout specifically created this financial program to help new & existing Franchise owners. We strive to ensure you have the working capital needed to promote a thriving business.
Contact: Russell Hibbert Phone: 800.358.1052 Email: contact@sproutfin.com
NO collateral required, NO financials submitted
Website: www.sproutfin.com
Sunny Days In-Home Care
marketing, operation practices, market analysis, plus ongoing training.
Sunny Days In-Home Care is a leading provider of nonmedical, in-home personal care service for seniors and disabled adults. Founded in 2011, the Pittsburgh-based franchise company is focused on providing high-quality assistance to those who aren’t able to care for themselves so they can continue to live a dignified and independent life.
In addition, Sunny Days also offers franchisees a contribution of $10,000 of their initial franchise fee toward grand-opening marketing efforts. As part of the rapidly growing senior care industry, Sunny Days stands apart from its competitors by offering one of the lowest startup costs and highest care fulfillment rates in the industry.
With an experienced development team that has nurtured and grown multiple locations over the years, Sunny Days extends that same high-quality assistance to its franchisees by offering assistance with startup,
Contact: John Bennett Phone: 724-260-5186 Email: info@sunnydaysinhomecare.com Website: http://sunnydaysfranchise.com
The Interface Financial Group – IFG 50/50
• 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.
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
Franchising USA
Excellent for branding and recognition.
www.interfacefinancial.com
The Pizza Press Founded in 2012, The Pizza Press is a fast casual, build-your-own pizzeria.
The franchise program is a natural outgrowth of The Pizza Press team’s commitment to encouraging small business owners and fostering positive relationships with everyone.
Guests are encouraged to design their own pizza, complete with unlimited toppings, or choose from popular pizzas flavored after regional newspapers, including “The Times”, “The Tribune”, and “The Chronicle.”
Together with their franchisees, the team will continue to build on the respected brand of The Pizza Press and bring newsworthy pizza across the country.
From its fresh ingredients and locally sourced craft beer to its specialty-designed pizzas and “build your own” concept, The Pizza Press is revolutionizing America’s favorite food.
Contact: Cassidy Raynor 214-295-4532 craynor@franchisedynamics.net www.ThePizzaPress.com
TopFire Media
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.
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.
Uptown Cheapskate At Uptown Cheapskate, we buy and sell stylish clothing for teens and twenty-somethings in a fastpaced, upscale retail environment that enjoys nearly 70% gross margins. Our inventory changes every day as our stores hand-select current fashions and price them using Uptown Cheapskate’s proprietary software. Our ideal candidates pair their love of fashion with management experience, and are energetic leaders to their store teams. Our franchise owners are trained in person at corporate headquarters and in internship stores, and are given access to a robust training portal for franchisees and store employees. This tool is best-
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.
Phone: (708) 249-1090 Fax: (708) 957-2395 Website: www.topfiremedia.com Email: info@topfiremedia.com Contact: Matthew Jonas
in-class and allows new employees and franchisees to rapidly learn the ins and outs of the business. You’ll also receive personalized operational support, professional marketing design, and assistance with everything from site selection to financing to operational tools. Explore our award-winning franchise that has rapidly grown to more than 50 locations across the United States, and learn why our franchisees find financial and personal fulfillment as Uptown Cheapskate store owners. For more information call our business development team: 801 359 0071, ext 100, or email: sales@bcfranchise.com
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.
VBS offers multiple marketing methods that have proven effective with helping franchise organizations with their expansion plans. Utilizing custom email marketing
Contact: James Mingey Phone: 202-349-0860 Email: info@veteransbusinessservices.us Website: www.veteransbusinessservices.us
franchising usa
Excellent for branding and recognition.
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.
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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