Mobile supp july 2015 franchising usa 3#9 3

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FranchisingFeature spo m o brts ile & fitnesss

jjuunly e 2015

gametruck

America’s premiere mobile entertainment franchise

the mobile

food truck

revolution

Drive Your Success Franchising USA

m o b i l e fr a nch isi ng

what’s new!

Apex Fun Run increases funding for US schools with unique school fundraising model

As federal, state and local governments continue to slash school funding budgets and overworked parents and administrators struggle to raise important funds that help with the most basic of needs inside the classroom—Arizona based franchise, Apex Fun Run has increased funding for schools across the United States over 100% year over year using their unique school fund-raising model.

This mobile franchise model is on pace to raise over 6 million dollars for schools across 16 states for the 2014/2015 fiscal year.

With over 56 franchisees in 16 states this company is reshaping the school fundraiser model. Gone are the days of hawking cookie dough and wrapping paper—Apex Fun Run earns on average $23,000 per school per Fun Run event held.

The concept is simple, Apex Fun Run franchisees collaborate with school PTO/As and faculty, and produce a meaningful

and “hassle-free” school fun run that is financially successful and builds leadership and fitness values in the students who participate.

Between a pep rally, teacher competitions and awareness building over two weeks, the momentum will culminate with the Fun Run on the last day of Apex’s time at each school. Kids run laps on a special course set up by Apex and friends, parents and family donate per lap.

“It’s a win-win for schools,” said Apex Fun Run Vice President of Franchise Development, Jeremy Barnhart. “We handle the heavy lifting, worry about all the details and the schools are the ones who get the money they so desperately need.” www.apexfunrun.com/franchising-with-apex

Coverall Celebrates 30 Years of Clean Throughout 2015, Coverall North America, Inc. is celebrating 30 Years of Clean, a major milestone that marks the company’s 30th anniversary.

Started as a three-person company headquartered in San Diego, Calif. in 1985, the company is now a leading global brand in the commercial cleaning franchising industry. Over the years, Coverall’s passion and mission have remained consistent: To promote economic growth and independence for a diverse group of business owners by providing franchised business ownership opportunities. Today, the Coverall® System supports more than 8,000 Franchised Business Owners in 90 markets through local Coverall Support Centers in the United States and worldwide.

In 1989, the company launched the trade

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name Coverall Cleaning Concepts®, and in 1999 relocated its headquarters to South Florida. Coverall then introduced its proprietary cleaning program and rebranded in 2008 as Coverall HealthBased Cleaning System® with an emphasis on helping reduce the spread of illness-causing germs in commercial and healthcare environments.

“Our franchisees’ dedication to healthy cleaning sets the bar higher and differentiates the Coverall brand from the rest of the industry,” said Ascolese.

“Coverall provides local business support and an elevated level of professional training to franchisees through our Support Centers in every market. It’s a unique model that is focused solely on supporting their businesses.” www.coverall.com.

New WOW 1 DAY PAINTING franchise partner brings military precision to business Mike Sandness is a 20-year veteran of the Air National Guard and one of the newest franchise owners in the WOW 1 DAY PAINTING fleet.

The owner of the new Minneapolis franchise, Sandness’ military background fits well with the business’s model that promises customers completed paint jobs in one day, without sacrificing quality.

Following his retirement, Sandness began looking into different franchising opportunities and was impressed by WOW 1 DAY PAINTING. “The branding drew me in. I had done some market research into the painting industry and learned that it is very fragmented. I knew the exceptional branding and customer service offered by the company was something different,” says Sandness.

Sandness was a Master Sergeant at the Air National Guard and attributes many of his business skills to his military experience.

From building rapport with his crew to ensuring jobs are executed on time, Sandness uses his military background daily to deliver

exceptional service to his customers in Minneapolis.

The Minneapolis franchise is one of five new franchises recently added to the system. WOW 1 DAY PAINTING is actively searching for new franchisees in major markets across Canada and the United States. www.wow1day.com/franchise/.

Global Garage Flooring® & Design Opens Up Two New Franchises in Dallas & Detroit to an exclusive offering of top of the line powder coated wood cabinetry.

These openings add to the current locations in New Jersey, Colorado, Minnesota, San Antonio and Vancouver, BC. “With franchisees in these new locations, we will continue to offer only the best products available,” says CEO, Lance Jensen.

“Our products have been installed on thousands of applications throughout North America, and have been extensively tested to certify their outstanding performance.”

Global Garage Flooring® and Design, one of the premier garage refinishing and coating companies in North America, has announced the opening of two new mobile franchises in Dallas, Texas, and Detroit, Michigan.

Through its network of dealers and franchisees, Global Garage Flooring® and Design offers complete garage remodeling solutions, ranging from: custom industrial concrete floor coatings

Global Garage Flooring® & Design also specializes in inlays, cabinets and storage solutions and their systems can also be used for restaurants, kitchens, mud rooms, basements, commercial bathrooms, airport hangers, walkways, patios, warehouses, parking garages, pool surrounds, shopping centers, galleries, and much more.

Global Garage Flooring® & Design is currently seeking to expand its national network of Global Garage® Franchisees with individuals who are ready to succeed on their own terms. www.globalgarageflooring.com

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what’s new!

You Move Me’s new online booking system improves job leads for franchisees Customers enter a set of pre-defined criteria such as their address,

square footage of their home and number of rooms, and You Move Me’s online booking system returns an instant, accurate quote

for the move. Almost immediately after the launch of the online

booking engine in late 2014, there was a tremendous upswing in

the number of jobs booked. A 288% increase in jobs booked was noted when comparing Q1 2015 and Q1 2014.

“The booking engine allows franchise partners to more efficiently manage operations so they can better serve their customers, and

effectively grow their business,” says Brian Scudamore, Founder and CEO, You Move Me. You Move Me, the third brand in serial entrepreneur Brian Scudamore’s group of home-service franchises, is pioneering a new standard in customer service in the moving industry.

You Move Me is a high-tech take on the traditional family

movers’ model, using an innovative online booking engine to streamline the job-booking process.

The You Move Me business model takes advantage of sister company 1-800-GOT-JUNK?’s existing infrastructure—a

framework honed and perfected by Scudamore over more than

two decades. The online system is even used to provide customers with specialty hot beverages the morning of their move.

www.youmoveme.com/ca/franchising/the-opportunity.

Lifestyle and Fashion Brand, BookATailor, Launches #SmartTailor Car Services Nationwide BookATailor, an innovative pioneer in custom bespoke menswear, is now launching the #SmartTailor service - a new way for men to shop and get shirts and suits with an exact fit (with little work).

Here’s how the process works: • The #SmartTailor car will frequent around major cities, where men can easily flag down the car (like a cab), get their measurements taken and have a custom suit/shirt delivered to their doorstep.

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• A BookATailor driver/styling genius

takes an 18 point measurement through a tablet and builds the customer a bespoke profile that is stored on file. Next, the

customer then chooses what fabrics he

wants, and goes through styling options of his selection. Then, once the order is

placed, the customer receives his bespoke clothing in under four weeks.

• The car service will also act as an

“Uber,” where people can call the car

service and have a driver come to their

home or place of office within minutes.

With being vertically integrated, BookATailor cuts out the middleman, which allows for them to offer the highest quality at the most affordable prices, which lie far below those of competitors.

Two custom shirts retail for $99, four custom shirts retail for $179, one custom suit retail for $450, and one custom suit and two custom shirts retail for $499. www.bookatailor.com

START YOUR BUSINESS TODAY!

800.537.3371

WWW.COVERALL.COM

®

5 Reasons

Why a Coverall Franchised Business Might Be A Good Fit For You. Life is full of opportunities and people start businesses every day. Like so many, you’re probably trying to figure which step to take next. You know you have the drive and the passion to make it happen. But, you’re looking for the right fit. Which is good, because we’re looking for men and women who have the right stuff.

Here are 5 reasons to consider a Coverall Franchised Business*:

1. An In-Demand Service 2. It Doesn’t Take Much to Start 3. No Experience Needed.

4. Start Quick.

5. We’re Here for You.

With Coverall, it can be easy to become your own boss.

Learn more at coverall.com

“After 15 years in business, my wife and I look back on the moment we realized we could do this and laugh to ourselves – we did it!”

Martel Brown, United States Army Veteran Coverall Franchised Business Owner (not pictured in advertisement)

*This offering is made by prospectus only. See Franchise Disclosure Document for details.

This year 2015 marks the 30th anniversary for Coverall North America, Inc., a leading franchised brand in the commercial cleaning industry. Today more than 40,000 customers system-wide are serviced by Coverall Franchised Businesses using the Coverall® Program and Core 4® Process.

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C over S tor y - gamet ruck

GameTruck!

The driving force behind America’s premiere mobile entertainment franchise

Founder and CEO Scott Novis, and President David Bauer are on mission to set a new standard for an already unique franchise business.

GameTruck is a mobile entertainment franchise focused on delivering a one of a kind experience for customers. GameTruck rigs are rolling gaming mega centers with enough TVs and gaming consoles to host an event of up to 20 participants. The concept is centered on the idea of bringing people together through social video game play.

“You play with the people you love most and want to spend time with, family and friends, not strangers or by yourself. We feel that this experience creates lasting

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memories . Video games are just the tools we use to craft this experience.

Here at GameTruck we call it Delivering Excitement.” – Scott Novis, Founder and CEO Simply put, GameTruck is the largest in the mobile gaming franchise world.

Scott and David are the driving force in competing against themselves and improving what is already widely considered the premium experience in this industry. They have both focused on helping and developing franchisees in new markets, but also have taken a hard look at the health of the current franchisees and how to improve the opportunity on both sides.

New franchise owners are benefiting from a large reduction in cost to manufacture the best in class GameTruck trailer, making the quick start up even more reasonable. They’ve also developed smarter and more efficient franchise

recruitment strategies to make sure GameTruck is partnering with the perfect franchisees for this concept.

“This is a people business. More than the games and fun, the person to person interaction of a GameTruck party is what sets us apart from the rest. That is why finding the right people that share our vision, our enthusiasm, and our passion for serving others is vitally important to the ongoing success of GameTruck” – David Bauer, President Current GameTruck franchise owners right now are involved with a gamechanging partnership with Nintendo of America for a marketing program called Summer of Splatoon. Aligning itself with one of the most iconic brands in video games, GameTruck has benefited from the increased awareness of helping to launch Nintendo’s new multiplayer game Splatoon. Additionally, GameTruck has set up new programs with Batteries Plus and

“This is a people business. More than the games and fun, the person to person interaction of a GameTruck party is what sets us apart from the rest.”

ADP to give their franchise owners better deals and more tools to help them run lean.

Scott and David have also launched a new SEO optimized website GameTruck.com, coupled with a revamped national sales team, to help current franchise owners book more parties. And once a party is booked, everything is managed through an easy to use online booking system.

in Los Angeles for the E3 video game conference. At E3, the biggest companies and game makers show off the latest and greatest in technology and new games.

Being front and center at these events, experiencing everything first hand helps GameTruck stay on top of the industry and make sure they have the latest and greatest of equipment for their franchisees.

“GameTruck franchise owners can work from anywhere, not tethered to an office, so having a centralized booking system helps franchise owners keep on schedule no matter where they are. GameTruck does not have a “delivery window”, we show up when and where you scheduled your party on time, every time.” – David Bauer, President

“You don’t have to be a ‘gamer’ to be a franchise owner of GameTruck. Many of our franchisees just like working with people and rely heavily on us to make sure we keep up with the industry and have the best innovations for every GameTruck party. E3 is a wonderful event for companies to showcase what’s coming out next. Being in attendance not only helps GameTruck get that information early but gives us the opportunity to experience it in person.” – Scott Novis, Founder and CEO

Scott and David also spend a great deal of time on the road finding new innovations for GameTruck or building stronger relationships with franchise owners. Just last month the GameTruck team was

The team also logs some serious frequent flyer miles doing in market visits with

franchise owners. Most franchise systems choose a designee for this taxing task of going to each individual unit. GameTruck franchise owners get unprecedented access to the two individuals most responsible for the future direction of the company. Even when not in market, Scott and David are always just a call away to step in and help drive success for their owners.

GameTruck today has 70+ franchises in 35 states, and has experienced 6 consecutive years of growth. Most would already call that a success, to Scott Novis and David Bauer of GameTruck, “We are just getting started.”

To learn more about the GameTruck franchise opportunity visit www.GameTruckfranchising.com.

To find the closest GameTruck franchise near you, visit GameTruck.com and book a party today.

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Featu re

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

Mobile franchising

e r u t Fea

Over the last decade Mobile Franchising has grown into a new type of business that includes a variety of products and services. Services that were once assumed stationary are now taking flight and moving from client to client to cover a bigger area of consumers.

Mobile business reaches above and beyond the pizza delivery truck and has adjusted to the immediacy of consumers and time constraints of businesses.

People are busy and live in two income families, time is precious and mobile businesses help people save time. The demand of the economy is convenience and mobile companies provide easy solutions that do not waste people’s energy and help them enjoy life.

Franchisees who are interested in taking the wheel and being directly involved in their investment would be interested in mobile business. Though it usually caters to the client’s demands, it creates a lot of flexibility for the owner.

Not everyone is interested in working in a specifically laid out office, mobile

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business allows people the freedom of the road, while also learning a new skill in their area of passion. This type of franchise not only works with clients directly but can also be extended into the field of business to business, helping gain more profit, while also retaining reliable clients.

Lawn Care services Though everyone loves keeping up with the Jones’, they do not want it to take any effort. Lawn care and gardening services takes a green thumb and a lot of time and experience. People want to have great curb appeal but they aren’t interested in doing it themselves.

With an aging population, lawn care is in high demand. As people age, maintaining their gardening can become difficult but still remains a necessary house chore.

Younger generations are busy and do not have the time.

There has been a constant increase in lawn care demands over the last decade.

According to a study performed by the National Gardening Association in 2006, homeowners spent $44 billion on professional landscape services. Dual income families with a larger amount of disposable income are more willing to have someone else provide a service and allow them to enjoy time away from work more leisurely.

This industry can also be used business to business. In fact some franchises already have recognition with top brands,

creating an immediate and recognizable client base from store opening.

Mobile Gaming and Party Services Why not have a party come to you?

Nowadays parents don’t have time to plan their kid’s parties but they do have income to help support one. Again, faced with time constraints, we want others to take care of everything for us.

People want a truly unique and different experience and they are competing with other local parties.

Franchises have seized this opportunities and recognized a profitable opening.

Franchises offer entertainment to guests in a low-stress environment. Hosts get to enjoy the experience with their guests, rather than rush around trying to keep everyone happy.

Businesses offer packages that cover all of the needs to throw a party with an extra entertainment factor. Whether it’s face painting and a clown for a classic party feel or blow up castles and video games- this industry explores a lot of means to keep the party planning easy, creative and extremely fun.

Again, this is an opportunity to reach clients at a cooperate level. Christmas parties, graduations, community events are all business opportunities. The services are not limited to preschool parties, but rather a huge client base.

A lot of franchises offer an assortment

“The freedom and diversity you will gain by hitting the road and visiting your clients could be the change of scenery you are looking for.�

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of rentals for people to throw their own entertainment, while also providing a full package of service.

There are parties that offer day spas, space theme, reptile displays for a zoo theme event, sports and bouncy castles- the list is actually endless. Whatever peaks a kid’s interest is available to parents and parents can book for a more adult evening, if they prefer.

Takeout and Delivery Restaurants Restaurants that offer takeout and delivery service are the original mobile service. It was one of the first businesses to remove its product from the premises and bring it to the door of the consumer, opening a window into a new service.

This type of franchise can include catering, which helps open the doors to a wider range of events and costumers.

However, this type of service is sometimes limited to groups of people in order to be the most beneficial and profitable.

With families working five days a week and sometimes parents having different schedules, delivery offers a guaranteed meal and a quick solution to the dreaded “what’s for supper?” question on everyone’s mind. According to the National Restaurant Association’s 2009 Industry Fact sheet, 69 per cent of adults stated take-out and delivery makes it easier for them to manage their day-today lives.

It’s a tried and true business method that has become a familiar habit in American society. In fact in 2013, 24 per cent of families admitted to ordering delivery or take-out two to three times a week.

Only two per cent stated they do not order delivery at all.

Some franchises are fully functioning restaurants that offer either delivery or takeout or both, while some businesses only offer mobile services without a stationed location for sit down meals. Like most mobile franchises, a great initiative to this type of service is a low startup fee. There is no building or construction involved, creating a smaller purchase price.

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“For the most part cleaning franchises are mobile companies. They travel from house to house or office to office” Cleaning Franchises For the most part cleaning franchises are mobile companies. They travel from house to house or office to office. Well-known companies that work business to business have established a great clientele with other well-known brands that adds value to a franchise and a committed source of revenue. A lot of the time, cleaning companies have established contracts with other businesses before opening, guaranteeing a huge customer base.

Some companies work in specific specialties, such as carpet cleaning or textile cleaning, while most companies usually offer an overall experience with different options. This type of business usually has a low start up fee and gives the franchisee a lot of work- life balance and flexibility. This type of service is usually scheduled and can work around the owner’s lifestyle and not be reliant on the customer’s immediate needs.

Pest Control This service obviously has to be done site on scene and it is one of the mobile services that would require specific training and understanding of systems to properly execute the service to the best quality. However, training is simple and most Pest Control franchises are wellestablished and readily available to the franchisees.

Pest Control companies’ revenue have increased over the last five years, due to

prevalence and awareness of bed bugs.

More and more people are requiring pest control services simply because the bed bug epidemic has become a public health concern. Business is booming from hotel requests in particular, creating a greater customer base for franchises.

Concerns about bed bugs have lead to specific regulations that forces companies to seek extermination services in order to remain open. Pest control isn’t all about bed bugs, but they offer a variety of services and different infestations create different demands.

With $2 billion in revenue that is continuously increasing, it’s safe to say that while other suffer from bed bugs, the industry is truly benefitting.

Though Mobile franchises make franchisees dependent on their employees, if owners are not interested in being behind the wheel it can lead to a very flexible lifestyle. With the majority of franchises offer low fees, it’s an interesting concept for first-time entrepreneurs.

People have control over their success and can grow their business with expansion and seeking out more and more clients.

This is a small window into the world of mobile, people have very busy lifestyles with a lot of demands and they expect more and more services to come to them.

It’s a busy world and it’s always on the move, why not invest in the lifestyle with a moving franchise?

About the author: After receiving an English Degree, followed by a Journalism Diploma, Gina 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.

Look out for our next special feature:

Children’s Product and Services Franchising USA

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John Ferracuti, Vice President & General Manager, Bin There Dump That

Drive Your Success:

Why A Mobile Franchise May Be a Great Move For Your Career Are you interested in taking your career in a new direction but don’t want to end up in a similar place?

Are you a business leader who has grown tired of inter-office politics, expensive overhead costs and being stuck in a rut – or worse, in a cubicle? Then a mobile franchise opportunity may be perfect for you and your future.

What Is A Mobile Franchise?

Mobile franchise operators literally bring their products or services to their clients instead of the other way around. Their vehicles are their storefronts and their showrooms, and everyone in their territory is a potential customer, not just people who stroll by their buildings.

Still not sure what a mobile franchise is?

Then think back to when you were a kid and the ice cream truck would come down your block – that was probably your first interaction with a mobile franchise.

“Think back to when you were a kid and the ice cream truck would come down your block – that was probably your first interaction with a mobile franchise.”

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“Mobile franchise operators literally bring their products or services to their clients instead of the other way around.”

Since then, mobile businesses have diversified and evolved. Today, they take many different forms and offer many different services. For example, there are trucks that move furniture, cars that deliver food, vans that provide pet grooming and trailers that host video gaming sessions (or workout sessions, if you prefer). There are even wagons that host weddings.

What Are The Benefits of Mobile Franchises?

Clearly, mobile franchises have become ubiquitous and numerous. Fortunately, they can also make you quite prosperous. That’s because they combine all the advantages of franchising — a proven business model, a built-in support network, established name recognition, territorial flexibility and enhanced purchasing power — with tremendous flexibility and substantially reduced expenses.

Compared with traditional brick-andmortar franchises, mobile franchises offer the following benefits:

Lower startup and overhead costs One of the most expensive initial and ongoing components of any business is real estate. For retail and food franchises, real estate can prove especially costly as they need to be located in malls, shopping centers and other areas with heavy traffic – and heavy rents. If you also include the costs of renovating and maintaining a brick-and-mortar location, the price of real estate can prove astronomical.

Greater flexibility When you’re a mobile franchise operator, every day is different. You won’t spend week after week staring at the same walls

or locked in the same conference room — you can get out of the office!

It’s important to spend time with customers, establish a presence in your community and otherwise allocate your time as you see fit.

Added customer convenience Mobile franchises shift the burden of traveling from the customer to the owner, something that appeals to many people.

In fact, for those who are unable to leave their homes – the elderly, the disabled, etc.

– doing business with a mobile franchise isn’t just a preference, it’s a necessity. As a result, you can tap into under-served demographics and expand your customer base.

Vehicles Most mobile franchises are centered on at least one vehicle and its ability to act as a rolling storefront. These cars, vans or trucks not only deliver services to the customer efficiently, but also positively represent the company to the customer or other potential clients. As a mobile Franchisee, you must ensure your vehicle (or Vehicles) is reliable and able to properly represent the franchise business. As such, proper maintenance and timely vehicle upgrades are essential.

A franchisee needs to factor this into the business operating costs.

John Ferracuti

field, the receipt of a drivers record is not only helpful, but essential in choosing the correct candidate for the job. Mobile franchisees must be diligent in collecting and updating records for every employee who operates a company vehicle as infractions such as speeding and traffic tickets will contribute to the franchiees insurance costs. As a mobile Franchisee, insurance costs will always be your responsibility, so it is important to employ drivers with good records.

As you now know, there are many mobile franchise options, and there are many great reasons for investing in a mobile franchise. However, it is important to select the one that’s right for you. With the vast array of franchise business options available today, along with the variety of market span, it is essential that mobile franchise business owners understand and address the challenges they face. There are a number of highly successful mobile franchise businesses operating all over the world and their success is a testament to the franchisors and franchisee’s ability to address challenges and maintain profitable locations.

Another inherent challenge faced by mobile franchisees is effective management of employees who are offsite on a regular basis. The nature of a mobile franchise necessitates having employees on the road, so the importance of training them to properly represent you and your brand is paramount.

John Ferracuti is vice president and general manager of Bin There Dump That. With more than 20 years’ experience in the franchise industry — as an award-winning franchise operator, successful franchisee recruiting executive, marketing support manager and executive of a successful franchise organization — he offers insight into both sides of the industry: franchisor and franchise operator.

When hiring employees to work in the

http://www.bintheredumpthatusa.com

Hiring

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Jessica Conflitti, Marketing Consultant & Franchise Specialist

The 4 Pillars of the

Vending Machine Business Who do you want to be? What do you want to do? And, when are you planning on making it a reality?

You’re reading this, so it’s fair to assume that you’re at least considering the possibility of franchising, or starting your own business.

“Perhaps you realized [it was time for a change] after another long commute home or maybe when you missed yet another of your child’s music recitals or hockey games because of a late business meeting.

Did you reach your fork in the road when you woke up this morning, looked in the mirror and said, “Is this it? Do I have to go to work today?”

It’s possible to spend your whole life stuck on a train called corporate America, or a train called blue collar, or maybe one called American dream.

You keep thinking about how you’ll escape one day, how amazing it will be to break free from some preconceived notion of “who you’re supposed to be…” You think about what it would feel like to take back control of your life, gain financial independence, create a future for your family, and make a positive impact on the world.

It’s a nice fantasy Think for a moment…does this sound familiar? If not, what is your fantasy?

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Has something happened that was not of your own choosing but occurred through a corporate downsizing, demotion or some other restructuring? Suddenly you’ve been thrust out of your career and are now wondering, “What now?”

Stephen Hogan, a highly regarded business consultant, describes it beautifully – the quintessential moment in the life of every business owner. The point when we realize that not everything is as it should be. When we think: “If only I had more control over my life, more flexibility, and a higher income potential. Then I’d be happy. If only I owned my own business I’d be happy. That’s it…I’ll start my own business, but what kind?”

Your internal monologue may have sounded a bit different, but nevertheless

here we are. Perhaps you’ve done a little homework, and you think the $42 billiondollar vending industry might be the right fit for you. Maybe vending sparked your interest because you heard it has less overhead, no rent or electricity bills, or more flexibility than other industries.

Perhaps you like the idea of a permanent escape from the office where you can interact with your neighbors, and make an impact on your community.

Before you can make a decision you need to know more about the business to see if it aligns with who you are, and what you want. You need an answer to this question: what is the vending machine business exactly?

The 4 Pillars of the Vending Machine Business:

Pillar 1: Equipment There are almost unlimited options available when it comes to choosing vending machine equipment, Some of the most popular vending options to date include: credit card readers, LCD screens, healthier options, and micro markets.

This leads us to one of the biggest questions in the vending world. What comes first, the vending machine or the location?

It’s a controversial question. But, when it comes down to it, the ultimate goal of your business is to maximize profits. The truth: locations are interested in finding

“If you think stocking your machines is your only job, think again. You’re in the relationship business, and the best vending relationships are full service.”

“Vending machines with just candy bars and chips are quickly becoming a thing of the past.

Vending companies now offer a larger variety of food options, from breakfast to dessert.”

You should now have a better understanding of the four main aspects of the vending machine business. That being said, it’s important to note that launching and operating a successful vending business isn’t easy, by any means.

Before you order any machines on Ebay, or sign any franchise documents, take some time to weigh all of the options. More importantly, make sure all of the options line up with your specific business goals. full service solutions. That will almost always be the big picture goal for them – and by extension, this should also be your big picture goal. By securing a location prior to buying a machine, you might have a better chance of being able to fill that location’s needs and desires.

Pillar 2: Location Too often, new entrepreneurs don’t quite understand what it takes to start a business.

The vending business is no exception. If you don’t have a comprehensive strategy or support system, your ability to land the best places to put your vending machines, with high foot traffic and exclusive contracts, can be nearly impossible.

If you’re looking to secure the highest quality locations that will maximize your ROI, you will need to become proficient in the art of lead generation, engagement, and nurture, and you will also have to provide top-notch ongoing support.

Pillar 3: Products As previously mentioned, many locations choose a vending supplier that offers the right options for their students, employees or patrons. Vending machines with just candy bars and chips are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Vending companies now offer a larger variety of food options, from breakfast to dessert.

Without the right products at competitive prices, a machine in a great location can be an absolute dud.

There are a lot of product sourcing options, but when it comes down to it, what you choose to vend should depend on what the location needs. It’s important to consider demographic, foot traffic, and consumer age. Make sure you’re constantly analyzing the product movement inside your machines so you can see which products do well, and which ones don’t.

When in doubt, do a tasting event, or ask the location to do a survey. Your customers will thank you, and so will your bank account.

Pillar 4: Ongoing Service If you think stocking your machines is your only job, think again. You’re in the relationship business, and the best vending relationships are full service. This includes repairs, technical service, automatic reorders and customer specific product options.

* This article was adapted from ‘How to Start a Vending Machine Business: The Complete Guide.’

Jessica wrote her first novel, a historical fiction romance, at age 10. However she soon discovered that she had a lot more to learn about the subject before she could be considered an authority.

Since then, her flirting abilities haven’t improved, but she thinks her writing ability has considerably. After earning an undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California, she found herself in a franchise sales role at H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending in Culver City CA. Long story short, she fell in love with the franchise world, and she feels honored to be able to help prospective business owners discover if the vending business is right for them.

One of the most important things you can do is set expectation with a location before signing the deal. This builds trust between you and the location. In all social/ professional scenarios, people relax when they understand what to expect.

Once you’ve set this expectation, you need to exceed it – follow-through and do it better than they could have even imagined.

This, of course, builds trust, and continues the cycle. In other words, this will help you to make a lifelong relationship with your location, and it can also help you get location referrals too.

Jessica Conflitti

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Spa r k M obile V ideo

b y D i a n a C i ke s Fr a n c h i s i n g U S A

The Mobile Digital Marketing A

Driving your message home and beyond with Spark Mobile Video With mobile marketing, businesses can now stay in step with their customers in an evermoving and increasingly fast-paced world.

But what if you could go a step further and drive your brand messaging straight to your potential customers, in real time and in the physical locations they visit or pass by throughout their day?

This is what sparked the idea of taking mobile marketing to the next level for a local advertising business. Started in 2002, Spark Mobile Video designed and built a truck that was equipped with digital signage to promote its own brand while traveling along the Alabama Gulf Coast.

“That first truck caught a lot of attention

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on the road,” said Robert Tarabella, founder and Managing Partner. “We soon started getting a lot of calls from people asking if they could buy their own advertising trucks, so we quickly geared up to manufacture the trucks for other business owners.”

The business soon grew and evolved alongside the need in the marketplace for creative, eye-catching promotional strategies. Spark Mobile Video now offers several different models of mobile digital signage and mobile video billboard trucks in markets worldwide.

The Mobile Digital Marketing Advantage As commercial trucks, Spark’s promotional vehicles can be used for various practical purposes, but their key advantage lies in the power of digital technology.

“With digital signage, people can’t help but notice the bright LED video screens as our trucks drive down the street,” said Tarabella.

Spark’s mobile digital signage helps various forms of business – from retail brands and restaurants to law or chiropractic practices – deliver distinctive digital marketing campaigns in real time and across locations.

Billboard advertisements that used to change every few weeks or months can now be changed every few minutes with digital signage, giving businesses greater flexibility and control over messaging than with traditional forms of advertising. Once all graphics or videos are uploaded onto the system, the messaging on screen can easily be changed.

This ability to control how often and how long particular messages appear on screen is particularly effective for businesses that

Advantage:

“It’s a mobile society. Everybody is in their cars or on the move, and we can bring their message directly to where their customers are likely to be.”

change product offerings throughout the day.

“If you have a food business, you can have the display on breakfast foods in the morning, and then change it to your lunch specials in the afternoon,” explained Tarabella. “It allows you to easily change your advertising to match the changing needs of your customers.”

With a Spark truck, the added ability to literally “drive” your message to consumers makes it easier to target areas where your customer base is most dense.

This provides a cost effective, strategic way to build your brand across the marketplace.

“It’s a mobile society”, said Tarabella.

“Everybody is in their cars or on the move, and we can bring a brand’s message directly to where their customers are likely to be.”

The Spark Effect Spark has found their method of mobile advertising to be highly effective for its customers, even in the most challenging times. Tarabella recalled how a jewelry store owner purchased one of the trucks right in the midst of the economic recession in 2009.

“The owner came back to let us know they had their best sales ever, right in the worst time of the recession. They had been in business for over 20 years, and the only change they made that year was to purchase one of our trucks and leave it parked outside the store and drive it around town a bit.”

The Franchisee Financial Advantage With affordable monthly payments that average $2,000 per month, or a turn-key price that ranges from $75,000 - $125,000, the return on investment often exceeds the initial purchasing cost through the added brand visibility that comes with operating a Spark Mobile Video truck.

For franchisees, the cost of investment can also be shared through a cooperative marketing fund, whereby franchisees collectively share both the cost and increased market visibility for the brand.

“We offer financing for any business owner, but franchisees often make use of a cooperative marketing fund to invest in one of our trucks,” said Tarabella. “They can split the cost of the investment, which qualifies as a legitimate reimbursable expense for most franchisee marketing funds.”

The future of mobile digital advertising is bright Mobile digital marketing is here to stay and continues to evolve, and Spark is motivated to stay on the creative digital

edge by keeping up with technology trends and consumer needs.

Earlier this year, Spark rolled out its remote operating feature, which allows customers to make changes to the content on the screen remotely. “Now our customers don’t even need to be in the truck to change their advertising messaging,” explained Tarabella.

“It’s great fun to be involved in this business because we continuously make changes and we’re excited to offer new options each year.”

For more information on Spark Mobile Video, contact info@sparkmobilevideo. com or call 251-279-0007 (Toll free 844SPARK-44) www.sparkmobilevideo.com

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Christopher Conner, President, Franchise Marketing Systems

The food truck business has become all the rage in recent years. With more and more consumers demanding high quality products and convenient access to products or services, what better example than mobile restaurants that bring the dining experience right to the customer?

Chris Conner

Franchising USA

Food trucks have popped up across the U.S. in markets from Los Angeles to New York and everywhere in between. The concept of food trucks has been around for years, even decades with roach coaches and less “evolved� versions of the mobile food service operations we see today. What has happened today in the food service business is the introduction of truly talented individuals and experienced food service professionals who have completely bought into the food truck industry and supported its growth.

“The Food Truck industry has become the place for innovative, creative thinking in the food service market and a showplace for truly unique approaches to the food business.”

Concepts have come together with deep menu offerings, high quality food items and amazing branding. The Food Truck industry has become the place for innovative, creative thinking in the food service market and a showplace for truly unique approaches to the food business.

The growth in the food truck business has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years - in 2011, the NRA named the food truck industry a top trend in the “What’s Hot in 2011” market evaluation.

Good food trucks will serve between 150 and 350 customers in a two hour time period. They offer the customer speed, efficiency and really good food - the combination is essential when there is no fixed location for customers to gravitate to.

Moreover, research by the National Restaurant Association indicates that 83% of consumers want quick service eateries and healthier eating options, 70% want a cuisine that’s not easily duplicated in home kitchens, and 62% says that they’re looking for establishments that are “environmentally friendly”. Food Trucks answer all of these for consumers with the new, advanced food trucks on today’s market. Regulations permitting food trucks to operate in different cities and states are loosening each year and with the growing popularity, the Food Truck Revolution is in full effect.

With this growth in market potential and ever-increasing popularity has come the increased number of food truck franchises available on the market. Food Truck franchises first appeared in 2008 with several new brands staking their claim to their particular food segment. Mexican, Japanese, Frozen Yogurt and other food trends all had their original food truck brand. Today, there are several food truck

franchises in each of the food industry segments.

What do Food Truck franchises bring to the market and offer a potential franchise investor? In some cases, they can offer an established brand. The food truck business really does have benefits when it comes to reputation and pre-existing relationships. Many of the venues and locations where the Food Truck could be placed are based on a brand’s value to that event or venue. People have to approve Food Trucks and with a franchised brand, there is typically some value in place that franchisees could leverage with their new franchised business.

and a Food Truck franchise can also offer the economies of scale by grouping franchisees who market together under a unified brand name. This puts not only the industry on the map, but more importantly the brand of your food truck.

The mobile food industry also allows aspiring entrepreneurs to conduct sufficient market research before investing in an actual location. With this market research, they often come out with some key tips on staying afloat in this industry, including: offering something unique, finding a niche and executing it, and utilizing social media to the best of one’s ability. Again, social media is a key component as you can engage with your following/customers, address issues in real time, and try your best to correct them as soon as possible.

Food Truck franchises should also be able to offer systems and process that allow for the simple and efficient production of the food. Because you are operating with a lot less “real estate” in a mobile kitchen, the operation really needs to be structured well to allow for fast and efficient service.

Food Trucks need to make their money in short, fast bursts. People come in waves and if you can’t maximize that revenue potential in the short window of opportunity, your food truck franchise won’t be profitable. Food truck franchises can offer both the systems and procedures to manage this unique scenario in addition to the manufacturers and processes to appropriately build and design the food trucks themselves.

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

His experience ranges across all fields of franchise expertise with a focus in franchise marketing and franchise sales, but includes work in franchise strategic planning, franchise research and franchise operations consulting.

Christopher has worked with multiple international franchise and licensed organizations throughout the United States, Middle East, India and Europe.

He has an MBA in Finance and Marketin g from DePaul University in Chicago and a Bachelors Degree from Miami of Ohio.

The Food Truck industry is still growing

http://www.franchisemarketingsystems.

“Regulations permitting food trucks to operate in different cities and states are loosening each year and with the growing popularity, the Food Truck Revolution is in full effect.”

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O x i Fresh

Franchisor taps into

entrepreneurial spirit to start Oxi Fresh For one Denver franchisor, business ownership seemed destined, as entrepreneurial spirit clearly runs in the family.

Jonathan Barnett, founder and CEO of Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning, started his business and started franchising it in 2006.

But, Oxi Fresh wasn’t Barnett’s first business. That would’ve been the fireworks

stands he set up. When his grandfather — a born businessman — passed away, he left his grandchildren, including Barnett, $10,000 each.

Rather than spending the money on something frivolous, Barnett drove from his home state of Oklahoma to Kansas and bought $4,000 worth of fireworks, rented a trailer, and hauled them all back.

This idea didn’t sit well with his mother, he explained during a recent interview from the Oxi Fresh headquarters in Denver. Her reaction to seeing $4,000 worth of fireworks stacked inside the

garage was to start kicking them down the driveway, Barnett recalled.

However, she eventually came around when Barnett and a friend set up a fireworks stand and sold those fireworks for $20,000.

The next year, Barnett set up two fireworks stands, learning the importance of delegation in the process. He moved to Colorado to attend college and by that point had four fireworks stands. He eventually sold the fireworks business.

While in college earning a Master’s degree, he had various jobs, one of which was carpet cleaning. With this job, Barnett saw a business that was easy to start and had much room for improvement over the current models being used. With several ideas on how he could make a carpet cleaning business better, Barnett took some of his student loan money and jumped in, starting Oxi Fresh.

The Oxi Fresh Difference One of the things he noticed from working as a carpet cleaner during college is that his employers would constantly have to be answering their phones while doing jobs, which annoyed their clients.

That’s why Oxi Fresh has a dedicated Scheduling Center that answers all phone calls and sets up appointments for its

“Our philosophy is that we want our franchisees to be working on their business instead of stuck in their business.”

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“Every home, hotel and other type of building either has carpet, hardwood, tile or upholstery and Oxi Fresh cleans all that, plus it performs odor removal, meaning it will never have a shortage of customers.”

franchisees. Back when the business started, this Scheduling Center consisted of classmates from college, a bank of cordless phones in his basement and a bunch of Excel spreadsheets. Now, thanks to Oxi Fresh’s dedication to using new technology, the company has its own dedicated scheduling software, online booking and franchisees can check their schedules from their phones.

Another difference with Oxi Fresh is rather than using 40 gallons of water to clean a carpet, Oxi Fresh is able to use just two gallons of water, which makes a huge difference in drying time.

“The carpet dries in less than an hour,” Barnett said.

Customers love that their carpets dry quickly so they don’t have to walk around with wet socks, the CEO said. Hotels can get carpets cleaned and then rent those rooms out the same day.

On the franchising side, it’s the Scheduling Center and the company’s adoption of technology that really stands out as advantages for joining the company.

“Sometimes you end up majoring in the minors instead of majoring in the majors,” Barnett said. “Our philosophy is, we want our franchisees to be working on their business instead of stuck in their business.”

By having a Scheduling Center that answers all calls, franchisees can work on building relationships with customers rather than answering the phone themselves. They also don’t have to worry about answering the phone during their down time.

And the Scheduling Center doesn’t just set up appointments, it collects email addresses and offers text messaging service to customers.

Oxi Fresh also takes a flat royalty fee versus taking a percentage of sales from its franchisees.

The company now has over 20 environmentally friendly products in its line for its 150 franchisees to use. Those franchisees have nearly 300 units spread throughout 45 states and Canada.

But there are still 1,200 locations available throughout the United States, and units can be run remotely, Barnett said, thanks to Oxi Fresh’s Scheduling Center and turnkey marketing. The company plans to add 50 new franchisees in each of the next five years.

“We’ve got availability all over,” the Oxi Fresh CEO said.

Steady Customers Every home, hotel and other type of building either has carpet, hardwood, tile

or upholstery and Oxi Fresh cleans all that, plus it performs odor removal, meaning it will never have a shortage of customers.

To serve those customers, Oxi Fresh has a comprehensive training program for franchisees that is virtually ongoing.

Once per month, the company holds commercial training so franchisees can learn how to get more business. They can also get ongoing training on how to get more residential work through payper-click initiatives and other internet marketing.

All of this has added up to Oxi Fresh being recognized as one of the best franchises to join, according to Franchise Business Review’s annual Franchisee Satisfaction Awards.

With his own entrepreneurial spirit, the Oxi Fresh CEO is helping other entrepreneurs reach their business ownership goals, virtually reinventing the carpet cleaning business in the process. www.oxifresh.com

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Chris Poelma, President & General Manager, NCR Small Business and NCR Silver

Franchises:

The road is calling Three Ways Mobile Technology Can Take Your Franchise from Store to Sidewalk

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Major brands such as java purveyor Starbucks and clothing designer Cynthia Rowley have taken their goods from four walls to four wheels.

Even TGI Friday’s has taken its casual dining experience to the streets.

Their customers can’t get enough of it.

The food truck movement in particular has caught on. The $650 million industry is anticipated to grow to $2.7 billion within the next five years, according to the National League of Cities.

Part of the reason for its success — and the success of mobile franchises in general — is the convenience mobility provides to customers and business owners.

Mobility enables businesses to expand their presence throughout communities, allowing them to be everywhere their customers are. Operating a business on wheels can also keep overhead low and profits high.

Advancements in cloud-based software in particular provide business owners with the same capabilities they would have if operating from a traditional brick and mortar. Sometimes, even more.

Interested in exploring mobility? There are a few powerful ways technology can help take your franchise from store to sidewalk.

1

Roll Out Offerings in New Markets

A mobile franchise opens up your customer base and allows you to explore new offerings. With mobile applications that serve as total solutions, entrepreneurs can easily track sales, inventory, employee hours and more from the cloud — using one device.

“Mobility enables businesses to expand their presence throughout communities, allowing them to be everywhere their customers are.”

While typically found in shopping malls throughout the country, for example, Great American Cookies franchisees have implemented a mobile POS platform to provide their famous all-fresh, neverfrozen cookies via offsite catering.

continue growing, reaching $142 billion in volume in 2019. What better way to handle the demand for mobile payments at your franchise than a mobile POS solution designed to integrate with major players like Apple Pay, PayPal and BitPay?

Adding mobility to your business means you’re no longer tied down to a counter.

You can now cost-effectively manage dayto-day operations while venturing out to different locations … and garnering new customers.

3

For small businesses looking to grow into franchises, this is especially important.

With mobile technology, entrepreneurs such as Barbara Densley and Sloane Solanto are able to raise awareness about their Virginia-based artisan market, The Creative Wedge, and reach patrons by taking their store on the road to street festivals and farmer’s markets.

2

Brake for Alternative Payments

A commonality between Great American Cookies Company and The Creative Wedge is their reliance on mobile POS technology to operate inside their stores and beyond. Adopting a mobile POS platform allows franchises the opportunity to do the most essential thing for their business—ring up sales.

Market Your Business Wherever You Go

Mobile technology allows franchises tremendous flexibility from a sales perspective and allows for easy implementation and maintenance of email marketing, loyalty, rewards and social media campaigns. A total solution with mobile operability can empower you to post your pop up shops’ whereabouts on Twitter, send text alerts to frequent shoppers, and issue an email “thank you” following a purchase.

Consumers are more time-starved than ever. Mobile businesses satisfy their need for quick and personalized transactions.

As mobile businesses increase in popularity, franchisors and franchisees who are considering making the move from store to sidewalk need technology that’s just as mobile as they aspire to be.

Chris Poelma is GM and president of NCR Small Business and NCR Silver. http://www.ncrsilver.com/

For many establishments, especially retailers or quick-service restaurateurs, moving from an older POS solution to a mobile POS is the first step toward modernization and creating a more seamless experience for customers.

Actually, it’s the best option for serving customers who use payment alternatives to cash or plastic.

The rise of Apple Pay last year made mobile pay options mainstream. Forrester expects U.S.-based mobile payments to

Chris Poelma

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thriving on a modern concept HOW A CENTURY-OLD COMPANY HAS EMBRACED AND THRIVED IN THE MODERN, MOBILE FRANCHISING CONCEPT Dominic Francesco Repicci, Founder of Repicci’s Italian Ice & Gelato.

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H ave Your Say - Repicci’s

ONE HUNDRED YEAR HISTORY When my grandfather Dominic Francesco Repicci emigrated in 1911 from Messina, Italy to settle in southern Philadelphia, he must have been amazed by the Market Street Subway-Elevated, which had just opened in 1905 - 1908 to provide the city’s first rapid transit line (2015, Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia).

In fact, most Philadelphians were still adjusting to the new electric trolley which replaced horse-drawn street cars in 1897 (I still remember placing coins on the

trolley tracks in front of my grandparent’s row house on South 11th Street as a child).

Along with his heritage, Dominic brought with him to the New World his family’s Old World recipe for Italian Ice. At first, Dominic shared our family’s delicious traditional treat with friends and neighbors in South Philadelphia, but it wasn’t long before he found himself busily working to meet an overwhelming demand for the Italian dessert.

And that was the birth of Repicci’s Italian Ice and Gelato, our century-old company that has embraced and thrived in the 21st century’s mobile franchising concept with 48 current franchisees.

MEET FRANK REPICI My name is Frank Repici. You may notice I’m missing a “c” in my last name. My grandfather later decided to drop that consonant after immigrating to the United States to sound more American. But one thing he never changed was his time-tested recipe for his specialty desserts.

My father enlisted during World War II and was stationed at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. Afterwards, he settled in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which is where I was raised. But four states and more than 700 miles couldn’t keep my father from visiting his hometown of Philadelphia, taking me with him to visit my grandfather at least every other year. That’s how I fell in love with Italian ice, and decided to bring the product back home with me to Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1998.

Frank Repici and his grandson’s class field trip

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I assumed the role of CEO and decided to open a manufacturing plant, which initially supplied concessions for the Chattanooga parks, recreation facilities

and surrounding distributors who requested to join the excitement generated by this product, which was new to the South.

But the popularity of Repicci’s Italian Ice has continued to grow rapidly throughout the Southeast and across the United States.

FROM TENTS AND TRAILERS TO TRUCKS In 2005, FDR Enterprises Inc. launched Repicci’s Franchise Group, LLC, sellingevent-based franchises, our first venture into the modern franchise area of mobile franchising.

Early trailblazers got their start using seasonal tents at spring and summertime events. But I wanted to find a way to make Repicci’s a full-time and year-round revenue opportunity for our franchisees.

In 2010, we decided to add mobile trailers to our franchising model, making it easier and more efficient for franchisees to attend events located further apart.

This expanded their territory sizes and increased their revenue potential, but the value of mobile vehicles became apparent.

OUR NEW FOOD TRUCK MODEL In 2012, we built out our first “Mobile Ice Cream Shop” food truck for my territory in Birmingham, Alabama. As the franchisor, I wanted to put my 30-plus years in sales and marketing to work by testing this new concept on my own business to prove its effectiveness and viability before introducing it to other franchisees.

It has been an enormous success, with business growing exponentially over the last two years. In fact, the challenge now is a handling all the opportunities that are coming our way.

Among all the typical venues such as fairs, festival and sporting events, we now have the ability to do short-term events such as corporate catering, wedding receptions, birthday parties and more. We serve as a vendor at all types of events, most recently for the Steel City Jazz Festival, the Hangout Music Festival to the SEC Baseball Tournament at the Hoover Met as well as being a fixture at Barber Motor

Sports for events like the Indy Car Race of Alabama.

Our food truck enables us to set up outside businesses that invite us to offer refreshments to their employees during the workday or become part of the “going-out” scene by frequenting popular downtown corners.

EFFICIENCY IS KEY Especially at events, efficiency with POS is key, because it reduces the “waiting in line time” for customers.

In early 2015, my business partner and fellow Repicci’s franchisee, Cam Crawford, my franchising sales consultant, John Fogleman and I agreed to incorporate Mercedes Sprinter food trucks to our franchise model. We wanted a quality food truck to match the quality of the Repicci’s products.

The Sprinter is fully self-contained, equipped with a washing station and cold plate freezer system which maintains proper sub-zero temperatures for storing Italian Ice and gelato inside the food truck, so our products are ready-to-serve, just like a mobile ice cream shop, but with healthier and higher quality products than most.

By choosing a food truck with a floor-plan designed to accommodate up to three employees comfortably, selling and service efficiency is increased dramatically. One of our favorite features is the state-of-theart POS with video display at all work stations, which means no yelling orders back and forth. There will be three active Repicci’s trucks by the middle of July.

ENGAGING WITH CUSTOMERS IS ESSENTIAL While our goal is minimizing the customer’s line time, we decided to turn it into a part of the Repicci’s experience and an opportunity to engage with them.

Our new food trucks will have a 46inch, state-of-the-art, flat screen display where franchisees will have streaming information from our Facebook and Twitter accounts, encouraging the use of hashtags.

In addition, we have contracted with Avid Mobile, a SMS-marketing service that

A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY 1897 Electric trolley cars replaced horsedrawn street cars in Philadelphia.

1905 - 1908 Market Street Subway-Elevated opened, offering Philadelphia its first rapid transit line.

1911 Dominic Francesco Repicci immigrated from Messina, Italy to Philly.

1958 - 1998 Frank visits his grandfather Dominic every other year in Philadelphia, seeing firsthand the traditional method of creating Italian Ice.

1998 Frank opened an Italian Ice manufacturing plant in Tennessee, which initially supplied concessions for the Chattanooga parks and recreation facilities.

2005 Franchising began, starting out as seasonal tents that would pop up at spring and summertime events.

2010 Branded, mobile trailers added to franchising model.

2012 CEO Frank Repici adds first food truck to his own franchise as a Beta test.

2015 Mercedes Sprinter food trucks with colorful marketing wraps added to Repicci’s franchising model.

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H ave Your Say - Repicci’s

BEST PRACTICES FOR MOBILE FRANCHISING WITH FOOD TRUCKS • By making set-up and breakdown easier for your franchisees, they will see more effective sales, more efficient use of their time and a greater ability to pursue sales events and opportunities.

“Often, mobile franchising involves outdoor venues. Because of this, you may need to rotate your products seasonally to ensure appeal for your brand is present throughout the year.” allows customers to text keywords to short codes displayed on the video monitors to receive coupons, location alerts and more.

This also creates a database of customers to whom franchisees can send alerts throughout the year.

With the help of flash drives, the franchisee can even create custom color menu templates to display for each event they attend.

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES While the amount of possible selling venues seems endless during the spring and summer, it is challenging to maintain volumes during the colder months.

As a franchisor, we are working to meet these challenges by expanding our menu of Real Italian products to include hot beverages and an authentic, hot Italian Sandwich, (details about which are being withheld until introduction). Hot chocolate and freshly-brewed Italian coffee are already on the menu in some Repicci’s locations, and other products are in the developmental stage.

4TH OF JULY WITH REPICCI’S We also strive to promote products and flavors seasonally and have two special combinations we are offering this summer.

Our most popular combination of Italian ice is the “All American,” which has a generous scoop of Blue Raspberry, Cherry

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and Lemon. One of the most popular gelati combinations is our Caramel Apple, a delightful combination of Sea Salt Caramel Gelato & Green Apple Italian Ice - Magnifico!

And you can bet we will celebrate Independence Day of our great nation with pride. My Repicci’s of Birmingham has five 4th of July events scheduled, and our franchisees nationwide have a total of more than 50 events on the books.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD TRUCK FRANCHISING We will continue to discover new challenges to overcome as we continue unrolling (pun intended) our food truck model. Just as Dominic Francesco Repicci learned to adapt to a new continent with all the changes of the Industrial Revolution at the turn of the 20th century, Repicci’s is adapting to a new marketing structure based on wheels.

Our company has embraced food truck incorporation as the latest evolution, allowing Repicci’s to take our time-tested products to customers wherever they are. To ensure that we continue to keep our finger on the pulse of the food truck scene, Frank is an officer and on the board of the Greater Birmingham Street Food Coalition. http://ownarepiccis.com/

• If you decide to choose a food truck model, we recommend making sure it is “self-contained.”

This means it should have the ability to store your products at the proper temperature, have a cleaning station, gray water storage, and all the proper health licensing.

• Whether it’s a tent, trailer or truck, remember that it can double as a marketing piece. Be sure to consider wraps that have bright colors, eye-catching product images, and, of course, your company’s name and logo. We’ve gone so far as to include our new consumer and franchise leads website urls in our new food truck wrap design.

• Design your POS to minimize customer wait time. Then, use the wait time to engage and connect with customers. We do this through social media, SMS marketing and an interactive, state-of-the-art video display.

• Often, mobile franchising involves outdoor venues. Because of this, you may need to rotate your products seasonally to ensure appeal for your brand is present throughout the year. We are adding Italian roasted coffee, hot chocolate and a hot Italian sandwich to keep sales volumes up during colder months.

AD-Bragging-Flyer-For-PRINT.pdf 1 29/06/2015 4:53:02 PM AD-Bragging-Flyer-For-PRINT.pdf 1 29/06/2015 4:53:02 PM AD-Bragging-Flyer-For-PRINT.pdf 1 29/06/2015 4:53:02 PMPM AD-Bragging-Flyer-For-PRINT.pdf 1 29/06/2015 4:53:02