September Franchising usa 3#11 by CGB Publishing

Franchising usa T he ma g a z ine for franchisees

VOL 03, ISSUE 11, sept 2015

$5.95 www.franchisingusamagazine.com

10 Ways

to grow your business special

home based franchising supplement LATEST NEWS

IMAGE STUDIOS 360 Demand Drives Expansion

FINANCIAL ADVICE FROM THE BANKS

TOP LAWYERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ADVICE

Franchising usa T he ma g a z ine for franchisees

FRANCHISING USA VOLUME 3, ISSUE 11, 2015 president: Colin Bradbury. colin@cgbpublishing.com

Publisher: Vikki Bradbury. vikki@cgbpublishing.com

Advertising Sales: Kimberly Kutnick kimberlyk@cgbpublishing.com

Editorial Department: editor@cgbpublishing.com

Editorial team: Rob Swystun Gina Gill

Production: Diana Cikes usaproduction@cgbpublishing.com

DESIGN: Jejak Graphics. jejak@bigpond.com

COVER IMAGE: image studios 360

CGB PUBLISHING Canadian Office: 676 Wain Road, Sidney B.C Canada V8L 5M5 U.S. Office: 800 5th Ave, #101 Seattle, WA 98104-3102 Sales: 847 607 8407 Editorial: 778 426 2446 www.franchisingusamagazine.com Proud member of the IFA:

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

from the

Publisher With summer coming to a close and the back-toschool season now in full gear, it’s now time to refocus and get back to business. This month’s issue of Franchising USA gives you the expert advice and inspiration to get back on track and clear about your business goals as you move forward. On the cover this month is Image Studios 360, which explains how Demand Drives Expansion. Our Special Feature in this issue is Home Based Franchising, which features expert advice and insights into the rapidly expanding home based business market. On the Cover we feature Oxi Fresh, which looks at how Technology and Environmentalism are the Keys to Success for this home based franchise. We also have our popular main feature article, as well as industry experts Scott Walker and John Waldmann, who show you How to Utilize Your Home to Reduce Business Overhead Costs and how to use Product Design to Grow Your Business. This month we also feature Women in Franchising, where you can learn how

Patrice Rice from Patrice & Associates, and Terri Sniegolski with Creative Colors International found their way into franchising success. Our Veterans in franchising supplement this month features The Patch Boys as the Cover Story. We also feature expert insights into how to Organize for Success and discuss how a New Funding Program Expands Access to Franchise Ownership. We also include our usual great advice from industry Experts, including 10 Ways to Grow Your Business by Andre Kay and Kyle Zagrodzky’s 6 Tips for Creating a Great Franchisee Community, which includes tips on how to keep franchisees engaged and committed. We also hear from David Bosley, who reveals interesting findings from a national survey on corporate office Cubicle Conflict, Temperature, and Tantrums. Don’t forget to learn the latest in industry news as featured on pages 6-9, or to check out the popular A-Z franchise directories listed at the back of the magazine. We hope you enjoy this month’s issue as you settle into the fall season, and as always, we look forward to hearing your comments. Happy reading! Vikki Bradbury Publisher

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 On the Cover

24 10 Ways to Grow Your Business

55 Home Based Franchise Feature

Image Studios 360 Demand Drives Expansion

Andre Kay, Sociallybuzz

10 Cover Story:

september 2015

In Every Issue

Women In Franchising

06 Franchising News Announcements from the Industry

48 Patrice Rice, Patrice & Associates

29 Veterans Supplement News and Information for Veterans in Franchising 62 Feature Article Home Based Franchising 82 A-Z Franchise and Services Directoy

Spotlight on Service 22 Clayton Kendall

70 Terri Sniegolski, Creative Colors International

Focus 78 The Interface Financial Group

Franchisee In Action 52 Coverall

Question Time 18 Q&A with Michael Phillips, Coconutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fish Cafe

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Expert Advice 12 Are You Getting the Most Out of Your Discovery Day? Heather Ripley, Ripley PR 14 Avoiding Pitfalls When Going into a Franchise with Friends or Family Richard Lieberman, Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C. 20 3 Simple Ways to Quickly Improve Customer Service

Andy Roe, SurePayroll, Inc.

24 10 Ways to Grow Your Business Andre Kay, Sociallybuzz

72 How to Franchise Your Business: How to Hire Your Staff Christopher Conner, Franchise Marketing Systems 74 6 Tips for Creating a Great Franchisee Community Kyle Zagrodzky, OsteoStrong

50 How to Keep Communication Open with Your Franchisees Bob McDevitt, Golden Corral

80 National Survey Reveals: Cubicle Conflict, Temperature, Tantrums at Corporate Offices David Bosley, OpenWorks

Home Based Franchise Supplement 60 Oxi Fresh 62 Home Based Feature 66 How to Utilize Your Home to Reduce Business Overhead Costs Scott Walker, Screenmobile 68 Using Product Design to Grow Your Business John Waldmann, Homebase

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what’s new! Del Taco Expands into Tennessee Del Taco, a leader in the Mexican quick service restaurant (QSR) category, will continue its strategic expansion efforts with a 10-store development in the Knoxville, Tennessee area. With nearly 550 restaurants in 16 states, this latest development supports the company’s long-term growth initiatives to bring Del Taco’s UnFreshingBelievable®, made-to-order Mexican and American favorites to new states and guests across the country.

Tropical Smoothie Café Announces Signing of 77 New Franchise Agreements Tropical Smoothie Café, the leading fast casual café concept known for its better-for-you food and smoothies with a tropical twist, announced the signing of 77 franchise agreements in the first and second quarters of 2015 as the brand continues its aggressive, nationwide expansion. Additionally, the sandwich and smoothie franchise reported year-to-date same-store sales of more than 12 percent. “This year is on track to be our most successful in recent company history,” said Mike Rotondo, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Café. “Our balanced mix of smoothies and food continue to drive sales for our franchisees and recent

Franchising USA

limited-time offers are driving traffic, resulting in strong same-store sales that far outperform our competitors in the smoothie and fast-casual industries. All of this is contributing to our franchise growth as more small business owners want to be part of Tropical Smoothie Café’s success.” Tropical Smoothie Café currently has nearly 170 cafés under development and slated to open in the next two years. The brand currently has franchise opportunities across the U.S. in markets such as Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, Texas, as well as Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, Calif., among others. http://tropicalsmoothiefranchise.com/ about-our-smoothie-franchise/

The new Del Taco franchise group plans to open ten Del Taco locations in Knox, Sevier, Blount, Loudon, Hamblen and Anderson Counties by 2021, with the first restaurant slated to open in 2016. “Del Taco’s commitment to quality, freshness and guest experience drew us to the company,” said a representative from the new franchise group. “The iconic brand is a proven leader in the QSR category and offers a delicious menu that translates well across the country.” The QSR category is one of the fastest growing industry segments, and Del Taco attracts a broad customer base. Focused on made-to-order menu items featuring fresh ingredients, Del Taco is committed to product innovation to meet customer’s growing demands for quality food served at a great value. For more information on Del Taco franchise opportunities visit www.deltacofranchise.com .

Say Cheese! Sweet Lorraine’s Fabulous Mac n’ Cheez! Launches National Expansion Plans Macaroni and cheese is one of those quintessential comfort foods that Americans love to indulge in. Soon, thanks to a recently launched franchise expansion initiative, Sweet Lorraine’s Fabulous Mac n’ Cheez! will be feeding the nation’s growing appetite for classic comfort food with its variety of mouthwatering, cheezy pick-me-ups. With four locations currently open and operating throughout Michigan, the new chef-driven, fast-casual dining concept plans to open 10 new restaurants by the end of 2016 and have as many as 100 nationwide in the next five years. “This is an incredibly exciting time for our brand,” said Sweet Lorraine’s founder Chef Lorraine Platman. “Having already established a loyal following of customers in Detroit, we’re finally bringing our

‘twisted comfort food’ to additional markets.” Founded in 2010 and franchising since 2013, Sweet Lorraine’s offers customers 14 different kinds of meat-topped and vegetarian macaroni and cheese dishes in two sizes (mini or mega), all made to order in less than two minutes. Many of the variations are favorites from other realms: the BLT, the Philly Cheesesteak, Buffalo Chicken, the Cheeseburger, the Pepperoni Pizza, and the Macho Nacho. Guests can also mix and match from over 38 topping choices to create more than 1.7 billion palate pleasing combinations. Sweet Lorraine’s also offers a variety of soups, salads, grilled cheese and desserts. For more information, visit www.macncheez.com

Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More® Tabs Zick as Franchise Training Specialist 10-year customer relations veteran joins growing garment decorating franchise Continuing its ongoing support for franchisees in more than 65 locations nationwide, Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More® has announced the addition of Angel Zick as its new Franchise Training Specialist. Zick comes to Big Frog with over 10 years of customer relations experience and will oversee all aspects of the company’s franchisee training programs. Zick’s primary responsibilities with Big Frog will be to develop, maintain and deliver training programs to franchisees. She will also assist franchisees with standard marketing, communication and

administrative efforts. Zick earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Childhood Development from Central Michigan University in 2003 before beginning her career in customer relations and sales at BIC Graphic in Clearwater, Fla., in 2004. She was promoted to Customer Relations Team Leader in 2006, holding that role for the next nine years while managing over 200 employees across three cities. “I am excited to join such a growing company and believe I can help Big Frog meet its goals,” Zick said. “We share the same vision and I am looking forward

to being a part of Big Frog’s long-term success.” For more information on Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More®, please visit http://www.bigfrog.com.

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what’s new!

JUICE IT UP! OFFERING EXCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITIES Leading Raw Juice Bar and Smoothie Chain Seeks New Partners in Southern United States Juice It Up!, a premier raw juice bar and hand-crafted smoothie chain, is excited to announce new franchise opportunities available to passionate entrepreneurs in the Southern United States. Juice It Up! has its sights set on steady expansion throughout the southern states, specifically Texas and Florida. With a heightened focus on product innovation and elevating the guest experience, Juice It Up! has seen an increased demand for exclusive territories with existing franchisees, and continues to attract highly-qualified new franchise operators. Currently, Juice It Up! has more than 80 locations in five states and is on track to

open at least 20 new locations by the end of 2015. “We’ve done our due diligence in Orlando and Dallas, and these markets are ripe for the Juice It Up! concept, which features a full raw juice bar and delicious, goodfor-you smoothie options,” said Carol DeNembo, Juice It Up! vice president of business development. “Now we need the right partners who are passionate about our brand and eager to apply our proven formula for success to help fuel the healthy and active lifestyles of area residents.” To learn more about the benefits of owning a Juice It Up! straight from current franchisees, watch https://youtu. be/qkn3vxafNOI and visit http://www. juiceitupfranchise.com for additional franchising details.

GOLDEN CHICK ANNOUNCES PLANS TO OPEN 80 NEW LOCATIONS ACROSS HOUSTON AND BELMONT Golden Chick, the Texas-based chicken legend, recently announced plans to add 80 new locations in Houston and Beaumont by 2025. Lee Sanders, expert restaurateur and Managing General Partner of Rocket Chicks, LP, has signed an area development agreement committing to the direct development and operation of restaurants and the sale of franchises to others for more than 80 franchised Golden Chick locations in Houston and Beaumont. “It is an honor to be a key partner

Franchising USA

in Golden Chick’s future growth and the exclusive area developer for these markets,” said Sanders. Sanders has more than 35 years of restaurant industry experience, including 30 years of experience managing operations for national chains where he played a key role in growth. “His commitment to the growth of the brand is inspiring, and we look forward to further expanding our presence in Texas,” said Mark Parmerlee, CEO of Golden Chick.

The 80+ new locations will be developed over the next 10 years, with the first location slated to open this fall and will provide the Houston and Beaumont communities with an estimated 1,000 new jobs. To learn more about Golden Chick franchising in the Houston and Beaumont markets please visit www.goldenchick.com/franchising.

The Melting Pot Partners With Newmark Grubb Knight Frank to Drive Development Worldwide The Melting Pot® Restaurants, Inc. has partnered with Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF), one of the world’s leading commercial real estate advisory firms with operations in more than 370 offices worldwide. Through this strategic partnership, The Melting Pot will be able to leverage NGKF’s expertise in providing real estate solutions to support the brand’s long-term domestic and international expansion strategy. “Our new alliance with Newmark Grubb Knight Frank will accelerate franchise development, create value for our existing franchisee’s real estate needs and give us a better understanding of the commercial

real estate landscape globally,” said Dan Stone, chief business and people development officer for Front Burner Brands. “With NGKF as our outsourced real estate department, The Melting Pot and its franchise partners will benefit from an international team of experts who can help us deliver comprehensive real estate strategies tailored to each franchisee, market or prospective country.” NGKF will provide The Melting Pot with a fully integrated platform of services. NGKF is already assisting several Melting Pot franchisees with new restaurant site selection, mid-term lease negotiations and evaluation of existing real estate. The Melting Pot operates more than 125

restaurants across 35 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, and Southeast Asia, and has more than 15 locations in development internationally. To learn more about ownership opportunities with The Melting Pot visit www.meltingpotfranchise.com.

Commercial Real Estate Franchise Transforming the Salon Industry Cirque Salon Studios, a franchised real estate business and salon studio concept, designed a franchise initiative to enhance the look and feel of commercial property markets throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Founded in 2008, the company now has three locations in Charleston, South Carolina—providing an attractive real estate investment to qualified entrepreneurs and salon space to local health, beauty and wellness professionals. “Franchising allows us to empower as many communities as possible through entrepreneurship,” says David Manzi, founder and head of operations. Manzi teamed up with Beau Schweikert, co-founder and head of real estate and finance, to launch the program in 2015.

Franchisees act as landlords and property managers, leasing space to 25 to 30 independent studio owners with the help of an innovative business model, cuttingedge technology and an intricate support network. Cirque’s executive team harnesses insight from years of professional experience in business operations, real estate management and finance. Expansion plans immediately target the Carolinas, with a secondary focus on the Washington, D.C. area. Additionally, Cirque expects to soon target Georgia and Florida for future growth. “Our brand brings superior real estate services to the salon space,” Schweikert adds. “We’re committed to developing a system that helps franchisees who join us in that mission not only reach, but exceed their career goals.”

To learn more about the Cirque Salon Studios franchise opportunity, please visit cirquesalonfranchise.com or email franchise@cirquesalonstudios.com.

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Imag e S tu dios 36 0

Demand drives expansion

franchising for Salt Lake business Sometimes even the best made plans can change. That’s what happened to a studio salon concept in Salt Lake City, UT whose founders originally planned on opening one location several years ago. Turns out, an overwhelming demand said otherwise. Brothers Jason and Shaun Olsen opened their first Image Studios 360 salon in 2010 and now have five locations in Utah. These entrepreneurial siblings have been hard at work and are ready to franchise their studio salon concept. Image Studios 360 takes large retail space and subdivides it into individual salon studios that are custom designed

Franchising USA

for beauty professionals such as hair stylists, nail technicians, estheticians and massage therapists. It’s like a mini-mall of beauty salons all under one roof and the franchisee is the landlord. Typically, an Image Studios 360 salon is about 5,000 square feet, which ends up housing 28 - 32 individual salon studios according to Jason Olsen in a recent interview from the company’s headquarters in Salt Lake City. The average single studio size is around 10’ X 12’, roughly 120 square feet. Olsen likened the concept it to a beauty industry incubator for professionals who are taking the next step in their career and want to start a business of their own. “We help facilitate their desire to go out and succeed on their own” Olsen said. Rather than taking on the risk of opening a traditional salon, which typically includes hiring many employees that creates large overhead expenses for the owner, not to mention the time managing employees takes away from them being behind the chair doing what they love. Beauty

professionals can now open their own business within an Image Studios 360 salon without the large investment and headache of a typical salon. Their risk is much lower with our concept, Olsen explained, as there is very little overhead expense apart from their own studio rent payment. Currently, Image Studios 360 has 175 salon studios in its five locations in the Salt Lake City area, 90 percent of which are women-owned businesses.

Getting Started The Olsens started franchising their business in 2015 and have four prospects that are expected to open locations across the country within the next 12 months. Jason Olsen said he and his brother Shaun recognized a need for a business like Image Studios 360 when they were visiting a long-time friend who wanted to open her own studio. She mentioned she’d heard about the salon studio concept and thought it may be something Utah beauty professionals could benefit from.

After doing extensive research around the country it was apparent that the concept was gaining popularity and appeared to work very well. They concluded it was a great opportunity and were already envisioning how they could make it even better. What they injected into the mix was a variety of beauty services, a high-end modern design, business training, ongoing education and a variety of business services. By designing an excusive & luxurious spaces, it not only allows the studio renters to attract highend clients but also makes them proud of where they do business. Olsen says “I think that’s really helped our success by creating a space that looks amazing inside and out to attracts top end clientele for our professionals.” In fact, within six months of opening their first location they were out of studios and at 100% occupancy. The second salon they built a year later experienced similar results, and the demand has stayed strong ever since. That’s not bad considering the brothers were planning on opening only one location originally. As their popularity grew, the focus on expansion was their number one priority. To help facilitate this growth opportunity they decided to focus on franchising their business across the country.

Beauty Business The professionals within the beauty industry face a particularly big challenge because they go to school to learn a trade, but this highly specialized education doesn’t teach them some of the basics required to successfully run a business, Olsen noted. The brothers also realized that many people want to open their own salon, but find it difficult to procure all the needed resources. “We’re able to lower the barrier of entry for salon ownership and save them from having to sign a large lease on a 3,000 square foot space, which would add a lot of risk and liability otherwise,” Olsen said. Originally, the brothers thought the majority of the inquiries would come from beauty professionals who were looking for the next step in getting out from behind

“We help facilitate the desire for stylists to go out on their own and open up their own salon.” - Jason Olsen the chair, but instead, they attracted a variety of business entrepreneurs and investors. This makes sense, Olsen said, as it’s relatively easy, stable business model with very little maintenance costs and requires virtually no employees. It also attracts investors because it doesn’t require a lot of involvement from the franchisees. Olsen also said the beauty industry is relatively recession-proof, as something people still tend to hold onto even when the economy is bad, which has helped attract investor franchisees.

Communication is Key Much of Image Studios 360’s training is focused on how to communicate effectively with the people who will be occupying the spaces within the salons, Olsen said. Training for new franchisees involves a week spent in Salt Lake City visiting corporate stores as well as training at their corporate headquarters. We thoroughly cover all the critical aspects of our business model, such as working with beauty professionals who want to rent the space, understanding their backgrounds, and what fears they may have starting their own business. There is also emphasis on creating an environment that allows each person freedom to express their own creativity within their studios. This allows our salon professionals to decorate and customize their own space so it reflects their personality and creativity. We want them to feel confortable and confident in their new work environment. We strive to cultivate

an atmosphere that helps promote our core values of creativity, freedom & success. One of the tools to help with marketing is our marketing and print store that has different print products that are customizable for salon tenants and franchisees to use. All these campaigns from direct mail to our instore marketing — are already designed and ready for salon tenants and franchisees to simply customize for a variety of marketing campaigns for their own space and location. Once the design is finished everything prints automatically and is mailed out to the salon tenants or franchisee. Each of our business tools is designed to help our professionals stay organized and allows them to spend more time doing what they do best. Image Studios 360 also works with a PR firm and a marketing company that does ongoing marketing and advertising for the entire company. They are also in final talks with an international beauty brand that would supply each location with supplies and products, in addition to a recently forged partnership with Booker.com that helps automate their business operations. Most areas in the USA and Canada are open for franchising as the company continues to ride the demand of interest from a variety of entrepreneurs and investors. For more informationon franchising an Image Studios 360 salon visit www.imagestudios360franchise.com.

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ex per t advice

Heather Ripley, Founder & CEO, Tennessee-based Ripley PR

Are you getting the most out of your Discovery Day?

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Megatrends and Megatrends 2000 author and futurist John Naisbitt is credited with saying, “Franchising is the single most successful marketing concept ever.” With that said, Discovery Days are one of the best ways successful franchisors market themselves to prospective franchisees. Having experience working with and for franchise businesses for years, I have participated in and produced countless Discovery Days. I have seen great results and not so great results. Virtually no one produces the same type of Discovery Day, but the successful ones have many things in common. The same can be said regarding unsuccessful Discovery Day events. Over the years I have collected some valuable tips for franchisors to use in developing their own successful Discovery Days:

Decide when to schedule your Discovery Day

This is a timing issue and depends on what your sales cycle involves. Some franchisors plan a Discovery Day in the beginning of the sales cycle before the prospect ever even sees the FDD, and some prefer to hold a Discovery Day near the end, after the prospect has had time to review the FDD and they’re ready to sign the franchise agreement. The way you decide to do it depends on your specific franchise business, what your competitors are doing, and how your particular sales cycle works. No matter when your Discovery Day is scheduled, you will expend time and effort to invite them to your corporate office (or one of your top franchise locations), so plan to invite only your top prospects.

Make sure your Discovery Day is completely planned from the first moment they arrive to the moment they leave Don’t make the mistake of trying to “wing it” because you will ultimately regret it. Plan everything including when they will arrive and who will pick them up and where they will stay. Plan carefully who will be their coordinator during the event and train that staffer to know exactly what to do in every situation. A franchise Discovery Day handbook with names, contact numbers, emails and directions should be created well before the event and either sent or hand-delivered at the first meeting. Your staff should also have an agenda to follow with contingency plans if something unscheduled happens (i.e. failing to show up at an arranged time, or meetings that run long, etc.).

Pre-qualify your prospects prior to Discovery Day

While you are investigating your prospects, understand they are investigating your business as well. Have a contact person your prospects can talk to easily any time. These staffers can find out many important details about your prospects that could help you decide if they are good candidates well before you invite them to your Discovery Days. Also, find out if they’ll be able to obtain financing for the franchise.

What type of Discovery Day is right for you?

Is your franchise more laid back and chill, trendy and fashion-forward, all about car repair, staffing, lawn care or part of a restaurant chain? Match your Discovery Days to your business, and remember to think like a potential franchisee. A good way to evaluate your Discovery Days is with feedback from attendees. Some businesses provide Discovery Day attendees with comment forms or surveys so they can make future Discovery Days more successful - for both the franchisor and the franchisee. In some cases a “shadow day” is a helpful way to let a potential investor try out being an actual franchisee for a day by shadowing one of your most successful franchisees during a workday. This will help a prospect get to know if the business is right for them. Be aware, however, that this can pose potential problems if your host franchisee is not running a very tight ship- your host franchisee should be a top performer and one of your best company proponents. Heather Ripley is the founder and CEO of Tennessee-based Ripley PR, a national public relations agency specializing in franchising. She is also a guest contributor to Entrepreneur.com. www.ripleypr.com

Train all your home franchise staff well, no matter what the position One of the situations you do not want to see is an “Undercover Boss” moment where an employee bashes the company or does something against company policy during Discovery Days (or any day). You must trust every employee and have confidence they are completely trained to be professional, polite, unflappable and efficient. Nothing could be worse than holding a prospective franchisee event with unprepared or unpleasant staff.

Heather Ripley

Franchising USA

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ex per t advice

Richard Lieberman, Attorney, Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C.

KEEPING IT FRIENDLY AVOIDING PITFALLS WHEN GOING INTO A FRANCHISE WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY Entering into a franchise with friends or family can have great benefits and be a mutually rewarding experience. Partners with existing relationships often start with a higher degree of trust, believing they know the skills, experience, and capabilities of their potential partner. Franchising USA

Too often, new business partners plunge into the endeavor without a full understanding of their individual roles, experience, and expectations. When things donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t turn out like the owners anticipated, frustration and resentment often build. For example, an owner finds she is working 60-hour weeks, while her partner leaves early, yet draws the same compensation. Or, one partner resents the micro-management from the other. Partners who thought they were growing a successful business together sometimes end up with not only an ailing franchise, but a damaged relationship as well. Dysfunction is not inevitable and there are proactive measures to avoid common

pitfalls. Implementing these steps can help lead business owners to a long-term, rewarding partnership.

Communication and Documentation Communication and documentation are keys to success. Formal communication, like holding regular company board meetings, helps assure important items are addressed in a thoughtful manner. Informal communication provides the opportunity in the interim to resolve issues as they arise. Establishing methods to cooperatively resolve issues leads to more productivity and satisfaction.

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ex per t advice

Richard Lieberman, Attorney, Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C.

“Establishing robust communication and documenting the agreements between partners is a major factor in helping friends and family remain close and run a successful business.” Documenting the results provides a record of the actual decisions as a reference against the time that circumstances change or memories of those agreements begin to differ. And it is much easier to reach an agreement on how to resolve potential conflict when both parties are working cooperatively together versus when they are enmeshed in conflict. The method of documenting the agreements of the owners will differ depending on the type of business entity they have, such as a corporation or limited liability company. Examples of documents used to memorialize the agreements include the organizational documents, shareholder’s agreements, resolutions, company policies, and employment agreements. The following are some issues partners should address, together with methods of documenting them. Although this is not an all-inclusive list of important issues, these examples will assist in starting the process of communication and documentation.

Organization and Governance How is the company to be structured? Will one partner have authority over the other, or will they have an equal voice? Will each have authority over their own areas of responsibility? How is ownership to be divided? The answers are unique to each company and may evolve as the franchise grows, and experience levels and skills become more apparent. The company’s organizational documents should establish fundamental roles and authorities, and provide a governance structure for how important decisions are to be made. They should also provide a method for changing those terms as circumstances evolve. Companies can implement policies establishing authority

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levels by function and/or amount.

Compensation How will compensation be established and modified as circumstances change? Initial compensation arrangements are often established before the partners understand the others’ level of effort and experience; therefore, compensation may be based on inaccurate assumptions or expectations. Owners should be willing to reassess these arrangements as the relative contributions of each become more apparent. Keep in mind that circumstances change over time, so compensation arrangements should also evolve. Mutually acceptable arrangements should also be implemented for deciding which expenses should be reimbursed by the business.

Resolving Deadlocks If the partners have an equal voice, how will they break a deadlock on an issue? Methods of resolution can range from leaving the status quo in place to more formal methods of resolving a tie, such as giving one partner an extra vote or bringing in a third party to decide the issue. If the partners find they cannot agree on a sustained basis, they may wish to permit one owner to buy out the other.

company or the remaining owner may have a first right of refusal to purchase the interests of the departing owner. Your legal counsel can help identify issues to be addressed, and document the agreements of the parties. Ultimately, addressing those issues at the front end, when the parties want to work cooperatively, is the most cost-effective method of resolving any potential disputes that might arise. Those who are “penny-wise but pound foolish” often regret not doing so. Establishing robust communication and documenting the agreements between partners is a major factor in helping friends and family remain close and run a successful business. Richard Lieberman is Chairman of Phoenix-based Jennings, Strouss & Salmon’s Corporate, Securities and Finance Department. He has extensive experience in a broad range of business law issues, including mergers and acquisitions, securities, corporate governance, finance and banking, employment, executive compensation, bankruptcy and corporate restructuring, litigation and legislation. Among his honors by Best Lawyers in America®, Mr. Lieberman is listed in the “Corporate Governance and Compliance,” “Mergers and Acquisitions” and “Securities” categories, and was named “Lawyer of the Year” in 2014 for Corporate Governance Law in Arizona and in 2016 for Business Organizations.

Separation Arrangements Partners should address how to separate ownership in the event they decide, or need, to part ways. This includes dealing with death, disability, relocation, or simply a desire to separate. There are many methods that enable this to happen. For example, if the owners decide not to sell the business, the company’s documents can establish a procedure for how to value the interests of the departing owner, and how the remaining partner or a third party may purchase those interests. The

Richard Lieberman

question time

Michael Phillips, Founder & President, Coconut’s Fish Cafe

Q&A

“Our main goal is to build a franchise system with high quality owner and operator groups who understand and appreciate the Coconut’s brand experience.”

with Michael Phillips

Our team at Franchising USA had a chance to sit down with Michael Phillips, founder and president of Coconut’s Fish Cafe, one of the highest-rated restaurants in Maui. We discussed everything about Michael’s career, from his start in the restaurant industry to his opening a Hawaiian taco café after retirement. What is your professional background? My first job was at Pizza Hut. I was 13years-old when I started out, and my job involved me waving at cars on the side of the road while wearing a ceramic pizza hat. From there, I got promoted to being the dishwasher. To this day, I tell my customers that I used to be a “professional dishwasher” because I was proud of the work I did; not to mention, I was really good at it! In the same respect, all of my employees at Coconut’s Fish Cafe are valued professionals and I feel just as proud of what they are accomplishing. In addition, I learned a few specific lessons in the beginning of my career in the restaurant industry. I had two mentors who showed me the ins and outs of running

Franchising USA

a successful restaurant. Both have had a significant impact on my management style. My first mentor cared and respected each and every employee on board and always made a point to show his appreciation. He managed us through positive reinforcement and positive feedback. I knew one day I wanted be just like him. My second mentor was my manager and “The King of Employee Motivation.” Even though the restaurant’s owners were tough on him, he did everything in his power to make sure his employees felt supported. No matter how much the owners burdened him with their anxiety and worries, he never let us feel a thing.

After a well-deserved retirement, what inspired you to go back into the restaurant business? I opened Coconut’s Fish Cafe so I could have access to a local fish sandwich shop that was close to my house and offered freshly made, great-tasting food. There weren’t many options around my neighborhood, unless I was willing to drive an hour. Even then, I had to pay more than $50 for a meal. As I began planning the creation of Coconut’s Fish Cafe with the intention of providing quality food at an affordable price point, I realized many people out there shared my sentiments and welcomed my idea.

What was the inspiration behind the name Coconut’s Fish Cafe? I have two kids – There is my daughter, Frances, and my cat Coconut, who I love like my own child. When I was thinking of a name for my restaurant, I knew it was

only right to name it after Coconut. Now my cat is famous!

When did you begin franchising Coconut’s Fish Cafe? Why? I didn’t think about franchising until people began inquiring about opening their own Coconut’s locations. Professionals, restaurant industry veterans and investors all expressed interest and told me they would jump at the opportunity to have their own Coconut’s Fish Cafe location. The compliments became a motivator for me. I began exploring whether I could franchise the concept. Thus, we signed a licensing agreement in Scottsdale, to test out if it was possible to successfully duplicate the concept...and it was!

What are you most proud of accomplishing with Coconut’s Fish Cafe so far? By far, the biggest blessing is the fact that my kids were able to come on board and join the family business. My daughter, Frances Oney, is the vice president of franchise operations, and my son-in-law, Dan Oney, is chief operating officer. They decided to take a chance on me and work with me in expanding Coconut’s, and I couldn’t be more appreciative.

How do you make your customers’ experience at Coconut’s Fish Cafe special? At Coconut’s, we ensure that our customers have a five-star dining every time they walk into our café. In order to accomplish this, we have four key areas that we focus on:

• First, cleanliness is a hallmark of our brand experience. From the moment guests walk in, they should immediately notice the attention to detail in the restaurant. Under all circumstances, the restaurant is never cluttered or disorganized. • Second, we do not hire people to take orders; rather, we have a cashier ambassador, someone who presents the food options on the menu with vivid details and descriptions. • Third, we hire food ambassadors to deliver your food to the table. Each food ambassador cares about what they are doing and they know exactly how to describe your dish to you, including what makes your dish special. You will never have a food ambassador who doesn’t present a brief speech on your dish when it’s delivered. • Lastly, and most importantly, our staff thanks each and every one of the customers who walk in and out of the door. Our employees will always let our customers know how much we appreciate their service. We encourage all staff to have real, genuine conversations with our customers.

What are the brand’s franchise expansion plans? Our main goal is to build a franchise system with high quality owner and operator groups who understand and appreciate the Coconut’s brand experience. As of now, we currently have two franchise development plans in place; one in Texas for eight units, and one in California for four units. We are also accepting franchise applications throughout the West Coast.

Where can we keep up with you on social media? Website: http://www.coconutsfishcafe.com/home Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoconutsFish Cafe?rf=121484441251606 Twitter: https://twitter.com/coconutsfish Instagram: https://instagram.com/coconutsfishcafe/

Franchising USA

question time

Page 19

ex per t advice

Andy Roe, General Manager, SurePayroll, Inc.

Every company, regardless of industry, realizes the importance of high quality customer service. This can be the difference between keeping a customer happy and having him or her leave for a competitor. Franchising USA

Despite the importance, some companies continue to neglect this area of their business. Once that becomes your reputation, you’re at risk of losing current customers, as well as gaining new ones.

Most recently, in a study conducted by the Temkin Group, the following companies were rated as providing the best customer experiences: • PetSmart • Amazon • Trader Joe’s

Simple

to Quickl Customer

Think about those brands and ask yourself this important question: how do you

ensure your franchise is thought of as one

of those companies people really enjoying buying from or doing business with?

Listed below are three simple, quick, and effective ways to improve your customer service. Forget about industry, company

size, and what you have done in the past. You can use these methods to improve your customer service in the future

regardless of the type of franchise you run:

“You could have the greatest product or service in your industry, but if you don’t offer top of the line customer support you will eventually face some trouble.” to push several minutes or more the customer will become irritated. • Provide access to many types of customer service. While phone and email support are most common, live chat is gaining traction. • Strive to address all questions and concerns during the first call. Not only does this benefit the customer, but it ensures that the same problem does not bog the company down again in the future.

Provide Knowledge

e Ways

ly Improve r Service

Focus on Availability What good is having a customer

service team that is never available to

provide assistance? Depending on your industry, you may not need to provide

customer support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. What you should do,

however, is make yourself available during regular business hours.

Here are some additional tips: • Don’t make customers wait on hold.

A little wait is okay, but as you begin

Just because you provide fast customer service does not mean it is necessarily effective. Customer service professionals must be able to deal with anything that comes their way. They must be able to provide the appropriate knowledge at the appropriate time. In most cases, this comes down to one word: training. You can’t throw a person into a customer service role and expect them to excel. Instead, a detailed training regimen should be implemented. This will guarantee that the person is in the best position to succeed. And when customer service reps succeed, those they are dealing with will feel better about the company.

Follow-Up

Some companies do this, but others consider it a waste of time. If you don’t deal with a large volume of customer service contacts, you may be able to follow up on each call, email or chat. This is particularly true if the person is a current customer and you have his or her contact information. Sure, it takes time to follow up with someone who contacted your company for support, but in the end this makes them feel wanted. It shows them you care. Even

Andy Roe

if it is a short email asking if their problem was resolved, it proves that you are doing what you can to make them happy. And there is nothing more important than that.

Final Word You could have the greatest product or service in your industry, but if you don’t offer top of the line customer support you will eventually face some trouble. With the three tips above, you can quickly improve in this area. Andy Roe is the General Manager of SurePayroll, Inc., a Paychex Company. SurePayroll is the trusted provider of easy online payroll services to small businesses nationwide. SurePayroll compiles data from small businesses nationwide through its Small Business Scorecard optimism survey, and exclusively reflects the trends affecting the nation’s “micro businesses” — those with1-10 employees. You can follow Andy on Twitter @AndrewSRoe. Learn More at: http://www.surepayroll.com/ http://blog.surepayroll.com/smallbusiness-tips/

Franchising USA

ex per t advice

Page 21

SPOT L IG H T O N SERV ICE

Clay ton Kendall I nc.

Clayton Kendall Inc.

Promises Consistent, Easy Branding for Franchises While most everyone in business knows the importance of branding, making sure everything stays consistent across an entire brand platform can be challenging. That is where Clayton Kendall Inc. steps in. Co-founder and CEO Daniel Broudy, speaking from the company’s headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA, said Clayton Kendall Inc. manages the print and branding programs for multi-location companies nationwide. The company builds its own online store technology to create a customized environment for each individual client community, so everyone in that community can order all their printed material, signage, uniforms, and branded merchandise. “Users can log in from all over the country and see specifically what they’re supposed to see based on their region,” Broudy said in a recent interview. For example, a franchisee in Los Angeles and a franchisee of the same brand in New York can both sign into the franchise’s online Clayton Kendall store and they’ll each see the branded products they need tailored to their own regions of the country. The online store will show

“Users can log in from all over the country and see specifically what they’re supposed to see based on their region.” - Dan Broudy, Co-founder and CEO Franchising USA

them all the products that are available to them in that region and will price them accordingly if the price differs from region to region. Franchises can download various reports about what their franchisees are ordering to keep track of advertising trends and what works best where and the franchisees can do virtual proofing of their items, track orders and manage budgets all through Clayton Kendall Inc.’s online stores. In business since 1999, the company fulfills a significant need for franchises by making life easier for franchisees. By dealing with Clayton Kendall Inc., they don’t have to go to several places to get their print material and other advertising materials. Using a Clayton Kendall store allows franchisees to do their shopping on a single website. The company gives franchises brand cohesion because they don’t have so many vendors printing their branded materials. Plus, it’s also easier to control the spending, the CEO said. They have one login, one place to find everything they need and they know that everything there is going to be of similar quality. “It’s far easier to manage one vendor than it would be to manage eight or nine,” Broudy pointed out. The company has 120 employees at its Pittsburgh headquarters and also distributes out of Phoenix, AZ; Honolulu, HI; Toronto, ON Canada and Melbourne, Australia. Clayton Kendall Inc. does much of its own in-house printing, the CEO said, including embroidery, screen printing, paper printing, laser engraving, signage, graphic design, as well as their own website development. Its use of technology is actually the main differentiator between Clayton Kendall and their competition, Broudy said. The company employs in-house web developers, who customize each website for the individual client based on their needs. None of their technology is off-theshelf. Part of the reason everything is customized rather than just being off-theshelf is so it can be modified easily based

on the client’s feedback. Customers often come up with ideas for the websites they use and the developers can adapt these websites easily to improve the customer experience. ”The process of perfecting a website based on client and customer feedback is a fascinating and enjoyable process,” Broudy said.

Bringing home the gold • 2015 – ASI (Ad Specialties Institute) Distributor of Distinction Award • 2014 – Small Business of the year for the state of Pennsylvania - Small Business Administration (SBA) • 2014 – One of the Fastest Growing Companies in the Region - Pittsburgh Business Times • 2014 – One of the Best Places to Work in Western Pennsylvania - Pittsburgh Business Times • 2013 – One of the Fastest Growing Companies in the Region - Pittsburgh Business Times

graphic design, print production, branded merchandise purchasing, and warehousing and fulfillment. Clayton Kendall provides customized websites with robust reporting features, which set the standard for technological excellence. Founded in 1999, Clayton Kendall has grown from a small startup with 6 employees, to an award winning company with over 120 employees and five distribution centers (Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Honolulu, Toronto, and Melbourne, Australia). Dan earned a Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis and received a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Marketing from the University of Miami. He also spent a year at the London School of Economics, studying International Finance and Marketing. www.claytonkendall.com

• 2013 – Distributor of the Year Three Rivers Advertising Specialty Association (TRASA) Dan Broudy is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Clayton Kendall Inc., a Pittsburgh based branded merchandise company. He uses his extensive industry experience to help clients manage their brand compliance,

Dan Broudy

Franchising USA

SPOT L IG H T O N SERV ICE

Page 23

ex per t advice

Andre Kay, CEO & Founder, Sociallybuzz

Ways to Grow Your Business

Even if you’ve been living under a rock for the past 5 years, you should still know or have heard how important social media is to the life of your business. A huge percentage of business owners

are still hesitant to add social media to

their marketing strategy. Whether you’re

controlling your social media or not, your business is already being talked about

by your customers. It’s time to join the conversation.

Here are 10 ways to grow your business using social media:

Stop living in denial First thing first, social media is here

to stay. According to a recent study by BIA/Kelsey, 74.5 percent of small and

medium-sized businesses (SMBs) reported using social media to promote their

businesses -- more than any other category of media. Your competitors are already using social media to win over your

customers, engage with their customers and to grow their business. If you’re a

little more social savvy and have an active social media presence, remember to

always stay ahead of the curve by learning and adapting to all the quick changes in social media.

Franchising USA

Using Social Media “Making a great impression on social media requires two parts: visuals and text.”

Join the conversation

Social media will continue to be the driving force for businesses that want to effectively interact with their customers in real-time. When a customer has a complaint, question or praise about your business, they will voice it on their social network of choice. It’s your job to make sure you’re identifying the networks your customer spend their time and seek to actively engage and create conversations with them.

Stay true to your business

Business owners always ask, what should I be posting or saying on social media. The short answer is to stay true to who you are and what your business stands for. Customers can tell when you’re faking it and will not engage with you. Stay true to the message and content you post. Follow the 80/20 rule when posting on your channels. 80 percent of the time, focus on other messages and content that’s not directly about selling but relates to your industry, business and target audience. The other 20 percent should be about your services, products, offers, sales and discounts. You might also find that you create the most buzz and sales because of the 80 percent. Not being sales pushy, will open your business for more engagement, sharing and interaction from your customers.

Be in the know

Social media is changing quickly. Something that’s the hot topic today might not be the same tomorrow. Being in the know will give you a leg up on what to plan for and how to use change to help your business grow and stay ahead of your competitors. In the ebook, the big buzz of social media changes, it explains all the changes that happened in social media during 2014, that you can use as social media blueprint. This is a great resource to help you create a more strategic marketing plan for 2015. Download the book here.

Choose the right channels

Using the right channel is essential to creating a two-way conversation with your customers. Most importantly, you do not need to be on every social network. Find out where your customers spend their time, and where people talk about you the most, and utilize those specific channels to invest your time and energy. It’s better to master 3 channels, than being inconsistent on 6 channels.

Create a plan

Creating a strategic approach to how you manage your social media will save you lots of time and resources. First you should create a weekly schedule that you will evaluate monthly to determine what’s working and not working. The weekly schedule can be as simple as saying, on Mondays, I will focus on this and on

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ex per t advice

Andre Kay, CEO & Founder, Sociallybuzz

Wednesdays, I’ll do this. With a weekly schedule in place, you will know exactly where to put your focus. Second, create a content and event calendar. Use that to list all upcoming holidays and special events related to your business and build content around that information. The more you post, the more you’ll discover which content, timing and frequency is right for you.

Develop a crisis plan

Being prepared in the time of a social media crisis can be the difference in making a bad or a good reactive decision. Knowing exactly what to do when a customer uses derogatory words to bash your business on social media, as well as how to control a social media blunder caused by your own actions, will keep you sane. Develop the plan, share it with your staff and document the process. Taking these steps will help everyone in your business that handles social media, marketing and PR to be on the same page.

Developing multi touch points

To grow your business effectively, it’s recommended to use multiple touch points of your social media and digital strategy to achieve a specific goal. If your goal is to drive online sales to an ecommerce website, you need to use each touch points effectively. On Facebook, start by investing in “Like” ads to grow your fan page with targeted consumers. Do this by launching the ads and target people that live in the country, state or city you sell your goods or products, choose the target audience of who is and will be buying your product and then use ‘interest’ by selecting potential consumers that follow your competitors or show interest in the type of goods or products you’re selling. This will effectively grow your page with real potential consumers.The content you now post on your page will be a lot more interesting to your audience because they can relate to it. This will significantly increase your brand awareness. Next is to activate your fans to customers. Now that you have the right people on your page, your next step is to post your

Franchising USA

“Business owners always ask, what should I be posting or saying on social media. The short answer is to stay true to who you are and what your business stands for.” products on your page with a very clear call to action driving them to that exact product checkout page on your website. Use a high quality photo, write a short and enhanced description of the benefits of that product with a link to buy it. After you post it on your fan page, use the boost ads to increase the visibility of that post from 4% to over 50% of your fans seeing it. So what you’ve done is, picked the exact audience you wanted, engage them with related content and then serve them with products that they will want to buy. That’s a win-win situation, and that’s only on Facebook. Now do a similar approach on Twitter. You’ll see how quickly you grow your sales. There are other touch points to include that can activate your sales, including email marketing, retargeting ad campaigns and search ads. At Sociallybuzz, these are the things we do for our clients.

Make a great impression

Making a great impression on social media requires two parts: visuals and text. Visit each social media profiles and make sure that avatars, cover photos, bio and profile info is up-to-date and complete. A completed profile shows professionalism, cohesive branding and a signal to visitors that you’re serious about engaging. Customers should feel proud about sharing your content and social profiles with their friends.

Don’t be afraid to delegate

If your business is starting to grow fast and you’re out growing your in-house social media and digital team, the next move is to hire an outside social media or digital company to help take you to the next level. Doing this will require you to do your homework on the company you hire to make sure they understand your voice and can talk the talk. They

Andre Kay

must understand your culture and target customers, and most importantly know how to nurture, engage and sell to them. This is a very important step in moving forward and will require you to trust that company you hired. Don’t hire them, then set it and forget it. Create an open line of communication that includes bi-weekly meetings/calls, transparency of your goals, your contribution and monthly insights showing the progress of these efforts. Change in social media is inevitable and it will come whether you accept it or not. In conclusion, I want to share a book on change with everyone. I read this book for the first time about 6 years ago and it was a vital part of launching Sociallybuzz. I continue to read or listen to the audiobook every chance I need a reminder of why accepting and predicting change is important. The book is Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson. Andre Kay is CEO and founder of Sociallybuzz, which exists to help businesses grow using social media. By helping them reach relevant customers, build customer loyalty, mange reputation and increase revenue. We protect relationship with their customer, create effective campaigns, manage their social channels and online reputation 24/7. Read thecompany’s blog and follow it on Twitter and Instagram. www.sociallybuzz.com

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www.franchisingusamagazine.com

Page 29

september 2015

Veterans in Franchising www.franchisingusamagazine.com

franchising for transitioning warriors program

the patch boys

fills a gap organizing

for success

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ŏ#PSEFS .BHJD IBT DIBOHFE NZ MJGF GPS UIF CFTU * MPWF XIBU * EP BOE * XPVMEOōU DIBOHF B UIJOH Ő $IBE )BNFT 0XOFS -POH (SPWF *"

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ŏ * DBNF BDSPTT #PVMEFS %FTJHOT BOE UIPVHIU JU XBT UIF DPPMFTU DPODFQU UIBU XPVME ţU XJUI XIBU * XBOUFE UP EP 5PEE )FSPO 0XOFS 8BSSFOUPO 7"

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V eterans in F ranchisin g S upplement september 2 0 1 5 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 Cover Story

News & Expert Advice

32 The Patch Boys

36 Organizing for Success Darcella Craven, Veterans Business Resource Center

Profiles 34 The Grounds Guys 40 Huntington Learning Center 44 Boulder Designs

42 Franchising for Transitioning Warriors Program Jim Mingey, Veterans Business Services 46 New Funding Program Expands Access to Franchise Ownership George Knauf, FranChoice

Franchising USA

V e t er ans in Fr anchising

C over S tor y - t h e patch boys -

B y D i a n a Ci ke s, Fra n c h is i n g USA

Filling a Gap in the Construction Industry Where most businesses strive to fill gaps in the market, one innovative niche construction business leveraged the opportunity to fill some pretty big holes. Started in 2008, The Patch Boys found

its footing in the midst of the economic

recession when most trade businesses were closing their doors. How? By carving out its own unique market niche and starting

where others in the trades industry usually leave off: patching up holes in drywall left over from home renovations, repairs or installations.

“Let’s say you call a plumber to fix a leak

in your pipes,” explained founder and CEO Leo Goldberger. “Once he’s done fixing

the pipes he leaves you with the bill, and a big hole in the wall. And who do you

call to fix it? Big construction companies don’t want to waste time going out for

small patch jobs, and small companies or

independent contractors charge an arm and a leg. So what do you do? You call us.”

Franchising USA

The Patch Boys Concept Goldberger discussed the sense of competition that exists amongst skilled trade professionals and general contractors, who can generally handle both skilled trade work and construction. But the Patch Boys took a unique approach and positioned the business as a partner rather than a competitor by focusing on a single service: repairing damaged drywall. This eliminated any competition and allowed the business to capture its initial customer base through referrals from others in the trades industry. “We come in after they finish their work and patch up the holes,” said Goldberger. “That’s all we do, and because that’s our specialization, we do it really well and have a system to do it quickly and efficiently…We’re in and out in 3-4 hours, and in that time we fix it, patch it, paint it and complete it. We’ll also clean up afterwards by vacuuming or wiping up the dust and mess.” The Patch Boys has since widened its market to include a wide variety of drywall repair jobs, from damage cause by mold, water damage or situations like children playing baseball in the home, to every day wear and tear from furniture rubbing up against the wall. With so many

scenarios that cause drywall damage, The Patch Boys are kept busy and the service is in demand.

The Franchising Model The Patch Boys just recently started franchising its business model in April but already has 5 franchisees successfully in operation, with several more prospects positioned to jump on board over the next few months. Current territories include multiple counties in NY, NJ, MA and NH. The Patch Boys is proud of its territory development strategy, said Goldberger, which allows unlimited growth to its franchise owners. He added that the territory sizes are large and well protected, with opportunities for multiple franchises in each state due to the various counties and sections.

Supporting Veterans The Patch Boys’ franchising program also offers a special discount for veterans, with Goldberger having had several family members serve in the armed forces. “I have a weakness for veterans…I appreciate what they do for this country and the sacrifices that they make. So that’s the way that I can give back to them.”

Hands-On Training and Support With a comprehensive franchisee training and support program in place, franchisees are not required to have a background in construction, which also makes it a viable option for veterans looking to start their own business. “This is the great thing about our franchisee profile,” said Goldberger. “Anybody and everybody can do this because we train our new franchisees from top to bottom. Even if you don’t know how to spell the word ‘construction’, by the time you finish our week long training program, you’ll be ready to handle everything.” Support is also provided through a comprehensive CRM system, also equipped with a communication system that allows franchisees to stay in touch so they can share information or ask each other for advice or support. Head office is also available for any type of support and follows up with each franchisee twice a year to ensure everything is running smoothly and to see if the franchisee requires any additional training or assistance. “We’re very hands on,” suggested Goldberger.

The Patch Boys Difference In addition to a unique business concept and strong support, The Patch Boys offers several other key advantages for franchisees: 1. Low investment and low overhead - The Patch Boys is set up to have extremely low start-up and overhead costs, with overhead costs that work out to less than 5% and, according to Goldberger, costs mere “pennies per month.” 2. High profit margins - “Our profit margins are unreal,” claimed Goldberger. He went on to explain that franchisees can expect to secure a customer base with in 4-6 weeks of setting up their business and are positioned to hit the profit margin within months of opening. 3. Year-round demand - Unlike seasonal businesses – like HVAC in the summer

“We’re in and out in 3-4 hours, and in that time we fix it, patch it, paint it and complete it. We’ll also clean up afterwards by vacuuming or wiping up the dust and mess.” – Leo Goldberger, Founder and CEO months or heating services in the winter – business for The Patch Boys is not seasonally dependant since there is always a need for drywall repair. “Our business is also almost economy and recession proof,” said Goldberger. “Because no matter what, people will always have the money and the responsibility to fix a hole in their dining room.” 4. Marketing support and lead generating strategies - The Patch Boys helps its franchisees attract new business with effective marketing and advertising strategies that have proven to be highly effective. From branded Smart Cars with wrap-around advertising, to lead generating concepts like following up with multiple skilled trades and industry professionals or visiting online industry chat rooms and searching for keywords that indicate the need for drywall repairs – such as

“holes in wall” or “little holes” – The Patch Boys is always on the look-out for creative ways to help its franchisees generate new business.

Opportunity Continues to Call Just when they think they’ve seen it all, a new opportunity for business will come along for The Patch Boys crew. They now have a regular customer who calls them every few weeks to repair the damage left behind from big parties he throws in his home every month. Goldberger said the office now expects his calls every month and they look forward to hearing the interesting stories about the most recent party and the damage left behind. “We are constantly amazed at the different kinds of scenarios we come across where our services are needed. So the business opportunities really are endless.” For more information, please visit: www.thepatchboys.com/franchising-02

Franchising USA

V e t er ans in Fr anchising

Page 33

V e t er ans in Fr anchising

T he G rounds Gu ys

Jeff Baker

Profile

From the Front Lines

to Front Yards

There’s nothing quite like the great outdoors. That’s how Jeff Baker, of El Dorado, Kansas describes his career path. It started shortly after high school, when he joined the U.S. Air Force.

“I always had a patriotic mentality,” Baker explains. “I just wanted to have a chance

to see what the military was like.” And he sums up the experience in one important word that has followed him to this day: Discipline.

Franchising USA

To Serve and Protect Baker was stationed in Rapid City, S.D. at Ellsworth Air Force Base. Then he served two tours of duty in the Middle East – one in Saudi Arabia and one in Kuwait. He was with security forces, which was like the military police, where his duties involved keeping the air bases secure.

“In the military, the people you rely on are the people that you’re with. Franchising is kind of the same thing.” – Jeff Baker.

“It was hot,” Baker said of his time overseas. “A culture shock. I was with a bunch of people I didn’t know very well. But you really learn to bond with the people you’re with in the service.” Those bonds and the skilled training he received followed him as he advanced. And after four years in the Air Force, he moved into law enforcement as a policeman with the El Dorado Police Department in Kansas. That’s where he rose to the rank of patrol sergeant, again spending time out in the community he worked to protect.

Neighborly Duties When Baker wasn’t on duty, he ran a parttime business mowing lawns. That’s how much he loved being outside. It turned into a nice side business too. “I had anywhere from 15-25 yards,” Baker says. “And I would have other officers help me on their days off.” But he knew there was more business just waiting for him if he ever wanted to make the time. That’s when Baker started thinking about a lawn care franchise. After 12 years on the police force, part of him was ready to run his own full-time business… if it came with the right marching orders. “I’m definitely a person who believes in structure and having systems in place to deliver certain things,” Baker said. He learned that in the military and on the police force. Now he wanted to find that for his own business. It’s all about following orders, he explained. “In this case, a certain service.”

Ground Operations That’s when Baker found The Grounds Guys, one of the fastest-growing grounds care and lawn maintenance franchisors

“There’s no cutting corners. There’s no deciding to do something half as good as you should. Just give a good performance, and you will be rewarded.” – Jeff Baker. in North America. He liked that their Code of Care for taking care of customers paralleled the structure he enjoyed in both law enforcement and the military. Baker was also very impressed by the systems and structure that the business had in place, not to mention fellow franchise owners he could consider his peers. In that way, it was a lot like the military. “In the military, the people you rely on are the people that you’re with,” Baker said. “Franchising is kind of the same thing. Because you can befriend people in your industry, even your competitors. But when you are a part of a franchise, you can call on people with the very same brand, and those people are going to give you solid advice. They are not really competing against you. You are all advancing together.”

Since opening The Grounds Guys of East Wichita in October of 2013, Baker has been advancing nicely. He doesn’t just mow lawns anymore. Today, his business provides irrigation services, sod installation, snow removal, full landscaping and more. “Once I got up and going, it confirmed my decision that The Grounds Guys was the right business for me,” Baker said. “It’s not just a business. It’s a lifestyle.” And the results have been amazing. Like his years in the military and on the police force, Baker has learned to prioritize duties at The Grounds Guys. “There’s no cutting corners,” he said. “There’s no deciding to do something half as good as you should. Just give a good performance, and you will be rewarded.” www.groundsguys.com/east-wichita

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Darcella K. Craven, Executive Director, Veterans Business Resource Center

Organizing for Success In the beginning, you have an idea for the perfect business. You dream about it turning into a multi-million dollar agency where you are being featured on the cover of magazines, the keynote at conferences or just being able to send your kids off to college. In preparation you get the business plan together, set up the cool home office and start networking. You are on the road to entrepreneurship. You get great advice from successful small business owners like “Don’t forget to work “on” your business and not just “in” it.” And they are correct, you cannot forget to move out of the implementation phase of small business and work on the strategy. Unfortunately, too many business owners get caught up in the dream and the hype and jump straight into the “on” your business without ensuring that all of the “in” it stuff is in place. You must deal with the minutia up front so that when your big opportunity comes (and it will) you are prepared. This is the “in” your

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business part of small business. Let’s get into how to ensure you are setting things up properly which will lead you to success and not failure.

One area that many new entrepreneurs forget to address is organizing their filing system. Your memory is great right now with one or two client files, however, you will probably not be able to remember everything for 50 clients. Imagine tomorrow that 50 new clients knock on your door and want your products or service. Great, but how will you keep their orders organized? You need an efficient filing system in place before the rush. Follow these simple steps for quick results:

Begin by deciding where your files are going to live in your office Yes, I said live. Files are living, breathing entities that will need care and attending. Even if they are archival or permanent

files, you will need to know what is in there just in case you need to find that information. As well as how to keep them and when you can shred. As your clients and vendors expand so will your filing system, so be sure to give yourself enough room to grow. If you do not have file drawers, start with file containers. Just be sure to label the outside of the box to avoid opening up several of them before you get to the one you need. Keep your business files separate from your personal files. Put all personal papers in a separate drawer, file container or another room. This will also help you keep fit but that is another column.

Determine the categories you will need to create

Category suggestions include Clients & Vendors, Accounts Payable & Receivable, Internal Forms and Company “Must Have” paperwork just to name a few. Make as many as you need and add more when you need. Remember, living.

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V e t er ans in Fr anchising

Darcella K. Craven, Executive Director, Veterans Business Resource Center

“Preparing your filing system may not be the most fun and exciting part of a business plan. However setting them up properly at the beginning will help you run a more efficient operation when business is really booming.” HINT: Use color coded hanging files to find categories faster! Save RED files for the most important papers as it indicates “URGENT”. Use other colors based on your preferences and what will trigger your memory as to what the file folder contains. Example: Here we have client Shepherd Maximus, who is also affiliated with Purple Shoe Inc. as we can tell in the cross reference short code (xref). We know his client number in case there is an electronic database to reference. There are notes for sales people that he orders every six months. His bill is due within 60 days, not later than 90 or he receives a 10% penalty. He became a client on January 15, 2002. Once you have all of these the way you like. Write what is filed in the drawer or box on a sheet of paper and keep it in the front of the drawer. This quick reference sheet will help you and your employees get to know your system and have less wasted time on trying to guess where you may have put an important document. You can do this same thing electronically on many different devices out there. Research to find the one that works best for you. Whether it is virtual or physical the categories can look the same.

Decide what the order you want the files to be in

Will your files be in chronological order or in alphabetical order? Which way you use will be determined by your business needs. A concierge business may choose an alphabetical order verses a manufacturing company with orders placed in chronological order. The order is yours to determine, just be sure to write it on your front sheet so you do not forget.

Start filing

Make a pile of all of the papers in your office, sit in a comfortable place and start sorting. This can be the most tedious part of the process so make it fun. Put on music that makes you feel successful or of an artist that inspires you, download an audio business book, or listen to a podcast about new concepts in your industry or marketing strategy. This is a great way to work ON your business and IN your business at the same time. While sorting, work in 15 minute increments. You can do anything for 15 minutes! Then take a break and set your sights on the next 15 minutes. During that 15 minutes, do not let anything distract you – INCLUDING the phone, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter….. Make quick decisions. If you can’t name

Maximus, Shepherd (Client #12345)

xref: Purple Shoe Inc. Date created:1/15/02

Notes: Order every 6 months

due 60 days; NLT 90 or 10% penalty

Darcella K. Craven

it – it doesn’t have a home. Drop it to the side and come back later. Set a realistic goal. If you have been working on your business for months, give yourself a couple of weeks to complete this project, but remember you must schedule at least one day a week to Organize for Success! Preparing your filing system may not be the most fun and exciting part of a business plan. However setting them up properly at the beginning will help you run a more efficient operation when business is really booming. Darcella K Craven has over 20 years of experience in corporate, government, non-profit and military organizations. She is currently the Executive Director of the Veterans Business Resource Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting Honorably Discharged Veterans, National Guard and Reservist and Active Duty personnel and their families with transitioning back into civilian life with starting and expanding businesses. An Army Veteran, she holds a Masters of Arts in Management from Webster University and is currently pursuing her Doctors of Management focusing on impact of military experience on small business decision making. Darcella has been featured in numerous articles for her transition from the military and the welfare system to an accomplished business woman and is actively involved in many civic organizations. For more information: www.vetbiz.com

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ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS AND US VETERANS

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V e t er ans in Fr anchising

H unting ton Lea r ning C enter

Hear from Shawn Livingston

US Army Veteran & Huntington Learning Center multi-unit owner

Shawn Livingston

Profile

How would you describe Huntington Learning Center as a business? As a business, if you follow the Huntington system and put in the time, your center will be highly profitable. The greatest satisfaction to me as a franchise owner is knowing that my destiny is in my hands—Huntington provides you with the support and tools you need, and the execution and the financial gains are controlled by you. Additionally, there’s a substantial community component—it’s very rewarding to know that you’re helping someone. And, once you get into it, within a few months you start seeing the impact that you’re having.

Do you think Huntington is a good fit for fellow veterans? In my career serving in the US Army I have found my fellow Service Members to be very good at implementing proven systems, and that’s what you get at Huntington, a proven system. There’s also a sort of self-selecting that happens in the military—many military members are called to serve and there’s a strong element of providing for your community associated with running a Huntington franchise. I highly recommend Huntington to Veterans who want to own their own business.

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Did you think about going into other industries or choosing any of Huntington’s competitors and, if so, why did you choose Huntington?

“When you put the time in and follow the system, you’ll get great results. It works for the students we teach and it works running the business.”

When I was deciding what to do after the Army, I was looking at several industries. What brought me into education and eventually Huntington, was that I was looking for more of a professional business that had a substantial community element. As I considered other tutoring companies I evaluated several competitors and when I did my research on how they operate and the programs involved, I felt like Huntington was the premier service and offered the greatest potential as a business.

Any parting thoughts for those considering investing in Huntington? The business is like the program for students. When you put the time in and follow the system, you’ll get great results. It works for the students we teach and it works running the business. Being devoted to running your business will make you successful. Tutoring isn’t going to go anywhere as a business—parents are always going to be focused on their kids, and it’s rewarding to control my own success. Shawn Livingston owns two Huntington Learning Centers in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Huntington Learning Center is the #1 revenue producing tutoring franchise. Our franchise owners earn 61% more revenue as compared to our closest competitor. Huntington was founded in 1977, began franchising in 1985 and has grown to be one of the most established and well-respected brands in education. Today, Huntington operates nearly 300 centers in 38 states from coast to coast and is recognized as a pioneer and leader in the tutoring industry, providing quality instruction to tens of thousands of students through our national network of franchised and company-owned tutoring centers. To honor the service and courage of our military, Huntington offers a 50% reduction in the initial franchise fee for Active Duty and US Military Veterans. This is a reduction from $22,000 to $11,000.

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Jim Mingey, Founder Founder& &Managing ManagingDirector, Director,VBS’ VBS

Franchising

for Transitioning Warriors Program A collaborative success story for the franchise industry

VetToCEO, in collaboration with Veterans Business Services (VBS), and four franchising organizations, and two resource providers, were able to offer and deliver an insightful and informative online interactive franchising course for transitioning Veterans. Through initial marketing efforts of the course, Veteran enrollment was at 120 Veterans by the start of the course on

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June 23rd. One of the impressive features of the program included the ability of all the Veterans and the presenters to interact through an online social forum which included what VetToCEO calls the “Warrior Website”. Participants can revisit any presentations made throughout the course and revisit any course work required for the program through the website and interact with the facilitators of the course for additional support. VBS reached out to the franchise industry to get sponsors for the free online course, “Franchising for Transitioning Warriors Program” and received an incredible response to fulfill all seven course sessions with experienced franchise industry professionals. The course kicked off with both VetToCEO instructors John Panaccione

and Michael Horn, who are both Veterans and experienced entrepreneurs, leading the programs. Although they had offered the VetToCEO entrepreneurial course many times in the past, this course was geared specifically to franchising and the unique aspects of the franchise industry which required significant planning and efforts to update the materials and coordination to find the right presenters and materials for each session. The first session focused on Marketing Research which was supported by presenter Michelle Bearden, Vice President of Franchise Operations at Link Staffing. The second session focusing on marketing planning and was supported by Rachelle Piranio from UPS Stores. The third session focusing on mission was supported by Jon Rucker, Military Program Manager at Snap-On Tools

Franchise. The fourth session focusing on business execution and legal issues was supported by Kenneth Kaplan, CEO of the Kaplan Franchise Group. The fifth session which focused on logistics and finance was supported by three representatives from Two Men and a Truck, including Jeff Wesley CFO, Joey Hale franchisee for the past 16 years, and David Richardson Accountant and franchisee. The sixth session focusing on finance strategies was supported by James Drayton from Corporate Capital Funding. The last session focusing on organizational and networking tools was supported by Jim Mingey from Veterans Business Services. The course was received very well by the military participants and throughout each two hour session, Veterans were able to ask franchise industry experts specific questions about their business models, learn about how the franchise industry functions, learn how to finance a franchise opportunity and why franchising is a great option for Veteran entrepreneurs. Participants were able to discuss their business interests and differentiate why franchising can be a better option than starting their own independent small business. The VetToCEO sponsors also benefited very much through their interaction with the Veteran participants. “The VettoCEO Program gave amazing insight and practical, need-to-know information. In our world of “information overload”, I found the VettoCEO curriculum easy to understand and vector. Incredible staff knowledge and instructor professionalism. Thank you for offering this course to our nation’s heroes… For any veteran interested in the wonderful world of franchise ownership, this course is a MUST-DO!” - Jon Rucker, Military Program Manager, Snap-On Tools Franchise.

“We were honored to participate in the Vet to CEO Program recently as subject

“Overall, the Franchising for Transitioning Warriors Program was a great success for both the Veteran participants and the franchise sponsors.” matter experts in the financial field of business ownership. It’s rewarding to work with veterans, expand their business knowledge, and be able to highlight the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® system opportunities to such a proven group of leaders. The Vet to CEO program format is truly invaluable for training veterans who aspire to become business owners.” - Noelle Burak, Franchise Development Manager, Two Men and a Truck International.

“At Link Staffing, we are passionate about supporting our veterans and believe a proven franchise model aligns strategically with the training and experience they receive serving in our military. We are grateful to VBS for providing a forum to present Link Staffing because we do not find a lot of opportunities to engage with our veterans in educating them on franchising and franchise opportunities. I am always honored to participate in programs like VetToCEO, to share my knowledge on franchising and Link, and to be a future resource for our Veterans.” - Michelle Bearden, Vice President of Franchise Operations, Link Staffing.

Overall, the Franchising for Transitioning Warriors Program was a great success for both the Veteran participants and the franchise sponsors and VBS hopes to continue supporting the VetToCEO entrepreneurial courses in the future. To learn more about the available courses go to www.vettoceo.org and to learn more about franchise opportunities and business resources visit www.veteransbusinessservices.us

VBS’ Founder and Managing Director, Jim Mingey, is a decorated Vietnam veteran raised from a proud military background. An entrepreneur for more than 35 years, Jim can relate on a personal level to the needs of the veteran small businessperson, and possesses the practical knowledge to implement his experience in today’s market. Jim participated in the EBV Program at Purdue University, is a mentor at American Corporate Partners, developed the first approved franchise training program for the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Program at Veterans Administration, and was instrumental in forming the first equity fund in the United States exclusively for veteran owned small businesses and franchises: The Veterans Opportunity Fund. Jim intends to keep on ‘advocating’ for veterans in franchising. For more information: E: jmingey@VeteransBusinessServices.us P: 202.349.0860 W: www.VeteransBusinessServices.us

James Mingey

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B oulder Desig ns

Unique Signage

Company Offers Franchisees

Rock Solid Opportunity for Success One company’s take on business signage offers the right franchisee candidates a relatively competition-free and easy-to-run business that also allows them to transition into ownership at their own pace.

proprietary admixtures.”

The man-made boulders are completely solid and are not just designed to look like boulders, but are actually 100 percent solid and are meant to last as long as a natural boulder would. Company logos, photos, memorials, fire pits and more can all be made by the company, but the boulders are mainly used for company signage, Mogavero said.

Boulder Designs, headquartered in Waco, TX, does in just a few weeks what Mother Nature takes thousands of years to do.

Although Mogavero just purchased the company a few months ago, it’s actually been around officially since 2008 and — together with its sister company Border Magic — currently has around 95 franchise units.

“We actually build boulders — rocks, if you will — from the ground up,” brand new company owner Butch Mogavero said during a recent interview from the company’s Texas headquarters. “We build them out of common aggregates and

Although Mogavero’s landscaping and curbing business was doing well, the

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Prior to owning Boulder Designs, Mogavero had a curbing and landscaping business, as did the original owner of Boulder Designs, Eldean Bergman.

entrepreneur said, he recognized that Bergman’s business — Border Magic — had superior products and he decided he wanted to acquire it. When he first inquired about acquiring Border Magic in 2010, that company had just introduced the Boulder Designs concept. Mogavero finally made his move in 2015 to acquire the company and it seems that the boulder building arm of the company has turned out to have the highest potential for success because it has the least amount of competition. “There’s very little competition, if any, because nobody else builds them like this,” the business owner said. Although the business is now Mogavero’s, Bergman is still with the company on the production side and is still making boulders for the company’s original corporate store in Rantoul, IL, Boulder Designs and Border Magic National Franchise Representative Les Sander said during an interview from Rantoul.

Bergman started Border Magic around 1987, Sander said and originally expanded the company via dealerships, but switched to a franchising model in 2003. Bergman introduced the Boulder Designs model in 2002, Sander said, to give his Border Magic franchisees something to do during the winter months and quickly realized it would stand alone as its own franchise. Boulder Designs officially became its own franchise brand in 2008. Boulder Designs took off in popularity, Sander said, because of the uniqueness of their signage and the fact that amidst all the wooden and plastic signage out there, the natural looking boulders really stand out. “The natural look of a boulder is aesthetically pleasing and we’re finding it is much more welcomed in towns and municipalities that are doing beautification,” Sander said.

People persons need apply Franchisees who are interested in Boulder Designs should like working with people, Sander said. They don’t need past experience in any certain area, as the franchise has developed a system that allows anyone to do it. Although it’s not necessary for the franchisees to work outside, someone who does enjoy being outside would do well. It’s a good fit for people who don’t want to work in an office anymore, the national franchise representative said, as it gives them ample opportunity to do hands-on work. Aside from the obvious uniqueness of the product, Boulder Designs also offers a unique way to get into business ownership.

“There’s very little competition, if any, because nobody else builds them like this,” the business owner said. Designs, meaning it can be just an owner-operator outfit without having to worry about hiring employees until the franchisee is ready to expand their business. This, along with the franchising system Boulder Designs has set up that virtually allows anyone to be able to run one, makes it ideal for veterans looking to get into business ownership. “I think a lot of veterans like systems,” Sander said. Many veterans, when looking into business ownership, can be leery of jumping in right away, he pointed out, and Boulder Designs’ ability to allow them to transition into business ownership slowly is appealing. “We have a much more easy transition than most franchises,” he added.

While many other franchises will require a leap of faith into full business ownership, franchisees can transition into business ownership at their own pace with Boulder Designs.

Training

It’s not uncommon for franchisees to only do their Boulder Designs work on a part-time basis as they get their feet under them, Sander said. They can keep their regular job while they get their business going and grow the franchise at their own pace.

After that, franchisees go home and set up their shops. Boulder Designs supports them with that and will go to their location if necessary.

One person can effectively run a Boulder

Training is at the company’s corporate headquarters and consists of four days of hands on training about how to make the product, plus sales and marketing training.

“Most guys find they are able to get going right away with the tools we give them during that initial four-day training,” Sander said.

Currently, Boulder Designs is concentrated east of the Mississippi River, in the Ohio Valley and throughout Pennsylvania, although it does have franchises in New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, along the east coast, and in New England. It still has locations available right across the continental 48 states with the only place where they’ve reached the saturation point being the greater Indianapolis area. There are still some territories available in northeast Indiana and Michigan.

Competition-free If there is any competition for Boulder Designs, it would be companies that make monuments and headstones working with marble and granite. If they are working with rocks, these companies will typically sandblast something into an existing rock. The problem with that, Sander said, is that a customer has to first find a rock and then make sure it’s big enough to hold what they want it to say. That’s not the case with Boulder Designs. “We take what you want on your rock and we design the rock around it,” he noted. This also helps Boulder Designs to accommodate their customers’ budgets better. For veterans and other franchisees looking for a solid franchising opportunity, Boulder Designs delivers. www.boulderdesigns.net/franchisee

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George Knauf, Senior Franchise Business Advisor, FranChoice

New Fu Pro Expa Acce Fran Owne When we see big opportunities for our candidates to pursue their dreams it is usually a new franchise brand, product or service that has appeared. In the past weeks a very different game changing benefit has appeared, a funding solution that could open up franchise ownership to a group of candidates that could not find the funding to pursue their dreams before. Franchise buyers can now borrow up to $150,000 with a signed franchise agreement from an approved franchise brand and with very approachable qualification criteria. Here is your part of the equation: • $10,000 available to invest in a franchise

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• Credit score of 680+ • The ability to cover your household expenses and this loan payment for 9 months, could qualify with a working spouse as well. That may have just doubled the number of potential new franchise owners! A few months ago if a candidate called in with that position we would have had to regretfully tell them that they would have few, if any, options to consider. In fact, we are currently sorting through our databases trying to track down all of those past candidates that we could not do much for and walking them through this program. The response so far has been great, our phones are ringing off the hook. The franchisor has to qualify in their own way just so their franchisees can apply for this loan. The franchisor first has to be listed on the SBA registry, an industry resource that tells lenders if a brands documents, most specifically their

“With an approved loan, fund a week. So, not only have th they have made it easy money to p franchise agreement, have been reviewed by the SBA. The second step a franchisor has to take is to apply with the specific lender to be part of the program, this may entail a closer look at the brand and how it operates. The reason these steps are being taken is that the lender is taking a low down payment and will find most of their security in what they feel to be your ability to make future loan payments, though they are not attesting you your likelihood for success or that you will achieve any particular numbers. There is a small but fast growing list of franchise firms that are applying for this program. At this point it would make more sense to pick a high quality

unding ogram pands ess to nchise ership

ding can come in as fast as hey made it easy to qualify, y to apply and they get you pursue your dreams FAST.â&#x20AC;? opportunity and then see if they have applied and qualified for the program than to try to keep up with the fast changing list. With these criteria met my both you and the franchisor the lending process is quite simple. A quick application with the lender, should only take you a little time to put that together. Once the lender has received the application they do a review and approval can be as quick as one business day. With an approved loan, funding can come in as fast as a week. So, not only have they made it easy to qualify, they have made it easy to apply and they get you money to pursue your dreams FAST. How do you start moving forward with

this and pursuing your dreams? The key, as always, is finding the right franchise for you. Your perfect match should be a quality company where your skills, drive and desire can leverage their proven model. To get approved and funded you have to sign a franchise agreement from an approved franchise company so your process likely begins with the franchise investigation to select a company you feel comfortable moving forward with. There is no obligation to look at a franchise company but signing a franchise agreement would make you a franchisee so letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make sure you pick the best options in front of you. If you need assistance in this step feel free to contact me. We would guide our candidates go through a full search and investigation beginning with building a model of their skills, strengths, desired work role and lifestyle goals. Then we look at the companies that match the combination of their model and the financial parameters of the lending program. To begin the application process for the loan you will need to be well into a targeted franchise investigation. We would brief the lender on why you are considering the franchises you are investigating and on where your skills matched the business. Having expert guidance in this lending process could work to your advantage in getting approved. Since you would be targeting franchises below $150,000 in total investment you would most likely be looking at proven brands in a range of service categories. To keep costs down it would be unlikely that you would be looking at restaurants or similar businesses with a big commercial location or a lot of equipment, inventory or staff. In general service businesses offer: low start-up cost, high margin and faster ramp up speeds. In selecting a franchise that fits both you and this lending program you would not need to exclude businesses with a commercial location, but you would simply need to choose wisely when it comes to startup costs.

George Knauf

Both full time and semi-absentee businesses may be possible targets in this franchise search. The big benefit of any semi-absentee franchise model that applies is that you would have the added income to show as a method to cover living expenses and loan payments. Candidates in our free franchise consulting program will be using all of our resources to maximize their franchise search and use this new loan program. We will be encouraging top franchisors to apply for the program when we see they are not yet involved. Our goal is to get great candidates lined up with top franchisors and make sure the resources they need to pursue their goals are available to them. If you have been sitting on the sidelines thinking you could not afford to pursue your dreams then it may be time to get in the game and look at your options. Lending programs are not around forever, you may want to aggressively pursue this option while it is available. Mr. 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. For more information visit www.FranGuide.com

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women in f ra nchising

Patrice Rice, Founder & CEO, Patrice & Associates

women in franchis Our team at Franchising USA had a chance to sit down with Patrice Rice, founder and CEO of Patrice & Associates, the nation’s largest staffing firm in restaurants and hospitality. As a fellow woman in franchising, we were excited to learn more about Patrice’s journey to Patrice & Associates and her advice to women looking to open their own franchises.

What is your professional background? Early on in my career, I began working on boats in the Baltimore Harbor, which eventually inspired me to launch the first powerboat charter fleet on the Chesapeake Bay. Soon after, the investment tax credit that allowed me to write-off my boat as a business disappeared, and gas prices skyrocketed and my powerboat fleet tanked. I eventually found work with an employment agency, where I managed the office and learned how to recruit. From there, I eventually opened my own staffing business, where I rewrote resumes and taught people how to interview. Flash forward a few years, and now, I represent major restaurant and hospitality chains such as the Cheesecake Factory,

Franchising USA

“Overall, women need to create a vision of their goals, needs and objectives including income, investment and work-life balance perspective.” Ruby Tuesday, Panera Bread and California Pizza Kitchen, who consider Patrice & Associates a valued business partner.

When did you begin franchising Patrice & Associates? Why? I began franchising at the end of 2009 to attract more business-minded, rather than employee-minded, professionals to the business. I knew that the demand for valuable talent within the hospitality industry was on the rise, and franchising was the best way to meet this demand on a national, and soon-to-be-international, scale.

implement other methods to help them to achieve balance. As a woman-owned business, Patrice & Associates is grateful to have the chance to reward many hardworking women with single and regional developer franchise opportunities so they can have a job they love without sacrificing their freedom.

What are some changes you are noticing in the hospitality staffing industry?

What are the biggest challenges facing women in franchising?

It is certainly an exciting time to be a part of the hospitality industry, especially when you see the rampant growth it is experiencing. As a matter of fact, according to National Restaurant Association, the industry has not stopped growing for the past 25 years. Even through the last recession, growth has been rampant.

I think a challenge for women in the workforce is finding a healthy work/ life balance, especially for those who are stuck within the confines of a rigid, corporate setting. One of the best aspects of franchising is that women are given more independence to make their own schedules, work from home or

The hospitality industry employs over 14 million people and is currently having its sixth consecutive year of growth. It is an industry that promotes diversity, encourages the hiring of women and, it is one of the last standing industries where someone can successfully achieve the American dream.

sing What is your advice for women looking into franchising? It is imperative that women take some time to decide on the type of lifestyle they want to have before committing themselves to a franchise. Do they want to work from home? Would they rather drive to an office every day? Do they want a business with other employees, or do they work better independently? Overall, women need to create a vision of their goals, needs and objectives including income, investment and work-life balance perspective. In addition, when choosing the best franchise to invest in, women need to make sure that the franchiseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission statement is aligned with their views. Always try to find a franchise where your personal convictions are in alignment with the franchiseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. And lastly, look for a franchise with the lowest risks and the highest return on investment. There are many franchises

out there that are recession-proof and well worth the investment for the long-term. If they start with these questions, they will be in good shape when selecting a business model that compliments their lifestyle.

What are you up to these days? Our brand is expanding with our Regional Developer program, which is providing Patrice & Associates with more infrastructure and support. We are in growth mode, especially considering the rate at which we are rewarding franchise opportunities nationwide.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ PatriceandAssociates Twitter: https://twitter.com/patricecareers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricerice

In the fourth quarter, we will be approved to franchise in Canada; next, we have plans to open our first locations in the UK and Australia.

Where can we keep up with you on social media? Website: http://www.patriceandassociates.com/

Patrice Rice

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ex per t advice

Bob McDevitt, Senior Vice President of Franchise Development, Golden Corral

How Commun Open wi Franchi Keep the and E contact at all times where they can go to voice their questions or concerns.

Like most relationships in life, a strong bond between a franchisor and their franchisees is built on several core values of communication. Availability and consistency. Open, honest interaction. Trust and support. At Golden Corral, we have nearly 400 franchised restaurants in 40 states. With a franchise that large, it is a challenge to maintain important and consistent communication with all of our franchisees. As much as we work to provide great

Franchising USA

food at an affordable price, we also strive to keep our franchisees informed and motivated, and listen to what they have to say. One of my favorite lines from the International Franchise Association is that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Franchising is being in business for yourself but not by yourself.â&#x20AC;? Franchising gives many small business owners a substantial amount of independence to manage their individual operations. At the same time, franchisees know they are part of a larger organization and need the proper amount of guidance and support from the franchisor. They need to know that franchisors have their backs in good times and bad. To that end, it is imperative that franchisors maintain a frequent dialogue with their franchisees and make sure they have an available outlet or

There are many different ways upper management can communicate and show their support to their franchisees. One of the foundations of franchise communications is through field support. This is where the first and most frequent interactions take place. On-site representatives provide the franchisee with advice or suggestions to make sure they are properly executing the systems in place. Franchisors should emphasize the importance of this communication with the field staff and ask them to pay special attention to problems that arise. They should position the field team as representatives of the franchiseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business philosophy, culture and mission. Another valuable way to communicate with franchisees is through a franchise advisory council. Most franchisors have an advisory council to offer face-to-face opportunities to discuss the state of the franchise. These meetings are a very

to Keep nication ith Your isees to em Loyal Engaged effective way to inform franchisees of what is happening with the franchise and the industry, as well as what the competition is doing. The advisory councils also provide a forum to solicit feedback from franchisees on current programs and listen to any concerns they have. Franchisors can still communicate with those who are not members of the advisory council by speaking and listening to franchisees at meetings and conferences. At these regional or national meetings, franchisors can share viewpoints and discuss policy changes and industry issues. This also enables franchisees to receive important company information straight from the source, rather than hearing incomplete messages through the grapevine. These events are a great way to make connections, recognize franchisee achievements and keep people informed at every level of the organization. This also provides franchisors with an excellent

“Just knowing they have the ability be heard and to learn more about the business gives franchisees an active feeling of engagement within the company.” opportunity to meet and directly interact with their franchisees. Just knowing they have the ability be heard and to learn more about the business gives franchisees an active feeling of engagement within the company. In addition to the frequency of contact with franchisees, the way in which franchisees communicate is also essential. They should always be positive and professional. They should use technology and communication tools to their advantage. Franchisors can quickly convey new company ideas and policy changes through e-mail, e-newsletters and blogs. At the same time, they shouldn’t forget the personal touch. Reach out directly to a franchisee with a phone call or handwritten note to congratulate them on a recent achievement or exceeding sales goals. It may take a few extra minutes, but it can be an effective way to make a franchisee feel appreciated and an important part of the brand. Franchisors should communicate their message with energy and enthusiasm. One example of this is in introducing a new system-wide concept. Franchisees can be skeptical about new products and are resistant to change. Management spends considerable time and effort developing these new concepts to keep the brand fresh for the overall benefit the franchise. The way in which franchisors present these new opportunities will affect how quickly franchisees “buy in” to the changes. Even with all these suggestions on how to have frequent, productive communication, there will always be situations in which there are disagreements between the franchisor and franchisee. Although conflicts may be unavoidable, responding properly to these situations is critical. Franchisors should pay special attention to any problems that arise and address these issues head on. Waiting or expecting

Bob McDevitt

things to go away often makes things worse and sours the relationship with the franchisee. Establishing consistent and effective communication with franchisees requires commitment and hard work on behalf of the franchisor, especially for larger companies. Keeping franchisees informed and engaged, however, is a vital part of the success of the franchise. Bob McDevitt is Senior Vice President of Franchise Development at Golden Corral, the nation’s largest grill-buffet chain. He has spent more than 40 years in marketing and operations with top restaurant brands such as Pizza Hut, Tony Roma’s, Arby’s and Golden Corral. McDevitt joined Golden Corral as Chief Marketing Officer in 1994, responsible for marketing, food and beverage, purchasing and distribution. In 2004, he was promoted to Senior Vice President of franchising, overseeing franchise operations, franchise sales and quality assurance. McDevitt is a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) and currently serves on the International Franchise Association Board of Directors. www.goldencorralfranchise.com

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MEET THE FRANCHISEES

Jose

Joseph Tocco Coverall Franchised Business – Deuceco Enterprises In Business Since: 2011 The best advice Joseph Tocco can offer other business owners is to ensure you have someone to rely on as your support system. Tocco took his own advice and started his franchised business with Coverall North America, Inc. out of the Master-owned region of Northwest Ohio. Though Tocco hit a trifecta - he counts his employees, Coverall Support Center team, and his family as his support system – the 2014 Coverall Franchised Business Owner of the Year (large category) didn’t always heed his own advice. Tocco started his entrepreneurial career in Ohio as a restaurant owner. He spent all day, every day at the restaurant and soon realized that

Franchising USA

“The best advice Joseph Tocco can offer other business owners is to ensure you have someone to rely on as your support system.” he couldn’t do everything on his own. In 2011, Tocco made an industry switch and joined the Coverall System by starting his franchised business. He set a goal to expand his business the following year, and through hard work, focusing on customer relations and hiring the right team, he succeeded. Tocco currently has 20 employees servicing approximately 60 customers throughout the Northwest Ohio market. Tocco hired his current General Manager, Kris Anderson, a few years ago to help him grow the business by assisting employees with business development while also nurturing current customer relationships. It’s those things, he says, that

create long-term relationships, such as the one he has with his very first customer, one of the area’s largest car dealerships. Tocco also credits his company’s growth to his wife, family and General Manager, Kris Anderson, as well as the guidance he received from Jim Giannone, Master Owner of Coverall of Northwest Ohio, and his Coverall Support Center Team. Without them, he says his business would not be what it is today. In fact, it was only after speaking with Giannone that Tocco decided to start his Coverall franchised business. “It’s a good feeling to know you have the backup of a great team and Support Center behind you at all times,” said Tocco.

eph Tocco

Milko Nunez

Milko Nunez Coverall Franchised Business – Kolka Corporation

In Business Since: 2005 Fifteen years in the garment industry helped Milko Nunez realize that if he wanted to achieve his goal of being his own boss, he was going to have to make a change. In 2005, he made the decision to work for himself by starting his franchised commercial cleaning business with Coverall North America, Inc., a leading franchised brand that licenses thousands of entrepreneurs to operate independent commercial cleaning businesses using the Coverall® brand and System. Nunez always possessed the qualities of a leader and entrepreneur. For nearly two decades, he had helped grow a wedding dress business in the New York City area and knew he could do the same with his

Alex Trukhin

“The key to running my business is communication with my customers and the local Coverall Support Center. Great communication goes a long way to help maintain happy customers and a healthy business.” own business, no matter what it was. With his hard work and entrepreneurial spirit guiding him, he moved forward with his biggest decision and sought out an opportunity with Coverall. And, while he did not have any commercial cleaning experience, he liked the opportunity and was confident this was the way to start and build his own business.

from childcare centers to churches, he is the first to admit that starting and running a business is no easy task.

“The key to running my business is communication with my customers and the local Coverall Support Center,” said Nunez. “Great communication goes a long way to help maintain happy customers and a healthy business.”

Milko Nunez and his wife also find time to run their foundation, Familia Unida Sembrando Sonrisas, which delivers medical supplies, coloring books, toys and food each year to children with cancer at Hospital SOLCA (Sociedad de Lucha Contra el Cancer) in Portoviejo, Ecuador.

Today, with nearly 80 customers ranging

“It was a challenge in the beginning, but the Coverall Support Center has been helpful over the years,” said Nunez. “My customers are my first priority and it is my responsibility to be there for them rain, snow or shine.”

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Alex Trukhin

Coverall Franchised Business – Tru-Globe, LLC In Business Since: 2006

Becoming a business owner allows for its own challenges, but Alex Trukhin faces an even bigger challenge than most when running his franchised business. He is deaf. Diagnosed at just six months old, Trukhin is a true testament that disabilities do not inhibit opportunity. It all started in 2002 when Trukhin saw an advertisement for the Coverall System on a passing truck. It was a sign. He then decided to inquire about Coverall franchised business opportunities and whether the opportunity would be suited to someone with impaired hearing. After learning more about the opportunity, Trukhin took his future into his own

Franchising USA

“Today, Trukhin has more than 35 customers throughout the Greater Houston area and credits much of his success to the support he has received from the Coverall® System and his local community.” hands and started his Coverall franchised business.

so, that he wanted to give back to his biggest supporters – the Deaf Community.

The road to entrepreneurship hasn’t always been easy for Trukhin. Then again, it isn’t easy for anyone.

All six of Trukhin’s employees are deaf, and he takes pride in knowing that he is able to drive job growth by helping those who might struggle to find employment. That mindset perfectly aligns with Coverall’s mission to promote economic growth and independence for a diverse group of business owners by providing franchised business ownership opportunities.

“I have encountered a few barriers along the way when it comes to communicating with customers,” he explains. “But, I’ve been able to overcome them through modern technology and other ways of communication such as emailing, texting and video conferences.” Today, Trukhin has more than 35 customers throughout the Greater Houston area and credits much of his success to the support he has received from the Coverall® System and his local community. So much

To find out more about Coverall, please visit www.coverall.com/franchiseopportunities. Offer of Franchise made by prospectus only.

See Franchise Disclosure Document for details.

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FranchisingFeature spo h ome rtsbas & fi ed tnesss

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what’s new!

Dwyer Group Announces Executive Reorganization To Support Company’s Historic Growth Dwyer Group, Inc., one of the world’s largest franchising companies of trade service brands, has announced several executive changes to support the company’s historic growth.

promoted to chief operating officer for Dwyer Group. Thompson previously served as president of Mr. Rooter Plumbing and was the executive vice president of Dwyer Group last year.

“We have acquired six companies in ten months and grown our franchise network to be one of the largest franchisors in the world,” said Mike Bidwell, president and CEO. “Today, that growth is providing exciting opportunities for key members of our talented leadership team who have seen us through this expansion and who will continue to fill strategic roles moving forward.”

Doyle James has been named president of Mr. Rooter Plumbing. James has been a member of Dwyer Group since 1997 and served as president of Aire Serv Heating & Air Conditioning since 2004. He will continue to serve as president of ProTradeNet, part of Dwyer Group’s vendor relations department.

Mary Kennedy Thompson has been

Steve Truett has been named president of Aire Serv. Truett has held several executive positions, most recently as

Mary Kennedy Thompson

president of Dwyer Service Solutions. And Tom Pasisis has been promoted to president of Dwyer Service Solutions. Pasisis served as vice president of strategic initiatives and business development for Mr. Rooter Plumbing. “I am thrilled to congratulate each of these leaders. And I am even more excited for the next phase in the future of our company,” Bidwell said. www.dwyergroup.com.

The Patch Boys Invites New Franchisees to Join the Team When you join The Patch Boys family, you’re not just joining a group of people that are in the same field like you, but rather you’re joining a group of individuals that live and breathe Patch Boys and will do everything they can to make sure that you’re successful in this endeavor. You will join a team that has a proven system, and a well-structured leadership operation combined with awesome management skills to energize you and drive you to be the best you can be! The Patch Boys fills a gap in the construction field that is gravely needed and its unique niche will provide you with leads from many directions, craftsman, sub-contractors and home owners alike. When joining The Patch Boys team, you will automatically receive instant credibility and be exposed to an entire array of people that need our service and trust our approach, thus leading you quickly to a fast start right out of the gate and a bright future to get your name out there in lighting speed.

professional system that guarantees you success in every aspect of the business. We foster an atmosphere of passionate customer service pooled with an environment of professional and skilled people that have a history of decades in this field and have pinpointed specific features that will benefit you as an owner and broaden your approval among potential clients and your reputation will be sky-high.

At The Patch Boys we have implemented our own exclusive

www.thepatchboys.com/franchising-02

Franchising USA

Offering Year-Round Education in Theatre, Film and TV With an Acting-A-Part school you will direct your own theatrical performances, film, tv, and commercial production in your local community. Acting-A-Part is a school for theater, film, TV and commercial production, complete with studio and production capabilities. Your students will get professional assistance to help them bridge the gap between School Play, the world of film, television and Broadway. Offering a yearround opportunity and outlet for their creativity through professional instruction, building up their confidence, stage presence, expanding their repertoire and developing each students potential. We offer year round education with 6, 10 and 15 week classes based on age and specific themes plus a variety of summer camps in theater, film and TV. Your students will be introduced to a variety of classes in musical theater, specially designed “Little Actors” programs, film, TV, acting boot camps, we have a program to suit every performing arts need. We work with kids from age 4 to 16 and adults as well. From acting education in theater, film, TV and commercial production, students will learn their lines, blocking, sing their heart out, dance, write their own scripts, film on location and be part of a professional movie screening. They will learn the tools of their trade from the inside out. We also offer birthday and special events packages for all ages. www.aapfranchising.com

Fresh Healthy Vending Announces Partnership with American Diabetes Association Fresh Healthy Vending, North America’s leading healthy vending franchisor, is preparing for a major expansion that will come from its recent partnership with the American Diabetes Association. Fresh Healthy Vending will be recommended as part of the organization’s corporate wellness initiative “Wellness Lives Here,” implemented in thousands of businesses nationwide. The goal of the partnership is to fuel the nation’s healthful habits at work and beyond, by reducing the impact of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the United States. To do so, Fresh Healthy Vending will pay a referral fee and commission percentage that will allow the ADA to continue its pioneering research

into diabetes. The company already has more than 2,500 machines placed in schools, universities, hospitals, community centers, military bases, airports, fitness facilities, YMCAs, libraries and many other locations. With hopes of adding thousands of new locations, Fresh Healthy Vending franchisees will be offered increased franchise opportunities as referrals from the ADA partnership roll in. The pairing of the ADA’s business relationships with the Company’s franchise network and corporate-operated Fresh Healthy Vending machines and Micro Markets is symbolic of the synergy the two organizations share. www.freshvending.com

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C over S tor y - Ox i Fr esh

Tech & environmentalism

key to success for Oxi Fresh

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning has two big advantages over its competition; its commitment to using technology to make franchisees’ lives easier and its commitment to being as environmentally friendly as possible. Jonathan Barnett, founder and CEO of Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning, started the

Franchising USA

“With its focus on both the environment and utilizing technology to the best of its ability, the company is poised for more growth.” company in 2006 as a way to fund a nonprofit organization he had started. From there, the company grew to its current size of 150 franchisees with 300 units spread throughout 45 states — including Hawaii and Alaska — and up into Canada. Barnett, who lives in Denver, CO where Oxi Fresh is based, knew a bit about the carpet cleaning business, having done it while attending college. The entrepreneur knew from that experience that customers really loved it when a carpet cleaner used a low amount of water, as it not only saved on water, but

meant shorter drying times for carpets.

Saving Water One of the biggest selling points for the consumer is the fact that Oxi Fresh only uses about two gallons of water for a whole house while their competition uses about 50 gallons. Since they’ve started, the company has saved about 25 million gallons of water, Barnett said during a recent interview from the Oxi Fresh headquarters in Denver. Not only that, but the company has

partnered with water.org — started by actor Matt Damon — and a portion of the revenue from each job booked online is given to water.org to help build wells and provide clean drinking water for children all over the world.

customer satisfaction scores they receive.

Also, as part of their commitment to being as environmentally friendly as possible, the company has engineered its own products and now has 22 products that are all safe for the environment. These products are exclusive to Oxi Fresh franchisees, meaning none of the competition has access to them.

As part of Oxi Fresh’s own customized software, franchisees can easily provide feedback to the franchise, which is an important component of the business.

The company spent years developing these products, Barnett said, to find products that could eliminate tough stains while still being environmentally safe and using minimal water, which is ideal for places like California that have water restrictions.

Using Technology While saving on water and using their own specially designed environmentally friendly products is good for drawing in customers, the company uses technology to draw in franchisees. “Some people say we’re a technology company that cleans carpet,” Barnett quipped. The CEO said Oxi Fresh is big on speed through systems. For example, a franchisee never has to answer the phone themselves (or hire someone to do it), as Oxi Fresh answers the phone for all their franchisees through its dedicated call center. In addition to that, the company also books all appointments through software that they had custom designed.

“In the last 18 months, we’ve sold over a hundred units and it’s largely based on the fact that we have such superior software systems,” Oxi Fresh vice-president Kris Antolak said.

“We’re very big on listening to the franchisees’ feedback and improving,” Barnett said. “It’s never ending.” The company even has its own internal social media network, Freshbook, which franchisees use to provide the aforementioned feedback, but also share best practices and bring attention to any problems they may be facing. It’s all meant to make things as simple as possible for franchisees. “We streamline everything by having just one sign-on platform so franchisees just go to one place online and they are able to get access to everything and makes it more likely that they’ll use those tools,” said Jordan LaBelle, who writes all of the company’s manuals, marketing material and website content. Part of the beauty of having all these support systems in place is that franchisees don’t have to be present at their physical locations to effectively run their businesses.

Antolak, himself an owner of five franchisees in two different states, said the company is looking for people who are engaged, but who don’t necessarily want to be present all the time. For example, Oxi Fresh has a franchisee who has eight different territories spread out across the country, but he lives in California. He can do this because of Oxi Fresh’s proprietary technology. He, like all franchisees, still needs to monitor the business, but he can do that with all of Oxi Fresh’s tools without actually being present in the locations. This makes Oxi Fresh ideal for people who have a stable of franchise businesses and who are looking to add an easy-to-run business to their portfolios. But, Barnett added, the company still does attract owner-operator franchisees who do just as well as the investors. With its focus on both the environment and utilizing technology to the best of its ability, Oxi Fresh is poised for more growth, with nearly 1,000 units still available throughout the US and Canada, and plans to open locations globally over the next 2 years. Perhaps Barnett said it best, when he stated: “We really put the profits back into the company because we just want to be the best.” www.oxifresh.com

“Some people say we’re a technology company that cleans carpet.” - Jonathan Barnett, founder and CEO

Freeing up franchisees’ time allows them to work on building customer relationships, Barnett explained. The company wants franchisees to be able to communicate with customers via email and text message at the click of a button. The software also tracks the efficacy of the various marketing efforts the franchisees use (and all Oxi Fresh marketing is turnkey) and it also emails customers so they can review the work done so franchisees can know if their technicians are doing a good job. In fact, the pay structure for the carpet cleaning technicians is based on the

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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

home based franchising

e r u t a Fe

Franchising USA

Technology truly is a part of our everyday lives. With the accessibility and affordability of smartphones, the internet and world wide communication is literally at the tips of everyone’s fingers.

“Home based businesses are more successful than a regular business. 70 per cent of home based businesses succeed within 3 years, while other businesses only succeed 30 per cent of the time.”

This advancement in technology has helped increase the home based business model throughout the years. In 2011, over 19 million Americans worked at home, an increase from 16.5 million in 2008. A lot of jobs can be completed from the comforts of a living room couch and a home laptop. Not only it is convenient to work from home but it is also easily accessible and more common nowadays.

Advantages Because there is no retail venue for a home based business, the start up fee is usually significantly cheaper. Plus without the timeline for construction, after training, a franchisee can begin their business as soon as possible. Those who work from home usually save money in food and gas, plus they do not have to endure traffic jams or construction on their way to work. In fact moving closer to your work can save a person up to $795 per mile, so one could only imagine how much is to be saved with the commute cut out of the equation all together. Commute takes a toll on one’s physical and mental health, those who live closer to their job are more satisfied with their life overall compared to those who have longer commutes. Shortening your commute by 20 minutes might lower your risk of neck and back pain by 14%, obesity by 20%, and heart attack by 300%. When you work from a home office, the stress of commute is completely eliminated. Plus you can help out the environment but not sitting in back to back traffic with the exhaust running.

Becoming a franchisee can create a better work life stability and working from home creates more freedom, balance and flexibility. Everyone wants to spend more time with their family and a home based business can be the solution to arrange more downtime. For a time home-based businesses were limited to a certain criteria, but with the advancement in technology, people are able to create a lot of different disciplines that are successfully maintained from the home office. Franchisees are available from their cell phones and there are numerous means of communications to insure accessibility. Home based businesses are more successful than a regular business. 70 per cent of home based businesses succeed within 3 years, while other businesses only succeed 30 per cent of the time. That is a substantial difference and a huge number for home based services.

Though there seem to be many pros to working from home, there is some serious self-discipline involved. You have to ask yourself if you are capable of creating a schedule and sticking to it. While your everyday life may interfere with your work life, therefore you must ask can you create a distinction and seclude one from the other. Would you want to remain confined to your home inclusively or do you need to work in a team environment? Those considering a home business should consider their own abilities and needs from a job. 70 per cent of Americans said they would prefer to work from home, but are they actually capable? A home office would be essential to establish separation, privacy and a worklike environment. A space that is dedicated to the franchise, allows family to identify when you are at work and an ability to ignore frequent visitors, if needed.

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Below are three of the most common home base franchises:

Cleaning While other families are finding themselves commuting and leaving the two income household to pay the bills, cleaning and cooking can become overwhelming. With more disposable income, people are willing to pay for the convenience of a cleaner. Cleaning services include, yard work, carpet and upholstery and simple everyday chores. Cleaning is not limited to homes and independent cases, but can also reach retail services, hotels, businesses and corporations. The convenience with this type of franchise is the brand association. A lot of cleaning industries already have established customers and contracts and offer monthly services creating a consistent customer base. Commercial cleaning is considered one of the fastest growing sectors of the cleaning market; the industry brought in $80 billion of revenue in 2008 and is projected to double at the end of this year. Businesses may come and go, but the buildings must remain clean no matter who runs the place. Cleaning has to be done and the larger the building, the more likely outside hiring will have to be set up for the service. Running a cleaning business can be done from home, especially when a trustworthy staff has been created. Most cleaning franchises will help you build your staff

according to their standards. Schedules and support can be provided from a cell phone or laptop. Most cleaning services are mobile and employees will have access to the equipment and all necessities within their van. Franchises could also be responsible to provide a service, depending on the company or the franchiseeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desire to be on site.

Tutoring One of the most frustrating chores for parents is homework. At the end of the day, everyone is tired and no one wants to do more school work. More and more people are relying on tutors to help their children excel, complete their homework, assistance with a difficult subject or simply support at the end of the day. Actually, 22 percent of

parents with children between the ages of 11 and 16 have hired tutors. Plus tutors are professionals in specific areas, so customers can target individual subjects. Franchisees can help the people of their community, all from the safety net of their own home. Running tutors and scheduling them out of your own office is convenient for everyone. Tutors can avoid wasting time coming into the office; employers can work with many professionalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s schedules and hire the best person for the job at hand. Plus, there is no location necessary for tutors who are asked to go to the clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home, therefore a franchisee located at their home is ideal for the business. Another huge bonus is no equipment is required so both franchisee and employees can maneuver easily. Tutoring is growing at a rate of 15 per cent per year since 2001 and with a consistent increase, this type of home service is easy to maintain and provides a guarantee growth, as well as a great work-life balance. There are a lot of well-known tutoring systems available, which provides a brand name appeal and a huge customer base.

Computer Repairs Once again people are willing to pay for convenience, everyone would much rather someone come to their home to fix their computer than go to a repair shop. A lot of other people are depending on their computers for their own business and need an immediate repair. Plus, we live

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Though there seem to be many pros to working from home, there is some serious self-discipline involved. You have to ask yourself if you are capable of creating a schedule and sticking to itâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? in an immediate society, so people have difficulty waiting long for their computer to be fixed.

to step up and perform a service at hand, when they are the only person readily available.

This is another easily accessible industry that can be managed while on the run or from the comforts of home. Schedules can be easily created, and equipment can be stored and accessed in a vehicle. Franchisees are a support system for their employers, who would be reliable professionals in the industry.

It takes a great amount of discipline to become successful and the line between work and home life could become faded. A franchisee may feel like they are constantly working or they may create a solidified distinction between the two.

Home based systems may require some experience in a specific field, or none at all. Though it creates a huge amount of freedom, sometimes a franchisee may have

Since technology is easily accessible and our phones are attached at the hip, it gives franchisees freedom to roam and work as they please but they may find themselves constantly working as well. Home based business is a lot more

common and more and more companies consider a home office ideal to avoid retail venues, which in turn create more options for home run businesses. People have the choice to start a franchise in a passionate field, rather than unfamiliar territory. So, park your car in the driveway and pour a hot cup of coffee because going to work has never been so easy. 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:

Food Franchising Part 1

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Scott Walker, CEO, Screenmobile

How to Utilize Your Home

to reduce Business Overhead Costs Most entrepreneurs already know that the real American dream is to work out of your home. After all, the number of home-based businesses in the U.S. has swelled to a whopping 38 million, as an increasing amount of work-from-home opportunities emerge. With more flexible hours, ability to scale up and down quickly and studies proving that those working out of their home are happier in their professional and personal lives than those in an office, the benefits are more than convincing.

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However, from a purely financial perspective, I’ve found that the greatest advantage of owning a home-based business is being able to substantially reduce overhead costs. At Screenmobile, we’ve put years of experience into improving our home-based business model, helping franchisees make the proper arrangements ahead of time and knowing the right questions to ask. While owning a home business has endless benefits, one has to first know how to take advantage of them. To make the most of home-entrepreneurship, there are a few things to keep in mind when trying to maximize the use of your home.

Utilizing Your Home- Inside and Out Owning a home business will cut obvious overhead renting costs, but an additional way to utilize your home as a work space

is to make the most of tax benefits. Home business owners can deduct a percentage of payments as business expenses, including property taxes, utilities, repairs, maintenance and most importantly, one’s mortgage. Many of our Screenmobile franchisees take advantage of their garage space to house inventory and materials rather than renting a small industrial warehouse. Additionally, the trailers and trucks that we use are designed to fit in a standard two-car garage to take advantage of this space even further. It’s a simple tactic but at the end of the day, operating out of a garage can save at least five to six hundred dollars a month by avoiding the rent fees at a small industrial warehouse. Of course the other room to maximize in your work space is the home office. By working with an internet-based operating system, a home office can be included as part of your business expenses. Our

“Ironic as it may be, those with the right skill set don’t always have to look far for a great opportunity- it may be right in their house.” stored out of sight. Finally, keep employee space in mind and make arrangements for where they can work and park their car. A small business can often start at a home, but as it becomes more profitable, it’s important to organize room for growth. With these pointers in mind, those that are equipped to run a business out of their home have much to gain. Not needing a brick and mortar location equates to a smaller franchise investment and lower expenses overall, making work-fromhome opportunities highly attractive to those of almost any background. From a franchisor’s perspective, we’ve experienced plenty of recent growth that has shaped a promising future for home-based mobile businesses. Ironic as it may be, those with the right skill set don’t always have to look far for a great opportunity- it may be right in their house.

franchisees find that it’s ideal to use their offices for scheduling, dispatching and receiving calls. Those who plan on working from home should also keep in mind that thinking outside the box and maximizing your space shouldn’t stop within the walls of your home. If you have additional property and a little creativity, you can utilize your land even further. With a mobile screening business like ours, franchisees naturally grow and are in need of additional warehouse space for the busy seasons. Making the most of their property, some owners have built a separate shed, garage or office. One of our successful owners in Knoxville has a house on 8-acres of land and now runs his business out of a barn that he built. Once again, since it’s already being paid as mortgage, along with your garage and home office, this can be written off as a business expense on your tax return.

The Franchisee’s Home Checklist Thanks to the long list of home business benefits and the growing demand for niche mobile services, franchisees are eager to ditch the office and start their business at home. However, potential owners should consider just a few important questions about their home space to know if it can accommodate running a business. First and foremost, it’s crucial to check in with one’s home association so that they can run a business without restrictions or have a truck or trailer without additional expenses. Some communities don’t allow a vehicle with a branded wrap to park in front of the house. Furthermore, don’t forget to make sure there are no delivery restrictions at the house. It’s a wise idea to plan ahead for inventory and equipment, especially if city laws state it must be

Scott Walker is the CEO of Screenmobile, the largest mobile screening franchise in the country. With over 91 locations in 25 states, Screenmobile specializes in the repair, replacement and installation of window, door, porch and patio screens, retractable screens and much more. For more information about franchise opportunities with Screenmobile, please visit www.franchise.screenmobile.com

Scott Walker

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John Waldmann, Founder & CEO, Homebase

Using Product Design to Grow your Business Lessons from Silicon Valley

Today, Homebase is a free scheduling and timesheet software used by thousands of businesses across the US. But in 2013, it was just an idea that it could be easier to manage hourly employees.

I had never built software before, but luckily I was in the heart of Silicon Valley. I learned from experts and the successes of some our biggest tech companies—Apple, Facebook, and Google—and the countless new products that have changed how we live. I believe some of these lessons are broader than software, and apply to any company that wants to delight their customers.

It was a weekly nightmare of paperwork faced by a good friend who owned a restaurant and other small business owners I knew.

In the past, technology celebrated the lone entrepreneur who was struck by a good idea, and pursued it despite the doubts of others. The mantra was: the customer

Franchising USA

Here were some of the lessons I learned:

Listen to your ‘users’

doesn’t know what they want until I give it to them. Today, the mantra has changed: you don’t know what your users want, and only they can tell you. In Silicon Valley, you’ll often hear that “no good idea happened in the office,” which is a short way to express the belief that only by constantly seeking feedback from your users can you build something they love. Of course, you’re probably doing this already. With services like Yelp, it’s almost impossible not to hear the feedback. But seeking the right users and processing the feedback can be challenging. Some customers can give you great criticism, but

“Don’t treat feedback or innovation like a special event, but a core part of how you measure your business success.” Every business has power users; the challenge is finding them. If you’re a restaurant, who are your regular customers who eat out four nights a week at other restaurants? They are acutely aware of service flaws, and know exactly what they like in menu layouts. Don’t ignore your average user, but pay special attention to these power users: they’ve got a lot of experience to share.

Test, build, and test again. The first scheduling tool in Homebase looks absolutely nothing like the scheduler we have today. I hope it looks different two years from now. Because if it doesn’t, it means we haven’t listened to the collective wisdom of thousands of business owners, scheduling managers, and accountants. Luckily, in software, we’ve got a few easy ways to test product changes as we gather feedback. Before we build anything, we can show mock-ups to users. We can release a “beta” to a handful of users. At each stage we get a chance to collect more feedback, and change the product.

leave you stumped for alternatives. Often you’re stuck with competing feedback: “I love the store redesign” rings just as true as “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING”. How do you process it all into a meaningful business change? At Homebase, I learned that a “power user” was worth ten regular users: these were the business owners that thought weekly about how to improve their staffing or had an unhealthy hatred for completing payroll. These users had already spent time looking for a better solution, and had concrete feedback on why existing products didn’t fit for their business. They knew exactly what they wanted Homebase to be.

This can be harder in the physical and service worlds, but it is not impossible. It may just take a little more time to identify the “minimum viable product”—the simplest version of a “big idea” that allows you to test it with your customers. For example, let’s say you think that social marketing on Facebook will help you drive sales. A traditional approach would be to build an ad, put a bunch of money against it, and wait for the results. An “MVP” approach would be to build four different ads and put a little money against each. Learn what’s successful, and improve before you blow the bank on a full campaign. Do you think an assistant will help you bring your paperwork under control? Hire a virtual assistant part-time to figure out what you like before you spend days interviewing and training a

full-time hire. The goal is to learn early, and “fail fast” because the worst thing you can do is to continue to invest time or resources in a bad idea.

Build a culture that values change Of course neither “listen to your customers” or “test your ideas” are new. Silicon Valley has just shifted these to the core by treating your business like a product. Now the biggest challenge is just doing them. If you had free time, you could run tons of experiments. It’s much harder when you’ve got bills to pay, an employee no-show, and customers demanding things from you now. Make it easier by making it a normal part of your business. Don’t treat feedback or innovation like a special event, but a core part of how you measure your business success. At Homebase, we’ve got an internal communicator that is dedicated to posting feedback from our customers. We survey a portion of our customers every week, and the results are emailed to the entire company as one of our top metrics for success. Second, don’t do it alone. Let your employees know that you are always looking for ways to improve, and put regular time in your calendar to make sure these ideas are discussed. Every time ideas are discussed make sure you commit to implementing at least one idea to ensure that your business is never standing still. Together, you can test improvements faster and put yourself on a path to delighting your customers like never before. John Waldmann is the founder and CEO of Homebase. Homebase’s free, cloud based software helps thousands of small businesses eliminate the paperwork of managing hourly and freelance employees. www.joinhomebase.com

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Terri with her brother, sister, and brother in law (the four folks who run Creative Colors International)

women in f ra nchising

Graham Chapman, Senior PR Catalyst, 919 Marketing

Terri Sniegolski

Female Entrepreneur

Transformed Family Business into Thriving National Franchise According to Gaebler. com, a leading online resource for business statistics and entrepreneurial advice, the American economy relies heavily on family businesses. Family businesses, franchised and nonfranchised, account for 50% of the nation’s GDP, 60% of the nation’s employment, and 78% of new jobs created. And that gap between employment and new jobs created suggests “family businesses are one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy.” However, despite their growth and prevalence, generational transition often brings serious challenges for family businesses and it’s up to the next

Franchising USA

generation to extend and improve upon their parent’s legacy. As Our Town America CEO, Michael Plummer, Jr., once told me, when it comes to the family business, “fate chooses you, you don’t choose it.” In Plummer’s case, fate intervened when his father and the founder of Our Town America, Michael Plummer, Sr., suffered his first heart attack and Jr. returned to the family business; leaving behind his career working abroad as an army medic. As he’d tell you himself, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him as he has been able to build upon his father’s legacy and lead the company to unprecedented success. Terri Sniegolski, Co-Owner and CEO of Creative Colors International, faced a similar dilemma in the mid-1980’s.Like Plummer, she had a strong desire to pursue her own career path and develop her own identity outside of the family business. Her parents, JoAnn and Jim Foster, had launched J&J’s Creative Colors as a local

Terri Sniegolski

Illinois vinyl and leather repair company in 1980 and there was little separation between family and business. At 18, Sniegolski found herself working for her parents 24/7 - talking shop at each dinner and taking customer phone calls until the wee hours of the morning. She admired her parents’ dedication and entrepreneurial

spirit, but she left the family business because she was eager to pursue her own path and maintain a more stable work-life balance. Five years later, Sniegolski found herself at a crossroads. She was on the path to becoming a paralegal and had created her own identity in downtown Chicago but she constantly felt trapped by the four walls of her office, knowing how much she could be doing out in the field with her hands. She found herself constantly asking herself the same question, “is it time to return to Creative Colors?” She never had to answer that question because, as Michael Plummer, Jr. would say, “fate chose her” to return to her parents’ side. Her mom called her in 1988 with a crisis as one of their most talented employees had been seriously injured in a car accident and they didn’t know what was going to happen with their business. That was all Terri needed to hear to trade in the bright lights of the city for her family’s backyard chicken coop office.

Coming Home and Creating a Franchise Even though she was only in her early twenties, Sniegolski quickly proved to be one of J&J’s Creative Colors most skilled salespeople and technicians. Her first job was to solicit business in the NW Chicago suburbs.She relied on her corporate experience to hone her sales skills and secure major accounts that were instrumental to the company’s early success. Additionally, she stepped in for the injured technician and developed a deep understanding of the business model and what was required to be successful on the local level. By the time she was in her mid-twenties, she was well versed on how to sell the business and do the work - setting her up perfectly to take the company to the next level. By the early 1990’s, Sniegolski realized the company her parents had created was scalable and possessed the proven systems and processes required to replicate the model in other communities. Therefore, Sniegolski decided to use her legal background and years of field experience to launch a franchised-model of her parents company, Creative Colors International, and give other blue-collar

“For anyone considering launching or joining a family business, remember “fate chooses you, you don’t choose it.” entrepreneurs the ability to create their own million dollar company.

Paving the Way for a Successful Generational Transition Franchising the business has turned out to be an excellent decision for the family business as Sniegolski has worked tirelessly alongside her family to build Creative Colors International into a leading on-site repair and restoration franchise with 54 locations in 24 states. However, that growth and development has not come without its challenges as more and more family members have joined the family business. Today, the Creative Colors International corporate staff includes Sniegolski, her brother-in-law, her brother, her sister, her husband, her nephews, and her daughter. Most of the time this arrangement works beautifully as each passionate and loyal family member is committed to extending the legacy of Jim and Joann Foster, growing the franchise company, and providing each franchise owner with unparalleled corporate support. However, there are times when it’s tough to leave business at work and compromise on tough decisions. The biggest challenge came in 2007 when the Fosters told Sniegolski they were going to sell J&J’s Creative Colors to her and her siblings. While very excited about the opportunity, Sniegolski knew the three would only be successful if they had a set of Family Policies and Procedures in place - a set of rules that consisted of voting rights, pay structures, and responsibilities of each owner. It was a long and arduous process that required dozens of meetings and shifted the closing date multiple times, but Sniegolski says these rules have been a key catalyst for their joint success. A lot can be learned from Sniegolski’s journey from teenage employee to working in a law firm to devoted employee to visionary executive. The biggest takeaway, however, is that success is earned in any business, family or not, and nothing can

be taken for granted. Creative Colors wouldn’t be where it is today if Sniegolski had not always been true to herself and came back to her parents business only when she knew she could commit herself entirely to its long-term success. For anyone considering launching or joining a family business, remember “fate chooses you, you don’t choose it” and it can be the most rewarding experience under the right circumstances. Listen to your heart, you’ll know when the time is right to dive in and create or extend a legacy that can change the game for generations to come. Graham Chapman is a Senior PR Catalyst for 919 Marketing, a national marketing, PR and social media agency that creates and executes hard-hitting Social Relations™ programs on behalf of emerging and established franchise companies. Chapman is a passionate, driven and energetic account executive who has helped dozens of franchise clients share national and local stories that increase franchise sales lead flow and in-store traffic for franchisees. As a member of the 919 Marketing team, Chapman is part of a powerful collection of Emmy award winning journalists, nationally recognized marketing strategists, creative content marketing gurus and savvy digital marketing analysts who have proven experience delivering powerful, revenue generating results for emerging and established franchise brands. www.919marketing.com

Graham Chapman

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Christopher Conner, President, Franchise Marketing Systems

How to Franchise Your Business:

How to Hire Your Staff When building a franchise organization, there is a transition process that takes place within the management ranks of the business. As a franchise organization matures, say with 60 or more units, depending on the business, there will be a portion of the management team that is devoted specifically to the management of the franchisees, with people and positions that

Franchising USA

are entirely focused on building, managing and overseeing compliance of franchisees. Initially, when a franchise network begins to be developed, the resources and people within the corporate business will be tasked with also managing the operations of the franchise organization. This of course is not efficient after several franchise units have been sold and takes some serious juggling when first building a franchise expansion model. In a well-managed organization, we have worked with franchise businesses where internal staff have managed as many as ten franchised locations before the

need to hire additional staff has become too pressing. Because franchisees are independent business owners and hopefully have been qualified to the point where they are appropriate for the franchise organization and have the skill set, capital and business mindset to follow the system and operate the franchised business according to the franchise operations manual - they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need the same level of hand holding and management that company employees or managers would require. When considering whether to franchise your business, this transition period is

“Franchising is not an end result... it is a vehicle to expand a brand, system and capture market share through the combined strengths of a group of entrepreneurs working under a unified system.” less than say a full time employee on salary because they have multiple clients they manage. There are many independent franchise consultants who provide these franchise consulting services and have many years of experience working in the franchise industry, most will provide services at reasonable monthly prices of $1,000 to $5,000 per month to support and help with sales. By having lower overhead and costs to manage the franchise growth, this allows businesses to get to the point where they could then justify a $50,000 per year salary to a franchise director or franchise field support professional to go on site visits and assist with franchise training.

a critical time to consider and plan how to manage. What do you do with cash flow when the business needs additional resources and management to oversee the new franchisees, but the revenue from the franchise system isn’t producing enough volume to substantiate a large salary? This is where some franchise consultants including FMS can come into play as a good “go-between” to help bridge the gap from the initial start-up of the franchise organization and the adolescent stages of the business. Franchise consultants will most often work with several franchise systems which allows them to work for

When you franchise a business, you take it through an evolution process. It is a direction and strategy that commits both you and your business to growth and new market expansion. Franchising is not an end result...it is important for any business owner to remember this, it is a vehicle to expand a brand, system and capture market share through the combined strengths of a group of entrepreneurs working under a unified system. The most successful franchise organizations we have worked with have committed to this process and identified new markets that would benefit the brand and create market opportunities for the company. By franchising, they have been able to grow more quickly and capture this market share in a shorter time period than if they had opened company owned units there themselves. Aside from that, please keep a healthy work environment, as it impacts both the employee’s physical and mental state. You should strive to manage an atmosphere that is comfortable for all staff. Here are some tips: From a physical standpoint, keep a clean space with proper lighting, a comfortable

Christopher Conner

temperature and full of equipment that works. From a mental perspective, praise your employees when they do a good job. Be open about the company’s success or struggles. 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 Marketing from DePaul University in Chicago and a Bachelors Degree from Miami of Ohio. www.franchisemarketingsystems.com/

Franchising USA

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ex per t advice

Kyle Zagrodzky, President, OsteoStrong

Six Tips for Creating a

Great Franchisee Community Those of us who run a growing franchise have to focus on the big picture to keep driving a successful company. That means keeping an eye on cohesive branding, sustainable point of sale systems, growing at a healthy rate, and much more. However, although the head leadership of a franchise has to focus on the core keystones such as finance and other mechanics that keep a franchise strong, one essential factor of every franchise’s success sometimes gets lost in the background: Community among franchisees.

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Being a franchisee means you enjoy the best of autonomy and entrepreneurship alongside the support of a larger organization that helps you create a professional, healthy business. But franchisees can easily start to feel like distant satellites in the larger structure of the franchise as a whole, and the more disconnected they feel, the more easily small problems can turn into something big. If a franchisee can’t reach out for help, they could lose their business and even damage the brand’s reputation as a whole. One of the pitfalls of rapid franchise growth can be focusing so hard on new franchisees that you forget about the people who have been there all along. It’s not enough to sign up new franchisees, give them training materials, and have a few conference calls and meetings every year. For a franchise to be wholly successful, it can’t just sign new locations, it has to continue engaging and developing its existing and growing force of franchisees.

Start with a communication plan

If a business doesn’t have a plan from day one to help franchisees stay connected, the franchise risks communications gaps and franchisees feeling isolated, which could hurt the brand later. From day one, OsteoStrong started with a solid, meaningful plan for keeping in touch with franchisees. We decided every franchisee would have weekly contact with the leadership team, and we’ve stayed true to that initial plan. Later, as we grew with more new franchises, we added having monthly webinars with the CEO and created a private franchisee Facebook group in order to facilitate and develop best practices, we’ve continually facilitated open avenues for franchisee communication with one another, our field training experts, and leadership.

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ex per t advice

Kyle Zagrodzky, President, OsteoStrong

Don’t rely on email

Email is a great tool for certain tasks, but it’s not perfect. Most of us get hundreds of emails per day, and reaching out through email alone quickly becomes impersonal. Our franchise focuses on phone calls as a more direct, more relatable way to communicate. Conversations are more productive, and it’s easier to get a real sense of how a franchisee is doing when you can hear their pauses and tone of voice. When people are on the phone, their focus also tends to be better than when they’re typing an email and likely multitasking, so it’s easier to have a meaningful chat and make real progress.

Document your communications to catch gaps faster From phone calls to leaving messages, each corporate interaction with franchisees is documented in a shared system. This shows a broad, long term picture of every franchisee’s progress and gives an open account of how each unit is doing. Tracking communications also makes it easy to prevent anyone from falling through a communication gap. If a field trainer moves on to another assignment, having solid records will help the next regional representative get a feel for the franchisee’s history and jump right in more easily.

Create an initial support system for franchisees to build on Corporate leadership needs to stay focused on the broad picture, which means expert field trainers need to be there for franchisees to ask day-to-day questions. When our facility owners aren’t helping run grand openings, they’re busy reaching out to every franchise facility they have opened in the past year to check on progress, ask about challenges, and offer help. Our extended training and support network is there to talk about the numbers and help franchisees strategize ways to repeat what’s working well and fix what’s not. Franchisees know where to look when

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“Community is at the heart of every successful venture, and franchising is no different. A thriving business does come down to the numbers, but people are the most important element behind those numbers.” they need help, so they never feel lost or ignored.

The CEO shouldn’t always be behind the scenes

I don’t care how busy I am—at least once a month, I set aside an hour to do a webinar with all the franchisees. Whether it’s to discuss a new concept, retrain on an old concept, or just answer questions, the point of the webinars is staying connected. Lots of CEOs become so focused on the broad business that they forget what it’s like to be a franchisee on the ground, and the business as a whole becomes poorer as this vital perspective is lost. I do the webinars to stay connected with our growing group, and I want our franchisees to know we’re here to serve them. We all share developing the OsteoStrong brand together, and giving franchisees regular opportunities to ask me direct questions is a way to be more accessible and hear their great ideas.

Facilitate fresh ways for franchisees to connect

Franchisees within a brand have a lot in common, yet they often don’t get to know one another as well as they could. Schedules are busy and territories can be spread out, but we’ve always thought that franchisees should be able to build strong networks with one another. In addition to weekly calls and monthly webinars from the CEO, we have a private Facebook group that gives franchisees the chance to share ideas and ask questions that corporate leadership can quickly review and respond to. Franchisees can share when something goes great, and they can ask one another for suggestions if something is out of alignment. The group also makes it easy for people to connect offline if they want to.

Kyle Zagrodzky

Community is at the heart of every successful venture, and franchising is no different. A thriving business does come down to the numbers, but people are the most important element behind those numbers. When we connect all the different branches of a franchise into healthy networks where communication is king, we can build a company that’s infinitely stronger. Kyle Zagrodzky is president of OsteoStrong, the health and wellness system with a focus on stronger bones, muscles, and balance in less than 10 minutes a week using scientifically proven and patented osteogenic loading technology. OsteoStrong introduced a new era in wellness 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.com

The Interface Financial Group

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1-800-387-0860, ext 2 www.interfacefinancial.com ifg@interfACEFINANCIAL.COM WWW.INTERFACEFINANCIAL.COM Franchising USA

focus

Inter face Fina ncial G roup

Hard work = The Key to Success? surely going to follow. They might even be enhanced as one is now working in a self-employed capacity, and the rewards of the hard work and long hours come right back to the owner. Working harder on your own project would seem to make sense as you benefit directly from your efforts. This is in fact one of the reasons that so many people move into self-employment - the opportunity to run their own business on their own timetable.

David Banfield

We added the question mark because we are not totally convinced that this time-honored saying is correct. We do not dispute for one minute that it certainly was true and very meaningful just a few years ago but as for its merits today, we believe a question mark is appropriate. Franchising continues to be the avenue of choice for many entrepreneurs leaving the corporate world and transitioning into entrepreneurship and self-employment. In their corporate lives many people have found that long hours, hard work, being available and on call are all part of the expectations that go with the job. In such scenarios maybe hard work is an asset, and even a key to climbing the corporate ladder. When transitioning to their own business, the habits and traits of a lifetime are

Franchising USA

Starting a business is not an easy venture, and again this is in part why franchising has ‘caught on’ and new franchised units are opening across the continent on an hourly basis. There is very little that we use or consume today that isn’t distributed through a franchise of one type or another. However, there still lingers the notion that franchising is very much confined to fast food and automotive-related entities. That may be because they have such a visible presence on every street corner. However, the story is far from limited to a few categories - today there are literally hundreds of different business types that are successful franchises, and likewise thousands of opportunities to choose from for the would-be franchisee. One area often overlooked by potential franchisees is that of financial services. Many former company executives often seek out a ‘white collar’ type franchise, so financial services would seem to be an excellent choice. While the financial service franchise area is not overcrowded, there are some very well-established models worthy of review. The Interface Financial Group is one such franchise with well over 40 years of history - history built on performing and providing a financial service for many years prior to franchising that

same service, thus bringing a tried and tested approach to the franchise model. Interface now operates in nine countries and services the SME marketplace. Small and medium-sized businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to access capital for growth purposes through conventional sources - banks, which have been the traditional funder of choice, are now showing a definite reluctance to finance anything but the largest and strongest of ventures. This situation certainly does not help the growth cycle of the SME strata - as a business grows it invariably needs more working capital and, as it acquires that capital, it grows and needs more working capital, and so on. The Interface Financial Group helps business owners access that growth capital through a unique and proven invoice discounting plan. This is basically a cash-flow acceleration program, taking invoices that a company has issued to their customer and turning them into instant cash - a cash-on-delivery (COD) sale that enables them to expand rapidly. Interface buys those selected invoices at a discount as and when their client needs to accelerate their cash flow for any particular reason. Interface franchisees interact with their clients on a local basis bringing an indemand and timely service to the SME marketplace. The transaction is structured as a buy/sell approach and, as such, there is no loan involved in the transaction. This makes it an off-balance sheet funding facility for the user. The fact that Interface has been able to successfully transform that service into a franchise model is in itself quite unique, but the uniqueness does not end with just the delivery of the service - Interface has

developed a methodology and transaction structure that makes it a very attractive financial vehicle for franchisees. Clients really like the ease and speed with which the service is delivered, and franchisees like the ease and return that they enjoy in employing their working capital. When you by an invoice or discount an invoice, obviously someone has to come up with the funds to make it happen. The Interface method takes the approach that this should be a shared venture between franchisee and franchisor. This approach, therefore, reduces risk and capital involvement for Interface franchisees. Interface has devised a leveraging structure that only requires a franchisee to contribute 16% of the capital needed to complete the purchase of an invoice. Interface - the franchisor is responsible for the balance. Logic would seem to dictate that if you are contributing only 16% of the capital in a transaction, then your income entitlement would be that same 16% number. This is where Interface has scored - their innovative leverage program, which comes at no risk or expense to franchisees, gives all franchisees a much higher yield than just 16% of the income.

“Starting a business is not an easy venture, and again this is in part why franchising has ‘caught on’ and new franchised units are opening across the continent on an hourly basis.” long hours - a typical Interface franchisee can often run their franchise in 2 or 3 days a week - are they really reaping the rewards of self-employment and owning their own business? Needless to say the answer is a resounding yes - IFG 50/50 franchisees work in a well-controlled environment, they work smart, and they generate a well above-average return on their working capital.

Working smart rather than working hard is certainly the Interface approach, and it is still paying dividends after 40+ years of operations. For more information visit: www.interfacefinancial.com

Not only are they winners, but their clients who use the service are winners too as they have a greatly accelerated cash flow and enhanced growth opportunities.

We started at the opening of this article talking about hard work and introducing the question mark for that statement. The Interface Financial Group has crafted their franchise, which is known as the IFG 50/50 franchise, to minimize the hard work aspect. Most franchisees would not even categorize the minimum amount of ‘work’ that they do as hard work. This is because the Interface system has embraced technology to the maximum extent possible. In addition, the franchisor takes on a major role in each transaction as they handle virtually all of the transaction paperwork and the transaction management process. The approach favored by Interface is to work smart and not work hard. Interface franchisees are involved with what they call the ‘people part’ of the business, leaving all of the ‘paper part’ to the franchisor. So if franchisees are not working hard and certainly not working

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ex per t advice

David Bosley, Executive VP, OpenWorks

National Survey Reveals

Cubicle Conflict, Temperature Tantrums at Corporate Offices Colleagues Clash over Temps, Last Cup of Coffee, and Even Singing and Stealing Lunches! Earlier this year, we conducted a series of customer and employee surveys to evaluate our brand identity and value proposition. The results were amazing - they helped us develop a new logo, change our tagline and revitalize our brand identity. And that got us thinking - how else can we use surveys? What else can we learn? Well, we decided to get creative this summer over at OpenWorks and decided to ask hundreds of American workers around the country about office habits, temperature settings and their workplace preferences. And wow - did we stumble upon a gold mine as a leading national franchise offering commercial cleaning and integrated facility solutions services. We were looking for a little inside scoop and these employees let it all hang out! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure few franchise CEOs realize that many of their employees fight at work over much more than promotions. In fact, the national survey we conducted revealed more than half of American employees battle co-workers over office cleanliness and temperature settings. And

Franchising USA

when things don’t go their way, these same employees will secretly change the temperature, persuade the person in charge to do it, or directly confront their colleagues about their annoying and disgusting behavior. Talk about conflict in the cubicles! And that’s just the beginning. This national survey of more than 300 American workers aged 25-55 revealed so much more. Here are the three most powerful takeaways that can provide franchise CEOs with a little bit of insight into what gets their employees fired up:

Takeaway #1 Tempers Flare over Temps! • More than ½ (56%) of respondents said conflict occurs over cleanliness and office temperatures. • The biggest source of this conflict? Fiery females and disruptive dudes fighting for their version of the ideal temperature.While more than 3 in 5 men (61%) prefer an office set at 70 or below, nearly 40% of women prefer 72 or higher.

• More than 3 in 5 (61%) respondents change the temperature without permission and more than 2 in 3 (68%) persuade the person in charge to do it for them.

Takeaway #2 Poor Kitchen Habits Stir the Pot Respondents shared the top 5 most annoying habits - they were: • Demand a temperature that is too hot or too cold • Take the last cup of coffee without starting a new pot • “Forget” to clean the coffee pot • Leave dishes in the office sink • Leave food in the fridge until it goes bad They provided some revealing writeins, too. Other annoying habits include “singing”, “getting too much time off,” “burping and snorting loudly,” and “stealing lunches.” And don’t think people get away with it Workers feel no shame about speaking up either. 3 in 5 respondents have considered

“The bottom line is that the world is changing and young employees are unwilling to compromise their health and well-being for a bigger paycheck.” confronting, or have actually confronted, their colleagues about bad behavior.

And Takeaway #3 Generations Clash Over Clean The survey shows that unclean and uncomfortable offices can cost business owners young employees as millennials say said they’d quit their jobs and take pay cuts for a cleaner and more comfortable office setting. Not so for the older crowd. • More than ½ (55%) of Millennials say they would consider taking a little less pay for an office setting at the perfect temperature and cleanliness level. Only 1 in 4 Baby Boomers said the same.

• When compared to Baby Boomers, twice as many Millennials said they’d quit a job because the office was messy and unclean. Nearly three times as many said they’d quit if the office temperature wasn’t set the way they like. And one last thing - perhaps most importantly, more than half (51%) of American workers, regardless of age, say their office is so unclean, they use a paper towel or handkerchief to open doors. To me, these survey responses prove just how important it is to maintain a clean and comfortable office environment. And we recently revamped our business model to include full-service integrated facility solutions to help business owners make facility maintenance and cleanliness a top priority. At OpenWorks, we can help business owners and executives create office environments specific to the needs of employers and their employees because we can handle everything from temperature control to HVAC services to plumbing to comprehensive commercial cleaning. The bottom line is that the world is changing and young employees are unwilling to compromise their health and well-being for a bigger paycheck. The employers who adapt and make health,

David Bosley

safety and cleanliness a priority in their offices will be the ones who recruit and retain the top talent in their industry. If you’re interested in creating a gameplan to diffuse these office conflicts over temperature and cleanliness, give us a call so we can lend a helping hand! OpenWorks’ Executive VP David Bosley joined the OpenWorks team in June 2013 as the Division Vice President for the Midwest Region. Since then he has been promoted to Executive Vice President. He is responsible for the business development sales, operations and franchise maturity for OpenWorks. His expertise includes corporate strategy and leadership, business development, strategic selling and operations. Prior to joining OpenWorks David spent 10 years in executive leadership roles with Fortune 200 companies that include Enterprise Leasing, AT&T and ADP. David is a member with BOMA and IFMA. David is a graduate of the University of Denver where he accomplished his Bachelors and Masters in Business Administration from the Daniels School of Business. www.openworksweb.com

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7-Eleven Franchising with the world’s #1 convenience store is easier than you think. It also might be the smartest business move you’ve ever made.

It’s turnkey – we provide the store, land and equipment. Start-up is fast (3-6 months). You get extensive training and support from 7-Eleven pros.

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

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

World-famous brand. World-class opportunity. Take a second and learn why franchising with 7-Eleven could be the career changer you’ve

9Round 9Round is a 30 minute circuit training workout that incorporates boxing, kickboxing, dumb bells, kettle bells, jump ropes, and a whole lot more.

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

chance of getting bored. The best part is there is a trainer included each and every time to motivate and encourage. With over 200 locations open in 38 states and five countries, 9Round will be coming to your community soon.

This program solves the four problems in the fitness industry. There are no scheduled class times - a client can work out at any time; each session is only 30 minutes and is full body.

Franchise opportunities are available worldwide.

The workouts change daily so there is no

Website: www.9round.com

All About Loving Care, Inc.

The clients we service range from those newborns to the elderly and with conditions ranging from Autism to Alzheimer’s.

All About Loving Care, Inc. is designed to assist people maintain an independent lifestyle. We provide the means for all our clients to remain in the privacy of their own home. We believe in treating each client with respect, compassion, and dignity, and strive to meet each client’s physical, emotional, and financial needs. We offer non-medical home care for those in need of assistance with their day-to-day activities.

Apex Fun Run This unique franchise is experiencing at a nearly rocket-propelled growth since their inception in 2011—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.

Phone: 864-962-4601 or email: jeff. mathews@9round.com

We are a non medical home care agency specializing in Senior care. Our services include but are not limited to 24 hour care, hospice care, personal care, respite care, meal planning and preparation. Phone: (877) 822-0211 Fax: (310) 301-0004 Website: www.allaboutlovingcare.us

The concept is simple, Apex Fun Run collaborates with school PTO/As and faculty, and produces a meaningful and “hassle-free” school fun run that is financially successful and builds leadership and fitness values in the students who participate. For more information, contact Jeremy Barnhart: Email: Jeremy@apexfunrun.com Phone: 480-347-0243 Website: www.apexfunrun.com

Beef Jerky Outlet

• Freedom from major contracts

With 1000% growth over the past 20 months The Beef Jerky Outlet franchise system is simple in comparison to other popular retail franchise concepts. We offer an easyto-follow business model with little or no competition in the specialized market of beef jerky sales.

• Personalized interaction with the hands-on owners of the overall outlet franchise

The Beef Jerky Outlet franchisees enjoy: • High quality product with extended shelf life • Low outlet franchise operating costs • Inventory that sells quickly, offering no need for warehouse storage • A business with only a small amount of payroll and other general retail paperwork

Franchising USA

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

• Contact with one centralized, knowledgeable product team

• Continuous, ongoing support • Higher than average sales per transaction Many of our best retail franchise opportunities are now available and we are searching for qualified individuals to become part of our growing, dynamic jerky franchise team. Please visit www.beefjerkyoutlet.com and fill out the request for more information form.

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.

Bin There Dump That Bin There Dump That is a mini disposal container system and we’re FRANCHISING IN YOUR AREA! This is a franchise business that can be up and running quickly. We invite you to imagine yourself operating your own successful mini disposal business, providing cost effective solutions to customers who appreciate your service. The time is right for Bin There Dump That. We are a low-tech business whose systems are recognizable and repeatable. We offer services that are systematic. The process is easy to teach and easy to learn. In no time you will be answering customer’s requests for bins and building a strong, robust client base. Come and get your piece of this SIMPLE TO OPERATE business that has a reasonable entry cost, offers exclusive

Boulder designs 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

Cardinale Enterprises Cardinale Enterprises is a leading real estate investment and development company that has built a solid reputation in the New York and New Jersey commercial real estate marketplace. For more than 25 years, our company has

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

• 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

territories, full training, marketing materials, lead programs and offers you over 100 years of experienced franchisor support! Enjoy the benefits of non-competitive relationships with other Bin There Dump That dealer/owners across North America. Share in a pool of knowledge that will assist you in maintaining competitive market advantages. Learn key success factors from the pioneers of the mini roll off container systems. Create an organization designed to maximize productivity while controlling costs. Contact: John Ferracuti Phone: 905-823-8550 Email: john@BinThereDumpThat.com Website: www.BinThereDumpThat.com

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

established a track record of excellence by developing, marketing, managing and investing in retail properties and mixed-use developments throughout the Northeast. Phone: 732-747-7846 or Email: Leasing@cardainaleenterprises.com You can also visit our website: www.CardinaleEnterprises.com

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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Coverall® Founded in 1985, Coverall offers motivated entrepreneurs the right to independently own and operate commercial cleaning franchised businesses using the Coverall® brand and system. In 2008, the company launched its Coverall HealthBased Cleaning System® Program with an emphasis on helping to improve the cleanliness, health and wellness of facilities. This unique Program combines environmentally friendly and innovative cleaning technologies and tools, hospital-grade disinfectants, professional training programs, customer support and

Discovery Point With almost 50 locations throughout the Southeast, Discovery Point Child Development Centers® provides safe, educational and nurturing environments for growing children. Discovery Point embraces a three A’s approach – Attention, Affection and Approval – and partners with Teaching Strategies in using the nationally recognized early childhood education program, Creative Curriculum System® for Preschool. Since opening its first location in an Atlanta suburb in 1988, Discovery Point has been a leader in

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

FRANFUND FranFund provides a comprehensive set of funding solutions for your new or expanding business including business loans, securities backed financing and our proven capitalization solution, the FranPlan™. The FranPlan™ allows you to use an existing retirement account to fund your new business debt, tax and penalty free.

GameTruck Founded in 2006, GameTruck is the first and most recognized mobile gaming and entertainment franchise in the United States. GameTruck today has 70+ franchise locations throughout United States, servicing 35 states. Taking advantage of the massive video game industry, GameTruck brings a one of a kind experience right to customers’ doorsteps. Due to this demand, GameTruck has experience 6 consecutive years of growth and continues to offer best in class

Franchising USA

communication, and a passion for healthy cleaning to do one thing – remove the maximum amount of dirt and germs as efficiently as possible. Today, the Coverall® Program, implemented by independently owned and operated Franchised Businesses, is the first choice of offices, medical offices and healthcare facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, schools, daycares, retail businesses, restaurants, manufacturing plants, auto dealerships, religious centers, fitness centers and other businesses This offering is made by prospectus only. See Franchise Disclosure Document for details. Website: www.coverall.com

childhood enrichment and care, expanding beyond its Georgia roots into Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee with plans under way to reach new markets nationwide. Discovery Point Child Development Centers® was recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine in its “Franchise 500” and ranked #22 on its “Red-Hot Franchise” list for 2013. More information about Discovery Point and Discovery Point franchise opportunities is available by calling (800) 418-3990 or visiting discoverypointfranchise.com or discoverypoint.com.

• 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

Our team of funding experts are here to work with you to create a customized capitalization solution for your specific situation, including obtain a pre-qualification so that you can conduct your franchise investigation with confidence. Phone: 817-730-4500 Fax: 817-546-1291 Website: www.franfund.com Email: info@franfund.com Contact: taseiber@franfund.com

service to customers and franchise owners alike. During that time GameTruck has been recognized in Entrepreneur.com’s Franchise 500 list and also their top home based and new franchise lists. GameTruck’s mission is to Deliver Excitement to its customers and franchisees. Reach out today to learn more about franchising with GameTruck! Contact: Ryan, Sr. Franchise Development Manager Phone: 480-303-7212 Email: ryan@gametruck.com Website: gametruckfranchising.com

honkamp krueger Honkamp Krueger & Co., P.C. is a Top 100 CPA and business consulting firm and the eight-fastestgrowing CPA firm in the U.S. (Accounting Today, 2015) Specializing in franchise services, HK offers 40-plus forward-thinking, innovative solutions to franchise organizations in all 50 states. In addition to our tax, accounting and consulting services, HK offers total hire-to-retire solutions through our human capital management affiliate, HKP. Through our HK Financial Services affiliate, HK offers world-class wealth management solutions.

Huntington Learning Center Huntington Learning Center is the #1 revenue producing tutoring franchise, with an average earning of 61% more revenue than our closest competitor. Huntington was founded in 1977, began franchising in 1985 and has grown to be one of the most established and well-respected brands in education. Today, Huntington operates nearly 300 centers in 38 states from coast to coast as a recognized pioneer and leader in the tutoring industry, providing quality instruction to tens of thousands of students through our national network of franchised and company-

International Franchise Professionals Group

Our depth and level of franchising expertise along with our track record for providing independent and objective franchise advisory/consulting services clearly differentiates HK from all other franchise advisors across the country. When you partner with HK for your franchising needs, you will always have easy access to one of our owners who will walk in your shoes with you and who has a unique perspective on being an entrepreneur and business grower. Phone: 888.556.0123 www.honkamp.com

owned tutoring centers. For over 37 years, Huntington Learning Center has been the leader in the tutoring and test prep industry with an established reputation of providing highquality, individualized programs for students of all ages and in all subjects. As a Huntington franchisee, you will inherit our reputation for excellence and be recognized in your community as an industry leader and premier brand of tutoring services. For more information, contact Gina Elliott at: Email: Franchise@HLCmail.com Phone: 800.653.8400 Website: www.huntingtonfranchise.com

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.

jani-king

of operation in the commercial cleaning industry. Known as “The Jani-King System”, new franchise owners are trained using the most up to date technologies, procedures, tools, and equipment. They are able to grow their business and succeed with the expertise and support of a local regional office, in addition to numerous Jani-King International resources. For more information: Phone: 972-991-0900 / 1-800-JANIKING or Email: csturdivant@janiking.com Website: www.janiking.com

Jani-King - The world’s largest Commercial Cleaning Franchise Opportunity. This Franchise Opportunity has over 9,000 unit franchise owners in 14 countries. Franchise Owners are professionally trained to provide services to customers in Commercial Buildings, Healthcare Facilities, Schools & Universities, Hotels/Resorts, Casinos, Sporting Venues, etc. For 44 years Jani-King has perfected a method

Kid to Kid For over 20 years, Kid to Kid stores across the country have given parents an affordable (and enjoyable!) shopping experience with huge selections of new and gently used children’s apparel, toys, shoes, baby gear and maternity wear. Our inventory changes every day, as trained buyers hand select and pay CASH to customers for their great-quality kid stuff, and sell those items at 70% off regular mall prices. Our customers love the savings they receive on their favorite labels and brands from Kid to Kid’s trusted inventories.

As our partners, our franchise owners receive industrybest support and a leading support-to-store ratio. Kid to Kid’s proprietary buying software and inventory management systems, robust employee training, branded marketing, on-call computer support, and cloud-based reporting tools help owners manage their stores at optimal levels of sales and profitability. At Kid to Kid, our success is YOUR success, and we’ve proven that through 20 years and 110+ stores of uninterrupted growth. For more information, contact Dave Martell: Email: david.martell@bcfranchise.com Phone: 801.359.0071 x101 Website: www.kidtokid.com

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kz companies KZ Companies is a full service commercial & residential real estate development and investment company. Our Franchise Services Division specializes in directly integrating with franchise operators to lead in all aspects of new store development and new store roll out programs. We provide an unparalleled access to capital and manage our client’s development process from start to finish. Our in-house resources and well capitalized company provide turn-key capabilities that deliver stores quickly and economically.

Launch trampoline

birthday parties, fundraisers and corporate events.

Launch Trampoline Park is an indoor family entertainment center that focuses on family, friends, fitness, and fun.

Safety is the #1 priority, and we are continually working to ensure a safe environment through superior structure, staff training, research, education and planning.

Founded by Rhode Island entrepreneur Robert Arnold and retired New England Patriot cornerback and threetime Super Bowl Champion Ty Law in 2012, there are currently three corporate-owned parks and eight owned and operated by franchisees from New Hampshire to Delaware with more opening soon.

Launch generates revenue through several departments; trampoline use, arcade, and concessions. Launch is very community oriented, hosting regular fundraisers for local organizations, and Joey, the 7’ tall green kangaroo mascot, can always be spotted at local events.

Our parks range from 19k to 42k square feet with over 50% of the square footage covered in jumping surfaces, making Launch the perfect place for social gatherings,

Liberty tax service Founded in 1997 by CEO John T. Hewitt, Liberty Tax Service is the fastest-growing tax preparation franchise in the industry and has prepared almost 18 million income tax returns in more than 4,400 offices and online. Liberty balances strong growth, best business practices, social responsibility, and a fulfilling life experience for our franchisees. We’re committed to creating a business system and environment that will be held up as the model for all other tax preparation franchises to emulate.

Ph: 401-738-1259 or Email: PMobley@launchri.com, RArnold@launchtrampolinepark.com Web: www.launchtrampolinepark.com

Liberty Tax is a company to watch, not just in tax preparation franchise terms, but in the business world as a whole. Our corporate team, Area Developers, and franchisees are accessible and down-to-earth. We provide a supportive network and a culture that is progressive and fun. You can join one of the top franchise opportunities in the world. Just fill out our request franchise information form to find out more about Liberty Tax. www.libertytaxfranchise.com/request-franchiseinformation.html

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

The Little Gym International With more than 300 locations in 30 countries, The Little Gym is the world’s premier enrichment and physical development franchise for kids four months through 12 years. Our owners are backed by more than 35 years of experience nurturing happy, confident kids through programs including parent/child, gymnastics, dance and sports skills, plus enjoyable extras like camps, Parents’ Survival Nights and Awesome Birthday Bashes. Each week, structured classes and a positive learning environment create opportunities for children to try new

Franchising USA

Since the inception of our company in 1994, we have successfully built over 200+ projects for national and regional retailers across the country and developed an extensive foundation of relationships with tenants, homeowners, landlords and municipalities. Through our relationships we pride ourselves on a proven track record of delivering all our projects on time and on budget. Our long history of successful projects can be attributed to a grounded belief that our success depends on our clients’ and partners’ success. For more information: Phone: (949) 476-2700, Email: info@kzcompanies.com Or go to Website: www.kzcompanies.com

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

things and build self-confidence, all with a grin that stretches from ear to ear. To make it even easier to become a franchisee, we’re offering special reduced pricing! For a limited time, we have reduced the initial franchise fee by up to $40,000 (locations and savings may vary) and are honoring veterans by offering 50% off the franchise fee to Veterans and Active Duty Military, Reserves, National Guard and Coast Guard. Contact: Leo Smart, Director of Franchise Development Email: sales@thelittlegym.com Phone: 480-948-2878 Website: www.TheLittleGym.com and www.TheLittleGymFranchise.com

LivePOS

franchisors with the ability to run a successful and very profitable business, with ZERO upfront cost.

Technology is changing the way we shop. Social Media, targeted advertising and repeat customers can make the difference between a successful business and failure. If you are still using outdated, dinosaur like point of sale system, you are leaving money on the table.

Real-Time sales and inventory reports, employee time and attendance, commissions, payroll, promotions and over 1,000 other features makes LivePOS the market leader in this space. The LivePOS FMS Dashboard provides direct access to store sales, royalty remittance, franchise wide SKU control and many other tools to ensure consistency throughout the brand, regardless of state or location

Enters LivePOS, a Cloud Point of Sale Solution designing exclusively for multi-location, chains and franchises owners. With over 20,000 customers worldwide, LivePOS provides both franchisees and

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”

Minuteman press Serving the business community for over 40 years, Minuteman Press’ customer service driven business model provides digital print, design and promotional services to businesses. Today we are much more than just print, we can provide anything you can put a name, image or logo on! Minuteman Press is a number one rated

murphy business Murphy Business Northwest gives you the best of two worlds: our office is a small, local business closely connected to the community here in Puget Sound, specializing in personal service to our clients; yet, we are affiliated with one of the largest business brokers with offices throughout North America. Our experienced professionals can offer an unsurpassed range of brokerage services: • When Selling a Business or Buying a business, • Business Valuation Services • Commercial Real Estate Brokers

Naturalawn of america NaturaLawn of America offers organic-based lawn care services to customers across the United States seeking safer alternatives to traditional chemical lawn care. They pioneered the breakthrough into environmentally responsible lawn care back in 1987 (before “going green” was the norm). While chemicalbased companies continued to randomly spray unnecessary pesticides, NaturaLawn of America developed an Integrated Pest Management System (IPM), which was unprecedented in lawn care.

Website: www.livepos.com Email: info@livepos.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.

business service franchise that offers world class training and unparalleled ongoing local support. Prior experience is not necessary to own and operate a successful Minuteman Press franchise. For more information Contact: Al Sanders Phone: 800-645-3006 Email: asanders@mpihq.com Website: www.minutemanpressfranchise.com

• Best Franchise Opportunities for buyer • Equipment Appraisals Our professional business brokers all have past experience as business owners and managers. We apply that business sense to help match buyers to an appropriate business. Visit the website www.yourfranchiseadvisor.com/home/our-franchiseadvisors/curt-maier/ For more information contact Curt Maier Office 425 679 6627 or Cell 425 505 3649 you and also email curt.maier@murphybusiness.com

By creating natural lawn care programs specific to the needs of each individual lawn and through its use of organic-based lawn care products, NaturaLawn of America continues to give customers nationwide, the healthier, greener lawns they desire while protecting people, pets and the environment. Headquartered in Frederick, Maryland, NaturaLawn of America provides business opportunities to individuals wishing to own their own franchise. For more information Phone: (800) 989-5444, Email: info@naturalawnfranchise.com Or go to Website: http://naturalawnfranchise.com/

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Nutrition Zone Nutrition Zone is in the business of changing lives. That includes the Franchisees who join us on this incredible and noble journey. At Nutrition Zone, we do not only take great pride in creating stronger, smarter and healthier clients through the best stores and business model in the industry, we take great pride in identifying and developing successful, determined entrepreneurs providing them the tools and opportunities to reach their financial goals along the way. Nutrition Zone was founded to serve, educate and empower the community by improving the quality of our

One Stop Tax One Stop Tax is a professional tax preparation services provider offering personal and business income tax returns catered to the low and middle income brackets. As a franchisor we offer state-of the art tools that help make the entire business run efficiently and intelligently because of our proven business system.

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

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

From inception, Nutrition Zone’s customer service and sincerity has been at the forefront of our growth. This is realized through highly educated team members who share our goal of making a positive, meaningful impact in our communities. Nutrition Zone provides premium service and premium products at extremely competitive prices. SERVICE - QUALITY -COMPETITIVENESS - EXCELLENCE NUTRITION ZONE – A FORCE BEHIND A BETTER YOU!!

www.nutritionzonefranchise.com

Our services are sought year after year despite economic condition and regardless of demographics and income levels. Contact: Charles Kinuthia Phone: 855.408.2937 or Email: franchise@onestoptax.com You can also check out our website: www.onestoptax.com

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

fastest dry times possible: one hour on average.

The home-based concept’s innovative carpet cleaning system uses environmentally friendly cleaning solutions, leaves no sticky residue and is safe for children and pets.

Recognized as one of “America’s Best Franchises,” according to Forbes magazine, Oxi Fresh has more than 280 carpet cleaning locations in 45 states and Canada, with many more in development. Company plans call for awarding 50-75 additional franchise opportunities to qualified candidates over the next 12-18 months.

In addition, Oxi Fresh’s innovative cleaning method only requires two gallons of water per home – as opposed to the 40-50 gallons that many other carpet cleaners use – and consequently offers one of the

Contact: Kris Antolak Phone: (720) 963-6193 Email: kris@oxifresh.com Website: www.oxifresh.com

Persona Wood Fired Pizzeria

You can choose from one of our chef inspired specialty pizzas or create your own with over 30 toppings to choose from. Our expert pizza makers will create your pizza just the way you like it. Your imagination and creativity is the only limit!

Founded in 2006, Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning has established itself as one of the nation’s fastestgrowing carpet cleaning companies.

Persona Wood Fired Pizzeria is the only “Create Your Own” concept of its kind that was developed by two Chefs— one classically trained and the other an Italian Pizzaiolo and World Pizza Champion. Persona’s exceptional quality starts with our fresh and extremely high quality ingredients. We craft an authentic Neapolitan pizza from imported “00” flour imported from Naples, Italy. The vine ripe plum tomatoes grown for our tomato sauce are sourced from the San Joaquin Valley. Our hand-made meatballs, sausage and sauces have all won gold medal acclaim worldwide, and we think your taste buds will agree.

Franchising USA

clients’ lives.

Once your pizza assembly is complete, we bake it in one of our imported Italian Marra Forni wood fired ovens. At 800 degrees, 90 seconds is all it takes to produce a pizza that is crispy and chewy in the Neapolitan tradition. Craving something from the garden? Our freshly tossed salads are a great complement to your wood fired pizza. Our awardwinning dressings are all made from scratch. Complete your experience with our rich gelato handmade locally by an Austrian-trained gelato chef.  For more information visit www.personapizzeria.com or Email: info@personapizzeria.com

pillar to post Pillar To Post is North America’s leading home inspection franchise. We have been named a Top 50 Franchise for franchisee satisfaction in 2013, 2014 and 2015 by Franchise Business Review. #1 Home Inspection franchise for 2013, 2014 and

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.

PROSHRED Security PROSHRED® pioneered the mobile paper shredding and recycling industry in the mid 1980’s in Canada and is recognized as a North American leader. PROSHRED® shreds and recycles confidential documents and proprietary materials for “fortune 500 companies”, “large”, “small and medium sized enterprises” as well as “home based business” and “residential consumers” in all industry sectors. PROSHRED® combines

Redrhino REDRHINO isn’t just another flooring company – we are a premium epoxy coating supplier and installer committed to doing the industry’s best work on every project. That one philosophy sets us apart from our competitors, and has helped us grow into a nationwide leader in epoxy flooring since 2005. There are a lot of businesses and independent contractors offering epoxy coating for concrete floors, but when precision, quality, and real-world

2015 by Entrepreneur Magazine, as well as a Top Low Cost Franchise, Top Home Based Franchise and among the Best of the Best listings with Entrepreneur magazine in 2013 and 2014. Contact: Brian Wieters Phone: 1-877-9633129 or Email: franchise@pillartopost.com Website: www.pillartopostfranchise.com

Pinot’s Palette’s entertaining environment, expert guidance from trained local artists and exceptional customer experience creates strong word of mouth, community recognition and a loyal customer base. Pinot’s Palette looks for franchisee partners who love to entertain and values that fit comfortably within the Team Pinot culture. Not art experience required! Franchising since 2010 with more than 130 locations in 33 states, Pinot’s Palette is an established, awardwinning concept leading the paint and sip industry. Website: www.PinotsPalette.com/Franchise or Email: Franchise@pinotspalette.com

unparalleled customer service with absolute security and is the only company to receive both ISO 9001-2008 and NAID AAA certification. PROSHRED®’s explosive growth is a result of increasing concerns with regard to “identity theft” and the “environment”. PROSHRED® is a GREEN business opportunity. Contact: Shelley Gable Phone: 416-490-8600 (116) Email: shelley.gable@proshred.com Website: www.proshred.com

guarantees matter, clients turn to us. That’s because we have a reputation for being customer-service centered, and being able to manage projects and timelines that other epoxy flooring companies can’t. When you need flooring that’s beautiful and durable, applied correctly the first time on your schedule, REDRHINO should be your first call. For more information contact Michael D. Kenealy | CEO 1 (310) 435-4153 or 1 (888) 292-6478 email: info@redrhinoflooring.com Or visit our website www.redrhinoflooring.com

Renew Crew

weak the economy is, thereby providing a recession-resistant

Renew Crew is proud to be North America’s most trusted

Every day we continue to refine our products and systems

choice for exterior surfacecleaning and protecting. We are the leading national brand with a proprietary 3-step process that

revenue stream. to maximize your expertise and optimize your chances of exceeding your goals for your business. Our corporate team

works wonders. We call it Renew Crew Clean™. You’ll call it

is committed to supporting you as you start and build your

the path to achieving your personal and business goals!

enterprise locally. From sales and operations, to marketing

Renew Crew is undoubtedly the leader in exterior surface

and accounting, you’ll have access to support staff for all

cleaning and protecting. Cleaning and protecting outdoor

aspects of your business

surfaces is an important part of home ownership and a

Contact: Shemar Pucel

segment of an estimated $476 billion home maintenance

Phone: 804-214-3021

market. Even better for our franchisees, these homeowner

Email: spucel@outdoorlivingbrands.com

maintenance obligations remain regardless of how strong or

Website: www.renewcrewfranchise.com

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service brands international One Company. Multiple Brands. We’ve created life-changing opportunities as a privately-owned company with a distinctive culture of community service and hundreds of successful business owners nationwide. With over 30 years of franchising experience, SBI provides the leadership, business systems and franchisee support that allow our

We are: Molly Maid, Mr. Handyman and ProTect Painters. Our mission is to help owners quickly reach their profit goals and realize their dreams. For more information contact: Steve Lajiness, V.P. of Franchise Development for SBI Tel: 734-822-6110 or Email: steve.lajiness@servicebrands.com Website: http://franchise.servicebrands.com/

Sherpa Kids

Each member of the Sherpa Kids Franchise System has an important role to play.

Sherpa Kids will work and engage with all stakeholders to ensure continuous learning that meets children’s needs. We pride ourselves on creating a nurturing and caring environment for the care of your school-aged children. We do this through a structured and wellbalanced program in before, after school and vacation care services.

The success of every individual Franchise strengthens the Sherpa Kids brand. A growing Franchise System means greater marketing and advertising power, more brand awareness, higher market penetration, new and improved systems, and more team members to share knowledge, ideas and strategies.

Become a Sherpa Kids Country Master Franchisee and make an investment on two levels. Your new life will be rewarding financially and personally as you help school communities and franchisees achieve their business and lifestyle goals.

smokes poutinerie Smokes Poutinerie is the Worlds Largest & Original Poutinerie; inventing and leading the quick-serve Poutine industry, offering over 30 types of Gourmet Poutine. The exclusive Poutine menu plays a very significant role with its Signature Gravy, Fresh Hand-Cut Fries, Squeaky Cheese Curds and an unlimited combination of toppings like double-smoked bacon, flat iron steak, grilled chicken, caramelized onions, sautéed peppers and many more mouthwatering options.

Already operating in 6 countries – Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England , Canada and Ireland. Contact: Vicki Prout Email: vicki@sherpa-kids.com Phone: +61 8 8354 4886; Mobile: +61 4 3980 3078 Website: www.sherpa-kids.com

There is no slowing down the Gravy Train, with Smoke’s Poutinerie expanding exponentially since its debut on the Franchise scene in 2009. Boasting a whopping 100 locations Coast to Coast in Canada and kicking it into high gear with its expansion into the U.S., Sports & Entertainment and International Markets. The first official U.S. location recently opened in Berkeley, California where customers were lined up around the block anxiously awaiting their first bite! Next up, Smoke’s Poutinerie Las Vegas, Hollywood, New York City and numerous other states and cities.

The Smoke’s Poutinerie goal is to bring this authentic, quality Canadian dish to the rest of the World in their own original and unique way.

Phone: 905 427 4444 Website: www.smokespoutinerie.com Email: franchises@smokespoutinerie.com

SOLDIERFIT

on personal service, member connections and teamwork, members are made to feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves.

SOLDIERFIT is a military inspired fitness franchise with centers and gyms specializing in large group boot camp training, personal training and kids’ fitness programs. It offers a functional fitness gym set in a family environment for all fitness levels. SOLDIERFIT is different from other fitness companies in that character building is the number one priority, not aesthetics. By focusing

Spark mobile video Spark manufactures promotional trucks with integrated digital video screens. Trucks range in size from pickup-truck based models with 4’ x 6’ digital screens up to large box-style models with 8’ x 14’ video displays. The trucks are used as mobile billboards for any business and also as ordinary delivery

Franchising USA

franchisees to experience ease of operation and success.

The business is founded on community, patriotism, and the American dream. Since launching in 2007, SOLDIERFIT has expanded across Maryland with locations in Gaithersburg, Frederick and Columbia and will be opening a franchise location in Virginia in fall 2015. Website: soldierfitfranchise.com

vehicles. Financing is available with payments averaging $2000 per month. Often payments can be reimbursed through franchise co-op marketing programs. Contact: Robert Tarabella Phone: 844-SPARK-44 or Email:info@sparkmobilevideo.com Website: sparkmobilevideo.com

Spherion Staffing Services Join the ranks of an established recruiting and staffing leader! As a Spherion franchise owner, you will be well-positioned to create a successful future for yourself and you’ll have a stake in helping others make a better life for themselves through rewarding employment opportunities. This is the passion that drives our business every day and the financial rewards are just as exciting. One of the fastest growing industries, staffing is projected to grow six percent annually and reach $115 billion this year. Spherion owners produced more than $500 million in annual sales last year alone. It’s an ideal opportunity for an entrepreneur to step into and begin building a thriving business. Since 1946, Spherion® has been supplying flexible, tempto-hire and direct-hire talent to companies of all sizes and

Sports Clips Established in 1993 and franchised in 1995, Sport Clips is one of the nation’s leading franchises with close to 1,400 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.

industries. Specializing in administrative, light industrial, contact center, non-clinical healthcare and professional placements, we offer a comprehensive range of workforce solutions to fit the unique needs of our clients. Operating through a network of 175 franchise locations, Spherion has distinguished itself as a local staffing partner providing personalized service, backed by the resources and breadth of a $2 billion workforce leader. Last year, we connected more than 170,000 job seekers to 3,000 companies nationwide, and the numbers continue to grow. We are a strong community of owners that genuinely love what we do and it has earned us a reputation of excellence in our industry. To learn more, please contact Bill Tasillo on our Market Expansion Team at 404/964-5508 or go to www.spherion.com/franchise

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 40 in the “Franchise 500.” It is also ranked by

Email: franchise.recruitment@sportclips.com Phone: (800) 872-4247 x. 1 Website: www.sportclipsfranchise.com

Stratus Building Solutions

multi-level business support, state-of-the-art cleaning equipment, Green Seal Certified, biodegradable, non-toxic “Stratus Green Clean” chemicals, 24-Hour emergency services, Stratus Building Solutions is second to none in the commercial janitorial service industry and the pursuance of cleaning for health.

Founded in 2006, Stratus Building Solutions was developed to provide a superior, environmentally friendly commercial cleaning experience driven by dedicated, entrepreneurial, small business owners and regional support centers. Now under new ownership, the company continues to grow upon idea that through commitment and a loyalty to exceptional service, your own commercial janitorial service franchise has unlimited earning potential. For the past 9 years, Stratus Building Solutions has developed into a household name in the janitorial service industry. Offering professional training programs,

The Interface Financial Group – IFG 50/50 The Interface Financial Group – IFG 50/50 is an affordable home-based franchise that provides short-term working capital to small and medium-sized businesses by purchasing current, quality invoices at a discount, thus accelerating the client’s cash flow and growth. All transactions are syndicated 50/50 with the franchisee and the franchisor, and that means less working capital required to fund transaction: IFG does the bulk of the due diligence and the ‘paperwork’ for the transactions, and IFG 50/50 franchisees will concentrate their efforts on building the referral relationships – they do the ‘people work’. Key advantages of being an IFG 50/50 franchisee include: • No staff to hire, fire, or manage

The Joint Chiropractic The Joint Chiropractic is reinventing chiropractic care by making quality alternative healthcare affordable for patients seeking pain relief and ongoing wellness. Our membership plans and packages eliminate the need for insurance, and our no-appointment policy, convenient hours and locations make care more accessible. The Joint performs more than two million spinal adjustments a year across 250+ clinics nationwide. With a proven franchise model in a $12 billion dollar

With customizable cleaning options and competitive rates, Stratus Building Solutions provides services to a large range of clients, from schools, medical offices, shopping centers, warehouses, dealerships, religious centers, professional offices, daycares, retail stores, gyms and more. Contact us today at www.stratusclean.com

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

industry, The Joint is making quality healthcare affordable, approachable and convenient for patients—while simplifying business operations for chiropractors and franchise owners. Our plans and packages eliminate the need for insurance, and our no appointments policy and convenient locations make care more accessible. The Joint performs more than two million spinal adjustments a year across 250+ clinics nationwide. For more information, visit thejoint.com/franchise or Email: franchise@thejoint.com

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the patch boys The Patch Boys fills a gap in the construction field that is gravely needed and its unique niche will provide you leads from many directions, craftsman, sub-contractors and home owners alike. When joining The patch Boys team, you will automatically receive instant credibility and be exposed to an entire array of people that need our service and trust our approach, thus leading you quickly to a fast start right out of the gate and a bright future to get your name out there in lighting speed.

Contact Leo via Phone: 844-997-2824 Email: info@thepatchboys.com

At The Patch Boys we have implemented our own

Website: www.ThePatchboys.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.

UFood Grill UFood Grill is an award-winning franchisor of fast-casual food service restaurants, offering consumers a better-for-you menu to meet the growing demand for healthy options made with fresh ingredients that taste great. Known as the place where “delicious meets nutritious,” UFood Grill offers traditional

Veterans Business Services Veterans Business Services provides the most advantageous franchise acquisition terms for Veterans and provides innovative entrepreneurial training for qualified Veterans seeking grants under the VA Vocational Rehabilitation Program. Veterans Business Services (“VBS”) specializes in entrepreneurial opportunities for Veterans and has an extensive reach into the Veterans community and can generate significant interest from qualified Veterans who wish to start a franchise or small business. VBS offers multiple marketing methods that have proven effective with helping franchise organizations with their expansion plans. Utilizing custom email marketing

WELLBIZ BRANDS, INC WellBiz Brands, Inc. is headquartered in Highlands Ranch, Colo. and is one of the largest health and wellness companies in the United States. The company owns three separate franchise entities: Elements Therapeutic Massage, Inc., which franchises massage studios, providing custom therapeutic massage to meet clients’ individual needs, Fitness Together Franchise Corporation, which franchises one-on-one and semi-private personal training studios, and Fit 36, Inc., which franchises high intensity interval training studios, with workouts done as a group.

Franchising USA

exclusive professional system that guarantees you success in every aspect of the business. We foster an atmosphere of passionate customer service pooled with an environment of professional and skilled people that have a history of decades in this field and have pin-pointed specific features that will benefit you as an owner and broaden your approval among potential clients and your reputation will be sky-high.

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

and non-traditional restaurant designs to franchisees for expansion across the U.S. For more information, please contact: Bob DiBartolomeo, VP of Franchise Development Email: bobd@ufoodgrill.com Phone: 617-787-6000 Website: www.ufoodgrill.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. Contact: James Mingey Phone: 202-349-0860 Email: info@veteransbusinessservices.us Website: www.veteransbusinessservices.us

Elements Therapeutic Massage, Inc. began franchising in 2006 and has approximately 210 Elements Massage™ locations. Fitness Together Franchise Corporation began franchising in 1996 and has approximately 175 Fitness Together® locations across the United States. Fit 36, Inc. began franchising in 2014 and has a single FIT36™ location in downtown Denver. For more information Websites: wellbizbrands.com, elementsmassage.com, fitnesstogether.com, fit36fitness.com

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INTRODUCING OUR NEW

A-Z LISTING SECTION! Midas

ld and highly ughout the wor ized brand thro ud to be one Midas, a recogn car care, is pro e plet com in e s – and renowned nam chise opportunitie a’s original fran of Nor th Americ one of its best. lds - the best of both wor experience the and With Midas, you e organization erienced franchis vice exp ser an o of t aut por sup r ver y own ted of operating you become a trus the satisfaction you ee, chis lding a Midas fran Bui As s. . ines rise erp bus ent your doors for n ry ope eve k you wor name the day of our brand. We ness, t is at the heart se, responsive consumer trus providing experti by t trus t . tha day to ear n er every time e to every custom and the best valu ch” “The Midas Tou rly 60 years of Benefit from nea

otive ser vice tion in the autom t a stellar reputa t to help you Midas has buil decades. We wan stry nearly six continue to you as and repair indu and n a location ope you wing: ore Bef succeed. you with the follo p, Midas will help p operate your sho tem for your sho sys ent em nag • Business ma ee orientation • New franchis resources ing and training train • Ongoing por t. sup al tion era • Op suppor t • Development business: marketing your • Optimizing and or visiting ww w. 00-365-00 07 ay by calling 1-8 Join Midas tod m! .co ng or an a franchise offeri midasfranchise or forms are not inform any request for This website and hise. offer to sell a franc

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Making an appearance every month in Franchising USA magazine. Each detailed, 4 color A-Z listing comes with a 150 word write up and your logo. 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 Kimberly Kutnick: kimberlyk@cgbpublishing.com or 847-607-8407.

www.franchisingusamagazine.com

Franchising USA

JEJAK GRAPHICS

a lasting impression

creative design solutions

leaving a lasting impression Jejak Graphics is a freelance graphic design business based in Melbourne, Australia working with clients worldwide. With over 18 years experience in the design and print industry specialising in magazine layout and advert design as well as offering a number of other graphic design services and print solutions including: • Corporate stationery • Brochures and flyers • Poster and banner design • Educational manuals • Sports programs • Monthly Newsletters • Product labels and packaging Artwork is tailored to your brand and focused on your message and target audience. No job is too big or small. Contact me today to discuss how Jejak Graphics can make your company or organisation leave ‘a lasting impression’.

P: 03 8790 8006 M: 04222 676 39 E: jejak@bigpond.com www.jejakgraphics.com.au