FRANCHISING USA AUGUST 2019 by CGB Publishing

Franchising usa $5.95 www.franchisingusamagazine.com

The magazine for franchisees

VOL 07, ISSUE 10, AUG 2019

For Goddard Systems, Inc.,

The Franchise’s Success is All About Relationships

Motivation to Build Your Empire special feature

children’s products and services LATEST NEWS

FINANCIAL ADVICE FROM THE BANKS

TOP LAWYERS’ ADVICE

Franchise Opportunities Available. Partner With A PROVEN Brand.

OWN YOUR TUFFY TODAY! Helping our franchisees to operate successfully and meet the challenges of today’s marketplace is the top priority for the Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Centers Franchise and Operations Team. We provide our franchisees with a proven operating system, and as a result, our franchisees have played a key role in the ongoing success of Tuffy. Our value proposition includes (but is not limited to) the following: • Over 45 Years in Business. • State of the Art Management, Sales & Technical Training. • Comprehensive Marketing & Advertising Programs. • National Vendor Partnerships. • National & Local Support. • Powerful Brand Proposition. • Strong Business Model. • On-going Research & Development.

AUTOMOTIVE EXPERIENCE NOT REQUIRED! Tuffy is looking for customer focused, ethical business owners. Our franchisees come from many different walks of life. A background in auto repair is not needed to run a successful Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center, but can be helpful.

800-228-8339 www.TuffyFranchising.com

Franchising usa The magazine for franchisees

FRANCHISING USA VOLUME 7, ISSUE 10, 2019 president: Colin Bradbury. colin@cgbpublishing.com

Publisher: Vikki Bradbury. vikki@cgbpublishing.com

advertising: advertising@cgbpublishing.com

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

Editorial team: Gina Gill Rob Swystun

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DESIGN: Jejak Graphics. jejak@bigpond.com

COVER IMAGE: Goddard Systems, Inc.

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Comments

f r o m t he p u bl i s he r & e d i tor Welcome to the August issue of Franchising USA. Have you completed your free registration for the upcoming Franchise Expo Chicago? Join motivated entrepreneurs and future business owners from September 13-14th at the premier franchise expo serving the Greater Chicago Area. The expo is a great opportunity to meet face-toface with over 200 proven franchise opportunities in every industry, across every investment level, full-time and part-time. So click here and grab your free admission compliments of Franchising USA. On the Cover this issue is Goddard Systems, Inc. (GSI), the franchisor of The Goddard School and a brand that believes the secret to its success lies in the strength of its relationships, most notably with its passionate network of franchisees. “[A]t the end of the day, The Goddard School has been in the business for a very long time and has developed over the years a recipe for success,” says Goddard School franchisee Don O’Brian. Turn to page 10 to hear more from O’Brian and learn why For Goddard Systems Inc., The Franchise’s Success is All About Relationships. This month our Special Feature takes a look at Children’s Products and Services Franchising, an industry that is as enjoyable to be a part of as it is profitable. Be sure to read our Feature Article to learn how services and products targeting children have multiplied in the last decade or so; the

global toy industry in itself being a billion dollar market and the estimated market revenue for baby care product is estimated to grow to over $11 billion by 2025. Interested in becoming a “band leader” for School of Rock in your community? Take a look at our Feature Focus on The School of Rock with a growing franchise network currently consisting of 280 locations open or in development across nine countries worldwide. Or have a read through one of our Feature Expert Advice articles, that include a look at the trend in child-centric concepts and insight into Child-Centric Brands That Don’t Play Around. Our Veterans in Supplement this issue features VetCor on the Cover, a Florida franchise that is restoring homes and businesses while helping veterans build livelihoods after their military careers. Learn why VetCor is well on its way to establishing itself as a premier restoration company and a destination for business-minded veterans who want to use their training and experience in their civilian lives. Our Industry Expert Evan Hackel is back this month to answer a reader’s question on how to better manage their staff: “My staff doesn’t like how I manage them. What can I do?” The answer might surprise you so be sure to have a look at our Ask the Expert featured in this issue. Have a question about your franchise? Email your franchising question editor@cgbpublishing.com and the answer could get featured in our next Ask the Expert. Happy reading!

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

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contents

august 2019

On the Cover 10 Cover Story: Goddard Systems, Inc.:

The Franchise’s Success is All About Relationships

14 Motivation to Build Your Empire

19 Special Feature: Children’s Products and Services

In Every Issue 6 Franchising News

Announcements from the Industry

19 Children’s Products & Services Franchising Feature 47 Veterans Supplement

News and Information for Veterans in Franchising

63 A-Z Franchise and Services Directory

Expert Advice 14 She Doesn’t Do This Because She Wants To: Motivation to Build Your Empire George Knauf, Senior Franchise Business Advisor, FranChoice

16 The Research That Reveals The Power of Localized

Social Marketing Mac Mischke, Content Specialist, SOCi

38 Character Flaws = An Asset

David Banfield, President, The Interface Financial Group

Ask the Expert 44 “My staff doesn’t like how I manage them.

28 Franchising USA

What can I do?” Evan Hackel, CEO, Tortal Training

Focus

40 Tuffy Tire and Auto Service Center

Profile 42 Enviro-Master

CHILDREN’S PRODUCTS & SERVICES Franchising Feature

On the Cover 30 Child-Centric Brands That Don’t Play Around 28 Swim Lessons: They’re Not So Seasonal In Every Issue

20 Feature News 24 Feature Article Feature Focus 32 School of Rock Expert Advice 28 Swim Lessons: They’re Not So Seasonal

Greg Longe, CEO, British Swim School

30 Child-Centric Brands That Don’t Play Around

Christopher Conner, President, Franchise Marketing Systems

34 How Franchisors Can Keep Franchise Partners Engaged

and On Track

Anne Huntington, Vice President of Business Development, Huntington Learning Center

36 Setting Up a Multi-Unit Opportunity

Neal Courtney, CEO, Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids

38 Franchising USA

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what’s new!

9Round Founder/CEO Shannon Hudson Named a 2019 Finalist for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award

9Round Franchising, LCC founder and CEO, Shannon Hudson, was formally recognized last month as one of EY’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2019 finalists for the Southeast region. Hudson was one of 35 finalists honored at a gala held on June 27 at the CocaCola Roxy in Atlanta, Georgia. Widely considered one of the most prestigious business awards programs in the U.S., EY’s Entrepreneur Of The Year program recognizes entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies who are excelling in areas such as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their business and communities, while also transforming our world. Hudson was selected as a finalist by a panel of independent judges who identified him as a standout among 2019 applicants. “Words cannot even begin to explain how proud I feel to have been considered a

2019 finalist for one of the most prominent business awards,” said Hudson. “When my wife Heather and I started 9Round in 2008, we were motivated by having no ‘Plan B’ to fall back on. Because of this, I have stayed focused on cultivating and enhancing the brand, which in return has helped me become a better business leader.” Now in its 33rd year, Entrepreneur Of The Year has grown to include more than 145 cities and more than 60 countries worldwide. The Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards gala is the culminating event of the Strategic Growth Forum®, the largest gathering of entrepreneurs in the America. To view the full list of 2019 Southeast finalists, visit www.ey.com/en_us/ entrepreneur-of-the-year/southeast/finalists. For more information about owning a 9Round franchise, visit www.9Round.com/fitness-franchises

Trilantic North America Sells Majority Stake in Home Franchise Concepts Trilantic North America recently announced the sale of its majority stake in Home Franchise Concepts, a leading franchising system in the home improvement goods and services space, to JM Family Enterprises, Inc. Founded in 1993, HFC has grown to be one of the world’s largest franchising systems in the home improvement market and currently encompasses four brands: Budget Blinds®, Tailored Living®, Concrete Craft® and AdvantaClean®. Since its inception, HFC has expanded to include nearly 1,700 franchise territories in the U.S., Canada and Mexico and received numerous awards and accolades for its brands. Trilantic North America acquired Home Franchise Concepts in 2015 to support the company’s growth strategies, expand its core franchise base and service concepts and further invest in its operating platform. Over the course of Trilantic North America

Franchising USA

and Home Franchise Concepts’ partnership, the team worked to establish Home Franchise Concepts as a leading franchising system in the residential services space by providing superior training, support and leadership that allow people from all walks of life to own their own business. The firm also elevated Chief Financial Officer Shirin Behzadi to her current role as Chief Executive Officer. For more information, visit www.trilanticnorthamerica.com

Moneypenny Awarded Better Business Bureau Accreditation A+ accreditation confirms Moneypenny’s integrity and performance and sellers trust each other. To help people find and recommend businesses, brands and charities they can trust, the BBB tracks more than 5.4 million businesses on BBB.org and assigns a rating to each, ranging from A+ to F. This rating system is based on 16 specific factors, including factual information, like time in business and status of business licenses, alongside consumer feedback, including the number and nature of consumer complaints and response. “We work to help consumers find information on the businesses, brands, and charities they can trust,” said Chris Hadley, President/ CEO of the Better Business Bureau Serving Central SC and Charleston. “Businesses like Moneypenny that earn our A+ accreditation maintain a strong commitment to their reputation by providing excellent service every time.” Moneypenny, the world’s leading outsourced communication provider with offices in Charleston and the UK, has been awarded the highly sought-after Better Business Bureau (BBB) A+ accreditation. The accreditation means the BBB has determined that Moneypenny is a company of integrity and performance.

“We are delighted to have been awarded the very prestigious A+ accreditation from Better Bureau Business,” said Joanna Swash, Global CEO of Moneypenny. “At Monepenny, we continuously strive to exceed expectations, and pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service with both amazing people and cutting edge technology.”

The BBB aims to create an ethical marketplace where buyers

Find more information, visit Moneypenny.com

C Squared Leads $73.5 M Recapitalization and Shareholder Buyout for 108-Unit Wendy’s Operator, Carolina Restaurant Group C Squared Advisors recently managed the closing on the equity raise, recapitalization, and shareholder buyout for Carolina Restaurant Group (CRG), a 108-unit Wendy’s operator based in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a multi-faceted deal that CRG’s management team, led by Quint Graham and Gary Miller, and C Squared Partner Carty Davis, had been positioning for several years. The transaction involved the buyout of the long-time majority equity partners of CRG, an equity-raise with new shareholder, Stonehenge Capital Partners, and the recapitalization of CRG’s debt obligations with a lending group led by CIT Bank.

was difficult. Ultimately, CIT understood and recognized the opportunity with one of Wendy’s premier operators and, with the steadfast support of new equity partner Stonehenge Capital, completed the transaction in a timely manner,” said Davis.

During the recapitalization process, CRG also closed on several small acquisition opportunities with financing provided by People’s Bank.

CRG’s longtime CFO, Gary Miller, added, “C Squared’s experience and expertise in the restaurant sector is extensive and enabled them to effectively structure our transaction while satisfying existing shareholders’ liquidity objectives. C Squared sourced and secured the appropriate capital providers that supported the buyout and our long-term corporate goals. We look forward to continuing our relationship with C Squared indefinitely.”

“Managing the recapitalization during the second half 2018, in what was a challenging environment for the restaurant industry,

For more information about C Squared Advisors, please visit our website at www.c2advisorygroup.com

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what’s new! Lapels Dry Cleaning Expands Clothing Restoration Services

Lapels Dry Cleaning, an innovative, environmentally friendly dry cleaning company headquartered in Hanover, Massachusetts, recently expanded its restoration clothing services department to better serve disaster restoration specialists, insurance companies, police, fire and other organizations who recover clothing from fires, floods and other disasters. “Many of the larger restoration companies have expanded their services with garments to include ozone room treatment and storage of household garments and are now in need of outsourcing the dry cleaning or wet cleaning and pressing of these garments. With our sustainable and hypo allergenic cleaning process and plants around the country, we are a trusted partner for these services,” said Kevin Dubois, CEO of Lapels Dry Cleaning. “Insurance companies and disaster restoration specialists have found this to be a valuable service because instead of paying replacement costs for an entire wardrobe, clothes can be restored for a reasonably small fee.”

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Opens First International Location

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has opened its first international location in the Dubai Mall, with plans to open its second international location at the Mall of the Emirates in the coming weeks. The restaurants are owned and operated by Tastebuds Group, who will continue to drive Freddy’s growth throughout the Middle East, with plans to open locations in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman and Qatar.

“Things like fires, floods and other events can be devastating to a household. In some cases, priceless, irreplaceable items are damaged. While clothes are certainly replaceable it can certainly provide a little comfort to household members if by utilizing our restoration services that we can salvage some familiar items during a time of duress,” said Dubois.

Freddy’s commitment to providing high-quality, premium products and exceptional service has been the driving force behind the brand’s consistent growth domestically, and now, internationally. Freddy’s worked to ensure a seamless transition as the concept entered a new country by adapting to the local culture in various aspects including training protocols, hours of operation, menu items offered and portion size, among others. The Dubai locations will serve the same premium Meadowvale frozen custard, Vienna® Beef hot dogs, and USDA beef as their U.S. counterparts.

Lapels has pioneered its eco-friendly dry cleaning experience over the past two decades. Part of that effort includes a partnership agreement with GreenEarth®, the world’s only 100 percent environmentally non-toxic cleaning alternative. Using these kinds of solutions and the latest technology in equipment, Lapels is one of the few dry cleaners able to boast that there is no hazardous waste in their process.

Freddy’s recently announced its expansion into the nontraditional space for the first time and introduced a smaller restaurant prototype with an updated kitchen design that maintains volume capacity to allow franchisees innovative ways to expand their portfolio. These points of growth for the brand helped lay the foundation for international expansion into the Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates.

For more information, visit lapelsdrycleaning.com

freddysusa.com/franchising

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Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh Advances Bold Plan for a Brighter Nation Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, the leading fast casual Mediterranean franchise concept best known for its preservative-free, nutrient-rich menu, announced today an aggressive franchise growth initiative to increase its presence across the United States. Planning to add 50 new locations to the brand’s development pipeline annually, expansion will focus on territories from the Rocky Mountain states to the Midwest and down south through Texas. The concept has put itself on an impressive growth trajectory that has positioned the brand for strategic expansion this year and for years to come. GARBANZO recently completed two major franchising deals that stand to spark growth in key markets -- a five-store deal for the Boston area, and a 25-plus location area development agreement that covers all of Indiana and Kentucky, as well as Southwest Ohio, primarily in the Cincinnati area.

Notably, GARBANZO placed in the top-5 of FastCasual’s 2019 “Top 100 Movers & Shakers” list, a prestigious annual ranking honoring the brands and executives leading the restaurant industry through creativity, hard work and progressiveness. The brand has disrupted the fast-casual Mediterranean segment with fresh, made-from-scratch ingredients that make

customers feel good, not guilty. As the brand continues to expand into key markets, GARBANZO is actively seeking qualified multi-unit owners looking to add an exciting health-forward fast casual concept to their portfolios. For more information on the franchise opportunity, visit ownagarbanzo.com

Blink Fitness and Three-Time NBA Champion Draymond Green Open First Michigan Location especially when I think back on what it was like in Saginaw when I was growing up,” said Green. “We didn’t have cool, positive places to work out and the gyms that did open were either too expensive, or dirty. We’re changing that by creating affordable options for people of all backgrounds to be excited about getting fit with our mood over muscle approach.”

Blink Fitness, the premium quality, affordable fitness brand is excited to announce the opening of its first franchise location in Michigan, and first location co-owned by threetime NBA Champion Draymond Green. This is the first of 20 locations throughout Michigan and Illinois in his development deal with Blink. “Opening our first Blink gym in Warren is so important to me,

To celebrate the newest location, Blink Fitness hosted a community celebration in partnership with Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL), an organization dedicated to positively impacting the lives of more than 14,000 local Detroit children by creating a safe and supportive place for kids to have fun and be active. Blink Warren will also donate 50 one-year memberships worth over $10,000 to Detroit PAL. As Blink focuses on franchise expansion in 2019, the brand is awarding franchise development opportunities to experienced multi-unit groups, focusing on diversifying their portfolio with a proven concept well-positioned for growth. For more information on Blink’s franchising opportunity, visit www.blinkfranchising.com.

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cov er sto ry

G o d da r d Syst em s, I n c.

For Goddard Systems, Inc.,

The Franchise’s Success is All About Relationships For more than 30 years, Goddard Systems, Inc. (GSI), the franchisor of The Goddard School, has been synonymous with high-quality early childhood education. In 2019, Goddard reached a milestone in the brand’s history when the 500th Goddard School opened. Goddard Schools now serve more than 65,000 children across 36 states. By remaining nimble and adapting the business to market and demographic changes to meet the needs of parents and franchisees, GSI is poised to open another 200 Schools over the next five years. As the leading early childhood education franchise system, The Goddard School maintains strong growth year-over-year. In the past five years, the average mature school EBITDA has grown more than 36 percent to $373,321. Mature Schools, which have been in operation for more than 18 months, have grown in monthly revenue year-over-year consecutively for the past 109 months, which is more than nine years of sustained prosperity. GSI believes the secret to the brand’s success lies in the strength of its relationships.

“The location-first development model is the result of decadeslong relationships GSI built with top developers and real estate professionals across the U.S. These key relationships enable GSI and prospective franchisees to select prime real estate opportunities in affluent suburbs.”

Franchising USA

Developer Relationships The Goddard School brand has experienced consistent growth in predominately suburban areas, but as GSI plans for the next 200 Schools, it will also create opportunities in underserved markets by using several new strategies, including a location-first location model that helps GSI identify high-potential real estate sites before it awards a license to a franchisee. Additionally, GSI is helping franchisees source locations in cities, mixed-use retail spaces and corporate campuses, where millennial parents are increasingly opting to live, work and raise their children. Goddard Schools have recently opened at the District Wharf in Washington, D.C., and in Nationwide’s corporate headquarters at Grandview Yard in Columbus, OH. The location-first development model is the result of decades-long relationships GSI built with top developers and real estate professionals across the U.S. These key relationships enable GSI and prospective franchisees to select prime real estate opportunities in affluent suburbs and

“At the end of the day, The Goddard School has been in the business for a very long time and has developed over the years a recipe for success.” - Don O’Brian

Lender Relationships

with some of the leading SBA lenders, who are already familiar with the franchise’s unique model and lending needs. By building these relationships, The Goddard School system has become an approved franchise concept for many national and local lenders, which may lead to more competitive terms and a more streamlined process for franchisees. FRANdata, a franchise market research and consulting firm specializing in performance analysis and benchmarking, determined that Goddard School franchisees’ SBA loans, that were analyzed over a 15-year period, have an extremely low failure rate of only 2.79%.

Most individuals do not have experience with commercial lending or with government-backed loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Fortunately for new and current franchisees, GSI has deep relationships

The strongest and most important relationships in the system are the relationships between GSI and its passionate network of franchisees.

highly trafficked metro centers to meet the lifestyle demands of modern families. The strength of GSI’s developer relationships helped Jodi & Bill Straub, the franchisees of the 500th Goddard School in Bala Cynwyd, PA, to locate, secure and renovate a former schoolhouse in a population dense community with a high demand for childcare. The Straubs relied on GSI’s relationships with developers to help them capitalize on this secondgeneration property and gain access to a previously unserved market with a high demand.

Franchisee Relationships

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G o d da r d Syst em s, I n c.

The franchisees’ support and satisfaction have driven the system’s consistent growth. GSI’s business structure is intended to support franchisees extensively, and nearly 200 corporate employees serve 500 Schools. GSI provides franchisees with pre-opening support during the real estate and construction phases, operational training before their Schools open and ongoing support in marketing, IT, operations and educational programming after their Schools open. Additionally, GSI provides the franchisees with the tools they need to meet the Goddard health and safety standards and education standards by providing extensive online and in-person training courses and resources, and by offering in-school support from corporate representatives. Franchisees also benefit from The Goddard School’s Educational Advisory Board, which consists of leaders in a variety of fields related to early childhood education and care who help guide the evolution of the education framework. This framework helps franchisees improve their educational programs and train their faculty members. GSI’s strong support model is often noted

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“GSI continues to tweak the system to make it work. The best advice we can give is to follow the recipe and trust it.” - Don O’Brian as a key differentiator by its franchisees. Don O’Brian, his daughter Anne Pope and his grandson Taylor Pope have been with The Goddard School since opening their first location in 2005. Today, the family operates three Schools, including the new District Wharf location in Washington, D.C., and recommends following the advice from GSI’s extensive support system. “When potential franchisees call us to inquire about our experience, we give them the same kind of response that we got when we were doing our due diligence. That is, at the end of the day, The Goddard School has been in the business for a very long time and has developed over the years a recipe for success,” said O’Brian. “GSI continues to tweak the system to make it work. The best advice we can give is to follow the recipe and trust it.” The O’Brian-Pope family’s story is not unique to GSI. For the past two years, GSI has been ranked the top education franchise by Franchise Business Review,

a third-party market research firm that provides rankings for franchise companies based solely on franchisee satisfaction and performance. At its core, GSI believes that its success can only be measured by the success of the Schools. For entrepreneurs looking to secure their own franchised business, there is no better time to choose The Goddard School. The childcare industry is expected to reach 57 billion dollars by 2020. With 8.6 million children in working parent households, sustained low unemployment rates and increased disposable income, the demand for high-quality childcare is greater than ever. As more studies highlight the benefits children receive from early childhood education, parents are increasingly motivated to find high-quality childcare services that meet their children’s developmental needs. Begin your journey. Visit www.goddardschoolfranchise.com.

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Franchising USA

ex per t advice

George Knauf | Senior Franchise Business Advisor | FranChoice

She Doesn’t Do Because She Wan

Motivation Build Your E It was an amazing week, hundreds of franchisors competed to get the ticket to present to our team. There were 95 top franchise brands selected for quality, not by lottery. They sent their people, the best in the business on the franchisor side of the fence. They gave stellar presentations updating us on their brands and the segments they operate in. But with all of the mission critical information we gathered, that was not the most impactful part of the visit for me. Let’s talk about Maryann for a moment. You will remember her after today, and she may help change your life. After meeting with almost a hundred franchise brands it was time to head home, so 4 of us jumped in an Uber to get to the airport. After clearing security we decided to grab a bite before hopping on our respective flights. We picked a full service local restaurant that had an outlet there and saw a number of our team and the franchisors had come to the same decision.

“Will you have built an empire that provides some ongoing income while you are in retirement? . . . Or will you be more like Maryann? Working when you don’t want to be?”

Franchising USA

o This nts To:

n to Empire We were seated and waited for a long time, finally one of our group got up to ask the hostess to send someone over. Up shuffled Maryann apologizing for not getting there sooner. Maryann was a very kind older woman, maybe late 60’s or early 70’s. She looked you in the eye. You just knew there was once a young bold and sassy waitress that could run circles around everyone else in the building and crack jokes as she did it. She took a drink order and promised to be back soon for the food orders. Glances were exchanged at our table. Returning with the drinks she moved slow, her hands shook a bit, she shuffled along very intensely focused on what she was carrying. Putting the drinks on the table there was some spillage. But all of that was fine with us, we knew she was doing her best. As she walked away, David summed it up perfectly: “She is not doing this because she wants to...” Just like that David handed all of us possibly one of the most meaningful takeaways from the meetings over the past week. We were here to be reminded of why we do this. We do this to help people find their perfect future, the future they choose, the future they build.

I wonder what would have happened if we could jump back in time. Could we have found her perfect franchise? I like to think we would have taken a real run at it. There are so many stories in franchising of hourly employees finding ways to build empires. Some of the largest franchise ownership groups started just that way. Here is your takeaway: Maryann is here to serve as your motivation over the fear of making a change. Her job was relatively good to her and she could perform it well when she was young. Time takes a toll. No matter how we dream of retirement most employees will have to work into their 70’s to pay the bills. They won’t be enjoying retirement, doing the things they dreamed of and relaxing on a beach somewhere. Most people are working just to cover obligations at that age, living off of their retirement and savings as their costs increase. For years my Father joked about being the old guy in the blue vest handing out the happy face stickers at the front door of Walmart. He was saved from that by cancer. But he and my Mother never lived a single day in the retirement home they bought on a river in FL. Maybe that is why I felt for Maryann. But I digress. Maryann likely gets up early 5+ days per week, commutes to the airport. Walks in from the outlying employee parking areas, clears security to spend her days on her feet. She carries heavy food trays and handfuls of drinks. It is honest work, but not what you want to be doing in your 60’s/70’s. Where will you be at that age? Will you have built an empire that provides some ongoing income while you are in retirement? Will you have sold a business so you could bank cash for retirement? Will you have handed the business you built down to your kids so they can take care of you with the assets you built? Or will you be more like Maryann? Working when you don’t want to be?

George Knauf

“If you stop by a business and see someone that is not working because they want to, you won’t have any trouble finding them. . . . Let them motivate you to be bold.” There are few ways to become secure

working for someone else. Go create your security. Own the asset you build.

And, if you stop by a business and see

someone that is not working because they

want to, you won’t have any trouble finding them. Be kind, be patient, tip well. Let

them motivate you to be bold. Maryann

would appreciate you remembering her and taking care of them.

George Knauf is a highly sought after, trusted advisor to many of the top franchise ownership groups in the world. With over 25 years of experience in both start-up and mature business franchise operations he is uniquely qualified to advise individuals that have dreamed of Building their own empires. Whether you have an existing portfolio or searching for your first franchise, he can help you to pursue your dreams. Contact the Franchising USA Expert, George’s Hotline: 703-424-2980. www.MyPerfectFranchise.com

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ex per t advice

Mac Mischke | Content Specialist | SOCi

The Research That Reveals

The Power

of Localized Social Marketing Localized social marketing (LSM) helps franchise brands boost revenue and earn loyal customers with a powerful, marketable social media presence. However, this new marketing tactic lacks well-known industry leaders, best practices and reliable data. That changes with the newly released 2019 Localized Social Marketing Benchmark Report — a collaborative research project between SOCi and the Local Search Association that shows how localized social marketing affects top franchise brands, provides examples of effective LSM, and establishes benchmarks for successful localized social marketing. The 2019 LSM Benchmark research studied a total of 163 franchise brands (a combination of the top 100 largest brands by Franchising Times and the 100 fastest growing brands based on Entrepreneur’s

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List) and examined over 16,000 individual locations and more than 50,000 local pages. The report then ranked each brand on a 100-point scale based on their performance in three key areas of localized social marketing: local social media presence, customer care including; ratings, reviews and responses for individual business locations, and local community engagement across Google My Business, Facebook and Yelp.

Localized Social Marketing: Some Brands Just Get It After looking at these three areas and setting the benchmark, the results were staggering-- the top 10 brands in localized social marketing are growing at 3x the rate of their category peers based on a 5-year trend of each brand’s revenue growth rate, revealing a strong correlation between localized social marketing and revenue growth. According to the research in the Localized Social Marketing Benchmark Report, the top 10 brands in localized social marketing are: • McAlister’s Deli • Courtyard by Marriott

• Culver’s • Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers • Holiday Inn Express • The Camp Transformation Center • Blaze Pizza • Crunch Franchise • Planet Fitness • The Learning Experience Academy of Early Education Marketers at these brands are setting the standard for LSM, making LSM best practices part of their overall strategy by localizing their social content, responding to reviews immediately, and drawing engagement from local consumers.

Consumer Behavior: Why People Love Localized Social Marketing LSM is an increasingly important marketing tactic in part because of new localized features on major digital platforms created in response to changes in consumer behavior. Based on SOCi research we know that 4 out of 5 consumers turn to local search when they want more information about

consumer preference is a major first step towards developing a localized social marketing strategy. a business such as store hours, directions, the store address or product availability. Further local searches influence purchase decisions; 50 percent of consumers who perform a local search on their smartphone visit a store within 24-hours. When a consumer performs a local search for a business, the results often feature reviews for the individual stores and links to the business’ social media pages. Those ratings and reviews influence local search rankings, and more importantly, are the primary consideration consumers use in determining which business to go to; 71 percent of consumers read reviews before every purchase, increasing to over 80 percent for consumers ages 18-35. The other part of the local search results, the business’ social pages, give the consumer up-to-date information including recent posts, store hours, location information and a place to ask questions and leave comments. Research shows that 75 percent of social brand engagements happen on local pages as opposed to the corporate brand pages. Whether the consumer is finding businesses on Facebook or Google My Business, utilizing these pages and this

The Features That Make Localized Social Marketing Possible Localized social marketing is made possible by the rise in location-based features on digital platforms. What started with GPS enabled smartphones with mobile-search functionality has evolved into an entire localized ecosystem. Local reviews exist because platforms like Google My Business, Facebook and Yelp have provided location-specific pages for individual business locations. Google’s Knowledge Panel — and its features like Google Q&A, Google Posts, and Reviews — make local search more informative for the consumer and Facebook checkins, Recommendations, and hyper-local targeted advertising also contribute to the growing world of LSM. Between the search results page and local social media profiles, consumers can now often bypass a business’ website altogether. The LSM Benchmark Report identifies the industry leaders in localized social marketing and reveals how this strategy addresses the unique needs of franchise brands such as improving organic search rankings for local stores, engaging local

Mac Mischke

consumers, and driving foot traffic to each business location. Local search and location-enabled mobile devices give consumers the power to examine every option in their local market, and multi-location businesses must develop a plan for effective localized social marketing in order to stay competitive. To start, brands can take a lesson from brands already doing this effectively. For more information about these brands and their LSM strategies, please visit http:// lsmbenchmark.com/. Mac Mischke is a Content Specialist at SOCi, where he helps advance the conversation around localized social marketing. www.meetsoci.com

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The public and policymakers need to understand franchising. Our purpose

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

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

Help us keep the momentum going

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

You beneﬁt by joining

By joining @OurFranchise, you’ll get access to exclusive stories and resources that can help grow your franchise business, educate employees at all levels about the franchise business model, and share the economic importance of franchising with consumers. You will also have the opportunity to share your franchise success story with your peers. Visit AtOurFranchise.org Contact Erica Farage, Senior Director of Political Affairs and Grassroots Advocacy and Multi-Unit Franchisee Engagement International Franchise Association efarage@franchise.org (202) 662-0760

Our Franchise

@OurFranchise

This is just the beginning

Make sure you stay up to date with the campaign’s latest efforts through email updates and social media. Visit our website to read and share the latest stories of franchisors and franchisees making an impact in their communities. Become a franchise advocate to help ensure Americans, now and in the future, have the opportunity to start franchise businesses. Take the lead today!

FranchisingFeature children’s products & services

a u g u s t 2019

children’s products & services feature

child-centric brands that don’t play around

swim lessons: they’re not so seasonal

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what’s new!

Destination Athlete® Gives Back to Communities With Annual Complete Athlete® Showcase Awards

Destination Athlete®, a leader in youth sports for more than ten years, has been on a mission to help youth and high school athletes get to their personal destination by providing a onestop resource for all of their team needs. The organization helps build better communities through athletes by providing them with the finest proper apparel and the safest equipment available. They also help teams with fundraising and events in their communities by creating awareness, raising money and bolstering team spirit. However, the story doesn’t end there. In order to tackle a deficit in the youth sports industry, Destination Athlete® created the Complete Athlete®360 platform. This approach takes youth athletic development further by addressing each child on a holistic level in four main areas: leadership, mental, wellness and educational. Programs can be customized to meet individual needs. In addition, athletes can take advantage of the free 360 app, an essential sports science resource library filled with useful articles, videos and insights from industry experts. Destination Athlete®

Winners of the Complete Athlete® Showcase Awards.

also gives back to communities with it’s annual Complete Athlete® Showcase, an awards ceremony that gives scholarships to wellrounded student athletes who display excellence not only in athletics but also academics, leadership and character. www.destinationathlete.com

Children’s Lighthouse Taps Shelly Pair as Director of Operations Fast-Growing Fort Worth-Based Early Learning School Franchise Expands Corporate Team and growing profitability for franchise and childcare brands,” said Michael Brown, president of Children’s Lighthouse Learning CentersSM. “Shelly’s demonstrated expertise in management and operations is exactly what we need as we continue to grow.”

Lighthouse Learning CentersSM, widely recognized as the leading values-based, early learning schools in the United States, announced today the appointment of Shelly Pair as Director of Operations.

Pair’s appointment comes on the heels of monumental growth for the early learning school franchise, which opened its 50th location in Richmond, Texas in February and has 30 schools in development. Notably, the brand recently announced Chrissy Barrow as Curriculum and Training Specialist, a new role at the Children’s Lighthouse corporate office.

Pair brings 26 years of operations, early education and franchise industry leadership experience to the fast-growing early learning school franchise.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of the growing Children’s Lighthouse team. Values-based early education is more in-demand than ever before, and I’m excited to join the industry leader,” said Pair. “I look forward to making an important impact for our franchisees and working with the team to drive continued success in the months and years ahead.”

“Shelly will play a key role for our brand and our franchisees through her proven track record of driving operational efficiencies

For more information on franchising opportunities, visit childrenslighthousefranchise.com

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Abrakadoodle Art Helps Kids Travel the Globe and Reach for the Stars

Left to right: Richard Huffman, Katie and Michael Young

Celebree School Signs First Franchise Agreement With Longtime Early Childhood Educator Celebree School, a leader in early childhood education with 26 company-owned locations in Maryland and Delaware, recently announced the signing of its first franchise agreement.

Actual student artwork courtesy of Abrakadoodle North Texas, 2019

Kids in Abrakadoodle art programs travel on creative journeys that help them see the world in a way that fosters connection.

Franchisees Katie and Michael Young of Joppa, Maryland will own and operate the Celebree School, which is expected to open in the summer of 2020.

This summer Abrakadoodle launched its World Travel 3D Art

Becoming franchisees was a natural next step in the existing relationship the Youngs have with Celebree. Since 2013, Katie Young worked for Celebree School, most recently as director of the Fallston location.

learning about Chinese ceramics, Croatian licitar hearts, and Maori

“As an educator and a mom of two boys, I know firsthand how important it is to set a solid foundation for young children,” said Katie Young, who will serve as director of her new school. “Michael and I are excited to invest in a business with a longstanding and successful track record in early childhood education and I can’t wait to make an impact on lives of the families we will serve in the coming years.” Announced in early 2019, opportunities to open Celebree Schools are available in Maryland, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. “An integral member of our team and valued resource for our families, Katie has a unique vantage point when it comes to our franchising opportunity,” said Richard Huffman, founder and CEO of Celebree. “I am honored she is continuing her path with Celebree School as our first franchisee and look forward to helping the Young family build a successful business.” For more information on franchise opportunities, visit www.celebree.com/franchising

Camp to the delight of kids and parents alike. Kids create 3D masterpieces inspired by world cultures, entailing

design carvings from New Zealand. They learn how Haitian artists turn found materials into artwork. While making peacock art,

children discover the symbolism in Indian culture. Kids connect to their world through creativity.

Connections through art stretch to space, bringing kids together

with stellar discovery. Abrakadoodle’s latest Space Art Adventure STEAM Camp engages kids in learning about the solar system,

meteors, constellations and more. Kids create art that focuses on science, technology, engineering and math concepts, which are

brought together with hands-on art projects. Abrakadoodle helps kids build new skills, confidence and connection with the world around them.

“By introducing multicultural art experiences to children,” remarked Rosemarie Hartnett, Co-found and President of

Abrakadoodle, “we open their minds to appreciate the differences in other cultures while also seeing the similarities. This serves to connect them to the global community in a most positive way.” www.abrakadoodle.com

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what’s new!

Code Wiz Afterschool Learning Center Launches Franchising Opportunity

Code Wiz, the award-winning afterschool learning center designed to inspire the next generation of coding wizards, today announced that it is offering franchising opportunities to entrepreneurs throughout the U.S. “We are thrilled about the prospect of creating family-friendly franchising opportunities,” said Ruth Agbaji, founder and CEO of Code Wiz. “Our proven systems, processes, and curriculum will empower entrepreneurs – whether or not they have programming backgrounds – to launch Code Wiz centers that ignite the imaginations of children and teens.” The company will soon begin offering insightful and entertaining coding classes for adults who want to get in touch with their inner geeks. “Code Wiz enabled me to achieve a work-life balance conducive to raising my young kids,” Agbaji said. “I want to financially empower other people to do the same.” Code Wiz sites are strategically located in suburban areas near retail stores and service providers. “Our locations particularly appeal to parents and caregivers who have to juggle work, errands, and childcare,” said Agbaji, who was named one of ten winners in the global 2019 NextGen in Franchising competition.

Code Wiz kids build video games, design websites, dive into robotics, and master 3D printing in bright, tech-themed learning centers that offer a range of achievements and feature small student-to-staff ratios. “Kids love Code Wiz for a million different reasons,” said Agbaji. “I know that our franchisees will love it, too.” For more information about Code Wiz franchising opportunities, visit https://thecodewiz.com/franchising

KIDS EMPIRE LOOKING FOR FRANCHISEES WHO ENJOY WORKING WITH FAMILIES AND CHILDREN great location at the mall, Kids Empire is the perfect place for parents and children alike. Kids can join in the wall to wall fun of jumping, playing, climbing, or jumping into the ball pit. The Kids Empire concept was developed in Southern California. The idea was to develop a model that was unique, fun and affordable so that families from all neighborhoods and all income levels could come have an amazing time with friends and family. The Kids Empire model offers theme parks for kids and offers great solutions for after-school, weekend, and vacation fun in a safe and colorful environment. The company opened its first location in the United States in Southern California in 2016 and is positioned as the prototype to be used as the basis for the children’s franchise growth. Kids Empire is an indoor park that is an ideal option for parents looking for a secure place where their child can get needed physical activity any day of the year.

The best Kids Empire franchisees will be communicators and enjoy working with families and children. Franchisees should be prepared to follow an execute on a defined franchise model that has been proven and documented to replicate success.

Inclement weather, such as rain or high temperatures, can make it challenging for kids to receive this on a regular basis. With a

For more information on franchising, please visit www.kidsempire.us

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Don’t miss an issue

Expert Advice: Scott Walker | President and CEO | Screenmobile

Get the App FOR GODDARD SYSTEMS, INC.,

THE FRANCHISE’S SUCCESS IS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS For more than 30 years, Goddard Systems, Inc. (GSI), the franchisor of The Goddard School, has been synonymous with high-quality early childhood education. In 2019, Goddard reached a milestone in the brand’s history when the 500th Goddard School opened. Goddard Schools now serve more than 65,000 children across 36 states. By remaining nimble and adapting the business to market and demographic changes to meet the needs of parents and franchisees, GSI is poised to open another 200 Schools over the next ﬁve years. As the leading early childhood education franchise system, The Goddard School maintains strong growth year-over-year. In the past ﬁve years, the average mature school EBITDA has grown more than 36 percent to $373,321. Mature Schools, which have been in operation for more than 18 months, have grown in monthly revenue year-over-year consecutively for the past 109 months, which is more than nine years of sustained prosperity. GSI believes the secret to the brand’s success lies in the strength of its relationships.

COV ER STO RY

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Developer Relationships The Goddard School brand has experienced consistent growth in predominately suburban areas, but as GSI plans for the next 200 Schools, it will also create opportunities in underserved markets by using several new strategies, including a location-first location model that helps GSI identify high-potential real estate sites before it awards a license to a franchisee. Additionally, GSI is helping franchisees source locations in cities, mixed-use retail spaces and corporate campuses, where millennial parents are increasingly opting to live, work and raise their children. Goddard Schools have recently opened at the District Wharf in Washington, D.C., and in Nationwide’s corporate headquarters at Grandview Yard in Columbus, OH. The location-first development model is the result of decades-long relationships GSI built with top developers and real estate professionals across the U.S. These key relationships enable GSI and prospective franchisees to select prime real estate opportunities in affluent suburbs and

VOL 07, ISSUE 10, AUG 2019

“At the end of the day, The Goddard School has been in the business for a very long time and has developed over the years a recipe for success.” - Don O’Brian

FOR GODDARD SYSTEMS, INC.,

Lender Relationships

with some of the leading SBA lenders, who are already familiar with the franchise’s unique model and lending needs. By building these relationships, The Goddard THE SUCCESS School system hasFRANCHISE’S become an approved franchise many national and IS concept ALL for ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS local lenders, which may lead to more competitive terms and a more streamlined process for franchisees. FRANdata, a franchise market research and consulting ﬁrm specializing in performance analysis and benchmarking, determined that Goddard School franchisees’ SBA loans, that were analyzed over a 15-year period, have an extremely low failure rate of only 2.79%.

The strongest and most important relationships in the system are the relationships between GSI and its SPECIAL passionate network of franchisees. The

highly trafﬁcked metro centers to meet the lifestyle demands of modern families. The strength of GSI’s developer relationships helped Jodi & Bill Straub, the franchisees of the 500th Goddard School in Bala Cynwyd, PA, to locate, secure and renovate a former schoolhouse in a population dense community with a high demand for childcare. The Straubs relied on GSI’s relationships with developers to help them capitalize on this secondgeneration property and gain access to a previously unserved market with a high demand.

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MOTIVATION TO BUILD YOUR EMPIRE

Franchisee Relationships

FEATURE

CHILDREN’S PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Franchising USA

LATEST NEWS

FINANCIAL ADVICE FROM THE BANKS

TOP LAWYERS’ ADVICE

www.franchisingusamagazine.com Franchising USA Franchising USA

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

CHILDREN’S PRODUCTS and SERVICES feature The best part about franchising is the wide variety of options. Whatever your passion, interest, strength or experience, there are so many opportunities for success. One of the most rewarding franchises is focused on children’s products and services. Having the main client be kids and working towards making their lives better, as well as bringing a smile to their face can be extremely rewarding. Though it’s an enjoyable experience, it’s also successful and profitable, especially

when franchised. The global toy industry in itself is a billion dollar market and the estimated market revenue for baby care product is estimated to be over $11 billion by 2025. (source).

communicate on a larger spectrum has shared numerous ideas for kids, as well as the many needs parents and children have.

Services and products targeting children have multiplied in the last decade or so. Social media platforms and the ability to

Before even having a child, the franchising market has dominated the pregnancy niche. Women need clothing, care products, health products and more while carrying their child. Many supports are necessary for mothers-to-be and this has become a business opportunity.

Pregnancy

A new competitor of the maternity products is the home business. A lot of women are choosing to buy used products for the short term months of their pregnancy. Social media has allowed women to share their experiences and needs with one another, and help access the products and services they need. An environmentally safe franchise that specializes in consignment could help get a leg up on the competition but realistically the home business is a small niche to consider when running a large franchise. A franchisee is backed by marketing, support

Franchising USA

“The global toy industry in itself is a billion dollar market and the estimated market revenue for baby care product is estimated to be over $11 billion by 2025.”

and big name brands. Though a few items are trading and handmade for pregnant moms, parents still want a safe and secure product in their time of need.

Baby Products and Services There are so many products needed to raise a baby nowadays - more than the standard crib, stroller and carseat, safety products make it mandatory for parents to invest and supply the proper products to their babies. Baby product focused stores can also serve as a multiple use business, including kids toys and products as well as maternity products. A great source of profit is the registry and the high end products in which parents invest. There are strollers, cribs and rockers that are extremely expensive and it’s their price tag that makes them more desirable. A baby sometimes gives parents more spending power, gaining money from supportive friends and family to get their homes ready for the precious bundle of joy. The list is never ending: bottles, bottle cleaners, soothers, chairs, bibs, bowls, spoons, thermometer - the shelves will be filled with endless options and always have a new clientele. The franchising option may have a higher investment cost, but it guarantees business because it’s a name that parents can trust and they want what is best for their babies. They need security that all products are safe and they need expertise and guidance on how to chose the products best suited for their baby. It also ensures that your

“Before even having a child, the franchising market has dominated the pregnancy niche. Women need clothing, care products, health products and more while carrying their child.” business carries the latest trends and name brands familiar to shoppers. A business with a lot of products would be a great success, covering more demands and customer needs allows for more money to be brought in. That being said, a franchisee may be interested in running a small more personable business. Researching and reviewing expectations - including types of products and services offered, as well as employees needed to run the business, would help determine how large of a responsibility would be expected.

Recreational Fun spots for kids used to be reserved to giant theme parks scattered throughout America but franchises have responded in a smaller more accessible way. Recognizing that kids need fun and active interaction, there are plenty of recreational

franchises built just for children. From arcade spots, to sports specific venues, trampoline parks and high tech bowling alleys and laser tag, parents have plenty of options for a day of entertainment, food, games and fun. The recreational franchise can also appeal to one’s personal passion. Those interested in sports, could easily find a franchise that specializes in teaching kids, or invites children from the community to participate in a specific sport. Those more interested in high pace entertainment could invest in an arcade with a variety of games. There is no experience required, but an understanding that the recreational facility could run at different hours than most businesses and have high traffic rates dependent on the time of year. A franchisor will be of support to help guide investors in the expectations and requirements, an

Franchising USA

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“From arcade spots, to sports specific venues, trampoline parks and high tech bowling alleys and laser tag, parents have plenty of options for a day of entertainment, food, games and fun.”

understanding of the franchisee’s role in a bigger operation would be vital before moving forward. The children’s franchise opportunity doesn’t end there, it only hits the cusp of all things kids. There are numerous educational facilities and caregiving options, arts and community centres, technology and gaming mobile franchises as well as retail and clothing options. A lot of venues profit off birthday parties and group get togethers as well as Spring Breaks and vacation times. Considering a vast difference within the quiet and busy breaks is important to address before

making an investment and inquire from the franchisor how they cope with the different time periods and if there is a plan of action. Taking a look at how the business addresses those ebbs and flows will help give you confidence in the franchisor and the future of your success. Those interested in working with a children’s franchise do not necessarily need any experience, but should truly enjoy working with kids and have a passion for child-friendly products and services. Take the time to survey the needs of the community as well as the many choices in franchises before making the step forward.

“There are numerous educational facilities and caregiving options, arts and community centres, technology and gaming mobile franchises as well as retail and clothing options.”

Franchising USA

Narrow down top picks and connect with the franchisors directly, as well as local business owners about expectations. Though a franchisee may not work directly with the kids, it’s important that they could offer professional and caring services with the customer if needed. In 2018, over 22% of Americans were under the age of 18, which is a huge source of clientele and they have buying power through their parents who have to provide for them. Besides necessities, including childcare, parents are willing to invest in their kids and provide them the best life that they can. As a franchisee you can be a part of that investment and watch your profits grow. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: After receiving an English Degree, followed by a Journalism Diploma, Gina Gill became a freelance journalist in 2008. She has worked as a reporter and in communications, focusing on social media. She currently works as a community information officer with Epilepsy Society, while pursuing her writing career at the same time.

NOBODY GETS TO THE TOP BY ACCIDENT!

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Expert Advice: Greg Longe | CEO | British Swim School

Swim Lessons:

They’re Not So Seasonal It’s a common misconception that swim lessons are just a seasonal business, rising in the summer, and falling in the winter. Many simply believe that when the days are hot and best spent by the water, swim lessons are in their prime. But why would swim lessons, a valuable life skill, have a right or wrong season? Here’s why swim lessons are actually a year-round means for survival, and why the myth must be put to rest.

The Deceit of Seasonality To be fair, swim schools with pools that function strictly outdoors are more affected by seasonality. In Florida, summer is said to be the low season for outdoor pool lessons. It’s hot and humid, plus it’s rainy season, so the threat of thunderstorms are constant. Alternatively, as the weather

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cools down to a nice temperature in Florida, it’s already becoming impossible for outdoor pool activities up North - where temperatures can be close to or below freezing. From a business perspective, an outdoor pool-dependent swim school is a challenge. It’s hard to see skills progress because weather may cause kids to drop out, and revenue is inconsistent. For that reason, most swim schools have chosen to build their businesses around indoor, heated pools. Not being affected by weather, swim schools have the ability to conduct year-round lessons. Revenue does spike in May and June, as children are getting out of school, consistent with many other businesses that leverage their free time, but things don’t go dark when the school bell draws them back.

Not Just the Parents Parents aren’t the only ones with this misconceived notion - franchisees can be impacted, too. It can be dangerous for franchisees to fall into the trap that swim lessons are strictly a summertime activity. Because of this, it’s important that any

diminishing results that they may be seeing aren’t unknowingly blamed on seasonality. Franchisors initiate better results by helping their franchisees properly promote the right message at the right time. This is furthered as franchisees leverage opportunities not just during summer but throughout the school year, educating students on water safety through classroom visits, events, and sponsorships.

Breaking Beliefs Although indoor pools should cover all seasons, the biggest challenge is changing long time beliefs. Many parents believe that swimming during the winter is dangerous, or that moving from warm water to cold weather can make a child sick. Others believe the opposite: that temperature changes may help improve blood flow, speed up muscle recovery damage, and strengthen the immune system. The fact remains that children are not more likely to catch a cold from swimming during the winter. Viruses cause colds - not exposure to sudden changes in temperature.

Greg Longe

“The best way to combat the misconception of swim lessons being seasonal is to educate everyone on the importance of year-round swimming safety.” goals they want their children to achieve. Water safety is one goal, and parents are constantly reminded of that by all involved in handling their children. We focus on understanding how close or far the children are from being safe, by tracking the child’s progress directly and marking their caps. This also clarifies what skills the children have already attained, and those that need to be developed. Season has no part in the safety formula. Additionally, many forget that people often travel to warmer places in the winter time. It’s during these beach vacations that water safety is crucial to having a safe time spent away. With that in mind, the best way to combat the misconception of swim lessons being seasonal is to educate everyone on the importance of year-round swimming safety.

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children under 5 and it’s 100% preventable In a country with approximately 10.4 million residential pools, 7.3 million hot tubs, 125 thousand lakes, and 3,500,00 miles of rivers, there is no season for

drowning. Every body of water presents a potential threat. Although children are the most vulnerable for drowning, the Red Cross states that more than half of all Americans (54%) either can’t swim or don’t have the basic water survival skills. The fallacy that swimming skills are merely a fun activity must be corrected. People must recognize that these skills are critical for survival. At British Swim School, we’ve chosen to interrupt the seasonality discussion, with our own approach. We believe in educating parents and helping them set the expected goals for their children before Day 1. When enrolling, parents are asked what

Overall, the more that swimming is understood as a life skill, the less that seasonality is even considered. It comes down to cultivating the right mindset for both customers and franchise owners, and ensuring that every person, regardless of age, ability, or season has the opportunity to be water-safe. Greg Longe is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of British Swim School, a franchise company with almost 40 years of experience teaching water survival skills to children and adults in over 20 states across the county plus Canada. A long-time franchise professional, Longe joined British Swim School in April 2019, excited to support the brand mission of “survival of the littlest.” britishswimschool.com

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Expert Advice: Christopher Conner | President of Franchise Marketing Systems

Child-Centric Brands That Do Play Around Investing in a business is no laughing matter and could many times be the single biggest decision of any one person’s life. When an entrepreneur or franchise investor choose to pursue a particular brand, we must think futuristically within that segment to determine whether or not the concept will have stable market applicability. Franchising is already a wonderful opportunity to start a business venture, but the determination process on whether or not that path is the correct fit takes a lot of thought. Child-centric brands within the franchising realm have proven fruitful time and time again. This may be why we are seeing new ones make their way onto the playing field. Franchise Marketing Systems has supported brands like Nexplore USA, Kids Kab, Young Engineers, and Wiz Kid Coding that cover a gamut of child-focused business ideas that have flourished in a short time due to the demand; after all, the child consumer is in a constant state of replenishment. FMS has supported such businesses through development of operating documentation, organization of the franchise offering, and development of a franchise system.

Franchising USA

Society has grown wise enough to see the value in investing in tomorrow’s generation and we are seeing the franchise trends to prove it. The kids’ industry is stable for a multitude of reasons and in a variety of ways. According to Census.gov there is one birth every eight seconds. The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statisticstells us that in 2017 there were 73.7 million U.S. children, and that number is projected to rise to 76.3 million by 2030. Educational, extracurricular, and practical concepts for serving this massive market are giving parents and caregivers everywhere a way to navigate their child’s necessities within a parental journey that has no roadmap. Kids Kab is one of these brands that has served a very practical need for caregivers by lifting the weight of transportation from a parent’s ever-growing list of things to do. A child’s safety and well-being is each parents’ number one concern. With this priority in mind, Kids Kab has carved space in the transportation segment of this industry as a unique answer to this daily issue. The educational market is growing. Reports released by the U.S. Census Bureau show that children who are involved in lessons, sports, and extracurricular activities are more likely to be highly engaged in their academic experience. Reports such as this are driving a demand for more educational programs. Nexplore USA offers such

enrichment programs that expertly enhance a child’s academic career through tailored and carefully crafted programs that nurture the child as a whole. This brand covers finances and robocoding. Coding is the way of the future and several businesses are jumping on board to prepare next generations accordingly, equipping them with the skills needed for such a technology-driven trajectory. We are seeing a plethora of coding events, coding classes within the public school systems, and businesses that offer coding after school hours. More studies are being done that show that learning styles vary from child to child, and, no matter that style, children learn best while having fun. One brand that seems to have grasped this concept with resounding efficiency is Wiz Kid Coding. They have developed a curriculum that is flexible and adaptive to a child’s individual needs, producing an effective and efficient learning session while a child learns to code. This adaptability has proven attractive to parents, educators, and organizations who value inclusiveness for their students. Another brand, Young Engineers, also focuses on the technology side of things, with an innovative concept that utilizes bricks and teaches children engineering techniques, even before they are able to read.

on’t Child-centric concepts provide a stable venture within kid-focused industries. We are seeing a trend that is here to stay within the franchise marketplace. Franchise Marketing Systems works with a wide range of children’s oriented franchise models and has experience with some great franchise brands in the market. For more information on children’s franchises, please feel free to connect with the Franchise Marketing Systems team. Christopher Conner is the President of Franchise Marketing Systems and has spent the last decade in the franchise industry working with several hundred different franchise systems in management, franchise sales and franchise development work. 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. For more information on how to choose the right food service franchise, contact Chris Conner at Chris.Conner@ FMSFranchise.com. www.fmsfranchise.com

Franchising USA

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FOCUS: SCHOOL OF ROCK

BACKSTAGE

WITH SCHOOL OF ROCK CEO Rob Price

Two years ago I became CEO of School of Rock. This was a dream position for me—as an avid musician myself, it was a calling to further the brand’s important mission to build a growing, passionate community dedicated to enriching lives through music education.

Franchising USA

“Across the board, I witnessed how School of Rock has the power to enrich lives in so many ways with students, instructors and franchisees all getting to experience the joy of music.” In my first year on the job I made it my

charge to visit as many franchise locations

as possible to see the business up close and in person. Across the board, I witnessed how School of Rock has the power to

enrich lives in so many ways with students, instructors and franchisees all getting to experience the joy of music. Here’s what makes School of Rock “rock.”

We are more than musicians First and most importantly we are educators. Not only are we the largest music education franchise in the world, but our concept is more effective than traditional music programs. We combine private lessons powered by proprietary curriculum with weekly ensemble practices. Students learn theory, practice, and life skills through intense, but fun

preparation for big shows in real venues. The group learning teaches both technical and soft skills, and in return, this approach increases retention and results. If you walk into a School of Rock, you’ll see children of all ages — from preschoolers to teenagers and even adults — practicing music like Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In The Wall”, AC/DC’s “Back in Black” or KISS’ “Rock and Roll All Nite”. These are part of a number of songs that make up the curricula, and provide a shared language that is ideal for music education. And when you think about the relatively straightforward rhythms and melodies, you can see how it makes sense to introduce kids to music education through classic rock.

Our students get real experience Our performance-based approach is truly what sets us apart. The Performance Music Program gives students the opportunity to perform in real shows at local rock

“While our students initially come to School of Rock to learn how to play music, they stay at School of Rock because they find a home.” venues. While jamming on stage with their classmates, your child or teen will learn important life skills focused on responsibility and teamwork. Our 35,000 students play over 4,000 shows around the world, at fundraisers, clubs, restaurants and concert venues, which allows others to share in this joy. Students have played on the stages of some of the biggest music festivals around the world including Summerfest, Bonaroo Music & Arts Festival, Lollapalooza and more.

School of Rock feels like home And while our students initially come to School of Rock to learn how to play music, they stay at School of Rock because they find a home. School of Rock offers kids a safe place to learn, build confidence,

develop friendships with other kids who are into music and carve out a niche for

themselves in a world where they might

never have felt a sense of belonging before. Today School of Rock is “jamming” more than ever. Our growing franchise network currently consists of 280 locations open or in development across nine countries

worldwide. And, since 2009 our student

count has grown from 4,000 to over 35,000 and we are just getting started with several exciting developments in the pipeline.

Interested in becoming a “band leader” for School of Rock in your community? Contact Anthony Padulo at 844.614.1150 for more on our franchise opportunities. franchising.schoolofrock.com

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Expert Advice: Anne Huntington | Vice President of Business Development | Huntington Learning Center

How Franchisors Can Keep Franchise Partners Engaged and On Track

Franchising can be a highly effective way to scale your business, though like any major operational decision, it’s a strategy that must be executed thoughtfully and intentionally. There are several key ingredients that must be there in order to position yourself to be a successful franchisor - a solid business model and strong unit economics, clearly defined systems and procedures, and, perhaps most important, a motivated and engaged team. Being purposeful in expansion and developing and maintaining a strong franchisee-franchisor relationship is absolutely critical to successful longterm growth. Here are some best practices for keeping franchisees on track - whether your business has one hundred locations or one thousand.

Franchising USA

“Being purposeful in expansion and developing and maintaining a strong franchisee-franchisor relationship is absolutely critical to successful long-term growth.”

Make Face-to-Face Conversations a Priority This may seem like an impossible task (especially as your franchise numbers begin to scale), but building one-to-one relationships with your franchisees is absolutely critical to creating a system that works. I make it a point to travel to our different regions throughout the year and meet with our franchisees in person. Together, we talk through their progress and roadblocks, suggestions that we have for them and vice versa, and outline our system goals and strategies so that we are aligned in terms of the overall strategic initiatives we are working towards. While traveling may not be an option for you, building time into your calendar for video conferences or phone calls with your franchisees will be time well-spent. Some of the best ideas we roll out nationwide, come from these types of conversations!

Work with Franchisees to Develop Goals and a Plan of Action for Achieving Them Although many franchisees do come to the table with business experience, it can often be difficult for a business owner to set benchmarks and goals for their operation without context or clear expectations. There’s the franchise slogan that “you’re in business for yourself, not by yourself”, which is why entrepreneurs are interested in franchising - they can become a small business owner with the backing of a system. It’s the years of experience and processes that the franchisor can leverage to help the individual owner set themselves up for success. As a franchisor, we have a strong system with specific departments and teams that focus on particular goals to help the individual franchisees achieve their goals. Each team member focuses on their key areas of expertise to help the franchisee success. At the franchisor

“Ask your franchisees to share what they’re most proud of on a regular basis and share those insights with the rest of the system. It’ll go a long way!” level, the corporate level, our goal is to protect and grow the system. Therefore, the franchisor team is a collaborative team where we work together to continue our mission and expand our system. The franchisor team needs to help their franchisees follow the system through operational, marketing, and all the areas of support that help the franchisee achieve his or her goals.

Create a Communication Loop For a franchisee, the corporate structure can sometimes feel distant and siloed - but it shouldn’t. Franchisees represent the brand at their local levels. The franchisees are fulfilling the mission across the country and working directly with the customers. Therefore, it is critical that the franchisees know who to go to at the franchisor level for support. Make sure that your franchisees understand the communication structure at all levels and that the franchisee is in contact on a regular basis with a dedicated team member to answer questions and address obstacles. There are different platforms and internal communication plans that can help; help desk system can work, feedback can be beneficial and dedicated email addresses can be positively adopted to streamline communication. Communication and collaboration are key.

Share Individual Franchise Successes with the Broader Franchise System Bringing positive attention to successes at the franchisee level is beneficial in so many ways. Not only is it a great morale booster and a way to show your franchisees that you’re paying attention, but it’s also a great way to share best practices that can be applied to other franchise locations. Ask your franchisees to share what they’re most proud of on a regular basis and share those insights with the rest of the system. It’ll go a long way! We have a monthly internal newsletter that shares good news in

addition to system and department updates, we share positive stories via email through dedicated channels regularly. Anne Huntington is Vice President of Business Development for Huntington Learning Center, as well as a member of Huntington’s Board of Directors and Advertising Fund Board. In these capacities, Anne develops and executes programs, partnerships and initiatives that help the company achieve its longstanding goal of giving every student the best education possible. Prior to this position, Anne served as Head of PublicPrivate Partnerships and Director within the family business. www.huntingtonfranchise.com

Anne Huntington

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Expert Advice: Neal Courtney | CEO and franchisor | Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids

Setting Up a

Multi-Unit Opportunity While signing any development deal is an exciting step in launching your franchise opportunity, a key to rapid growth is signing multiunit deals. It is valuable to have a variety of deal sizes, ranging from one to 10 or more locations, but having a majority of multi-unit deals fall into the 3-10 location range can help propel your brand to new heights faster than you imagined. For Cookie Cutters, our secret ingredient to success has been the amount of multiunit development deals we sign. Typically, we do not sign deals that are less than three units. Due to this business practice, we’re now the largest children’s hair salon in the competitive space. When deciding to offer a multi-unit franchise opportunity there are a few

“Multi-unit franchise deals and area developers are key to a franchise’s success and rapid growth.” Franchising USA

things to consider. While it can be the key to success and rapid growth, it can also be part of your failure if you do not prepare accordingly.

Finding the Right Partners As with anything in franchising, finding the right franchise partners is crucial. For multi-unit deals especially, you have to ensure that the franchisees will uphold their entire agreement and truly become brand advocates utilizing their large foot print. I advise you to find franchise partners who are financially ready and perhaps have business experience, whether in franchising or otherwise. These will be your best partners for those large multiunit deals. As a caveat, it is important to source franchise partners who are passionate about the brand, especially for smaller multi-unit deals. We sign many 3-unit deals with new entrepreneurs, families and couples just looking for a new opportunity. They become our best multi-unit franchisees because they are eager, handson and truly depend on their own success.

Multi-Unit vs. Area Developer My wife and I started out as multi-unit franchisees with Cookie Cutters, before becoming area developers and eventually

purchasing the franchise from the founders and becoming the CEO and COO. The distinction between multi-unit franchisees and area developers is often murky and that’s because it depends on the specific contract. Multi-unit franchisees have signed on to open several units, but may not have a specific territory. Area developers have signed on for a territory but may not open units directly. Multi-unit franchisees are hands-on, building the business on the ground. Area developers can serve as an extension of your development team. They are looking for franchisees in their territory to develop it and open units. With area developers you essentially pass on the franchise development responsibilities to them, trusting that they will open the expected units either personally or through franchise sourcing. To determine if you will offer both development deals or one or the other, look at your expansion targets and progress. Could you benefit from an area developer joining the team? Area developers are often local to that particular territory and can help if you are entering a new market. Do you already have a strong presence in a market but want to add a few more stores? A multi-unit franchisee who is looking for a new opportunity can be the perfect

“Often a local, experienced and financially-able franchisee will make a strong area developer candidate, while a newer entrepreneur is best suited for multi-unit franchising at the beginning.” partner to complete a market. This is also where the right franchise partner fits in. Often a local, experienced and financially-able franchisee will make a strong area developer candidate, while a newer entrepreneur is best suited for multiunit franchising at the beginning.

Incentives Investing in a franchise is a large commitment on its own, but investing in three, five or 10 stores is daunting, and often, unmanageable. If you are set on offering multi-unit or area developer deals, you should offer a few incentives to better position the opportunity to a prospect. There are several ways to offer incentives, which should be determined based on the development deal you are offering. For starters, it is common for franchisors to lower franchise fees based on the number of units a prospect is signing for. For example, 10 percent off three-unit deals, 25 percent off five-unit deals, etc. You may

also consider slashing ad funds or royalties for some time if a franchisee opens five units within a certain time frame, for example. For area developers, profit sharing or commissions often serve as an incentive. Remember, an area developer is essentially an extension of your development and sales team. You want to incentivize them to go out and develop their territory, signing more deals in the process. While it is difficult to stomach a few concessions, especially as a start-up, offering incentives for multi-unit territories is beneficial in the long run.

Progress Checks Once you have everything set, it is important to check in on your multiunit franchisees and area developers to ensure they are hitting their targets in a timely fashion. You may need to adjust development agreements as time goes on or push a little in certain areas. The follow

Neal Courtney

through and progress updates after a deal is signed cannot be overlooked. Multi-unit franchise deals and area developers are key to a franchise’s success and rapid growth. Yet, with great upside, comes risk. Proceed cautiously and strategically and you will be on your way to becoming the next big thing. Neal Courtney is the CEO and franchisor of Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids, along with his partner Alexis Courtney, COO. The duo acquired the brand in 2014 after serving as multi-unit franchisees for 10 years. www.kidscuts.com

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ex per t advice

David Banfield, President, The Interface Financial Group

Character Flaws = An Asset Entrepreneurs: Are they made or born, and do they make great franchisees?

A quick answer to the question might be a positive maybe – naturally much depends on how one defines a true entrepreneur.

The traditional silhouette of an intrepid

business owner is one who takes sizable

risks, is an inventor, an investor, a rebel and a lone fish or shark determined to do things differently. You only have to think of individuals such as Jobs, Zuckerberg and Branson to quickly see how the description fits. Reality, however, sets in when you apply such skills in the franchise world – a world that enables thousands of entrepreneurs to flourish every year - somehow franchise requirements and the skill set do not blend well. Franchisees exhibiting such backgrounds might well be doomed to failure. A good solid successful franchisee, therefore, may not be somebody that we would consider a traditional entrepreneur. Franchisees need to find and refine the characteristics that are often seen as flaws in the ‘regular’ business world. We think the following, often-unrecorded traits (not flaws) are what make a great franchisee.

1. Be a strong second fiddle While leadership qualities are admirable and desirable, the key to being a franchisee is the ability to work alongside the franchisor. In such instances, the headstrong leadership style of a traditional entrepreneur is a serious drawback. If you often find yourself thriving in support roles as a key member of the team, you should readily flourish as a franchisee. It’s time to see being a second fiddle as a strength.

“To succeed as a franchisee, you need to shake off typical entrepreneurial behaviour. Going it alone is not a requirement.” Franchising USA

“At the heart of every franchise you will find a sense of family. Connecting, supporting and helping the flock to fly right are driving forces for any franchisor.”

David Banfield

2. Be a sheep – not a lone wolf At the heart of every franchise you will find a sense of family. Connecting, supporting and helping the flock to fly right are driving forces for any franchisor. To succeed as a franchisee, you need to shake off typical entrepreneurial behaviour. Going it alone is not a requirement. If you find yourself reluctant to branch out or feel fear at the thought of going it alone, joining a franchise could be the appropriate solution. Franchisees invariably thrive on connection and community.

3. The Risk Averse Risk is a very personal matter – what one person considers reckless, another might deem mild and normal. Entrepreneurs are often characterized as individuals who ‘must take risks’ and quite often large ones. Starting any business is a gamble, and failure is sometimes an option – starting a franchise, however, should not fall into that same risk-failure space. Even if you see yourself as a risk taker, you might find that a franchisor does not want you in their flock. Franchise systems have evolved over

“If you find yourself reluctant to branch out or feel fear at the thought of going it alone, joining a franchise could be the appropriate solution. Franchisees invariably thrive on connection and community.” many years, and the system has taken the risk and created the blueprint for success. There is no need to take risk, so being averse to it works in your favour as a franchisee.

4. Don’t reinvent the wheel Generally speaking, a franchise blueprint is bulletproof. All franchisors listen and support their franchisees with a roadmap to success that has been thoroughly tried and tested. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Franchisors prefer to look for individuals who can commit to following the proven path to success. Reinventing the wheel is a typical entrepreneur trait and, as we have stated, does not work well in the franchise environment.

5. Follow the rules

There is a presumption that entrepreneurs break the rules and intentionally do things differently and disruptively. While no franchise is a totally closed box (franchises are well known for the flexibility they offer), a franchisor will take kindly to

someone who knows how to follow the rules – remember it is a tried and proven system.

To manage the franchise effectively, franchisees will invariably be required to use the system in an identical manner – again we come back to the tried and tested approach. If you are adept at following a process, then you should succeed as a franchisee.

While these five traits could be considered as flaws for a true entrepreneur, they are certainly a serious asset when it comes to being an entrepreneur in a franchise environment. Sometimes what we interpret as negative issues are really a driving force for success. David Banfield is the President of The Interface Financial Group, a position that he has held for over 20 years. He has been instrumental in starting Interface as a franchise opportunity and building it to its current international status. Prior to his involvement with Interface, he worked extensively in the banking, credit and factoring financial service areas. www.interfacefinancial.com/franchise

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FOCUS

Tuffy Tire and Auto Service Center

Fargo Auto Franchisee Puts His Own Unique Stamp On the System The Tuffy Tire and Auto Service Center in North Dakota is poised to have a big year and it’s all because the visionary franchisee didn’t just follow the system, he actually improved it. Kim Kappes opened his Tuffy franchise location in April of 2000. While the franchise gives him all the training and support, he needed to be successful, Kappes has implemented his own customer service process. “I put together a 14-point process that my guys follow,” he said

Franchising USA

“If you cut me, I pretty much bleed black and yellow because those are our colors. I’m a true believer in the system.” - Kim Kappas during a recent interview. “They’re our

commandments that we follow every day

for every customer.” They have proven so successful that he even shares them with

other Tuffy franchisees to help them grow their businesses.

But even though he has his own customer service process, Kappes wholeheartedly buys into the Tuffy system. “If you cut

me, I pretty much bleed black and yellow

because those are our colors,” he said. “I’m a true believer in the system.”

What almost wasn’t While his five-bay shop is poised to do $1.7 million in sales this year, Kappes almost missed out on being North Dakota’s only Tuffy location. Back in 1999, the company already had a location picked out and had a big sign in the window advertising for a franchisee. “So, I called them,” Kappes recalled He was initially told that he met all the qualifications, but after a couple of weeks of not hearing anything, he called

recalled that they even showed him how to perform a brake job, although he also noted that it is not necessary to have any mechanical training to run a Tuffy outlet. In additional Tuffy also provides Kappes with what is essentially on-demand training. The Tuffy District Manager trains my salespeople and the service writers when necessary and if additional training is required for the technicians, that can easily be arranged. Kappes is on the Tuffy Franchise Advisory Council, a franchisee committee that is made up of Tuffy owners from each district in the country who meet quarterly at the company’s headquarters in Toledo to discuss best practices and what the future holds for the franchise. “I tend to stay up to date on what’s new and what’s coming,” he noted.

“Volume cures a lot of problems. The last three years have been really good, really good.” - Kim Kappas

Tuffy again to check in. That’s when they told him they had picked a different franchisee for Fargo. Initially angry about missing out on the opportunity, he let the Tuffy representative know about his disappointment. “I kind of let him have it,” Kappes related. A couple of weeks after that, though, he received a phone call saying the first Tuffy franchisee didn’t work out and they’d like to talk with him if he was still interested. “So, my wife and I jumped in a car and drove to Toledo,” he noted. His background is in sales and marketing, Kappes noted. With a degree in sales and marketing, he previously sold office furniture, then groceries as a food broker and was a supervisor for a chain of convenience stores in Fargo. Since he was a young man in his 20s, the thought of running his own business always interested him. A lack of capital and opportunity coupled with having a young family put his entrepreneurial aspirations on hold until he had saved

enough money to invest in a business and saw that sign in the window. Coming from a large family without much money, Kappes knew how to work hard, which served him well during the first years of the business. For the first five or six years, he worked essentially every hour the shop was open. Once he became more successful, he was able to hire and retain good people and alleviate some of his workload by hiring a manager to take over some of the work from him. Kappes noted that anyone looking to open a Tuffy will have a similar experience. “You’re going to be here from seven in the morning until seven at night and then you’re going to do the books and then you’re going to go home and eat and go to bed,” he outlined. “For a lot of years it’s hard work.”

Tuffy Training In Toledo, Ohio, he initially received four weeks of intensive training about managing and operating a Tuffy franchise. Kappes

In addition to all the training, Kappes still learns a lot through on the job experience, too. Every single year he had been in business up until 2014, the shop had gone up in sales. However, in 2014, sales became stagnant and stayed that way in 2015. He was ready to make a move, so he hired an additional service writer and his sales didn’t just start growing again, they went “through the roof.” Once he had his new service writer on board, he realized the reason sales had stagnated was because he and his original service writer just weren’t keeping up with demand. When he hired the extra service writer, they were then able to meet the full demand. “Volume cures a lot of problems,” he noted. “The last three years have been really good, really good.” Kappes said he sets his goals to be “almost unattainable,” but has so far reached all of them. When the shop makes its goals, Kappes noted, everyone is fired up about it. With Tuffy’s system in place and his own 14-point customer service process, Kappes will likely keep reaching his goals well into the future. tuffyfranchising.com

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PRO FI L E

Enviro-Master

A Second Chance

for Success

You can’t have a successful business without relationships. And sometimes the most profitable ties are measured in more than just money, like the unusual relationship between a high-powered CEO and a former inmate from Chicago. Brandon Laster will be the first to tell you he made some mistakes. The Chicago man was released from federal prison in May of 2018. Days after his release, he started a job, and just a year into the job, he’s going from employee to part-owner of a $1.8 million franchise that services 600 customers a week. Brandon credits his turnaround and his success to his mentor, Pat Swisher — founder and CEO of Enviro-Master, a commercial restroom hygiene company with a unique focus on public health. “He changed my life,” says Brandon. “I owe my success to Pat Swisher.”

Prison Pen-Pals In 2002, Pat Swisher, then-CEO of Swisher Hygiene, spent 18 months in federal prison and was deeply changed by the experience. He realized that his fellow inmates were more than their rap sheet and decided to apply the same thought to anyone he would

Franchising USA

““To be able to come out of prison, to get involved with such a great company, and to go from being an employee to ownership; it’s just a dream come true. I’m grateful that I can be a story to inspire others.” - Brandon Laster meet moving forward — especially in business.

who has integrity and who leaves a positive mark on society.”

“Going to prison is a very humbling experience,” says Swisher. “Once you get out, the deck is stacked against you. But the people that have become my franchisees, they obviously trust me. That means a lot to me. I will do anything to help them, in any way I can.”

The letter was just one of about 50 pieces of correspondence Brandon sent to CEOs of major companies around the country. He received more than 30 responses and job offers from companies such as Nike, Walgreens, and U.S. Foods.

Collectively, Enviro-Master franchisees service approximately 30,000 businesses each week, generating $60 million in annualized revenue. Franchises like Enviro-Master give their owners the best chances for a profitable career in an industry with limited competition, recession, and technology threats. For Pat Swisher, instead of considering how potential franchisees measured up only on paper, he now looked at how they measured up as people, and had grown from past mistakes, in life and in business. That’s what Swisher discovered when he received a handwritten letter from a federal inmate, Brandon Laster. “Getting to know Brandon through his letters, I felt like he had really changed,” says Swisher. “I was honest,” says Brandon. “I told him I was in prison and that I made some mistakes. I told him I want to be somebody

Though he was thankful for the offers, the jobs were mostly for janitorial, warehouse staff, and other minimum wage roles with little hope for advancement. Brandon knew he had to be realistic, but he also believed he could achieve more. “That’s what stood out about Pat Swisher,” says Brandon. “He didn’t offer me a job, he offered me a career as long as I was willing to work hard.”

Second Chance for Success Swisher arranged for Brandon to start working under Reuben Reyes, the EnviroMaster franchise owner in Chicago. A little over a year later, Brandon is becoming a partner in the business. “Brandon is a great salesperson,” says Reyes. “He has a lot of energy and is very persistent. He’s not afraid to roll up his sleeves.” After seeing his son work passionately

“He’s done a tremendous job with Enviro-Master, and that motivated me to get involved. This will be something he can build his future upon and I’m very proud of him.” - Benjamin Laster to turn his life around, Brandon’s father, Benjamin Laster, decided to get involved. Having achieved franchise success with a national restaurant brand, Benjamin recognized the benefits of EnviroMaster’s scalable business model and strong fundamentals, including multiple revenue streams, residual income, and unlimited market potential. This, along with Inc. 5000 and Entrepreneur magazine accreditation, made Benjamin’s decision to invest in Enviro-Master an easy one. “He’s done a tremendous job with EnviroMaster, and that motivated me to get involved,” says Benjamin. “This will be something he can build his future upon and I’m very proud of him.” Brandon and Benjamin will become partners with Reyes this month, and their business is projected to grow quickly.

Paying it Forward One of the first things Brandon did with his new career was to help another former inmate. Brandon got the man an interview with Reyes, who hired him. “He’s still with us, and he’s one of our best technicians,” says Brandon. At the end of the day, the time Brandon spent in prison still weighs heavily on his mind. He also feels hopeful and blessed to have people in his corner, like his father, Swisher, and Reyes. “To be able to come out of prison, to get involved with such a great company, and to go from being an employee to ownership; it’s just a dream come true. I’m grateful that I can be a story to inspire others.” For more information on Enviro-Master Services franchise opportunity, please visit

Brandon Laster and Pat Swisher

www.enviro-master.info/franchise.

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Ask t h e E x pert

Evan Hackel

Ask the Expert:

“My staff doesn’t like how I manage them. What can I do?” Dear Evan,

“I feel funny asking you a question like this. But the people who work for me in my franchise just don’t seem to like the way I manage them. I can sense it in my one-on-one conversations with them, and sometimes in a group of them when I arrive at my location or enter a room. I don’t really think I am a bad boss, but something has gone wrong and I need advice on how I can turn this situation around. I would appreciate any suggestions!” - Steven, Pennsylvania Dear Steven, First, I want to compliment you for being aware that people don’t like the way you are managing them. You might be surprised to know how many supervisors are completely unaware of how their employees view them. So maybe without being aware of it, you have already taken an important first step toward turning the situation around. At the same time, simply knowing that the problem exists will not solve it. I encourage you to consider what you need to do to become a better manager, or one who is perceived to be a better manager. The first step is to become more supportive of what your employees want and need. Here’s the thing. The answer to your question is amazingly simple, but it is something that most managers never do. You need to sit down with each of the people you manage ask them how you

can support them better and be a more effective manager. That requires setting aside your defenses, listening calmly to what they tell you, and accepting the validity of what they say.

differentiates opinions from facts and

In addition, I would like to suggest three other ways to become a more effective manager.

people to contribute to your opinion, refute

Use the Five to One Rule This is especially effective when meeting with employees who could use an extra dose of positive motivation. How does it work? For every one thing you say that could be interpreted as criticism, say five things that are positive and encouraging. This approach will dramatically improve every interaction you have with the people you supervise.

Differentiate Fact from Opinion When you are offering an opinion, precede it with the phrase, “In my opinion.” This

eliminates the perception that you are accusing people of doing something

wrong. Perhaps more importantly, it raises the quality of the conversation by inviting it, or offer productive alternatives of their own.

Learn to Look for What the Other Person Is Saying that Is Right, Not Wrong Too often, managers only listen to hear things that other people say that are

wrong, or that support their own opinions.

Instead, listen actively for things that your employees say that are true, then focus

on them and ask follow-up questions like, “I think that is a great insight, how did

you first notice that?” I call this Ingaged listening, and it can help you become a

much more effective and positive manager.

About Evan

Evan Hackel is a 35-year franchising veteran as both a franchisor and franchisee. He is CEO of Tortal Training, a leading training dev Consulting. He is a speaker, hosts “Training Unleashed,” a podcast covering training for business, and author of Ingaging Leadershi visit evanspeaksfranchising.com. Follow @ehackel or call 704-452-7368. Why not have Evan Hackel address your group about franc

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Evan Hackel

What Are the Benefits of Being a Better Manager? Perhaps I should have mentioned them at the beginning of my reply to you, Steve, not at the end. But the many benefits of working to improve your skills as a manager include these: • Your company will become a better place to work. • Your employees and your company will become far more productive. • Your employees will stay with you longer, which will save money, reduce training costs, and provide many other benefits. • Customer satisfaction will improve, because happier employees create happier customers. Thank you very much for writing, and for asking such an honest and open question. I am confident that you can, and will, turn the situation around and dramatically improve the atmosphere of your franchise. Best wishes, Evan Hackel

“The answer to your question is amazingly simple, but it is something that most managers never do. You need to sit down with each of the people you manage ask them how you can support them better and be a more effective manager.”

velopment company, and principal of Ingage ip. To hire Evan as a speaker, chising success?

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Ask t h e E x pert

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Veterans in Franchising august 2019

www.franchisingusamagazine.com

VetCor

Puts Helping Veterans First

How Much Money Can I Make? Franchising USA

Leadership. Teamwork. Executing SOPs. Connecting veterans with education, resources and opportunities at vetfran.org

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V e t e r a n s i n F r a n c h i s i n g S u ppl e m e n t august 2019 Our Veterans in Franchising special supplement has become a regular feature of Franchising USA. To share your story in the next issue, please contact Vikki Bradbury, Publisher Phone: 778 426 2446 Email: vikki@cgbpublishing.com

Contents On the Cover

Veterans Profile

52 VetCor Puts Helping Veterans First

58 PuroClean

56 How Much Money Can I Make?

Veterans Snapshot

Veteran News

60 VetFran

50 The UPS Store, Inc. Launches Mission: Veteran Entrepreneurship Offering Franchise Incentives Up to $300,000

Veteran Expert Advice

51 Staffing Industry Leader NEXTAFF Opens First Location in Oregon

Founder, Franchise Specialists

56 How Much Money Can I Make? Wayne Maillet, Franchise Management Consultant and

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veteran news

The UPS Store, Inc. Launches Mission: Veteran Entrepreneurship Offering Franchise Incentives Up to $300,000 Franchise fee to be waived for 10 eligible U.S. veterans

The UPS Store, Inc. has announced its recently launched, Mission: Veteran Entrepreneurship, a program offering significant financial incentives – valued at nearly $300,000 – for a select group of qualified U.S. military veterans to help open their own The UPS Store® franchise location. The UPS Store, Inc. is proud to support America’s U.S. armed forces as they pursue starting their own business and as a part of this effort the company will waive the franchise license fees for 10 first-time veteran franchisees. The first 10 eligible veterans to submit a complete buyer’s application packet and initial application fee will be awarded $29,950 in waived franchise fees. The UPS Store, Inc. is accepting franchise application packets through Monday, Nov. 11, 2019 (Veterans Day). Veterans are often some of the most qualified and successful prospective franchise owners, as franchising offers a unique business opportunity incumbent on strong leadership skills. According to the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative

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(VetFran), at least 97 percent of franchisors believe that veterans would make excellent franchisees, with 70 percent hiring a veteran franchisee or employee in the last year alone. “The UPS Store, Inc. is deeply committed to helping veterans transition back into civilian life and achieve their dreams of owning a business,” said Tim Davis, president of The UPS Store, Inc. and U.S. Marine Corps veteran. “We are thrilled to launch Mission: Veteran Entrepreneurship and offer this financial incentive to those who have given and sacrificed so much for our country.” The pledge, announced at the 2019 International Franchise Association (IFA) Convention, builds on The UPS Store, Inc.’s ongoing participation in the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative (VetFran) to provide discounts in franchise fees for qualified veterans, active military and their spouses. Of the over 4,800 The UPS Store locations in the U.S., more than 400 are owned by veterans and that number continues to climb. Isaac Gonzalez, a franchise owner and U.S.

Marine Corps veteran, benefited from The UPS Store, Inc.’s financial incentives for veterans in 2011. The support helped him launch and sustain his own The UPS Store location near a military base in Ruther Glen, Virginia. “As a veteran, you hold lots of pride, something you get to carry out in your business as a franchisee,” said Gonzalez. “To be able to take that strong sense of responsibility and apply it to your business is really important.” The UPS Store is an industry leader being ranked as the No. 1 franchise in the retail shipping category by Entrepreneur magazine for 2019 and named consistently on the Military Times’ list of best franchises for veterans. The UPS Store continues to receive recognition as a brand helping those who dream of owning a business through franchising. For additional information on The UPS Store, including information on franchise opportunities for U.S. veterans, visit www.theupsstorefranchise.com/veteran.

Staffing Industry Leader NEXTAFF Opens First Location in Oregon Military veteran plans to utilize operations and IT experience as he brings national recruiting firm into Pacific Northwest market NEXTAFF, an industry leader in identifying quality talent for businesses, opened a staffing agency location today in Beaverton, Oregon, which is the first location in the state. Owned and operated by Alvin Montances, the office will serve Beaverton, Portland and the surrounding Washington County area and offer staffing solutions to businesses in the information technology industry. Montances is a U.S. military veteran with 20 years of IT experience, including time spent as a senior network engineer providing engineering, sustainment and integration solutions to various Department of Defense entities. “I’ve been on both sides of an interview, and I understand how important it is to identify the right talent for a position,” Montances said. “The beauty of the NEXTAFF system is that it offers a unique advantage to both the candidate and the company seeking to fill a position because our methodology ensures the best possible fit for all involved. Staffing firms are a dime a dozen, but NEXTAFF has a proven track record of finding the best talent possible.” NEXTAFF offers a proprietary recruiting method called X-FACTOR™, which combines hiring methodologies that are statistically proven to outperform what typical staffing agency competitors and HR departments traditionally do. This methodology, combined with a robust backoffice support structure, allows a staffing franchise office many distinct advantages over someone looking to start their own staffing agency. “Alvin has a long history with the IT field, which gives him a deeper appreciation and understanding of what’s happening in the industry,” said Cary Daniel, co-founder and director at NEXTAFF.

U.S. Military Veteran Alvin Montances (center) has opened a NEXTAFF location in Beaverton, Oregon. Also pictured are NEXTAFF co-founder and Director Cary Daniel (left) and co-founder and Director of Operations James Windmiller.

“His experience, combined with the NEXTAFF methodology, offers a powerful combination for meeting the staffing needs of the Beaverton area.” The office will be located at 4800 SW Griffith Drive, Suite 102, in Beaverton. More information can be found at www. nextaff.com/locations/beaverton-or/. “Over the last two decades, I’ve had some great experiences in IT,” Montances said. “I’ve also had some experiences that were absolute nightmares. All of these moments made me who I am today, though, and I’m going to use them to help each and every person that walks in the door. Working with NEXTAFF is giving me the opportunity to change lives, and I can’t wait to get started.” About NEXTAFF NEXTAFF helps companies identify, evaluate and acquire quality talent through

our proprietary X-FACTOR™ model. Our comprehensive approach is designed to outperform a typical temp agency supplier model by up to 100 percent. Each temporary staffing office is locally owned and operated, which allows our clients to work directly with owners in hiring quality talent. As the franchise division of Malone Workforce Solutions, NEXTAFF offers a variety of custom solutions to industrial, administrative, professional, information technology and healthcare industries. NEXTAFF’s goal is to enable clients to concentrate on their core business activities while we identify, evaluate and acquire quality talent. For more information about NEXTAFF’s services, visit https://www.nextaff.com or visit www.nextaff-franchise.com for information on franchise opportunities.

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cover story: VetCor

Restoration Franchise Puts Helping Veterans First

One Florida franchise is restoring homes and businesses while it helps veterans build livelihoods after their military careers. VetCor is a Tampa-based restoration company that deals with water damage, mold and other related services in commercial and residential properties and, as the name implies, they primarily deploy veterans as technicians. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our policy is that we hire veterans and those who share similar values,â&#x20AC;? CEO and president Paul Huszar explained during a recent interview with Franchising USA. Along with their headquarters in Tampa, the company has offices in Fort Myers and Davie in Florida. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just started franchising to veterans and their family members and, in fact, held their first discovery day recently.

Getting Started VetCor was formed in 2013 and started operations in 2014. Huszar bought the restoration company in October of 2014 and has been running it since then. It was founded by David Howard, an army officer of five years who had a distinguished career in the insurance industry.

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Howard had been hired to run a forensic engineering company which performed investigations for insurance companies to protect those firms against fraudulent sinkhole claims.

“Our franchise fee is lower than the other restoration companies in the industry, even with a veteran’s discount.” - Paul Huszar

However, state legislation was passed in Florida that helped combat these fraudulent claims, so that company’s revenue started waning. They hired Howard to take over as CEO in October of 2013 and his experience with that position led to him creating VetCor. Howard found that about 60 percent of homeowners’ insurance claims are water related and he saw an opportunity to create a company that would help home and business owners while also doing something for veterans. Huszar was brought on board because he is a professional licenced engineer who had just retired from the army after 23 years. A graduate of the prestigious United States Military Academy West Point, Huszar holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Masters of Civil Engineering from the University of Washington. Howard received Huszar’s resume and called him up. “I thought I was interviewing for the forensics engineering company and he offered me the opportunity to be the president and first employee and to start VetCor,” Huszar recalled.

He saw this as a golden opportunity. The last job Huszar had in the army was

However, because that accreditation is done at the state level, it was not possible.

the Dean of the Army’s Engineering

Running VetCor gave him a kind of workaround for that.

to find a way for army engineers -- who are

Now, as president of VetCor, he could help veterans get jobs in restoration because restoration credentials are simpler to procure and consist of a nationwide

School. In that position, Huszar was trying primarily involved in building trades like plumbing, electrical and carpentry -- to

get civilian credentials in their given trade.

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cover story: VetCor

certification rather than a state license. “I was passionate about this opportunity to create more opportunities for veterans,” Huszar said.

Post Disaster Relief The need for a service like VetCor is an obvious one in Florida where the state is subject to monumental amounts of rain during the hurricane season. But, outside of major storms, there are still many instances of water damage in homes and businesses from things like dishwashers, air conditioners, washing machines and other water reliant appliances breaking or malfunctioning and causing water damage, which can quickly lead to mold damage if not handled correctly. Apart from water related damage, VetCor also handles fire and tornado damage among other restoration services. Insurance companies say their biggest challenge is hiring contractors who are able to respond quickly after natural disasters.

“Our policy is that we hire veterans and those who share similar values.” - Paul Huszar

VetCor can do that, Huszar pointed out, because everyone involved has military training and nobody enters a disaster zone and executes an operation plan better than the military. That is also what makes veterans ideal franchisees. “The essence of franchising is really training, standardizing and replicating,” Huszar noted, “and nobody does that better than the US military.”

Training & Support Ideal franchisees for VetCor are veterans who still hold military values close to heart and who are looking to get into a second career after they’ve served, especially if they have business experience and are keen to start their own business. Franchisees can expect full training and support. Huszar said COO Scott Walden, who was a sergeant major in the army, has developed both the internal training and franchisee training. Initial training for franchisees will take place at the VetCor training academy in Tampa and will consist of how to run a VetCor franchise. Eventually, Huszar wants the academy to

be a certification center for the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, which is the governing body for the restoration industry.

Targeting Florida Initially, VetCor will target Florida, as the company is a preferred vendor for over 40 insurance companies in that state. But, Huszar added, they are ready, willing and able to accept franchisees right across the country. Veterans make ideal franchisees, he noted, because they are familiar with following a standard operating procedure and then refining it and making it better. Although VetCor doesn’t have a veteran discount for their franchise fee, the president noted that the fee is kept low to act as a constant veteran discount. “Our franchise fee is lower than the other restoration companies in the industry, even with a veteran’s discount,” he noted. While they are just getting started with franchising now, VetCor is well on its way to establishing itself as a premier restoration company and a destination for business-minded veterans who want to use their training and experience in their civilian lives. www.vetcorfranchising.com

Awards 2019 Recognized as Fast 50 company by the Tampa Bay Business Journal 2018 Top 50 Companies to Watch by Grow Florida 2018 USAA Mission Award Winner 2018 Patriots in Business Award for Small Business, sponsored by Chief Executive Group and Thayer Leader Development Group 2017 Greater Tampa Chambers of Commerce Startup of the Year Award 2016 Brighthouse Regional Business Award for Startup of the Year in Tampa Bay

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ALL ROADS LEAD TO

Sept. 13-14, 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Meet face-to-face with 125 proven franchise opportunities and take the next step toward business ownership with one-on-one meetings and educational seminars presented by the foremost experts in franchising.

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expert advice: Wayne Maillet | Franchise Management Consultant and Founder | Franchise Specialists

How Much Money Can I Make?

A common question asked by prospective franchisees that are reviewing a franchise opportunity is, “How much money can I make?” In response, the franchise salesperson avoids the question and assures you that you will have an opportunity to review the disclosure document and speak with franchisees. When you subsequently get the disclosure document you go to the earnings section and are faced with a statement that reads similar to the following: “The Franchisor does not give or authorize its agents to make any oral or written representations or estimates concerning the actual or potential sales, costs, income or profit of a franchise.” You then call the franchisees. Although they

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“Put together two cash flow projections: a best case scenario and a worst-case scenario. Plan for the best but be prepared for the worst. This will allow you to sleep at night.” are willing to answer most questions, they become uncomfortable when you directly ask, “How much money are you making?” How can you be expected to make a business decision and invest in the business when you are not provided with potential returns? This issue comes further to the forefront when you go to the bank and they ask you for a business plan with projections as part of approving your loan. They are looking for the evidence of the business being able to pay off the loan. Without this they are reluctant to lend you money. Franchisors can make earning claims provided they can be verified and substantiated. Many franchisors today provide average gross sales figures of their franchisees and some may have

clear earning claims in their disclosure, but several do not. Most franchisors find that the variance in earnings is so great that making any kind of a claim creates undue liability. Some franchisees are more creative than others in posting expenses, making it difficult for the franchisor to compare statements. With new franchisors, there is simply not enough of a track record to go on. Other factors influencing earnings include the franchisee’s management ability, operating efficiencies, competition, the economy and other local factors. As a result, it is almost impossible for franchisors to provide a reliable earnings claim. All of this makes it difficult for you to make a fully informed business decision. The good news is that this forces you to do

“Take the time to develop your own spreadsheets. . . . You will end up being more informed and making a better decision than if you just blindly believed whatever the disclosure or franchisor representative tells you.”

your homework. Take the time to develop your own spreadsheets. Put together a 36-month spreadsheet that captures all the income and expenses related to the business. Then start to fill in the blanks. You will end up being more informed and making a better decision than if you just blindly believed whatever the disclosure or franchisor representative tells you. The cash flow projections that you put together will become an invaluable management tool once the business is opened, allowing you to quickly see when you are on track and providing benchmarks that require seeking answers and making changes so that your profitability is achieved. Finally, you will have a better sense of your working capital needs during the startup phase of the business. Expenses will vary from market to market. Find out what the labor salaries being paid in your community are. What are the rents? Your local chamber of commerce or economic development department may be able to assist. An accountant can also provide valuable insight. Speak with franchisees and ask them for their input. Show them your list of expenses and see if they see any expenses that you may have forgotten. What are their monthly expenses? Were there any expenses that were a surprise to them after they opened? What expense have they found to be the most difficult to manage?

Then there is the issue of sales. Asking a franchisee,” How much money do you make?” will often not provide you with the information you are looking for. Alternative questions that you can ask that will often generate the answers needed are as follows: • What is your monthly inventory turnover? (retail) • What is your markup or margin? • What is your average check and customer count per day? (restaurant) • What are your billable hours, and what is your average hourly rate? (service) • What is the seasonality of the business? • How slow does it get during the offseason? • How do you adjust your expenses during the slow months? • How long did it take to get your business to break-even and then profitability? After you have prepared the cash flow projections, forward them to a few of the franchisees to get their input. Forward a copy to the franchisor. The franchisor will be careful not to state if they are right or wrong but can review and see if there

are any errors or major expenses that are missing. They have a desire to ensure that you are coming into the franchise with realistic expectations. Put together two cash flow projectionsa best case scenario and a worst-case scenario. Plan for the best but be prepared for the worst. This will allow you to sleep at night. No matter how detailed your projections, there will be no guarantees. The economy could change. New technology could deem the business obsolete. A new competitor could come into the market. Review your projections regularly and be prepared to make changes as circumstances change. Wayne Maillet is a franchise management consultant and founder of the consulting company Franchise Specialists. Respected within franchise circles, he brings a realistic, practical understanding of business and franchising. This article is based on excerpts from his book, Franchising Demystified. The book can be ordered through most book retailers or directly from the publisher at: www.franchisingdemystified.com

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profile: PuroClean

Largest-Ever Signing of U.S. Military Statement of Support Takes Place at PuroClean International Convention “We are honored to be recognized by the ESGR for the work we do to promote and support PuroClean franchise owners and team members who serve or have served their country.” - Steve White

From left to right: Bruce Townshend, Chief, Employer Outreach, ESGR; Chris Sanford, Franchise Owner, Warwick, RI; Christopher Bajakian, Lead Technician, Warwick, RI; Mark W. Davis, PuroClean Chairman and CEO; Frank Torre, PuroClean Vice Chairman; and Steve White, PuroClean President and COO.

PuroClean, a leading restoration and remediation franchise that prides itself on its dedication to military veterans, recently conducted the largestever signing of the Statement of Support Program during its 24th annual convention at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan. Led by Chris Sanford, a Rhode Islandbased Navy reservist who opened his PuroClean franchise in October 2007,

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the ceremony included more than 140 members of the PuroClean team. In addition to the signing, several awards were presented that reflect PuroClean’s philosophy of servant leadership. The Statement of Support Program is the cornerstone of the Employer Support of The Guard & Reserves (ESGR)®. The intent of the program is to increase employer support by encouraging employers to act as advocates for employee participation in the military. Currently, around 15 percent of franchise owners and team members have a background in military service, including Steve White, PuroClean President & COO, who is a veteran U.S. Army Captain. “It is an absolute honor to be part of this special milestone, joining members of the PuroClean family to show our support for the United States military – many of whom have themselves served or continue to serve,” said Mark W. Davis, Chairman and

CEO of PuroClean. “As an organization, we are deeply passionate about supporting military veterans. We remain steadfast in our commitment to offering innovative opportunities to this very deserving community, and we are hopeful this symbolic gesture helps raise awareness and support in new ways.” As part of the presentation, Sanford awarded Christopher Bajakian, a wellrespected lead technician from his office, with the Patriot Award to commemorate his efforts during Sanford’s 18-month deployment to Uganda in 2011. The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through a wide range of benefits, including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and leaves of absence, if needed. Bajakian was nominated for this award for his help holding the business together, providing extra support, and ensuring the community received excellent service. Due to Bajakian’s commitment to Sanford and his PuroClean franchise, the office was able to remain open during his absence. To date, Bajakian remains with the

business and has grown into one of the office’s most seasoned and successful lead technicians. PuroClean and partner company, Signal Restoration Services, were also honored during the session with the Seven Seals Award, presented by Bruce Townshend, Chief, Employer Outreach at the ESGR. The Seven Seals Award is presented in recognition of significant individual or organizational achievement, initiative or support that promotes and strengthens the ESGR mission. The award was accepted by Steve White, Mark W. Davis, and Frank Torre, PuroClean’s Vice Chairman, on behalf of both companies. “We are honored to be recognized by the ESGR for the work we do to promote and support PuroClean franchise owners and team members who serve or have served their country,” said White. “As a veteran myself, I see first-hand the value that a military career can bring to a restoration franchise, including unparalleled leadership skills, team-oriented values, and a commitment to serving others.”

As a company that is dedicated to supporting military veterans, PuroClean offers numerous levels of assistance and unique programs. In May, the company announced the launch of its second annual PuroVet free franchise giveaway for veterans seeking a jump-start to their entrepreneurial career. One winner will have his or her $50,000 initial franchise fee covered, opening the door to new opportunities for a financially secure future in a business that ideally suits his or her skills. Military veterans — including all active duty, reserve, honorably discharged, and retired personnel — can apply or be nominated by members of the public at BeAPuroVet.com until early October.

as well as from MatchU Franchising, who reduces their commission by 25 percent for all veterans the company matches with PuroClean.

PuroClean also offers veterans a discounted rate of 25 percent off the initial franchise fee — a savings of $12,500 — and has secured additional savings from national vendors for products and services,

For more information about PuroClean, contact 800-775-7876 or visit www.puroclean.com; for franchise information, visit www.puroclean.com/ franchise.

PuroClean franchise owners also benefit from high-quality training at the company’s $1.5 million state-of-theart training facility, some of the largest territories in the industry, and several financing options. The company has become one of the leading restoration franchise companies in the nation, performing thousands of jobs throughout the United States and Canada and providing restoration services from common household mishaps to large-scale disasters.

“As an organization, we are deeply passionate about supporting military veterans. We remain steadfast in our commitment to offering innovative opportunities to this very deserving community, and we are hopeful this symbolic gesture helps raise awareness and support in new ways.” - Mark W. Davis

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snapshot: VetFran

How Do You Envision VetFran in the Program’s 30th Anniversary Year in 2021? For the past three months, the VetFran team has been asking ourselves and our stakeholders this question almost every day. It’s a question that sparks us to think big, but also one that prompts us to define exactly what we need to do in the near future. Frankly, it’s an exciting question that makes each of us binge dream about the future. For the past thirty years, VetFran has been the leading nonprofit in the veterans entrepreneur space. VetFran has worked to reduce the costs of entry for veterans who wish to open a franchise, specifically encouraging our member companies to give up to a 100% discount on their franchise fee to qualified service members. In total, VetFran has helped create over $1,000,000 in discounts in the franchising space for veterans.

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“As we prepare to celebrate our 30th anniversary, our mission is as relevant as ever. There is no better time for VetFran to assert its considerable strengths, and to take our organization to the next level.” Yet, the urgency of our 30th anniversary compels us to think bigger. In the franchising space, few organizations are so well positioned to continue to serve the veteran community. Today, we’d love to take the time to share what we see as the future of VetFran, new initiatives we’ve recently launched, and other parts of our program that we’re especially excited about.

New Website/Resources If you haven’t visited vetfran.org in the last six months, you’ll be in for a big surprise. We’ve completely redefined our digital presence by focusing on making our resources the most accessible possible. For veterans, finding the next steps to actually purchasing their own franchise is as easy

as going to the tab “For Veterans” and selecting either our opportunities portal or our resources page. On our resources page, we’ve made finding the next steps in the process of purchasing a franchise easy. Our critically acclaimed guide to franchising, published by the International Franchise Association Foundation, helps anyone - veterans and nonveterans alike – understand the basics of the franchise industry. We’ve also pinpointed capital specifically available for veterans interested in entrepreneurship as well as specific government programs that can help veterans get a headstart in franchising. At the bottom of our resources page, we’ve also aggregated events for veterans interested in franchising - a perfect introduction or reintroduction into

“If you haven’t visited vetfran.org in the last six months, you’ll be in for a big surprise. We’ve completely redefined our digital presence by focusing on making our resources the most accessible possible.”

the franchising industry for veterans with any level of experience. On our Opportunities Portal, veterans have the chance to browse careers at over 500 of our member companies. What’s fantastic for veterans specifically is that our Opportunities Portal can be sorted by star membership. Five Star Members have been vetted for peak profitability and offer 20% or more off of the initial franchise fee for veterans. Similarly, three star members offer a 1 5-20% discount, whereas one star members offer a 1 0-20% discount. With most franchise fees around $50,000, simply browsing VetFran’s opportunities portal can save veterans over $10,000.

Using Veteran Franchisees to Amplify Our Message Last year, after we completed our website overall, when we reviewed our program, we recognized that while VetFran had created a vast network of resources for veterans, we could do more to amplify our message nationwide. It wasn’t enough that we were working with companies to reduce their franchising fees for veterans, we needed to put these discounts front-incenter of veterans themselves.

This led us to realize that the best communicator of our message wasn’t our member companies or even ourselves, but rather veteran franchisees who had previously taken advantage of the opportunities VetFran had worked to aggregate. Working with national partners ranging from private sector financial firms to government offices, we forged a new identity for VetFran. Today, VetFran 2.0 has taken shape in multiple ways. For starters, we completely updated our website resources. We’ve also been working with veteran franchisees to host panels on then benefits of franchising at local VBOC offices of the SBA ,and we’ve begun coordinating a national op-ed campaign written by veteran franchisees on why franchising is the perfect fit for veterans.

Caretakers Initiative Finally, VetFran has recently taken steps to expand our mission from not only veterans, but also to their families as well. Our new Caretakers Initiative is set to redefine the home care franchise space. VetFran is working with twenty of the largest home care providers who represent over 4,000 franchise locations to open

a new opportunities portal for military family caregivers. We’re working to create a pipeline for employment, connecting current military caregivers individuals who already have extensive experience in the home care industry - with franchising and employment opportunities in the home care space. VetFran has long had a commitment to military veterans, and we’re excited to expand that mission to military families as well.

Conclusion VetFran is working on these initiatives and so much more, but for the sake of clarity, you can find more about VetFran’s missions and goals on our website at VetFran.org. As we prepare to celebrate our 30th anniversary, our mission is as relevant as ever. There is no better time for VetFran to assert its considerable strengths, and to take our organization to the next level. We look forward to another year of high impact, veteran franchisee community building programming, and we especially look forward to celebrating our 30th anniversary in 2021. Author: Zach Stahl www.VetFran.org

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Â®

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Assisted Living Locators Assisted Living Locators provides the vital function to seniors and their families of identifying their ideal alternative living solutions and other related services – all at no cost to them. Our proprietary evaluation system results in free residential referrals that enable our clients to make the best possible decisions for their loved ones. Our elder care advisors are trained to find solutions that meet our clients’ needs and to personally accompany them on guided tours of facilities that match their individual preferences. Ours is a truly turn-key program that puts our owners on the path to success through a proven executive business model with high profit margins, low overhead, minimum employees,

Business Finance Depot

repeat referrals, and residual income. Even more importantly, many of the industry’s most desired areas of the country remain available for new development. If you’re aware of the unsurpassed value of the assisted living market, if you’ve always dreamed about the freedom and independence that business ownership could bring you, and if you’ve been waiting for the perfect, local, affordable opportunity to carve out your piece of the industry, Assisted Living Locators may be just the match you’ve been seeking. For more information please contact Mary Ann Russo or Tom Ingle at: Phone: 800-267-7816 Email: franchise@assistedlivinglocators.com Website: http://www.assistedlivinglocators.com/

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

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

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

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

caring transitions

with the hassles or laws that involve elderly medical care, though you might want to invest in knowing the companies that do supply such services in your area. Many times our services are needed in order to fulfill the lifestyle changes recommended by healthcare professionals, so putting your leads into contact with upstanding medical professionals can create a favorable impression that causes them to return to you for help with non-medical side of their changing circumstances.

Caring Transitions is a solution-oriented company, and we accomplish this by bringing three services under one roof that are normally all accomplished by separate companies. The three services we combine to provide unique solutions for our customers are: • Senior Relocation • Estate Sales • Downsizing & Decluttering One final thing – we are NOT a medical service company. As a franchisee, you will not be dealing

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

Phone: 1-800-647-0766 Email: CaringTransitionsFranchising@gmail.com Website: https://caringtransitionsfranchise.com

We provide marketing collateral, signage, POP displays, printed materials, promotional products and apparel. Our services include graphic design, merchandising, sourcing, warehousing and fulfillment, kitting and proprietary technology with advanced management reports. All programs are scalable and can be customized to the unique needs of your community. Customer service is our forte.

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

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

Everything Hemp Store (EHS Franchise LLC)

foods including hemp seeds and hemp seed oil, dietary and health supplements.

Everything Hemp Store is a consultative marketplace for naturally sourced health, beauty and nutritional products. Our product suite consists of a variety of industrial hemp-derived products such as hemp textiles, floral derivatives, lotions, pain creams, salves, hemp extract tinctures containing Canabidiol (CBD), nutritional

Everything Hemp Store is truly your One Stop Hemp Shop™ focused on delivering top quality products to our consumers with full trace-ability from farm to family. Contact: Gary Norris Phone: 888-334-4367 Ext. 21 9 Email: EHSFranchise@gmail.com Web: www.EverythingHempStore.com

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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, Inc. A top IFA supplier and recognized as a top franchise funding supplier by Entrepreneur, FranFund, Inc. designs smart all-inone funding plans that grow with your franchise business. Whether you are considering leaving your current job to start a new venture or if you are looking to expand your existing operation – we are here to help. Based on your specific financial picture, we will work with you to design a funding plan that will set your business up for long-term success. We provide a free funding consultation and make sure you understand all of our program and service costs before you commit to anything. Our most popular funding programs are SBA loans and 401(k) business financing, which allows you to use qualified retirement savings tax-free and penalty-free. We also offer

Fresh Coat The average Fresh Coat on average earns 41.22% gross profit and $507,883.18 in revenue!* (*See Item 19 of our April 1, 2018 Franchise Disclosure Document for details. Based on data reported by franchisees that were open and operating full-time for at least 1 year for the period ending December 31, 2017 and that reported Gross Revenues and income statements. A new franchise owner’s results may differ. Our owners continually testify about the amazing amount of help they receive from our company. From coaching and onboarding, to marketing and operational support, we guide you every step of the way. Marketing Support & Operation Support – At Fresh Coat, our franchisees are constantly surrounded by support from both

Funtopia Funtopia business philosophy capitalizes on a growing trend towards healthier, active lifestyles. More than just a place for kids to play, Funtopia is an adventure park where family and friends come to entertain and challenge themselves. Our mix of sports and fun, coupled with an amazing brand experience, has enabled our locations to enjoy the benefits of customer loyalty. The concept was created out of desire to provide a new type of entertainment that would be an alternative to today’s prevalence of physically-

International Franchise Professionals Group

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• 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

conventional loans and other non-traditional solutions including unsecured loans, securities-backed loans, equipment leasing, and refinancing programs. By utilizing our franchise-specific pre-approval tool and cultivating an extensive network of lenders who are comfortable with the franchise model, FranFund’s loan approval rate is 99%. We believe delivering an exceptional customer experience is just as important as providing high-quality products and services and are proud of our high level of customer satisfaction. Contact: Tim Seiber, CFE Phone: 817-730-4500 Email: info@franfund.com Website: www.franfund.com

our Marketing Department and our Operations Team. We have national and local marketing initiatives and resources to drive customers to your place of business, and experts to guide and coach you for as long as you own your Fresh Coat franchise. Fresh Coat is committed to leading the painting industry by driving platinum level customer service delivered by a team of professionals and painting experts. To do this, our franchisees only hire the most skilled and experienced painters, allowing their franchise businesses to offer 6 unique services. Your painters provide positive experiences from the initial quote to final touch-ups. Phone: (513) 605-4877 Email: freshcoatpaintersfranchise@gmail.com Website: www.freshcoatfranchise.com

passive screen display entertainment. Believing that being active, both mentally and physically is the essence of healthy lifestyle, we decided to make it as fun as possible. Our culture, our customers, and the Funtopia brand experience is the “icing on the cake” to a solid business model that allows you to grow your income and reach long-term wealth goals. Contact: Yasen Nikolov Phone: 1.833.386.8674 Email: yassen@adventurefacilities.com Website: funtopiaworld.com/franchise

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.

Little Caesars As the largest carryout-only pizza chain in the world, Little Caesars is doing something right. Little Caesars is an international brand and household name. It’s come a long way since starting as a single store in metro Detroit in 1959. The Little Caesars brand and distinction of being named “Best Value in America”* for the last ten years is proof of its commitment to satisfying customers by providing one of America’s favorite meals at an affordable cost. Today, Little Caesars is looking for franchisees to bring HOT-N-READY® pizza to a wide range of communities

MONKEE’S FRANCHISING Monkee’s Franchising, LLC is a franchisor of upscale ladies’ boutiques specializing in shoes, clothing and accessories. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, NC, Monkee’s was founded in 1995 and has become one of the most successful organizations of independently owned boutiques in the Southeast. Our boutiques can now be found in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky,

Moran Family of Brands Moran Family of Brands is one of the nation’s leading franchisors of general automotive repair, transmission repair and automotive accessory centers. Based in Midlothian, Illinois, Moran Family of Brands provides specialty products and services in virtually every aspect of the automotive aftermarket through four individual brands and a total of more than 120 franchise locations nationwide including:

Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services is one of the most respected full-service commercial cleaning franchise companies in the nation. Office Pride’s business was built on a strong set of core values that ensures business is conducted with integrity and that every customer receives the highest level of commercial cleaning and janitorial services. Our Values Make Us Different.® Office Pride was founded in 1992 by Todd Hopkins, who created the concept as an independent research project while working on his MBA at Butler University. He asked leaders of large cleaning companies what they would

pet wants Pet Wants creates fresh and all-natural pet food and delivers it to our customers on a monthly, subscription basis...that ensures the food is fresh for the pets and that you generate consistent and ongoing revenue streams. As a franchise owner, you will need to share this love of pets and their well-being. But no experience is needed. No matter if you start in your home, a small office or store, we teach you everything you need to know about operating and growing a successful pet food business.

nationwide. The company also offers opportunities in non-traditional franchise venues, including convenience stores, college campuses and military bases. Little Caesars works closely with franchisees to develop locations with customized architectural and build-out plans. *“Highest Rated Chain-Value for the Money” based on a nationwide survey of quick service restaurant consumers conducted by Sandelman & Associates, 2007-2015. Phone: 800-553-5776 Email: USdevelopment@LCEcorp.com Website: www.LittleCaesars.com

North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia and we are excited as our growth continues nationally. Monkee’s is recognized throughout this region as a leader in providing the finest fashions from the world’s top designers. Contact: Troy Taylor Phone: 336-529-5200 Email: troy@shopmonkees.com Website: www.ownamonkees.com

Mr. Transmission, “The Professionals”; Alta Mere “The Automotive Outfitters”; Milex Complete Auto Care centers and SmartView Window Solutions. For more information on Moran Family of Brands visit www.moranfamilyofbrands.com. Contact: Ben Reist Phone: 800-377-9247 Fax: 708-389-9882 Email: breist@moranindustries.com Website: www.moranfamilyofbrands.com

do differently, and he repeatedly heard how they would deliver “total customer satisfaction.” Using his research, HopkinsRichHelm@OfficePride.com started Office Pride, an industry leader whose spotless reputation earns rave reviews from franchisees, clients and competitors. Today, Office Pride has 137 franchises around the nation and is listed in Franchise Business Review’s Hall of Fame for its exceptional franchisee satisfaction ratings and is ranked among Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500. Office Pride provides a wide range of commercial cleaning services, including carpet cleaning, floor stripping and waxing, to offices and commercial facilities. Contact: Rich Helm, Director of Franchise Development Phone: 727.754.5990 Website: www.OfficePride.com; OfficePrideFranchise.com

You just need a passion for pets, the drive for success and the ability to follow our proven operating system. In return, you will be rewarded with the great benefits of being a business owner. Bottom line, this is a fulfilling, financially rewarding and enjoyable “people and pets” business. Contact: Beth Boecker Phone: 513-331-3647 Email: bbboecker@strategicfranchising.com Website: www.petwantsfranchise.com

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pool scouts

• Recurring revenue business

Backed by multi brand franchisor, Buzz Franchise Brands – winner of Inc. 500, Pool Scouts helps franchisees hit the ground running.

A Pool Scouts franchise is a business opportunity that can be run from virtually any home or office. We are talking to motivated people to operate Pool Scouts businesses across the United States. Individual territories or area development opportunities are available. Pool Scouts…Perfect Pools, Scouts Honor!

Pool Scouts is the franchise opportunity poised to make a splash in the industry. Here are some compelling attributes: • Fragmented market in a $3 Billion industry • Fast growing franchise opportunity • Low franchise fee and fast start up

Re-Bath In an industry of independent home remodeling contractors, Re-Bath stands out as a unified, trusted national brand. Re-Bath is known for providing expert, affordable and effortless bathroom remodeling solutions that transform homeowners’ bathrooms in days, not weeks. We offer a spirit of innovation and an alternative to cover-up or overpriced remodeling. We handle both the design and the installation – it’s a branded, one-stop customer experience that the industry sorely needs. We are the go-to resource for bathroom remodeling in the markets our franchisees currently serve, and our national reputation strengthens as we continue to connect the dots across the country.

scooter’s coffee

Of course, it helps to have the trust of renowned companies like Home Depot. Re-Bath is the nation’s largest complete bathroom remodeling franchise with presence in more than 150 cities and 43 states. The ideal candidate for Re-Bath should have sales, marketing, and/or management experience and be extremely results oriented. Construction knowledge is not required. You must have a minimum of $100,000 in liquid capital, and be ready to make a full-time commitment. Contact: Samantha Wilson Phone: 866-721-7761 Email: swilson@sfdpros.com Website: www.rebathfranchise.com

Founded in 1998, Scooter’s Coffee roasts the finest coffee beans in the world at its headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. In two decades of business, Scooter’s Coffee’s success is simple: stay committed to the original business principles and company core values.

employees is: “Amazing People, Amazing Drinks... Amazingly Fast!”™ It reflects a commitment to providing an unforgettable experience to loyal and new customers. Scooter’s Coffee is quickly approaching 200 locations in 16 states and has 135 franchise commitments to build new stores. Franchise opportunities are available.

A partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation to source shade-grown coffee to protect the rainforests reaffirms its commitment to contribute to a “chain of good”. The company’s Brand Promise, recited to franchisees, customers and

Phone: (402) 934-7284 Website: https://franchising.scooterscoffee.com Email: Kelly.crummer@scooterscoffee.com Contact: Kelly Crummer- Franchise Development Manager

The Growth Coach

and professional goals. With 28 million businesses in the United States, the demand for business coaching has grown to a tremendous $11 billion industry.

The Growth Coach® is an industry-leading business coaching franchise, established in over 150 markets in the United States and abroad. Since our founding in 1992, our coaches have helped thousands of small business owners achieve their personal

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

Franchising USA

Phone: 1-844-407-2688 Email: franchising@poolscouts.com Website: poolscoutsfranchise.com

P: (877) 498-3626 W: https://growthcoachfranchise.com E: GrowthCoachFranchiseOpps@gmail.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

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

TruBlue Total House Care There are thousands of Senior Care companies taking care of the person, but NO ONE is taking care of their homes. Sadly, Seniors are forced to leave their beloved home and memories too soon because the home becomes too hard to maintain. Regrettably, they end up in nursing homes and retirement facilities. All of that has changed and created a business opportunity of a lifetime. TruBlue is the ONLY national provider that specializes in Total House Care for Seniors, so they can stay in their homes longer… “age in place” with confidence, comfort, safety and independence. We provide complete and on-going house care, both inside and outside the home: • Repairs • Cleaning

Tuffy Tire and Auto In 1970, the first Tuffy Muffler shop opened in Detroit, Michigan. To keep up with changing times, we’ve changed and evolved too, from just a Muffler shop to an auto service center. Our service line up currently includes brakes, shocks, struts, springs, alignment, front-end, oil change, mufflers, tires, air conditioning, batteries, starting and charging, flush and fill, and C.V. joints. We take care of all your auto repair needs.

Our integrated approach combines our public relations and franchise SEO service prowess and is designed to generate brand awareness, drive consumer engagement, and build credibility for your company. Phone: (708) 249-1090 Fax: (708) 957-2395 Website: www.topfiremedia.com Email: info@topfiremedia.com Contact: Matthew Jonas

• Yard work • Special projects (such as wheelchair access, safety audits, and fall prevention, to name a few) • Home Watch TruBlue Total House Care services busy families, as well. They’re constantly running from school activity to sporting event most evenings and weekends. While they have disposable income, they have little free time or desire to handle the endless chores around the house. They gladly turn to TruBlue for complete and affordable house care, inside and out, where we act as their Total House Care Manager and provide them with a convenient and hassle-free lifestyle. Phone: 866-498-3218 Website: www.trubluefranchise.com

our franchisees have played a key role in the success of Tuffy. Tuffy, is looking for customer focused, ethical business owners. With over 45 years in business, franchisees are provided a value proposition that includes a state-of-the-art management, sales and Technical Training, comprehensive marketing and advertising programs, national vendor partnerships, national and local support, a powerful brand proposition, a strong business model and on-going research and development.

Helping our franchisees to operate successfully and meet the challenges of today’s marketplace is the top priority for the Tuffy® Tire & Auto Service Centers. We provide our franchisees with a proven operating system, and as a result,

Contact: Travis Mulligan Phone: 800-228-8339 Email: Travis@tuffy.com Website: Tuffyfranchising.com

Veterans Business Services

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

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

Window World Window World®, headquartered in North Wilkesboro, N.C., is America’s largest replacement window and exterior remodeling company, with more than 200 locally owned offices nationwide. Founded in 1995, the company sells and installs windows, siding, doors and other exterior products, with over 16 million windows sold to date. Window World is an ENERGY STAR® partner and its windows, vinyl siding and Therma-Tru doors have all earned the Good Housekeeping Seal. In 2018, it was ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Window and Patio Door Retailers” by J.D. Power. Through its charitable foundation, Window World Cares®, the Window World family provides funding for St. Jude Children’s

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

Research Hospital®, which honored the foundation with its Organizational Support Award in 2017. Since its inception in 2008, the foundation has raised over $9 million for St. Jude. Window World also supports the Veterans Airlift Command, a nonprofit organization that facilitates free air transportation to wounded veterans and their families. Window World has flown over 100 missions and surpassed $1 million in flights and in-kind donations since it began its partnership with the VAC in 2008. For more information, visit WindowWorld.com or call 1-800 NEXTWINDOW. Contact: Zach Luffman, Director of Franchising Phone: (336) 667-2100 Email: franchising@windowworld.com Website: www.windowworldfranchise.com

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A-Z LISTINGS ARE A GREAT WAY TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS Midas ’S FRANCHISING highly MONKEEized brand throughout the world and one be or

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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 Vikki Bradbury: vikki@cgbpublishing.com

www.franchisingusamagazine.com

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WORK SMART

NOT

HARD!

IFG 50/50 - A Different Franchise Approach!

Staff Premises Long hours Paper Inventory

WE BUY INVOICES TO ACCELERATE OUR CLIENTSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; CASHFLOW! WE DO NOT LEND MONEY!

GET A FREE eBOOK www.Interfacefinancial.com/franchise

AS A FRANCHISEE: s 7ORK IN A MATURE lNANCIAL SERVICE ARENA s 7ORK FROM A HOME BASED ENVIRONMENT s "E PART OF A YEAR OLD INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION s 9OUR GROWTH COMES FROM HELPING YOUR CLIENTS GROW s #ONDUCT BUSINESS ON YOUR OWN TIMETABLE s 7ORK ANYWHERE NO TERRITORY s 6IRTUALLY NO PAPERWORK FRANCHISOR HANDLES ALL DAY TO DAY PAPERWORK s .O COLD CALLING TELEMARKETING ADVERTISING OR DIRECT MAIL s 3TART WITH A MODEST WORKING CAPITAL AND GROW AT YOUR OWN SPEED

For more information contact David Banfield, President E: ifg@interfacefinancial.com Franchising USA

Franchising USA