Franchising usa T he ma g a z ine for franchisees
VOL 04, ISSUE 5, mar 2016
$5.95 www.franchisingusamagazine.com
massage heights looking for entrepreneurs essentials to digital
marketing success special
health & beauty franchising feature
make the most of your
conference experience LATEST NEWS
FINANCIAL ADVICE FROM THE BANKS
TOP LAWYERS’ ADVICE
Franchising usa T he ma g a z ine for franchisees
FRANCHISING USA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 5, 2016 president: Colin Bradbury. colin@cgbpublishing.com
Publisher: Vikki Bradbury. vikki@cgbpublishing.com
National Advertising Manager: Tuesday Royko. tuesdayr@cgbpublishing.com
Editorial Department: editor@cgbpublishing.com
Assistant editor: Diana Cikes editor@cgbpublishing.com
Editorial team: Diana Cikes Gina Gill Rob Swystun
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DESIGN: Jejak Graphics. jejak@bigpond.com
COVER IMAGE: massage heights
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from the
Publisher
“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” - Albert Einstein
The International Franchise Association recently held its 56th annual convention in San Antonio, with a focus on current pressures facing franchising. IFA president and CEO Robert Cresanti stated these are “particularly challenging times” when discussing the recent wave of government regulations. And yet despite the constraints some may now be facing, the future is still bright as franchise business continues to grow. Our March issue is packed with plenty of common sense Expert Advice to help you avoid or overcome any obstacles, as legal expert Harold Kestenbaum offers advice on how to overcome Overtime Changes that Could Shake Up the Franchise World in 2016, and Adam Robinson gives tips on how to go From Risk to Reward With the Hiring Process. Kyle Zagrodsky outlines The Five Mistakes Most Franchisors Make, while Brian Scudamore helps you capitalize on opportunities with The Art of the Ask. And to help prepare you for next year’s IFA convention, Matthew Jonas offers tips to Make the Most of Your Conference Experience. On the Cover this month is Massage Heights, a Massage Franchise Looking
for Entrepreneurs Who Share its FamilyOriented Values. Turn to page 10 to learn more about this therapeutic massage and skin care company and how it treats everyone they interact with as part of their extended family, from customers to franchisees to team members. The Veterans Supplement this month features Our Town American on the Cover, a New Mover Marketing franchise that went from Serving Our Country to Service Our Communities. Here you can also learn how Franchising Gives Back, and how MyVA Will Be Good for Veterans and Franchising Too. Our Special Feature looks at Health and Beauty Franchising, with Fingernails2Go as the Feature Cover. Here you can read about a franchise that has capitalized on the fastest growing area of the cosmetics industry: nail art. We hope you enjoy this issue. Stay inspired and be sure to send us your comments. And if you haven’t yet ordered your digital subscription, visit www.franchisingusamagazine.com to subscribe or download the app to ensure you’re kept up-to-date every month. Happy reading! Vikki Bradbury Publisher
The information and contents in this publication are believed by the publisher to be true, correct and accurate but no independent investigation has been undertaken. Accordingly the publisher does not represent or warrant that the information and contents are true, correct or accurate and recommends that each reader seek appropriate professional advice, guidance and direction before acting or relying on all information contained herein. Opinions expressed in the articles contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publication is sold subject to the terms and conditions that it shall not be copied in whole or part, resold, hired out, without the express permission of the publisher.
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Contents
march 2016
On the Cover
80 Make the Most of Your Conference Experience
In Every Issue 06 Franchising News Announcements from the Industry 50 Feature Article Health and Beauty 59 Veterans Supplement News and Information for Veterans in Franchising
92
18 Essentials to Digital Marketing Success
56
43 Special Health and Beauty Franchising Feature
18
10 Massage Heights: Looking for Entrepreneurs
Franchisor In Depth 38 Fresh Coat Painters 74 HuHot Mongolian Grill
Women In Franchising 82 Martekei Plange, Coverall
94 A-Z Franchise and Services Directoy
Franchisee In Action 15 PIRTEK 32 WineStyles
48
88 AAMCO
Franchising USA
QUESTION TIME 22 Brian Balconi, Vice President - USA of Gloria Jean’s Coffees
38
Expert Advice 12 The Art of the Ask Brian Scudamore, Founder and CEO, O2E Brands 18 Beyond Software: Essentials to Digital Marketing Success Melissa Saner, Chief Operating Officer, Primero Systems 24 From Risk to Reward With Hiring Process Adam Robinson, Co-founder & CEO, Hireology 30 The Five Mistakes Most Franchisors Make Kyle Zagrodsky, President, OsteoStrong 36 Overtime Changes Could Shake Up the Franchise World in 2016 Harold L. Kestenbaum, Attorney at Law 80 Make the Most of Your Conference Experience Matthew Jonas, President, TopFire Media 86 Rent Your Home, Own Your Income Stream George Knauf, Senior Franchise Business Advisor, FranChoice
Focus 20 Texas Laundry
92
92 You Made It, You Sold It – Now Fund It David Banfield, President, The Interface Financial Group
28 Growth Coach 78 Xpresso Delight 84 Pet Wants
Business Services Feature 44 Health and Beauty Franchising News 48 Cover Story: Fingernails2Go
54 Why is the Business of Fitness Franchises So Successful? Bedros Keuilian, CEO, Fit Body Bootcamp 56 Athletes in Franchising: Life After the Game Keith Smith, i9Sports franchisee
86
50 Feature Article
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what’s new!
PIZZA FIRE Expands to Cleveland’ s West Side with New Rocky River Location Cleveland based chef and national pizza guru Sean Brauser is leading the new pizza revolution; he’s recently opened his 5th PIZZAFIRE restaurant in only 13 months in Rocky River on Center Ridge Road. PIZZAFIRE is FAST! It’s a casual, create your favorite pizza restaurant where your custom masterpiece is fire-baked in only 180 seconds! Choose between six sauces, five cheeses and 40 toppings - then watch your PIZZAFIRE chef build and fire bake it at 800 degrees. PIZZAFIRE is FRESH! They feature locally sourced, hand cut veggies prepared daily and a special dough recipe developed by Chef Brauser. Each PIZZAFIRE location makes their own pizza sauce with hand crushed tomatoes and feature GMO free meats.
one of the fastest growing pizza companies of its kind in America!
Cuyahoga Falls, and Rocky River
The new “custom pizza - ready in minutes” concept is smoking hot, and Sean Brauser, award winning chef behind Romeo’s Pizza chain, is at the forefront with PIZZAFIRE,
PIZZAFIRE is the first fast casual, fire-baked pizza restaurant in Northeast Ohio; celebrating over a year of success in Akron, and recent downtown Cleveland,
units in the next three years throughout
Weed Man USA Adds 40-Plus Territories in 2015 Weed Man USA has closed out another memorable year. With revenue surpassing $83 million, a 13 percent increase over last year, and expansion into 40-plus new territories, the company continues to uphold its standing as the top franchised lawn care provider in the United States.
Franchising USA
Now in more than 455 territories
throughout the U.S., Weed Man USA
expects to expand into more than 45 new territories in 2016 and increase system-
wide sales by 14 percent. The fast-growing franchise network’s growth is not going unnoticed.
locations. PIZZAFIRE plans to open 100 Ohio and the Midwest. www.PizzaFire.com
“Over the past year, nearly 75 percent of our franchise growth was driven by existing franchisees,” said Jennifer Lemcke, COO of Turf Holdings, Inc., the company that owns the expansion rights for Weed Man USA. Franchisees are driving sales through superior customer satisfaction and expanding their territories to meet the high demand. Lemcke predicts that this segment will continue driving franchise growth in 2016, but that another large factor will be independent business owners, with lawn care-related businesses, adding Weed Man USA onto their existing businesses. www.weedmanfranchise.com
Del Taco Continues Growth in Pacific Northwest Del Taco opened two new franchise restaurants, located in Medford, Oregon, and Boise, Idaho. This continued growth in the Pacific Northwest is in line with Del Taco’s ongoing commitment to bring fresh, quality Mexican and American favorites for an unbeatable price to guests across the country. A successful operator of four Del Taco locations in Oregon, Gary Winnen, CEO of Cactus Enterprise LLC, decided to open a second location in his hometown of Medford. “It’s exciting to be a part of a growing brand,” said Winnen. “Our success is a reflection of the unparalleled support Del Taco provides its franchisees and a result of serving made-to-order menu items at a fantastic value.” This opening marks the third Boise location for Mark Miller, CEO of 3 Brothers Restaurants, who currently operates ten stores in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. “Del Taco is one of the few brands that represents a true upgrade to the traditional fast food experience,” said Miller. “This differentiator, along with the potential to grow significantly in a market with limited stores, sets franchisees up for success.” Del Taco continues to recruit franchise candidates in the Pacific Northwest. To learn more visit www.deltacofranchise.com.
World of Beer continues aggression expansion throughout the U.S. World of Beer, the Tampa-based craft tavern featuring 550+ craft and international beers, continued its aggressive expansion throughout the U.S. which included the opening of 22 taverns in 2015 and the projection of more than 100 taverns to be open by the end of 2016. The craft tavern concept also announced it will open this year in new domestic markets such as
elevated the brand’s sales in various day parts including lunch, dinner and happy hour.
Minnesota, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Las Vegas, and expand the World of Beer brand overseas for the first international deal in Shanghai.
Since opening the doors to its first location in Tampa, Fla., in 2007, World of Beer has grown to 77 locations in 20 states across the U.S. Led by veterans of the restaurant and beer industry, World of Beer’s leadership team drives the brand’s success. The company’s executives bring a diversity of knowledge and experience in past roles with organizations such as Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and MillerCoors.
World of Beer attributes much of its 2015 success to its ongoing menu innovation. Since the introduction and expansion of its Tavern Fare menu, the brand has seen a significant increase in same unit sales. The menu, which highlights beer as a key ingredient in many of its dishes, has also
www.worldofbeer.com/franchise
With additional territories available for growth and expansion, the company is looking for franchise candidates who have a passion for good beer and are committed to enhancing the World of Beer brand integrity.
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what’s new!
HoneyBaked Welcomes New Senior Director of Franchise Operations oversee franchise operations and relationships for the HoneyBaked brand. He will report to Molly Kesmodel, HoneyBaked’s senior vice president for operations and development, at the company’s headquarters in Alpharetta, Ga., near Atlanta.
As part of its strategic imperative to open new franchise and companyowned stores across the country, The Honey Baked Ham Company LLC has named Horace L. Williams, a veteran of corporate transformations and franchise operations, as senior director of franchise operations. In his new assignment, Williams will
Williams is a seasoned operations professional who also has considerable sales and marketing leadership experience. He comes to HoneyBaked™ with a proven track record of crafting and executing strategies that reduce costs, improve service, drive revenue growth, and increase profitability for franchisees and franchisors. He has extensive experience with corporate revitalizations for both startup enterprises and high-growth companies. “Horace’s vast experience in the foodservice industry, especially in franchise operations and strategic business planning, will be foundational to our plans for expanding HoneyBaked’s existing franchise store penetration around
the United States,” said Kesmodel. “In addition to his keen business negotiation and relationship management skills, Horace is a natural communicator who has a knack for making personal connections, which are vital in the franchise environment.” Williams joins HoneyBaked after threeyears (2012-2015) with Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits, where, as senior director of franchise operations he served as a key strategist in the chain’s franchise field restructuring and also played a pivotal role in a special “Bojangles’ of the Future” project. “I’ve been a fan and a customer of HoneyBaked for as long as I can remember,” said Williams. “I am humbled to now have an opportunity to support such a premium brand. I look forward to working with my new associates, as well as the franchise community, as we jointly continue to move The Honey Baked Ham Company forward.” www.honeybakedfranchise.com
Captain D’s Celebrates Record-Breaking Success Captain D’s is continuing on a track of upward growth and achieved recordbreaking success in 2015. The company experienced the most successful year in its rich history by establishing an all-time system-wide AUV record, marking the brand’s third consecutive year of AUV record growth. Captain D’s also saw a fourth-quarter system-wide same-store sales increase of 4 percent and a 4.3 percent systemwide same-store sales increase for the entire fiscal year, marking the company’s seventeenth consecutive quarter and fifth consecutive year of positive growth.
Franchising USA
Additionally, Captain D’s closed out the fourth quarter of 2015 with the signing of seven new franchise development agreements, positioning the company for another year of explosive growth in the fast casual segment. These signings will bring additional Captain D’s locations to South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Colorado, Kentucky, Mississippi, Wisconsin and Michigan. Among the new and existing franchise developers is Valerie Daniels-Carter, the country’s largest female African-American food service franchisee, who will begin developing six Captain D’s locations in Milwaukee and Detroit later this year.
With a new cluster of new franchise development agreements, Captain D’s plans to open more than a dozen locations throughout the year. www.captaindsfranchising.com
Primrose Schools® Continues Five-Year Steady Growth Pattern Preschool franchise company opened 19 new schools and awarded 44 franchise agreements in 2015 with plans for further expansion in coming years. Primrose Schools, the premier preschool franchise company with more than 300 locations across the country, continued a five-year pattern of growth by opening 19 new schools in 2015. The company’s growth is proven by a year-over-year increase in overall system revenue of nearly 12 percent, bolstering its leadership position in the flourishing early education franchise industry. “Over the past five years, Primrose Schools has consistently outperformed the industry because of our proven early education and care and business model
and the rising number of entrepreneurs and families who recognize the value of high-quality early learning experiences,” said Jo Kirchner, president and CEO of Primrose Schools. “We place a strong focus on empowering our Franchise Owners, Primrose families and school staff to make a lasting difference in their communities.” Primrose is ranked #1 in franchisee
satisfaction by the latest Children’s Services Franchise Sector Report from Franchise Grade. The company attracts entrepreneurs who are passionate about children and education, as well as those who are familiar with the high-quality Primrose Experience. For more information on franchising opportunities with Primrose Schools, visit www.PrimroseFranchise.com.
Caring Senior Service Launches Deferral and Rebate Program for New Franchisees Caring Senior Service, one of the nation’s premiere non-medical in-home care companies has been leading the way in the senior care industry for twenty-five years and this year is no different.
For all new owners, the initial franchise
Caring Senior Service just launched a groundbreaking deferral and rebate program for new franchisees. Furthermore, they are currently the only franchise in the nation with such a program. What exactly does this new program entail and what does it mean for potential owners?
determine the amount of the second rebate,
fee of $35,000 will be deferred for
12 months. Once the owner is able to
• $300,000 in gross earnings= $25,000 rebate
begin servicing clients, they will deduct
• $400,000 in gross earnings= $30,000 rebate
gross billings in the first 12 months will
• $500,000 in gross earnings= $35,000 rebate
$7,500 from the fee. Lastly, the owner’s
and could even result in Caring Senior
Service corporate paying them to open the business. For example:
• $200,000 in gross earnings = $20,000 rebate
Jeff Salter, founder of Caring Senior Service, is excited to offer this new program to potential owners and looks forward to all of the new trends the franchise world is experiencing. caringfranchise.com
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M assag e H eig hts
Massage franchise
looking for entrepreneurs who share its family-oriented values
One Texas-based massage franchise is looking for people who not only have strong business acumen, but also who share the values of a family-owned company. When franchisees and employees join Massage Heights, they are effectively joining a family, one that supports each other in times of need. Shane Evans, president of Massage
Franchising USA
Heights, describes the company as a highvalue, membership-based, therapeutic massage and skin care company that treats everyone they interact with as part of their extended family, from customers to franchisees to team members.
to deal with that crisis, they can tap into the fund to assist them. The company has been able to use the fund to help team members who have needed brain surgery and team members who have had to pay for unexpected funeral arrangements.
Perhaps the best example of Massage Heights’ commitment to its familial nature is the Heights Family Fund, which was set up about a year-and-a-half ago.
“It’s important for Massage Heights to take care of the people who take care of our guests,” Evans said. “Happy team members mean happy customers.”
“Heights Family Fund is a crisis relief fund for the team members of Massage Heights franchise locations,” Evans explained during a recent interview. When team members find themselves facing a crisis, like an unforeseen emergency, and they are short on money
Aside from being served by dedicated team members who are the beneficiaries of the Heights Family Fund, guests are kept happy by Massage Heights’ affordable membership plan that makes getting massages and skin care on a regular basis a reality for everyone.
“We hear all the time from customers and franchise candidates that, hands down, Massage Heights is the elevated brand.” - Shane Evans, President, Massage Heights
In the Beginning Founded in April 2004, Massage Heights began franchising in 2007 and now has 70 franchisees that own and operate more than 135 locations. Back in December 2003, Evans and her husband, Wayne, were visiting friends in Sedona, AZ and had been in the car driving for hours between Texas and Arizona. Evans woke up the next morning with an aching back and, much to her delight, her husband had booked her a massage at the resort hotel where they were staying. At a cost of over $200, she was expecting an amazing massage experience. What she got instead was a tepid back rub that she described as not-at-all-therapeutic and a huge waste of money. But while that massage may not have helped her aching back that particular day, it was the impetus to found Massage Heights. “The idea of making massage more affordable was the first aspect,” she said, “and then providing it in an atmosphere that was comfortable for both men and women so it didn’t seem like a spa was the next idea.” Things came together quickly for the budding entrepreneurs. “Within four months, we opened the first location in Alamo Heights, which is part of San Antonio,” the company president recalled. With brisk business coming in from all over, people began asking when they were opening more sites and some customers even started asking how they could get involved in what they recognized as a good business opportunity. The couple opened another store in San Antonio nine months after the first one, and then one of the first team members they had hired wanted to open a Massage
Heights location. That’s when they decided to explore franchising as a growth option for the company.
Focus on Well-being Evans believes Massage Heights took off in popularity because health and wellness is more of a focus for people with the rising cost of health care. “People are looking to take their health into their own hands,” she said. “They’re looking for alternative ways to look after themselves instead of medicine for stress and pain.” In the past, massage therapy was seen as a luxury that was just plain unaffordable for most people. However, with Massage Heights making it affordable and convenient, now everyone can enjoy the benefits of massage.
Management Minded Evans said the company generally likes franchisees that have a sales and marketing background, but most importantly, they should find commonalities in Massage Heights’ core values: loyal, passionate, diligent and authentic. Additionally, prospective franchisees should have exceptional people management skills and should want to be involved in the business. Some multiple location owners choose not to be involved in the day-to-day running of the business, she added, but they always make sure to hire a great management team for their locations, which is key. New franchisees undergo five weeks of on-boarding. The first week is called Base Camp and new franchisees are introduced to the brand and what to look for in a site. The second week is about marketing and how to hire the right people. Subsequent weeks go over every aspect of running the business with the final week of training done in the franchisee’s store during their opening week of business.
Ongoing support includes regional training sessions an annual convention and multiple phone conferences throughout the year. Plus, each franchisee is assigned a franchise business consultant to walk the new franchisee through the whole process of opening their location and provide guidance when they need it. The franchise business consultant continues to provide support in business planning throughout the life of the relationship.
Looking to Expand With a presence in 15 states, Massage Heights has a high concentration in Texas with 30 locations in Houston, 10 in Dallas and 12 in San Antonio. Evans identified several key markets for expansion, including Denver, Kansas City, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Nashville, Knoxville and Las Vegas. Additionally, Massage Heights is seeking area developers to grow the brand in Sacramento, Los Angeles, Northern Virginia, Nashville, Tampa-St. Petersburg and Salt Lake City.
The Massage Heights Difference What sets Massage Heights apart from its competition is the greater value the franchise offers to guests and members. Referring to their locations as retreats, Evans said the franchise aims to appeal to both men and women and touch all of their guests’ senses, from the relaxing music, to the scent of the essential oils they use to the high-quality massage tables and linens. All massage therapists go through rigorous training, so they don’t just massage guests, but give them a Massage Heights experience. A proprietary line of retail products allows guests to take the experience home with them. “We hear all the time from customers and franchise candidates that, hands down, Massage Heights is the elevated brand,” Evans said. While the franchise may offer an elevated massage experience, the affordable prices and obvious concern for its employees’ well-being speak to its familial roots and values. www.massageheightsfranchise.com
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ex per t advice
Brian Scudamore, Founder & CEO, O2E (Ordinary to Exceptional) Brands
The Art of the Ask Brian Scudamore
Franchising USA
How did a high school dropout like me get into university? Well, at 19 I decided that I wanted to pursue a business degree. Knowing that any application I sent would likely be trashed due to my general lack of scholastic achievements, I went to the admissions office and pleaded my case. This moment of gumption got me accepted, and looking back, I still think it’s incredible that I got in just because I asked.
“Just remember that everyone gets rejected sometimes, and when you hear “no” it doesn’t have to be the end of the conversation. Instead, be ready with alternate ways to pose the same question, find out who else you can talk to, and discover what you could have said differently.” Most business owners achieve success by putting themselves out there - networking, knocking on doors, and refusing to be turned down. Making requests and knowing when to push harder (and when to pull back) is a foundation of entrepreneurship. But when you’ve used up your powers of persuasion and the answer is still “no”, it’s equally important to learn how to come back from rejection and capitalize on the opportunity to learn. After 30 years in business and talking to so many other entrepreneurs in similar positions, I know that making “the ask” is kind of an emotional rollercoaster seeking a favor or funding puts you in a vulnerable position. Getting rejected is disheartening and embarrassing. The key is learning to move on to the next thing. With that in mind, here are tips on how to make your approach and deal with the consequences.
Ask questions, get answers For most of us, “the ask” is difficult we don’t like being an imposition or an inconvenience. But fearing the outcome of a request can hold franchisees and other entrepreneurs back from new opportunities and relationships that could be the next step to business development. I launched my second company, WOW 1 DAY PAINTING in 2010, and it all began with my willingness to ask. I invited the guy who painted my house out for a beer so we could talk about his business model - to paint your home or business in a day. Casual conversations with him turned into
a full-out franchising strategy and the next company under the O2E Brands banner. Now there are dozens of locations across North America. I’m not alone - just asking for a little time or consideration has turned out well for many of the entrepreneurs we recognize as business legends today. At only 12 years old, Steve Jobs showed a kind of tenacity many of us still struggle to harness as adults when he called the founder of Hewlett-Packard Bill Hewlett. He just wanted some spare computer parts, but Hewlett was so taken with the prodigy that he offered young Steve a summer job. And the rest is history. The lesson here is to summon your courage and make the ask, no matter how unattainable your request seems. You might just get what you need to level up.
Then what? Of course, focusing on the request is not enough: you should always prepare for rejection. The trick is realizing that even if you’re rebuffed, it’s not personal. Many business owners - especially ones running an enterprise alone - feel defeated when their proposals are declined.
media, and know from contacting journalists myself that rejection is part and parcel of the pitching game. However, when I put one of my brands forward for a feature and am turned down, I take the chance to ask the expert journalist what’s missing from my story. The feedback is essential to improving my outreach strategy and usually results in a better pitch than I had in the first place.
Go to plan B, C, D... As a franchise owner working to make a dent in your local market, remember that perseverance is perhaps the most important trait to have. Bill Gates did not start with Microsoft - demos for his first project, the Traf-O-Data, were laughed out of the boardroom. JK Rowling commands the literary world now thanks to Harry Potter, but she was rejected by 12 publishers who wish they’d seen the magic earlier. Milton Hershey tried three different candy companies before he baked the right bar. Almost no one gets it right the first time. When I first decided to franchise 1-800GOT-JUNK?, I discussed my plan with a dozen experts. Everyone told me it was impossible, but I took their feedback and found a solution to each obstacle they said I’d face. By being open to criticism and not taking it personally, I was able to refine my plan and eventually create the world’s largest junk removal service. No matter where you are in business, asking has the potential to change your trajectory. A “yes” - and even a “no” - will put you en route to success, one question at a time.
Just remember that everyone gets rejected sometimes, and when you hear “no” it doesn’t have to be the end of the conversation. Instead, be ready with alternate ways to pose the same question, find out who else you can talk to, and discover what you could have said differently.
Brian Scudamore is the founder and CEO of O2E (Ordinary to Exceptional) Brands, which includes companies like 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, WOW 1 DAY PAINTING,You Move Me and Shack Shine. Brian is passionate about helping others grow small to medium businesses and corporate culture.
I’m a big believer in the power of the
Tweet Brian at @brianscudamore
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FR A NCH ISEE I N ACT I O N
PI RT EK
Aussie businessman and his wife traverse the globe to open PIRTEK franchise in Houston
Franchising USA
John Abercrombie makes the switch from satisfied PIRTEK client to energized PIRTEK owner. A journey of 8,000 miles begins with a single step. For John Abercrombie, that step was his decision to pursue ownership of a PIRTEK franchise in Texas – a world away from his lifelong home outside Sydney, Australia. It’s a step he’s happy to have made. “The signs are all very positive right now,” said Abercrombie, who opened a PIRTEK Service & Supply Center in Houston back in December 2015. “Things are all going in the right direction. We’re encouraged.” Abercrombie and his wife, Alison, have teamed up to run the new PIRTEK Gulfgate location in the bustling southern metroplex – the 57th PIRTEK Service & Supply Center in the United
States. She coordinates the office and administrative duties, while he functions as general manager and takes on sales responsibilities. “It’s a good division of labor,” said Alison Abercrombie. “Each of us has our own set of strengths we bring to the business. We work together as an effective team.”
“Abercrombie and his wife, Alison, have teamed up to run the new PIRTEK Gulfgate location in the bustling southern metroplex – the 57th PIRTEK Service & Supply Center in the United States.”
A unique business PIRTEK is the only franchise of its kind operating in the United States. It provides hydraulic and industrial hose replacement sales and services from its Service & Supply Centers. On an international level, PIRTEK boasts more than 400 Service & Supply Centers in 23 countries around the world. A staff of five operates the new, 3,000 square-foot PIRTEK Gulfgate facility at 6205 Brookhill Dr., Houston, TX 77087. The three 24/7 Mobile Service Vehicles are ready for on-location work wherever a piece of machinery may require a hose replacement. Inside the vehicles, an on-call PIRTEK technician has all the equipment necessary to custom-fit a hose for whatever application is waiting onsite. No other company can do what PIRTEK does. Each Mobile Service Vehicle will cover a third of the 100-mile radius that PIRTEK serves. The Abercrombies’ location is the second PIRTEK Service & Supply Center to open in the Houston area. Other PIRTEK locations in Texas include Dallas, Plano, Fort Worth and San Antonio.
A busy time To say the least, it has been one eventful year for the Abercrombies. First, the couple and their two children moved from Australia, venturing everything to open up the new Texas franchise. John Abercrombie flew to Rockledge, FL, the company’s USA headquarters, where he went through rigorous training to prepare him for this new endeavor. Then the moment came they had been anticipating throughout the entire process: turning the key in the front door of the Service & Supply Center as a PIRTEK owner.
“We have a lot of confidence that it’s going to take off,” John Abercrombie said. “We know what it takes to run a service-based business. This is a solid company and a great location.”
the equipment shuts down and the crew can’t do its job. PIRTEK steps into these emergency situations to restore order and help get things running again.
Keeping industry up and running
Abercrombie’s knowledge of PIRTEK goes way back. He worked a long stint in a family business outside Sydney, a hydraulic mining operation where he was an end user of PIRTEK himself. “I’ve been familiar with PIRTEK for a long time; it’s a household name in Australia,” he said. “When the hoses in our mining operations needed servicing, PIRTEK was always the best option.”
In a city the size of Houston, there are always opportunities to acquire business. Abercrombie anticipates about 85 percent of his customers coming from construction companies, equipment rental facilities, equipment overhaul businesses, and the recycling and waste sector. “In a port city like Houston, there’s plenty of opportunity for PIRTEK,” he said. “Where there’s industrial equipment, particularly hydraulics, there are hoses. Over time, the stress takes its toll. When hoses blow or require replacement because of age, that’s when they call us.” And that call is critical. A ruptured hose on a piece of equipment can have dire consequences for an industrial business. The fluid can make a colossal mess,
No stranger to PIRTEK
Whenever a hose emergency struck, he found the PIRTEK option more economical and efficient than any do-it-yourself efforts in house. “The environmental impact of the accident, the time spent traveling across town to get a hose that might not work, the idled crew – all of these factors made PIRTEK the best choice,” Abercrombie said. “The economics of it, there’s just no contest.”
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FR A NCH ISEE I N ACT I O N
PI RT EK which he and his family were accustomed. He also appreciates the Texas government for not imposing undue barriers to franchise startup. “Texas definitely encourages business,” he said. “They’re geared around getting you going instead of holding you back.”
PIRTEK people: part of a team Now that he’s on the PIRTEK side, Abercrombie said he’s experienced a lot of cooperation from the company at large. “They were all excited to help,” he said. “This is a team of people all trying to do the same thing. I can call the home office for help anytime. It’s a real asset.”
“We’ve had a continual stream of PIRTEK people coming through – sales experts, technical people, accounting professionals – it’s really been a constant supply to help us in every facet of the business.” – John Abercrombie
Since opening the PIRTEK Gulfgate Service & Supply Center, Abercrombie has found the daily support from the company extremely beneficial. “We’ve had a continual stream of PIRTEK people coming through – sales experts, technical people, accounting professionals – it’s really been a constant supply to help us in every facet of the business,” he said. Weekly conferences with headquarters and with the other PIRTEK locations have also helped him draw upon the insights of longtime business owners. “They guide us and help us along the way,” he said.
The pursuit of customers ‘A no-brainer’
Looking west
The family mining company started up
Several factors fueled the family’s desire to relocate in the United States. For one, American housing is affordable when compared to the $1 million average price tag on an Australian home. The Abercrombies had also vacationed in the United States and found the culture compatible to their own. In addition, one of the two teenaged sons is an upand-coming basketball player and the Abercrombies wanted him to have college choices to facilitate that interest.
24 years ago. Abercrombie worked with
his dad, who retired 15 years later, leaving him in charge of operations as managing director. It was a $30 million business
with 54 employees – but something was missing.
“It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it. But it was just time to do something different,” he said. “I wanted 100-percent ownership
of something and wanted to come to the United States.”
When Abercrombie decided to change directions in life and pursue franchise
ownership, the choice of PIRTEK was straightforward. “It was a bit of a no-
brainer for us,” he said. “The convenience
for the end-user is the biggest market point for them.”
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In their geographic search, the couple narrowed their future home to the Lone Star State. “Texas values align very closely with ours,” John Abercrombie said. With its ports, construction and educational opportunities, Houston was on the top of their list. The Houston area offered a climate to
Now that the Abercrombie family is all situated, the pursuit of new business is John Abercrombie’s relentless focus. “Much of it is face to face, door to door, there’s a lot of that in the early days,” he said, adding that having an existing PIRTEK in town gives his Service & Supply Center some important name recognition. “Not only do people in the community recognize the brand, but the Mobile Service Vehicles themselves are important marketing tools – like moveable billboards. PIRTEK gives us a lot of advantages.” And so after launching this exciting new livelihood in a new land, the Abercrombies are taking charge of their business future as PIRTEK franchise owners. “It’s been an exciting journey for us,” said Alison Abercrombie, “and it’s only the beginning.” www.pirtekusa.com
Page 17
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ex per t advice
Melissa Saner, Chief Operating Officer, Primero Systems
Beyond Software:
Essentials to Digital Marketing Success So, you’re ready to join the ranks of the digitally empowered. You’ve done your due diligence, researching all of the speeds, feeds and features of the plethora of digital marketing platforms available. You feel as if you have the answer. Hold on a second – before you sign on the dotted line – do you really know what you’re getting? As Aristotle said, the whole is
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greater than the sum of its parts – and, in this case, a marketing platform is only as good as the company behind it. It’s called synergy – and success is often defined by it. According to Melissa Saner, COO for Primero Systems, the keys to marketing success in today’s digital world lie beyond the technical and reside in the synergies created between parties. We spoke with Saner about what else to look for when evaluating a marketing platform. A hint? It’s about more than software. While a software-powered marketing platform is a must for any franchise looking to join the digital revolution, looking beyond feature sets is critical, according to Saner. Areas of importance
that should also be evaluated include relationships, infrastructures, agreements/ contracts, and warranties. Ask yourself: do you trust the people selling this to you? That’s where company values – one of the biggest intangibles of all – come into play. The human element can’t be downplayed when your business is on the line. Primero, an international software development company with a strong franchising background, has established an impeccable track record, designing mission-critical software to help businesses achieve their goals. The company’s flagship product, Webtreepro, is a robust, highly-flexible marketing platform that includes a powerful content
“The keys to marketing success in today’s digital world lie beyond the technical and reside in the synergies created between parties.” assets. We’re committed to developing and supporting their products and services with the highest degree of expertise, integrity and quality.” Add the scalability of a world-class hosting environment that employs the latest monitoring, connectivity and controls, and the combination of Webtreepro and Primero gives franchisors the tools they need to achieve success. So, what are some of the less obvious things to look for when sizing up a marketing platform? According to Saner, you would be remiss to not ask the following questions: • What kind of post-installation support is included? • Is there a limit on number of support hours used per month? • Is there an additional charge for support? • Is there a guaranteed uptime? • When does scheduled maintenance occur? • Is there a maintenance window notification? • Who owns the code? management solution. Beyond the software itself, Primero offers a full suite of professional services including design, project management, implementation, training and customer service that allows Webtreepro to be fully customized and configurable. Customer service has played an integral role in building Primero’s strong reputation, with the company’s client base giving the support teams a very high rating. “We value our relationships with each and every one of our client partners. We’re crisp, professional, friendly and quick to respond,” Saner notes. “I would go so far as to say that customer relationships and proven performance are our greatest
• Who owns the data? • Are self-help resources available (i.e., FAQs, tutorials)? • How easy (or difficult) is it to get a live person on the line? • When is customer service available – what are the Help Desk’s hours of operation? • How are problems reported? • What is the average response time to reported problems? • Has a dedicated customer service rep been assigned to you? Answers not forthcoming? That should be a red flag, according to Saner. Primero prides itself on spelling out expectations in advance and far exceeding even what is promised in their customer engagements
Melissa Saner
– and they promise a lot. According to Saner, the behind-the-scenes advantages that Primero brings to the table serve to add value and underscore the company’s commitment to its customers. Can your marketing platform provider say the same? Franchisors looking for total solutions, not just technology, turn to Primero. Just ask their customers. Here’s what one of the Top 10 “Fastest-Growing Franchises” in the country had to say about working with Primero: “Primero has proven to be a great partner. Their commitment to customer service has really shone through and our comfort level in the partnership is very high. They went above and beyond to make sure we got exactly the solution we needed to provide the best experience possible to our users.”
Melissa Saner is the chief operating officer of Primero Systems, a software developer that specializes in solutions that address the needs of growing franchises. As COO, Melissa guides the direction of the company – overseeing critical operations such as customer support and account management. As a long-time member of the Primero family, Melissa is passionate about helping customers achieve their goals. She is active with the San Diego Better Business Bureau. www.primerosystems.com explore@primerosystems.com
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Page 19
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Texas L aundr y
Texas Company Looking for Laundromat Investors For anyone who wants to put their money into a safe and stable investment in south Texas, the supplier of the country’s premier laundry equipment wants to hear from you. Pasadena, TX based Texas Laundry Service Company (TELSCO) is a distributor for commercial laundry equipment for the Speed Queen brand. But the company doesn’t just sell laundry equipment, it also helps people realize their dreams of owning their own business. “We help investors build laundromats and we have several multi-store owners,”
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“We find markets where there is a need for laundromats to be built. We find locations in those areas where laundromats can be built and then we help the investor out with the location.” - Linda Moore, President, TELSCO TELSCO president Linda Moore said during a recent interview from the company’s headquarters. Whether investors choose to build one laundromat or invest in several of them, TELSCO will help them with the entire process, from finding a location, to designing the building to finding the right architect and contractors to build it. And they do all that for free. “We do not charge a fee for that,” Moore
said. “We do that to help the customers build their laundromats.” Generally, investors will find TELSCO via the company’s website, where they can get an overview of what it takes to invest in a laundromat and how to get started. TELSCO will then contact the investor and find out what size of investment they want to make and if the investor already has a location or if they need help finding one. Once the investor has found a location, TELSCO will get a line drawing
done for them that they can take to an architect to create a complete blueprint. “We help with the design element to make it as affordable and as efficient as we possibly can, yet still very functional and attractive,” Moore said. “We can also help them with financing.” Once the laundromat is up and running, it will be a Speed Queen branded laundromat, but the investor is free to name their business whatever they choose.
South Texas Started Aug. 1, 1983, TELSCO is concentrated in south Texas in the larger metropolitan areas like Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Laredo and throughout the entire Rio Grande Valley. The company is looking for investors who want to open laundromats in those particular markets and throughout south Texas. The company has both owner operators who take an active role in running their laundromats and hands-off investors who hire a management team to run their locations. A typical investor for the company will have between $250,000 - $500,000 to invest and also have some business experience in the past so they know the ins and outs of running a business, Moore outlined. Investors should be willing to stick with the investment for at least a few years rather than looking for a quick turnaround. A Speed Queen branded laundromat should provide a handsome ROI over three to five years and the company wants to work with investors who understand the value of sticking with an investment long-term.
“We find markets where there is a need for laundromats to be built,” Moore said. “We find locations in those areas where laundromats can be built and then we help the investor out with the location.”
Additional Support
The Speed Queen Difference
where they bring investors or their staff
What investors get when they choose Speed Queen is the premier line of commercial laundry equipment in the United States. Everything the company sells is built in the US in Ripon, WS and they have 32 years of experience building laundromats, the company president noted. That experience is matched by the company’s willingness to embrace the latest technological innovations, which investors appreciate because it means they can keep track of their laundromats even when they’re off-site. “If they’re at home, they can pull up their entire laundromat online, take a look at what’s down, how many times the machines have been run, what machines need repairs, start machines remotely,” Moore explained. “The machines are connected wirelessly to their computer through the Speed Queen Quantum network system.”
Even after their laundromats are up
and running, TELSCO still offers their
investors ongoing support. Twice a year,
the company offers a free service school, in for an entire day and teach them how
to service their own machines for simple repairs like belts and water valves. The
company provides them with materials and specific hand tools they might need to do those repairs.
TELSCO also gives investors a 90-day
labor warranty when the company sells the equipment to them and it also has a full-
service parts and service department at all four of its corporate locations. This is in addition to the extensive parts warranty offered by the Speed Queen brand.
Investors who want to set up shop in
south Texas in a recession-proof business are urged to call Texas Laundry Service Company.
Phone: 713-472-4083 Email: laundrylady2015@gmail.com Website: www.telscoequipment.com
“We help investors build laundromats and we have several multi-store owners.” - Linda Moore, President, TELSCO
Everyone Needs to do Laundry What makes investing in a laundromat so lucrative, the TELSCO president said, is that it’s essentially recession-proof, as everyone needs to do laundry. With the stock market in a state of nearconstant volatility, people are looking for something safer and more stable to invest in. And since TELSCO helps with the heavy lifting of finding a location, the laundromat will have an even better chance at succeeding.
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Page 21
question time
Brian Balconi, Vice President – USA, Gloria Jean’s Coffees
with Brian Balconi What is your professional background? Prior to joining Gloria Jean’s Coffees, I held executive-level positions in the restaurant and franchise industries with two iconic brands – Little Caesars and Dunkin’ Brands (Dunkin’ Donuts, BaskinRobbins and Togo’s).
Our team at Franchising USA had a chance to sit down with Brian Balconi, Vice President – USA of Gloria Jean’s Coffees, to learn more about the growth and success of the company. Hope you enjoy reading. Franchising USA
My background is in business and law. Soon after earning my business and law degrees, I became a franchise attorney. In the years following, I transitioned to a series of executive roles on the franchisor side of the business including Vice President and General Counsel.
How has your background prepared you for your current role with Gloria Jean’s Coffees? Before my various roles with franchisors, I was an attorney representing franchisees, which gave me an introduction to the industry through the eyes of the store owners. Later, as an in-house attorney and executive, I spent much of my time finding solutions to challenges that
arose in various stages of operating the business as well as tackling difficult projects and strategic initiatives across the company. These experiences taught me the importance of franchise relationships, as well as what works and what doesn’t work in a franchised restaurant environment.
How does Gloria Jean’s Coffees differentiate itself within the fast casual café segment? Gloria Jean’s Coffees is known for its variety and flavors of coffee, as well as its specialty beverages. For instance, in the spring we will be highlighting our Pistachio Crème flavor by offering Pistachio Crème lattes, chillers and wholebean coffee. The quality of our coffee is very important to us, so much so that we roast our own coffee beans at our facility in California. Our attention to quality and consistency is how our Ethiopian Yirgacheffe won “Best Overall” in the Franchise/Chain category at the 2015 Golden Bean North America roasting competition (a blind tasting competition hosted annually by industry professionals).
Where do you see Gloria Jean’s Coffees in the next five years? What about the next ten years? Our primary focus is to support our existing franchisees by helping them grow their current operations through the addition of new units. Our secondary focus is to bring on new franchisees that are interested in joining the Gloria Jean’s family and bringing our award-winning coffee to their community. Who is your typical franchisee? Our franchisees are passionate about the Gloria Jean’s Coffee brand. They love educating their guests about the different types of coffees; as well as helping them enjoy the experience of an expanding coffee culture. Many franchisees operate a single location, while others are multi-unit operators who aspire to continue to build their business. What type of support does Gloria Jean’s Coffees provide its franchise partners? We provide support through in-depth training on espresso standards and the guest experience. Our field-based operations team provides franchisees with best practices and ongoing guidance to grow their business. Our support office team works to produce innovative, specialty products for our seasonal
“Our franchisees are passionate about the Gloria Jean’s Coffee brand. They love educating their guests about the different types of coffees; as well as helping them enjoy the experience of an expanding coffee culture.” campaigns throughout the year. Do you have any advice for our readers who are exploring franchise opportunities? My advice is to choose a franchise concept that you are passionate about bringing to your community. Prospective franchisees need to gauge their level of excitement about the products and the brand experience. If they aren’t enthusiastic about the concept, I recommend they move on to a different franchise opportunity.
About Brian Balconi: Brian Balconi is the Vice President of Gloria Jean’s Coffees USA. Founded in 1979, Gloria Jean’s Coffees was started by Gloria Jean Kvetko in Chicago as a small coffee and gift shop. In 2014, Retail Food Group Ltd. (RFG), one of the world’s largest multi-brand retail food franchisors and leading wholesale coffee roasters, acquired Gloria Jean’s Coffees with plans to grow the brand through franchising throughout the U.S. There are currently 59 locations in more than 21 states across the country. www.gloriajeans.com
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Page 23
ex per t advice
Adam Robinson, Co-founder & CEO, Hireology
From Risk to Reward with Hiring Process
Owning a franchise comes with a myriad of decisions that can be intimidating as well as liberating. As the boss, employees look to you to set standards and protocols that make sure your franchise is in line with the brand’s standards and comply with its system. Within that system, hiring qualified and loyal employees is key to achieving your business goals. Yet, in order to be successful at hiring, there needs to be a clearly defined and repeatable process that mitigates risk.
The Risks of No Process Hiring process is the way by which your business can define, source, select and verify candidates. Without a hiring process, the risks to a business are increased. Consider for example that the cost to replace an entry-level employee is between 30-50 percent of their annual salary and for a mid-level employee, that rate is 150 percent. Additional risks related to lack of hiring process include loss of revenue, wasted time, disruption to company culture and damaged reputation with customer and employees. The process can be hijacked by a number of factors that combine to result in a poor hiring decision. The most common ways
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“When a person’s credentials are a good match but their personality clashes with the culture, it’s more likely the person won’t stick around in the long run.” managers make harmful hiring decisions include: Too Quick to Hire – There is pressure in any business to find a quick replacement for an open position but at what cost to the overall business? A more deliberate process will give hiring managers more time to assess whether a candidate is qualified and legitimately interested in the position. Ignoring Background Checks – Although not necessary for every position, properly vetting candidates will protect your company’s reputation and save you from being held liable for an employee’s actions in the future.*The infographic included on employee-screening shows why franchises aren’t doing enough to properly screen employees. Poor Job Descriptions – Think of a job description as a miniadvertisement for the company. In order to attract a higher caliber of applicants, the posting on a job board should include the job responsibilities, desired qualifications, criteria for measuring success and convey
to applicants the company’s culture. Poor Interview Questions – Asking the wrong interview questions can scare away candidates and fail to fully identify a candidate’s suitability for the job. Hiring managers need to do their due diligence on the types of questions that are appropriate and relevant to the specific position. Overlooking Culture Fit – Hiring managers should be able to assess whether a desired candidate will fit in seamlessly to a workplace’s culture. When a person’s credentials are a good match but their personality clashes with the culture, it’s more likely the person won’t stick around in the long run.
Defining A Role Part one of the hiring process is defining the role of the open position. Before interviewing begins, a hiring manager should be thinking about the ideal experience they want to set for candidates throughout the entire hiring process. That means laying out what the job will entail and how the future employee will impact
ex per t advice
Adam Robinson, Co-founder & CEO, Hireology
Is Your Franchise Doing Enough to
the business. Narrow the ideal fit down to experience, job responsibilities, expectations for customer interaction and required skills. Beyond laying out basic job requirements, incorporate company culture and information on the organizational structure of the business.
Sourcing Candidates The second component in building a better process is being better able to source a more diverse pool of applicants. There can be several reasons why the business isn’t attracting quality candidates – from where the job posting lives to the ease of the application process. The future of applying to jobs is here and it’s more mobile-friendly. Nearly 4 in 10 people are now using their phones to search for jobs and apply, so consider a more mobile-friendly approach when setting up the application process. In order for a job opening to find the right pool of applicants, it’s necessary to publish jobs in the most effective job boards and utilize social media to reach a larger audience. Current employees are also a great resource for referrals – accounting for almost 50 percent of hires. Consider establishing a referral program in the business as a small investment in achieving future success.
are evaluated on an even playing field. One of the ways to avoid bias in fully evaluating a candidate is basing those evaluations on key success indicators: attitude, a sense of accountability, past related job success and culture fit. These types of behavioral assessments take the guesswork out of determining how a candidate’s personality will mesh with your existing employees and ensure a smoother onboarding process.
Verifying the Candidates As the final step in a four step hiring process, verification gives the new employer access to information about the candidate that will be helpful in evaluating vital information about their past that would indicate future success. Verification can include past performance in similar jobs that is cross-referenced with previous colleagues and TEST managers. The verification process can – and should in some cases – go a step further in the form of background checks.
Selection Process
A well-defined hiring process starts with the job description and ends with the onboarding of a new employee that is confident and ready to work. Employees will see the benefits of wellfollowed hiring process reflected in a more positive workplace. And, as a business owner, the implementation of this process allows more time and energy to be redirected where it matters – growing the business.
A hiring manager, who is sorting through a mountain of resumes for an open position, will have better success if there is a process in place to track, evaluate and ultimately select the candidate that is the best fit.
Adam Robinson is the cofounder and CEO of Hireology. Founded in 2010, Hireology has become the go-to hiring platform for over 70 franchise clients and more than 1,500 franchisees.
It’s important that candidates
www.hireology.com
SCREEN ITS EMPLOYEES? 86% 86% OF EMPLOYERS INDICATED THAT BACKGROUND SCREENING UNCOVERED INCONSISTENCIES OR MISREPRESENTATIONS ON A RESUME
72%
33%
18%
72% INDICATED BACKGROUND SCREENING UNCOVERED ISSUES THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DETECTED OTHERWISE
EMPLOYEE THEFT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE CAUSE OF 33% OF ALL BUSINESS FAILURES
WORKPLACE VIOLENCE ACCOUNTS FOR 18% OF ALL VIOLENT CRIMES
Yet only 32% of businesses report that they do background checks on job candidates
How Can You Ensure Proper Background Screening and Quality Hires? Background Screening Best Practices:
RUN AN SSN & ADDRESS TRACE to access information to research the candidate, such as name summaries and variations, date of birth, and current address.
RESULTS
PERFORM A CRIMINAL SEARCH to understand if the person has convictions or if there is any potential adverse information requiring additional information in their background. CV
VERIFY that employment and education history matches what was provided and meets job requirements. SEARCH ADDITIONAL DATABASES It is important to note that information returned from a database search must be verified at the source information, such as the county court. PERFORM DRUG TESTING based on your organizational requirements.
OBTAIN A MOTOR VEHICLE REPORT in case your employees will be driving for your company.
AUTOMATE BACKGROUND SCREENING using a digital process rather than collecting and retyping hand-written candidate information from paper into online systems.
Know and Comply with Local Laws That apply to Administering Background Checks
FRANCHISORS MUST BE AWARE OF THE CHANGING LAWS FROM MANY DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS, INCLUDING THE RAPIDLY CHANGING BAN THE BOX REQUIREMENTS.
BE SURE THAT BOTH YOUR FRANCHISE AND THE BACKGROUND SCREENING PROVIDER COMPLY WITH THE FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT RULES.
Let Hireology and Accurate Background simplify your hiring process. Contact Hireology for our full suite of background check services. https://www.tandemhr.com/userfiles/file/The%20Importance%20of%20Background%20Checks.pdf, http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/staffingmanagement/articles/pages/hiring-background-screening.aspx https://nrf.com/media/press-releases/retailers-estimate-shoplifting-incidents-of-fraud-cost-44-billion-2014, https://businesspracticalknowledge.wordpress.com/legal-security/employee-theft/
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OBTAIN WRITTEN CONSENT FROM AN APPLICANT BEFORE RUNNING A BACKGROUND CHECK OF ANY SORT.
FRANGUIDE.COM 703-424-2980 FIND YOUR FRANCHISE WITH FREE GUIDANCE FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS
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G row th C oach
Growth Coach Aims to Help More Small Businesses Expand by Expanding Itself Like any good mentor, Growth Coach doesn’t just want to make entrepreneurs better at what they do; the company wants to help business owners have better lives. In business for 23 years and franchising for 13 of those years, Growth Coach can be likened to a navigation system for businesses. “We’re not consultants. We don’t tell people how to run their business,” Growth Coach president Ray Fabik said during a recent interview from the company’s headquarters in Cincinnati, OH. “We act more as a GPS and help guide them to get more out of their business and more out of where they want to go. A consultant says;
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‘This is where you should go.’ We ask them where they want to go and help them get there.” For many small business owners, Fabik said, the focus isn’t just on making more money or expanding their business; they also want to return some balance to their lives as they do that. A lot of entrepreneurs don’t want to spend 90 hours at work each week and travel constantly, which many of them end up having to do. Growth Coach steps in and helps these small business owners make more money while working less.
A Born Coach Growth Coach was founded by accountant Dan Murphy. As an accountant, Murphy worked for a firm that had several small businesses as clients and while doing the books for these clients, he was able to observe numerous hurdles they stumbled on as they attempted to grow. Murphy asked the accounting firm he
worked for if, in addition to his accounting duties, he could also coach these small business clients to help them become better businesses. The accounting firm said no, so he quit and ventured out on his own to start Growth Coach. Murphy came up with a process for coaching small businesses and one of his clients that had several franchises suggested he start franchising his coaching business. Now, the company boasts 80 franchisees in about 150 markets throughout the US. Internationally, the company has a presence in 15 countries. Internationally, Growth Coach is looking to expand into different countries, particularly in South America. Inside the United States, the company wants to continue expansion in all markets across the country.
The More, the Merrier Designed for both small business owners and small business sales teams, the proven
Growth Coach method features something that most business coaching methods lack; group coaching. “The group coaching concept puts eight, ten, fifteen people in a room at once so I can coach all of them through the process at the same time,” Fabik said. “It’s good for them because they will learn from different business owners who are going through the process at the same time and facing similar challenges.”
Experience Makes for Great Coaching Generally, a Growth Coach franchisee is a former executive between 45 - 60 years old who has been through the corporate grind at a top executive level for years and just wants to get out of the corporate cycle, Fabik outlined. They often come out of positions where they were required to travel 40 plus weeks per year and just want to stop living in hotels and run their own business instead. Growth Coach’s franchisees have a lot of business knowledge to share and want to help small business owners avoid costly mistakes and give these business owners lessons that they’ve learned during their corporate tenure.
“We’re not consultants. We don’t tell people how to run their business. We act more as a GPS and help guide them to get more out of their business and more out of where they want to go.” - Ray Fabik, President, Growth Coach The Need for Growth Coach A lot of people open their own business because they have experience in a particular trade or interest, but don’t have actual business experience, Fabik said. This lack of business experience can get them in trouble. Plus, it’s always helpful to business owners to have an outside perspective into how their business is being run, particularly from knowledgeable people. Growth Coach provides the business knowledge infrastructure and support that many of these businesses lack, allowing them to step up to the next tier.
Coaching the Coaches Not only does Growth Coach use its proven business coaching system for its clients, the company also uses it to help their own franchisees become better coaches and grow their business. When they first join and buy a franchise, new franchisees go through Growth Coach’s Jump Start Program, which starts
six weeks before they actually come to the Cincinnati offices for training. New franchisees start working one-on-one with one of the company’s internal coaches from that time. After their six weeks of Jump Start training, they then have a week of live training in the corporate offices in Ohio. After this week of live training, new franchisees also have follow-up training. Growth Coach also utilizes its 90-day success check list, which spells out what a franchisee should be doing for the first 90 days to be successful, including social media, website, networking and events. The whole process is laid out for them, Fabik explained, and their assigned coach helps them through it. The company also helps to jump start its franchisees’ referral list by making pre-set appointments for them. For potential franchisees who feel they have business knowledge to impart, Growth Coach can be a lucrative mentoring opportunity. www.thegrowthcoach.com
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Page 29
ex per t advice
Kyle Zagrodzky, President, OsteoStrong
The Five Mistakes
Most Franchisors Make Franchising is an organized business model that helps entrepreneurs kickstart empire brands that can be duplicated by franchisees everywhere.
that lead to a lot of failure and regrets.
It can be a great way to build a major, recognizable brand and take a big bite out of market share, and when executed well, everyone involved can be part of a thriving business that delivers significant rewards.
idea into a franchise, but as the number
All upstart businesses come with risk, but franchising comes with additional pitfalls
franchise, most big brands wobble because
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Unfortunately, because franchises are
designed to exist on such a large scale, mistakes that could be corrected more easily with a single business unit are
magnified to the point that they can steer an entire brand off course.
More upstart businesses are being drawn in by the allure of turning their bright
of businesses that attempt the leap into the franchise world rises, more also
risk falling flat. Though there are a lot
of variables that contribute to a healthy of the same five mistakes.
1
Failure to truly understand and define the brand
Understanding your own brand sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s usually the first hiccup that holds a business back. Knowing exactly what you are (and exactly what you are not) is the first step to having any successful brand, and finding a simple way to communicate that message is a close second. If there is any ambiguity about your brand, confusion is an immediate side effect. The trick is to walk the fine line between loyalty to your vision and being open to outside input. Weak branding invites people to tweak or alter the brand until it’s a mess, which ultimately confuses both franchisees and
“The trick is to walk the fine line between loyalty to your vision and being open to outside input.” you can (and should) invest in solid, comprehensive, accessible education materials that will help franchisees tap into the power that gives your brand its “secret sauce.” Having strong educational systems in place will let people access information when and where they need it, plus give them the power to learn independently and help fellow franchisees grow as well.
3
Fail: Getting bad legal advice
Legal advice is everywhere, and it’s usually expensive regardless of how good or bad it is. Be realistic about the cost of legal advice, budget accordingly, and shop attorneys until you find the best, most experienced legal help you can afford. Legal costs are going to be high, but think of them as an essential investment to your entire franchise’s health in the short and long term. Building your business on a shaky legal foundation could lead to the end of everything you’ve worked for, so get it right the first time. It’s a lot easier to build on a strong foundation from day one than it is to renovate.
e customers. On the other hand, being too rigid doesn’t provide any flexibility for growth and positive change.
2
Failure to create an education system that shares the “secret sauce” One of the biggest pitfalls of launching a franchise is discounting the unique magic that the original franchise founder personally contributes. If you want to start a franchise, don’t take your personal charisma and expertise for granted, because the specialties you contribute personally are likely a big part of what made your idea successful to start with. You can’t duplicate yourself, but
4
Fail: Getting worse sales advice
Selling is more of art than science, but the franchising model has challenged even the best salespeople. The road of franchise development is jam packed with land mines, but working with franchise sales consultants can help you steer around them and avoid headaches and damage to your brand. Find a team of vetted franchise sales experts who have experience developing the kind of franchise you envision, and listen closely to their advice. Franchise sales consultants are great for every phase and stage of your business, whether you’re first starting out, sales have plateaued, or you need to keep momentum going.
Kyle Zagrodzky
5
Not defining your territory
Lots of business owners become starry-eyed over the “sky is the limit” potential of owning a franchise system. Expansion can even go global, but it’s important to take healthy steps instead of big ones. If you don’t take the time to develop territories carefully and intelligently, you risk running out of resources, stretching people too thin, or introducing a concept before it’s ready. Break down your growth goals into realistic franchise maps with dedicated personnel to develop and run each. Territories are geographically helpful in organizing your brand, but they can also break down customers into groups that help you sell. Patience is harder to practice, but it pays off bigger dividends down the road. Kyle Zagrodzky is president of OsteoStrong, the health and wellness system with a focus on stronger bones, improved strength, and better balance in less than 10 minutes a week using scientifically proven and patented osteogenic loading technology. OsteoStrong introduced a new era in modern wellness and anti-aging in 2011 and has since helped thousands of clients between ages 8 and 98 improve strength, balance, endurance, and bone density. In 2014, the brand signed commitments with nine regional developers to launch 500 new locations across America. Today, the OsteoStrong brand is staying true to its growth towards a brand with global reach with the addition of more franchise sales and new regional developers. www.osteostrong.com
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FR A NCH ISEE I N ACT I O N
W ineS t y les
WineStyles Customers So Impressed with Franchise, They Decided to Become Franchisees When one Iowa couple was looking for the perfect franchise to join, they didn’t need to hire a broker because they were already fans of the WineStyles concept long before they joined the company.
Allan and Gina Graham
Franchising USA
Allan and Gina Graham bought their franchise in 2009 and opened their first store in Johnston, Iowa in January 2010. The husband-and-wife team were longtime Wine Club members of the WineStyles location in West Des Moines and loved the
concept. They loved it so much, in fact, that they were eager to see it expand in Iowa. In addition to running their own business, the Grahams serve as area developers for the concept and support other WineStyles Tasting Station franchisees looking to expand in territories across Iowa and Illinois. Allan came to WineStyles Tasting Station with more than 25 years of corporate IT experience. In 2012, he decided to leave the corporate world and begin working full-time in the couple’s store. Gina has an accounting background and still works with a financial services company, in addition to her responsibilities as a franchise owner and area developer. The couple always had an interest in opening a business, Allan said, and WineStyles Tasting Station provided that opportunity for them. What also appealed to Allan about the concept was wine and its tie to agriculture, having grown up on a farm, he viewed the concept as a way to connect to his agricultural upbringing.
Superb support After the couple signed their franchise agreement, they worked closely with a local real estate agent, their regional area developer at the time, and the corporate team to find the best site for their location, and design the buildout of their store.
“We’re really looking at quality versus quantity. Slow and steady wins the race is our mantra here. We’re not looking to open a hundred stores a year, we’re looking at a slow, steady open rate.” - Bryan McGinness The couple also receives assistance from the WineStyles Tasting Station corporate team with in-store marketing, as well as choosing and promoting products for their various Monthly Club selections. Allan said the company has a comprehensive training program and gives its franchisees the necessary tools to successfully execute monthly educational classes, winery tastings and other instore events. WineStyles Tasting Station also offers its franchisees real estate site selection support, in-house marketing, advertising, PR and social media experts and online asset management tools, in addition to access to customizable, system-wide marketing materials. A field support team is assigned to each franchisee to assist with business start-up and growth while corporate and on-site training programs are designed to create a standardized operating system across the brand. Customized management software and financial administration tools top off the ongoing support the franchise provides to its franchisees.
The right team Now that the couple’s store is a bona fide success, they’ve been able to enjoy a good work-life balance. Gina attributes this in large part to the people they’ve hired. “We have built a strong team to help run the store and support us,” she said. “We’re still very hands-on, especially when it comes to coordinating and executing instore events.” For those thinking about joining the WineStyles Tasting Station team, Allan said it’s worth it because the company offers its franchisees ongoing support with the ability to maintain an entrepreneurial spirit that prompts many people to start their own business. In their role as area developers for the franchise, the couple is looking forward to WineStyles Tasting Station opening more stores in Iowa and Illinois. In addition to these two states, the franchise is currently seeking expansion in targeted regions of Colorado, Florida,
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W ineS t y les
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Nebraska, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia. WineStyles Tasting Station owners Andrea and Bryan McGinness say this strategic approach to expansion is because logistically, they want to be able to easily access their franchisees and expand further in areas where they already have area developers in place. Area developers, like Allan and Gina, act as mentors to new franchisees, in addition to selling territories. “We’re really looking at quality versus quantity,” Bryan said. “Slow and steady wins the race is our mantra here. We’re not looking to open a hundred stores a year, we’re looking at a slow, steady open rate.”
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a-kind, clubhouse experience. This unique experience is offered in a store with an ambiance that is reminiscent of an Old World wine cellar.
The WineStyles way
“Wine can be an intimidating buying experience when you go into a grocery store or a very large big box store,” Bryan said. “We try to demystify that whole wine buying experience by setting our stores up by style.”
WineStyles doesn’t just offer wine for customers. The concept is a retail store and wine bar hybrid that also serves up craft beer and small plates with a one-of-
Each WineStyles Tasting Station offers three different styles of white and three different styles of red. They also group their craft beer together by styles and offer
Franchising USA
recommendations for pairing the different wines and beers with other gourmet foods sold in the stores. On top of that, WineStyles Tasting Station aims to keep the wine buying experience as affordable as possible for people. The majority of wines in the store retail for under $30. With dedicated ownership and valuable mentors like Allan and Gina, WineStyles Tasting Station is turning more fans of the concept into franchisees to continue its strategic expansion. www.winefranchise.com
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ex per t advice
Harold L. Kestenbaum, Attorney and Owner, HLK, P.C. Law Firm
Overtime Changes
Could Shake Up the Franchise World in 2016 “Employers are now advised to take steps to identify currently classified exempt positions that might not qualify as exempt under the higher minimum salary threshold when implemented.”
Harold L. Kestenbaum
New definitions and new potential for legal exposure may be on the horizon. If the Department of Labor (DOL) finally rules on federal overtime regulations later this year, franchisees and franchisors could end up saddled with millions of dollars in added costs, according to a recent report released by the National Retail Federation. The impact of the new regulations would be felt strongly in three specific areas: raising the exemption eligibility ceiling, redefining duties and employee-related litigation.
Higher Exemption Ceiling The Obama Administration’s plan revising federal overtime regulations would result in raising the overtime eligibility ceiling from its current level of $23,660 to as much as $50,440. That increase could not only create millions of dollars
Franchising USA
in extra expenses, but also potentially unevenly impact retailers operating in rural states, the report “Rethinking Overtime” concludes. The study found that increasing the salary threshold would disproportionately impact businesses in Iowa, Oklahoma, Oregon, Kentucky and Louisiana, which tend to have fewer stores and lower labor costs. Currently, the overtime rules guarantee that workers earning up to $455 per week are eligible for overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The new federal overtime rules, submitted for review in 2015 by the Office of Management and Budget, are expected to raise that standard up to $970 per week. Additionally, the new rules are expected to redefine the duties of professional, executive and administrative employees who can be declared exempt from overtime, possibly eliminating the exemption status of around 21.4 million employees, according to DOL projections. In order to limit the financial impact, franchisees will need to analyze whether it is more practical to limit employees to 40 hours or less per week, give raises to meet the new threshold, or reclassify them as non-exempt and pay them overtime. Even more complications are added to the
mix when coupled with union implications across several industries, such as in retail, hospitality and healthcare sectors.
The Impact of Redefining Duties For franchisees, the redefining of duties will also likely have a significant financial impact. Employers are now advised to take steps to identify currently classified exempt positions that might not qualify as exempt under the higher minimum salary threshold when implemented. Currently, the exemption status standard revolves around what an employee’s main duties are, rather than how much time is spent on a specific task —this is known as the Primary Duties Test. For example, while a retail manager may log work hours helping customers or stocking shelves, they still qualify as a manager (and thus are exempt from overtime pay) because their main job is to manage other employees. The new DOL regulations would instead rely on what is known as the California Test, which states that workers spending more than 50 percent of their time on non-exempt tasks are eligible for overtime pay, regardless of the non-exemption status of their primary job. In other words, under the new regulations, a retail store
manager putting in more than half their time helping customers or stocking shelves would be entitled to overtime, regardless of whether their salary meets the new higher threshold. To reduce the significant financial implications and overall increased labor costs, planning is required to consolidate positions, reclassify employees, and/or hire more part-time workers, especially for franchisees in the restaurant, hospitality, healthcare and retail industries.
Employee-Related Litigation The proposed DOL rules also affect the franchise industry from another angle, by adding the dimension of legal risk. The DOL’s Wage and Hour Division has recently increased its investigations of wage complaints and compliance audits, with the number of FLSA cases having more than doubled since 2004.
It is foreseeable that the new rules could trigger more actions by state and federal agencies, as well as additional private litigant activity. With regards to the franchise model, the proposed regulations present challenges with respect to joint employer liability – opening the possibility of higher franchisor liability risks due to claims of incorrect employee classifications occurring at the franchisee level. While franchisors need to advise their franchisees on the change in law, they will also need to make their own assessment— based on the nature and structure of their franchise program—about how much guidance and information they will provide to franchisees that may increase or reduce those joint employer liability risks. Harold L. Kestenbaum is an attorney specializing in franchise law, engaged exclusively in the practice of franchise
distribution and licensing law since 1977. He is the owner of HLK, P.C and has served on numerous boards and committees over the past two decades. Kestenbaum represents franchisors on a regional, national and international level from existing franchise systems to firsttime franchisors. He is the author of So You Want to Franchise Your Business, the first book dedicated to franchise entrepreneurs. www.franchiseatty.com Sources • https://nrf.com/sites/default/files/Documents/ retail%20library/NRF-GfK-Overtime-StudyReport.pdf • http://www.dol.gov/whd/overtime/nprm2015/
• http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/twas-the-2016franchise-renewal-season-32497/
• http://www.marketwatch.com/story/overtime-rulescould-hit-small-businesses-chamber-of-commercesays-2016-02-01 • http://fortune.com/2016/01/06/overtime-lawsuitsrules/
Franchising USA
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Fresh C oat Painter s
Professionalism of
Fresh Coat Painters Impresses Franchisee
For one Colorado entrepreneur who was used to dealing with subpar contractors, one franchise gave him the opportunity to inject some professionalism into an industry that was sorely lacking it. Brad Jennings, along with his wife Yeny, purchased their Fresh Coat Painters franchise in February of 2013 and the franchisee said it was Fresh Coat’s positioning within its industry and its dedication to professionalism that made the pair want to get involved.
Room for Improvement With a working background as a project manager for a general contractor, Jennings was used to being in charge of several subcontracted tradespeople, who he was responsible for coordinating while running a project from start to finish.
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The decision to open his own business came when he realized that if he was going to spend his time coordinating people, he’d rather do it for himself than someone else. He also saw vast room for improvement in the painting industry. He and Yany decided to focus on one trade and do it well in their area of Centennial, CO, so they decided on painting, knowing how notoriously poor service in the painting industry can be.
“One of the big things I liked about this franchise model is there is virtually no inventory to carry. There’s virtually no reason to have a storefront.” – Brad Jennings, Fresh Coat franchisee
“The bar for painters has been set particularly low,” Jennings said. “I hired painters for several years and painters were notoriously late to the job sites, they didn’t return phone calls, they didn’t return emails, they didn’t text. There was just virtually no communication.” Fresh Coat Painters manages to avoid this by hiring their own painters. Jennings’ is one of about 120 Fresh Coat franchises across North America and all of them share the common element of hiring their painters rather than subcontracting the work. The best thing about hiring permanent employees rather than subcontracting, Fresh Coat president Tara Riley says, is permanent employees take much greater pride in their work because they are with the company long-term and they share in the responsibility of doing good work. Having franchisees hire their own employees also allows the company to perform background checks on those employees to ensure Fresh Coat is not sending any unsavory people into their customers’ homes. “We do a lot to make sure the person entering your house is a solid person,” Riley told Franchising USA.
Home Sweet Home Prior to joining Fresh Coat, Jennings and his wife conferred with the company about where their territory would be and once they
Franchising USA
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Fresh C oat Painter s
were able to confirm their territory, the couple flew to Cincinnati for their initial training. After that initial training, they had a series of weekly conference calls with a business consultant assigned to them from the franchise for about 12-14 weeks. These calls included in-depth discussions about how to set up the business and how to progress it once it was up and running. Another aspect of Fresh Coat that appealed to Jennings was the fact that he could easily run it out of his home. “One of the big things I liked about this franchise model is there is virtually no inventory to carry,” he said. “There’s virtually no reason to have a storefront.” The majority of his customers are either residential or light commercial or industrial in nature. Jennings always goes to the client’s location and discusses with them the work they want performed so he can lay eyes on the project before making a bid. Once they know how large the project is, they order the materials they need from paint suppliers on a project-by-project basis, saving them from having to stock any paint.
Franchising USA
Brad Jennings, along with his wife Yeny, purchased their Fresh Coat Painters franchise in February of 2013 and the franchisee said it was Fresh Coat’s positioning within its industry and its dedication to professionalism that made the pair want to get involved. A Great Experience A couple of times per year, the franchise will host training sessions that franchisees and their staffs can attend, Jennings said. He also noted Fresh Coat’s annual conference is particularly helpful, as the franchise will invite different guest speakers to come in and talk about what’s going on in the industry. Fresh Coat also has a comprehensive marketing plan that is completely laid out for new franchisees during initial training and they have ongoing marketing and instruction that is supplied to franchisees. Now that they are over the hump of getting the franchise up and running and are into their fourth year, Jennings said, he and
Yeny are starting to see an improvement to their work/life balance.
“In the beginning, it was a lot of long days and a lot of long hours in the first two years,” he recalled.
Despite the hard work it took to get the
business up and running, the franchisee said, owning a Fresh Coat Painters
franchise has been a great experience
for him and his wife. The company has
been professional and has been there with support every step of the way, he said. It’s this professionalism that Jennings
hopes to bring to the painting industry, with the help of Fresh Coat Painters. www.freshcoatfranchise.com
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FranchisingFeature spo rts and & fitnesss health beaut y
march june 2 0 1165
Fingernails2Go
offering opportunities in a fast growing industry
health & beauty feature
athletes in franchising
life after the game Franchising USA
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what’s new!
Blink Fitness signs its first two franchise agreements Blink Holdings, Inc., the New York-based operator of the premium quality, value-based Blink Fitness™ brand, recently signed its first two franchise agreements. The brand’s first-ever franchise agreement was signed with The Bairrada Group. These entrepreneurs - Vipul Sawhney, Tom Ehlers, Harit Desai and Sushil Duddempudi – plan to develop their first club in the Seaford, NY area with a desire for extensive development throughout the U.S. The second franchisee agreement was signed with AMP Capital Corp., with plans to develop their first club in Carle Place, NY. Blink is known for its signature Mood Above Muscle™ philosophy, which celebrates the positive emotions generated by exercise as opposed to solely focusing on physical benefits. With over 50 company-owned Blink Fitness gyms currently open or in development in the New York metropolitan area, the company plans to open more than 300 additional gyms by the end of 2020. Blink Fitness Franchising’s focus is on offering franchise opportunities to qualified candidates in markets across the U.S. Blink Fitness Franchising is seeking single- and multi-unit operators with business, management and/or marketing experience. Multi-unit investment groups and franchise candidates should have a commitment to exceptional customer service, as well as a minimum net worth of $1,500,000 and liquid assets of at least $300,000. To learn more about franchise opportunities with Blink Fitness Franchising, Inc. visit blinkfranchising.com.
Quick-Service Restaurant Froots Provides a Healthy Alternative to Traditional Fast Food Fare Miami residents will soon have a healthy haven to escape from the mundane, traditional fast food options, thanks to local entrepreneur Evellyn Morales. She is opening a new Froots location this February at 13909 SW 88th St in Miami, right outside of Kendall, Fla. The restaurant offers a variety of great tasting menu options that cater to a large, growing segment of the U.S. population
Franchising USA
that is more health conscious and aware of better eating habits. Its menu includes all-natural smoothies, energy shakes, fresh-squeezed juices, sandwiches, wraps, paninis, salads, soups and more. Over the next two years, Froots expects to add 50 restaurants nationwide. Entrepreneurs appreciate that Froots meets two popular demands in the quick service industry by catering to consumers who are increasingly looking for healthier
food choices and the booming juice and smoothie bar market. With a 2.9 percent annual growth increase since 2010, the $2 billion U.S juice and smoothie bar offering has proven it’s more than just a fad. Additionally, as a relatively low investment for a restaurant franchise and the growth of the sector, Froots is an easy decision for potential investors. www.froots.com
two new chiefs for Orangetheory Fitness As chief financial officer, Tanguay will lead the management of financial planning, record-keeping, reporting and analysis. In her role as chief learning officer, Daley will lead the company’s comprehensive learning and development efforts and oversee all human resources functions. “Orangetheory Fitness has experienced such incredible growth since our inception in 2010, and as we dive into the New Year, I’m thrilled to welcome Tim and Leslie to the team as we continue to make our presence even more widespread in the U.S. and beyond,” said Dave Long, chief executive officer of Orangetheory Fitness. “With decades of experience and a commitment to driving exceptional results, they will have a big hand in helping propel the brand to new heights in 2016 and beyond.”
Orangetheory® Fitness, the energizing and fast-growing fitness franchise, announced recently Tim Tanguay and Leslie Daley have joined the company’s executive leadership team as chief financial officer and chief learning officer, respectively.
In addition to the new hires, Orangetheory Fitness promoted three existing directors to vice president level – Paul Reuter to vice president of area representative development, Dan Adelstein to vice president of franchise sales and real estate and Grace Pineda to vice president of operations. More information about Orangetheory Fitness is available at www.orangetheoryfitness.com.
i9 Sports Corporation Sells Company to Employees Frank Fiume, founder and chairman of i9 Sports ®, the nation’s first and largest youth sports league franchise, announced he fulfilled a life-long dream by selling his company to his employees. “Our employees have acted like owners for a long time,” said Frank Fiume. “Now, they no longer need to act - all eligible i9 Sports Corporation employees will have a literal ownership stake in the company they are helping to build. This is about more than just compensation. It’s about rewarding the contagious sense of pride and personal ownership our employees have in the company’s success.”
Companies that are employee owned are known as ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Plan). An ESOP is designed as a retirement benefit for employee owners linking them to the long term success of the company. Over time, employees are granted shares in the company at no cost to them.
year in 2015 and is already on pace for another record leap in 2016. “A company comprised of owners who have skin in the game on top of the momentum we already have as a business is an unbeatable combination,” said Fiume. “This is a game changer for our employees and for our company.”
i9 Sports just completed a record-breaking
www.i9sportsfranchise.com
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what’s new!
KWENCH JUICE CAFÉ ANNOUNCES FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS that we shop locally for fresh and organic ingredients to ensure you won’t find a fresher juice or smoothie,” says CEO Chris Gregoris. The menu at Kwench Juice Café includes: fresh juices, juice cleansing, fresh fruit smoothies, acai bowls and juice shots.
Kwench Juice Café is proud to announce today that they are currently offering franchises to qualified candidates. Chosen applicants will get the opportunity to run a franchise with an exceptional
business model, extensive training, and consistent ongoing support.
Kwench Juice Café prides itself on making healthy concoctions that taste great, and also making drinks that make you feel refreshingly healthy. While using the freshest natural ingredients, Kwench Juice Café’s priority is keeping your health in mind to ensure that each drink gives your body the boost it needs. “What sets Kwench Juice Café apart is
Currently, Kwench Juice Café has a opened location in Boston with many more under way in:, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Franchisees receive full site selection assistance, lease negotiations, layout & design of their Kwench Juice Café, on-site training, ongoing Support and marketing assistance. If you interested in learning more about becoming a franchisee, please visit kwenchjuicecafe.com.
Launch Trampoline Park Announces Opening of Two New Locations in Maryland locations are scheduled to open in early 2016. The parks provide unparalleled high-flying entertainment, whether playing dodgeball in mid-air or falling into a massive foam pit, there’s endless fun for the entire family. The parks will feature open jump, X-treme dodgeball, bounce-basketball courts, tumble tracks, foam pits and a dedicated “kids court” for jumpers under 42 inches.
Launch Franchising, LLC, co-founded by former NFL Cornerback Ty Law, is adding two new locations to its roster. Former teammate and NFL wide receiver Deion Branch will be the latest to franchise. Branch will co-own two new locations in Columbia and Rockville, MD with already successful Launch franchisees, Stephanie Eldridge and William Garrett. Both
Franchising USA
“It’s great to have Deion on board,” said Ty Law, co-owner of Launch Franchising. “As professional athletes, we are passionate about fitness. Launch allows us to bring a new twist to family fun. Our history as teammates and friends made it a smart business decision for us.” “I am so excited to bring family fun and fitness to Columbia and Rockville,” said Deion Branch, co-owner of Launch Trampoline Park Columbia and Rockville. “Like Ty, I wanted to invest in something meaningful after my career in the NFL.” launchtrampolinepark.com
Tropical Smoothie Café Announces Strongest Year of Growth Tropical Smoothie Café, the leading fast casual cafe concept known for its better-for-you food and smoothies with a tropical twist, recently announced it’s strongest year of growth in the brand’s 19-year history. The award-winning smoothie franchise reported same-store sales of 11.25 percent — its sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit positive comp sales — and signed franchise agreements to develop nearly 200 new cafés across the U.S., including about two dozen locations in Southern California. The brand’s first café in California opened in Lake Forest in mid-january. Franchisee RanaKaran “R.K.” Sidhu is leading the expansion in Orange County. The new restaurant is located at 23841 El Toro Road, Suite C - E127. This is part of the brand’s aggressive franchise development plans for the state, which includes future locations in Rancho Cucamonga, Foothill Ranch, Irvine, Mission Viejo, Ladera Ranch, Fountain
Valley, Orange and Rancho Santa Margarita.
Atlanta, Columbus and Charlotte, N.C.,
This year, the food and smoothie franchise plans to exceed 550 restaurants nationwide. The brand currently has franchise opportunities across the U.S. in markets such as Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth,
Café plans to have 800 stores open across
among others. By 2018, Tropical Smoothie the U.S.
For more information about Tropical Smoothie Café, please visit www.tropicalsmoothiefranchise.com
JUICE IT UP! REPORTS STRONG CLOSE TO 2015 Juice It Up!, one of the nation’s leading raw juice bar and hand-crafted smoothie franchises, announced samestore sales were up 10 percent over the previous quarter. The company saw an increase in year over year same-store sales along with an uptick in chain wide sales overall. These financials follow Juice It Up!’s holiday brand campaign, which was heavily promoted via social integrations and a variety of digital marketing platforms. “2015 was a pivotal year for Juice It Up! as we gained meaningful traction in the raw juice space, which continues to grow in popularity with no signs of slowing down.
We are thrilled to have closed the year so strong!” said Frank Easterbrook, President & CEO. “We’re focused on continuing to raise the bar this year, and we’re hard at work designing new products that we’re confident our fans and franchisees alike are really going to love.” Juice It Up! continues to attract highlyqualified franchise operators to grow with the brand. Ideal franchisees possess an entrepreneurial spirit and a creative local store marketing mindset, and are passionate about living a healthy lifestyle. To learn more about the benefits of owning a Juice It Up! visit www.juiceitupfranchise.com.
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Fing er nails2G o
Fingernails2Go
Offers Opportunity in the Fastest Growing Area of the Cosmetics Industry The world of glamour and cosmetics has moments of dramatic change, but they are few and far between. Since the time that the pyramids were built, cosmetics have remained constant. Blushers, lip paints, eye liners, nail polishes, eye shadow.
Wait. Something is changing. Fingernails. Nail art. The fastest growing area of the cosmetics industry. Driven by the consumer wanting to do something different. And now you can join in this revolution, and join with HP, Tensator SA and Tritron with a Fingernails2Go kiosk. A Kiosk that
“The kiosk is simple to operate. The customer can either print their choice of design onto their own nails, or onto a set of acrylic nails. It is quick and the quality of printing is superb.” will change the way that nails are painted for ever. The only kiosk that has the HP
developed digital printer specifically made for nail printing. The kiosk that is built by
Tensator, a leading manufacturer of kiosks for a range of industries, and that has
speciality inks developed by Tritron that
are regulated around the world for health and safety.
The Fingernails2Go Kiosk has been
developed by Butch Baird. We interviewed Butch to find out more.
How does it work? The kiosk is simple to operate. The customer can either print their choice of design onto their own nails, or onto a set of acrylic nails. It is quick and the quality and durability of the printing is superb. Anyone buying a kiosk will get full training. There are also marketing opportunities as the screen can play ads while not being used for printing, and point of purchase advertising is also available – with sound too if you want it – while the printing process is underway.
What was the big breakthrough? I thought through the process of nail printing, and it kept coming back to me that the person who is going to put their finger into a machine has to trust that it is going to work, and be safe. That made me think that we needed the best printer and the best kiosk manufacturer Tensator approached HP on our behalf and since then our relationship has been great -working together to develop a unique solution, hitting all the quality thresholds you would expect from such a reputable brand. HP had already worked closely with Tensator, and so they recommended them for the kiosk design and build. The inks needed to be completely safe, so Tritron developed a range of speciality inks that are unique to Fingernails2Go. The
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support that we have received from our manufacturing partners has been amazing.
How many designs are there? How many? It is unlimited. The nails can be as unique as a fingerprint. The customer can choose from the range of thousands that are on the kiosk, or design their own. Pets, friends, favourite music artists, a photo of the flower that has just blossomed in the yard. This is an opportunity for creativity. If you have just bought a new dress or blouse with a pattern, get your nails done like that too. If you are heading to a red carpet with a colorful gown, why not get your nails to match?
“The nails can be as unique as a fingerprint. The customer can choose from the range of thousands that are on the kiosk, or design their own.�
What about the business opportunity? This is where I get really excited. The Fingernails2Go Kiosk is a business in itself, but also a driver of sales wherever it is located: a store, a mall, an airport or railway station, beauty parlour or shoe shop. If you have a kiosk in your boutique, it will bring people in, giving you a chance to show them other products. If they are buying new clothes, you can sell them nails too. If you want to lower your customer age profile, this is a way to do it, as young girls will probably be more likely to change designs more often. The marketing opportunities are huge too. Has there been a better product for social media sharing - you can see the first thing that lots of young people will do will be to share images of their nails, and that will promote the location and the kiosk. We are putting a worldwide marketing plan in place using the digital channels, competitions, video, and partnerships. #fingernails2go will get your designs onto our website and social channels. The screens can also be used for in-store advertising, promoting products in the store, or advertising brands who have bought space through agencies.
Can you buy one kiosk, or do you need to go through a distributor? There are no rules. If you want one kiosk, buy one, but if you want to distribute
kiosks in an agreed area, we can have that conversation too. Our website has an easy to fill in form and we will get in touch by Skype around the world. Butch is an enthusiast. He loves the process of taking an idea and seeing it through. He does not see barriers, he sees opportunities, and it is our opinion that
Fingernails2Go is a great opportunity.
Fingernails2Go is a proud
partner of the Pink Ribbon
charity, with a contribution from every sale.
www.fingernails2go.com
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health & beautye r u t a Fe American Culture is enthralled in health and beauty standards. Pictures of models, cosmetics and fashion surrounds us through social media, advertisements and billboards. The American economy has managed to take over every viable surface to reflect a marketing statement, that usually includes a health and beauty standard. Franchising USA
People are willing to invest in products that help maintain their physical appearance, insure a protection against aging and guarantee a healthy lifestyle. In fact, in 2014, the U.S. market for beauty and personal care reached around 76.3 billion U.S. dollars. The market for health and beauty is a definite win. It’s a part of the everyday American lifestyle. Every morning starts with vitamins at breakfast, followed by a trip to the local gym, a shower using various products and then a regiment of hair and make up to follow. This is the typical day for most people, and this industry now extends beyond women to men. From deodorant, to shaving cream to moisturizer and cologne and well beyond into fitness and nutrition retail, the health and beauty market is diversified and profitable in all areas.
Vitamin and Nutrition Franchises Consumers are hyper sensitive and overly aware of their health. People are self-diagnosing and treating themselves in hopes of obtaining a better lifestyle.
Google Searches and easy access has allowed the public to research products and draw their own conclusions. A lot of consumers are taking vitamins for a variety of reasons, to supplement their food, to ail mild conditions or simply boost their immune system. It is one of the leading industries in health and beauty and in 2014 vitamins made $6.47 billion worth of sales. This type of franchise would mostly be available in a retail venue. Someone interested in pursuing this field, would also have to enjoy the sales side of the business. Alternative health and medicine is constantly evolving and discovering new trends, therefore a franchisee would have to be willing to invest their time and research to keep up with the demand. A lot of the products are the result of the public’s personal research, therefore
A lot of consumers are taking vitamins for a variety of reasons, It is one of the leading industries in health and beauty and in 2014 vitamins made $6.47 billion worth of sales. owners have to be aware of the latest crazes and be invested in the field. Being health conscious and aware could help this type of franchise succeed. There are a lot of criteria and policies to follow regarding specific products and a franchise option in this field would guarantee a strict policy to meet the necessary guidelines.
Cosmetic Industry Cosmetic Industry covers a wide variety of products and services. Make up and beauty products used to be sold in pharmacies and wholesale stores, where as now they have their own locations. The demand for products has become specific and varied. Malls now carry stores with just makeup product and just hair product. This would
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be considered a retail franchise, but it is currently a growing trend. People are willing to pay big bucks and they want their product straight from the source. A lot of consumers are willing to invest in makeup, but want the guidance and insurance of a professional. A store unit gives consumers confidence and helps boost sales by establishing the customer connection.
“A lot of consumers are willing to invest in makeup, but want the guidance and insurance of a professional.�
Though makeup has been around for centuries and its consumer base and profit continue to grow, specific retail locations is a somewhat new industry. A franchise in this field would guarantee great profit, but the future is unknown at this point. Beauty trends come and go, however, makeup has always been here to stay.
Hair Salons Hair Salons have mostly been known as a small business venue, owned by successful stylists and professionals. It’s an emerging trend within the franchise industry and it is becoming more and more established. Hair Salon Franchises are now creating a consistent brand that consumers can trust and also offering lower prices to draw a larger consumer base. Most salons also create a huge success with spa services and product retail. This can go well beyond hair services to include nails, massages and many more aesthetic services to widen the consumer base. Although it is not necessary for a franchisee to have experience in the field, it would be of great advantage. An owner would have the support and guidance of the franchisor, but hair salons are such a specific field, a background would add to the success of the business, plus it creates passion. Hairstyling is hugely dependent on clientele and therefore profit is mostly created by employees. Running a franchise would help guarantee success with policies and marketing that a small business would not have. That being said, a franchise in this field would constantly be in direct competition with local business. There are a lot of hair salons going around and every town is saturated with them, creating a low demand and a high competition.
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facilities has been steadily increasing since 2011and is forecasted to continue on that upwards path. Though people are paying for a service, a lot of the time they are not using that service to its potential. Therefore, this industry is simply bringing in money without exhausting equipment or services. One might hold a lifelong membership, but skip the gym for weeks on end.
“From deodorant, to shaving cream to moisturizer and cologne and well beyond into fitness and nutrition retail, the health and beauty market is diversified and profitable in all areas.� Gym and Fitness Recreational Centers The gym has grown into a wellestablished industry with a lot of services. What used to be a small weight lifting room where a few body builders gathered has now become a multi facilitated industry with multiple services and availability to everyone.
There are centers and activities for children, tennis courts, swimming pools, towel services and retail products for sale. Some recreational facilities offer food services and rent out room for events. There is a lot of potential for a huge consumer base with a greater amount of facilities. The market size and revenue for such
This type of franchise does not require any experience but a passion for the industry would be helpful. A knowledge and practice of healthy lifestyle would benefit the company and create similar values with employees. Most of these facilities are run in a retail fashion; with employees have criteria and client based goals to help boost revenue. The Health and beauty industry covers a huge proportion of the franchise industry, including products, services, shipping and handling and retail venues. It’s a wellknown field that is continuously growing and it is guaranteed to have a huge amount of consumers from all areas. It usually requires no experience and little training, but a specific following of franchise expectations to ensure consistency. This is a field that should be followed with a lot of passion and interest from the franchisee, but it allows them a lot of work and lifestyle balance. 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.
Look out for our next special feature:
multi-unit FRANCHISING Franchising USA
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Bedros Keuilian, Founder and CEO, Fit Body Boot Camp
Why is the Business of
Fitness Franchises So Successful? There are a lot of trends that come and go, but fitness and health are things that people will always want to invest in. As the population grows in both age
and size, so does the demand for fitness
franchises. We offer our clients the key to
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a healthier and more productive life, which is an appealing idea to anyone. The thing is that a good fitness franchise benefits everyone involved. It provides motivation and accountability for the client and a sustainable business model for the owner. With a fitness franchise like Fit Body Boot Camp, you’re not trying to do everything alone. You’ve got a whole team of other owners behind you that can teach you lessons from their successes
and failures. This allows new owners to learn and grow quickly as their teammates teach them the ins and outs of the business model. It’s almost like a cheat sheet to success. That sense of community is another great benefit of joining a fitness franchise. Members and owners get to be a part of something bigger, and it fills them with a sense of pride. For example, one of the most popular aspects of Fit Body Boot
of buying. If you don’t think about these things ahead of time you’re going to end up frustrated later. It should only take you about 3 months to choose and invest in a fitness franchise. If you find yourself taking longer than that you may not be in a good place to be purchasing a franchise at that moment. Wait until you’re ready, don’t rush into it. Otherwise your business will suffer. The last thing you need to do is make sure you’re asking the right questions. Yes, there are a lot of “sexy” things about owning a fitness franchise, such as the machines and equipment, but that’s not all there is. You need to tap into the “unsexy” side, ask questions about the business and what is expected from you as an owner. Stay on track and find your straightest line to success, and the other stuff will fall in to place.
Camp is the private Facebook groups we set up for each location. Those groups are a great way for members to get genuine support and advice from people who are on the same path that they are. On the business end, franchises come with a lot of built-in client trust (assuming they’re a good franchise). Good franchises offer a form of stability for their clients, because they know that they can expect a consistently high quality experience no matter which facility they visit. If a friend in another city or state swears by a specific fitness facility then you are going to be more likely to go to that same facility in your hometown. People don’t want to feel like they’re wasting their money.
What is your personal advice for entrepreneurs looking to start or purchase a franchise? Research. You should always look in to whatever company you’re thinking about buying into. What are the company’s other facilities like? What kind of reviews are they getting? You don’t want to open a location for a franchise that doesn’t have a good reputation.
“A good fitness franchise benefits everyone involved. It provides motivation and accountability for the client and a sustainable business model for the owner.” And see how much they’re willing to give you information-wise. Companies should always be straightforward about their lead generating strategies and how they’re going to help you get off the ground and quickly get your first clients through the door. The second they start saying that you need to pay to find any of this out, get out of there. If information isn’t readily available then how are you supposed to know if that franchise is the right fit for you? You also need to organize your personal life before purchasing a franchise. Make sure you sit down with your friends and family and explain what, exactly, your goals are. If you have a strong support structure around you, you’re more likely to succeed, and letting others know what your goals are will push you not to let yourself or anyone else down. Figure out how you’ll raise your initial investment money and how you plan to run your business before beginning the process
Bedros Keuilian is the founder and CEO of the world’s fastest growing indoor fitness boot camp franchise: Fit Body Boot Camp. He’s also the fitness industry’s leading consultant for marketing, business systems and development. His blogs, products, books, and live events help tens of thousands of fitness professionals and business owners around the world build more robust and profitable systems. Bedros has been featured as a host and expert on Spike TV’s Gym Rescue, and he’s also known as the “Hidden Genius” behind many of the biggest names in the fitness industry including top celebrity personal trainers featured on popular television shows. An immigrant from a communist country turned hugely successful entrepreneur, Bedros uses the stage to share his personal American Dream story and imparts his passion for success with audiences worldwide. www.fitbodybootcamp.com
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Keith Smith, i9 Sports Franchisee
Athletes in Franchising:
Life After the Game
As a former professional football player, I was all too aware of the pitfalls of post-retirement life that often plague retired athletes. The end of a professional sports career tends to be accompanied by a sudden realization of your financial vulnerability and a question of what to do next. In the past several years, more and more athletes have been able to find success later in life by transitioning into the world of franchising, an industry chock-full of potential. Following my seven-year career in the NFL, during which I played for the Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers and Omaha Nighthawks, I was lucky enough to find an opportunity to launch my own franchise business. When embarking on this new endeavor, I was determined to pursue a
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business channel that would allow me to find a rewarding life after the game while still making a career out of my passion for sports, which is what led me to discovering an opportunity with the nation’s first and largest youth sports franchise, i9 Sports. Marking my first venture into the world of franchising, I was initially introduced to i9 Sports from a former teammate, whose son plays for one of the leagues in Jacksonville. After extensive research on the company’s franchising opportunities, I immediately knew this was the business for me based on the proven track record of success of its business model. With convenient flexible hours, no real estate or upfront inventory, i9 Sports is a low-investment, home-based franchise opportunity offering entrepreneurs a compelling business with great profit potential. Additionally, there is immense room for growth in the youth sports market, considering that it’s a multi-billion dollar a year industry encompassing 42 million participants annually.
Putting the numbers aside, the biggest factor in deciding to become an i9 Sports franchisee was how much the company’s core values aligned with my own in regards to how I believe the youth sports experience should be. The ugly truth of organized sports today is that kids are having less fun and are instead facing more pressure, leading to low participation numbers in leagues throughout the country. However, the more I learned about the brand, the more apparent it became that i9 Sports is in a league of its own (no pun intended). In fact, i9 Sports was founded on the principle that the number one reason kids play organized sports is to have fun - not to become the next draft pick. I witnessed first-hand how this philosophy has allowed the league to shape a program that emphasizes “how the game is played” and promotes good sportsmanship instead of the “win at all costs” mentality that often strains young children and can negatively impact their self-esteem. As a former NFL player and lifelong
“During my time in the NFL, I learned valuable life lessons that have helped me succeed both on the field and off it, such as the importance of teamwork, responsibility and perseverance, and I believe that children can also learn how to succeed in life through sports.” sports enthusiast, I strongly believe in the value of sports during childhood, and was thrilled to find a league that is getting back to what should be the foundation of youth sports: mastering new skills, developing friendships and learning the value of healthy competition. During my time in the NFL, I learned valuable life lessons that have helped me succeed both on the field and off it, such as the importance of teamwork, responsibility and perseverance, and I believe that children can also learn how to succeed in life through sports. As a family man with four children of my own, i9 Sports was the perfect franchising opportunity because
owning a league of my own has allowed me to create a resource that families in my community can trust to have their kids learn to play sports in a safe and positive environment. Furthermore, the issue of concussion awareness in youth sports is an issue that hits home for me both as former NFL player and as a father. We’re in a race against the clock, and protecting players against head injuries that can impact them for the rest of their lives should be the utmost priority. That’s another huge reason why I chose to purchase an i9 Sports franchise, as the league is a leader
Keith Smith
in raising national awareness about safety in youth sports. In fact, it was the first national youth sports league to implement a “when in doubt, sit them out” concussion safety policy and education for parents and coaches system-wide. I now own and operate an i9 Sports league in Douglasville, Ga., about 30 minutes outside of Atlanta, offering basketball, baseball, cheerleading, flag football and soccer. Based on my experience, I can speak first hand to the great opportunities that lie in the franchising industry for athletes transitioning from professional sports into the business world. For more information on i9 Sports, visit www.i9sports.com.
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Veterans in Franchising march 2016
www.franchisingusamagazine.com
franchising
gives back
our town america
serving country and community get ahead of the curve
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SAME DRIVE. DIFFERENT BATTLEFIELD. TAKE THE NEXT STEP > VETFRAN.COM OFFERING FINANCIAL SUPPORT, TRAINING & MENTORSHIP Veterans interested in franchising can take their skills learned in the military to successfully own and develop small businesses. Learn more and support veterans in franchising at www.vetfran.com.
• 650 franchise companies participating • 151,000 veterans and their spouses found careers in the franchise industry • 5,100 veteran franchise owners
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V eterans in F ranchisin g S upplement march 2 0 1 6 Our Veterans in Franchising special supplement has become a regular feature of Franchising USA. To share your story in the next issue, please contact Vikki Bradbury, Publisher Phone: 778 426 2446 Email: vikki@cgbpublishing.com
Contents Cover Story
News & Expert Advice
62 Our Town America: From Serving Our Country to Serving Our Communities
64 MyVA Will Be Good for Veterans and Franchising Too Jim Mingey, Founder and Managing Director,
Franchisor in Depth 66 Two Men and a Truck 70 Two Maids and a Mop
Veterans Business Services (VBS)
68 Franchising Gives Back: Highlights VetFran 25th VetFran 72 Get Ahead of the Curve: It’s Time to Start Omni-Channel Retailing Steve Rosenblum, Co-founder, The KASE
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Veter ans in Fr anch ising
C over S tor y - Ou r Town A m er ica
From Serving our Country to Serving our Communities
While there are countless leading executives throughout the franchising community who are committed to providing opportunities for veterans, few can match the continued dedication of Our Town America CEO Michael Plummer Jr.
An Army veteran himself, Plummer personally understands what our nation’s heroes endure on and off the battlefield; and thus, he’s particularly passionate about empowering servicemen through business ownership. Since taking over Our Town America in 2009, Plummer has been hard at work turning his father’s company into the nation’s fastest growing New Mover Marketing franchise. As part of that effort, Plummer has been laser focused on attracting his fellow veterans to the Our Town America family by offering $10,000 off the initial franchise fee for any honorably discharged veteran. They currently have 4 veteran-owned franchise units, which accounted for 11.4% of the total gross revenue in 2015. Plummer and the Our Town America team are honored to be able to provide veterans with a New Mover Marketing franchise opportunity that allows each business owner to celebrate and support the local business owners and residents who make their community great.
Our Town America CEO Michael Plummer Jr. in his early years as an Army Medic.
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“The Our Town America business model is custom-built for veterans because it inspires each business owner to become fully immersed in their community,” says Plummer. “As New Mover Marketers, our franchisees help local business owners welcome new movers to town through personalized welcoming packages. This means they wake up each and every day on a mission to meet and interact with
“The Our Town America business model is custom-built for veterans because it inspires each business owner to become fully immersed in their community.” - Michael Plummer Jr., CEO, Our Town America local business owners and area residents who are fixtures in their community. It’s the perfect fit for veterans who are eager to assimilate back into American culture and connect with new folks in their town all while capitalizing on a powerful and profitable business ownership opportunity.”
From One Battlefield to Another From the time he was five, Michael Plummer Jr. has been stuffing envelopes at Our Town America – a company his father launched in 1972. Michael Plummer Sr. built the company from scratch and wanted nothing more than to hand the reigns over to Jr., his son and best friend, when the time was right. However, after years working on the company’s front lines, Jr. decided he needed to create his own path by serving in the Army as a combat medic. After serving our country for 4 years, Michael Plummer Jr. was called home from his station in South Korea on emergency leave because his father had suffered a major heart attack. This was a pivotal, life-changing moment for Jr. as the challenging time inspired him to realize his true calling – helping others succeed, particularly those he trusts and loves most. The military had helped him grow up and learn a lot about himself – now, it was time to get back to helping drive the family business forward (which, by that point, had transformed into a successful franchise system). “I loved serving my country and I would do it again in a heartbeat,” says Plummer. “But I’m so glad I decided to make a change when my father had his first heart attack. It allowed me to work alongside my father for almost a decade – something I will cherish forever as he was my mentor, my hero, and my best friend.” Those years working with his father and developing a firm understanding of his
vision for the company proved invaluable when Michael Plummer, Sr. passed away unexpectedly in 2009. Literally overnight, Plummer Jr. found himself sitting at his father’s desk assuming the responsibility of building upon his father’s legacy while dealing with the loss of his best friend, boss and father. Thankfully, Plummer Jr.’s depth of experience in the military and the proverbial corporate battlefield made it possible for him to handle the transition with grace, dignity and unwavering resolve. And in the years since, Plummer Jr. has made countless tough decisions to install strategic and efficient policies to ensure his father’s company can thrive regardless of who takes over down the road. According to Larry Neal, a Vietnam veteran and Detroit-based Our Town America franchisee, Plummer’s military background has been instrumental to the company’s recent growth and prosperity. “Michael Plummer Sr.’s passing was tough for everyone in the Our Town America family, but nothing can compare to what Jr. went through,” says Neal. “However, Jr. has been an absolute inspiration to all of us. He has committed himself completely to this company and has proven to be one of the most accessible, humble and passionate executives I’ve ever met. And while I know he’d shy away from this compliment, I know I speak on behalf of all Our Town America franchisees when I say we’re honored to have a true American hero leading our company.”
Our Town America - A Franchise Opportunity Built for Veterans As the nation’s premier New Mover Marketing franchise, Our Town America is a company built on a foundation of “paying it forward” – helping local
Our Town America Multi-unit Franchisee and Vietnam Veteran Larry Neal.
businesses foster long term, loyal relationships with new movers through personalized welcoming packages full of powerful offers to try out new products and services for free. It’s a concept veterans love as they’re able to make a true difference in the lives of fellow community residents. As Our Town America franchise owners, they’re able to help local business owners improve their bottom line while helping new residents find reliable local businesses offering the products and services they’re seeking. And according to Neal, that’s just part of what makes the Our Town America franchise opportunity a perfect fit for his fellow veterans. “All veteran business owners want to be able to make a powerful impact in their community, but that desire is meaningless unless the business model fits their skill set and bank account,” says Neal. “From a financial perspective, Our Town America is an excellent fit as the corporate office offers a $10,000 discount on what is already an affordable, home-based franchise opportunity. Additionally, the business model itself is a perfect fit for veterans because each owner can follow a blueprint of proven processes and procedures toward personal success. It truly is a win-win because you can make a huge difference in your community while successfully realizing your own entrepreneurial dreams.” For any veteran interested in exploring the Our Town America franchise opportunity, please visit the following website - http://www.ourtownamerica. com/franchise-us/.
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Veter ans in Fr anch ising
Jim Mingey, Founder Founder& &Managing ManagingDirector, Director,VBS’ VBS
MyVA Will Be Good for Veterans and Franchising Too Getting your community behind your franchise business would be an awesome win/win/win proposition. Great for the community because it generates economic activity; great for a Veteran because it can help families reintegrate back into the community
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faster and great for new Veteran owned franchise because the whole process can offer business exposure and access to relationship that can accelerate local Veteran success stories. Normally a few of typical ways to garner community support would be to join the local Chamber of Commerce or maybe service organizations like the Rotary, Lions or a Veteran Service Organization (VSO) such as the American Legion or the
Veterans of Foreign Wars. These are all great networking opportunities but they have to be tackled one at a time and time is a precious commodity for any business. In an age of multi-tasking and the speed of social media a new Veteran entrepreneur needs to develop relationships quickly that can quickly enhance a Veteran business and Veteran family life as well. There's a new networking opportunity which is evolving as I write this article.
“In an age of multi-tasking and the speed of social media a new Veteran entrepreneur needs to develop relationships quickly that can quickly enhance a Veteran business and Veteran family life as well.” It's called MyVA and represents a dramatic new reorganization effort for the Veterans Administration across the country. And it looks very promising for Veterans and Communities alike. It’s not about entitlements; it’s about community leaders taking a very serious approach to help Veteran families. The MyVA effort is about shifting traditional command and control systems within VA to collaborations and partnerships at the local and regional level. It's about using the entire local institutional infrastructure to deliver real results to Veterans in a holistic fashion. Essentially the model is intended to balance veteran resources and the communication processes surrounding them. The model is also very inclusive of many business facets and relationships in local markets. From the local financial network to marketing franchise products and services for corporate procurement opportunities; from local mentoring relationships to shaping Veterans leadership opportunities in business. MyVA will be all about relationships! Basically MyVA is organic and can provide a Veteran the opportunity to get in the same room with dozens of local institutional players, including business actors, that are all focused on helping Veterans with a new customized approach for the local market. The VA is just one of the players in their 5 new MyVA regions. The rules, the mixing and matching of resources flow in a horizontal rather that a top down fashion. So how does a Veteran entrepreneur leverage this new MyVA network model for marketing exposure and key business relationships to advance a business quickly? It’s not about being a huckster in the network. It’s about helping
MyVA succeed and build real relationships in many facets of Veteran life in the community. Helping fellow Veterans through MyVA might be the best strategic activity for building your own business and helping Veterans too. Let's hope so.
The Old Way >>>The New Way The MyVA model has already advanced to point where there over 37 regional MyVA Boards which facilitate local Veteran support networks that include a wide swath of key local leaders. There’s nothing new about available resources, what’s new here is about how they will be coordinated All Veteran business owners will be welcome even so go get involved. For more information on MyVA, visit www. veteranscorp.org/connections/#articlespublications. And if you’re building a franchise business with resources provided by the VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VRE) program, invite your VA Counselor along to a Board meeting and show him/her how MyVA can enhance the feasibility of your self-employment plan.
James Mingey
VBS Founder and Managing Director, Jim Mingey, is a decorated Vietnam veteran raised from a proud military background. An entrepreneur for more than 35 years, Jim can relate on a personal level to the needs of the veteran small businessperson, and possesses the practical knowledge to implement his experience in today’s market. Jim participated in the EBV Program at Purdue University, is a mentor at American Corporate Partners, developed the first approved franchise training program for the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Program at Veterans Administration, and was instrumental in forming the first equity fund in the United States exclusively for veteran owned small businesses and franchises: The Veterans Opportunity Fund. Jim intends to keep on ‘advocating’ for veterans in franchising. www.VeteransBusinessServices.us
Finally, if you already have a VA certification such as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), when go to a local Board meeting make sure you wear your VA SDVOSB emblem which many view as the gold standard for certification in both the Government and Corporate marketplace. Let the Board and participants know what it means. Just get involved with MyVA, the investment of your time will help you and your community as well.
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T WO M EN A N D A T RUCK 速
How a Former Navy Aviation Electronics Technician BECAME
a TWO MEN AND A 速 TRUCK Franchisee
After graduating high school, Michael Sham joined the Navy where he served for six years as an aviation electronics technician (AT). During this time, he worked on S-3B Vikings and P-3 Orions in San Diego, Calif., and Jacksonville, Fla. His duties included working on tactical air navigation (TACAN), radios, radar, instrument landing system (ILS), and other electronic devices in the aircraft. At the young age of 19, Sham was given a great deal of responsibility, sometimes giving orders to men twice his age. Franchising USA
“It certainly prepared me to be a leader and taught me how to be ready for anything that may come up,” said Sham. “There were so many different types of personalities in the military that it made me a better people person.” Prior to joining TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® in 2013, he attended Belhaven University and earned a degree in exercise physiology. While pursuing his dream of becoming a strength and conditioning coach, which would allow him to train athletes, he ran the small moving company. After working as a mover for two months, Sham took on the role of general manager at the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Jackson, Miss., franchise and truly launched his career within the system. As a participant in the first-ever Mary Ellen’s Moving People Forward® scholarship program, he and seven other managers across the system dedicated one year of extensive training to further enhance their knowledge of the inner workings of the franchising system, and ultimately lay the foundation for them in becoming a successful franchisee. As a result, Sham was awarded $10,000 to go toward opening his own franchise in partnership with his current franchisee. “The scholarship program taught me what it takes to get a successful new franchise off the ground. There is a lot that goes into getting an operation up and running
“The relationships that were built during the program with Home Office and other franchisees and managers are invaluable. A lot of what I learned, I was able to implement at my current franchise.” – Michael Sham and all the bases were covered in the program,” said Sham. “The relationships that were built during the program with Home Office and other franchisees and managers are invaluable. A lot of what I learned, I was able to implement at my current franchise.” Sham plans to open his new franchise in Southaven, Miss., May 2016 alongside Jackson, Miss., Franchisees Jeff Taylor and Jack Christopher. “Michael has been a successful manager and is a shining example of the hard work and development that leads to success in our system. We are blessed as Michael moves forward to ownership and the great things he will accomplish,” said TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® CEO Jeff Wesley.
“I’m so thankful to have been brought on by my partners to live the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® dream,” said Sham. “I never imagined that one day I would be a small business owner.” In addition, the Mary Ellen’s Moving People Forward® Scholarship Program, which launches careers forward internally within the system, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® also offers those outside of the system opportunities. Veterans interested in franchising with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® will receive a 10% discount off the royalty fee. For more information on franchising opportunities, visit https://franchise. twomenandatruck.com Article written by Jessy Howe
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VetFran Jim Mingey, Founder & Managing Director, VBS’
FRANCHISING GIVES BACK HIGHLIGHTS VETFRAN 25th More than 60 IFA member volunteers and staff gathered on Friday at the Warrior and Family Support Center (WFSC), part of the Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio for the annual Franchising Gives Back Volunteer Activity. The WFSC provides coordinated services to patients, next-of-kin and extended family members with a primary focus on Wounded Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Warriors. Franchising Gives Back volunteers helped to maintain the surrounding grounds of the facility. VetFran Program Manager George Eldridge said the project had a “direct, positive impact on today’s military members and their families. It was a small but significant way to say thank you to those families that continue to make a great sacrifice every day for our nation.”
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“Through their efforts — by contributing countless hours of volunteer time and financial support to local charities and service organizations — they are making a huge impact on their local communities and have been for years.” Find out more at franchisinggivesback.org The story of who we are at Franchising Gives Back would not be complete without explaining how we began. Franchising Gives Back began at the IFA Annual Convention when a group of IFA members – franchisors, franchisees, and suppliers – organized a volunteer effort to serve a specific need in the community. For many the spirit of teamwork and “giving back” to the community where IFA’s convention was being held was the highlight of their convention experience. As we heard stories about how these business leaders give back by supporting charities in their local communities,
we began to realize something very important. Franchise businesses are engaged in charitable and community support activities every day in thousands of communities across the U.S. and around the world. Through their efforts — by contributing countless hours of volunteer time and financial support to local charities and service organizations — they are making a huge impact on their local communities and have been for years.
Moving Forward On Giving Back Today, Franchising Gives Back recognizes and promotes the contributions of franchise business leaders year-round.
“For many the spirit of teamwork and ‘giving back’ to the community where IFA’s convention was being held was the highlight of their convention experience.” From supporting Little League baseball teams, to donating food for homeless shelters, to organizing marches for cancer research, franchise businesses donate billions of volunteer hours and dollars to give back to their communities. Big or small, the combined local contributions of franchising create a significant impact worldwide. Franchising Gives Back recognizes the leaders who are giving back to move communities forward and inspiring their peers to do the same. The Franchising Gives Back Awards celebrate the stories of how franchisors, franchisees and suppliers have established themselves as true leaders through their commitment to giving back to their communities. The Awards salute the best, most innovative community leaders and charitable programs and the collective impact of these efforts across the U.S. and around the world.
Who is eligible? The Franchising Gives Back Awards program is open to any franchisor, franchisee or supplier who is an IFA member during the year of the awards
program, and/or any of their affiliated organizations, such as foundations. Nominations can be submitted by an owner/employee of the organization or one of its affiliated partners (e.g. public relations agency).
Who are the judges? Finalists will be selected in each category using a criteria and point system. Finalists will then be recommended to a panel of judges representing the IFA and IFA Educational Foundation leadership.
How do I nominate someone? You can submit a nomination for any charitable or community support activity that you, your business, and/or your company has engaged in during the past year.
Nominations should demonstrate how the member saw an unmet charitable need in the community and worked to improve it.
Enduring Impact Award
Submit a nomination by June 17 Nominate
Honor an IFA member with a longstanding commitment to his or her community that has been executing an outstanding charitable or community support program(s) for at least five (consecutive) years. Entries detail the significant impact the initiatives have made, whether through total dollars raised, in-kind contributions, hours volunteered, etc.
Support Our Veterans Award Submit a nomination by June 17 Nominate
Recognize an IFA member whose charitable or community support program has gone above and beyond the call of duty to help those men and women who have served in the U.S. military and their families, and positively impacted their local community along the way. franchisinggivesback.org
Spirit of Franchising Award Submit a nomination by June 17 Nominate
Recognize an IFA member whose charitable or community support program embodies the spirit of what it means to be a part of the franchising industry by giving back to his or her local community.
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Two M aids & A M op
VETERANS GAIN FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES
THROUGH TWO MAIDS & A MOP VETFRAN MEMBERSHIP Two Maids & A Mop, one of the nation’s fastest growing cleaning companies headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., recently signed franchise agreements with two U.S. Veterans through its partnership with VetFran, an organization dedicated to providing franchising opportunities to veterans and their spouses. Through its VetFran membership, Two Maids & A Mop was able to provide veterans Matthew Lewellen and Michael Luda with franchise opportunities in Savannah, GA and Greenville, SC. Founded in 1991, VetFran member companies total 650 brands that offer financial incentives, mentorship and training for aspiring veteran franchisees and employment seekers. “We are honored to work with VetFran and proud to provide these two deserving veterans with franchising opportunities,”
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“Two Maids & A Mop is providing me with an opportunity to build a business that is backed by a successful model of growth that has more than twelve years of proven success.” - Michael Cuda, franchisee says Ron Holt, CEO and Founder of Two Maids & A Mop. “The training these veterans received in their respective branches of service will serve them well in opening a Two Maids & A Mop franchise. We appreciate their service to our country, and we will continue to actively pursue opportunities for veterans like Matthew and Michael.” These two new businesses will represent the 22nd and 23rd franchises opened to date. With its aggressive franchising strategy in place, the company currently serves nineteen markets throughout eight states and has plans to open more than 100 locations within the next five years. In addition, five new franchise locations across five states are set to open in the next four months. “I am grateful and excited for this franchising opportunity with Two Maids & A Mop,” says Matthew Lewellen, new franchise owner and veteran of the United States Air Force. “The growth opportunity and unique marketing process is what
attracted me to the franchise initially. But Ron’s success and dedication to his business became infectious during the discovery process, and this expedited my decision to develop the Savannah market immediately.” Franchise locations of the Two Maids & A Mop brand have full access to replicate the successful business model created by Holt, including the industry-changing “Pay for Performance” compensation plan. With this model in place, office locations have experienced exponential growth along with a very healthy bottom line. The brand’s unique approach to its sales and marketing process allows franchise partners to quickly control a significant amount of their local market share by focusing solely on online marketing initiatives; including social media campaigns, search engine optimization and targeted digital advertisements directed to a demographically-profiled potential buyer. “Two Maids & A Mop is providing me
with an opportunity to build a business that is backed by a successful model of growth that has more than twelve years of proven success,” says Michael Cuda, new franchise owner and veteran of the United States Marine Corps. “I am excited to get started and would definitely recommend this opportunity to other veterans.” With two different franchisee options available, a potential investor can choose to participate in the “owner-operator” model or the “absentee ownership” method. The “owner-operator” model involves an investor who has the money needed and a passion to run the business, whereas the “absentee ownership” method simply requires the investment while Two Maids & A Mop provides a qualified sweat equity partner to manage day-to-day and operate the franchise effectively. The company also recently earned a spot on Inc. Magazine’s 2015 list of 5,000 fastest growing private companies in
America for the third consecutive year. Two Maids & A Mop ranked No. 782 on the list, making them the second fastest growing cleaning company in America, the fifth fastest growing company in Birmingham and ninth in Alabama. Most recently, Two Maids & A Mop was awarded a Silver Award in the Stevie Awards Company of the Year – Diversified Services category of the 2015 American Business Awards, the nation’s preeminent business awards program.
important for a fast-growing business to have a proper base of operations in order to handle the quick growth,” said Holt.
Two Maids A Mop and its loyal customers attribute much of the company’s success to its steadfast business model and to its “Pay for Performance” compensation plan, a proprietary formula that determines employee wages based on customer feedback and is the only one of its kind in the cleaning industry.
TWO MAIDS & A MOP is a residential housekeeping company headquartered in Birmingham, Ala. The business uses a proprietary “Pay for Performance” compensation scale, where employees’ wages are based on customer feedback, as opposed to number of houses cleaned. Two Maids & A Mop was named the 2012 National Maid Service of the Year by Cleaning For A Reason, a nationwide charitable foundation that provides free house cleaning services to women undergoing cancer treatment. There are XX current locations spanning including Alabama, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
“Fast growth for a business without a proper infrastructure can actually undermine the success of a company. It is
For information on Two Maids & A Mop franchising opportunities, please visit www.twomaidsfranchise.com
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Steve Rosenblum, Co-founder, The KASE Jim Mingey, Founder & Managing Director, VBS’
Get Ahead of the Curve:
It’s Time to Start Omni-Channel Retailing When Amazon launched in 1995, it did so with the simple goal of providing a platform for consumers to browse millions of book titles in one place. Who would have thought just 20 years later that Amazon would be worth nearly $250 billion, becoming the most valuable retail outlet in the world. Since those early days of Amazon, online shopping has grown substantially, especially when considering the market over the last 10 years. With more than 100,000 online retail outlets now
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operating, sales in the ecommerce industry have grown by nearly $830 billion since 2010, now reaching revenues of more than $1.4 trillion in 2015. Even though Amazon is now exploring more physical presence in the consumer market, the company along with its e-commerce competitors, are happy to see those growth statistics continue to rise. But, where does that leave retail operations that only have a presence in the traditional brick-and-mortar store? And what can they do to increase their relevance? It means it’s time to adapt. For many business owners, the idea of changing their operation model can be a daunting thought, but adapting to a constantly changing business climate is a reality every entrepreneur must face. And, if done correctly reshaping a business could catapult it to a new level of prosperity and give it the resurrection it needs.
One of the most effective ways to do that is through omni-channel retailing. In the most basic definition, omni-channel retailing is a business model that uses all physical retail channels (brick-and-mortar stores) and combines them with all digital channels to offer a seamless and unified customer experience across the collection of retail platforms. The omni-channel retailing process is a relatively new practice — mainly gaining popularity in the last five years — and is proving to be a critical tool for traditional retailers to embrace the changing business climate. And it’s giving small, medium and even large businesses the ability to compete with online retail titans like Amazon. At The KASE, an international retail franchise specializing in mobile phone and tablet accessories, executive leaders embraced omni-channel retailing from the company’s inception in 2012. Now
the company bolsters more than 150 units worldwide in key markets like France, United States, Germany, Singapore and India. But, one of the biggest examples of effective omni-channel retailing is Walmart’s recent foray into the business strategy. Forbes.com detailed the marketing strategy and explained the company hopes to improve store productivity by implementing the omnichannel approach. Gone is Walmart’s “low-price guarantee” marketing strategy, which has fallen second to the company’s effort to improve customer service and enhance the overall customer experience, which Forbes forecasts will be a key driver in Walmart’s growth future. Of course, Walmart’s multi-billion dollar success is attributed to a number of things and is an unrealistic target for many businesses, its marketing strategies can and should be embraced by companies of all sizes. This is especially true in today’s climate as more and more consumers start to embrace a multi-channel approach to shopping. Retail industry experts are even recognizing that shoppers are at time going as far as browsing online shopping platforms while within the confines of the actual retail store. These shifts are great for the consumer, offering a level of convenience that’s never been available to them before, but it is also changing their expectations while shopping.
“Omni-channel retailing is just one option for companies to consider, but as online and mobile shopping platforms continue to grow in popularity, it won’t be long before it becomes the exclusive option.” group of people and a little finesse can go a long way. It’s a good idea to start with a Voice of the Customer analysis to understand which retail channels are preferred for what scenarios. Gathering, categorizing and prioritizing consumer needs will provide an opportunity for the company to understand rational, emotional preferences and habits of the average customer. Also, remember that consumers are not identical and not every channel will be appropriate for each scenario. When adopting a customer-centric strategy, it’s also important for everyone involved in the company to buy into the system. Without total buy in from every company representative, whether it’s the customer service associate or the C-level executive, the marketing structure may become compromised. It’s as simple as getting everyone on the same page, heading in the same direction for the betterment of the company.
That’s why now is the time to embrace omni-channel retailing, before it becomes the gold standard and loses its competitive advantage. It’s all about staying ahead of the curve in retail, and that begins by developing a highly-focused business strategy.
From there, it’s time to implement the strategy. Make sure to deliver consistent experiences from platform to platform, effectively creating a seamless customer journey through the new multi-channel engagement. This will help in branding and optimizing the strengths of each channel, and facilitate the consumers desire to engage their favorite brands and products.
For a genuine transformation, one of the best actions a company can take is to simply ask their customers want. Of course, there needs to be a systematic approach to canvassing a highly diverse
The bottom line is, consumers have hundreds of retail options literally at their fingertips, so it’s important to stand out among the crowd. Omni-channel retailing is just one option for companies
to consider, but as online and mobile shopping platforms continue to grow in popularity, it won’t be long before it becomes the exclusive option. It’s time to embrace it and get ahead of the curve. Steve Rosenblum is Co-founder of The KASE, an international multichannel retail franchise specializing in fashionable and customized mobile phone and tablet accessories, with more than 140 locations worldwide. Because of his broad experience in e-commerce and investor relations, Rosenblum has spent more than a decade developing and opening unique startup companies with his family. He has served on the board of several organizations including Deezer, MySocialBook, Le Palais de Tokyo and Dixons Retail. He also cofounded the Pixmania Group. www.thekase.com
Steve Rosenblum
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HuHot
Mongolian Grill Gains Traction
Restaurant franchising has experienced incredible growth in the burger and pizza segment for years. However, there is a smaller slice of the restaurant industry that is receiving a lot of attention from investors, the Mongolian section. Franchising USA
In the past month, HuHot Mongolian Grill’s largest franchisee was acquired by an affiliate of private equity firm, Sun Capital, and BD’s Mongolian Grill purchased Flat Top Grill. Asian concepts are one of the fastest growing segments in the restaurant industry and these transactions point to a new trend. The Mongolian division is moving out of mom-and-pop operations and finally gaining traction with the introduction of new, sophisticated players like Sun Capital. The Mongolian Grill segment started as a grill in the corner of the average
Chinese buffet. Guests would pick and choose from a few ingredients and then attempt to create a sauce from scratch. The experience was high risk, and the appeal to the average customer was lackluster. That is not the case anymore. With the introduction of domestic players such as HuHot, customers finally have a food profile and dining experience that they continue to want. HuHot is a create-your-own unlimited Asian stir-fry concept. Customers choose from a variety of meats, seafood, noodles, more than 20 vegetables, and 12 signature sauces. It is at the sauce bar where the experience evolves from earlier versions
“This is a concept that lets diners create and customize their meal. It’s an option that accommodates all dietary trends, restrictions, and allergies. It’s easy to see why this is such a fast-growing segment.” –Jeff Martin, COO, HuHot Mongolian Grills of Mongolian grills. The founders, Andy Vap, and his parents Dan and Linda Vap wanted to take the fear out of Asian food. They created fully developed pan-Asian sauces that significantly elevated the experience and the quality of the food. At HuHot customers choose from sauces they are familiar with, such as mild selections, like Sweet & Sour and Teriyaki, and on the spicy end of the spectrum, Kung Pao, and Szechuan. The fully developed sauces ensure great meals even from rookie Mongolian grill goers. Customers at HuHot are comfortable with the food profiles and enjoy the experience from start to finish. As restaurant trends continue to point toward dining as entertainment, the Mongolian grill certainly accommodates that trend. It is a reliable and fun
experience, with a meal that can be hundred percent customized by each guest. HuHot Mongolian Grill established their franchising presence in 2001. Since then they have opened 57 locations and created a restaurant format with a unique combo: a nearly 2:1 investment to sales ratio and a success rate of more than ninety percent. Their motto, “Do it right, the right way” appears to be working.
“The development plan for HuHot has always been strategic and steady,” said Molly Vap O’Shea, Chief Brand Officer at HuHot. “In an industry where the appetite in the market is to acquire high performing restaurant units, the acquisition of our largest franchisee proves that our model is working.” O’Shea continues to say, that, “the HuHot transaction stands out from the rest of the segment movement.” Why?
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that have recently signed and it’s easy to see the brand growing at a fast pace. As with all restaurant concepts, this lends to economies of scale that can propel HuHot to the next level.
“An investment of this caliber is a clear sign that the HuHot concept is hitting the sweet spot with today’s consumers. The HuHot concept resonates with Millennials and easily captures industry trends on customization, healthy food, a unique dining experience and customer control. HuHot is poised for growth.” She goes on to say, “Sun Capital Partners, a successful private equity firm with plenty of experience in the restaurant world known for acquisitions such as Johnny Rocket’s and Bar Louie, saw this potential too.” The branded chain Mongolian segment
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only has about 200 total locations in the country. HuHot’s COO, Jeff Martin, believes there is room for hundreds more, maybe thousands, and HuHot is adding steadily to that number. There comes a time in every successful brand when development can take off, and HuHot appears to be at this point. Corporate growth has accelerated recently with as many as four locations planned for 2016, and HuHot corporate expects at least that many locations year after year after that. Combine that with development projects from Sun Capital, existing franchisee growth, and new franchisees
“We see each of our franchisees as an investment,” said Molly Vap O’Shea, Chief Brand Officer at HuHot. “We aren’t in the business of selling franchises; we are in the business of creating a successful restaurant brand. This means training and supporting our franchisees well so that they are successful with their first location and grow the brand the right way. We’ve seen our restaurant counts climb. Sometimes more slowly than our competitors, but our very low restaurant failure rates have proved this to be the right decision.” When asked about the recent franchisee acquisition and the future of the company, Jeff Martin, COO of HuHot Mongolian Grills said, “This is a concept that lets diners create and customize their meal. It’s an option that accommodates all dietary trends, restrictions, and allergies. It’s easy to see why this is such a fast-growing segment. The purchase of our largest franchisee by Sun Capital highlights the opportunity. This gives us a huge step up on our competition, and we are excited.” www.huhotfranchising.com
When looking for a small business investment opportunity, the first thing you probably want to know is if it is profitable. When it comes to a laundromat business, the answer to that question is a resounding “yes.” In fact, laundromats in the U.S. see an average ROI of 20-35% - much higher than most alternative investment opportunities. When considering additional benefits such as independence, flexibility , modest costs and recession resistance, there truly is no business like the laundromat business.
Every investment has its advantages depending on your own personal business goals. The Laundromat business is no different. But with a unique combination of stability, flexibility and profitability, laundromat investments are in a class all by themselves. Uncommon benefits of a laundromat business include: High Success Rate Impressive ROI Recession Resistance All Cash Business
*There are many options available to those looking to invest their money. However when compared to a laundromat investment, many of these investment alternatives fall short in a number of key areas that affect profitability and overall success. Advantages a laundromat business holds over comparable investments include: Lower startup costs than franchises No ongoing franchise fees Higher resistance to recession than the stock market Comprehensive support
Start investing in your future today and partner with a company who brings over 32 years of experience to the Laundromat industry & helping investors. Contact Texas Laundry Service Company at 800-888-0074.
You may not know much about laundromat investments or the laundromat business. With the support of Speed Queen and Texas Laundry Service Company as your guides, you don’t have to. We offer fullscale support solutions delivered by a team of dedicated laundry experts who will counsel you through every step of the process, from location selection analysis to equipment selection and beyond. It’s all the support you’d ever want in a small business investment. Location Analysis & Site Selection Laundry Focused Financing Facility Design & Equipment Selection
COIN LAUNDROMATS: UNCOMMON FLEXIBILITY WITH UNMATCHED ROI With a low capital requirement and high ROI, a coin laundry is a stable business opportunity for new investors. See how Speed Queen is the perfect partner for profitabity.
focus
X presso Delig ht
Upstart Coffee Franchise Wants to Introduce Premium Brews to American Offices
While the coffee culture in the United States is mature in general — as evidenced by the myriad specialty coffee shops seemingly on every street corner — one location that is still plagued by boring roasts is the average American office, but a new franchise based in New York aims to change that.
Xpresso Delight, which supplies premium espresso coffee to offices, is just getting its legs in the US, having been brought here in 2012 by CEO Nigell Lee. The concept has been around since 2003 in Lee’s native Australia, where he was an area representative in the state of Western Australia for the brand. Franchising since 2004, the brand has about 200 franchisees in Australia and New Zealand. Thus far, in the US, Xpresso Delight has just two corporate franchises in New York and Philadelphia, PA, but now the company is looking to expand. “For the last few years we’ve been building up the brand and doing a lot of market research,” Lee said during a recent interview from New York.
The Concept Rather than having a shop or a vending machine, Xpresso Delight just puts the actual espresso machine right into offices. “We provide fully automatic espresso coffee machines to offices for free,” Lee explained. “It’s a $7,000 coffee machine. We also supply our own proprietary blend of coffee. It’s an arabica roast.” When office workers want a cup of coffee, they simply put a cup under the spout of the machine and press the button for whichever kind of coffee they want. The machine grinds fresh beans, draws fresh milk from a refrigerated container that sits next to the machine, heats and froths the milk and pours it into the cup, all within about 30-40 seconds. A digital counter on the machine keeps track of the cups of coffee it serves and the client is charged per cup accordingly.
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“What we’re trying to do is make people understand that they can have a better coffee experience in their office. It doesn’t have to be boring old pot coffee or a plastic K-Cup.” - Nigell Lee, CEO, Xpresso Delight
The machines are able to make regular coffee, espresso, macchiato, flat white, cappuccinos latte and even hot chocolate. Charging clients on a per cup basis is how Xpresso Delight is able to provide the machines to clients for free, plus also provide service and cleaning to the machine once per week. The company will even replace a malfunctioning machine on the same day free of charge.
interested, the CEO said, their 2016 goal is to expand throughout the northeast and southeast US.
Looking to Expand
Behind the Rest of the World
Xpresso Delight offers two days of training in the franchisee’s home market and then as much on-site training as they require. The company will train them to do the espresso machine installations, train them to do sales and train them to service the machines. And they’ll train the franchisee until they’re comfortable.
It’s evident the US coffee market is mature, Lee said, but the office coffee market in particular is behind the rest of the world.
“Some people only need one installation and then they’re comfortable with it, some people need ten,” Lee said. “So, we’re out there as much as they need.”
Using Australia as an example, the CEO said about 80-90 percent of offices in that country have an espresso coffee machine. Here in the US, he estimated, less than five percent of offices have one.
Once franchisees are done with training, Xpresso Delight makes itself available to a franchisee via phone, email or text and helps them grow their business as much as they want, whether it’s just a small operation for extra income, or a much larger operation.
Lee pinpointed three demographics of people the brand is eyeing for potential franchisees The first is stay-at-home parents who have been out of the workforce and who want to jump back in, but don’t have the flexibility for a full-time job. Xpresso Delight offers them the opportunity to work one, two or three days per week with hours of their choosing. Secondly, Lee said, people who already have an existing route that takes them through commercial businesses, like a vending machine franchisee, would also benefit from adding Xpresso Delight to their routes. And, thirdly, people who want a passive income by setting up the business, but having others perform the servicing, would also make a good Xpresso Delight franchisee. While the company would be willing to speak to anyone in the US who is
“What we’re trying to do is build a concentration model where we can build out from New York and beyond from that,” he said.
“What we’re trying to do is make people understand that they can have a better coffee experience in their office,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be boring old pot coffee or a plastic K-Cup.” One of the reasons offices are keeping their bland brews, Lee noted, is people in the US don’t yet understand how easy it is to have a good cup of coffee in their office. Most offices settle for K-Cup machines, not realizing they can easily and affordably be having the same type of coffee that a barista makes right there in their place of work.
Supporting Franchisee Goals
To make Xpresso Delight an attractive franchising opportunity, it was designed to be a home based business with low overhead. Franchisees don’t even need to buy a van but can use the vehicle they already have. With an already strong coffee culture in the US outside the office, Xpresso Delight is poised to bring brilliant brews inside the office. They just need to find the right franchisees to do it. xpressodelight.com
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ex per t advice
Matthew Jonas, President, TopFire Media
make the most of your
conference experience Attending franchise or industry conferences can be a Catch 22. On one hand, these events offer unique opportunities to connect with prospective clients, business partners, potential franchisees, peers, and industry leaders. But on the other hand, they can take valuable time away from important daily activities within your office. Because of that, it’s absolutely essential to make the most out of your time spent at conferences, trade shows, and events.
Prior to the Conference Planning ahead is essential in getting to know the conference agenda – including what events are scheduled and which guests are slated to attend. If this is your first conference, a lot of hosts will be
Franchising USA
welcoming and may often host a firsttimers briefing. Make sure you have time built into your schedule if this is an option. It is a great way get the “4-1-1” on things as well as gives you the opportunity to meet other participants who are new to the event and looking to form new relationships. Preparing ahead of time will also help you plan your schedule around those sessions that are available and best suited for you, and allow you to build time to connect with important contacts while there. Chances are there will be an abundance of sessions to choose from at the conference. It’s important to take advantage of the sessions. But even more important, you must choose the sessions wisely. Think about the topics that interest you, as well as ones that will provide you the most value. When you’re deciding on which ones to attend, make sure you’re allowing yourself a range of topics, skill-building sessions, and social events. Don’t be afraid to explore sessions outside of your comfort zone; you never know what key piece of information you might learn. Some other important things to keep in mind when planning to attend events is to always pack comfortable shoes, and to bring plenty of business cards (with white
backsides for personalization). And don’t forget to consult with your marketing team or agency beforehand regarding talking points. You only get one chance to make a great first impression — you can never be too prepared.
At the Conference When you arrive at the conference, try to make yourself stand out from the crowd. Most industry events will feature hundreds and thousands of exhibitors so it’s important to optimize your visibility before and while you attend. Don’t spend all your time outside of conference sessions using your phone or immersed in reading material. If potential clients or business partners can’t see you, then what’s the point of you being there? By looking open and engaged, you are more approachable and more likely that someone will engage you in conversation. Additionally, if you are exhibiting at an event, having professional and approachable representatives at your booth, good quality materials and handouts, along with a compelling call-toaction (an incentive for people to provide you with their contact information) can advance your visibility to the next level. While at the conference, make sure you are networking effectively. This is an
“Don’t be afraid to explore sessions outside of your comfort zone; you never know what key piece of information you might learn.” your colleagues. If available, you can send a video recording of the sessions you thought were beneficial; or you can give a presentation summarizing the event at your next staff meeting. Plan ahead, work your contacts, and share your newfound knowledge with your team. If you manage event planning, attendance, and exhibiting properly, you should find yourself continuing down the path toward success.
essential first step in building strong and lasting relationships. Not every conference or event will offer you unlimited networking opportunities. However, more than likely, each one will present you with the opportunity to meet some important figures in your industry. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or hang around at the end of a session to say hello and to grab business cards. If you don’t get a chance to ask your question in person, this is a great opportunity to collect information for later follow-up. Connecting with the right people can help form partnerships that can be invaluable in helping you accomplish your short- and long-term business goals.
After the Conference What happens after the conference is just as important as what happened before and during it. One of the best practices you can implement when attending conferences is establishing a follow-up protocol. The purpose of you attending these events
is to network with potential clients or franchisees, so if you don’t reconnect once you return home, you risk losing that lead. A small acknowledgement of your meeting the person, even a reference to something you talked about, can go a long way in establishing a relationship. But keep in mind, the week following a conference is very busy for anyone who attended, so be respectful of their time and plan your connection accordingly. Additionally, keep your notes and information from the sessions and seminars and organize them in an easy accessible way. Review your notes to see what can be referenced or reinforced now that you are back at your office.
Matthew Jonas is the president of TopFire Media, an award winning integrated public relations and digital marketing agency specializing in franchise marketing and consumer branding. Together with the leaders of iFranchise Group and Franchise Dynamics, Matthew established TopFire Media to provide a strategic and synchronized method for digital marketing in the franchise industry. As a digital marketing strategist with over a decade of in-depth experience in SEO & PPC, social media publishing, conversion based marketing, inbound marketing, sales management, and online lead generation, Matthew has built a career dedicated to delivering an integrated marketing approach that achieves client success and long-term relationships. www.topfiremedia.com
After a successful conference, you have undoubtedly gained a lot of new information, inspiration, and networking contacts to help you build business. Yet, don’t forget that one of the most beneficial things to do after an event is to share with
“Don’t forget to consult with your marketing team or agency beforehand regarding talking points. You only get one chance to make a great first impression — you can never be too prepared.”
Matthew Jonas
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women in f ra nchising
M a r tekei Pla ng e - Coverall
women in franchising
Martekei Plange There were many moments throughout Martekei Plange’s entrepreneurial endeavors where she could have thrown in the towel. She owned and worked for several companies, ranging from a barbershop to a clothing store. When the economy faltered, her businesses did, too. But, instead of giving up, Martekei stuck with it. And, she’s happy she did. “Never doubt yourself,” Martekei says to other female entrepreneurs. “Have the confidence and faith that everything you’re working toward will pay off. There will be moments when you want to give up, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel to make it worth all the hard work.” For Martekei, that light was Coverall North America, Inc., a leading franchisor of commercial cleaning businesses. Martekei joined the Coverall® System as a Franchised Business Owner in 2014. After earning her B.S. in economics from the University of South Florida, she decided to apply everything she learned from her studies to the real world.
Franchising USA
“Joining the Coverall® System provided me with a great way to build upon my entrepreneurial spirit, I’ve already learned so much in a short amount of time and look forward to learning even more as I continue to run my Coverall business.” Martekei had prior experience in the commercial cleaning industry as she previously worked with a janitorial services company, but she didn’t think it was a good fit for her. After researching other options, she found Coverall’s proven business model, local support and entry cost were an appealing draw. “Coverall offered the opportunity for me to start my own business without having to do it all on my own,” said Martekei. “The team in the Coverall Support Center of Tampa provided business operations information and hands-on commercial cleaning training, and the team members were always available to help me and made me feel so welcome.” In the fall of 2014, Martekei launched her Coverall Franchised Business, P&P Janitorial Services, LLC. And, after nearly two years as a Coverall franchisee, she is excited for the future of her business and looks forward to providing commercial cleaning services to even more customers, at her own pace. “I want to grow my business to the best of my ability in order to create opportunities for others,” she explains. “This would allow me more time to focus on growing
my business and providing great customer service. I take a hands-on approach and really value the intimacy of a small business.” Martekei also recognizes the positive impact her company can have on her community. She serves as a mentor for local children in the community and eventually would like to become involved with service organizations that share the same passion, such as the Boys & Girls Club. This same philanthropic attitude comes with Martekei when she visits her family in West Africa. The 32-year-old’s parents were born there and moved to the United States to expose Martekei and her brother to the educational and business opportunities that America had to offer. “Joining the Coverall® System provided me with a great way to build upon my entrepreneurial spirit,” she said. “I’ve already learned so much in a short amount of time and look forward to learning even more as I continue to run my Coverall business.” As a young business owner and passionate
“Never doubt yourself. Have the confidence and faith that everything you’re working toward will pay off. There will be moments when you want to give up, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel to make it worth all the hard work.” entrepreneur, Martekei says she plans to run her Coverall franchised business forever. But, she refuses to say this is her be all and end all. In fact, she can’t help herself from exploring additional business ownership opportunities. “There is so much out there that interests me, and I’ve never been the type of person to settle on any one thing,” said Martekei. “But when it comes to sharing my next business move, I always think back to the advice my grandmother gave me when she said, “‘Never let your left hand know what the right hand is doing.’” It’s safe to say Martekei is a true entrepreneur and a great addition to the Coverall® System. Coverall North America, Inc. and its Master Franchisees license and support more than 8,000 independently owned and operated franchised commercial cleaning businesses worldwide under the Coverall® brand and system. Interested in exploring Coverall franchised business opportunities? Please visit Coverall’s all-new website at: www.coverall/franchise-opportunities
®
www.coverall.com Franchising USA
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focus
Pet Wa nts
“Love, Health and Convenience” Pet Food Delivery Franchise Expands to Bring “Love, Health and Convenience” Across Borders. With an estimated 170 million dogs and cats in over 100 million households in the U.S., it’s no surprise that the pet industry has become a lucrative market. And with most dog and cat owners today considering themselves loving “pet parents”, the demand for high quality pet food in a $22 billion-dollar industry shows no signs of slowing down. It was two such pet parents, Michele Hobbs and Amanda Broughton, who founded the all-natural pet food delivery business. They started the business in 2010, when they noticed some serious health issues with their pets and realized that the nationally recognized pet food brand they had been feeding their pets was
Franchising USA
“I’ve been involved in franchising for 30 years. But this one blows me away. We’re just getting so much interest from all over. I’m shocked at how busy we are.” – Bernie Brozek, President, Pet Wants not only filled with processed ingredients and by-products, but it had already lost most of its nutritional value from sitting for months in warehouses and on store shelves. They decided there had to be a better way to feed their four-legged family members and started producing their own pet food using only the freshest, highest quality ingredients available. When they noticed the health of their pets was improving, they knew they were onto something. “Fresh. Local. Delivered.” became the brand’s motto and guiding principle, with the business focused on making it easy for pet parents to provide the freshest, top-quality food for their dogs and cats by
having it conveniently delivered right to their doors on a subscription basis.
The Fresh Advantage The strong focus on fresh, high-quality ingredients is the brand’s key to staying ahead of the pack in the industry. Pet Wants food is slow-cooked in small batches on a monthly basis to ensure freshness and lock in nutrients. Pet Wants president, Bernie Brozek, explained how most pet food retailers carry food that is several months old and, in some cases, can even be as old as 2 to 3 years past production. “It’s our company rule that food older than
90 days can’t be sold and must be given away to local shelters or rescue societies,” said Brozek. This strong focus on freshness not only makes the food taste great, but also ensures the highest levels of nutrition for its four-legged customers.
Testimonials With its superior nutritional profile and convenient delivery model, it didn’t take long for customer testimonials to start flooding in after the business went into operation. Not only were pets enjoying the fresh taste of Pet Wants food, but the improved absorption of key nutrients also had happy pet parents noticing health improvements in their pets. “It’s fresh, nutritional food that’s glutenfree, grain-free, and with no fillers. A lot of dogs have itchy skin and other skin conditions because they’re not absorbing enough nutrients from food that’s been sitting on shelves for months…The stories we continue to hear from our customers show the benefits of getting the right, top quality nutrition into their systems.” Brozek shared his own story of when he took care of his neighbor’s Australian Golden Retriever for a month after the owner had a stroke. He fed him Pet Wants Chicken and Rice dog food while in his care. When he returned the dog to its owner after 30 days, his neighbor asked him what he had done to his dog because his skin and coat looked so healthy. The dog had been suffering from a serious skin condition and was on prednisone, a prescription medication that had cost the owner $200 a month. After switching him to Pet Wants food, the dog’s skin condition improved and he was taken off the medication. His owner is now a loyal Pet Wants customer.
The Franchise Model The brand recently started franchising in August 2015, but has already had 40 franchisees jump on board with locations across the U.S. As a mobile delivery model with low start-up and overhead costs plus recurring
monthly revenue, Pet Wants offers an accessible way for interested business owners to get involved in the pet industry. Offering two flexible franchise models - mobile delivery or a retail store and delivery model – the brand also helps maximize earnings with multiple revenue streams that include dog food, cat food, treats, salves and other related pet products. Full training and support is available for Pet Wants franchisees, with four weeks of remote training over the phone and a full week of intensive training at the corporate headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. Franchisees are also supported with ongoing training once a week if needed with a franchise consultant.
Must Love Dogs Most Pet Wants franchisees come from sales and business management backgrounds, but Brozek explained that the thing they all share in common is a love of pets. “We get a lot of interest from franchisees who are business oriented, and having those skills is important. But what’s key is that our franchisees love their dogs and cats.”
International Expansion Brozek said the Pet Wants franchise model is also showing strong interest internationally, with recent interest coming in from Ireland and even as far out as Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. “I’ve been involved in franchising for 30 years,” explained Brozek. “But this one blows me away. We’re just getting so much interest from all over. I’m shocked at how busy we are.”
Full Steam Ahead Poised for international expansion and aggressive growth across the U.S., the business is also looking to expand its product line over the next year. Brozek is excited by the rapid growth of the franchise and said it’s a great time to jump on board for anyone looking to get involved in the thriving pet industry. “It’s a wonderful little company, I just love it,” stated Brozek. “This is sitting right with me, because everybody loves their pets, and everybody is on the bandwagon to deliver fresh, high quality food. So this veteran franchise guy is just delighted at how it’s working out.” For more information on joining the Pet Wants franchise, visit www.petwantsfranchise.com
Franchising USA
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ex per t advice
George Knauf, Senior Franchise Business Advisor, FranChoice
Rent Your Home
Own Your Income Stream I know, it is counter to probably every bit of advice your family or friends would give you on investing. They would say that your house is the biggest asset you can own and that by owning your house you are building wealth.
The second piece of advice they will give you is to get good grades, work hard and you will always have a job and you can retire with a little nest egg to survive through retirement with. That advice may be as up to date as the advice given on Leave It to Beaver. The rules changed while everybody was looking. Investing in your home can be a way to grow asset value as the general trend in real estate is often upwards over a long period of time. We all remember times in the past, one very recently, where real estate was a less than attractive asset to be holding. Those down times in the real estate market can be attention getters and limit your options if you need to relocate for a job or quality of life. The other big impact on the value of real estate over decades of time if you do manage to hold that asset for 30+ years is that the house gets older and may look less attractive over time when buyers want shiny new houses with all the upgrades. The big question is whether owning your home is better viewed as an investment or simply a forced savings program. Neither are necessarily bad but are they your best game plan since the value of your home
Franchising USA
“The big question is whether owning your home is better viewed as an investment or simply a forced savings program. Neither are necessarily bad but are they your best game plan?” asset may be mostly out of your control? On the employment side, your eggs all in one basket income stream, the rules changed to where we now see very little commitment on the part of either the employee or the employer to a long term commitment. I see a thousand resumes a year and for successful executives where the average term of employment with a single company seems to be about 18-20 months. We also see a lot of pay gaps where executives are between jobs for 6-18 months. So why is it that we are comfortable taking out a loan for a very expensive asset we don’t really have much control over the value of, a house, while at the same time having a single income stream that is required to pay for that asset which we don’t control?
I have an alternate theory to offer up. Rent your home but own your income stream You see, most people depend on a job that they don’t control for income. I would argue that they rent their income stream. Look at it this way, when you take a job you get into it at low or no cost, you use it for gaining skills and to get a paycheck and someone else may have to make the really big decisions and take responsibility at the top. When you are ready to move to the next job you just move on without having to sell the business. But there’s the rub, the asset you were part of building is actually owned by someone else. When you rent a home you get to move in for little to no cost, the homeowner has to deal with any repairs along the way and when you are ready to move you just move.
If the house increased in value the owner of the property has the increased asset value, not the renter. Do those two descriptions sound all too familiar? When you look at the cost of a house vs the cost of a franchise, many people are more than willing to invest in a home where they control very little about how it appreciates in value but they are more than willing to sign for that loan. Alternatively, they look at job options and are willing to go build someone else’s asset using their finely tuned skill set instead of owning their income stream by staring a franchise. A franchise owner would use many of the same skills that a corporate employee would but are focused on building their own asset that they can sell someday. Their goal is to take that asset from a small startup and build a large single or multi-unit portfolio. During that growth many take income out of the business. When you sign the loan to buy the house it would be very uncommon that you got to live in it and that it would offer you an ongoing revenue stream. When it comes time to move from that business for retirement or to go grow another business they put it on the market and capture the current value of the franchise they built. Between a no limits business ownership career path and capturing the value of the assets you build, could a business be a better asset to build than owning a house? So here is my idea, reverse the expectation and consider that everyone should have an income stream that they own but a house they rent. In this day of job insecurity, I have to think that would be a very empowering position to be in. As a business owner you get to pursue your
George Knauf
goals, there is no employer limiting your potential. Just imagine talking to friends about having the ability to up and move on a whim, to chase big goals and pursue personal passions! I have a friend that is doing that right now, she and her husband are renting where they hang their hats for a period of time after being long time homeowners. They are living and working from a myriad of amazing places across the globe this year. Renting your home may be easier to be happy with than renting your income stream! As a business owner for many years now I have my own story and know the stories of countless others that have taken over ownership of their income streams. I cannot imagine a scenario where I would go back to being an employee and building someone else’s asset. Making that change is one of the most positive work experiences I have had. What will your success story be? George Knauf is a highly sought after, trusted advisor to many companies; Public, Independent and Franchised, of all sizes and in many markets. His 20 plus years of experience in both startup and mature business operations makes him uniquely qualified to advise individuals that have dreamed of going into business for themselves in order to gain more control, independence, time flexibility and to be able to earn in proportion to their real contribution. Contact the Franchising USA Expert George’s Hotline 703-424-2980. www.FranGuide.com
Franchising USA
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FR A NCH ISEE I N ACT I O N
A A MCO
Former AAMCO Employee Makes the Jump to Franchisee Familiarity with a system can be ideal for people looking to buy their own franchise.
of Louisville, Kentucky. After having
That was certainly the case for John
handling all of the customer relations
Summers, who currently owns an
AAMCO service center in his hometown
Franchising USA
worked as a service center manager for
four years, Summers purchased his own AAMCO franchise in 2004.
While working as a service center
manager, Summers was tasked with
aspects of the business, including greeting and working one-on-one with customers
on their automotive repair service needs and dispatching work to the service technicians. And while he loved his role, Summers wanted the increased flexibility that business ownership brings. “I wanted to have the independence that comes with self-employment,� Summers said during a recent interview.
“I wanted to have the independence that comes with self-employment.” – John Summers, AAMCO franchisee
local level. In 2012, AAMCO acquired
Global Powertrain Systems (GPS), located adjacent to AAMCO University, which
gives franchisees the opportunity to buy below market value transmissions and
allows them to save money and focus on expanding its Total Car Care services.
center, AAMCO University, located in the Atlanta area.
In addition to its own university and
In addition to classrooms, AAMCO U. includes a simulated service center with hands-on training designed for new franchise owners, customer service managers and technicians.
also provides ongoing in-field training by
Training for new owners runs for four weeks. Three of those weeks are spent in a classroom and one week is spent at an existing AAMCO service center. Since the opening of its first service center in 1963, AAMCO has built extensive career paths for employees of its franchises, which helps owners recruit top notch talent in the field. These career paths allow franchise owners to not only offer jobs to people, but meaningful careers, which helps them retain the talent they attract. The company has also simplified its business model for franchisees. As cars become more complex, it has become increasingly difficult for franchise owners to repair transmissions at the
transmission rebuilding center, AAMCO way of operations managers who make
quarterly visits to franchisees’ centers to train both technicians and management. Summers had high praise for AAMCO,
saying the company’s leadership is taking the brand into the future with continuous improvements and new initiatives.
With AAMCO’s assistance, the franchisee recently transitioned his existing store
from a three-bay service center to a 10bay super center, which has quadrupled business ever since. He is considering
opening additional AAMCO locations in the near future.
Summers said he believes in the AAMCO model and the company has invested
heavily in giving franchisees ongoing
support, which is good news for Summers and his fellow franchisees.
www.aamcofranchises.com
Since purchasing his franchise, Summers said, he can enjoy more time with family while still having the opportunity to make a great living.
AAMCO University Having been an employee of AAMCO for several years before becoming a franchisee, Summers still took advantage of the company’s state-of-the-art training
Franchising USA
FR A NCH ISEE I N ACT I O N
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FR A NCH ISEE I N ACT I O N
A A MCO
About AAMCO University AAMCO University features over 300 courses ranging from shop safety basics to master-level classes in diagnostics and transmission rebuilding. The classes are taught in various ways, including inside classrooms, online and in the simulated AAMCO service center. Just like any other university, AAMCO University has various schools for learning. The various schools of AAMCO University and what they teach are:
School of Franchise Support • Career Paths • Department Structure • Brand Excellence • AAMCO Culture
“Since the opening of its first service center in 1963, AAMCO has built extensive career paths for employees of its franchises, which helps owners recruit top notch talent in the field.”
School of Franchise Ownership • Reputation Management • Networking • Recruiting • Growth Strategies
School of Technical Excellence • Transmission Rebuilding • Entry to Master Level Courses • Material Handling and Safety • Vehicle Inspection and Diagnostics
School of Management • Inventory Control • Quality Assurance • Sales • Customer Relations
Franchising USA
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So You Want To Own A Franchise
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ex per t advice
David Banfield, President, The Interface Financial Group
You Made It, You Sold It – Now Fund It “Typically a faster cash flow creates a more healthy business, and one that has the capital it needs to expand.” to access that marketplace, then perhaps there is no bad news at all.
David Banfield
For many small business owners the world of finance still remains a mystery. It used to be that you went to your bank and whatever the issue was, the bank would solve it. Unfortunately those days are gone and
probably gone forever. Banks continue to retreat from the front line when it comes
to funding the small business marketplace. This is not necessarily all bad news. For those that know their way around the
financial marketplace they can always find an opportunity in the secondary market.
With the government initiative requiring banks to help their ‘rejected’ customers
Franchising USA
The secondary marketplace is made up of a variety of lenders offering funding collateralized by a variety of assets. These lenders all tend to be asset based lenders as opposed to equity lenders, which is still the domain of the high street banks. There are, however, times when asset based borrowing can fit an entrepreneur’s requirements very well. In some cases this can even be ‘off-balance sheet’ funding, making it an attractive proposition for smaller growing companies. One of the most flexible facilities in this market area is surely spot factoring or single invoice discounting. The flexibility that this service offers is readily embraced by SME’s that do not wish to, or cannot, enter into long-term factoring type agreements, or don’t have the volume requirements to meet the stipulations of conventional invoice discounters. In an ideal world most small business owners would seek out a facility that was available as and when needed; there was no cost when the facility was not in use; and there were no restrictions on size of transaction, and naturally is was cost effective. Is this just a pipe dream or reality? Such facilities do exist, so it becomes a reality situation.
In a typical spot factoring situation, the manufacturer or service provider has completed their service or delivered their product, they have invoiced their customer, and then the waiting game starts. Spot factoring removes the waiting by accelerating the cash flow to create an immediate payment against the invoice in question. This type of facility can be engineered very quickly, initially a few business days, and then almost on demand for repeat business. So why wouldn’t everyone use this type of arrangement? The fact is that more and more expanding companies are seeking this type of quick and easy finance. What causes a company to seek to accelerate their cash flow? Typically a faster cash flow creates a more healthy business, and one that has the capital it needs to expand. Growth is therefore a driving force in this area. As a company expands it will need more working capital, and as it acquires that capital, it will grow again and thus will need more capital, and so on. It is a growth cycle that can consume cash as fast as it becomes available. For many SME’s growth comes in the form of new customers that bring in orders, which push up sales at a dramatic
and sometime exponential velocity. Dramatic rather than steady growth can severely hamper cash flow. New customers that are able to provide substantial orders often become in charge of the transaction. They have the buying power to dictate when they will pay, and the supplier - if they wish to retain the business - has little option but to accept what often turns out to be extended payment terms.
“As a company expands it will need more working capital, and as it acquires that capital, it will grow again and thus will need more capital, and so on. It is a growth cycle that can consume cash as fast as it becomes available.”
This in itself should not be a problem as we have already discussed that there are options in the marketplace to deal with a growth in receivables. Therefore the problem is readily solved - spot factoring turns those new sales into instant cash, and the growth cycle starts over again. On the face of it - a sound solution, but what happens when the customer says that they will not allow the invoices to be sold or discounted -now the problem becomes exasperated. First, can a customer dictate what happens to their invoice? They certainly can and in many instances this restriction on assignability creates ongoing problems for the supplier. While there is no immediate solution to this issue, other than not dealing with such customers, there may be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel in that the Government is starting a consulting exercise with the industry group that represents asset based lenders to see if there is some ‘legal fix ‘to the problem. There is no doubt that if this hurdle were removed we would see even greater growth in the small business sector. As a business owner you need to be savvy about what you can do with your company assets in terms of using them for a finance facility as it surely represents a great alternative to conventional lending. David Banfield is 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
Franchising USA
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fr anch ise & serv ices di r ecto ry
9Round 9Round is a 30 minute circuit training workout that incorporates boxing, kickboxing, dumb bells, kettle bells, jump ropes, and a whole lot more. This program solves the four problems in the fitness industry. There are no scheduled class times - a client can work out at any time; each session is only 30 minutes and is full body.
Franchise opportunities are available worldwide.
The workouts change daily so there is no
Website: www.9round.com
AAMCO Transmission and Total Car Care
by servicing the automotive aftermarket as franchisees.
AAMCO franchisees benefit from joining a brand that has been in business for over 50 years. Our iconic, Double A, Beep Beep, M-C-O mnemonic brings instant recognition and trust from the American consumer. In addition to automatic brand recognition, AAMCO franchisees benefit from an Executive Leadership Team who established themselves
Big O Tires® BIG O Is Your BIG Opportunity. With more than 50 years in the tire and automotive maintenance industry, Big O Tires® is proud to be a worldclass leader. As we continue to thrive in an ever-expanding market, we invite you to be a part of the exciting opportunities as a member of the Big O Tires® family. Big O Tires® is proud to be one of the most progressive tire and automotive service franchises in the nation. When you join our family, we supply you with a powerful set of tools to help bring your business to the front of the pack: This website and any request for information or forms are not a franchise offering or an offer to sell a franchise.
Camp Bow Wow Camp Bow Wow® is the largest dog day care and boarding franchise in North America! Established in 2000, we have grown to become an $86 million business with more than 150 franchises in forty states and a location in Canada. The Camp concept provides the highest levels of fun, safety and service for its Campers, and peace of mind for their parents. Dogs romp together in an open-play environment and pricing is all-inclusive. As the company
Coverall® Founded in 1985, Coverall offers motivated entrepreneurs the right to independently own and operate commercial cleaning franchised businesses using the Coverall® brand and system. In 2008, the company launched its Coverall HealthBased Cleaning System® Program with an emphasis on helping to improve the cleanliness, health and wellness of facilities. This unique Program combines environmentally friendly and innovative cleaning technologies and tools, hospital-grade disinfectants, professional training programs, customer support and
Franchising USA
chance of getting bored. The best part is there is a trainer included each and every time to motivate and encourage. With over 200 locations open in 38 states and five countries, 9Round will be coming to your community soon.
Phone: 864-962-4601 or email: jeff. mathews@9round.com
With this franchisee focus in mind, AAMCO provides the brand, tools, guidance and education necessary for new franchisees. This includes financing support, real estate support and training through the entire opening process. Contact: Eric Simon Phone: 1-800-292-8500 Email: esimon@aamco.com Website: www.aamcofranchises.com
• Leading name-brand recognition. • Experienced franchise system. • Competitive marketing strategies. • Dynamic and perpetuating consumer engagement • Comprehensive start-up training. • Sales guidance from a network of retail experts. • Multiple warehouses stocked to meet inventory demands. • National and regional meetings/conventions. • Access to exclusive marketing resources. • On-site visits and strong support from Franchise Business Consultants. Contact us today! www.bigofranchise.com
grows, its simple philosophy remains the same — it’s all about the dogs! Camp Bow Wow is focused on the well-being of its furry clients and the success of its franchise owners. Join the Pack and fetch your share of the rapidly growing $60 billion pet industry! Phone: 1-877-700-BARK Website: www.campbowwow.com Email: ppounders@cbwcorp.com Contact: Patrick Pounders, ppounders@cbwcorp.com, 720-259-0835
communication, and a passion for healthy cleaning to do one thing – remove the maximum amount of dirt and germs as efficiently as possible. Today, the Coverall® Program, implemented by independently owned and operated Franchised Businesses, is the first choice of offices, medical offices and healthcare facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, schools, daycares, retail businesses, restaurants, manufacturing plants, auto dealerships, religious centers, fitness centers and other businesses This offering is made by prospectus only. See Franchise Disclosure Document for details. Website: www.coverall.com
Donatos Donatos is a network of 100-franchise partner owned and 53 company owned restaurants in seven states clustered around Ohio. Founded in 1963, Donatos is the original fast casual pizza restaurant model that also delivers.
financial performers in the pizza segment. In its home market of Columbus, Ohio Donatos commands a 40 percent market share in the pizza segment. We are on the cutting edge of customer knowledge, market intelligence and digital service.
With average restaurant sales over $1M per year, Donatos is one of the strongest
Please see www.donatospizzafranchise.com for more information.
Dr. smart phones
insurance agencies and have quickly become an authorize retail repair center which is now offered to all our franchisees.
Dr. Smart Phones is a recognized leader in the electronics repair industry. With over 60 new licenses sold in the past 6 months, Dr. Smart Phones is poised as in industry disrupter offer a lifetime parts warranty to all customers. We are nationally known to many phone
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
Contact: Ken Rich Email: ken.rich@dspcorp.com Phone: 972.548.7905 Website: www.drsmartphones.com
• Franchise Research Institute #1 Rated Sign & Graphics Franchise 2014-2015 • CFA Franchisees’ Choice Designation 2004-2015 • FASTSIGNS is one of only a handful of franchises approved for $21 million in SBA financing for approved franchise candidates FASTSIGNS has over 400 markets approved for development in the US and Canada and is also seeking Master or Area Developer expansion in markets worldwide. For more information: Phone: 1-214-346-5679 Email: mark.jameson@fastsigns.com Or visit our Website: www.fastsigns.com
fingernails2go
• Fast return on investment
Finernails2Go have built the nail art kiosk that is going to revolutionise the cosmetic world.
If you want a single kiosk for your business premises or to distribute multiple kiosks in an agreed area, we are open for business.
• The only Nail Art Kiosk with bespoke HP printing • The only Nail Art Kiosk with Tritron Speciality Ink – compliant with all major health regulatory bodies. The Fingernails2Go Kiosk delivers:
Fingernails2Go Kiosks will not only create excitement they will increase the time people spend at the location. You or your customers will be able to sell both nail art, and other products as more people come in to discover Fingernails2Go
• Unlimited design opportunities – • High res HP printing • On screen advertising opportunities
Go to http://fingernails2go.com/business/contact/ to get started with this fantastic new business opportunity.
franchising usa
Excellent for branding and recognition.
• The only Nail Art Kiosk built by Tensator.
A-Z Listings are a great way to promote your business, giving you a presence within our publication and also the Franchising USA website. Each detailed, full colour A-Z listing comes with a 150 word write up and your logo.
Choose a 12 or 6 month package or simply add the A-Z directory onto your Focus, Profile or Ad! To learn about the A-Z directory or any other products please contact Vikki Bradbury: advertising@cgbpublishing.com or 778-426-2446
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Fresh To Order (f2o) Founded in 2006, Fresh To Order (f2o) combines the quality of food found in finer casual dining with the operating platform and price point of fast casual. With a mission to serve “Incredible Food in under 10 minutes for around $10”, we offer a menu of recognizable favorites with a flavorful twist, such as chef-inspired entrees, Panini sandwiches, soups and Perfect Bite Salads©.
franchising usa A-Z Listings are a great way to promote your business, giving you a presence within our publication and also the Franchising USA website. Each detailed, full colour A-Z listing comes with a 150 word write up and your logo.
The HoneyBaked Ham Company & Cafe At HoneyBaked our mission is “Celebrating life, one meal at a time.” Founded in Detroit in 1957, we are a premium food retailer and family-oriented concept known for serving the most flavorful, moist and tender Honey Baked Ham® and Turkey Breasts you’ll find anywhere, as well as a host of other fully cooked entrees, side items and desserts. Starting in 1998, HoneyBaked expanded to a café
HuHot Mongolian Grills
MONGOLIAN GRILL
Hot is a national create-your-own stir fry concept offering a wide variety of meats, seafood, noodles, fresh veggies, and signature sauces to suit your tastes. Select your favorite ingredients then be entertained as your meal is cooked to perfection by our grill warriors on a 6-foot, scorching hot grill. It’s always all-you-can-eat, so you can create a different meal every time.
Contact: Franchise Development Phone: (888) 877-6188 Website: www.freshTOorder.com Email: Please complete Inquiry form on website
Excellent for branding and recognition. Choose a 12 or 6 month package or simply add the A-Z directory onto your Focus, Profile or Ad! To learn about the A-Z directory or any other products please contact Vikki Bradbury: advertising@cgbpublishing.com or 778-426-2446
concept, supplementing its core products with a full menu of lunch, meal replacement and catering options created with the same high standards that the company was built on. HoneyBaked has become a tradition for families nationwide, who can now shop at more than 400 locations across the U.S. Contact: Mark Demis, Director of Development and Real Estate Phone: (866) 968-7424 Email: hbdevelopment@hbham.com Website: http://www.honeybakedfranchise.com/
locations in 16 states and that focus has remained unchanged. In 2015 HuHot was ranked for the fourth consecutive year in Franchise 500 by Entrepreneur and on Technomic’s Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. HuHot has been ranked as one of Franchise Times Next 300 Franchise Chains 3 years in a row, and named as one of Nation Restaurant News’ Next 20 Chains of 2014.
HuHot Mongolian Grills, LLC opened its first restaurant in Missoula, Montana in 1999 focusing on fresh food, signature sauces and great service. Over the past 15 years, the concept has grown to 58
Contact: Laura Sporrer Phone: (303) 297-1200 Email: franchise_info@huhot.com Website: www.huhotfranchising.com
Huntington Learning Center
owned tutoring centers.
Huntington Learning Center is the #1 revenue producing tutoring franchise, with an average earning of 61% more revenue than our closest competitor. Huntington was founded in 1977, began franchising in 1985 and has grown to be one of the most established and well-respected brands in education. Today, Huntington operates nearly 300 centers in 38 states from coast to coast as a recognized pioneer and leader in the tutoring industry, providing quality instruction to tens of thousands of students through our national network of franchised and company-
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Combine Fresh to Order’s focus on healthier, flavorful menu choices with its open-kitchen set-up and commitment to great guest service, and you have an experience like nothing else in the category.
For over 37 years, Huntington Learning Center has been the leader in the tutoring and test prep industry with an established reputation of providing highquality, individualized programs for students of all ages and in all subjects. As a Huntington franchisee, you will inherit our reputation for excellence and be recognized in your community as an industry leader and premier brand of tutoring services. For more information, contact Gina Elliott at: Email: Franchise@HLCmail.com Phone: 800.653.8400 Website: www.huntingtonfranchise.com
International Franchise Professionals Group
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.
Johnny’s Pizza House
incomparable signature sauce and 100% real creamy mozzarella cheese. All made the Johnny’s Pizza House way for that unique taste that has made us the market leader in all of our markets. Year after year, we’ve been voted the “people’s choice” for favorite pizza in every reader poll conducted by independent media outlets! Contact: Dennis Wills Email: info@johnnysph.com Phone: 318-807-1358 Website: johnnysph.com
Johnny’s Pizza House: Shakin’ & Bakin’ Since 1967! Founder Johnny Huntsman opened our first store in 1967 in Monroe, billing it as “the only link in the world’s smallest pizza chain.” We offer a great menu of delicious pizzas, appetizers and sandwiches – and fresh is the word. Fresh dough made daily. The freshest of vegetables. The highest quality meats – and every pizza topped with Johnny’s Pizza House’s
Kids In Sports Kids In Sports is a specialized sports program for children 12 months through 12 years old. Kids In Sports’ mission is to teach children the fundamentals of sports in an organized, safe, fun, friendly, and supportive environment.
sport-specific classes focusing on: baseball, basketball, soccer, flag football, volleyball, floor hockey, and lacrosse. Kids In Sports also offers Pre-School Alternative and After-School programs in addition to hosting camps and parties throughout the year.
Emphasizing sportsmanship, teamwork, respect, and communication, the program serves as a building block for young athletes. Coaches instruct children in multi-sport and
Website: www.kidsinsports.com Phone: 212.744.4900 Email: info@kidsinsports.com Contact: Mike Strutt
Liberty tax service
Liberty Tax is a company to watch, not just in tax preparation franchise terms, but in the business world as a whole. Our corporate team, Area Developers, and franchisees are accessible and down-to-earth. We provide a supportive network and a culture that is progressive and fun.
Founded in 1997 by CEO John T. Hewitt, Liberty Tax Service is the fastest-growing tax preparation franchise in the industry and has prepared almost 18 million income tax returns in more than 4,400 offices and online. Liberty balances strong growth, best business practices, social responsibility, and a fulfilling life experience for our franchisees. We’re committed to creating a business system and environment that will be held up as the model for all other tax preparation franchises to emulate.
Link Staffing Services Founded in 1980, Link Staffing Services provides staffing and productivity solutions to businesses and industry. The personnel Link supplies include skilled crafts and trades, light industrial, semiskilled, general labor, office professional, and administrative support. As a leader in the staffing industry, Link
You can join one of the top franchise opportunities in the world. Just fill out our request franchise information form to find out more about Liberty Tax. www.libertytaxfranchise.com/request-franchiseinformation.html
Staffing Services has set themselves apart by providing cutting-edge technology and comprehensive screening processes, and by providing the type of workers clients like to hire. Based in Houston, Texas, Link Staffing has 44 locations nationwide and growing. Contact: Louie Picazo Phone: 713-358-1094 Email: lpicazo@linkstaffing.com Website: www.linkfranchising.com
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Little Caesars
continue to receive support, expert analysis and consultation from corporate as their business grows.
Little Caesars offers strong franchisee candidates opportunities in select locations across the country. As America’s fastest growing pizza chain, Little Caesars provides candidates an opportunity for independence with a proven system, a simple operating model and strong national brand recognition.
Little Caesars’ requires candidates desiring to open one store to have a net worth of $150,000 with a minimum of $50,000 in liquid, unencumbered assets (such as cash). Franchisees must also be able to obtain financing to cover the total costs of opening a franchised location.
Franchisees benefit from a comprehensive training program that focuses on all aspects of the business, including training, architectural and construction services to help with design, preferred lenders to assist with financing, the ongoing research and development of new products, and effective marketing programs. Franchisees
Phone: 800-553-5776 Email: USdevelopment@LCEcorp.com Website: www.LittleCaesars.com
LivePOS
franchisors with the ability to run a successful and very profitable business, with ZERO upfront cost.
Technology is changing the way we shop. Social Media, targeted advertising and repeat customers can make the difference between a successful business and failure. If you are still using outdated, dinosaur like point of sale system, you are leaving money on the table.
Real-Time sales and inventory reports, employee time and attendance, commissions, payroll, promotions and over 1,000 other features makes LivePOS the market leader in this space. The LivePOS FMS Dashboard provides direct access to store sales, royalty remittance, franchise wide SKU control and many other tools to ensure consistency throughout the brand, regardless of state or location
Enters LivePOS, a Cloud Point of Sale Solution designing exclusively for multi-location, chains and franchises owners. With over 20,000 customers worldwide, LivePOS provides both franchisees and
Maaco As a new franchisee, you’ll not only be a Maaco owner but you’ll also be part of the Maaco family. You’ll align yourself with a 43+ year proven business model and share numerous advantages: unmatched buying power, outstanding earning potential, ongoing operating support and assistance, territory protection, and more! With over 450 franchised locations throughout
Massage Green Spa International Massage Green Spa is positioned to outpace the competition with our membership-based business model, easy cost of entry, value positioned concept, easy real estate, low overhead, beautiful distinctive retreat design and multiple revenue streams. Owning a Massage Green Spa franchise has an amazing opportunity for professional and personal growth. It most importantly focuses on the ever changing wellness revolution. By combining massage therapy with an ecofriendly environment, we have addressed the need for improving both our internal and external health.
franchising usa A-Z Listings are a great way to promote your business, giving you a presence within our publication and also the Franchising USA website. Each detailed, full colour A-Z listing comes with a 150 word write up and your logo.
Franchising USA
For the sixth year in a row, Little Caesars was named “Best Value in America”* of all quick-serve restaurant chains.
Website: www.livepos.com Email: info@livepos.com
the United States and Canada, Maaco dominates the market and is the leader in the $43 billion automotive paint and collision industry. Maaco has virtually no nationally branded competition and provides franchisees with fantastic opportunity for continued growth. Contact: Betsy McDonald Email:franchising@maaco.com Phone: 877-625-8499 Website: www.maacofranchise.com
We make you eligible to take advantage of all corporate services: site selection, design and construction, marketing, financing, training and grand opening program. We continue to offer support with the following (not limited to): training, national and regional advertising, operations procedures and assistance, ongoing supervision and management support, increased spending power, access to bulk purchasing and a community of like-minded individuals that are as passionate about your success as you! Contact: Jim Belanger Phone: 248-849-9600 Email: jbelanger@massagegreenspa.com Website: www.massagegreenspa.com
Excellent for branding and recognition. Choose a 12 or 6 month package or simply add the A-Z directory onto your Focus, Profile or Ad! To learn about the A-Z directory or any other products please contact Vikki Bradbury: advertising@cgbpublishing.com or 778-426-2446
Midas Midas, a recognized brand throughout the world and highly renowned name in complete car care, is proud to be one of North America’s original franchise opportunities – and one of its best. With Midas, you experience the best of both worlds - the support of an experienced franchise organization and the satisfaction of operating your very own auto service enterprise. As a Midas franchisee, you become a trusted name the day you open your doors for business. Building consumer trust is at the heart of our brand. We work every day to earn that trust by providing expertise, responsiveness, and the best value to every customer every time. Benefit from nearly 60 years of “The Midas Touch”
Mint Advertising Founded in 2002, NJ-based Mint Advertising is an award-winning ad agency with a strong history of helping franchise organizations like Domino’s, CENTURY 21, Wendy’s, and Lawn Doctor accelerate growth and engagement on a number of different fronts.
Naturalawn of america NaturaLawn of America offers organic-based lawn care services to customers across the United States seeking safer alternatives to traditional chemical lawn care.
Midas has built a stellar reputation in the automotive service and repair industry nearly six decades. We want to help you succeed. Before you open a location and as you continue to operate your shop, Midas will help you with the following: • Business management system for your shop • New franchisee orientation • Ongoing training and training resources • Operational support. • Development support • Optimizing and marketing your business: Join Midas today by calling 1-800-365-0007 or visiting www.midasfranchise.com! This website and any request for information or forms are not a franchise offering or an offer to sell a franchise.
From online to offline advertising for franchisors as well as franchisees, to sales materials, conference marketing, media and direct mail — you name it and we’ve probably done it. Contact: Scott Robinson, VP Client Service Email: scott@mintadv.com Phone: 908-238-1500 Website: www.mintadvertising.com
By creating natural lawn care programs specific to the needs of each individual lawn and through its use of organic-based lawn care products, NaturaLawn of America continues to give customers nationwide, the healthier, greener lawns they desire while protecting people, pets and the environment.
They pioneered the breakthrough into environmentally responsible lawn care back in 1987 (before “going green” was the norm). While chemicalbased companies continued to randomly spray unnecessary pesticides, NaturaLawn of America developed an Integrated Pest Management System (IPM), which was unprecedented in lawn care.
Headquartered in Frederick, Maryland, NaturaLawn of America provides business opportunities to individuals wishing to own their own franchise.
NUTTY SCIENTISTS®
Nutty Scientists has franchised locations in more than 40 countries across the globe and our reach continues to expand every day.
Nutty Scientists® is a leading global provider of scientific activities for children of all ages, and we’re an ideal franchise opportunity for all types of people. If you want to make a difference in the way children perceive and learn science and you have the ability to market the service and programs we offer to the schools and families in your community – a Nutty Scientists franchise could be a perfect fit.
One Stop Tax One Stop Tax is a professional tax preparation services provider offering personal and business income tax returns catered to the low and middle income brackets. As a franchisor we offer state-of the art tools that help make the entire business run efficiently and intelligently because of our proven business system.
For more information Phone: (800) 989-5444, Email: info@naturalawnfranchise.com Or go to Website: http://naturalawnfranchise.com/
Each franchisee plays a special role in their community, but their main responsibility is to enhance children’s lives by making science fun. For more information, contact: Shery Christopher Phone: 1-520-743-0022 Email: shery@nuttyscientists.com Website: www.nuttyscientists.com
Our services are sought year after year despite economic condition and regardless of demographics and income levels. Contact: Charles Kinuthia Phone: 855.408.2937 or Email: franchise@onestoptax.com You can also check out our website: www.onestoptax.com
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Our Town America For over 40 years, Our Town America has been providing new movers with traditional hospitality by mailing warm housewarming gifts from local businesses in a premium welcome package. It is Our Town America’s mission to welcome new movers into their communities, to help local businesses gain new loyal and long-term customers, and to provide franchisees with an excellent business opportunity. Thousands of satisfied business owners throughout the United States attest to the success and effectiveness of the Our Town America program
Pestmaster Franchise Network, Inc. Pestmaster Franchise Network offers franchises throughout the USA that specialize in pest, weed, termite, rodent, bird and other services related to the pest control industry. We specialize in Small Business participation on federal contracts and successful franchise applicants are trained to utilize the GSA
franchising usa A-Z Listings are a great way to promote your business, giving you a presence within our publication and also the Franchising USA website. Each detailed, full colour A-Z listing comes with a 150 word write up and your logo.
PIRTEK USA PIRTEK is the fluid transfer solutions leader in sales and service and the only franchise of its kind in the United States. With more than 30 years of experience in this field, PIRTEK boasts more than 400 Service & Supply Centers and a fleet of Mobile Service Vehicles in 23 countries. Powered by an industry-leading approach to sales and service and backed by a corporate center passionate about its franchisees and customers, PIRTEK offers unmatched service and logistics. This is a sales-driven, service-based business that
Primero Systems An outgrowth of Primero’s custom software business, our Webtreepro franchise marketing platform addresses the needs of growing franchises. Built by a company that understands franchising, Webtreepro makes it easy for your franchise to thrive in the digital age. It’s a proven, simple-to-use solution for marketers seeking to maximize their assets in content and brand recognition. Create responsive franchisor, franchise development or franchisee sites, manage your digital assets and automate promotions. Protect your brand with SEO and social media controls, create roles for content workflow,
Franchising USA
while dozens of locally owned franchises validate the Our Town America concept as a viable business opportunity. Franchisees are neighborhood marketing consultants, showing local business owners how to target their best prospects with enticing offers via direct mail. Since beginning to franchise in 2005, Our Town America has been consistently ranked a Franchise Business Review Top 50 Franchise making them the only Advertising brand to land a spot in the 10-year Hall of Fame and the sole company to be crowed Franchise Business Review’s Top Company. Website: http://www.ourtownamerica.com Email: franchising@ourtownamerica.com
schedule for opportunities in their territories. Services are provided with an emphasis on sustainable “green” technologies to residential, commercial and government clientele. Contacts: Jeffrey M. Van Diepen, President/ CEO and Jacque Lechler, Franchise Administrative and Sales Manager Phone: 775-858-7378 Email: pfn@pestmaster.com Website: www.pestmaster.com
Excellent for branding and recognition. Choose a 12 or 6 month package or simply add the A-Z directory onto your Focus, Profile or Ad! To learn about the A-Z directory or any other products please contact Vikki Bradbury: advertising@cgbpublishing.com or 778-426-2446
focuses on repairing and maintaining hydraulic- and pneumatic-powered machines. Although the brand might sound like an opportunity better suited for someone who can work a wrench, it’s a business well-matched for entrepreneurs who understand the value of building relationships and are prepared to capitalize on the opportunity to thrive wherever industrial equipment is used—and it is used virtually everywhere. For more information contact: Gwyn T. O’Kane, CFE, Vice President of Franchise Development, PIRTEK USA Phone: 321.504.4422 Email: gokane@pirtekusa.com Website: www.pirtekusa.com
add an educational portal, set permissions for publishing and editing corporate content or websites. Integrate your email or CRM strategy into a superior lead generation customer experience. With a few clicks, launch your newly awarded franchisee responsive website, utilizing the franchisee’s own localized branding, while allowing the franchisor to set the criteria for one or thousands of franchisees. The possibilities are endless. Contact: Rick Diviesti Email: explore@primerosystems.com Phone: (866) 426-0779 Website: www.primerosystems.com
PrimoHoagies PrimoHoagies specializes in gourmet, Italian Specialty Sandwiches. Their entire menu is built around quality. PrimoHoagies uses only the finest Thumanns meats and cheeses on the market to its signature Italian bread baked in the stores throughout the day. Quality will never be compromised in a PrimoHoagies restaurant. This one of the reason we have become ranked in the Franchise 500 by Entrepreneur magazine. Because we have built our reputation on the
quality of our products, our brand has become iconic in all of its markets. We experience a level of brand loyalty that in rarely seen in the sandwich franchise marketplace. Our neighborhood Deli feel has made us welcome in communities up and down the East Coast. This is why our products have won hundreds of awards. Visit our website at www.PrimoHoagies.com or Contact Mike Aruanno at mike@primohoagies. com to learn how this brand has created such a stir in the sandwich marketplace.
Renew Crew
weak the economy is, thereby providing a recession-resistant
Renew Crew is proud to be North America’s most trusted
Every day we continue to refine our products and systems
choice for exterior surfacecleaning and protecting. We are the leading national brand with a proprietary 3-step process that
revenue stream. to maximize your expertise and optimize your chances of exceeding your goals for your business. Our corporate team
works wonders. We call it Renew Crew Clean™. You’ll call it
is committed to supporting you as you start and build your
the path to achieving your personal and business goals!
enterprise locally. From sales and operations, to marketing
Renew Crew is undoubtedly the leader in exterior surface
and accounting, you’ll have access to support staff for all
cleaning and protecting. Cleaning and protecting outdoor
aspects of your business
surfaces is an important part of home ownership and a
Contact: Shemar Pucel
segment of an estimated $476 billion home maintenance
Phone: 804-214-3021
market. Even better for our franchisees, these homeowner
Email: spucel@outdoorlivingbrands.com
maintenance obligations remain regardless of how strong or
Website: www.renewcrewfranchise.com
ScerIS
majority of your time generating more revenue. Your success is our combined success.
We offer an exciting opportunity for entrepreneurs and sales professionals to use their business skills and/or proven sales experience to build their own sales organizations. Perfect for those with a general understanding of business processes and the application of technology to improve those processes such as automation, workflows, content management and more.
Established in 1993, ScerIS is a Microsoft Gold Application Development Partner, consulting services and business process outsourcing company and a resource to clients across healthcare, financial, business and government markets. Contact us to learn more about this exciting opportunity.
We provide comprehensive training and support, marketing and advertising support, back office support and an on-line support website. We are here to do the majority of the back office work, so you can spend the
Contact: Kevin Grooms Email: kevin.grooms@sceris.com Phone: (978) 218-5023 Website: www.sceris.com/sales-partners
SH Franchising, LLC.
c) Very experienced corporate support team
Senior Helpers® is the growing global brand that provides on-medical home care for seniors with mobility, cognitive, and other age-related health issues.
d) Mature brand positioned for growth
With the U.S. population over 65 years old expected to grow 56% over the next 20 years and senior care options becoming limited, the time has never been better to invest to help an important segment of our communities.
community while making a living f) Senior Helpers unique brand offerings, such as their Senior Gems Alzheimer’s and Dementia program (seniorhelpers.com/seniorgems). Contact: Amy Petersen-Smith
a) Low initial investment (100K) – Total Investment includes working capital
Phone: 866 – 353 – 3743
b) Strong income potential
Website: www.seniorhelpers.com/
Signal 88 Security
Our security programs are successful because we fully understand the nature of the businesses we secure, the properties and personnel we protect, and the deterrent effect we promote.
From its Omaha roots, Signal 88 Security has quickly grown to providing services in over 37 states with more than 160 Franchises serving nearly 300 territories across the country – with more offices opening every month. We are equipped to handle any size property, event or business with a customized security solution.
Business Partner At ScerIS, information is alive!
e) Opportunity to combine helping others in your local
Advantage over the Competition: Key Advantages:
Signal 88 Security was founded to revolutionize and establish a higher standard of professionalism in the security industry. Signal 88 Security was founded in 2003, in Omaha, Nebraska, by law enforcement professionals. In Nebraska police code, Signal 88 means “situation secure.” We offer law enforcement* and community-based security personnel, incorporating state-of-the-art technology to provide customized security services to the business community.
SceriS
Email: asmith@seniorhelperscorp.com
We have developed a business model designed with our Franchise Partners’ success in mind. Our model tackles all phases of business from start-up to maturity, admin to operations, and marketing to sales to offer our Franchise Partners’ the best opportunity to successfully run a Signal 88 Security franchise, creating peace of mind to pursue passion in life. Phone: 254-870-2767 Website: www.signal88.com/home.aspx Email: jhinnen@signal88.com Contact: Jessica Hinnen
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SOLDIERFIT SOLDIERFIT is a military inspired fitness franchise with centers and gyms specializing in large group boot camp training, personal training and kids’ fitness programs. It offers a functional fitness gym set in a family environment for all fitness levels. SOLDIERFIT is different from other fitness companies in that character building is the number one priority, not aesthetics. By focusing
Franchise World Headquarters, LLC Under the Franchise Agreement, qualified purchasers are offered the right to establish and operate, from a single location, a retail establishment preparing and selling foot-long, flat bread, and specialty sandwiches, salads, and other food items.
The business is founded on community, patriotism, and the American dream. Since launching in 2007, SOLDIERFIT has expanded across Maryland with locations in Gaithersburg, Frederick and Columbia and will be opening a franchise location in Virginia in fall 2015. Website: soldierfitfranchise.com
of breads, cheeses, vegetables, seasonings, and condiments to make their custom-made sandwich. The company offers a breakfast menu in the United States and its territories that features egg sandwiches, bacon, sausage, muffins, juice, coffee and other breakfast items. Contact: Ralph Piselli
The sandwich categories include cold cuts, seafood food, steak, pulled pork, chicken and meatballs. Customers may choose from a variety
Telephone: 203.877.4281 x 1312 or Email: Piselli_R@subway.com www.subway.com
Texas Laundry Service Company
Our clients range from investors seeking maximum return on investment in the coin laundry business to laundry managers at hotels, schools, prisons, restaurants, hospitals and long term health facilities in search of greater efficiency.
From our corporate facility in Pasadena, Texas, as well as our satellite offices in San Antonio, Corpus Christi and LaFeria we sell, service and install Speed Queen washers Extractors, commercial dryers, flatwork ironers and small commercial home-style laundry equipment for vended and on-premises laundries.
The Interface Financial Group – IFG 50/50 The Interface Financial Group – IFG 50/50 is an affordable home-based franchise that provides short-term working capital to small and medium-sized businesses by purchasing current, quality invoices at a discount, thus accelerating the client’s cash flow and growth. All transactions are syndicated 50/50 with the franchisee and the franchisor, and that means less working capital required to fund transaction: IFG does the bulk of the due diligence and the ‘paperwork’ for the transactions, and IFG 50/50 franchisees will concentrate their efforts on building the referral relationships – they do the ‘people work’. Key advantages of being an IFG 50/50 franchisee include: • No staff to hire, fire, or manage
The Joint Chiropractic The Joint Chiropractic is reinventing chiropractic care by making quality alternative healthcare affordable for patients seeking pain relief and ongoing wellness. Our membership plans and packages eliminate the need for insurance, and our no-appointment policy, convenient hours and locations make care more accessible. The Joint performs more than two million spinal adjustments a year across 250+ clinics nationwide. With a proven franchise model in a $12 billion dollar
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on personal service, member connections and teamwork, members are made to feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves.
Contact: Diane Klingman Phone: 713-472-4083 Email: laundrylady2015@gmail.com Website: www.telscoequipment.com
• No storefront to own, lease, or maintain • No Inventory or stock to purchase • No extensive travel because IFG franchisees do business locally • Business-to-Business, professional environment with regular business hours of operation • Flexibility to relocate for part of the year or permanently and continue doing business Our franchisees are excellent communicators, relationship builders with decision-making and problem-solving skills, and much more sales & marketing oriented. IFG has been in the ‘invoice discounting’ business since 1972, and employs its franchise network in the US, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK, Ireland, Australia, Mexico and South Africa. www.interfacefinancial.com
industry, The Joint is making quality healthcare affordable, approachable and convenient for patients—while simplifying business operations for chiropractors and franchise owners. Our plans and packages eliminate the need for insurance, and our no appointments policy and convenient locations make care more accessible. The Joint performs more than two million spinal adjustments a year across 250+ clinics nationwide. For more information, visit thejoint.com/franchise or Email: franchise@thejoint.com
TopFire Media TopFire Media is an integrated digital marketing and public relations agency, specializing in the franchise industry. Our clients benefit from our years of experience in franchise SEO service, public relations, media relations, content writing and management, social media marketing, and web design. We work to bring all of these elements together to achieve a common goal – our clients’ success.
Veterans Business Services Veterans Business Services provides the most advantageous franchise acquisition terms for Veterans and provides innovative entrepreneurial training for qualified Veterans seeking grants under the VA Vocational Rehabilitation Program. Veterans Business Services (“VBS”) specializes in entrepreneurial opportunities for Veterans and has an extensive reach into the Veterans community and can generate significant interest from qualified Veterans who wish to start a franchise or small business. VBS offers multiple marketing methods that have proven effective with helping franchise organizations with their expansion plans. Utilizing custom email marketing
WELLBIZ BRANDS, INC WellBiz Brands, Inc. is headquartered in Highlands Ranch, Colo. and is one of the largest health and wellness companies in the United States. The company owns three separate franchise entities: Elements Therapeutic Massage, Inc., which franchises massage studios, providing custom therapeutic massage to meet clients’ individual needs, Fitness Together Franchise Corporation, which franchises one-on-one and semi-private personal training studios, and Fit 36, Inc., which franchises high intensity interval training studios, with workouts done as a group.
WineStyles Tasting Station More than a wine shop, WineStyles Tasting Station offers guests a one-of-a-kind retail experience with the opportunity to Taste, Learn, and Enjoy ® the best in wine, craft beer, fine chocolates, artisanal cheeses, and gourmet items. ®
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In addition, customers can enjoy a full menu of small plates featuring a variety of pizzettes, cheese and charcuterie boards, paired with draft beer and wine on tap or by the glass.
Our integrated approach combines our public relations and franchise SEO service prowess and is designed to generate brand awareness, drive consumer engagement, and build credibility for your company. Phone: (708) 249-1090 Fax: (708) 957-2395 Website: www.topfiremedia.com Email: info@topfiremedia.com Contact: Matthew Jonas
campaigns, news press releases, and online franchising e-magazine articles, VBS gets the message to qualified Veterans who are invested in starting a franchise. VBS supports service disabled Veterans who are enrolled in the self-employment track within the Veterans Administration and provides outreach efforts to transitioning military through TAP and ACAP programs. As a graduate business of the Entrepreneurial Bootcamp for Veterans (“EBV”), we also assist other graduates of EBV and provide coaching support through mentoring programs. VBS is where Veterans turn to make their franchise dreams a reality. Contact: James Mingey Phone: 202-349-0860 Email: info@veteransbusinessservices.us Website: www.veteransbusinessservices.us
Elements Therapeutic Massage, Inc. began franchising in 2006 and has approximately 210 Elements Massage™ locations. Fitness Together Franchise Corporation began franchising in 1996 and has approximately 175 Fitness Together® locations across the United States. Fit 36, Inc. began franchising in 2014 and has a single FIT36™ location in downtown Denver. For more information Websites: wellbizbrands.com, elementsmassage.com, fitnesstogether.com, fit36fitness.com
accessories and gift baskets. Furthermore, WineStyles Tasting Station hosts weekly tastings and in-store events, as well as private parties. As the nation’s largest wine and craft beer specialty chain of its kind, WineStyles Tasting Station is committed to delivering unmatched quality and customer service while building a community gathering place where food, drinks and friendship are celebrated in a clubhouse atmosphere.
Franchisees benefit from multiple revenue streams, including monthly wine and beer club memberships, a customer loyalty program, plus an assortment of wine
Contact: Andrea McGinness Phone: 866-WINECLUB Email: uncorked@winestyles.net Website: www.winefranchise.com
Xpresso Delight
businesses who want our incredible service.
Xpresso Delight is a simple business concept that virtually anyone can be successful at.
Franchisees service the coffee systems weekly and provide all the consumables, everything from the coffee to the cappuccino sprinkle and then simply charge their clients a per cup rate. A pay for what you use policy.
Specifically, we transplant a cafe experience into the workplace. You own a number of fully automated gourmet espresso coffee systems that provide a coffee experience equal to any café, but are located directly in the workplace. These coffee systems are given away FREE to
Contact: Nigell Lee Phone: 347-421-4196 Email: nigell.lee@xpressodelight.com Website: www.xpressodelight.com
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