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Veterans in Franchising february 2017
www.franchisingusamagazine.com
purple heart vets honored at armed forces bowl in dallas
tutor doctor supporting veterans fastsigns named top franchise for veterans ÂŽ
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SAME DRIVE. DIFFERENT BATTLEFIELD. TAKE THE NEXT STEP > VETFRAN.COM OFFERING FINANCIAL SUPPORT, TRAINING & MENTORSHIP Veterans interested in franchising can take their skills learned in the military to successfully own and develop small businesses. Learn more and support veterans in franchising at www.vetfran.com.
• 650 franchise companies participating • 151,000 veterans and their spouses found careers in the franchise industry • 5,100 veteran franchise owners
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Veterans in Franchising Supplement february 2017 Our Veterans in Franchising special supplement has become a regular feature of Franchising USA. To share your story in the next issue, please contact Vikki Bradbury, Publisher Phone: 778 426 2446 Email: vikki@cgbpublishing.com
Contents On the Cover
Profiles
54 Purple Hearts Honored at Armed Forces Bowl in Texas
52 Fantastic Sams
58 Tutor Doctor Supporting Veterans
56 FASTSIGNS
56 FASTSIGNS Named Top Franchise for Veterans
Franchisee in Action
54 Sport Clips
52 Juice It Up!
Franchisor in Depth 58 Tutor Doctor
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V e t erans in Franchising
Fa ntastic Sa ms
Fantastic Sams Veterans Turned Entrepreneurs Honored with Awards Serving in the military may not sound like a proving ground for managing a lucrative hair styling franchise, but try telling that to two of Fantastic Sams franchisees – including one veteran who just won one of the company’s prestigious awards, and another who owns 11 salons in North Carolina. Sam Murray, who served two tours in the Middle East as a member of the U.S. Army Military Police, was the 2016 inaugural recipient of the company’s Horizon Award – given to a new franchisee – for his exceptional dedication to community relations and brand awareness. Sam joined the Army in 2002. “I had been in Iraq for about one month when I got my first taste of real action,” he says. “A taxi driver had been kidnapped in a neighborhood known to be a hotspot for insurgents and we quickly put together a mission plan and began practicing for his rescue. Because I was the newest man on the team, I was given the job of “door man” - I would be the first one in the door.”
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“We were able to break down the door. The man began crying, hugging us, kissing us on the cheeks and saying, ‘I love America.’” Back home, Sam decided to go into business for himself and began investigating franchise ownership. “I probably looked at 15 different franchises, including everything from school fundraising to restaurants, to kids’ bounce-house party props,” says Sam. “You name it, I looked at it. When I learned that Fantastic Sams was a viable option here, I immediately recognized the brand because I grew up going to them. I was an Army brat, and wherever we lived, there was always a Fantastic Sams.” Sam and his wife Mary Margaret became franchisees and opened their first salon in Mint Hill, NC, re-establishing the brand in the greater Charlotte market. As he worked with team members to build the company’s first salon featuring the new design, he was also busy introducing himself to members of his community. He ordered new logo dress shirts and tasked an intern, a high school neighbor,
“My training in the military, especially being fair but firm, has helped me succeed. I learned how important it is to always follow through with what you tell an employee you will do.” - Jerry Harmon to canvass the community to identify advertising opportunities, costs and contacts in advance of the salon opening. He also joined the Chamber of Commerce six months before the opening, attending meetings and becoming the “face” of his business. Fantastic Sams offers veterans special discounts and other benefits to help them get started. “The reduced pricing for veterans really sealed the deal for me,” Sam says. “And then the corporate team threw in a lot of free hair care products, so I had a fully stocked inventory on day one.” Since opening, Sam has been able to spend time with his family while also growing his Fantastic Sams salon franchise — the two goals he had in mind at the outset. And because the Murrays certainly love a challenge, Mary Margaret gave birth to their third child one week before the salon opened.
From Army Recon to Salon Jerry Harmon, who served in the Army in the 82nd Airborne Division from 1969 until 1977, is another “Tar Heel” franchisee. Today he owns and operates 11 Fantastic Sams salons in the eastern NC area. He recently won the Fayetteville Best Businesses Award. After basic training, he learned armored recon and attended parachute jump school, eventually becoming a fireteam leader – his first experience managing people, he says, adding that to this day he still uses many of the techniques that he learned in the military. “In the Army I learned that you must get your team’s respect before you can get their buy-in, and working with stylists is very similar,” he says. After leaving the military Jerry worked for various companies in management
positions. He and his wife Bonnie owned a beauty school and, in 1998, decided they wanted to get into the salon business. “We opened our first location in Clinton, NC, in May of 1999, and in 2005 decided we would sell the school and work to build the Fantastic Sams brand in the Fayetteville market,” Jerry explains. “My training in the military, especially being fair but firm, has helped me succeed. I learned how important it is to always follow through with what you tell an employee you will do.” Dealing with military privates and dealing with stylists is actually similar, he laughs. Jerry’s advice is to listen to what your stylists have to say and make them part of the decision making process so they will take ownership of the task at hand.
Many military veterans are exploring franchise opportunities and Fantastic Sams helps them by offering discounts, says Linda Chadwick, President and CEO. Qualified veterans can receive 25% off a multi-license package of three or more salons, she explains, so that in addition to opening their first salon franchise, future locations can be mapped out according to an established development schedule. “For a veteran who’s looking to get a strong business up and running, and not wait years for a solid return on that investment, this kind of forward thinking is very impressive,” she says. “Veterans often put a great deal of stock into creating a precise plan and then executing that plan faithfully.” fantasticsamsfranchise.com
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V e t erans in Franchising
Juice It Up !
Marine Corps Veteran Finds New Mission Running His Juice It Up! Franchise Discipline and skills he learned as a marine are the perfect framework to run this healthy food franchise
Willie Smith opens the doors of his Temecula, CA, juice franchise at 6:30 every morning. As soon as the doors are opened, he and his team are blending strawberries, blueberries and mango into delicious smoothies to sell at five different schools later in the day. After those are made and in the freezer to
prepare them for the afternoon’s mobile catering, Smith goes for his run. “I’ll run for about an hour or so, just to clear my mind and to get rid of stress, any kind of anxiety.” It’s his most productive time of day, idea-wise. And it gets him psyched for the busy day ahead as a multi-unit juice franchise owner for Juice It Up! In 2010, Smith retired as a master sergeant after 27 years in the Marines, a career that took him across the country and around the world, including two tours in Okinawa, Japan, and one in Afghanistan. Smith had an idea that franchising would be a good career move for his civilian life. In the Marines, he oversaw operations, managed supplies, learned sales skills, marketing
and communications through recruitment and also honed his leadership skills as an officer. And he’s especially glad that he discovered Juice It Up!, a healthy food franchise that would be a positive asset for his community. “When I got out, my thoughts were a franchise because I knew a franchise already had a system in place, they’d done the hard work of creating the business model, and I wanted to jump in and be able to follow guidelines and rules because I’m used to that. I got a broker and I told him my criteria: something healthy, something where I could be engaged in the community and something I could be proud to go home and tell my family, ‘Hey, we own this.’ I wanted something that added value to the community.” After shopping a few concepts that didn’t feel quite right, Smith went back to his broker, who then found Juice It Up! “Instantly, I fell in love with it. I talked to Carol (DeNembo, Vice President of Business Development) and other folks
Being able to give back to the community as a Juice It Up! franchisee was an important part of the deal for franchise owner Willie Smith. Franchising USA
at the corporate office, and it felt like a family.” Juice It Up! juice and smoothie franchise has been in business since 1995 and was the first franchise to introduce the superfruit açaí to the consumer market. Innovation has always been an important part of this classic Southern California brand, which has 100 units open or in development. The simple business model is easy to operate, with ongoing training and support, and requires no prior restaurant experience, making it an ideal opportunity for veterans. “They help you with the business plan, they help you every step of the way,” Smith says. “I was fresh out of the military — I didn’t know what to do. But they help you with everything.” That made it so much easier to transition from the armed services to being on the front (civilian) lines of helping people live healthier lives.
A different kind of leadership Leadership skills are a must in any good franchise owner, and Smith definitely wasn’t lacking in that department. Still, there was a bit of a learning curve when it came to how he exercised his leadership. Marines have a reputation for toughness,
Multi-unit franchisee Willie Smith of Temecula, CA, says franchising in general, and Juice It Up! in particular, are a great way for a veteran to create a new civilian life. so Marine leaders tend to do a lot of yelling and making people do push-ups to toughen up their charges. That doesn’t really work on civilians. “There is no screaming and yelling. That doesn’t translate,” Smith says, chuckling. “I had to go from telling people what to do to getting the buy-in from my employees on what needed to be done. I had to learn to listen to them and explain things to them. I had to change my style of mentoring, really.” One of the creative ways Smith has accomplished that is with his leadership book club. “You have to help your employees develop their own leadership skills. I have a book club where we go through leadership books, and it gives me the opportunity to mentor these kids.” “I love reading,” Smith says. “I found books were a good way to have a third party validate what I’ve been teaching them. It’s different when they hear it from a third party. It makes a bigger impact.”
Advice for other veterans Smith thinks veterans should be encouraged by the support – both moral and financial – that they can count on from Juice It Up!, which provides discounted franchise fees to vets. He also wants his fellow veterans to know that in many ways they’ll find the franchise world similar to the one they’re leaving behind, with a certain chain of command and step-bystep procedures to follow for all aspects of the job. Of course, there are always challenges. “The biggest thing I wish I’d known about is the transition from dealing with Marines to dealing with civilian kids working for you. I wish I’d had some guidance on that, about the importance of hiring the right employees or finding the right people vs. in the military, where you’re forced to deal with whomever you get. Here, you have to find the right people and then mold them for the right positions. You have to realize that’s your biggest asset — your employees.” www.juiceitup.com
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Spor t Clips
Purple Heart Vets Honored at Armed Forces Bowl in Dallas On a brisk and rainy December morning, more than 40 Purple Heart veterans congregated outside Sport Clips in Georgetown in preparation for our journey to Fort Worth, Texas for the Armed Forces Bowl.
While enjoying a hot cup of coffee and donuts, the flood of Sport Clips Clients were welcomed as the store opened for business. Children and their parents and regular patrons looked on in amazement at what Sport Clips was doing for our most honorable veterans. We boarded the bus about 9:30 a.m., headed for Amon G. Carter Stadium at the Texas Christian University campus. Our group was greeted like royalty, and our veterans and their families were treated to the VIP ESPN tent where food and drinks were plentiful. The conversations I overheard were truly amazing and watching the common bond between Vietnam, WWII, Desert Storm, & Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans was incredible.
“Our group was greeted like royalty, and our veterans and their families were treated to the VIP ESPN tent where food and drinks were plentiful.� Franchising USA
“The bus ride home was filled with thanks and praise to Sport Clips from our veterans.�
The entire game was truly an honor to our service members. Everything from the National Anthem to the coin-toss to timeouts to halftime to post-game was a tribute to our past, present and future service members. The highlight of the evening was definitely at the end of the third quarter, when more than 120 Purple Heart veterans from around Texas took the field to be recognized for their selfless acts. Watching the more than 30,000 fans in attendance stand in ovation gave me chills as the veterans smiled and waved.
It was a great day of football and
camaraderie, despite Navy’s 48-45 loss to Louisiana Tech. The bus ride home was
filled with thanks and praise to Sport Clips from our veterans. Thank you to Gordon
Logan and our entire Sport Clips Family
for making this day possible. It was truly an honor to be a part of it. www.sportclips.com By Adam Moskowitz, Sport Clips
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V e t erans in Franchising
FASTSIG NS ®
FASTSIGNS Named Top Franchise for Veterans ®
FASTSIGNS International, Inc., the leader in signs, graphics and visual communications, was recently named a top franchise in a 2016 Top Franchise for Veterans Report. The brand ranked 11th overall, earning its designation as “The Best of the Best” Franchise for Veterans. FASTSIGNS celebrates our nation’s veterans by continuing to give them the tools that they need to build a successful business after their time in the Armed Forces. In addition, FASTSIGNS International was recently honored with the 2016 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the Department of Defense’s highest recognition presented to employers for their exemplary support of National Guard and Reserve members. FASTSIGNS International was among 158 franchise brands, representing over 22,000 franchise owners that participated
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in the research. Participating franchisees from a variety of industries were surveyed on 33 benchmark questions about their experience and satisfaction regarding critical areas of their franchise systems, including training and support, operations, franchisor/franchisee relations and financial opportunity. Leaders in the veteran community, FASTSIGNS reports that over 10 percent of its franchisees are comprised of military veterans. Disciplined, driven and self-motivated, veterans possess a number of valued skills and a wealth of experience essential to successful franchise business ownership. “It’s truly an honor to be recognized by our veterans and business owners,” said
Catherine Monson, CEO of FASTSIGNS International, Inc. “We remain committed to supporting our veterans and active duty servicemen and women by continuing to offer incentives and assistance for them and their families to achieve success. Our hope is that more companies and franchise brands will do the same.” As part of the commitment to veterans, FASTSIGNS International is also a proud participant of the International Franchise Association’s VetFran program (Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative), which assists military veterans in accessing franchise opportunities through training, financial assistance and industry support. Veterans that join the FASTSIGNS U.S. network can take advantage of specific incentives including a reduced
“Leaders in the veteran community, FASTSIGNS reports that over 10 percent of its franchisees are comprised of military veterans.”
franchise fee of $22,250, a savings of 50 percent, in addition to reduced royalties and advertising fees for the first year. FASTSIGNS International has also been recognized as a top franchise for military veterans by leading publications including USA Today, G.I. Jobs magazine and Military Times magazine. FASTSIGNS International is recruiting franchisees throughout the U.S. In addition to more than 400 U.S. and Canadian markets targeted for development, FASTSIGNS has 65+ international locations in nine countries open for continued expansion. As part of the brand’s development strategy, FASTSIGNS is also targeting co-brand and conversion opportunities whereby print shop owners can expand their services by adding FASTSIGNS to their existing business or convert their business into a thriving FASTSIGNS center. For information about the FASTSIGNS franchise opportunity, contact Mark Jameson (mark. jameson@fastsigns.com or (214-346-5679).
“It’s truly an honor to be recognized by our veterans and business owners. We remain committed to supporting our veterans and active duty servicemen and women by continuing to offer incentives and assistance for them and their families to achieve success.” - Catherine Monson sizes and across all industries attract more attention, communicate their message,
sell more products, help visitors find their way and extend their branding across all of their customer touch points including décor, events, wearables and marketing materials. Learn more about sign and
visual graphic solutions or find a location at fastsigns.com. Follow the brand on
Twitter @FASTSIGNS, Facebook at facebook.com/FASTSIGNS or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/fastsigns. Franchise Research Institute has named FASTSIGNS a top sign and graphics franchise and has awarded the company certification as a 2015 World-Class Franchise for four consecutive years. www.fsfastsigns.com
FASTSIGNS International, Inc. is the largest sign and visual communications franchisor in North America, and is the worldwide franchisor of more than 640 independently owned and operated FASTSIGNS® centers in nine countries including the US, Canada, England, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Grand Cayman, Mexico and Australia (where centers operate as SIGNWAVE®). FASTSIGNS locations provide comprehensive sign and visual graphic solutions to help companies of all
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V e t erans in Franchising
Tu tor Doctor
With an extensive history of partnering with veterans, Tutor Doctor has announced a new campaign designed to provide military veterans with significant discounts on its franchise opportunity investment and territorial advantages in regions all over the world. Marketing with Veterans Business Services since the fall of 2014, Tutor Doctor is now offering veterans a chance to purchase a franchise with regional licensing rights for the price of a local license – a $5,000 discount. This regional license grants a veteran franchisee a protected territory, plus the ability to take on new customers across the state from non-licensed areas, essentially giving them free reign to grow his or her business. Spearheading Tutor Doctor’s push to drive veterans to the brand is Bob Rosedale, a 1984 graduate of the Virginia Military
“Mr. Rosedale and the Tutor Doctor team present enthusiasm and support for veterans all over the country, and provide them with special incentives and training.” Franchising USA
Supporting Veterans with Discounts and Training
Institute and Air Force veteran, and now Tutor Doctor Vice President of Operations. Rosedale is a former franchisee who brought the first Tutor Doctor business to the state of Idaho. With Mr. Rosedale’s transition to the corporate office, the Idaho Tutor Doctor is now a corporate-owned territory that will serve as a flagship operation to pilot new programs before rolling them out system-wide Mr. Rosedale came to Tutor Doctor in 2011 following a 26-year career in the military, retiring as a United States Air Force squadron commander around the same time. He served in a variety of assignments both in the United States and
“Spearheading Tutor Doctor’s push to drive veterans to the brand is Bob Rosedale, a 1984 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and Air Force veteran, and now Tutor Doctor Vice President of Operations.” overseas, holding the rating of Command Pilot and serving from 2006-2008 as the United States Defense Attache at the United States Embassy in Riyadh, the capital and most populous city of Saudi Arabia.
During his service in the United
Following his stint in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Rosedale served a second diplomatic tour in the same position, assigned this time to the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain from 2008-2011.
Force Base in Texas after working as the
States, Mr. Rosedale was the Deputy
Operations Group Commander (2002-03), Commander (2001-02) and Operations Officer (2000-01) of the 86th Flying Training Squadron at Laughlin Air
Chief of Operational Support of Airlift Operations and Training at the United
States headquarters at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany.
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V e t erans in Franchising
Tu tor Doctor
“The company helps more than 200,000 people annually and covers more than 500 territories in 15 countries around the world.” He earned an M.S. in Systems Management from the University of Southern California in 1989. Mr. Rosedale connected with Tutor Doctor in 2011 to continue his drive for managing, educating and learning, all passions that he developed throughout his military career. Now, he is leading a regional Tutor Doctor team to ensure United States veterans receive professional, high quality training and a chance to succeed in business endeavors after stints of active duty. Tutor Doctor is the only franchise that present the opportunity to provide services across the western regions of the United States, which features 13 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. The company partners with veterans administrations throughout
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the country and exemplifies passion, support for veterans and proper strategies to recruit, train and retain the highest qualified tutors and educators for proper business management. Mr. Rosedale and the Tutor Doctor team present enthusiasm and support for veterans all over the country, and provide them with special incentives and training. In addition to providing students with tutoring in various subjects, families choose Tutor Doctor to help students get ahead and prepare for advanced challenges, such as honors classes that can help them get into preferred universities. With the launch of its ACT/SAT Success
Program, students have access to the best one-to-one, in-home test preparation and training in X-Skills, which Mr. Rosedale designed to help students build these organizational and “executive” skills to assist them in school and beyond. The company helps more than 200,000 people annually and covers more than 500 territories in 15 countries around the world. For more information on the Tutor Doctor franchise opportunity for veterans and to hear directly from Mr. Rosedale, visit www.veteransbusinessservices.us/ product-item/tutor-doctor/.
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Honoring Those Who Serve Through Our Special Veterans Franchise Program
INDEPENDENT • FLEXIBLE • PROVEN • GROWING • EFFICIENT • SUPPORTIVE
Grease Monkey International is proud to offer qualified military veterans a $10,000 discount on their initial Franchisee Fee! Veteran Member Incentives • Franchise License Fee discount • 50% Quarterly Royalty Rebate for the first 4 quarters after opening • 25% Quarterly Royalty Rebate for the second 4 quarters • 10% Quarterly Royalty Rebate ongoing compliance program Franchise Opportunities X Single Units X Multi Units X Territories
With over 39 years of proven success, Grease Monkey® has become one of the largest franchisors of automotive fast lube centers, with over 300 centers operating in the United States, China and Latin America. You’re In Business For Yourself, Not By Yourself! The Grease Monkey® System guides franchisees in all aspects of running a profitable automotive maintenance business through unparalleled support: • Site Selection & Negotiation • Third-Party Financing • Training (Initial, Ongoing and In-Store Employee Certification) • Marketing & Advertising • Business Management and Accounting • National Account Purchasing
For more information, visit: GreaseMonkeyFranchise.com CONTACT: Jeff King, Director of Franchise Development Phone: 800-364-0352 • Email: jking@greasemonkeyintl.com OR, Lori Schneider, Franchise Development Specialist Phone: 720-454-4412 • Email: loris@greasemonkeyintl.com
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