The 10 Best Franchise to Buy in 2020 November2019

Chip Cochran Cincinnati, OH Hommati Franchisee

Dale & Stacie Mosley Columbus, OH Hommati Franchisee

OfferBestandTrusted Servicesthrough FranchiseBusiness

Thefranchiseindustrycombinesserviceslike

fashion,foodandbeverage,retail,realestate, sports,fitness,&entertainment.Thelocal knowledgeofthecommunitiesprovidedbyitsfranchise ownersgivesfranchiseesanendlessstreamofnew opportunities.Variousfranchiseownerssaythatoneof themostrewardingpartsoftheirbusinessisallowing otherstobetheirownbossandruntheirbusinesshow theylike/prefer.

TheFranchiseIndustryhasprovidedaplatformfor highlymotivatedindividualstodisplaytheir communicationandbusinessskills.Successfulfranchise ownersareoftensuccessfulleaders.Excellent communicationskillsareaqualitythatmanysuccessful businessowners,notjustfranchiseownersshare.And, whenitcomestoFranchiseowners,youwillbe managingandrunningthefranchiselocation,which meansyouneedtohavefinancialknowledgeifyou’re consideringbecomingafranchiseowner.

OneoftheleadingfranchisesinAmericahaswellover 30,000restaurantsworldwide,withover14,000ofthose intheUnitedStatesalone.McDonald’stotalannual revenuehasn’tfallenbelow$20billionsince2005, peakingatover$28billionin2013andstillbringingin nearly$23billionlastyear,meaningit’ssafetosay, investinginafranchisewouldbeprofitable.

Anotherfranchiseewithitsdominance,Dunkin’Donuts, isthenumberonedoughnuteatery,atleastintheUS. Thefirmnowhas8,884franchisesintheUSand3,403 inover70countriesworldwide.Tried-and-tested, Dunkin’Donuts’rock-solidfranchiseformulahasbeen makingfranchiseesrichfordecades.

Communicationisalwaysthegreatestchallengein franchising.Whenitcomestoattractingpotential franchisees,astrongeconomyandemployment growthcanmakeitachallengeforpeopletoleave comfortablejobstotaketheriskofstartinganew business.Franchisorsoftenfinditquitehardto breakthroughtheclutterandgetinfrontoftheideal audiencefortheirbusiness.Forthosewhotakethe risk,thereisabigmarketoffranchisebusiness opportunitiesthatspandozensofindustries.

Thefutureoffranchisingreliesonhavingboththe franchisorsandfranchiseesincentivesalignedin everypossibleway,toensurethateveryonemoves towardsthesamegoals.Embracingchangeand utilizingtheever-growinglistoftechnologyto continuetostreamlinefranchiseoperationsand remainlean.

Deliveringsuchworld-classfranchiseeservicesto thecustomers,InsightsSuccessisfeaturingsuch franchiseeswithitsproject“The10BestFranchise toBuyin2020”.FeaturingourCoverStoryis Hommati,afranchisebusinessthatoffers innovativewaystohelprealestateagentsgettheir listingsnoticedmorequickly.Theyprovide dynamiccontentsuchas3DTours,AerialVideos, UltraHDPhotography,VideoSlideshows, AugmentedReality.Hommatihelpsrealestate agentswinmorelistings,sellmorehomes,sellthem faster,andoftenforahighersalesprice.

Also,whileflippingthepages,don’tforgettogo throughtheCXOsandarticleswrittenbythe industryexperts,andthein-houseeditorialteam.

Sourabh More

Jerry Clum CEO & Founder

Therealestatemarketischangingveryquickly.

Millennialsaregoingtobethemajorityof homebuyersby2025.Theywerebornusing technologyandexpectadigitalexperienceinalmost everythingtheydo.Becausetheygrewupwithvideogames andcomputers,theyaremorevisual-basedthanprevious generations.92%ofhomesarebeingfoundontheInternet. Inorderforahometogetnoticedinalltheclutteroutthere, realestateagentsneedtousedynamicvisualcontent. Hommatiisafranchisebusinessthatoffersinnovativeways tohelprealestateagentsgettheirlistingsnoticedmore quickly.Theyprovidedynamiccontentsuchas3DTours, AerialVideos,UltraHDPhotography,VideoSlideshows, AugmentedReality.Hommatihelpsrealestateagentswin morelistings,sellmorehomes,sellthemfasterandoften forahighersalesprice.Sinceinception,Hommatihasbeen settingthetrendratherthanfollowingone.

ChangingtheWayRealEstateAgentsdoBusiness

Hommatiisgrowingquicklywith56franchiseesalready awardedin23states.“Whilewewanttogrowquickly,we feelit’simportanttocontrolourgrowthandonlyaward franchisestothecandidatesthatbestfitourmodel.Weare veryparticularaboutwhoisawardedafranchise.We’re lookingforcandidateswhoareextremelypassionateabout thisconcept,goodcommunicators,aren’tafraidtogoout andtalktoagentsandwhowanttofollowasystem,”says JerryClum,Founder,andCEOofHommati

Hommatioffersserviceslikevirtualstaging,aerialvideos andphotographyusingdrones,3Dinteractivetours,virtual reality,augmentedrealitytoursandHommatiCurbLeads, whichgeneratereal-timeSMStextmessageleadsfrom

The sky is no longer the limit

buyerdrive-bys.Theplatformgivesrealestateagentsthe toolstogettheirlistingsnoticedquicklyandinan innovativeway.HereisacompletelistofHommati’s services: Ÿ

3DInteractiveTours Ÿ

VirtualRealityTours Ÿ

VirtualStaging Ÿ

AerialHDVideo/Stills Ÿ

FloorPlansWithMeasurements Ÿ

UltraHD34MP(upto4K)Photography Ÿ SignPlacement/RemovalService Ÿ

LockboxPlacement/RemovalService Ÿ

HommatiCurbLeads Ÿ

AugmentRealityServices Ÿ

DoorHangerServices Ÿ

HommatiWebsiteandApp Ÿ

FreeAutomatedBrochureCreation Ÿ

Quickturnaroundtime

Hommatihasalsodevelopedtheworld’smosttechnically, advancedmobileappforsearchinghomesforsale.AR Homeputsa“digitalclone”oftheRealEstateAgentin frontofthehometointroducethemselvestoclients. The“FindMyHome”featurewillautomaticallyfindthe perfecthomeforclientswhentheyareoutdrivingtheir errands.The“FindByPic”featureallowsclientstotakea pictureofahomeforsaleanditautomaticallywillbringup itslistingdetail.

TheExplicitRangeofHommatiFranchise’sBenefits

Hommatihasahome-basedmodelthatallowsfranchiseesa lowoverhead,quickROIandrecurringrevenue. Franchiseescanrunthebusinessasowner-operatorswith noemployeesatfirstandscaleupastheygrow.“It’s also a pretty fun business. There is nothing else like it out there. We are changing the way real estate agents do business,” Jerryadds.

ThebenefitsofaHommatifranchiseinclude: Ÿ

LowFranchiseFee-Only$18,900 Ÿ

LowStart-upCosts-AsLowas$15,990 Ÿ

RecurringRevenueModel-FromMonthlyMembership Fees Ÿ

LowFixedMonthlyOverhead-AsLowas$870Per Month Ÿ

HomeBased,Non-Brick&Mortar Ÿ

HighMargins,Digitalservices-LowCostofGoods Sold Ÿ

Fun,ExcitingandRewarding Ÿ

Owner/Operator&ExecutiveManagedModels Ÿ

LargeUnrestrictedTerritory-OneFranchiseePer200K Population Ÿ

AllTrainingProvidedIncludingYourFAARemotePilot License

Cover Story

Ÿ

NoPhotographyExperience

Necessary

CuttingEdgeTechnology-3D Camera,4KDrone

Ÿ

Ÿ

Hommati’sTurn-KeyProprietary MarketingProgram

On-GoingSales,Operations, Marketing,andTechnical

Support

Hommatihasverylittlecompetition, andatthesametime,hasaplethoraof opportunitiestogrow.Forexample, accordingtoMLSstatistics,homes withaerialimagessold68%fasterthan homeswithstandardimages.73%of homeownerssaythey’remorelikelyto listwithanagentwhousesvideoto markettheirhome.Thiscreatesahuge opportunityforagents,sinceonly9% ofagentsarecurrentlyusingvideo. Hommatioffersrealestateagents stunningaerialvideostohelpdraw moreattentiontotheirlistings.

ASerialEntrepreneurSpearheading theChange

JerryClum,CEO/Founderof Hommati,hasbeenanentrepreneurall ofhisadultlife.Oneofthefirst companieshefoundedisComfort Keepers,whichprovidesin-homecare totheelderly.Jerryandhisteamgrew thiscompanytoover750franchised locationsand$350millioninannual revenues.Hesoldthiscompanyand triedtoretireatayoungage,butfound thatretirementwasn’tforhimsohe decidedthathewouldsellhishome andmovesomewhereelseandstart somethingnew.Atthelisting presentation,hislifewaschanged forever.Theagentwholistedhishome hadbeeninrealestateforover20 yearsandisoneofthetop100agents intheworld.Jerryfellforherand they’vebeentogethereversince.That wassevenyearsago. “Both being business people, we would brainstorm about some of the problems in the real estate industry. I guess I’m wired a little funny, because I kind of love problems,” Jerry recalls.

Sell More Homes and Sell Them Faster

“Hommatigivesouragentsaplatformthatallowsthemto showcaseaclient’shomeandmakeitstandout.Wehelp themraisethebaronhowapropertyismarketed.Hommati isonthefrontlinesofcurrentandemergingtechnologyand iscontinuallyadaptingthattechnologybydeveloping servicesthatwillhelpouragentssucceed.”

ChipCochran,HommatiFranchisee,Cincinnati,Ohio

“Agentshavebeenblownawaybyourcomprehensive services.Therearesomanyrealestatephotographersto choosefrom,butHommatiistheonlycompanydeliveringa full-servicetechnologypackageintheformofa comprehensivewebpagethatcanbesharedandusedacross manydifferentmediums.”

DaleandStacieMosley,Columbus,OH

AddingTremendousValuetoRealEstateAgents

ThedaysofRealEstateAgentsjustputtingasigninthe yard,holdinganopenhouseandadvertisinginthe classifiedsaregone.Agentsneedtoprovidetheirclients withinnovativetechnologytostaycompetitiveintoday’s realestatemarket.That’swhereHommaticomesin.

RealestateagentsthathaveusedHommatiappreciatethe factthatthedynamicvisualcontentincreasestheirinquiries byupto403%.“Unlikeotherrealestatewebsiteswedonot selltheirleadstootheragents,wedonotallowotheragents toadvertiseinoraroundtheirlistings,andweprovidethem theleadsgeneratedfromtheirlistingforfree,”Jerryshares. “Weareaddingtremendousvaluetorealestateagentsby offeringthemmorewaystomarkethomesandtoget servicesatacostthatisunprecedented.It’sawin-winfor all,”Jerryconcludes.

Dale & Stacie Mosley Columbus, OH Hommati Franchisee

Chip Cochran Cincinnati, OH Hommati Franchisee

Emerging Tech and Revolutions to Avoid Digital Irrelevance

Thepastseveralyearshavebroughtaboutsweeping changesinbusinesstechnologiesfrommainstream adoptionofAIandvoiceactivateddevicestoAR andVRsolutions.Personalassistantspowermultiple devicesandtheinternetofthingspushcompaniestokeep uporgetleftbehind.Asemergingtechnologiespush forward,consumersaregettingusetoalevelofservice, unimaginablejustafewyearsago.MillennialsandGen Z’ershavegrownaccustomedtobeingabletocustomize everything,getitthenextday,andreturnitwithno ramifications.

Allofthesetechnologicaladvancesarechangingtheway businessisconductedatabaselevelandautomationis findingitswayintoeverythingfrommarketingto warehousing.TocapitalloffSEOisbecomingincreasing qualitative.Sincequantitativefactorscanbegamedtobeat thesystem,giantslikeGoogleandAmazonhavedecided thatjustbecauseyourcompanyhasanexcellentkeyword andschemastrategy,doesn’tmeanyourbusinessisthebest atwhatitdoes. Botharerelyingmoreonqualitativefactors likecustomerconversions,customerreviews,andeventhe amountoffoottrafficyouhaveatyourphysicallocations. AmazonandGooglegetsettosquareoffastheEcomm armsracecontinuestoescalateandZeroClickECommerce becomesgroundzerofortheseplatformstogainyour business.ZeroClickEcommallowsyoutobookaservice orbuyaproductfromyourhomespeakerorphonewithout leavingtheGoogleorAmazonplatformorgoingthrougha traditionalcheckoutprocess.

Inordertosucceed,businessesneedtobeflexible,adaptto achanginglandscapeandmeetconsumerexpectations. Whatoftenisnotaddressed,however,iswhetherabusiness shouldadoptthesetechnologiesandhowtodecidewhich onesmakesense.Withdevelopmentcostsforcustombuilt consumer-basedappsstartingat100kandleadtimesover3 months,todaysCITOsandCEOsneedtodriveinnovation, protectit,andcapitalizeonitjusttostayaheadofthe competition.Threetechnologiesorrevolutionsthatevery

businessneedstoconsiderrightnowareArtificial Intelligence(AI),AugmentedReality(AR),andZeroClick Ecomm.

Ÿ ArtificialIntelligence(AI):Nomatterwhatgeneration youarefrom,ArtificialIntelligence(AI)hasimpacted youinsomeway.TheoldchessplayingrobotDeep Blueproject,withoriginsdatingbacktothe80’s,has evolvedintotheadvancedsystemslikeIBMWatsonand AmazonLex.Oncehighlyguardedproprietarysystems, AIplatformshavebecomeopenandfriendlyto developerswithsystemscapableoflearninganddriving results.TodayArtificialIntelligencedrivesconsumer interactionsthroughwebsiteandtextingplatforms. Manyautomatedmarketingplatformsareincorporating AItomakesurethatyouradvertisementsreachthe peoplemostlikelytopurchaseyourproduct.

AIisanemergingtechthatallbusinessesneedtoputon theirshortlist.PWCpredictedthatAIwillhelpmarketing solutionsbasedonBigDataandwealreadyseebusiness systemslikeBuxtonincorporatingAIintotheirmapping models.AIisadvancingscience,marketing,andbusiness management,AIhasthepowertopredictresults,improve ROI,andsavemoney.

Ÿ

AugmentedReality(AR):AugmentedRealityis becomingagamechangerformanyindustries,however, whatexactlyisitandhowdoesitbenefitmodern business? ManypeopleItalkwithstillconfuse AugmentedRealitywithVirtualReality(VR).Virtual Realityisa3Denvironment,acompletevirtualworld thatisimmersivewheretheconsumerisfullyrendered insideadigitalspaceandrequiressomewhat cumbersomeelectronicslikeheadsetsandhapticsto completetheexperience,(álaReadyPlayerOne).

AugmentedReality(AR)ismuchmorepracticaland prevalent.ARallowstheconsumertochangethingsabout theirrealenvironmentwiththeassistanceoftechnology,

usuallyaphoneapporintegratedwebtech.Thebeautyspace hasflockedtoARtoallowconsumerstovirtuallytryonmake uporchangetheirhaircolorsuchastheYouCamMakeup–MagicSelfieCamshowcasedatthe2019CESshow.These arepracticalsolutionstoconsumerpainpoints,allowingthem totrybeforetheybuy.ARcanhelpaconsumerchoose furniture,caraccessories,andmore,astheylookinreallife onthemselvesorintheirownhouseasopposedtohowthey thinktheywilllookbeonlineimages.Wayfairhasbeen leadingthechargeinthisspaceandrevealedatShoptalkthat theyaredigitizingmuchoftheironlineinventoryand convertingthemintointeractiveimages.

Ÿ ZeroClickEcomm:ZeroClickEcommisn’ttech,butit isarevolution. PowerhousesGoogleandAmazonare goingheadtoheadforyourbusinessanditisatwo-pony race.AccordingtoanAdeptmindSurvery,46%ofproduct searchesoriginatedonAmazoncomparedto34% originatingonGoogle.Amazonhasbeendominatingthe globalEcommmarket,provingalongtailstrategycanbe immenselysuccessful.Astheygrow,Amazonisbringing thatlevelofinnovationintothebrickandmortarworld withautomatedcheckoutandaccountbasedtransactions. Googlehoweverhasnotgivenup.Theymaybebehindin productsearchoriginations,butaccordingtoStatista.com 63%ofallsearchesstillstartwithGoogle.Google’sgoal overthenextcoupleofyearswillbetohaveyounever leavetheGooglePlatform. Google’stechnology investmentsinGoogleBusiness,GoogleMerchant, GoogleManufacturer,GoogleReserve,andGoogle Analytics,allowsbusinesstolisttheirlocation,selltheir products,booktheirservices,advertisetheirwares,and tracktheirROI,allwithouteverleavingtheGoogleSuite.

Asbusinesstechevolvesandprogresses,businessneedto keeppacetoavoidbecomingobsolete.Thegoodnewsisthat asthetechadvancessodothesolutions,andmanysoftware companiesarebuildingoutoftheboxsolutionsforvarious industriestobringyouuptodate.ThereareAIsolutionsfor customerservice,marketing,andmanagement. ThereareAR appbuilderswhocanhelpyouutilizethetechnologyforyour consumersolutions,evenifyourcompanyhasn’tbeen keepinguptodate.ItwillbeeveryCEOsresponsibilityto providethevisionofhowthetechfitsintotheirorganization andCITOsandCMOswillbeintegratingthetechnologyand pushingitevenfurther.Ifweembracethechange,wewillbe abletodomoreandachievehigherROIswithdeeply satisfyingconsumerexperiences.ArtificialIntelligencewill makesenseofBigData,AugmentedRealitywillprovidethe ultimatecustomerexperience,andZeroClickEcommwill makethetransactionprocesseasierandsimpler,bringing moreROItocompanieswiththevisiontoutilizethe technologyandavoiddigitalirrelevance.

Greg Forsythe is the Senior Director of Branding and Innovation for Deka Lash and serves as a marketing consultant and advisor for the beauty and wellness industries.

Greg has directed commercial projects for Fortune 100 clients such as Wal-Mart, CVS, Verizon, Kroger, Walgreens, Johnson and Johnson, and UPS. Greg studied Operations Management at Penn State before obtaining his Marketing Certification from The Wharton School.

About the Author

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Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur

The Most Renowned Hot Dog Franchise

Abusinessthatauthorizesanindividualtouseits trademarks,associatedbrands,andother proprietaryknowledgeforwhichitchargesa certainannualfranchisingfeealongwithaportionofits profits.Thatbusinessoffersitsfranchisewitha considerationtoincreaseitsmarketshareorincreaseits geographicalpresenceatalowcost.

HeadquarteredinReykjavík,Iceland;BæjarinsBeztu Pylsurisoneamongthosefranchisors.Foundedin1937,it iscurrentlyheadedbyBaldurIngiHalldórssonand GuðrúnKristmundsdóttir(thirdandfourthgeneration) Guðrúnisthethirdgenerationandmymother.First generationwasJónSveinsson(Founderofthecompany) mygreatgrandfather

AccordingtoBaldur,thehotdogsweremadeoutoflamb meatwhichgivesauniquetastetotheirproduct.Then, throughtheyears,thecompanyincollaborationwithSS madethehotdogsbetterandbetter,andcreatesoneofthe besthotdogsintheworld.AsperBaldur’swords,among famouspeoplewhohaveeatenatBæjarinsBeztuPylsur are,BillClinton,theFormerPresidentoftheUnitedStates, JamesHetfieldofMetallica,andtheKardashiansistershad therebirthdaypartysongsangforthemoutsideourstandin 2016.

BæjarinsBeztuPylsuroperates5locationsinReykjavík, andfrommanyyears,theirdowntownlocationhasbeenthe mostlikelybusiestfoodplaceinIceland.InAugust2006, theBritishnewspaper’TheGuardian’selectedBæjarins BeztuPylsurasthebesthotdogstandinEurope.

SpecialtyofProductandService

Thecompany’shotdogconsistoflambmeatwithbreadsas softasthecloudsalongwithspecialbrownmustard, remoulade(additionofmayowithrelish),ketchupmadeout ofapplesraw,andfriedonions.Theirslingersservethis hotdogwithin10seconds.Taste,qualityandserviceare takenasthestrengthattheirfranchisees.Theytakeitso seriouslythatifanycustomerisnothappywiththeirhot dog,theyprovideanewone.

GrowthinBusinessGenerationtoGeneration

ThegrandfatherofBaldur,asthesecondgeneration, masteredtheproductwiththebreadsandcondiments. The breadshemasteredandaddedmorecondimentslikemayo withrelish,andfriedonions.Thatfinishedinthelate70’s withremoulade.Healsocustommadethecooking equipmentwhichisabigpartofhowthehotdogsstayso good.

Afterwhich,Baldur’smother,asthethirdgeneration,took overandinitiatedthefirstlocationoutsidethestartinglocal in1998,andgrewtwomorelocationsinthefollowing years.Shealsostartedmakingthebusinessknownintourist magazinesabroadandgotthetrendgoingthatmakesthe company’sdowntownlocationiconicforitslongqueues.

Laterthen,asthefourthgeneration,Baldurtookoverand expandedtwomorelocationsandmodernizedthecompany asingettingitoutoftheheadsofhimandhismother.Kept goingthegreatreputation,thecompanyhasinthehearts andmindsofIcelanders.Thecompanyhasgrownalotdue toincreasedsalesinIcelandtouristboom.Nowtheyareat theendofmodernizingthecompanyandarereadytogrow

Beztu Pylsur

further.Alongwiththegrowth,theiraim, goal,vision,andmission,istoofferthebest hotdogatagoodpricewithgreatservice.

FamilyofEmployees

Fromthelastinceptionofthecompanymost ofthefamilymembershavecontributedin theprogressionoftheBæjarinsBeztuPylsur. Therefore,BaldurconsidersBæjarinsBeztu Pylsurasafamily.Hisfamilyemployedmost ofthefamilyatsomepointintheirlivesand keepstaffverywell.Hehas3employees withover45yearsofworkingwiththe company.Hebelievesthatgoodstaffisthe backboneofofferingqualityproductand goodservice.AtBæjarinsBeztuPylsur,they traintheirstaffwellandempathizethatthey areaservicecompanyhavinggreathotdogs readyatamomentnoticeforpeoplepassing by.Baldurstatesthat, “Well trained staff, consistent product and great service is what make our hot dogs the best!”

ASatisfiedClientele

“Five star outdoor hot dog stand. Nothing fancy, no frills. But a very tasty and ’hot dog’ on a cold day. The hot dogs hear are made with lamb and it appears to be as much of a national past-time as in the states. They love smothering them with sauces and also put something crunchy underneath the hot dog in

the bun. (Something like French fried onion rings) Don’t know but don’t care. They were yummy and filling. Well worth the wait and line to get them. A must do while in Reykjavic. Also the vendor took care of the homeless. He provided 3 homeless people and 1 dog with free hot dogs. Nice to see, people are taking care of people. I offered to purchase the homeless group a hot dog but they declined, stating the vendor would give them for free, which he did. Amazing! So really a 4 star food experience but they got the fifth star as a bonus for compassion and humanity.”

–ToddC.,Westfield,Massachusetts

“Not something I thought I would find to be popular in Iceland, but, man, they like their hot dogs. They’re different from the American style, but they are good and worth a visit! The line can be long, but they are quick and you won’t be disappointed!”

–Madhawk,LuxembourgCity,Luxembourg

“This hotdog was super good. The toppings were delicious and the bun was perfect. The hotdog was very tasty. The stand is very busy. Definitely, worth a stop for a quick bite.”

–Mlowinski,PalmBeachGardens,Florida

Bæjarins

or Towns Best Hot dogs, serves you the best hot dog in town.

“ “

Baldur Ingi Halldórsson Owner Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur

Editor’s Perspective

5INTRIGUING TO NURTURE A ROBUST BONDING WITH EMPLOYEES

Employees,management,andthecustomersarethe

threemostvitalandintegralpartofeverybusiness operation.Ofteneverycompanyfocusesheavilyon thethirdaspecti.e.thecustomers,justifiablycorrectaswell asitistheultimatesourceofrevenuegenerationthrough whichacompanyrunsandflourish.Butitisalsoequally importanttofocusonthefirstaspectwithequalforce-that istheemployees-whichcreatethevalueforthe organization.Companieshirepeople,trainthemandtryto retainthemaslongaspossible,butnotalwaysan organizationandespeciallymanagersdothethingswhich increasetheemployeeengagementwiththeorganization. Hereweenlistedfewtime-testedmantrasthatcanhelpany managertoimproveemployees’longevitywiththe organization.

RecognizeYourEmployeesEfforts

rd

Everyemployeeworksforalmost1/3 ofthedaytimein achievingcompany’sobjective.Employeesworkfor hoursandgetpaidaswellfortheirlabour.Butisn’tit wouldbegreatifthetopperformingemployeesget immediaterecognitionfromtheirsupervisor.Study showsthat,whenmanagersprovide appreciation/bonus/incentivestothetopperforming employees,itdoesnotonlycreateaspecialbond amongsttheemployeesandthemanagementbutalso increasestheprobabilityoflongerassociationof employeeswiththecompany.Doingsuchthingsalso boostupemployeesconfidenceandmoraletowardswork thatultimatelybenefitsthecompanyatlarge.

SpreadyourValuesthroughInteractiveSessions

Manypeoplelovegaming.Therearepeoplewhoare almostmadaboutgamingandcandowhateverittakesto excelinthisformoffunactivity.Butitisnoteasyto excelingaming,gamershavetofirstunderstandallthe nitty-grittyassociatedwiththeirfavouritegameincluding rules,differentstages,rewards,difficultylevels,bonanza priceamongstothers.

Aftertakingcognizanceofsuchthingsandpractising religiously;agamerreallytransformintoanexpert.On contrarytothis,whenitcomestoemployeesinany

organization,performanceandethicalbehaviourdecides theirfutureintheorganization.Unfortunately,whenthings donotgowell,managersleftwithnooptionbuttotake somestrictactionagainsttheemployeewhichmanytimes createstrainintherelationship.

Toavoidsuchthings,itismusttobriefaboutcompany’s policies,businessobjectivesandvaluesinadvancesothat eachemployeeexactlyknowswhattransformationhe/she needstodoesinordertosyncwiththecompany’sculture. Nowitisalsoimportanttopreachsuchthingsbytaking seminar/inductionandother,sothatnewhirescan understandstheimportanceofit.Withoutface-to-face interaction,transferringthecorevalueisalmostimpossible. Therefore,itwouldbegreattoschedulebrief meetings/seminars/informalinteractivesessionswhichcan keeptheemployeesinsyncwiththecompany’scoreculture andassistthemtoworkontheirweakareas.Doingsuch thingalwaysavoidaconfrontingsituationatworkplaceand ultimatelystrengthenbondbetweenemployeesand management.

TakeInterestinYourEmployees

Whataparticularemployeelikes?Wherehe/shegraduated from?Whoareitsfamilymembers?Whatfunactivity he/shelikesinleisuretime?Whatannoysaparticular employeeatworkplace?Answerstosuchthingscanonlybe foundinthemindsofanemployee’scloseones.Ifasa manager,youtakeanactiveandethicalinterestinan

employee,itdoesnotonlyopenafriendlierpoolbetween youandtheemployeebutalsohelpyouunderstandhis/her motivations,likings,dislikingsandothervitalthingsthat arerequiredtounderstandyouremployeesbetter. Ultimately,itassistsamanagertocarryoutbusiness operationbyfocusingoncompany’sobjectiveswithease.

Thistypeofbondingalsonurturesaworkingrelationship thatcanopenthechannelsofcommunicationsothatwhen youremployeeshaveagoodidea,theyfeelfreetoreach youout.Thiswayyoucanbetheemployees’bosswith keepingemployees’trustandloveatthecore.

NurtureanEnvironmentbasedonMutualRespect

Howyoutalktoyouremployees?Howyoubehavewith them?Howseriouslyyouresolvetheirgrievances?How muchspaceareyouprovidingthemtogrowintotheir career?Thesearesomeofthehard-hittingquestionsthat everymanagerhastotakeseriously.Nomatterhow competentamanageris,ifyouwon’tcreateanatmosphere ofmutualrespect,chancesoflosingyourgripontheteam remainhigh.Moreover,ifmanagersfindthemselves poundingonthedeskandengaginginintimidationtactics, goodchancesaretherethattheycanloserespectamong theiremployees.Butifthemanagerscreateapositive workplaceenvironmentbasedonsharedrespect,thenitwill onlyleadtowardsgrowingyourauthoritythattoowith affectionatebondingwiththeemployees.

Disciplineis‘Must’

Beingfriendlyisagoodthing.Itresolvesmanyproblems. In-fact,sometimesitsolvestheproblembeforeitarisesand thuseverymanagershouldhavethisqualitytocreatea bond.Butsometimesyourfriendlydemeanouratworkplace getsexploitedbysomeemployees.Occasionally,some employeescan’tseparatethefriendlybossfromthefriend andswitchgearsfrequentlybetweenwork-funmode.Ifyou findanemployeethatisbecomingoverlyfamiliar,joking, ordisrespectingsomeone,thisisrighttimetoshowyour authorityandkeepthework-placedisciplineundercontrol. Doingthiscanhelpmaintainingdisciplinewithouteven offendingsomeone.

Although,thelistisendlessbutthesetechniquessurelydo wondersformanagersandorganizationsiffollowed consistentlyandstringentlyandhelpthemachievethe desiredgoalofemployeeretentionforlong.

Forbusinesses,whenitcomestomakingagoodfirst impression,manyfactorsareimportant,nottheleast ofwhichistheconditionoftheirflooring.Fromthe momentavisitorsetsfootintoafacility,thefloorspeaks volumes;evenafinanciallysuccessfulbusinesswillsuffer ifthefloorofitspremisesisstained,worn,orgrimy.With thisinmind,milliCaredeliverstransparentandtrustworthy cleaningservicestobusinessesandfacilities.Foundedin 1984,milliCareisafloorandtextilecareprovideranda subsidiaryofMilliken&Company,amanufacturerand marketerofchemicals,fabrics,textiles,composites,and floorcoveringsforoffices,hotels,airports,andother commercialenvironmentssince1865.

milliCarehelpsbusinessessucceedbyprovidingtrusted carethatnotonlyhelpsfacilitiesmakeagoodfirst impression,butalsoextendsthelifeofflooringandtextiles andimprovesindoorairquality.Whetherit’sanairport,a hospital,acorporateheadquartersorauniversitycampus, themilliCarenetworkofindependentserviceprovidersisa trustedsourceforfloorandtextilemaintenanceneeds, offeringthemostenvironmentallysustainableandproven maintenancesystem.

milliCareisrecognizedasthepremiercommercialflooring carecompanywiththemostadvancedtechnology, providingexceptionalsupporttoitsfranchisenetworkand itscustomerslocally,nationally,andworldwide.

FromaCorporateBusinesstoaFranchiseModel milliCarewasoriginallystartedin1984asacorporate businessdesignedtoserviceMillikencarpetcustomers acrossthecountry.Thefloorandtextilemaintenancewas deliveredtothesecustomersbycorporateemployeesand certifiedcontractors.

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Delivering Trusted Care

Aboutadecadelater,Millikendecidedtochangetoa franchisemodel.ThispromotedgrowthofthemilliCare brand,andsignificantlyincreasedmarketpenetration,by allowingMillikentofocusmoreonfurtherresearchand developmentwhilethefranchisenetworkconcentrateson servicingallbrandsofcarpetandflooring.Today,milliCare isingrowthmodewithanexpandingnetworkoffranchise locationsthatareeachstaffedwithtrainedandexperienced technicians,providingbusinesseswithexceptionalfloorand textilecare.

ProvenLeadership

Withovertwodecadesofmanagementexperienceinsales, marketing,andfranchisedevelopment,SteveWillisjoined milliCareasaManagingDirectorin2017.Steveis responsibleforgrowthandperformancewithinmilliCare’s globalfranchisenetwork.Heoverseesstrategy implementationforthecorporateteamandhelpsincrease ongoingrecruitmentwithinthemilliCarenetwork.He bringsahands-onapproachtosupportingandgrowingthe franchisenetwork.

SteveisaCertifiedFranchiseExecutive(CFE),an approvedcontinuingeducationproviderforpropertyand facilitymanagers,andholdsallthreemasterlevel certificationswiththeIICRC.WiththecurrentmilliCare teamandthebackingofMilliken,milliCareispoisedfor continuedgrowthunderSteve’sleadership,both domesticallyandinternationally.

AssuringtheCleanestWorkEcosystem milliCaredeliversthehighestqualityofservicesincluding carpetcare,textilecare,tileandgroutcare,general maintenancefloorcare,entrywayprotection,protective care,andperformancecoating.

milliCare’sparentcompany,Milliken,owns morethan7,000patents,manyofwhichare inthefloorcarearena.Mostwell-knownis itsdrycarpetcleaner,aspecializedpolymer. Withitsextensiveresearchanddevelopment, thecompanyisconstantlystrivingtoprovide itsfranchiseeswithinnovativeapproachesto floormaintenance.

milliCarewillcontinuetoimproveits technology,chemistryandcleaning techniquestoensurethatitremainstheleader infloorandtextilemaintenancewhile creatinganenvironmentthatallowsits franchiseestoachievemaximumprofitability.

CommittedtoEnvironmental Responsibility

MillikenandmilliCarecareabouttheimpact totheenvironmentandarecommittedto sustainabilityandenvironmental responsibility.

ThemilliCaredrycarpetcleaningprocess uses99.5%lesswaterthanhotwater extraction–andhotwaterextractionrequires 319%moreenergytocleanthesamesquare footageasmilliCare.

Alongwiththecompany’sprocesses,its productsarealsoenvironmentally responsible.milliCare’scorecarpetcleaning productsareGreenSealGS-37certified.The

companymadepackagingchangestoitsDryCarpetCleanerand DetergentResidueNeutralizerwhichcansaveanadditional29,829lbs. ofpackagingperyear.That’salmost15tonsofplasticthatwillnolonger berequired.

MillikenhasbeenrankedbyEthisphereasoneoftheworld’smost ethicalcompaniesforthepast12years,andmilliCaretakespridein sharingitsparentcompany’sethicalcommitment.milliCarealsoholds thedistinctionofbeingtheonlyglobalcompanyfocusedoncommercial floorcareandmaintenance.Inaddition,milliCareisknownasan environmentallyresponsibleandsociallyconsciousorganization.

AdmiringWordsfromCustomers

“TheyhaverestoredcarpetthatIthoughtIwasgoingtohavetopullout. Thenapwasdown,itwasfilthy.Noonecouldgetitclean,wetextraction couldn’tgetitclean.Theyrevivedthecarpetandgaveustwomoreyears withthatcarpet.Itwasanincrediblecostsavings.”

“milliCaresavesusmoney.Savesusstress.Theyfindaway,theywork withus.Wefeelimportantbecausetheymakeusfeelimportant.”

We provide innovative and customized maintenance plans to extend the life of facility flooring and textiles.

“ “

Baldur Ingi Halldórsson Owner Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur

Ms. Nin Desai President & CEO NIN.VC

inthe

VentureWorld

Asof2017,6%oftheventurecapitalistswere womenandonly2.7%womenownedbusinesses receivedventurecapitalfunding.BeingaVCin thisstartupeconomy,where90%ofstartupsfail,isatough job.However,ithasnotingtodowithgender.

“Hi.IamNinDesai.Iheadacrowdfundedtechnology venturecapitalfirm,NINVentures(orNIN.VC).Weinvest inSeriesA&Broundsofdisruptivetechnology companies.”

Whiletherearenumberoffactorsresponsibleforsuccessin theventurecapitalindustryincludingtimingandluck,top ofthatlistisadisruptivetechnology.Adisruptive technologyisaninnovationthatchangesthewayan existingindustryfunctionsandalsohelpscreateanew marketandvaluenetwork,displacinganearliertechnology orawayofdoingbusiness.

E.g.3Dprintinghasbeenusedforrapidprototypingandis beingappliedinanumberofindustriestoday,including

Stellar’s Vision

manufacturing,automotive,consumer,aerospace,defense, andespeciallyhealthcare.Astheaccuracyandmaterials markethaveimproved,themedicalspaceshowsgreat potentialforthistechnology.Thereareabout114,000 peoplecurrentlyontheorganrecipientlistinUnitedStates; andonly34,770transplantswereperformedin2017.Every 10minutesanewpersonisaddedtothewaitinglistand20 peopledieeverydaybecausetheycannotfindarightorgan. Whatif3Dprintingtissuescanhelpsavesomeofthose lives?

Everysectoratsomepointisupfordisruption.E.g.Ad Tech.Overtimeasconsumerbehaviorpatternschanged, DigitalhasnowreplacedTraditionalTelevision.Peopleare nowspendingmoretimeontheirpersonaldeviceslike phone,tablets,&PCs.AnaverageAmericanspendsabout3 hourseverydayontheirpersonaldevices,andthisisthe firsttime,thetimespendonpersonaldeviceshave surpassedtimespentwatchingTelevision,whichisabig changeandopportunityfortheAdTechIndustry.

th E.g.4 IndustrialRevolution.Westandonthebrinkofa technologicalrevolutionthatwillfundamentallyalterthe waywelive,work,andrelatetooneanother.Initsscale, scope,andcomplexity,thetransformationwillbeunlike anythinghumankindhasexperiencedbefore.TheFirst IndustrialRevolutionusedwaterandsteampowerto mechanizeproduction.TheSecondusedelectricpowerto createmassproduction.TheThirdusedelectronicsand informationtechnologytoautomateproduction.Nowa FourthIndustrialRevolutionisbuildingontheThird,the digitalrevolutionthathasbeenoccurringsincethemiddle ofthelastcentury.Itischaracterizedbyafusionof technologiesthatisblurringthelinesbetweenthe3D,4D, digital,othersmartandbiologicalspheres.

However,greatideasandtechnologyneedstobebackedby asolidrevenuemodelinordertoattractcustomersaswell asattainprofitabilityforthecompanytobeanattractive investmentopportunityforaVC.E.g.ournewinitiative, TotalCapitalism.Astartupneedsanecosystemtothrive upon,thusitisveryimportantforacompanytounderstand themarketdynamics,itsimpactontheirindustry,product, andalsohaveagoodunderstandingofthecompetitive landscapeinordertoachievelongtermsuccess.A disruptivetechnologyneedstoscaleandathroughanalysis helpsgagethoseriskandrewards.

ACEOisthecaptainoftheship;andatNIN.VCwestart withanentrepreneurbecauseentrepreneursbuild companiesandnottheotherwayaround.Someofthe qualitiesVCslookforinanentrepreneurareabilityto dreambigwithideasthatscale,certainpersonalitytraits andworkethicslikebeingfocused,disciplined,andhard working.It’simportanttohaveindustryexpertiseand knowledgeorsurroundyourselfwithpeoplethat

About the Author

Ms. Nin Desai, the President and CEO of NIN.VC, is an experienced fund manager and a technology geek. Her sweet spot is investing in disruptive technologies. Ms. Desai has been awarded 2015 CEO Of The Year – Illinois, for innovation and contribution to the Venture Capital & Private Equity industry by Acquisition International magazine and Private Equity Fund Manager to Watch for 2017 by Corporate America. She has been featured in VentureBeat, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Forbes, Inc, WGN’s After Hours with Rick Kogan, NBC Weekend Web with Charlie Wojciechowski, Bloomberg’s Taking Stock, Crowdfund Insider, and CIO Review to name a few.

Ms. Desai’s experience spans all facets of mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance including public offerings and private placements. She is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and has a technical diploma in E-commerce by IBM, holds Series 7 and 63 licenses from NASD, and is a B.B.A and M.B.A in Finance/International Business from Loyola University of Chicago. She recently attended a leadership program in Private Equity and Venture Capital at Harvard Business School.

compliment.However,flexibilityandchoicesan entrepreneur/theteammakesdeterminesthefutureofthe company.Anamazingentrepreneurwithadisruptive technology,asolidrevenuemodel,andgoodunderstanding ofthecompetitivelandscapegoestovain,ifthecompany doesnotcommunicateeffectivelyorhasagoodexecution strategy.

VentureCapitalistsareknowntoinvestinunicornsthat provetobehomerunfortheirLPsandwhilethereisno secretrecipeforsuccess,hopethishelpsinunderstanding theartandsciencebehindeachofthatinvestment.

Best to Buy in

PickUp USA Fitness

ImprovingBasketballExperienceforPlayers

InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,Founderand PresidentofPickUpUSAFitness,JordanMeinster, sharesvaluableinformationofPickUpUSAFitness andaboutitscontributionasafitnessfranchise.PickUp USAFitnessisthefirstandonlybasketball-focusedfitness clubconceptoperatingintheUnitedStates.The demographicsforitsclubs’customersareamazingly diversewithservicesformen,womenandchildrenas youngas5yearsold;andskilllevelsfrombeginnersto experts.Itsgymsoffertraditionalamenitieslikeweight& cardioroomsforthe60millionpeoplenationwidethatare gymmembers.Combinethiswithbasketball-focused servicesforthe30millionpeoplenationwidethat participateinthesport,itoffersatremendousopportunityto buildagreatbusinessinone’sneighborhood.PickUpUSA recentlyannouncedamulti-unitpartnershipwithNBA veteran,RudyGay.

BelowarehighlightsfromtheinterviewbetweenJordan MeinsterandInsightsSuccess:

Giveabriefoverviewofyourcompanyanditsvision. PickUpUSAgymsarebasketball-focusedfitnessclubsthat offergroupandprivatebasketballtraining,weightand cardiorooms,andourmainfeature–PickUpbasketball withreferees.Weserveyouthandadultclientsinclubs acrossthecountry.

Whatarethecutting-edgeproducts/servicesofferedby PickUpUSAFitness?

Whatsetusapartareouruniquebasketball-focused offerings.Weprovidefunyetchallengingbasketballbootcamps,andresults-orientedprivatetrainingsessionsforour athletestolearnanddeveloptheirskillstoachievetheir

goals.Anotherkeydifferentiatorisourorganizedand officiatedPickUpGames.Ourmembershavethe opportunitytoplayindailycompetitivePickUpGamesthat retainsallofthefunaspectsofpickupbasketballyetcuts outallofthehassle.Wecombinethesebasketballservices withfullweight/cardiorooms,anddeliveratruefullservicefitnessclubtoourmembers.

Whatarethespecialfranchiseestrengthsthatmake PickUpUSAFitnessuniquefromitscompetitors? PickUpUSAdeliversasystem-orientedstructurethat providesfitnessentrepreneursasubstantialheadstartto theirroadtosuccesswithintheindustry.Ourcorporate teamisenthusiastictoprovideround-the-clockassistanceto helpfranchiseownersachievetheirgoalsandgrowthe brandasawhole.Thefranchiseownersareallbasketball enthusiaststhathavestrongbusinessbackgrounds.Thishas helpedcreateateamoffranchiseownersthatarehighly passionateaboutouroffering,andthathavethebusiness acumentodrivestrongoperationalandfinancial performance.

Describetheexperiences,achievements,orlessons learntthathasshapedthejourneyofthecompany. Thedevelopmentprocessthatbroughtusfromaninitial concepttowherewearenowhasbeenachallengingyet valuablejourney.We’velearnedcountlesslessonsthrough theroughroadoftrialanderrorastohowtobestmeetour customer’sneedsandthriveasanindependentgym.Name anobstacleandwe’veprobablyovercomeit.Fromsite location,toconstruction,toscheduling,tostaffing,to training,tosales;we’veencounteredthewholegamutof challengesandcannowconfidentlyimplementourtried andtruesystemtofitnessentrepreneurslookingtoavoid

PickUp USA: A Better Way to Play!

“ “

thosesamepitfalls.Mostimportantly,we havelearnedfromthecustomersandalways structuredourservicesbasedonwhatthe consumersaredemanding.Aftersevenyears ofoperatingexperience,wehaveabusiness modelin-placethathasbeencraftedthrough experienceandadaptingtoconsumer preferences.

WheredoesPickUpUSAFitnessseeitself inthelongrunandwhatareitsfuture goals?

Wearelessthanthreeyearsoldasa franchisorandcannowboastsitesin4states withadditionalsitespendingin3otherstates. Theskyisthelimitbecausebasketballisa trulyglobalsport.Weenvisionourselvesto beinganationwidebrandthatwillbe operatinginall50statesandpossibly beyond.Thefocusofthecompanyison deliveringstrongunitleveleconomicsateach franchiselocation,andcontinuingtorefine themodeltoensurePickUpUSAdelivers world-classservicetothecustomers,and strongeconomicreturnsfortheclubowners.

TestimonialsbyClients

I was previously a member at 24 Hour Fitness and Planet Fitness, but after finding this hidden gem, I instantly knew this was the gym for me. PickUp USA Fitness is more than just a basketball focused fitness club.

They have a fully equipped fitness room that is never packed and is easily the cleanest gym I’ve ever been to.

Starting our month long membership, father & son bonding while getting fit! Great staff, clean facility everything you need to get in game shape conveniently located off the 210 freeway 10min from Dena! Come get it in and see for yourselves.

I finally have a “go to” place to play b-ball without having to gather 10 friends and rent a court. I can go everyday knowing that there will be to people to play a full court game. The gym is nice and clean and I can play ball for cardio. I think the best part about this place is that the facility and equipment are well maintained.

AbouttheLeader

JordanMeinsterplayedPickUpbasketballhisentirelife,andalways envisionedagymthatwouldimprovethebasketballexperienceforthe millionsofplayersacrossthecountry.Afterclosetoadecadeinfinancial services,helaunchedPickUpUSAin2011,andbeganfranchisingthe conceptin2016.TherearecurrentlyPickUpUSAsoperatingacrossthe country,includingmultiplelocationsownedbyNBAathletes.Jordan aimstodeliver“ABetterWaytoPlay”tocommunitiesacrossthe country,andtodrivestrongfinancialreturnsforPickUpUSAfranchise owners.

JordanMeinster Founder&President PickUpUSAFitness

Editor’s Pick

The Impressive Impact of Organic Networking

Themainreasonfortheinventionofwebsite,

Internetandtechnologydevicesthatprovidesthe platformforsoftwaretorunandconnectwitheach otherismainlytomakenetworkingofservices,products andpeoplepossible.TechnologyleaderssuchasCisco, AristaandApplearededicatingtheirresourcestoprovide variousbusinessenterprisesandthemassestheabilityto communicatetheirvaluesthroughtechnologymediums calledasNetworking.

Theworksandprovisionsoftheseorganizationsarevery outstanding,andarebelievedtolastforages.Thisis becausethegrowthoftechnologyisnotgoingoutofstyle sosoon,butratheritisbelievedtocontinueintothefuture. Technologynetworkingstrategiesisgood,buttomakeit moreeffectivethereistheincessantneedtoincorporate organicstrategies.

YoumaybeaskingwhatImeanbyOrganicNetworkingor Strategies.Theorganizationthatwillsurviveinthemarket inthenearfuture,consideringtheincreasingrateof competitionaretheoneswhotakethenecessarysteps,to developmorehumanconnectionfortheirbusiness,more thantheydoformachinessuchasprovidedbyAI.

TheFactorstoConsiderforanEffectiveOrganic Networking:

Evenasourageisencouragingmoreoftechnology strategies,ifwemustsurvivethefutureofitall,thenwe mustconnectmorepeople,thanwedoformachines.Asan

innovativenetworkingsolution provider,itisgoingtopaymore,when youincludehumanintelligenceand physicalityinyournetworking strategiesovermachines.

Imagineadaythatthemachinesare goingtohaveaseriousbreakdown, andtheownerorganizationdonothave thecapablepersonstofigureoutthe causeofthebreakdownandpossibly provideafeasiblesolution?Whatwill bethefateoftheorganization?This meansthat,therewillbeagreatlossof valueandpossiblyastrikeoffthe industry.Iknowyouwouldneverwant thattohappen.So,planfromnow,to neverpayforthelossinthefuture.

BalanceYourPeopletomachine Deployment:

SocialMediasarefornetworking, NewspapersandvariousMediasare alsofornetworking,butthereare peoplebehindthearcofthis innovation.Themoreyouincorporate AIandmachinelearningstrategies, alwaysremembertheneedforControl Engineersandthosearehumanbeings. Themostsuccessfulorganizations identifythemajorimportanceof

peoplenetworkingandhowbestto utilizehumanintelligenceintheir businessquest.

Forexample;ifyouwriteanarticle andshareitonawebsite,whodoyou expecttoreadyourarticle;human beingsormachines?Itisobviousthat theorganicnetworkingaspectof computingwillnevergooutofstyle; else,therewillbeadayinthefuture thatdigitalconnectionandvalueswill bemeasuredonthenumberofbotsthat readyourarticlesand/orthatpaidfor yourservices.So,remembertobalance therateofyourpeopletomachine deployment,byacknowledgingthe needofhumannetworkingover technologynetworking.

TheNeedforOrganicSensein NetworkingandtheFuture: Technologyisthemiracleofourage, ArtificialIntelligenceisamajor moldingfactorofthisdevelopment, IoTistheliberatorfrommachine isolationbyprovidingtheplatformto interconnectmillionsofthemoverthe virtualplatforms,buthumansmake thesethingspossible.

Networkingisaninnovativeconcept withhighprofiletechnologyterms.If onedoesnotimploredeepinterestand concentrationwhileexploringthis realm,theremaybeaseriousdistortion oforiginalmotiveofindulgence,and thiscanleadtoseriousbreakdownof enterpriseinfrastructure.Sometimes,it maybedirectandothertimes,itwillbe indirect,butinall,itwillalwayshave animpact.Thefutureoftechnologyis verybright,andthatismainly dependentonhowavailablewemake theresourcestohelpmanagewhatwe havetodayinthenearfuture.Forthis tobepossible,thenetworkingsolution providersmustincorporatemoreof organicsenseintheirsolutionsand industryadvancements.

Technologywilladvance,more machineswillbeconnected,devices willbeprogrammedtorun independently,butinallthesethings, thehumansinthenetworkwillstill ruletheuniverse.Themoreorganic youmakeyournetworkingstrategies, thelesserthefearofadisastrousfuture foryourorganization.

Insider’s Insight

The ROLE of for CONSULTANTS Every Stage BUSINESS

Everybusinessownerandexecutivecomestothe realizationandfearthattheydon’tknowwhatthey don’tknowatsomepointinthegame.Toleap beyondthisfundamentalhurdle,wiseleadersleanon expertstohelpfillinthegap.ExpertssuchasCPAs, attorneys,bankers,mentors,andconsultantsareroutinely soughtbysuccessfulbusinessownersforguidance,advice, andsupportthatcanbepromptlymadeeffective.Gapsin businessareessentiallyanalyzedtodeterminethebest, quickest,simplest,ormostcost-effectivesolution,whichis thendevelopedandfinallyimplementedbyconsultantsin variousnicheseveryminuteoftheday.

Consultingisabigindustryforareason.Businesseshavea highriskoffailure.Failureiseasy,andfailureishard.With theassistanceofaconsultant,businesseshaveamuch betterchanceofsurvival.Let’stakealookathow consultingcanworkateverystageofacompany.

Start-up/Pre-revenue

Thisstageofabusinessisfilledwithpassionanddreams. Theowneristypicallyatechnicianwithintheindustry breakingfreefromtheconstraintsoftheirbossorisa dreamerofgreatthingsingeneral.Problemsarisewhenthe manycomponentsofrunningabusinesstherightway interfereandbogdownthissolopreneur.Seeminglysimple, buthighlyimportant,responsibilitiessuchasaccounting, operations,andmarketingcanquicklyoverwhelmandlead tofailure.

Bringinginaconsultantatthisstageorpriortostartupcan savethesolopreneurfromatremendousamountofstress. Theconsultantcanwalktheownerthroughthehurdlesof businesswitheaseandexperience.Establishingsystems, creatingprocedures,andbuildingplansforsalesand marketingwillpreparethebusystart-upforsuccessful growththroughtothesmallbusinessphase.

Mom&PopShop

Mom&PopShopsarewhatwerefertosmallbusinesses with1-25employees.Thismaybeasmallgenerational businessoragrowingstart-upthatishiringfriendsand familytohelpgetthejobdone.Oneday,thegoalsbecome toolargeandtheownerstakeonmorethantheycanhandle inanefforttogrow.Whattheseownersdon’trealizeisthat theyneedtohavedefinedsystemsinplace,alongwith communication,leadership,andagrowthplantomove beyondMom&PopShopstatustoSmallBusinessstatus withoutsufferingcollapse.

SmallBusiness

Thesmallbusinesstypicallyhas1-100employeeswhich mayalsoincludemanyfamilyandfriends.Somesystems areinplace,yettherelacksorganizationand communicationleadingtheownerdownapathof“too manychiefs”ornotenoughoversight.Atthisstage, businessownersmaydiscovertheyhavealotofpeople doingthesamething,noformalprocessesandalotoffires toputout.Stressonceagaintakesholdofthebusiness ownerinawaythatmaymakethemquestionclosingshop andgoingbackintotheworkforce.

Consultingatthesestagesrequirein-depthanalysisof wherethecompanycurrentlyexistsonthespectrumand identifyinggapsinthefoundationoftheorganizational structure.Analysiswillrequirealookatfinancial performance,operationsworkflowandprocesses,systems integrationandutilization,humanresourcessuiteof knowledgeandprocedures,centralizedstandardoperating procedures,marketingplansandstrategy,andmore. Analyzingeachcomponentofthebusinesswillbringto lighttoplayerandsecondaryissuesthattheconsultantwill prioritizetomatchurgencyandeffectiveorganizational modelingforproperimplementation.Businessowners shouldexpectthisprocesstotakesometime,butintheend

AbouttheAuthor

AprilSalsbury,MBAistheowner ofSalsbury&Co.,abusiness managementconsultingfirm.After growinganorganizationfrom15 employeesto100employeesand sevenlocations,including internationaldistributionand workinginlegislationforindustry oversightandaccreditation,she believedherexperienceasaCEO anda“builder”couldhelpsmall businessownersavoidcertain hurdlesandgainvaluableinsight.

April Salsbury CEO Salsbury & Co.

thebusinesswilloperatelikeawell-oiledmachineready forgrowth.

Mid-sizeBusiness&Enterprise

TheMid-sizeBusinesshassuccessfullyidentifiedtheneeds ofagrowingbusiness.Mostcompaniesofthissize (101-999employees)andoftheEnterprisesize(1,000+ employees)haveestablishedpoliciesandprocedures, humanresources,systemsintegrationwithmaximized utilization,andhaveaplantomoveforward.Theseareas willexperienceongoingexpansionenhancementovertime. Mid-sizecompanieswillstarttodepartmentalizeandcreate anexecutiveteamforimprovedoversightandstrategy development.ProblemsMid-sizecompaniesfaceare keepingeveryoneworkingtowardthesamegoal, communication,effectiveleadershipandmanagement development,mergersandacquisitions,continuous improvementofsystemsandoperationalworkflowand recruitingforlongevityallwhilestayingontopoftheirnext strategicmoveandpacingchange.Enterprisescontinueto refineandsiloroleswithinthecompany;howeverthey experiencemanyofthesameissuesamid-sizecompany does.

AtMid-sizeandEnterpriselevel,Consultantsarebrought intoacompanyonaprojectbasisandwillbefocusedona

nicheofservice.Thisiswhenthe:BrandingConsultantis broughtintodevelopabrandorrevitalizeabrandfora segmentofthebusiness;LeanSpecialistsarebroughtinto examineonesegmentofthemanufacturingprocess;System AnalystisbroughtintocreatefunctionalAPIstoconnect the25softwareprogramsusedbythecompanytoprevent errorsandreducetimewastedonduplicatingentries;and possibly,Coachesarebroughtintodevelopamid-level managementteam.

ThereisaneedandaplaceforConsultantsateverystageof business,evenbeforethefirstsignsoffailure.Bringinga Consultantintothecompanyearlierintheprocesswill makethetransitiontothenextbigstepeasierandthe long-termoutcomeofthebusinessmuchbetter.Although businessownersmayhaveadifficulttimejustifyingthe costofconsulting,especiallyiffundsarelimited,the desiredendresulthasgreaterpotentialtoberealizedina shortertimeframe.Companiesthathavesuccessfully workedwithconsultantsseethevalueoftheirworkinthe overallsuccessofthebusinessandoftenretainconsultants forfutureprojects.

VOM FASS

Creator and Leader of a Unique Experiential Retail Concept

In an ever-changing environment, brands must stay ahead of their consumers in knowing what they desire, how they want it delivered, and where they can purchase your product.” Inthecurrentculinary&foodie world,weliveintoday,therearedemandsthatindustries communicatetothecustomersallthewhy’s,how’sand wheretheyarepayingforproductsandthefreshnessofit. Today’sconsumersaremoreinformedthaneveronthe qualityandsourcingofthefoodsthattheyeat.Thisfresh newphenomenonisoftendescribedas “foodie culture,” anditschangingcustomerexpectationsastowhatproducts theywantandhowmuchtheywillpay.Freshascanbe,and withauniquestorybehindthem, vomFASS excelsin cateringtotheadventuroussensibilitiesandhigh expectationsoffoodies.PartofthevomFASSmagicis carefulselectionandcurationofthefinestgrowersand producersfromtheSwissAlpstotheshoresofthe Mediterranean.

AWideArrayofArtisanalProducts

vomFASSisauniqueretail&communityeventbusiness specializinginawidearrayofartisanalproducts,including theworld’sfinestoils,vinegars,spirits,gourmetfoods,and spices.Experientialretailiswherethefocusisas consumersarehungryforamorecustomizedinteraction withtheproductstheybringintotheirhomeorofferas gifts.Thecompany’scustomerloyaltybasehasgrown exponentially,asoncetheytastetheamazingproducts;they understandwhatqualitytrulyis.Their qualityproductsare whatsetsthemapart, inordertosupportthefranchisee’s andcontinuallyimprovetheireducationandtrainingonall productofferings,thefranchisorcreatedandinvestedinan internalWiki.Italsoactsasanextensiverepositoryfor recipesthataresubmittedbyvomFASS’franchisees,which makestheproductscometolife.Bycontinuingtolearn

whatitscustomersarelookingfor,thecompanycanmodify theirofferingsfromproducttotheretailenvironment.Asa team,theyarestrivingtowardsalwaysimprovingthe productstheydelivertoboththeirfranchiseesand consumerbase.

Thecombinationofexclusiveartisanalproductsandunique in-storetastingexperiencesprovidefranchiseeswithtools tocapitalizeontwokeytrends:foodiecultureand experientialretail.vomFASSfranchiseeslovetoentertain andeducatecustomersonnewproductarrivals,enticing pairingsandhowtointegrateitsextensivelineofgourmet productsintotheirlivesandhomes.Theybecome ambassadorsofthecompanybyleveragingitsuniquevalue proposition&extensiveproductknowledgetodeliverthe experience,andauthenticitythattoday’sconsumers demand.Thecompanyisproudtohavereceivedmany awardsforboththeproductsitoffersaswellasits Franchisesystem.Thistraditionofexcellenceissomething thatisembodiedineverythingthecompanylaystheirhands on–fromstorelocationstoselectionoftheirfranchisees andofcourse,anynewproducts.

ExcellentCommunicatorandGreatLeaders

ek2,LLCownedbybothElaineR.SugimuraandKevin M.Frainwerehiredasconsultantsandusedtheirstrengths asdisruptors,andchangeagentstocreatethebeststrategy tomovethebusinessforward.Withlimitedresources,allof thechangeshadtobedonewithinthecurrentexpense structure.AsactiveCEOandCOO,theyhavebeenableto shiftthepastlossesintocurrentgains.Havingheldthe CEOtitleinvariousbusinessespriortojoiningvomFASS, Elaine’sglobalcommunicationandmarketingskillshave allowedtheorganizationtogrowinnewareasofbusiness. Herinternationalbusinessexperienceandapplicable

to Buy in

strategiescontinuetofuelthegrowthofthe company.KevinhasheldbothCOOandCFO titlesinhisworkexperiencesthusfar.Hehas beeninstrumentalindrivingthechanges withintheoverallOperations.Creatingand implementingnewprocessesandprocedural strategieshasliftedthecompanytoanew levelofsuccess.Thenext5-yeargrowth strategiesarenotpossiblewithoutthese criticalimprovements.Together,Elaineand Kevinhavechangedthemake-upofthe company;bygivingit“thecolor”itneeded, vomFASSisnowpoisedtomeetandor exceedcorporateexpectations.

AnExperientialMarketingStrategy

Theinitialchallengein1994waswhen JohannesKiderlenmadeanerrorinhis calculationswhenbuyingsherryforhis wholesalecustomers.Herealizedthathehad onetoomanyzerosonthequantityheplaced andwasunabletoreturnthealcoholonce purchased.Thisleadtotheideaofoffering thesherryala“vomFASS”–meaning“from thecask/barrel”.

JohannesKiderlendecidedtoofferthesherry incasks,andhewassoonrewardedbasedon hisgeniusmarketingidea.Oncetheword wasout,thebusinessbegantoriseashehad hoped.Hecreatedanexperientialstrategy waybeforetheworldwasreadyforthistype ofmarketing.Astheyearsprogressed,he continuedtogrowthecompanywithnewer andfresherproductstomarketthesameway. Thus,theworldofvomFASStookrootand beganitsunprecedentedgrowthpathin

Europe.Theycontinuetobethedominantplayerandtheforefatherof thetaste-before-you-buyconcept.Astheworldcontinuestomoveata fastpace,vomFASSisstilltheleaderinthemarketplaceforthisconcept. Thecompany’sgoalistobuildwithouteverlosingtheessenceofthe brands’originalmission.“Onlythebest,always!”“Onlytheverybest ingredientsthatcanbefoundwillbeusedinthemanufactureof vomFASSoils,vinegars,gourmetfoods,spirtsandspices.”

AbilitytoEducateCustomers

Theopportunitytointeractandcreateanexperiencethatisdeliciousto theirpalateandtheabilitytoeducatecustomerswiththevomFASSstory andhowitsspecialpartnershipsandbondwithitsproducerscontinuesto beoneofthekeyreasonsforitssuccess.Thisisagreatopportunityto workwithanestablishedbrandanduseyourskillstoeducateand entertaincustomers.vomFASSfranchiseeshaveastrongsetofbusiness skills,enjoytherecognitionofownership,andtheopportunitytocontrol theirowndestinieswhileprovidingsuperiorqualityproductstotheir customers. “It’s a great time to join the vomFASS family,” saysThomas Kiderlen,ownerofvomFASS.Headds,“For over 25 years the vomFASS franchise opportunity has provided the platform for highly motivated individuals to display their communication and business skills and appreciation of gourmet foods & spirits. Our franchise opportunity revolves around educating, informing, and sharing a vast array of products in an exciting environment.”

ALeaderintheMarketplace

vomFASScontinuestobethedominantplayerandtheforefatherofthe taste-before-you-buyconcept.Astheworldcontinuestomoveatafast pace,vomFASSisstilltheleaderinthemarketplaceforthisconcept.The companybelievesthateverybusinessmustcontinuetoreinvent themselvestoensuresustainabilityandgrowthinsuchahighly competitivemarketplace.Havinganichebusinessmodel,vomFASS’s Look-Taste-Enjoyconceptdeliversaretailexperiencethatistrulyunique inthemarketplace.

Future growth, improved operations, amazing product offerings to the best of class locations and franchise partners will guarantee the success of vomFASS as we migrate towards the years ahead!