FRANCHISE Journal ADVICE 5 Common Characteristics of Highly Successful People p. 22
HOW TO Avoid Impluse Buying a Business p. 118
THE SCOOP Why People Invest in Franchises. p. 128
TM
MARCH 2020 /FranchiseJournal.com
a Sanderson RhonSd anderson P of
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WOMEN of
FRANCHISING
Illustration by Rosemary Fanti
The
FranExpoUSA.com
FranExpoUSA.com
CUT HAIR, GROW BUSINESS WITH
Own a franchise with the #1 salon brand: •
Largest Salon Brand in the World
• Recession-Resistant
•
Over 150 Salons in Canada
• No Hair Experience Required
•
4,500 salons throughout the U.S. and Canada
• Multi-Unit Business
www.greatclipsfranchise.com • 800-947-1143
Great Clips, Inc. • 4400 West 78th Street, Suite 700 • Minneapolis, MN 55435 • 800-999-5959 or 952-893-9088 • State of MN Reg. #F-928 This advertisement is not an offering. An offering can only be made by a prospectus filed first with the Department of Law and the State of New York. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law of the State of New York. THESE FRANCHISES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE FRANCHISE INVESTMENT LAW OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. SUCH REGISTRATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE APPROVAL, RECOMMENDATION OR ENDORSEMENT BY THE COMMISSIONER OF CORPORATIONS NOR A FINDING BY THE COMMISSIONER THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HEREIN IS TRUE, COMPLETE AND NOT MISLEADING.
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contents
MARCH 2020
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Welcome Notes
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THE HEART & SOUL OF GREAT CLIPS An Interview with Rhoda Olsen
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CONVENTION Orlando: The International Franchise Association's 60th Annual Convention
Family of Brands
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What do Women Want in Franchising? By Marilyn Imparato
54
FANTASTIC FEMALE FINANCIERS With Allison Zorich; Guidant Financial
22 SUCCES BY DESIGN Catherine Monson on 5 Common Characteristics of Highly Successful People
58 Business Ownership is Your Little Black
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62
THE QUEEN OF FRANCHISE PR An interview with Rhonda Sanderson of Sanderson & Associates
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What Are You Afraid Of? By Faizun Kamal
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Q&A With Beth Nilssen: Great Clips
38 8 Reasons Women Make Great Franchise
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46 Success Runs in the Family: Moran
Dress — Never Goes Out of Style By Telanda Sidari
COVER STORY The Women Of Franchising
88 Sarah Gabbard Had a Difficult Choice to Make: Sell, or Keep Running the Business After Tragedy Struck
94 Immigrants and Franchising a Winning Combination By Diana Weissich
Business Owners By Ann Kohler
98 The Woman Who Helps Families Rebuild
FANTASTIC FEMALE FINANCIERS With Sherri Seiber; FranFund
102 Veteran's Financing; Veteran's
MARCH 2020 | WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM
Their Lives Freedom Loan By Kelly Kruegar
106 Women In Franchising: Carey Gille 110 Morgan Kline of Burn Boot Camp: Changing the World One Workout at a Time
114 What is the Right Franchise for You? By Janice Charles
118 Avoid Impulse Buying: Follow a Process Instead By Bill Polk
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122 Key Military Planning Principals to Help you Find "Right Fit" Franchises By Dave Cooley
128 Why People Invest in Franchises By Chris Conner
132 Is Franchising Right For You? 10 Questions to Ask Yourself By Seth Lederman
136 BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE FUTURE With Laura Coe of Snapology
140 6 Tips for an Unforgettable Elevator Speech By Don Rosenberg
144 What Can a Franchise Attorney Do For You? By Nancy Lanard
148 Ronnie & Shamari DeVoe: Creating Their Own Skyline
152 Atlanta's Small Business Champion: Lorraine Cochran-Johnson
154 A MEXICO RETREAT
The Riviera Maya Welcomes Conferences at The Iberostar
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156 Marisol Binn - The Inventor of the Airport Spa
158 Find the Courage to Be Independent By Patti Zapparolli
160 SmartPatchTM Launches at IFA 2020 Brand-to-Customer Engagement Product Comes in the Form of a Keychain or Patch
152 WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM | MARCH 2020
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2020 Franchise Trade Shows FEBRUARY 8-11, 2020
APRIL 4-5
SEPTEMBER 18-19
IFA2020 Convention Orlando World Center Marriott Orlando, FL www.franchise.org
The Franchise Expo Pennsylvania Convention Center. Philadelphia, PA www.nationalevent.com
The Franchise Expo Alameda County Fair Grounds Pleasanton, CA www.nationalevent.com
FEBRUARY 15-16
APRIL 18-19
SEPTEMBER 19-20
The Great American Franchise Expo Irving Convention Center Dallas, TX www.franexpousa.com
The Great American Franchise Expo Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL www.franexpousa.com
The Great American Franchise Expo Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, TX www.franexpousa.com
FEBRUARY 15-16
APRIL 25-26
OCTOBER 2-3
The Franchise Expo Meadowlands Expo Center Secaucus, NJ www.nationalevent.com
The Franchise Expo Greater Tacoma Convention Center Tacoma, WA www.nationalevent.com
Franchise Expo Houston George R Brown Convention Center Houston, TX www.mfvexpo.com
FEBRUARY 20-22
MAY 16-17
OCTOBER 3-4
Franchise Expo South Miami Beach Convention Center South Beach Miami, FL www.mfvexpo.com
The Great American Franchise Expo Cobb Galleria Atlanta, GA www.franexpousa.com
The Great American Franchise Expo Miami Airport Convention Center, Miami, FL www.franexpousa.com
FEBRUARY 22-23
MAY 16-17
OCTOBER 9-10
The Great American Franchise Expo Stafford Center Houston, TX www.franexpousa.com
The Franchise Expo Dulles Expo Center Washington, DC www.nationalevent.com
The Franchise Expo Tampa Convention Center Tampa FL www.nationalevent.com
FEBRUARY 29-MARCH 1
MAY 28-30
OCTOBER 23-24
The Franchise Expo Austin Convention Center Austin, TX www.nationalevent.com
International Franchise Expo The Javits Center NY, NY www.mfvexpo.com
The Franchise Expo Royal Plaza Trade Center Marlborough, MA www.nationalevent.com
MARCH 14-15
JUNE 6-7
OCTOBER 31-NOV 1
The Great American Franchise Expo Tampa Convention Center Tampa, FL www.franexpousa.com
The Franchise Expo Hyatt Regency Hotel Orlando, FL www.nationalevent.com
The Great American Franchise Expo Dulles Expo Center Washington, DC www.franexpousa.com
MARCH 20-21
JUNE 27
NOVEMBER 6-7
Franchise Expo Nashville Music City Center Nashville, TN www.mfvexpo.com
The Great American Franchise Expo Rebuild Puerto Rico Wyndham Convention Center Rio Grande, PR www.franexpousa.com
The Franchise Expo Dallas Market Hall Dallas, TX www.nationalevent.com
MARCH 28-29
SEPTEMBER 10-12
NOVEMBER 13-14
The Franchise Expo Donald E. Stephens Center Rosemont, IL www.nationalevent.com
Franchise Expo West Phoenix Convention Center Phoenix, AZ www.mfvexpo.com
The Franchise Expo Cobb Galleria Atlanta, GA www.nationalevent.com
There are alot of choices!
welcome "In the USA almost 12 million firms are owned by women, and female-owned businesses now account for 39% of all privately held firms."
NOTES
S
ince 1911, when Clara Zetkin and Rosa Luxemburg first proposed it, March has been Women’s History Month. In this edition, The Franchise Journal celebrates women’s contributions to America and the world through f ranchising. We are proud to showcase these exceptional women and how we as a country value equality and the contributions of all our citizens. While there can never be enough pages to properly honor the many women in franchising the fact is that franchising levels the playing field for all entrepreneurs. Over the past decade the rise of female owned franchised brands has been meteoric. It has been said that “franchising cares more about where you are going than who you are” and in the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of women business owners generally – in the USA almost 12 million firms are owned by women, and female-owned businesses now account for 39% of all privately held firms. This is something we can all be proud of and the best is yet to come!
Nick Neonakis
Editor, Franchise Journal
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MARCH 2020 | WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM
Ranked #1 Again! 4 YEARS IN A ROW!
• Monday to Friday, Business-to-Business Hours • Low Staffing Requirements • Professional Business Clientele • Attractive Margins • 50% Off the Franchise Fee for Veterans and First Responders
“I was surprised at the daily support we have with the corporate office and other franchise owners in the system that are truly there for my wife and I. I know I can call or text any time with simple and complex questions.” Steve & Renae Adrian Forest-Lynchburg, Va
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FASTSIGNS:
214-346-5679 | mark.jameson@fastsigns.com | www.fastsigns.com
FOUNDER
NICK NEONAKIS DESIGN DIRECTOR
Pete Neonakis DIGITAL DIRECTOR
Chantae Arrington ART DIRECTOR
Brenda Lesch
SENIOR EDITOR Bill Polk ONLINE EDITOR Seth Lederman STAFF WRITER Megan Neonakis SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Ted O'Shea ASSOCIATE EDITOR Mariel Miller ONLINE EDITOR Mike Ciccarelli
CONTRIBUTORS Janice Charles Dave Cooley Chris Conner Marilyn Imparato Faizun Kamal Ann Kohler Kelly Kruegar Nancy Lanard Seth Lederman Bill Polk Don Rosenberg Telanda Sidari Diana Weissich
VIDEO PRODUCER Matt Panepinto
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If you want to get ahead in franchising, The Franchise Journal has the most concepts and tactics to help you become a business owner.
Share with your friends. franchisejournal.com
Meet NuVinAir
at The Great American Franchise Expo in Houston and Dallas! For FREE Tickets go to: www.franexpousa.com
INTERVIEW
The Heart & Soul of Great Clips An Interview with Rhoda Olsen
T
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he CEO of Great Clips, Rhoda Olsen is a visionary in the global hair care franchise industry. She is renowned for her compassion and business acumen and has grown Great Clips to be a recognized leader in its space. She has achieved this with compassion and a ‘matter of fact’ Midwestern sensibility that endears her to all who she meets. She leads her company’s team and works closely with Great Clips salons throughout North America. With more than 20 years of executive experience in various positions throughout Great Clips, Olsen has developed a deep understanding of what makes successful organizations work. Olsen also works closely with franchisees, helping them take advantage of a powerful network of people, tools and resources. One of her major interests is in coaching and mentoring female business owners. Franchise Journal was proud to learn more about this extraordinary executive and to share her insights with our readers.
University, Mankato where I graduated with both undergrad and master’s degrees. I decided to go into human resources and worked with several companies before ending up at Land O’Lakes, as a training and human resources manager.
1. Where are you from and what did you study? I was born in Sioux City, Iowa and lived in Iowa and Minnesota my whole life. I went to college at Minnesota State
3. What are you most proud of – so far – when you look back over your career? I’m most proud of the relationships we’ve built with Great Clips franchisees.
2. How did you get started with Great Clips, Inc.? When my older brother Ray Barton joined Great Clips, Inc. in 1983 as one of three owners, he asked for my help developing training programs. I began consulting with Great Clips, Inc. in 1984. After consulting for a few years, I joined the corporate team as vice president of human resources and training and owner in 1987. I was named president in 1998 and promoted to CEO in 2011. As President and CEO, I led the Great Clips brand from 1,000 salons in 1998 to 4,100 salons at the end of 2017. In January of 2018, I was named vice chair of the Great Clips, Inc. board of directors. As vice chair, I manage the CEO and have been focused on government reform in the cosmetology industry.
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"I WOULD TELL (MY 15-YEAR-OLD SELF) TO MAINTAIN A SENSE OF HUMOR, REMEMBER THE STRENGTH OF HUMANITY AND BELIEVE IN THE BEST INTENTIONS OF EVERYONE." Because Great Clips is 100% franchised, franchisees are the key to success of the brand. The Great Clips customer brand promise is that we care more. And that doesn’t just apply to customers, we care more about our franchisees, and it shows in how we engage with and support franchisees and how, in turn, franchisees treat their staff and how they treat their customers.
4. What is your vision for the future of Great Clips? We like to say that hair salons are a recession-resistant business but, as a brand, we continue to look for ways to evolve. In 2011, we introduced Online Check-In, which allows customers to see wait times at nearby salons and put their name on the list via an online app or on their desktop. The Online Check-In app has now been downloaded more than 12 million times. And in 2014, we introduced Clip Notes, which are the notes that stylists enter into a customer’s profile that provide information on that customer’s haircut – such as style, shape, or type of haircut, clipper guards and desired length of hair. That technology was originally kept for the stylist, but we then made it customer-facing. With Clip Notes, Great Clips customers can get the same haircut from any stylist, at any Great Clips salon at any time.
We continue to look for ways that the Great Clips brand can leverage technology, evolve from the corporate office to salons and keep that personal touch that shows we care about customers. 5. What advice would you give to your 15-year-old self? I would tell myself to maintain a sense of humor, remember the strength of humanity and believe in the best intentions of everyone. I may also suggest to myself to not get defensive and to let go of taking things too personally! 6. What’s your favorite vacation spot? I’ve long been passionate about helping women as business owners. I work with Phakamani, a micro-finance non-profit in South Africa. I travel to South Africa frequently to share the work of Phakamani and tour South Africa. It’s a combination of vacation and work with the
organization. Started by a Great Clips franchisee Mark Tucker, the foundation helps South African women start their own businesses by providing micro-loans, training and ongoing support.
THANK YOU RHODA! INTERESTED IN OWNING A GREAT CLIPS FRANCHISE? Please reach out to www.GreatClips.com.
WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM | MARCH 2020
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FRESHNESS ISN’T JUST A SAYING, IT’S A COMMITMENT. A SINCERE BELIEF THAT A GOOD MOOD BEGINS WITH GOOD FOOD AND EVERYONE HAS A PLACE AT THE TABLE. VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR FRANCHISE INFORMATION MAHANAFRESH.COM MEET MAHANA AT THE GREAT AMERICAN FRANCHISE EXPO IN HOUSTON AND DALLAS! FOR FREE TICKETS GO TO: WWW.FRANEXPOUSA.COM
Meet Scenthound
at The Great American Franchise Expo in Houston and Dallas! For FREE Tickets go to: www.franexpousa.com
CONVENTION UPDATE
Orlando 18
MARCH 2020 | WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM
The International Franchise Association's 60th Annual Convention rolled into Orlando, FL like a hurricane of franchise entrepreneurs ready to continue the phenomenal growth of the past few years. Coming on the heels of a record 2019, the energy of over 4000 attendees was palpable. Several thousand copies of The Franchise Journal were distributed and the editorial staff of The Journal were grateful for the warm reception given to them. With speakers as varied as Simon Sinek, Trent
Shelton and Kevin Hochman the amount of knowledge shared was extraordinary. For many, the highlight of the conference was Catherine Monson being named the IFA Chair for 2020 as David Barr concluded his term. With an impressive resume of accomplishments and a history of mentoring, the IFA is in good hands with Monson. A big congratulations to President & CEO of the IFA, Robert Cresanti, for a terrific Convention!
WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM | MARCH 2020
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EXPERT ADVICE
SUCCESS BY DESIGN
Catherine Monson on 5 Common Characteristics of Highly Successful People Catherine Monson is a leader who has climbed to the pinnacle of business and franchising. The world of franchising is fortunate to have her as the 2020 International Franchise Association Chair. She is also the CEO of FASTSIGNS International, Inc., which has over 725 franchisees around the world. While Catherine is recognized globally as a franchise executive who is passionate about franchising’s continued growth and development, she has also been recognized for her contributions to the printing and graphic
communications industry, and to the advancements she’s made in advocating for women in the C-Suite. In 2020, Monson’s work with the IFA will center around protecting, promoting and enhancing the franchise business model through teaching and promoting franchise best practices to franchisors, continuing with the IFA’s strong Government Relations (GR) outreach, and increasing membership of the IFA. “It is an incredible honor to be elected to the position of IFA chair,” said Monson. “I
"THE THING THAT I LOVE ABOUT THESE FIVE COMMON CHARACTERISTICS IS THAT THEY ARE ALL CHARACTERISTICS ARE SKILLS THAT CAN BE LEARNED AND DEVELOPED."
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love franchising; franchising enables people to own their own business and benefit from the power of a brand along with the brand’s marketing, advertising, training, and support. I look forward to serving the franchising community through my appointment and doing my part to protect, promote and enhance franchising.” Monson is known to millions not only through her achievements in business but also on TV. In 2012, she was featured on the CBS TV show Undercover Boss. When asked what she credits her success to as well as what advice she has for aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders, she articulated five characteristics that are foundational to the growth of any business executive: “What I found is there are five common characteristics of all highly successful people. Whether they are a franchisee or franchisor or whether they want to be a great parent or a great business leader” says Monson. “The thing that I love about these five common characteristics is that they are all characteristics are skills that can be learned and developed; we are not born with these skills. The first is a positive mental attitude, and it is foundational to the other four.”
TIP #1: PMA (Positive Mental Attitude)
This may sound simplistic but people want to follow people with a positive mental attitude and a positive attitude really determines one’s success. One of the things in my office in Dallas, Texas is what we call Inspiration Hall. This is a very long hall covered in over 150 quotations about success, achievement, planning and many of those quotes happen to do with a positive mental attitude. “It’s your attitude, not your aptitude, that is going to define your altitude” and that is really true. The world of achievement has always belonged to the optimist. A positive mental attitude is developed. It’s not a skill, it’s not something that you are born with. You have to develop it.
TIP #2: GDB (Goal Directed Behavior)
There is significant research that shows that those people who write goals down, achieve more than those that do not. Everyone will increase their achievements if they spend time thinking of what they want to achieve, then write those goals down, and then review them regularly. From there, the mind is more apt to make sure you are doing something every day towards achieving your goals.
TIP #3: SM (Self Motivation)
Developing your “muscle” of self motivation is important.
PHOTOS BY SANDY MARAK
You do not have to do 100% more, just a little bit more. It could be doing one more sales call each day or one more coaching session with a team member or a prospect call or whatever it is that grows your business it makes you more successful. It’s doing a little bit more of that every single day than your competition is doing.
TIP #4: SoU (Sense of Urgency)
“Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today!” Simply put, successful people get more things done in a day than those that are not as successful.
TIP #5: NSL
(Never Stop Learning) Highly successful people know they need to be “sharpening their saw”, improving their skills and increasing their knowledge. Leaders are readers. I work to
improve my knowledge and abilities in leadership. I want to stay informed of trends and changes in business, in franchising, and in my specific industry. Each of us can build our skill level in all 5 of these characteristics of highly successful people. Improving each of these skills will help you increase your success, whether you are a franchise owner or a parent or whether you are a person in the corporate world. Understand what it takes to be a successful manager or leader, build up those skills and work on them every day. With this level of clarity and drive that Catherine brings to the IFA and FASTSIGNS International, it is little wonder why so many hold her in such high regard. FOR MORE INFORMATION
on owning a FASTSIGNS International reach out to mark.jameson@fastsigns. com or go to www.fastsigns.com.
WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM | MARCH 2020
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EXPERT ADVICE
THE QUEEN OF FRANCHISE PR An Interview with Rhonda Sanderson of Sanderson & Associates
I
n every era and in every business segment there are leaders who have such a big impact over such a long period of time that they become the standard to which all others are measured. Rhonda Sanderson is this woman for the franchise PR category. When Rhonda Sanderson founded Sanderson & Associates in 1986 the franchise PR industry was born. Now entering her fifth decade in franchise PR, Rhonda has had courtside seats and called the plays for a myriad of companies that are now household names. When Rhonda started working with brands like Molly Maid, ServiceMaster, Meineke Car Care Center, Hardee’s, Express Pros, Ponderosa, Fatburger, Smoothie King, Sbarro’s, Two Men and a Truck, Yogurtland, CertaPro Painters, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors, Floor Coverings International and hundreds of others they
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had already made the first right decision — retaining Sanderson. "Every company has a story to tell and it's our job to tell it the right way and to the right audience to get the desired results for the franchisor and the franchisee," Sanderson said. "Usually that means customers in the doors and calls from prospective franchisees who are interested in a franchise of their own." Along the way, she has been a tireless and fearless advocate for franchising and best practices. Known for calling it as she sees it, Sanderson has served as chair of the IFA Supplier Forum, hosted numerous IFA development seminars over the years and been active on several committees of the IFA including the PR and Marketing Committee. Her story is as inspiring as it is real. Q: Tell me about how you got into your line of work. A: After my son died, my dearest friend; Candace Collins,(now Jordan) Ms. December 1979, introduced me to Steve Simon of S&S Public Relations, a small PR firm that was looking to grow. I had gotten divorced and really had nothing to do but I had gone to journalism school and had the gift of gab so I was thrilled to get the job.
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"EVERY COMPANY HAS A STORY TO TELL AND IT'S OUR JOB TO TELL IT THE RIGHT WAY AND TO THE RIGHT AUDIENCE TO GET THE DESIRED RESULTS FOR THE FRANCHISOR AND THE FRANCHISEE." — RHONDA SANDERSON
There were 4 of us at the firm and Steve, the boss who was stumbling but a PR genius. One day a guy came sailing through the front door with a franchise concept he wanted to grow. We acted like we knew what we were doing and we landed the account. That was 1982. We eventually came up with a system that the current biggest firm, Fishman PR, has used to grow so large. That’s because Sherri Fishman got her start in the same firm a little bit later, once we were really growing. The system we came up with was the media tour where we sent the franchisor on a road trip and booked media in each market. They started selling franchises and the rest is history. We ended up with a ton of business once word got around. One of them was a 140 unit sandwich shop called Subway. Fred DeLuca stayed with the firm until they hit about 10,000 stores. When I went on my own Fred and I remained good friends and there are so many other amazing people I met along the way like Charlie Chase, Tom Wood, still clients!! Jim Amos, Famous Dave — so many great leaders. The list goes on and on. Q: What lessons has your work life taught you? A: Cue slightly evil laughter…. It’s been a long journey but the key components that held true in 1982, or 1482, still hold today. Don’t stretch the truth. Be honest in your relationship with the media and don’t be afraid to lose a client if the marketing department is trying to dictate what the PR firm needs to do. Marketing and PR are different disciplines and companies get in trouble when they make their PR too ‘salesy’. Quality PR is not marketing speak it is objective. You have to grow with your clients and the times. Put your integrity over your clients needs and evolve, evolve, evolve. Always be evolving. Taking care of your client is paramount. It’s a cliche but it’s true that you need to ‘under promise and over deliver’ because if you are promising things to clients to get the account your career will be short. WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM | MARCH 2020
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"I FEEL LIKE THE STORIES I’VE SHARED HAVE PLANTED THE SEEDS OF THOSE BUSINESSES. I HOPE TO SEE ALL THOSE SEEDS FLOURISH INTO THE PLUSH GARDENS THAT THOSE PEOPLE DREAMED OF WHEN THEY BECAME FRANCHISEES."
Q:
— RHONDA SANDERSON
Q: You’ve been intimately involved in f ranchising since Subway had 140 locations and an IFA convention was attended by 300 people. What is your vision for f ranchising 10 years f rom now? A: I want franchisors to talk from the heart. I have interviewed thousands of franchisees over the past 38 years and they are the nicest, salt of the earth people who really want to achieve the American Dream. The kind of people whose vision is to walk down the street in their town and have people wave at them because they know them, shop with them and are good members of the community. I feel like the stories I’ve shared have planted the seeds of those businesses. I hope to see all those seeds flourish into the plush gardens that those people dreamed of when they became f ranchisees. Many of them already have achieved this and it brings me joy to see f ranchisees of systems I have worked with thrive. As more of their orchards become lush and vibrant, it’s reflected in the state of our economy. My hope is for anyone who dreams the dream of business ownership will be able to achieve it, some of them through franchising. FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO
You’re known as someone who brings an artist's eye to your clients’ work. Why? A: I love creating beautiful things and I was always a huge proponent of great photos. If I had a choice of a 500-word story with no photo or a fabulous photo with a 50 word caption I’ll take the latter. I want a picture to tell the story instantaneously. When we started working with a little place called Juice Club back in the early 90’s it was a real challenge. Reporters laughed “who would buy juice in a store when they can get a whole carton in a supermarket?” The founders were 2 guys making juice in San Luis Obispo and we got them on the front page of the LA Times business section juggling fruit because they had financed their business on their credit cards. They ended up getting a $249 million infusion of cash from Starbucks and became Jamba Juice! We are visual beings and when you encapsulate a story within even one fabulous frame, you can tell the whole story. In that moment magic happens.
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www.sandersonpr.com
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EXPERT ADVICE
What Are You Afraid Of? by Faizun Kamal, Consultant, The Franchise Consulting Company
Maya Angelou once said, “Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space. Invite one to stay.” If only it were that easy. Hope and fear are actually two sides of the same coin. If you have ever started a new job, had a new baby, decided to get married, gotten a driver’s license, or had a new experience, you have probably felt fear. It is a universal emotion. The good
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news is that fear is not always a bad thing. In fact, it can be a great thing – as long as it is channeled the right way. You are reading this book because you are contemplating buying into a franchise. If the fear you feel is a red flag that prevents you from jumping headfirst into a venture without doing your due diligence, then this fear is good and empowering. It cautions you to minimize your
MARCH 2020 | WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM
risk and protects you from rash decisions. On the other hand, fear can also be a debilitating feeling that stops you in your tracks before you’ve even given yourself the chance to explore something new. Sometimes, a new opportunity can be the chance of a lifetime. This kind of fear is self-destructive and dis-empowering. It can lead us to things that are not good for us – like staying in a toxic work environment because the fear of the unknown is too overwhelming. Does the thought of starting a franchise, breaking with your career, charting an unknown path scare you? Good! It simply means you are human. As fear rises, take a deep belly breath and go inwards. Ask yourself: Why? What about this scares me? Am I acting too quickly? Am I scared of failing? Am I scared of being successful? What will success mean? Am I scared because I might lose friends and family?” Helping clients manage their fears – and use them to their advantage – is a key part of the value I bring to my clients as their franchise coach. The coach you work with should do the same for you. When Peggy came to me, she had been a stay-at-home mom to two preteens for several years. When she and her husband moved to the
HELPING CLIENTS MANAGE THEIR FEARS — AND USE THEM TO THEIR ADVANTAGE — IS A KEY PART OF THE VALUE I BRING TO MY CLIENTS AS THEIR FRANCHISE COACH. THE COACH YOU WORK WITH SHOULD DO THE SAME FOR YOU. United States from Latin America, they had made the decision for her to take care of the children. Her husband traveled constantly for his work and was almost never around, making it even more imperative for her to take on the role of primary caretaker. Before she moved to the U.S., Peggy was the Director of Human Resources at one of the top accounting firms in the world. She had led large teams
of people, managed strategic initiatives, and led growth for her company. When she began working with me, she had gotten deeply frustrated by the lack of corporate opportunities that fit where she was in her life. She had started wondering if a franchise was the best option for her and her family. Over the course of the next couple of months, I worked with her to evaluate various franchise brands. She had a
lot of fears around losing the investment, not being able to grow the business, and not being able to be successful as an entrepreneur. Many of her fears were not rooted in reality. She began to understand that most of her fears were addressed and eliminated by doing thorough due diligence to understand the business inside and out. Peggy is now the successful owner of a franchise that provides staffing services to mid- and large-sized companies. And those fears that reared their ugly heads? They are nowhere to be seen! My advice? Welcome the good fear. Rational fear can propel you to do thorough research, ask better questions, and make informed decisions. So who knows? Maybe fear and hope can occupy the same space. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Faizun Kamal is a renowned franchise coach and author of the best-selling book The Right Franchise for You: Escape the 9 to 5, Generate Wealth, & Live Life on Your Terms. Let her guide you through her proven process of researching and buying your future franchise. Don’t wait! Get started on a path to a fulfilling and lucrative career as a franchise owner. Create your life of profit, purpose, and passion! info@thefranchiseconsultingcompany. com.
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INTERVIEW
Q & A with
Beth Nilssen:
BETH NILSSEN, joined the Great Clips franchise development department in 2007. She has been the Director of Franchise Development at Great Clips since 2013. She is the first female to have this role and is currently the youngest director at Great Clips. Nilssen has helped grow Great Clips to nearly 4500 salons in the US and Canada. Standing a striking 6’2” tall, she has been recognized as one of the brightest rising stars in franchising. When asked, her peers rarely comment on her multiple professional achievements, instead comment on what a genuine person she is and how willing she is to help lift others within the franchising community. Q: How did you get started in Franchising? A: I attended Calvin University and received a degree in Communications with a
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double specialization in theatre and Mass Media. I quickly realized that being a reporter was not my calling in life and decided to work retail while I reconsidered my options. Franchising entered my life when a friend connected me with Rob Goggins, now the current President of Great Clips. I was very clear with Rob that I didn’t know anything about franchising, however Rob assured me that I had the intangibles to be successful and he could teach me what I didn’t know about franchising. Q: What do you love about Great Clips? A: Great Clips has an extremely humble culture. You would never know they are one of the most respected and largest franchise brands on the planet. Their number one value is to be kind and Great Clips employees live that value daily. I love that women are valued as true contributors and thought leaders from the top of the executive team all the way to the front line of stylists. At Great Clips, I feel empowered as a woman. I also feel that Great Clips is extremely forward thinking. Even though they are #1 in their space, we are still trying to look to the future to see how we can use technology to enhance our customers experience while never losing that personal touch.
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Q: Why do you love Franchising? A: The beautiful thing about doing business ownership through a franchise system is that you're buying into a system and an established process and established brand. A person may have an incredibly strong skill set in finance, in accounting, but might not know anything about marketing or real estate. When you're using a proven franchise system, they have that system and process in place, so that it fills in the gaps for individuals in areas that they might not be as strong. Q: Great Clips is the largest, fastest growing hair salon brand in the world, do you believe being transparent regarding what it takes to be successful has attributed to this growth? A: Absolutely. Transparency is such a key thing in people's investigations of anything right now, whether that is a franchise system or a bottle of shampoo. Consumers demand transparency and will be vocal about their experiences to a world who is willing to listen So, if you're selling them something and they get into it and it's not the right fit, what good is it doing anyone? It's going to hurt your brand down the line because they're going to have to exit the system. They're going to
I LOVE THAT WOMEN ARE VALUED AS TRUE CONTRIBUTORS AND THOUGHT LEADERS FROM THE TOP OF THE EXECUTIVE TEAM ALL THE WAY TO THE FRONT LINE OF STYLISTS. be bad operators and they're going to be diluting the power of your brand long term. Be transparent, be upfront, be real. Tell people what they're getting into, and while you might not make the sale right now, you're saving yourself a whole lot of trouble later.
engagement that must be there. Unfortunately, from a sales point of view, it's easy to sell people on the idea of, " you can have your cake and eat it too," and ultimately, that’s what you are saying when you use the term “semi-absentee model”.
Q: Is that why Great Clips stopped using the term semi-absentee? A: People hear “absentee” and immediately think it's an investment. They can just throw money at it and let their manager do all the work for them, and that's not how you're going to be successful in any business. Great Clips know that you must be invested and engaged in the business for it to be successful. So, instead of “semiabsentee”, we use the term “manager run”. That's very intentionally done to ensure that people understand that level of involvement and
Q: How does Great Clips give back to the community? A: Giving back is a huge part of the Great Clips culture. All our franchisees are independent business owners in their own communities, so they're very focused on giving back within that community. That could be something as simple as cleaning up a local park all the way to raising funds for cancer research or even being involved in the local children's hospitals. We do have a nationwide program called Clips of Kindness, and that's something that's near and dear to our hearts because we want to make life
a little bit better for people who are suffering from hair loss due to cancer treatments. Q: Any favorite memories or experiences of the industry in general? A: Well, I would be remiss not to mention that it’s thanks to franchising that I find myself with my husband, Ralph Nilssen. We actually met at a franchise conference, and after dating long distance for nearly two years, were married in 2019! Our franchising friends were disappointed we didn’t have the wedding at another conference, but we kept it simple, so no conference wedding for us. Plus I can just imagine what would happen if our 6-year-old daughter met our franchise broker extended family- she’d be recruited into franchise sales immediately! TO LEARN MORE GO TO www.GreatClips.com
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BUSINESS
8 REASONS
Women Make Great Franchise Business Owners by Ann Kohler, Consultant, The Franchise Consulting Company
priorities and do a number of tasks simultaneously. Wife, mother, daughter, caregiver, chef, family scheduling manager, we are accustomed to having a full plate and getting all of our tasks accomplished on time!
Today women own or coown 35% of all U.S. franchises, up from 24% but a decade ago. Women find franchise ownership attractive as it offers them schedule flexibility (important for those serving as primary caregivers to either children or elders), strong franchisor operational support, a built-in support system of their fellow franchisees and the ability to more quickly ramp a business than if they were to start their company from scratch. 1. We’re great multi-taskers. There isn’t a business that doesn’t require the owner to multi-task! Likely due to the fact that we wear multiple hats daily, we have a great ability to maintain multiple
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SO WHAT MAKES WOMEN SUCH GREAT FRANCHISE BUSINESS OWNERS? 2. We’re naturals at listening and collaborating with others. In general, we’re comfortable reaching out to others to get input. While we may not always take the advice, we appreciate and value the input. And listening to different points of view often leads to a better decision. 3. We’re tighter with the purse strings. Probably due to the fact that many are CFOs of their households, women are infamous for starting businesses with less capital and using capital more wisely than their male counterparts. Women are also more likely to reinvest profits back into their
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business so as to generate steadier, profitable growth with an eye towards the longevity of their business. 4. We think outside the box. Women are typically more creative and more in touch with our creative side than men. The ability to think outside the box is an extremely valuable trait for a small business owner whether developing a new marketing strategy or keeping an eye on capital as you grow and expand your business. 5. We’re calculated risk takers. Women typically are less prone to quick decision making versus our male counterparts. And we tend to be more realistic about the risks to our businesses. In business, our natural tendencies to “second guess” ourselves and reach out to others team members or advisors when making a major decision can often lead to better outcomes. According to the Centre of Entrepreneurship, 87% of women see themselves
THE ABILITY TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX IS AN EXTREMELY VALUABLE TRAIT FOR A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WHETHER DEVELOPING A NEW MARKETING STRATEGY OR KEEPING AN EYE ON CAPITAL AS YOU GROW AND EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS. as financial risk takers versus 73% of men while 80% of women say they are likely to see opportunity in a situation where others see risk compared to 67% of men.
business with others without worrying that doing so will make them “look bad.” This ability to openly discuss their concerns and challenges can only result in better business decisions.
6. We’re used to facing barriers. While women have come a long way in the business world, we still face barriers and these can include subtle or not so subtle prejudices by others. While this can be very annoying, we typically overcompensate for such prejudices by working harder and proving our critics wrong, and assisting us in building strong businesses.
8. We’re increasingly better educated. Yes, 72% of women business owners have a higher degree versus 64% of male-owned small businesses. This dovetails with graduation statistics: women account for more than 56% of college students nationwide and account for 53% of doctoral degrees.
7. We’re less ego-driven. Women are often more open to discussing issues about their
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ann Kohler is a Consultant at The Franchise Consulting Company ann@thefranchiseconsultingcompany.com 914-346-7414
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To get more info on this eco opportunity, contact: 855-424-8683 or franchiseinformation@ecomaids.com
INTERVIEW
Fantastic Female Financiers With Sherri Seiber; FranFund We sat with the founder, matriarch and COO of FranFund; Sherri Seiber at The Great American Franchise Expo to talk about how she has successfully juggled raising a family, grown a thriving business and mentored so many young women over her amazing career.
Franchising generally is a family business. While some are publicly traded companies that span the globe, the vast majority of franchisors and franchisees are families working together for a brighter future. Many of these hope to one day bring the next generation into the family business. FranFund embodies that ethos with a twist. While FranFund is one of the largest franchise funding providers in the world; the founders, Geoff and Sherri Seiber are the heart & soul of the organization and their son, Tim is the next generation who is rapidly making a name for himself as one of franchising’s brightest stars.
Q: While there is always risk in starting a business and investing your savings into an enterprise but “when you are looking at the CEO every morning in the mirror, you know who’s accountable for the success or failure of the business”. A: My early career in telecommunications gave me the opportunity to visit and work in 25 different countries. I had responsibility for being on the start-up team of factories in India, Mexico and south China. At one point I had a sales team based in seven different countries. I spent a significant amount of time in China and though they are a communist country, their people are truly capitalist and entrepreneurial. As a buyer of mobile phone components, I
have met and dined with some of the most important CEOs in Japan and entrepreneurs that started their company in a garage and grew it to supply a global company. I enjoyed mentoring (and coaching) both men and women climbing the corporate ladder. There is a common factor among the most successful people, and I call it simply the “want to” factor. Those with an entrepreneurial spirit will find a way to be successful regardless of roadblocks or setbacks. At FranFund, we have the unique opportunity to work with aspiring entrepreneurs from all walks of life. I learned long ago that you are unable to stereotype the perfect entrepreneur. There are corporate refugees that finally decided they wanted to reap the benefits of their own future success. There are women whose children have grown up and are looking for a challenge. There are young, eager and motivated folks that refuse to put in the effort to grow someone else’s company, that want to start their own business. There are empire builders and passive
"THOSE WITH AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT WILL FIND A WAY TO BE SUCCESSFUL REGARDLESS OF ROADBLOCKS OR SETBACKS." 42
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investors and countless more types. We enjoy working with each and every one of these people. I am always so proud to hear of their success. Since we started FranFund, and created a portfolio of funding solutions targeted primarily towards potential franchisees, we have literally funded thousands of businesses, which have then created thousands of jobs in every segment. My husband of 37 years, and CEO of FranFund has been in franchising his entire career. He joined Domino’s Pizza when there were 300 units worldwide, and was on a team that grew that number of 3,000 in 3 years. Today Domino’s has 16,000. Geoff Seiber is the epitome of an entrepreneur. He worked in a few franchise systems before deciding to work with aspiring business owners to guide them to the right franchise. During that experience, it
soon became obvious that the next step in helping someone find the right business, was to provide a way to get that business funded! Working with your spouse can be a challenge, but one that can be overcome. Here are a few secrets. First, create clear roles and responsibilities to reduce overlap. Second, we have a pact that all business discussion once we arrive home in the evening stops before dinner. And third (and this one was a bit hard for me) ultimately, there must be one person with final say, and that is the CEO. My explanation for this is that “anything with more than one head is a freak”. Our son Tim worked with Coleman Publishing, a company that focuses on small business lending, for almost 4 years prior to joining FranFund. He has literally rotated through all departments of our growing company. He was very determined to earn his
position, and we are proud that he has done so. He has created the Franchisor Relations department of FranFund. Understanding the franchise systems that we work with is invaluable in the process of guiding candidates through the best funding solutions for that brand. As a family, we are thankful for the franchise industry. The old cliche that with franchising, you are in business for yourself, but not by yourself is a fact. Franchise industry growth is outpacing the U.S. economy and the innovation and opportunity that is offers to aspiring business owners is endless. We are excited about the future industry growth and will continue to support franchising by offering funding solutions for a long time to come. FOR MORE INFORMATION To learn more go to www.FranFund.com
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MEET FRANFUND
at All The Great American Franchise Expos in 2020! For FREE Tickets go to: www.franexpousa.com
FAMILY OF BRANDS
Success Runs in the Family
1956
is probably past the memory of many of our readers but it was an important groundbreaking year in many aspects that still touch our lives today.
• Dwight D Eisenhower
was President of the United States • Jonas Salk invented the Polio Vaccine • The first transatlantic telephone cable went into operation. The Interstate highway system was authorized, helping to fuel a long-term trend toward the populating of suburban communities. The first Mr. Transmission was opened. In 1990 Dennis Moran launched Moran Industries, expanding the concept of Mr. Transmission and acquiring other brands. Moran was
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started on the premise that American’s depend on their vehicles and therefore they can depend on Moran, to provide customers with honest and trustworthy service and a transparent and fair price. Dennis Moran was an entrepreneur who developed ideas he turned into businesses. His passion was to help others achieve the American dream and the lessons he learned are being expanded by his daughter. Barbara Moran-Goodrich is now the CEO of the company and is universally regarded as one of the trailblazers in the American automotive after-market repair industry. She carries on the family legacy whose foundation is a familial relationship with the franchisees in the belief that their success is the success of the franchisees. The essence of their core values can be summed up in the word D.R.I.V.E. which stands for Dedication Respect Integrity Vision and Enthusiasm. Under Barb’s leadership, Moran Industries have revolutionized automotive care. Being innovators in their field they’ve brought consistency to the automotive aftermarket by offering specialty chains in every segment of that market. They are one of the founders of cobranding franchise systems together. They have expanded
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beyond the automotive aftermarket into the home improvement market. Their brands are well known across the USA with Mr. Transmission, Milex Complete Auto Care, Alta Mere, Smart View Window Solutions, Multistate Transmissions and Dr. Nick’s Transmissions. Barb’s passion for automobiles began at 2 years old while playing in a jalopy her dad made. She grew up working in his shops and as the youngest daughter, it was never expected that she would run the company. Through her hard work and dedication to her father’s legacy, she earned the respect of the home team and the franchisees. Somewhere along the way, she found her dream, like her fathers, was helping others achieve their dreams. Barb’s vision and strategy is to offer a sophisticated business management, sales and customer support system to their franchisees in order to provide their franchisees with the support and tools they need to reach their full potential. In 2010 Barb bought the business from her father and in 2012, Moran Industries became Moran Family of Brands to better reflect the multiple brands and services that the company offers and the commitment to building a family environment for franchisees.
Today, Moran Family of Brands continues to evolve to meet customer demand, market conditions and revenue opportunities with innovation, ingenuity and collaboration. The Moran Family of Brands is an organization offering automotive franchise opportunities perfectly
positioned for long-term, sustainable growth. By creating deep relationships with their profitable franchisees and serving their thousands of customers, Barb continues to grow the business to a scale her father would be proud of. Their Mission is “Creating Customer Experiences that Result in
Satisfaction and Loyalty” and that is a legacy Barb Moran does day in and day out. FOR MORE INFORMATION To learn more about Moran Family of Brands, reach out to Ben Reist, VP of Development breist@ moranindustries.com or go to https:// moranfamilyofbrands.com/
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EXPERT ADVICE
What do Women Want in Franchising? by Marilyn Imparato, Consultant, The Franchise Consulting Company What do women want in Franchising? Intriguing question, isn’t it? I think you will be very surprised to hear the answer to this. Believe it or not, there is not one single sector or industry that stands out. The reason for this is quite simplistic – every woman comes from a different socio-economic background, educational background, different profession, different passions and different goals for their personal and professional lives. Over the course of the last six and a half years I have helped women secure franchises in the fitness industry, technology industry, healthcare industry, manufacturing industry, education sector, home improvement industry, real estate industry and many other industries as well. What this has illustrated to me over the years is to ensure that I treat every single individual as just that, an individual, whether it is a male or female, couple, partners or family business venture. A key component to the future success in any business venture is to meet the individual’s priorities first and foremost. It is not just about how much money someone is going to make out of the Franchise. I’m not saying that
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profitability doesn’t matter, it’s just not always the biggest driving force in determining the best franchise for an individual. Consider this question… Would you rather make a lot of money and not enjoy what you do or would you rather follow your passions and motivations over lots of money? Difficult question to answer, isn’t it? The great thing is you really do not have to give up one over the other, you just need to find an optimal, realistic balance between passions and profits. I am a firm believer that passions will drive profits,
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no matter what the business is! It may take you longer but the drive, determination, and positive energy will propel the profits far greater in the long run than running a business that you are not passionate about. One exception here, if you are well capitalized with the capability to hire an entire staff to run your entire operations, then profits over passion may be the route you choose. As long as the business makes sense for you to run either semi-absentee
or absentee and you can truly and honestly live with the lack of passion about the business, then this may be a viable option for you. I personally have found this route for my Candidates to be an exception, not the norm. Women across the board that pursue franchising tend to have a very solid foundation of knowing who they are and what they want to pursue. They are keenly aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and although they may need assistance to hone in on the industry, model, or culture of the right franchise, they typically know what they want to do on a day to day operational basis and what areas they will need assistance
can provide that support in those areas. The Top Women in franchising are also exceptional at asking for assistance, getting feedback and finding resources to help in their decision-making analysis to secure the right franchise for their needs. Every woman I have worked with has been a powerhouse, exceptional individual that came from every walk of life but had one common thread – the burning desire to create their own professional and financial destiny ahead, with the support of a great Franchisor Partner. I truly believe all the women I have worked with over the years are exceptional, heroic, talented and gifted in their own unique and special way. So what do Women want in franchising? From my perspective and what I have witnessed over the years is the following. Women want to create their own destiny, whether it is for humanitarian reasons, financial reasons, legacy reasons, or a combination of all of the above or other driving forces. Above all they want to make a difference in people’s lives and in turn, their own lives as well.
I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT PASSIONS WILL DRIVE PROFITS, NO MATTER WHAT THE BUSINESS IS!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
with from the Franchisor. For instance, if a woman is strong in human capital training, development and mentorship of others, she will also know she is not strong in technology or financial aspects in business and will need a model that
Marilyn R Imparato, Senior Consultant with The Franchise Consulting Company is a former C-Level Executive in the Technology Industry and MBA Graduate that has been an Executive in the Franchising Industry for over 15 years. Marilyn is passionate and dedicated to assisting potential Franchise Owners navigate through the entire process from beginning to completion.
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INTERVIEW
Fantastic Female Financiers With Allison Zorich; Guidant Financial Guidant Financial understands funding a small business requires a partnership between lender and borrower. Many lenders require six months to a year of revenue history in order to fund a business. Their products and solutions have helped launch over 20,000 small businesses. Allison Zorich who spearheads Guidant’s efforts, is known as one of the youngest and most innovative thought leaders in small business financing. She specializes in franchise funding and sits on multiple panels at industry events. She is an omnipresent figure in franchising and few people have not interacted with her. She coaches and mentors franchisees and franchisors as well as a multitude of female executives. Many of the great success stories in franchising have begun with a conversation with someone on Allison’s team when they ask “how can I fund this”. We had the opportunity to sit down with Allison recently at the IFA conference in Orlando to learn more about her background and vision for franchising! Q: Tell us about your role at Guidant and how long you’ve been there. A: I am the Director of Business Development at Guidant Financial and have been with
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the company since 2013. I lead the team that works with all our franchisor partners, franchise consultants, business brokers, lenders, financial advisors and CPA’s. My focus is to know what the franchise industry needs and provide solutions to support the growth through financing. We provide first-class service and results to all the verticals within the franchising industry. Q: What excites you right now about entrepreneurship in the USA? A: What excites me most about entrepreneurship in the USA is watching people follow their dreams first hand because of the work we do at Guidant Financial, we get to see how we are helping to change people’s lives. They are creating their own destiny, contributing to our economy and putting the power of their success in their own hands. Q: What are you looking forward to in 2020 and beyond? A: I look forward to 2020 being a year of growth, not only from a revenue standpoint but also from a technology standpoint. Guidant Financial has the capability to provide some of the best technology and support to our partners and we are just starting to see the reward from the launch of those efforts. Beyond 2020?
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"WHAT EXCITES ME MOST ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE USA IS WATCHING PEOPLE FOLLOW THEIR DREAMS FIRST HAND BECAUSE OF THE WORK WE DO AT GUIDANT FINANCIAL, WE GET TO SEE HOW WE ARE HELPING TO CHANGE PEOPLE’S LIVES."
I don’t slow down enough to think that far in advance, one day at a time. In all seriousness, we need to make access to capital easier for entrepreneurs. Q: What’s the best thing that happened to you since you started working for Guidant? A: One of the best things that has happened to me since I started working for Guidant is that I really found my place, my home, my calling. Not only is Guidant the largest ROBS provider in the industry, but the people and culture are best in class. I am passionate about being a part of our partners’ growth, empowering my team, and supporting the dreamers. Q: Where did you grow up? A: I was born and raised in Seattle, truly one of the most beautiful, although expensive, places to live. We get to experience so much living here. Our City is known for music, art & culture; our love of the outdoors with our lakes and mountains, as well as the incredible food, nightlife, and sporting events. Q: What do you do for fun? A: Fun is such an important part of my life and being. I love to spend time with my husband, 3 kids and friends boating on Lake Washington during the Summer months, catching a long weekend at our Summer house in Eastern Washington along the Columbia River, watching my kids play sports, or traveling where I can wake up every morning, lace-up and run outside under the sun.
Q: What do you love about franchising? A: What I love about franchising is that I have made some life-long f riends because of this industry. The term “franchise family” is used a lot by so many of us because we spend so much time together that we are a second family. The industry is endless with opportunity for business owners, consumers and professionals. Q: Is there a charitable cause you support? A: There are 2 that are near and dear to my heart. The first is Compassion International which is a childadvocacy ministry pairing compassionate people with children living in extreme poverty to release the children from spiritual, economic, social, and physical poverty. For years we have sponsored a little girl in Guatemala and a little boy in Uganda. The second is Vision House. Vision
House helps break the cycle of homelessness for families with children. Race doesn’t matter. Neither does religion, national origin, gender, or sexual preference . . . every person deserves a healthy home. It’s not a privilege but a basic human right. Q: What’s the most important thing I should know about you? A: One of the most important things about me is that I am loyal and real (sometimes to a fault). You will never have to question how I feel or what’s on my mind. I would give the “shirt off my back” to anyone that needed it. Generosity is part of my being. It is so much better to give than to receive. Live in the moment and be present. CONTACT ALLISON To reach out to Allison to learn more about Guidant’s financing programs reach out to her allison.zorich@ guidantfinancial.com or go to www. guidantfinancial.com. WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM | MARCH 2020
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OPPORTUNITY
Business Ownership is
Your Little Black Dress— Never Goes Out of Style by Telanda Sidari, Consultant, The Franchise Consulting Company From owning a franchise to working with clients who wish to do the same, I have personally experienced and discussed the mindset women walk through when researching business options. However, regardless of gender the core reasons seem to be the same - freedom. What we perceive freedom to be, how we will achieve it and any personal growth needed to achieve it. Over the years as I have seen fellow franchisees or clients wishing to find a concept - more women are taking a seat at the table. This has been refreshing to witness and through my role as a consultant, to encourage. I have worked with women - married or single - who want something different & see themselves in the role of business ownership as they shift the power of their direction & focus. For many, this is an idea that is becoming more comfortable to think about as a reality. According to the Franchise
“TODAY, WOMEN OWN 42% OF ALL BUSINESSES” — Wall Street Journal
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Business Review research firm - as of May 2019, women own or co-own 35% of the franchise outlets in the U.S.—which is around 265,000 total. That represents outlet growth of 24% from a decade earlier, and in the two years ended in May, 41% of new franchise outlets opened have been owned or co-owned by women. PERCEPTION IS REALITY Recently I read something that struck me strange yet rang very true for the portion I could personally validate Women feel that they have to know 80% to at least try; Men feel they should know at least 20% to try. We could run with this in more than 20+ different directions for this varying perception of our abilities but to stay focused, let’s walk down the path of women and franchising. There are systems, processes and procedures in place that allow more security at the beginning of starting a business. Juggling multiple areas of life: work, family, marriages, aging parents finding something that we have more control over helps obtain the goal of freedom. Businesses with more levers to pull to & support systems to have a higher rate of success. Transferable skill sets are
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learned in many different aspects of our lives, and mental toughness, making effective decisions are certainly at the top of the list. The IFA reports that women now own almost 30% of franchise locations and that is still under-stated as it doesn’t include women/men partnerships! “Our focus is to honor the vision as a whole, building & elevating brands. I see women, once empowered by business ownership, keep empowering more women and to see that full circle is exciting to be a part of.”, Ashly Loza, Executive Director of Operations at FranDevCo INFLUENCE TRICKLES DOWN Where does most of our growth occur? Outside our comfort zones….easier said than done. Yet we are seeing this push occur daily, becoming more of our normalized way of perceiving how to get things done & tackle new projects - JLo; Margaret Thatcher; Jennifer Aniston; Michele Obama; Sara Blakely; Star Parker; Ann Coulter; Annie Lebowitz; Kamala Harris - trail blazers are among us in many different industries. The
LET’S KEEP REACHING NEW HEIGHTS, ENCOURAGING EACH OTHER TO DO GOOD IN THE WORLD & SET OUR OWN BAR OF STANDARDS.
trickle effect into business is that as more women are in C-Level positions we are finding that women can identify a mentor or an ideal of where they would like to see their potential. Operating a business for themselves is becoming one of them. The continued cycle empowers more women to feel capable & empowered! Carey Gille, Co-Founder and President of Franchise FastLane, explains how much she values the role of women in franchising. “In the tech-world, I was often
the lone female voice at the conference table. The fact that I now get to work along-side some of the most impressive women brand founders, women consultants, women developers, and women finance partners is such a privilege. The notable role of women in this industry is a big part of why I so love what I do today.” PUTTING IT ALL INTO PLACE What does thriving mean to women now? This has changed & grown as our generations find
empowerment & rewrite the rules. As we learn from past generations we are finding what we want - our voice. With this voice we can make a difference and that starts within our own lives. Finding that gut check of why! Make sure your why is strong enough, internalized enough and you truly operate from this position. Our strength comes from our confidence & believing in ourselves is gut check #1. Finding a business that resonates with you, one you believe will work is a gut check I do with clients to make sure they’re focusing on the right aspects of the business. “Opening my own business has been the most exciting yet terrifying experience of my life. Even during stressful times, I am amazed by the growing number of people who support me and share my vision. This synergy gives me the confidence and drive to keep going. I am confident that our hard work will bring abundant blessings to me, my team and my members.” - Laura Richie, Owner Yoga6 Knoxville, TN Let’s keep reaching new heights, encouraging each other to do good in the world & set our own bar of standards. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Telanda has 10+ years in franchising and 24 years of business experience. Prior to being a consultant she coowned two franchise concepts along with starting her own photography studio. Her experience of having been in her clients shoes allows her to approach their best interests first. You can reach her by email at: info@ thefranchiseconsultingcompany.com
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Congratulations
CATHERINE MONSON
ON BEING NAMED CHAIR OF THE IFA 2020
The
WOMEN
of FRANCHISING Women Have Been an Integral Part of the Fabric of Our Country and in Building Franchising Around the World.
This Section Highlights the Extraordinary Women Who Make a Difference Every Day in the World.
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RH O N DA S ANDE R SO N
CA R EY GILLE
Founder, CEO
President
Sanderson & Associates
Franchise Fastlane
Sanderson & Associates, Ltd. was founded in 1984 by Rhonda Sanderson. Since then Sanderson and her staff have been fulfilling the publicity needs of franchise systems nationwide and introducing new products for companies that wish to develop a national profile. Specializing in both consumer and business-to-business publicity, Sanderson & Associates has represented hundreds wellknown national companies. "Every company has a story to tell and it's our job to tell it the right way and to the right audience to get the desired results for the franchisor and the franchisee," Sanderson said. "Usually that means customers in the doors and calls from prospective franchisees who are interested in a franchise of their own."
Carey is a serial entrepreneur having cofounded four different start-ups throughout her career. She also brings extensive franchise experience having franchised with two different concepts on the “zee” side while also leading franchise development for multiple brands on the “zor” side. She co-founded ItsDeductible, which was later acquired by Intuit and is still utilized by TurboTax users today. Ryan and Carey worked together to award over 240 Complete Nutrition locations in less than 18 months generating over ten times the unit sales goal and gaining the recognition of Entrepreneur Magazine as “Number Two Top New Franchise.” Shortly thereafter, they partnered to found Franchise FastLane. Carey is married and keeps up with three active boys. She loves family time and is passionate about leading FastLane. Outside of that, she loves to read, write and run!
www.sandersonpr.com
FranchiseFastlane.com
MARCH 2020 | WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM
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J ENN I FE R CAI N VP of Franchise Development Franchise Fastlane Jennifer Cain is the former Chief Executive Officer of Omaha, Nebraska based Eat Fit Go Healthy Foods. Hired as the COO, Jen developed the company culture as well as the corporate and franchise operational systems. As the appointed CEO Jen led the strategic planning and guided a team of 200 employees through rapid growth of 33 locations and four large commissary kitchens in less than three years. Eat Fit Go grew into eight states and generated $14 million in revenue in its first full year of operations and continues to be one of the leaders in the healthy, convenient food category. Raised in an entrepreneurial and hard working Midwest family, Jen Cain graduated from the University of Nebraska-Omaha with a B.S. in Business Administration. After graduation, Jen launched her career as the Director of Training & Operations for the Oklahoma based group Hal Smith Restaurants (HSR). At HSR Jen was responsible for overseeing development, customer service, strategy and training for all HSR employees and managers in seven different restaurant concepts and 27 locations.
FranchiseFastlane.com
B RI T TA NY BODE Director of Franchise Development Franchise Fastlane Brittany Bode began her career in franchising in the restaurant sector, where she helped develop and open a location for a growing franchise concept. From there she was recruited by ThyssenKrupp, the leader in elevators, for outside sales and account management. After gaining vital sales experience as a sales account manager, she found an opportunity that would combine her love for sales and her passion for franchising in Franchise Development. Brittany spent three and a half years with Jan-Pro, a commercial cleaning franchise, helping people realize their dreams of business ownership. Today Brittany is the Director of Franchise Development at Franchise FastLane and the Brand Manager for Frenchies Modern Nail Care. Brittany is passionate about franchising and has continued her education in the franchise industry, by becoming a Certified Franchise Executive. Brittany holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication from Coastal Carolina University. She currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband Robby.
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CAT H E R I N E MONS O N
PAU L A PIZ A RRO
CEO
VP & Franchise Development
Fast Signs
PrideStaff
Catherine became CEO of FASTSIGNS International, Inc. in 2009, bringing over 25 years of franchising and management experience. In 2012, Catherine appeared on the Emmy Awardwinning series Undercover Boss to learn new ways to advance the FASTSIGNS® brand. Under Monson's leadership, FASTSIGNS International, Inc. received the 2016 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest recognition presented by the Department of Defense to employers for their exemplary support of National Guard and Reserve members. In 2017, Monson received the Distinguished Women Award presented by Northwood University in Midland, Michigan. In 2018, she was honored by the Sales and Marketing Executives International (SMEI) with their Ambassador of Free Enterprise Award. Catherine has served on the Board of Directors of the IFA since 2008 and is currently Vice Chair and became Chairwoman in February 2020. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Directors of Brain Balance and on the Board of Directors of the franchisor Big Blue Swim School.
Paula is the epitome of Class, Elegance and Intelligence in the Franchising Industry. Her inner strength, her vast industry knowledge and her beauty both inside and out make her a fantastic role model for any woman, young or old who aspire to be in the Franchising Industry. Paula brings 35+ years’ of experience in the field of staffing to PrideStaff. She began her career in the “trenches”, interviewing candidates and selling to clients, before moving up the corporate ladder. Franchise Development quickly became her passion and has been so for over 25 years. She is an expert at creating and implementing processes that her franchise candidates find to be informative and helpful. Her goal is to continue helping people achieve their dreams by owning their own business, for many years to come. Loves: Helping franchisees grow and prosper, making a difference in people’s lives, Auburn football (War Eagle!).
www.fastsigns.com
www.pridestaff.com
MARCH 2020 | WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM
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SH E L L I PAWSO N
T RI C I A PE T T EYS
Chief Hunter
COO
Mosquito Hunters
Payroll Vault
Mosquito Hunters Chesterfield, VA is owned and operated by Shelli Pawson. Shelli, who has lived in the Richmond area her whole life, decided years ago to leave the corporate world to raise her children. With a degree in finance and an MBA, she knew what it took to run a company and with her children grown, felt she was ready to start her own business. Some of her family’s best memories were made in their backyard and the idea of helping others create those memories without fear of mosquitoes crashing the party inspired her to start her Mosquito Hunters franchise. Shelli’s new business has been well received in the Richmond market and both her customer base and team of technicians continue to grow. Her dream of creating a business that her family and children could take part in has become a reality. “I love being active in a community that means so much to me, creating opportunities for others and having a business that can truly make a difference” Pawson said.
Since Payroll Vault's inception, Tricia has been an integral part of driving Payroll Vault to success. Employing a diverse leadership style, she manages the corporate owned Payroll Vault office, is director of the home office, supports franchisees and as co-founder continues to ensure that the culture and management are in alignment. Tricia is effective in implementing the CEO vision by ensuring the most productive strategies are in place and accomplished through clear communications. Tricia has led the implementation of Traction, a well-known entrepreneurial operating system (EOS), in both the local corporate owned office and in the franchising home office.
mosquitohunters.com/chesterf ieldwest-va/
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L AUR E N HAR R I S
EVE LYN YA LU N G
Chief Hunter
Community Relations Director
Mosquito Hunters
Options Corp for Senior America
Mosquito Hunters of Corpus Christi is owned and operated by Lauren Harris. With family roots in the Texas area, she graduated from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, TX in 2005 where she was a four-year letter winner and All-American guard for the HSU Cowgirls. After college, her career as a collegiate strength and conditioning coach brought her to several states. After bouncing around the U.S., Lauren wanted to choose the community where she could enjoy her work and personal life. She decided to move back to Corpus Christi, Texas after she fell in love with the outdoor lifestyle and beach culture that the area has to offer. She plays the guitar, runs marathons, enjoys powerlifting and loves new challenges. She decided to bet on herself as a business owner and has since taken off. Her drive and entrepreneurial spirit is an inspiration to women everywhere.
Evelyn Yalung, the owner of Options Greensboro, felt a calling to do something with her life that made a true difference and impact in the lives of seniors after a life changing event with her grandmother. She has been leading the Greensboro territory since 2009 from her Burlington office after over 31 years of Corporate experience in the health care and technology industries. She leads with her heart to provide the compassion and care that clients need. Her franchise has received the Best of Home Care national award putting her at the top 2% of senior providers in North America.
mosquitohunters.com/corpus-christi-tx/
optionscorp.com/location/Burlington-NC
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SHERRI SEI BE R
M EG RO B E RTS
Chief Operating Officer
CEO & President
FranFund
Lash Lounge/ Franworth
Sherri has created a name in the typically male world of small business funding and is a force to be reckoned with. She has a commanding personality and, simultaneously, will be the most approachable person in any room you're in. She’s been a mentor to countless women in the franchise industry and is a trusted voice in the funding space. Her leadership has been instrumental in building a team of the strongest funding consultants in franchising who all, also, happen to be women. Sherri's presence in this community is a benefit for anyone who is serious about success in franchising.
www.f ranfund.com
Meg Roberts, is the President of The Lash Lounge, Operating Partner at Franworth and former President of Molly Maid. In late 2012, Meg was featured on an episode of the A&E series “Be the Boss” where two Molly Maid employees were given the opportunity to compete for a franchise. She was also recognized in the 2012 edition of the Crain’s Detroit Business 40 under 40 list. Meg is a consummate franchise professional aiding, leading supporting her employees, and franchisees. She is giving of her time and energy to the IFA, Women in Franchising and volunteering with non-profits all the while raising two teenage boys and their activities. Meg is always their to listen and support.
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KAT CO L E
JA N B A RN E T T
COO & President
Chief Marketing Officer
Focus Brands
Another Broken Egg
Kat Cole is a true success story. From the humble beginnings as a waitress at Hooter's to defying the odds and the stereotypes by becoming President of Cinnabon at the age of 32 years old. Then in 2017, she became the President and COO of one of the largest franchisors, FOCUS Brands' Global, Multi Channel division, which includes Auntie Anne's, Cinnabon, Moe's, Schlotzsky's, McAllister's, Kat was raised by a single mother of three and worked full time to help support her family. She was always determined to create a better life for herself and her family. She quickly learned how to leverage franchising and create a culture that built a successful brand and career. She is also giving of her time and leadership by serving on the Global Entrepreneurs Council and Young Global Forum.
Jan has 35 years in a tough, competitive and ever-changing category. Most recently, Jan served as Vice President of Marketing for The Egg & I Restaurants where she was instrumental in growing the brand from 30 restaurants to over 115 restaurants in less than 5 years. Prior to joining The Egg & I, Jan served as president of Integer QSR, the third largest fieldmarketing agency for McDonald’s in the U.S. Prior to joining Integer QSR, Jan was a partner and vice president for Foote, Cone & Belding where she worked on the Taco Bell account during the launch of its successful 59/79/99¢ value campaign and the rollout of its late night and 24-hour initiatives.
www.focusbrands.com
anotherbrokenegg.com
MARCH 2020 | WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM
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INEZ L AM PL EY
KA MI L L E M CCO L LU M
Founder and CEO
Co-Founder & President
Fresher
BODYBAR Pilates
Inez Lampley is a health enthusiast and the CEO, Founder of Fresher, LLC. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Spelman College with a B.A. degree in Economics and a minor in Spanish. After her matriculation, Inez worked on Wall Street in New York at Morgan Stanley and J.P. Morgan in the Investment Banking Division and Investment Management Division, respectively. As a passion project while working, Inez began a healthy food blog in New York, which sparked her passion for finding healthy food that had a high quality and a low price. After 5 years in New York, she returned to Atlanta and received her MBA at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. Inez received the 2018 Entrepreneurship Award for her graduating class and founded Fresher, LLC during school to bring health conscious food concepts in places that need them the most. Inez enjoys volunteering at Spelman College, exploring the world with her life partner and working out with her family. She resides in Atlanta with her husband, Tommy and son, Tyler.
Kamille McCollum is the owner and COO of BODYBAR Fitness Fort Worth, a pilates inspired fitness studio that is growing domestically and soon internationally. Kamille is a passionate believer in excellence in all things and helping other be the best version of themselves possible. She is not only an entrepreneur but a coach and mentor to many women. “I have done a variety of "jobs" but they all have one underlying theme; service, hard work, and education. Serving others by trying to push them to be the best version of themselves. Meeting individuals where they are at is how I try to help others.”
www.f resheratl.com
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ALLISON ZOR I C H
KAT I E BURCKHARDT
Director of Business Development
Senior Vice President of Sales
Guidant Financial
Guidant Financial
Allison is an accomplished professional with over 15 years of experience in sales, business development, strategic planning and brand development, with exceptional skills in communication, and targeting and securing new business accounts. Allison joined Guidant in early 2013 and has been successful in growing essential partner relationships and has become a vital leader within Guidant. She is responsible for winning new accounts, managing existing accounts and creating lasting partnerships with key executives in the franchising industry. Allison and her team provide top notch service and results to all the verticals within the franchising industry. Prior to joining Guidant Financial, Allison spent three years as the National Account Director for ScentAir Technologies. In this role, she was responsible for prospecting and winning national accounts in industries such as retail, hospitality, apartment management, healthcare and entertainment.
Katie joined Guidant in 2012 and brings more than 20 years of sales experience to the team. She’s responsible for overseeing the company’s sales efforts, providing executive leadership and developing strategies to grow market share. Her past work includes leading sales for high growth companies in senior housing as well as consulting for startups and technology companies with an emphasis on building and scaling sales. Katie was instrumental in the growth of A Place for Mom, which is the U.S.’s largest senior care referral service. Katie is a mentor at TechStars, a technology startup incubator program that launches 10 new technology companies annually. Katie has served on various Boards and advocacy groups from senior housing advisory, to child healthcare and women in leadership. Katie holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism.
www.guidantf inancial.com
www.guidantf inancial.com
MARCH 2020 | WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM
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A N GE L A O L EA
T R I NDA TRESHAM
CEO
Regional Vice President
Assisted Living Locators
WSI
“The Most Influential Women in Arizona Business” program acknowledges women leaders who demonstrate professional excellence, innovation, and community impact. Founder of the nation’s first senior placement franchise business, Angela Olea received the spotlight Visionary Award recognizing her outstanding work in the senior care industry. A registered nurse, she initially launched Assisted Living Locators in response to seeing aging patients have unnecessary hospital readmissions and a lack of community support.
Trinda is the Regional Vice President of WSI and oversees development of the brand worldwide. She has been with the company for over 20 years and is credited with the phenomenal global expansion the company has enjoyed. She is renowned throughout franchising for her positivity and ability to make friends. “Growing up, I faced a lot of obstacles. Many people in similar situations didn’t have the same fortune. I believe my drive, passion, and my general outlook on life have gotten me to where I am today. Once you realize that you control the majority of your future by your own actions, your life begins to change course” As the face and voice of WSI, it is no wonder Trinda has taken this brand to new heights!
AssistedLivingLocators.com
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ALLISON LANGENDERFER
R O SEMA RIE H A RT N E T T
Founder
CEO
Spavia
Abrakadoodle, Inc.
Allison is the creator and founder of Spavia. a charismatic and passionate leader, Allison has a strong business background with an emphasis in marketing. Allison graduated from cal poly san luis obispo and her college motto ‘learn by doing’ has fueled her success throughout her career. her background is diverse having been a buyer and regional manager with Macy’s early in her career followed by twelve successful years of pharmaceutical sales. She loves retail and has developed an amazing retail offering, combining skin care with highquality relaxation products that guests can take home. Allison is very passionate about design. she has an incredible ability to bring together beautiful designs with functionality. Spavia’s amazing design, from the interior of the spas, to the website is not an accident. Her eye for color and her desire to create an atmosphere where anyone will feel relaxed and welcome is the cornerstone of Spavia. The guest experience is at the core of Allison’s drive to make Spavia exceptional and giving back to the community equally important to her and Spavia’s values.
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Rosemarie Hartnett is an effective franchise leader and well-known advocate for women in franchising. Co-founder of Franchise 500-ranked Abrakadoodle, Hartnett has been tapped this year to produce leadership podcasts for the Women’s Committee of the International Franchise Association (IFA). Rosemarie was Chair of the ICFE Board of Governors and current Co-Chair of the Women’s Franchise Network in Washington, D.C. As a Certified Franchise Executive, she has spoken widely on franchising, including seminars at franchise events worldwide. Rosemarie garnered the 2012 Crystal Compass Award. Wife and mother of three, Rosemarie’s female-dominated franchise empowers women to lead businesses that make a difference.
www.abrakadoodle.com
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ME R LYN N CA R SO N, M D
KAT H L E EN KU H N
CEO
President
Myriddian Healthcare & IT Solutions
HouseMaster Home Inspections
Merlynn Carson is the founder and CEO of Myriddian, LLC , a Health, IT and Workforce Development firm located in Columbia, MD. Merlynn is a Physician by training and made the switch from Medicine to focus on her entrepreneurial venture. Myriddian took shape in 2012, and since then it has grown to become a national firm with just under 200 W-2 employees working nationally and boasting a clientele of several Fortune 100 companies and Government agencies. When asked what is Merlynn’s #1 quality, her husband Ben summed it succinctly “She is magic.”
Being a leader in a franchise system requires an intense amount of multi-tasking capability. Kathleen has mastered this trait without sacrificing attention to detail and, most importantly, an ear to the franchise owners. Without hearing their voices, a franchise will not grow and lead. Kathleen has pushed through barriers time and time again to keep HouseMaster ahead of industry trends and technology. Most importantly, Kathleen keeps the business atmosphere enjoyable and appreciates taking the time to get to know both corporate employees and franchisees. In short, she is an example to all!
www.Myriddian.com
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AS H LY LOZA Executive Director of Operations FranDevCo As Executive Director of Operations at FranDevCo, Ashly utilizes the power of newsletters, webinars, phone calls, Consultant Discovery Days, incentive programs and faceto-face meetings to help the brands they represent grow and attract new franchisees. Ashley is also exceptional at leveraging social media to connect the world with the brands she oversees. Widely considered one of the “Top 40 under 40”, Ashly’s intellect, organizational prowess and results orientation continue to propel her career.
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BARBARA M O RA N G O O D R IC H President | CEO Moran Family of Brands Barbara Moran-Goodrich enjoys over 19 years experience in the franchising and automotive industries, including owning and operating a transmission repair franchise. Moran-Goodrich serves as President and CEO of Moran Industries, franchisor for service brands ranging from Mr. Transmission, Multistate Transmission, Dr. Nick’s Transmission, Milex Complete Auto Care, Alta Mere Toys for Your Cars and Smartview Window Solutions, with over 180 locations in 26 States. Moran-Goodrich served as Chair to the Franchise Relations Committee for the IFA. She has also served as a member of the Women’s Franchise Committee (WFC) and was a co-founder of the Chicago WFN in 2002. Over the years she has authored several articles that have been featured in Franchise World, Transmission Digest and Franchise Update. She has been featured in Wall Street Journal, Crain’s Business, Franchise Times, Womenentreprenuer.com, Window Film Magazine and Franchise Update.
moranfamilyofbrands.com
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VAL E R I E CART ER DANI ELS Founder VJ Foods, Inc The 2019 NBCA Hall of Fame Inductee, Mrs. Valerie Daniels-Carter, along with her brother John started V & J Foods with a single Burger King restaurant in 1982. Within sixteen years, she nurtured the company into a 137-unit, multi-brand operation. First and foremost Mrs. Daniels-Carter is a God fearing woman. Her key beliefs include an insistence on: integrity, recognition, accountability, responsibility, respect, communication, commitment to excellence and passion. Mrs. Daniels- Carter has a hands-on approach. She focuses on the performance of each and every unit so that all are achieving positive results. Her corporate philosophy is “YATSE”: You are the Standard of Excellence. Valerie Daniels-Carter is one of the best known fastfood operators in the United States.
www.vjfoods.com
N A NCY L A N A RD Business Attorney Lanard and Associates Nancy Lanard has built a successful and respected law firm specializing in franchise law by finding skilled and dedicated attorneys. Her associates happen to be women who are attracted to the flexible work environment. Nancy puts the clients first and does so by supporting great women attorneys. Nancy is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, having graduated in three years with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish, obtained her Masters of Science degree in Education the following year, with honors, and then subsequently graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from Villanova University School of Law in the top ten percent of her class and on the Law Review.
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HEIDI MORR I SSEY
B E T H CA RO N N ILS S E N
CEO
Director
Kitchen Tune Up
Great Clips
Heidi Morrissey joined Kitchen Tune-Up in May of 2003 at the urging of her father and Kitchen Tune-Up founder, Dave Haglund. Prior to joining Kitchen Tune-Up, Heidi worked as an elementary school teacher and ran her own home-based business for 11 years when her dad convinced her that her skills could be best used for the family business. Heidi is passionate about bringing an outstanding level of assistance and guidance to each franchisee, helping to guide Kitchen Tune-Up’s reputation for regarding franchisees as “part of the family.” When she’s not working, Heidi is a Pilates teacher and certified MELT instructor. She enjoys biking with her husband, three daughters and their rescue dogs, and loves to cook and scrapbook. Her favorite type of cabinet is maple and she appreciates the simplicity of a slab door.
Beth Nilssen, CFE joined the Great Clips franchise development department in 2007. She has been the Director of Franchise Development at Great Clips since 2013. She is the first female to have this role and is currently the youngest director at Great Clips. Beth has helped grow Great Clips to nearly 4500 salons in the US and Canada. Standing a striking 6’2” tall, she has been recognized as one of the brightest rising stars in franchising. When asked, her peers rarely comment on her multiple professional achievements, but rather on her willingness to help lift others within the franchising community.
kitchentuneup.com
www.greatclips.com
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DINA DWYE R OWE NS Author | Speaker | Franchise Leader Neighborly Behind the fancy job titles, the awards, the TV appearances, and the $1 billion-dollar-business that her company’s service brands do each year, Dina Dwyer-Owens equates her success to having a living by a proven Code of Values©. Her first book Live RICH: How to build success in your company and your life with a proven Code of Values has connected with thousands of readers by offering a simple message that in a world of constant change, values can be ever-present. Now in Values, Inc., named one of the Top Ten Business Books from 2015 by Forbes, Dina aims to help inspire more hope for the future by taking the spotlight and shining it on those doing the things she loves to cheer about: living and leading with integrity.
www.dinadwyerowens.com
CA MI L L E LEEJOHNSON EVP & Managing Director Lee Wesley Companies Camille J. Lee-Johnson is the Executive VicePresident and Managing Director for Strategic Properties for the Lee Wesley companies. Since 2007 her focus has been on providing an exemplary customer experience and delivering top notch results for the business. Lee Wesley companies own and operate several Burger King Franchises, Panda Express, Taco Bell, Nathan’s Famous, Auntie Anne’s and Shula’s Bar and Grill in Orlando, Jacksonville, Norfolk, Virginia and Fayetteville/Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
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SAN DY STOW
M A RY KAY L I STO N
AD Dallas
President
Liberty Tax
Molly Maid
Sandy has received numerous awards and honors, but none more meaningful than being named “Area Developer of the Year” by her peers. This award is given to the Area Developer that shows the most integrity and provides the highest levels of support to their franchisees, a hallmark of everything Sandy has done. As an Area Developer, she is well versed in market planning, site selection and build-out. She is also skilled in operational support which only deepens her ability to assist others as they begin their journey into franchising. Continuing in her corporate career, Sandy was later promoted to Vice President of Area Development. In this role, she was responsible for identifying and training the company’s new Area Developers. She thrived at this and was the architect of many multi-million dollar deals.
Mary Kay’s career in franchising began in 2003 when she joined the Valpak Direct Marketing Systems, She was promoted to vice president of retail sales strategies at Valpak’s headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida where she oversaw multiple initiatives. Mary Kay was named president of Molly Maid in 2018. Molly Maid is a leading residential cleaning franchise that started franchising in the U.S. in 1984. For more than three decades, Molly Maid has grown to more than 480 franchise locations whose home service professionals complete more than 1.7 million cleanings annually. Mary Kay and her team are committed to delivering superior support to their franchise owners who provide quality cleaning and exceptional customer service, backed by the company’s 24-hour guarantee.
www.libertytaxf ranchise.com/dallastx
www.mollymaid.com
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AN N A KAI SE R
N A NCY B IG L EY
Founder
COO
AKT
Painting with a Twist
Anna Kaiser, founder of dance-cardio infused franchise AKT, has made a name for herself as a trainer for stars like Kelly Ripa, Sarah Jessica Parker, Shakira, and Emmy Rossum. AKT is an integrated, functional and resultsdriven approach to fitness that is now franchising worldwide. After working as a professional dancer, she moved on to study kinesiology, sports medicine and functional anatomy at Mount Sinai Medical Center and learned how the human body functions from the inside out. This passion for movement coupled with wanting to move on from her professional dancing career, Anna took a leap of faith and launched AKT. Now, with studios in New York, Connecticut and Los Angeles, the workout combines circuit training, dance, cardio and yoga that gets results in areas of your body you didn’t even know existed.
Nancy has been a seasoned franchise executive for over 25 years, spanning brands like American Leak Detection, Mr Electric and Dunkin’ Brands. She recently was CEO and co-owner of Bottle & Bottega, a wine and painting party franchise, which she then sold to Painting With A Twist, where she serves as COO. Her role focuses on strategy, system and software development, business development, marketing, franchise relations and franchise development.
www.theakt.com
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THERESE THI LG EN
RE N EE ISRAEL
Founder
CFO
Franchise Update Media Group
Modern Restaurant Concepts
Co-founder, President and Chief Content Officer of Franchise Update Media Group Founded in 1988 by husband-wife duo Gary Gardner and Therese Thilgen, the quarterly magazine has flourished into a multimedia force catering to members of the franchise industry. Since its inception, Franchise Update has strived to serve as a stalwart resource for franchisors seeking cutting edge industry news. The publication has escalated into something much larger since its humble beginnings; it is now a multimedia outlet with a definitive point of view and zest for innovation.
Renee Israel is an experienced leader and entrepreneur with a successful track record of building brands, marketing & sales processes for companies of all shapes and sizes-- startups, emerging brands and Fortune 500. After founding Doc Popcorn, she is now developing Modern Market Eatery and Lemonade, 2 fast casual healthy QSR concepts. With a rare combination of big picture vision and strategic planning with ability to execute flawlessly to achieve desired results, she has become a thought leader in global franchising. Her specialties are natural foods and health, wellness & "longevity" related concepts. She is a frequent speaker on entrepreneurship, franchising and brand development. Recipient of Franchise Dealmakers Award from the Franchise Times. Recipient of an Enterprising Woman of the Year Award from Enterprising Women Magazine. Selected as an Outstanding Woman Leader in Business by the Denver Business Journal.
www.f ranchising.com
www.modern-restaurants.com
MARCH 2020 | WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM
OF FRANCHISING
THE WOMEN
SHERRI FIS HM AN
SHE L LY SUN
President
CEO
Fishman PR
BrightStar Care
Sherri is a seasoned PR executive and agency owner who has devoted her life’s work to providing custom franchise PR services. Since co-founding the agency in 1991, Sherri had led a talented staff to grow Fishman PR into the nation’s top franchise lead generation PR agency. Why do hundreds of franchisors continually turn to Fishman PR to generate leads for their franchise opportunities? Because managing PR and content marketing for franchise brands requires special expertise. Over the past 25 years, Fishman PR has perfected a proven method of developing PR strategies that drive the right qualified leads to franchise sales teams. There’s more to franchise lead generation PR than simply securing media coverage. Fishman PR has perfected a proven method of developing PR strategies that drive the right qualified leads to franchise sales teams. There’s more to franchise lead generation PR than simply securing media coverage.
www.f ishmanpr.com
Shelly Sun is the co-founder of BrightStar Care, a healthcare staffing franchise that has grown from one corporate-owned location in 2005 to more than 200 locations nationwide. She was featured on the CBS series Undercover Boss and received the International Franchise Association's 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year award.
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OF FRANCHISING
THE WOMEN
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JAN I A B AI LEY
A L E SI A VI S CO N TI
CEO
CEO
FranNet
FranServe
Jania Bailey is the CEO of FranNet. Bailey has over 25 years of experience in the banking and franchise industries. She worked for more than eight years, and in several different managerial capacities, with Fantastic Sams International, a hair care franchise. In her last position, she served as the regional manager for Fantastic Sams in Texas. Before that, she oversaw operational support and development for franchisees in a five-state region. Prior to joining Fantastic Sams, Bailey spent 18 years in the banking industry in the commercial lending and business development areas.
Alesia has 20 years of experience as a CEO & President, driving organizational development and taking companies to the next level, both domestically and internationally. An author, professional speaker, and entrepreneur, her motto in life is “Work hard, play hard, help others, repeat.” Alesia’s own career took a twist when she began training as a FranServe consultant while serving as the CEO and President of an international career transition firm. After quickly becoming a Top Producer, Alesia leaned on her executive experience to eventually lead the next phase of FranServe’s evolution.
www.f rannet.com
www.f ranserve.com
MARCH 2020 | WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM
OF FRANCHISING
THE WOMEN
COL E T TE B EL L
SHA N N O N ALLEN
VP of Franchise Development
Founder
Ace Handyman Services
grown
Colette Bell began her career in franchising in 1994. In 1998, she and her husband, Andy Bell, started Handyman Matters and franchised it in 2001, growing it to a successful franchise system still in operation. In 2019, they sold their handyman franchise to Ace Hardware Colette is now focusing on Franchise Development in her new role. Over the years, she held numerous positions in the company including CEO from 2004 to 2008, growing system sales in excess of $35 million. She was also responsible for accounting, marketing, vendor management, and development. Handyman Matters developed their own proprietary scheduling, dispatching, invoicing and accounting software and she was instrumental in overseeing the original creation and enhancement of that software during the 18 years at Handyman Matters. Colette was honored with the Denver Forty Under Forty award in 2007.
FJ Readers will remember Shannon Allen from the cover of the January edition. She is the creator and franchisor of grown restaurant.. Shannon lives in Miami with her husband, Ray Allen (two-time NBA champion) and their five children. grown's restaurant concept evolved from her television show, The Pre-Game Meal, inspired by 18 years of preparing optimal game day meals for her husband. The Allen’s are passionate advocates for research for a cure for Type 1 Diabetes in honor of their seven-year-old son, Walker. Shannon, Ray and their family devote their time and efforts to raise the level of awareness of T1D and its symptoms and are committed with purpose, passion and dedication to prevailing in the fight against this potentially life threatening disease. Shannon’s vision is to bring healthy sustainable food to the world through franchising.
handymanmattersf ranchising.com
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OF FRANCHISING
THE WOMEN
EILEEN PR O CTO R
L I N D SAY JUNK
VP
President
Scenthound
YogaSix
In the year 2000, Eileen Proctor escaped corporate America to honor both her entrepreneurial proclivities and intense passion for pooches. Renown as the pioneer of Phoenix AZ’s dog daycare industry, she crafted and grew It’s A Ruff Life! into multiple locations which she ultimately sold, staying involved at the insistence of the buyers to develop and lead a national franchising model. Since then, Eileen has been instrumental in optimizing development, operations, marketing and unit economics for numerous franchise brands in various industries. Serendipitously, her “life has gone to the dogs” once again as Vice President of Franchise Development for emerging, wellness-focused dog grooming franchise Scenthound.
From attending the University of Hawaii as a varsity cross country athlete, ironman triathlete and swimmer, to working at Gold’s Gym and 24-Hour Fitness, Lindsay has always been competitive. Lindsay worked her way up through the fitness industry, and eventually found Yoga Works. After 8 years, Lindsay moved on to start her own fitness consulting company then went on to become the Chief Development Officer at TruFusion, before joining YogaSix as President. Harnessing her competitive drive in a brand focused on creating an inclusive, communityfocused yoga experience, Lindsay built a corporate team driven by excellence and has surpassed all franchise development metrics across the Xponential Fitness brands; YogaSix now has more than 400 licensed locations across the US.
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www.yogasix.com
OF FRANCHISING
THE WOMEN
SAR AH LUNA
M EL I SSA C H O R D O CK
President
President
Pure Barre
AKT
Sarah Luna is affectionately referred to as the ‘unicorn’ at Xponential. While pursuing a career in dance in Chicago, IL, Sarah became a certified Pilates instructor. She then completed her MBA, studying Entrepreneurship and became a recipient of a NSHMBA scholarship. After returning to California, Sarah combined her love for fitness and operations, by joining Equinox as well as owning, operating and selling a fitness franchise. She joined Club Pilates, an Xponential Fitness brand, as National Sales Director in 2015 where she built the sales department and sales process that allowed the brand to become the largest Pilates brand that it is today. She quickly ascended to SVP of Operations and helped grow the brand to over 400 locations before stepping into the role of President for Pure Barre. Sarah identified a strong need for efficiencies across studio operations, communications and the corporate team. In her first 12 months as President, she led the company to refresh every studio’s design across North America, complete a System-wide software conversion, launch a new membership app, and redesign and launch a new website.
Melissa is a seasoned operator with a history of success in brand strategy development and execution in the health/wellness and fitness industries. After “growing up in retail”, it’s not surprising the first 15 years of her career was at New York City’s iconic Bloomingdale’s on 59th Street. After leaving Bloomingdale’s, it was Melissa’s lack of connection to community that led her to find “home” in boutique fitness; it became her secret community and allowed her to realize her career needed to focus on building communities and creating a sense of belonging in fitness for others. She joined a small barre concept as Head of Operations where she became very aware of the boutique fitness landscape and the place it had in many people’s lives. Following the acquisition of AKT by Xponential Fitness in 2018, Melissa was determined to be part of what she saw as the perfect blend of unique, edgy boutique brand that could bring a group of people together to achieve fitness goals like no other. Moving into 2020, Melissa is leading the AKT brand and corporate team in bringing the AKT workout to most major markets across the country.
www.purebarre.com
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OF FRANCHISING
THE WOMEN
KE E LY WATSO N Multi-unit & Multi-brand Owner Club Pilates & YogaSix Keely Watson began her journey in franchise ownership in 2007 by simply trying a Pilates class. She immediately fell in love and began her comprehensive education program two weeks later. After two years, she took the leap and quit her event planning/marketing position to pursue teaching Pilates. In 2011, she became one of the original Club Pilates franchise owners and opened her first location in 2013. Her approach was initially gradual, opening three studios in Orange County, California. The pace picked up significantly after 2015, following Anthony Geisler purchasing Club Pilates whose team worked directly with owners to increase their studios’ operational success and grow the brand. Over the next four years, Keely opened and acquired an additional five studios in Orange County and Los Angeles and became a Master Trainer through Club Pilates. Following the acquisition of YogaSix by Xponential Fitness in 2018, Keely gained three business partners to expand with another Xponential brand. She became not only one of the first YogaSix franchise owner groups but to date, its largest, with ten studios opening by mid 2021.
www.yogasix.com
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www.clubpilates.com
MARCH 2020 | WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM
STEPH SKLAR M U LCA H Y Multi-Unit Owner CycleBar After spending 20 years in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, Steph took a huge step and combined her love for cycling and business, opening CycleBar Culver City, California in March 2017. Her studio quickly became CycleBar’s top performing studio each month, only possible through her absolute dedication to her members, creating the best vibe and sense of inclusivity in her studio, as well as implementing CycleBar’s sales and marketing strategies. Following the success of her Culver City location, Steph was awarded Franchisee of the Year at the Xponential Fitness Annual Convention in 2019 and has more recently purchased an additional location — CycleBar Santa Monica.
www.cyclebar.com
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ON A MISSION
Sarah Gabbard Had to Make a Difficult Choice
Sell, or Keep Running the Business After Tragedy Struck
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o one would have blamed Sarah Gabbard if she had curled up in her house with her two young girls and done nothing for a very long time. In fact, most people would have expected it. Come to think of it, if they found themselves in the same situation as the now 39-year-old found herself in almost four years ago, most would have done the exact same thing. But they don’t know Sarah Gabbard. Gabbard was leading a “very normal life” in her words on May 28, 2015. She was married to her high school sweetheart, Chad, who owned a thriving
something like that for myself, so I chose the comfortable, safe 9-to-5 approach.” Chad had been traveling for business that May day and had stayed at a condo the couple owned in Lexington the previous night. Sarah was having trouble reaching Chad by phone and immediately felt a sense of foreboding. “I knew something was wrong. I could just feel it,” she said. “I can’t explain it, but I just felt like someone had punched me in the gut.” Sarah jumped in her car and drove to the condo, where she found Chad.
“I FEEL LIKE IT WAS GOD PROTECTING ME FROM WHAT HAD JUST TAKEN PLACE.” — SARAH GABBARD industrial cleaning company with two locations that he had started while in college with nothing more than a weed eater and a pressure washer. The couple had two girls, Olivia and Ava, and Sarah worked as a speech-language pathologist in the local school district. “It was crazy how successful Chad’s business became,” Gabbard said. “I always admired what he had done but I was too scared to do
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Chad had passed away from a congenital heart condition. Chad was 36 years old and in otherwise perfect health. He had never displayed any symptoms. Looking back, Sarah has little memory of the weeks and events that followed. “I feel like it was God protecting me from what had just taken place,” Gabbard said. “The next few weeks were a whirlwind. I had to deal with
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not only the personal side of just losing my husband, but I also had to figure out what to do with a business that had 30 employees and two locations.” Though she now faced the daunting task of having to make so many critical decisions on her own, Gabbard was steadfast on one matter. She was holding onto Chad’s business no matter what, even though she had several offers to sell. “I can’t explain why, but I just couldn’t imagine not having this business in our lives anymore, even though I had ZERO experience with industrial cleaning,” Gabbard said. “Again, I can’t explain it. It was just my gut feeling.” However, Gabbard quickly discovered there was no such thing as hitting the “pause button” when faced with the daily challenges of running a small business in eastern Kentucky. For seasonal businesses such as Chad’s, winters are notoriously slow. “Work just seemed to come to a screeching halt. I couldn’t stand it and felt like we were losing so much money by just being idle,” Gabbard said. “I knew we had to find something to occupy the guys over the winter.” One of Gabbard’s employees, Josh, was diligent in researching business opportunities, though she
“(PAUL DAVIS) LOOKED LIKE THE PERFECT FIT AND WORK THAT WE COULD EASILY HANDLE.” — SARAH GABBARD
AVA, SARAH AND OLIVIA GABBARD
said with a grin, “many of his suggestions were terrible and we still laugh about it to this day.” But Josh more than made up for all his misses when he came upon an online advertisement for Paul Davis Restoration, one of the most trusted brands in the insurance restoration industry and a company that has been at the forefront of innovation in the property damage, emergency services and restoration industry since 1966. “It looked like the perfect fit and work that we could easily handle,”Gabbard said.
While slow and steady might work for some, that’s never been Gabbard’s mindset. After contacting the corporate office, Gabbard and Josh were on a plane to Jacksonville, Fla., a week later to attend Discovery Day at Paul Davis. While there, Gabbard met other prospective franchisees, many of whom got a good chuckle when learning how much time she had spent doing her “homework” on the company. “They had researched this company for months, and here I was a week after hearing the Paul Davis name for the first time. It was
hysterical to see their faces when they would ask me how long I had been looking at this franchise opportunity and I would reply, ‘seven days.’ I have no doubt they thought I was crazy,” Gabbard said. But while some individuals might need the reassurance of reams of research to make an important decision, Gabbard once again relied on an instinct that has never failed her. “I loved what I saw when I was in Jacksonville. It felt like the perfect fit,” Gabbard said. “I wanted to buy in that very day. I just knew.” Gabbard knew and she was right. Again. Almost 2½ years have passed since Paul Davis River Cities launched operations in September 2016, covering large portions of eastern Kentucky, southern Ohio and southern West Virginia from its home base in Worthington, Ky. With more than 375 locations in the US and Canada, Paul Davis is continually growing. Though it remains a largely male-dominated industry, husband-and-wife teams and women are finding that a Paul Davis franchise can be a perfect fit for their particular needs. But that didn’t mean
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Gabbard didn’t run into outside naysayers who questioned whether she would be a good fit for the restoration industry, even though Paul Davis welcomed her with open arms and made her feel like family. “I was told an insane amount of times that ‘I couldn’t do this’ or ‘this wasn’t a job for a woman,’” Gabbard said. “I had so many people try and talk me into going back into speech therapy because it was the safe choice. That only made me want to become a Paul Davis franchisee even more. It was like pouring gasoline on a fire!” Since its launch, Paul Davis River Cities has gone from initially providing only mitigation services to becoming a full-service restoration company. Obviously not one who relishes idle time, Gabbard also bought a pest control franchise while making sure the company Chad had founded – Pressure Tech Inc. – continued to prosper. Finally having the chance to reflect on the path she has taken over these last few years, Gabbard feels she has lived up to the expectations she set for herself
when it came to raising Olivia and Ava – even if it was a whirlwind at times. “The crazier it got, the more I enjoyed it. I loved the chaos and not knowing what each day would bring. I was still trying to be a regular mom at the same time and I still say that my girls were the driving force behind me wanting to take on so much at once,” Gabbard said. “It was very important to me that they had the same security they felt when Chad was still here. I wanted them to know that
their mom could handle it and we were going to be just fine. I wholeheartedly think Pressure Tech and Paul Davis saved my life. As dramatic as that sounds, I found a love for being an entrepreneur that I never knew I had. These businesses made me get out of bed in the morning when I could have easily made the decision not to and no one would have blamed me.” TO LEARN MORE GO TO www.PaulDavis.com
"I WHOLEHEARTEDLY THINK PRESSURE TECH AND PAUL DAVIS SAVED MY LIFE. AS DRAMATIC AS THAT SOUNDS, I FOUND A LOVE FOR BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR THAT I NEVER KNEW I HAD." — SARAH GABBARD
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J F Franchise Journal
JANUARY
WE BELIEVE FOOD SHOULD BE DELICIOUS, ORGANIC AND INSPIRING.
It's not made, it's not manufactured, it's grown. To own your own grownTM and join our fast food revolution, please visit grown.org. Now awarding grownTM franchises!
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OPPORTUNITY
Immigrants and Franchising a Winning Combination by Diana Weissich, Consultant, The Franchise Consulting Company Immigrants and franchising go perfectly together... like peanut butter and jelly or champagne and caviar if that’s your preference. Whatever pairing you choose, immigrants and franchising should be on that list. It makes perfect sense, if you think about it. Why do people uproot their families and leave familiarity to go to a place where they don’t speak the language, don’t know the culture, and have to start from scratch?
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THE PURSUIT OF THE AMERICAN DREAM! Though the definition of “The American Dream” has evolved over the years, it has always in some way stood for the opportunity and the freedom to have a dream (a home, an education for children, financial stability), and work toward achieving it. When my parents immigrated to the United States from the former Soviet Union over 30 years ago, they were running away from an oppressive, anti-semitic, communist regime, but more importantly, they were running toward opportunity for their children and future generations. Following the traditional path to success, college followed by climbing the proverbial Corporate Ladder, was not an option for them. Though, like many immigrants, who come here highly educated in their home country, my parents’ degrees did not benefit them in America. Business ownership then often becomes the path to the American Dream. Better yet, f ranchising, which offers a recipe, a formula, a road map. The stereotype of immigrants being hard working is well known, but in my experience, they are also very intelligent and humble. That combination is what draws them to an opportunity with a successful formula that has been proven by dozens, hundreds, sometimes thousands of people. They see the businesses that many educated Americans shy away f rom, where they might flip burgers, sell icees, or do laundry, as their road map to achieving the American Dream of financial f reedom, home ownership, and independence. Nowadays, f ranchising is available across a wide spectrum of industries (including beauty, fitness, professional services, automotive,
IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR EXTENDED FAMILY OR EVEN A COMMUNITY TO POOL MONEY TOGETHER TO INVEST IN A BUSINESS FOR ONE PERSON, OR TO HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS HELPING OUT AT ALL HOURS, SOMETIMES FOR NO PAY. and so many more), that immigrants can not only enjoy the benefits of the franchise model, but they can also do work which they will love. A sense of family and community is also a common denominator amongst immigrants. I recall a number of opportunities in which my parents invested to help a fellow ex-Soviet with the launch of their business or day-to-day operations of a new venture. So it wouldn’t be unusual for the extended family or even a community to pool money together to invest in a business for one person, or to have family members helping out at all hours, sometimes for no pay. It is a reflection of the all-for-one mentality that is so prevalent among immigrants. I recently had the pleasure and privilege of working with
a couple f rom Iran, Zina and Firas Kajy, whose sense of family, hard work, intelligence, and humility perfectly represent immigrants as a whole. Firas had been running their pizza f ranchises and was one of the most successful franchisees of the brand, Zina had recently launched her own baking business and was already in high demand, and now they were looking for something that could transcend generations and build a legacy for their children. “As immigrants, we worked our hardest to get here and we continued to work hard to make a name for ourselves and provide a good future for our kids,” said Firas and Zina. They decided on a staffing f ranchise, which they run as a family business. Their eldest son, Alden, who has his sights set on becoming a neurosurgeon,
is helping his parents in their new venture. And Zina’s nephew, Omar, who is highly business minded, is working in the office as well. Many immigrants are just like Firas and Zina and are willing to do whatever it takes to make it here in America, the land of dreams. If you are an immigrant, or know immigrants, or can relate to the qualities of immigrants, and are seeking for ways to achieve YOUR American Dream, franchising could quite possibly be your answer. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diana Weissich is an FCC Franchise Consultant, speaker, and business owner. Diana has executive experience with Fortune 50/100/1000 companies across a variety of industries including franchising and business consulting. You can reach her at: Diana Weissich; diana@ thefranchiseconsultingcompany.com; 415-531-3132
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B2B RESALE OPPORTUNITIES FROM COAST-TO-COAST!
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Allegra Centers provide graphic design, printing, mailing, promotional products and marketing services needed by virtually every local business and institution. As an owner, you’ll benefit from the unsurpassed network support provided by Alliance Franchise Brands – a world leader in marketing and visual communications. Among the other advantages of acquiring an Allegra Center:
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Explore your Allegra Center ownership opportunity. Contact us today. 866.433.4131 | allegrafranchise.com © 2019 Alliance Franchise Brands LLC. All Rights Reserved. Alliance Franchise Brands LLC is the parent company of Allegra Network LLC and KK Printing Canada ULC. This advertisement is not an offering. An offering can only be made by a disclosure document filed first with the Department of Law of the State of New York. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law. MN F-4115
ON A MISSION
The Woman Who Helps Families Rebuild Their Lives
F
or well over 20 years, Jacqueline Fairfax has consistently been recognized as one of the top franchise executives in the United States for her leadership in developing Paul Davis Restoration. She built her career in a male dominated industry all the while raising her son and two daughters. When most people think of restoration and remediation companies they think of fire, mold and catastrophe. What rarely comes to mind is an intelligent, beautiful
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and charismatic woman who understands that the insurance / property damage business is actually a business of restoring lives. This is exactly what Jacqueline Fairfax does and she continues to blaze a trail as a female executive in what has traditionally been seen as a pick-up truck and boots industry. Paul Davis Restoration is a franchise organization that provides services to cleanup and repair damage to residential and commercial
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properties due to water, fire, mold, storm or other disasters. Founded in 1966, Paul Davis is a rapidly growing network of more than 300 independently owned and operated franchises in the United States and Canada. Their headquarters and International Training Center, where Paul Davis professionals are certified in the areas of emergency restoration, reconstruction and remodeling are in Jacksonville, FL. Paul Davis puts people and property first throughout the recovery process.
THERE ARE FEW TIMES THAT MOST OF US HAVE THE ABILITY TO IMPACT PEOPLE IN SUCH A WAY, BUT THAT IS A COMMON THREAD WITH THE HUNDREDS OF CLIENTS JACQUELINE HAS WORKED WITH. When asked about what she is most proud of after many years of franchising, it is not the accolades, the success or the admiration of her peers, it is the fact that she has been an integral part of somebody’s family success. Of the many lives she has positively impacted, one really stood out where she was working with a client looking to make a change and relocate his young family to another part of the country. Jacqueline found that Paul Davis had a resale opportunity in Nevada and she worked to make sure the young couple could purchase it. “They ended up buying the resale and my client moved his family to Nevada. Later he called me right before Christmas, his wife was expecting a baby and they were so happy that their lives had taken such an extraordinary turn for the better.” said Fairfax “What nearly brought me to tears was he said, ‘I was talking to my wife last night and we were talking about how well things are going and how much our lives have changed since we moved from Texas and we both agreed that none of this would have happened if it were not for you and Paul Davis”. There are few times that most of us have the ability to impact people in such a way, but that is a common thread
with the hundreds of clients Jacqueline has worked with. Jacqueline personifies Paul Davis’ 50+ year heritage of innovation, resourcefulness, empathy, and outstanding customer service. The Paul Davis franchise network focuses on delivering the highest quality services in the communities, towns and cities across North America, having created a synergy of excellence, expertise and experience that is second to none. Paul Davis’ passion for quality drives everything they do. Founded in 1966, Paul Davis has been a leader and innovator in the insurance restoration industry and is widely recognized as a top provider of restoration services. Paul Davis National was created specifically to serve commercial property
clients with disaster planning and recovery services. With the financial stability of Paul Davis and the ability to leverage more than 300 locations, the company is well situated to meet the needs of property owners, facility managers, and property insurance carriers throughout The United States and Canada. With caring and knowledgeable executives like Jacqueline Fairfax there is little doubt that Paul Davis will continue this proud legacy of building and rebuilding lives through the work their franchise owners perform every day. CONTACT JACQUELINE For more information about Paul Davis Restoration please reach out to Jacqueline Fairfax at jfairfax@pauldavis.com or www. pauldavisbusiness.com.
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OPPORTUNITY
Veteran's Financing; Veteran's Freedom Loan by Kelly Krueger, Senior Consultant, Tenet Financial Group As a professional in franchise financing for almost the past decade, I often get questions about what special lending programs are available for veterans or their spouses who want businesses of their own. Many Veterans simply assume that since they can get a “nomoney down” home mortgage loan guaranteed by the Veterans Administration … the “VA” … that they surely should be able to get a no-money down loan to start a business or buy a franchise. Sadly, that’s simply not the case (it should be, but it isn’t) … however, there is a program under the Small Business
and we call our program the Veterans Freedom Loan. As a Senior Consultant with Tenet Financial Group, I’d like to provide details about the Veterans Freedom Loan. The Veterans Freedom Loan is for Active Duty, Guard & Reserve, Veterans and Spouses. Borrowers would need to have what’s called a Cash Injection of "roughly" 11% of the loan amount. This Cash Injection must come from “un-borrowed funds” such as cash, savings, stocks, bonds, 401(k) funds, money in a Thrift Savings Plan, etc. The maximum loan amount for
borrowed funds available. However, banks will usually count retirement funds for the cash reserve requirement. So if the Veteran borrower has a Thrift Savings Plan, military retirement pay, an IRA or 401(k) with sufficient funds, those funds would satisfy the cash reserve requirement, even if the Veteran borrower can't easily access the money. A minimum credit score of 685 on all 3 bureaus is also a requirement. The Veteran borrower must either own a home or have
VETERANS ACTIVE DUTYGUAR Administration … the SBA, as everyone knows them … that can really help Veterans, Active Duty, Guard & Reserve and Military Spouses invest in businesses of their own. But, it’s not a “no-money down” program. This SBAguaranteed loan program is a version of the SBA Express Loan -- but with a twist benefiting Veterans. But, only one of the leading franchise financing organizations in the industry, Tenet Financial Group, has formalized this lending program for Veterans
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the Veterans Freedom Loan is $150,000; therefore, the Cash Injection for the maximum loan amount would be $16,667. Moreover, borrowers would also need to have at least 20% of the loan amount in what the SBA calls “cash reserve.” So, for the maximum loan amount of $150,000, the borrower would need to have $30,000 in cash in addition to the Cash Injection. So, for the maximum loan amount of $150,000, the Veteran borrower would need to have almost $47,000 in un-
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a recent history of home ownership (within the last couple years). This is an unsecured loan, so no collateral is required (but the borrower does have to personally guarantee the loan). Unique to Tenet’s Veterans Freedom Loan is the fact that the lending bank will pay 50% of the required 2% Loan Guaranty Fee – this saves quite a bit of money for Veterans! And, the loan can close in as quickly as 45 days! The Veterans Freedom Loan is a “working capital loan”.
Therefore, the loan can NOT be used for building out a retail or office location. Thus, it's ideal for home based, or “man-in-avan” types of businesses or for businesses that just require a simple office space. That being said, this loan CAN be used for a franchise that requires an office or retail location. The borrower just needs to use other funds (cash or a 401(k) rollover, etc.) to make the renovations. The space must be renovated and ready to open its doors and do business before the bank will fund the Veterans Freedom Loan. Yes … it’s certainly not anything like a VA “no-money down” home loan! But, it is a loan program many Veterans or their spouses can leverage to enable them to get into businesses of their own. Are there viable, proven franchises in which a Veteran or a spouse can invest $150,000 or less to get up and running? Absolutely!
The Veterans Freedom Loan isn’t the only option for funding though. Most people are completely unaware that they can rollover their pre-tax retirement funds to invest in a business, without having to take a taxable distribution and pay the 10% penalty associated with an early withdrawal of pre-tax funds. This funding option is better known as the ROBS Plan (RollOver for Business Startup) and it’s been legal since 1974. Most types of pre-tax retirement accounts are eligible for use with the ROBS Plan, such as TSPs, IRAs, Annuities, a 401(k), etc.), but there are a few restrictions. For example, military personnel can’t access their TSP funds while they are on active duty. Nevertheless, a ROBS Plan is a great option for Veterans who might not meet all of the criteria required for a Veterans Freedom Loan or for those who want to preserve their cash. The ROBS Plan can be
used to completely self-fund a business or it can be used in combination with other funding options, such as the Veterans Freedom Loan. To find “right fit” franchise options, I’d like to recommend the Veterans Franchise Council of the industryleading consulting group, The Franchise Consulting Company. This group is staffed by former and retired military members ready to help uncover franchise opportunities that are right for Veterans, Active Duty, Guard & Reserve and Spouses. Moreover, this group provides a free service – you don’t pay your military-experienced franchise consultant anything! Schedule a free consultation with The Veterans Franchise Council at http://www. theveteransfranchisecouncil. com/. Want to know more about Tenet Financial Group’s Veterans Freedom Loan and the ROBS Plan? Start
RD RESERVE MILITARY WIVES by getting pre-qualified at my group’s website: https:// tenetfinancialgroup.com/ get-pre-qualified/ and then contact me, Kelly Krueger, at kelly@tenetfinancialgroup. com.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kelly Krueger is a Senior Consultant with Tenet Financial Group. She has nearly a decade of experience helping clients obtain the funding needed to turn their dreams of business ownership into reality. Kelly helps her clients understand all of their funding options, allowing them to make informed, educated decisions. WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM | MARCH 2020
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MEET FRANCHISE FASTLANE
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ON A MISSION
Morgan Kline of Burn Boot Camp: Changing the World One Workout at a Time The culture in the fitness industry is seemingly broken. Statistics prove that nearly 70 percent of the U.S. adult population and 20 percent of children are either overweight or obese (according to AHA). Yet, fitness franchises, professionals, and influencers are virtually everywhere. In 2012, then 24-year-old, Morgan Kline and her husband Devan set out on a mission to discover the massive disconnect driving these statistics. The Klines commented “We were shocked at how many people are dealing with overwhelming hopelessness, depression, and unhappiness. We were even more shocked at how most companies completely overlook the real problems.” The young power couple decided to commit their lives to help others achieve fulfillment and happiness. They started Burn Boot Camp in a parking lot in Huntersville, NC with $600 and haven’t looked back since. Now, the dynamic women’s lifestyle brand is quickly sweeping the nation. “Based on almost 150 emerging fitness center concepts that entered the market since 2010, Burn Boot Camp is in the 99th percentile of franchised system growth in its first four years of franchising,” says FRANdata senior analyst Anya Nowakowski. With an exciting future awaiting, the Klines brought on the dynamic executive duo, Amanda Hall and Jolene Purchia, to amplify the brand’s impact. “Morgan, Amanda, and Jolene embody our mission. They eat, sleep, and breathe Burn Boot Camp,” says CEO Devan Kline. Devan and Morgan were millionaires at 26 years old. Despite their success, money is the last thing on their mind and they wanted executives who valued the brand’s impact first. “Our goal is to attract and create a culture of women who embody our obsession to generate happiness by advocating the Burn lifestyle,”
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says fitness empire’s Senior Vice President of Operations, Amanda Hall. “I want nothing more than to help every woman in the world feel the way Burn makes me feel–confident and empowered.” “These three aren’t just rockstar businesswomen, they are role models for women worldwide. They are strong, confident, and passionate with a laser focus on serving others. With these three on our leadership team, I believe the universe is the limit for Burn Nation,” says Devan, on behalf of his triple threat counterpart. Jolene Purchia, Vice President of Franchise Development, who transformed her life as a client also has a burning desire to spread peace,
THE COMPANY HAS A DREAM OF A WORLD WHERE WOMEN LOVE THEMSELVES FOR WHO THEY ARE TODAY AND ARE INSPIRED BY WHO THEY’LL BE TOMORROW.
love, and positivity en route to their goal of 10,000 global units. “The majority of our Franchise Partners are women who’ve decided to take complete control of their lives.” She insists that she doesn’t sell franchises, she awards them. “You have to earn our trust. We aren’t interested in your money, we are interested in your intentions, character, and who you are in your soul. We could be growing much faster but refuse to negotiate the soul of our brand with those who don’t believe what we believe,” says Purchia. One of the organizations many mantras is “empowered women empower women,” and Arizona Franchise Partner, Carie Perham, is certainly living the motto. “Becoming a Burn Boot Camp Franchise Partner has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Seeing the impact Burn makes on people’s lives has been one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences of my life, ” says Perham. The company has a dream of a world where women love themselves for who they are today and are inspired by who they’ll be tomorrow.
This mission transcends Burn Boot Camp and the executive team insists they cannot do it alone. Morgan believes “most gyms, trainers, and fitness professionals have pure intentions and really do want to help, but the current trends of the culture are forcing them into marketing messages that further hopelessness.” This power team doesn’t follow trends, they set them. They insist that fitness clients of the future will prioritize feeling good over looking good. “Exercise is simply a vehicle to increase mental clarity, emotional security, and boundless energy,” says Purchia. But the mission goes far beyond the members in their 247 open gyms, which is why each location offers complimentary childwatch. These influential executive women are also mothers and the current childhood obesity rate weighs heavy on their heart. “The legacy we leave will be a world full of children who believe they can do anything because they grew up watching their moms do it,” says Morgan. The brand has 159 locations in development and on track to open this year and goals of awarding 150 more in 2020. “By the end of 2021 we are projected to have opened 700 locations and awarded 1000 units in our first six years. We are looking forward to standing strong with all those who will
partner with us in making our message felt worldwide," preaches Morgan. Hall says, “This isn’t something we should do, it’s something we must do. Burn Nation is focused on changing the way people view health and fitness. We feel it is our responsibility to educate and inspire women to take back control of their physical journey.” All three of these strong, intelligent, and impressive women are unified, alongside their Franchise Partners, in their stance to be a voice for women’s empowerment. “For decades, women have had societal limitations placed on them and those days are over. We will fight every day to show the women of the world how limitless they really are.” Burn Boot Camp uses their social media channels, podcasts, and franchise opportunities to spread their powerful message all over the world. This year, the brand ranked #212 on Entrepreneur's Top 500 Franchises list, moving up over 200 spots, and is ranked #3 on Franchise Times’ Fast & Serious list. The brand is currently awarding franchises in the U.S. and Canada with plans to expand into 10,000 global units over the next 10 to 12 years. INTERESTED IN OWNING A BURN BOOT CAMP? Visit franchise.burnbootcamp.com to inquire!
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EDUCATION
What is the Right Franchise for YOU? by Janice Charles, Consultant, The Franchise Consulting Company Many looking at a new franchise think about the initial questions to determine if a franchise is a good fit. For example, profitability, demographics, ease of operation, etc. I’d like to suggest that you look a bit deeper into what the Franchisor does on an ongoing basis to support you. People looking for a new business look to a franchise, so they are not on their own and don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Can your perspective or current franchisor say that
are buying a franchise so the franchisor can show you how to run your business and help make you successful. That is why the business is franchised so you can duplicate the franchise model and realize the success the franchisor documents in their FDD. This may sound basic; however, you should know your operations support person, see them at least on a monthly basis, know their phone number and their email address. More importantly, they need to be responsive and
THIS MAY SOUND BASIC; HOWEVER, YOU SHOULD KNOW YOUR OPERATIONS SUPPORT PERSON, SEE THEM AT LEAST ON A MONTHLY BASIS, KNOW THEIR PHONE NUMBER AND THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS. they have support on a regular basis? Unfortunately, in this day and age, many franchisors cut the support function in their business. This is the LAST place to “trim the fat” in a franchise organization. What is the best way to run your new franchise? The franchisor should be coaching you on a REGULAR basis. You
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accountable to the franchisor and to you, the franchisee. You should be on a call with them on a weekly basis as well as work with your fellow franchisees. Specifically, talk about what is working in your business and talk about your challenges. Ask how the franchisees work together to help each other and how
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does the operations team facilitate this? Here are a few additional things to discuss with your operations person. The first is how to maximize efficiencies in your new business so you can maximize profitability. This can be simply observed by your operations person to provide you with feedback. Secondly, work with them on your profit and loss statement. Your operations person should be an expert in looking at your business to help you maximize
THE BOTTOM LINE IS, FRANCHISORS MAKE MONEY OFF OF ROYALTIES TO SUPPORT YOU. THE HIGHER YOUR ROYALTIES, THE HIGHER THEIR PROFITABILITY.
efficiencies and your profit and loss statement to identify key areas to maximize your profitability. It is in your best interest to be profitable so you can develop and grow your business. It is also in the franchisors best interest to help you be profitable so they can be more profitable. The bottom line is, franchisors make money off of royalties to support you. The higher your royalties, the higher their profitability. Your success and how
quickly you ramp-up your sales also make a substantial impact on the Franchisor’s ability to sell their franchises. Think about where you were / are at when you consider the various options. How many months of working capital do you need in Franchise A vs. B or C before you reach your monthly breakeven? It makes a difference! How about your investment break even? When you are in your due diligence period looking for a new franchise, be sure to ask
your perspective f ranchisor specifics regarding their operations support. When you talk to current f ranchisees, ask about how they are supported by their operations team. Ask specific questions on the different topics I've listed above so you can get real-time information and unbiased feedback. CONTACT JANICE If you would like advice on selecting the best franchise for you, please feel free to contact me. Janice Charles 303-319-5186. WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM | MARCH 2020
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EDUCATION
Avoid Impulse Buying Follow A Process Instead by Bill Polk, Consultant, The Franchise Consulting Company
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Wanting to buy a franchise because you like their product is understandable. It’s human nature. Most independent small businesses start because the owner loved what they did, otherwise they wouldn’t make it their livelihood. You like fixing cars, you opened a garage. You love baking and your grandmother’s laced cookie recipe is always a hit, so you opened Grandma's Cookies. I recently had a client who made a costly error because he simply liked the taste of a burger. Liking the burger wasn’t the
wanted to continue what he was doing but wanted to buy a business so he could create something for his children to come into one day, creating generational wealth and employment. All noble goals. We started our time-tested process of introspection, with me asking a lot of questions and him telling me what he wanted in terms of lifestyle, workstyle and financial goals. We talked at length about any businesses he had researched previously and why he did or did not like them. Out of this determined
very excited about the brands and ready for the next step in his journey. Introductions to the businesses were made, connections to funding partners established, and the process of franchisors meeting with him began. But then, the train jumped the tracks. My client and I were in a twice-weekly call, seeing how things were going. Funding was lined up, he loved each of the brands and was arranging for a possible visit to the support office of one in particular to meet the executive team. He then
issue; buying a product on impulse rather than following a dedicated due diligence process was the problem. We met through a friend and he was a wonderful man. Very smart, highly educated, made a lot of money so he was well capitalized. Advanced degrees,
process I developed a personal business model for him, a plan for what he wanted in life, work and money. With that roadmap I was able to narrow the universe of thousands of franchises and find the very few companies that matched his goals. He was
asked me almost meekly if he could ask me a question. Of course, what’s up. Um, I bought a burger franchise last week. Pregnant pause on my part, admittedly, and I then of course congratulated him. It was not a concept or industry or brand we had
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ever discussed, but I was happy for him. He was now a small business owner. I then asked him how it was when he went to the support office. Never visited. How were the discussions with the management team? Never talked with them. Well, what did you think when you spoke with current franchisees and what kind of validation did you get? Never spoke with a single owner. He said he walked in, tried their
burger, liked it and called the company, spoke a few times with the development group and bought a franchise. This was most certainly not the deliberate process we had discussed and had been following to date. His very next comment was “I think I made a big mistake”. It unfortunately turns out he did. The company has had issues with locations closing, some corporate financial concerns, and it simply may not have been the wisest choice for him to make. At the end of the day my client decided it would be wisest to walk away from his paid franchise fee
and continue talking with the solid brands we had worked together to determine were the best fits for him and are vibrant franchises. No one likes losing money of course, but it’s fortunate my client could absorb this loss. Not all prospective franchisees can, which underlines and highlights the themes presented here: • Don’t buy a business simply because you like their product • Conduct your due diligence on the brands you like • If you think you want to buy, sleep on it. Talk with your significant other, your
attorney, your financial advisor, current f ranchisees, your friends. • Assiduously follow a process, taking the advice of experts like franchise consultants, when making such a large life decision. ABOUT THE AUTHOR After serving in the Marine Corps, Bill Polk spent over 25 years in executive positions in manufacturing, IT infrastructure, project management and supply chain consulting. He recently owned a dog daycare franchise and can ably help you in your search for a great franchise. Contact Bill at billpolk@ thefranchiseconsultingcompany.com or at 617-834-9681.
I DEVELOPED A PERSONAL BUSINESS MODEL FOR HIM, A PLAN FOR WHAT HE WANTED IN LIFE, WORK AND MONEY. WITH THAT ROADMAP I WAS ABLE TO NARROW THE UNIVERSE OF THOUSANDS OF FRANCHISES AND FIND THE VERY FEW COMPANIES THAT MATCHED HIS GOALS. WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM | MARCH 2020
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STRATEGY
Key Military Planning Principals
to Help You Find “Right Fit” Franchises by Dave Cooley, Consultant, The Franchise Consulting Company
Are you a military veteran? If you are, you already know the key military planning principals necessary to uncover the best “right fit” franchises options for you to investigate … therefore, this article is more of a “reminder” than an instruction. If you’re not a military veteran, then you’re about to learn some important principals regarding how to find franchise options that make sense for you … that is, if you’re interested in franchising (and, by the fact you’re reading this article, it looks like you are!)
HERE ARE THE PRINCIPALS: INTEL – LOGISTICS – RECON – FORCE MULTIPLIERS Let’s start with the first: Intel (short for Intelligence … yes, I know the joke about military intelligence being an oxymoron). Your franchise search should start with searching Google, Bing, Firefox, whichever, for franchise options. Simply type “franchise opportunities” into any search engine, hit enter and you’ll instantly see dozens and dozens of websites listed. Each of those sites showcases sometimes a hundred or more franchise options. Thankfully, most websites will categorize the franchises into business categories, so scroll through the categories and click on those categories that catch your interest. Now … and this is important … use a little “Fred Flintstone Technology,” i.e., a pad and pen to keep notes! Keeping notes about the categories of franchises that sparked your interest and about the franchises in each of those categories
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that you found interesting will keep you from recovering ground over and over again. KEEP NOTES … besides, your notes will be very helpful when we get to the “Force Multiplier” section later.
DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION AT ANY FRANCHISE WEBSITE! Not at the Intel stage of the game anyway or you’ll have franchise sales people calling you and, if you submitted your info at several sites for several franchises, you’ll want to get a new phone number within just a few days! You’ll be bombarded (to use another military term), so don’t do it!
Hound Mounds; Scoop Wizards and (of course) Poop 911! See what I mean? So, once you’ve conducted your Intel, you should have a good idea about what kinds of franchise opportunities are of interest to you and you’ll be ready to move on to the Logistics phase of the process. This phase of the process involves putting down on paper (remember the pad and pen?) the following: FINANCIAL RESOURCES • Cash • Savings • Stocks and Bonds • 401(k), IRA, etc. • Funds from relatives or friends who want to “go in” with you MARKET CHARACTERISTICS (USE WIKIPEDIA TO GATHER THIS INFORMATION) • Population • Median income • Age mix • Number of households YOUR PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS • Education • Job skills • Management experience • Life experience The whole purpose of the Intel phase is to start getting smart about what kinds of franchises are out there … and, there’s a heck of a lot of them, about 4,000 or more! That doesn’t mean to say there are 4,000 different kinds of franchises because franchise companies like to copy other successful franchises. That’s why we not only have McDonald’s, we also have Burger King, Wendy’s, Sonic, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Smashburger … the list goes on. In fact, about a dozen years ago, there were only about three senior care franchises – there’s more than 40 on the market today. Heck, 10 years ago there was only one franchise that would help you get into the business of picking up dog poop – now, there’s Dooty Calls; Got Poo?; Doo Care; Pet Butler;
WORKSTYLE PREFERRED • Work from home • Work in your business full or part-time • Retail location … office location … mobile location (van or truck) • Lots of employees or a few … or none – just you
WRITE THIS STUFF DOWN! WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM | MARCH 2020
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FRANCHISE CONSULTANTS ARE MUCH LIKE RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE AGENTS IN THAT THEY WORK WITH AND FOR YOU, BUT THE SELLERS PAY THEIR FEES – YOU PAY YOUR FRANCHISE CONSULTANT NOTHING! The Recon phase is the start of the fun part of the process. As military veterans know, Recon is short for “Reconnoiter,” a French term meaning to make a reconnaissance or preliminary examination. So, how do you Recon franchises? Well, you already have a list of the categories of franchises … and even several specific franchises in each category … that have sparked your interest and, thanks to the Logistics you gathered, you already know which of those you have the skills, market and resources to become successful. So, now, do some recon on those franchise options! See if the franchises you are interested in are in your market – a Google search will do the trick. Then, check Yelp and other social media to see what customers think of them. Visit www. unhappyfranchisee.com and www.rippoffreport. com to see if any of the franchises you’re interested in have had problems. You can even check out the oddly named franchising industry information website, www.bluemaumau.com, for news and information about the franchises that have captured your attention – simply use the search box at this site. If you’re interested in a retail-based franchise, get in your car and drive around … check the strip centers in your area to see if they are there. If you do find a local location of a franchise in which you are interested, secret shop it! Experience the franchise as a customer and see what you think. The final military principal you should engage is that of Force Multipliers. In military science, a force multiplier refers to a factor or a combination of factors that gives personnel or weapons the ability to accomplish greater feats than without it. So far, you’ve been going through the process solo and that’s not good. There are people in your life who know you well and can give you a lot of valuable information. Chief among those people – your best force multiplier -- is your spouse/
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significant other. He or she knows you better than you think and can provide tremendously valuable insight about which franchises would be good fits for you and your market. So, seek the advice of your spouse or significant other … besides; you might as well get him or her involved in the process because if that person isn’t on board with you investing in a franchise business of your own, you are in a world of hurt! Another very valuable force multiplier is a franchise consultant. Franchise consultants are much like residential real estate agents in that they work with and for you, but the sellers pay their fees – you pay your franchise consultant nothing! And an experienced and ethical franchise consultant can really help you with each of the steps I’ve outlined in this article, so it makes sense to engage a consultant from the “get go.” Why “go it alone” when experienced, educated advice and guidance is readily available and for free? The Franchise Consulting Company (www. thefranchiseconsultingcompany.com) is one of the largest and most successful consulting groups in the industry. With more than 140 highly experienced franchise professionals as member consultants, certainly one of them can prove invaluable in making sure you uncover franchises that make sense for you to investigate. Use the military mission planning tools to gather Intel, organize your Logistics, conduct Recon and then find Force Multipliers to enhance your ability to achieve success as a franchise business owner. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dave Cooley is a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel with over 24 years of service who has been an executive in franchising for the past 20 years, including the past 8 years as a franchise consultant. Contact Dave at dave@ thefranchiseconsultingcompany.com or at 720-259-9475.
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WHY PEOPLE INVE$T in Franchises
by Chris Conner, President, Franchise Marketing Systems The entire franchise industry has gone through enormous change and evolved significantly with the "Amazon Effect" impacting nearly every industry and business on the planet. Many have even surmised that traditional retail is dead and the entire concept of a retail store is extinct. The reality is that the market segment has just changed and has been forced to evolve. Franchising is a huge and diverse industry—from fitness gyms like RockBox Fitness to QSR Food service models such as Grab N Go Tacos and specialty retail boutiques which create value at the store level like Ideal Feet. The franchise industry continues to grow and thrive with new ideas and breakthrough franchise brands. SO WHY CONSIDER A FRANCHISE VS. JUST STARTING A BUSINESS? A franchise essentially offers
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an entrepreneur a completed blueprint of a successful business based on a proven track-record. The Franchisor should have the experience and expertise to provide guidance and support to the new franchise owner to skip the learning curve and shorten the timeframe from opening to breaking even. The franchise terms and conditions are outlined in the franchise disclosure document or FDD and operational processes are documented in the Franchise Operations Manual. All of these documents provide a clear sense of what the Franchisee's responsibilities are to be an effective and efficient business owner while being compliant with the terms and conditions of the franchise. As a franchisee, the franchisor has already done all the heavy lifting so the new business owner doesn't have to. The franchisor developed the idea, documented the financial
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model and business plan, tested the business model, and defined the franchise marketing system through promoting and selling the product/services through advertising and marketing. A Franchisee can take advantage of these experiences and resources from the Franchisor and ultimately have a higher success rate than traditional business start ups. Perhaps one of the most difficult elements of building a business is establishing a professional and credible brand. A strong brand is what allows you as a business owner to marketing yourself, and create trust with consumers which ties in directly to your ability to create revenue. The barrier to entry is high for new brands to compete with more mature brands that have captured their consumer base. Buying a franchise is one way to lower that barrier to entry by leveraging an
A FRANCHISE ESSENTIALLY OFFERS AN ENTREPRENEUR A COMPLETED BLUEPRINT OF A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS BASED ON A PROVEN TRACK-RECORD. existing brand and credibility that the Franchisor has developed. As a start-up business owner, it can be difficult without having a reliable support network and resources to support better decision making during the new business ramp up. As a franchisee, you’ll have the support of the franchisor as well as other franchises who in most cases probably have run into the same obstacles you’re encountering. Owning a franchise offers a nice balance between that feeling of independence and maintaining a comfortable level of risk. However, there is a cost associated with investing in a franchise over a new business start up. A Franchise typically includes a requirement to pay an initial franchise fee to the franchisor and ongoing royalty fees as a percentage based on how much revenue your franchise generates. Franchising requires sacrificing a little independence and freedom, but offers greater security and support in a new business endeavor. Essentially, investing in a franchise is one way of minimizing your risk of failure and maximizing your rate of success due to leveraging a standardized and scalable business model.
HOW MUCH CAPITAL IS AVAILABLE TO INVEST? A franchise which requires a physical store location is more expensive to operate and maintain than maybe a mobile business which could be run out of home office. Is there a demand for that type of business in a particular market or area you are interested in? If your local or regional market is saturated with similar brands or offerings, it can be increasingly difficult to compete for new consumers. On the other hand, If the market doesn’t offer much competition, you might have a significant opportunity for the product or service your franchise would offer. There are over 3,000 franchise brands active in the U.S. today. Many are some of the best brands and businesses the world has ever seen, others are not as strong of an opportunity. Get help when analyzing the franchise market and making a decision with this much importance, there are countless franchise consultants who can provide direction and support to help new franchise owners go through the franchise investment process.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF FINDING AND SELECTING THE RIGHT FRANCHISE BRAND AND HOW DO YOU ANALYZE THE MARKET TO MAKE THE BEST CHOICE? What is the process of finding and selecting the right franchise brand and how do you analyze the market to make the best choice? Choosing which franchise to invest with is similar to the first steps of creating a business plan for a new business start up. Some things a prospective franchisee should consider are: What kind of business might you like to own and operate? Each business requires certain daily responsibilities and skill sets, find ones that match up best with your skill sets and interests and odds are you will be happier in the long run. Do you prefer to work more as an individual or as a team member? Some franchises require large staff numbers and teams to operate, others can be managed with a very low number of employees or even as a single operator.
Chris Conner President Franchise Marketing Systems www.FMSFranchise.com info@thefranchiseconsultingcompany.com
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PLANNING
Is Franchising Right for You?
10 QUESTIONS to ASK YOURSELF by Seth Lederman, Consultant, The Franchise Consulting Company There is no question that owning a franchise as opposed to “going it alone” is a smart way to go into business. The amount of time and money that is saved by choosing a system that has a proven success rate, marketing, known brand, and support at setup and throughout are just a few of the factors why franchising is so popular. People want to be in business for themselves, not by themselves. To be honest, franchising is not for everyone. People who are looking to put their own personal stamp on a business may not like it. People who are not organized and systematic or aren’t comfortable with managing others and helping them grow don’t always find franchising as valuable as those who like a system and who like a reliable proven way to do business. While there are many examples of successful franchises, buying a franchise is no guarantee of success. Before buying a franchise, 10 important questions need to be carefully and thoughtfully answered:
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1. Are you willing and able to take on the responsibilities of managing your own business? Some very careful self-analysis is important before buying a franchise. Indeed, your “personal house” should be in good order. One of the myths that has been perpetuated is that franchise ownership is easy. This is just simply not true! While the franchise system will give the start-up training and offer ongoing support, you, the franchisee, must be prepared to manage the business. While some franchises may lend themselves to absentee ownership, most are best run by hands-on management. You must be willing to work harder than you have perhaps ever worked before. Fortyhour weeks are also a myth, particularly in the start-up phase of the business. It is more like 60-to-70-hour weeks. You must also be willing to mop floors, empty trash, fire as well as hire employees and deal with upset customers.
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2. Will you enjoy the franchise? Sometimes people buy a franchise they think will make them a lot of money, only to find later they do not enjoy the business. The adage, “know thyself,” certainly applies here. You should buy a franchise that centers in an area that you will enjoy for at least the next 10-15 years. 3. Are you willing to completely follow the franchise system? The very key to franchising success is the consistency of product and service customers find from one franchise to another. When you display the sign and logo of a franchise, you are indicating to customers that you follow a particular system. People who are extremely entrepreneurial in the sense that they do not like to conform to a predetermined formula should be very careful about buying a franchise. 4. Do you have a history of success in dealing and interacting with people? Many franchised businesses are based on people relations. Your ability to interact well with your franchisor, other franchisees, your employees
and your customers cannot be emphasized enough. A negative, critical franchise owner can be a detriment to the entire franchise system. You must have a track record of good relationships with employers, supervisors and fellow employees. 5. Can you afford the franchise? One of the major causes of business failure is under capitalization. While the franchisor will be able to give you a good idea of the start-up costs, sometimes these will vary due to leasehold improvements needs and other valuables. You will need enough money to not only open your franchise, but to run it until such a time as it is profitable. For some franchises, that may take a year. Remember, it is better to start out with more money than you think you will need rather than less. 6. Have you carefully studied the legal documents? Franchisors are required to prepare a document called the Franchise disclosure document (FDD). This document will give you pertinent information about the franchise. It will also contain the Franchise Agreement (FA) that you will sign. This agreement will govern your
relationship with the franchisor for the term of the contract. The disclosure document is a vital document. It should be studied very carefully and discussed with your lawyer. 7. Does the franchise you are considering have a track record of success? You should get to know the principal directors of the company—their business background and how profitable their franchise has been. The disclosure document will contain this information. Have an accountant review the financial analysis of the franchise. Is it a solid company? Also, examine how long the franchise has been in business. A new start-up franchise may offer you the opportunity to get in on the ground floor. But it might also mean that the franchisor has not had sufficient experience to fully develop the system. 8. Are the franchisees generally happy and successful? The disclosure document will contain a listing of all of the franchise owners. It would be worth your time to contact a number of them to discuss their experiences with the franchise. Has the franchisor followed through
on commitments? Did the franchisees receive adequate training? Would they buy the franchise again? Is the business profitable? What advice would they give you? More about this when we cover the due diligence process. 9. Do you like the franchisor’s staff — those people with whom you will be working? One of the most important elements of a franchise is the ongoing support and contact you will have with the franchisor. For this reason, you should feel comfortable with the people you will interact with for a number of years. 10. Do you have a support system? Managing a franchise is a full-time job. It requires great sacrifices of personal and family time. For this reason, your friends and family should understand that you will have tremendous demands on your time. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Seth Lederman, a Franchise Acquisition and Development Specialist, is a multi-faceted entrepreneur with 30 years of experience in small business success, including ownership and sale of his own business enterprises. Contact him at seth@ thefranchiseconsultingcompany.com or call 312-307-1297.
“THE DECISIONS YOU MAKE TODAY CAN AFFECT YOUR WAY OF LIFE TOMORROW, ALWAYS THINK CAREFULLY BEFORE MAKING ANY BIG DECISIONS.” — Rashida Rowe
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Join the premier managed IT services franchise, TeamLogic IT IN-DEMAND BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
TeamLogic IT provides businesses with technology support and services that range from simple computer systems support to managed IT services and project outsourcing. As an owner of your own TeamLogic IT business, you’ll help small- and medium-sized companies with a broad range of IT services. Your clients will come to rely on you to keep their technology current and their businesses running efficiently. You’ll help them with proactive, preventative and responsive IT services. Our monthly recurring revenue model is a win-win for you and your clients. And, the camaraderie, peer support and drive among our network of franchisees are like none other in the industry.
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FRANCHISE OWNER PROFILE The ideal candidate for a TeamLogic IT business is a person who wishes to work in a business environment, understands technology, has an aptitude for sales and/or building relationships, and enjoys working with other business professionals while building a team to deliver outstanding service and support. Many of our franchise owners were previously IT directors for small companies, executives in corporate America, engineers or technology consultants.
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INTERVIEW
Building Blocks of the Future With Laura Coe of Snapology
Q
by Dave Jones, Consultant, The Franchise Consulting Company
Typically, most entrepreneurs have an “ah ha” moment that is the catalyst to becoming a business owner. What was your moment when you knew this was the time to venture out on your own? Tell us about your past professional experience and how it prepared for business ownership?
A
When I was 12 years old parents started their own business, so I was always interested and intrigued, even at an early age. I worked there throughout my teenage years (more on the operations side), so I saw firsthand what was essential to successfully run a business. After graduating from college, I worked as an actuary for 8 or 9 years. I then opened up a franchise in my late 20’s – grew it and then sold it. A few years later with my then spouse, we started The Cleaning Authority – Pittsburgh- which was a great experience with great franchise support. That business is still in operation today. When I had small children there wasn’t in my opinion a lot of Children’s franchise opportunities. One of my children wasn’t into sports and
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consequently, I found options very limited. I started to do some homework to learn that there was only 1 franchise that was in the space I was wanting to be in.
Q
According to engineeringforkids.com, STEM and STEAM education helps to bridge the ethnic and gender gaps sometimes found in math and science fields. Initiatives have been established to increase the roles of women and minorities in STEM-related fieldsSTEM education breaks the traditional gender roles. Can you tell me about Snapology and how it addresses this topic?
A
I agree that STEM should be gender neutral and should also bridge socioeconomic status as well. I find that parents may hold back(unknowingly) the young girls from STEM. Our emphasis is to explain that girls desire it as much as boys. Today it is much better, and parents are more aware that
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girls want and need STEM as much as boys do. As for socioeconomics, we do a lot with under served populations, non-profits, etc. Our mission is to get this to as many children as we can through grants and other support means.
Q A
Do you need to be an educator to be a successful Snapology Franchise owner? Can you tell me what traits you look for in a new franchise owner? Indeed not, and in fact, we discourage our owners from teaching. Our best owners are those that understand the marketing, sales, and possess a desire to provide educational play
programs from a community standpoint. It is also important to be business savvy and have marketing and sales skills necessary to driving the success of the business.
Q
What does the day in the life of a Snapology franchise owner look like? MARKETING / SALES / HIRING are the top 3 responsibilities. Initially the majority of the time is spent with marketing activities and we have all of the tools to help with this critical initiative.
A
Due to the low investment cost up front, on average they are cash flow positive in 4 or 5 months. Since our franchise model has very small overhead (home based) and also you are only spending money on staff when activities are booked, you can grow your business profitably.
Q
Aside from all the social good that STEM provides to children, what are the revenue streams for a Snapology owner, and do you have an item 19 in your FDD that speaks to earnings for your franchisees?
A
The big three are: classes, camps and parties. However, the revenue streams are endless: career day (used to be take your child to work
day), field trips at schools, senior programs, corporate programs, etc. We will show a strong item 19 in the 2020 FDD.
Q A
Is your franchise a “Brick and Mortar” model or can it be also be home based? What are most of the existing locations?
Every single location is “community based” (being offered schools, libraries, recreation centers and other community facilities) which is the bread and butter and where the bulk of the profitability is. From there, they can choose to either add a brick and mortar Discovery Center or alternatively add a “mobile STEM lab” i.e. a bus retrofitted to meet our needs.
Q
How does Snapology assist an owner to get their new business launched and can you touch briefly on the ongoing training and education for your franchisees?
A
That differentiates us from our competitors as it is above and beyond anything else out there (was my motivation to accomplish this). 4 days on site at our Pittsburgh
Headquarters, then full access to all of our support staff, a help desk, an owners forum (using an app called “slack”) where owner to owner communications occur, a Brand advisory council, a peer group of other like owners, an annual convention, refresher meetings, e-learning platform, etc.
Q A
Is there anything else you would like to share about you, your successes with Snapology and what does 2020 and beyond looks like?
2020 is definitely off to a great start –with10 new owners, master agreements signed in Egypt and Iraq and a single unit in Saudi Arabia. International, our business is really taking off due to STEM being more recognized globally. We expect to add 30 – 40 more units this year, while we continue to add new programs for our existing owners. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dave Jones has 26 years of Corporate Experience with organizations like Proctor and Gamble and Matthews International, where he was Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Product Development. With an undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Economics from Washington and Jefferson College, a Master’s in Business from Carnegie Mellon University, 10 years of franchise experience and two U S Patents in merchandising, he is well prepared to help with your evaluation of owning your own Franchised business. Contact him at david@ thefranchiseconsultingcompany.com and at 412-400-9209.
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EXPERT ADVICE
6 Tips for an
UNFORGETTABLE ELEVATOR SPEECH by Don Rosenberg, Consultant, The Franchise Consulting Company
Wikipedia says “An “elevator speech” or "elevator pitch" is an overview of an idea for a product, service, or project. The name reflects the fact that an elevator pitch should be possible to deliver in the time span of an elevator ride, meaning in max 30 seconds and not more than 130 words.” Stumped on how to develop your first elevator speech? Here are some tips… YOU’VE HEARD THE TERM “PAY ATTENTION” A speaker and his audience are entering into a transaction; he provides valuable information and his audience “pays” with their “attention.” If he doesn’t do a good job – has irrelevant material or poor delivery - the audience starts to lose interest.
TIP #1: You have a duty
to appeal to your audience’s self-interest, express yourself clearly, and do so in an entertaining manner. Your talk is not about YOU, it’s about your audience. What do they need that you can offer? What are their problems that you can solve? What are their “pains” that you can cure? When you’re done, you want your audience to remember who you are, what you do, and how to act on your behalf. That may mean walking up to you after the meeting to buy your product or service, or setting
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up an appointment to talk with you further. DEFINE YOUR TALKING POINTS. It can be very humbling to try to describe your life’s work in 30-60 seconds. Surely, there’s more to it than that? But that’s what you have to do.
TIP #2: No elevator
speech is the same. Depending on your audience and your business needs, you may take a different approach, even f rom one day to the next. Assume that most in your audience know nothing about you or your business so you have to state your name, explain what you do and what you sell, and what problems you solve for your clients. If you have competition, you must differentiate yourself and explain how you’re better. If your business is new you should review your concept and cover issues of credibility
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and reliability. You need a call to action - what you want them to do - whether it’s buying a product or service that day, or setting up an appointment to meet later on. And finally, you need a strong closing, a way to cement your name and business proposition in their minds so they’ll remember you for a long time. SAY “HELLO.” Networking meetings are often somewhat chaotic.
TIP #3:
Feel free to wait a few seconds before you start. STAND UP and look people in the eye as you glance around the room. If you see someone engaged in a private conversation, feel free to smile at them for a second or two until they quiet down. Then say a cheerful “hello” or “good morning” in a loud voice to the whole group. You should get a reply back and the room should quiet down.
By taking command of your audience you’re signaling your confidence that what you’ll have to say is going to be valuable. START WITH YOUR NAME.
TIP #4:
An essential part of networking is getting people to remember your name. If you can come up with a sensible or creative trick, give it a try.
“MY NAME IS DAVID POWERS, THAT’S GOOD, BECAUSE I’M A POWERPOINT EXPERT.” “MY NAME IS CHIP YANDLE. FUNNY, SINCE I WORK WITH COMPUTERS.” If you have an unusual sounding name, SAY IT SLOWLY. If it’s truly odd, you may need to think up a way for people to understand. “My name is Bob Acor – that’s “acorn” without the “n.” WHAT DO YOU DO? You know all about your business, but for many people this is the first time they’ve heard of your line of work.
TIP #5:
Be able to explain your business model in a sentence or two. “I build vegetable gardens in your back yard. I make gardening easy.” “I’m a CPA specializing in tax preparation for small businesses like yours.”
If you have a relatively common business and a lot of competition, describing your business should go pretty quickly and the rest of your elevator speech needs to focus on why they should choose YOU over anyone else. But if your business is brand new, or has a unique concept, then it’s the business model you need to sell, since you probably don’t have any competition nearby. Why is your product or service important to your audience? 98% of people are motivated by self-interest. If what you have to offer doesn’t benefit them or their friends and family, they’re going to turn their heads down and check
their cell phones for messages, or thumb something into their Blackberries. Either way, you’ve lost that part of your audience for the rest of your talk.
TIP #6: If you’re a CPA
don’t’ say “I do your taxes fast and at a low price,” instead, “I keep the I.R.S. out of your office.” If you sell insurance it’s not “I’ll explain all your insurance options in under a half hour,” but, “I’ll help you watch over your family if something bad happens to you.”
FOR MORE TIPS ON CREATING YOUR ELEVATOR SPEECH, check out my book, “Sixty Seconds to an UNFORGETTABLE Elevator Speech” available at don@ thefranchiseconsultingcompany.com
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LEGAL ADVICE
What Can a Franchise Attorney Do For You? by Nancy Lanard, Esq. Founder Lanard & Associates You are considering acquiring a franchise. You have received the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) and have thumbed through the pages of information.
WHAT DO YOU DO NOW! Franchisors are required to disclose 23 items of information that are intended to assist you in deciding if the investment is one that you should consider. A prospective
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franchisee should carefully review the FDD. In reviewing these 23 required items, a great deal of information is uncovered. You will learn about the history of the company, whether there are affiliates or predecessors, how long the company has been in business and how long the company has been selling franchises. Additionally you will learn about litigation brought by and against the company involving the franchise. You will learn the
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backgrounds of the various principals involved in the company and whether any have been involved in bankruptcy. There is a great deal of financial information included in the 23 items which indicate franchisees’ financial obligations to the company and to others and the estimated initial costs involved, as well as the financial strength of the franchisor. Once you have reviewed the FDD, you should perform due diligence by contacting existing and former franchisees in the franchise system. Ask many questions about their experiences. In addition to the obvious financial questions, you should inquire about the support they receive from the franchisor, their positive and negative feedback on owning the franchise and whether, if they knew what they now know, they would buy the franchise today. Your next step should be to show the franchisor’s financial statements (contained in the FDD as an exhibit) to an experienced business accountant. The accountant should advise you on whether he or she believes that the franchisor has sufficient financial strength to support your business and the
franchise system for the duration of the franchise term. Additionally, the accountant should advise you on whether he or she believes that this business appears likely to be able to financially support you and your family. The last step in determining if you should acquire a franchise is to consult an experienced franchisee attorney. As a law firm that primarily focuses on representing franchisees, our attorneys review of the documents begins with checking the status of the trademark(s) to make sure they are federally registered trademarks. After all, when you are buying a franchised business, you are acquiring a business that operates under a trademark. It is important to be sure that the trademark is federally protected. We then check the state in which the territory or business will be located to ensure that there isn’t an independent business (not part of the franchise system) with a similar name that will cause confusion to the public. If there is such a business, that independent business may be able to sue you for trademark infringement if their use of the name predates the franchisor’s federal trademark registration. Our review continues with a thorough review of the franchise agreement. While reviewing the agreement we make note of obligations (financial, reporting and others) that the franchisee will have to the franchisor.
Although some agreements are not negotiable, some agreements are. Therefore, I suggest revisions to the agreement which would make the document fairer to the franchisee. Some of the modifications involve providing a standard of reasonableness when franchisor approval is required, providing more notice prior to the franchisor’s exercise of its remedies upon default, insuring that any required indemnification by the franchisee to the franchisor is limited, and requiring that the franchisor provide indemnification to the franchisee for any trademark infringement actions or claims. These are just a sampling of some of the modifications that can often be negotiated with the franchisor. Once the franchise agreement is reviewed and negotiations are completed, the franchise attorney should discuss the type of legal entity under which the franchisee should operate the franchised business. In conjunction with the franchisee’s accountant, a decision should be made whether the business should be an S-corporation or a limited liability company. The last piece in representing
a franchisee is reviewing and negotiating the retail shopping center lease. Often franchises are retail businesses. Reviewing the leases for the retail location requires an expertise. As a franchise law firm that dedicates most of our practice to franchise law, we handle a great deal of commercial shopping center leases. These documents are highly negotiable, from the business terms, to the legal nuances. The attorneys at Lanard and Associates know the many legal issues and types of business terms that the less experienced attorney, general practitioner and the real estate broker won’t know to negotiate. In addition, we have found that any review performed by the franchisor is not a substitute for an independent legal review. It is clear that even when a franchise agreement is not negotiable, it is important to retain experienced franchise counsel to assist you with this process. You are undertaking a large financial obligation and it is important to know that someone is on your team assisting you in being in the best legal position you can be. Lanard and Associates looks forward to being your teammate.
©2020 Lanard and Associates, P.C. All rights reserved. Contact information: Nancy Lanard, Esquire, 600 W. Germantown Pike, Suite 400, Plymouth Meeting PA 19462; 215-392-0030 x101, nlanard@lanardandassociates.com. THIS ARTICLE IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS HOW THIS INFORMATION RELATES TO YOUR SPECIFIC SITUATION, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT:
nlanard@lanardandassociates.com or 215-392-0030 x101.
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ENTREPRENEURS
Ronnie & Shamari DeVoe
Creating Their Own Skyline
I
f you are anywhere from 10-60 years old you may be among the 30,000,000 people who know the names Ronnie & Shamari DeVoe. Having conquered both the R&B and Pop charts. What you might not know is that they are multi-brand franchise owners, entrepreneurs, loving parents to two young boys and ferociously committed to each other. Ronnie & Shamari DeVoe have spent their lives creating new skylines. From the legendary music group New Edition, Bell Biv DeVoe, RBRM and Shamari Fears-DeVoe and the multi platinum selling, break out girl group BLAQUE, Ronnie & Shamari have inspired generations around the globe. Giving back and taking care of his loved ones has
BLAQUE
always been a big theme in Ronnie’s life. Growing up in Boston, Ronnie always loved architecture and real estate. As his music career took him around the world he realized that his next skyline would be as a real estate investor and entrepreneur. Moving
BELL BIV DEVOE
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to Atlanta; he got started in franchising with a ReMax franchise and from there launched DeVoe Real Estate which specializes in residential and commercial real estate. Having grown the company to over 100 agents, he continues to look for opportunities where he can help others succeed. “As a young kid from the projects, I didn’t really know anyone who owned their own home and being able to help so many with achieving their American Dream has been as fulfilling as performing our hit records across the world” says DeVoe. Entrepreneurs always meet other entrepreneurs and when Shamari and Ronnie fell in love it began an amazing collaboration that has grown stronger through her amazing career. While the world knows her as the lead singer of the Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez of TLC famed group, Blaque, she
prefers to focus on the love of her family and her message to the world. “Never stop reaching for the top of the mountain” she cites as her driving force behind her success. At the height of her fame, she paused to achieve her dream of a bachelors in Sociology from Georgia State University. She has found success in movies on the big screen and on TV with Real HouseWives of Atlanta. Her franchise career started owning a well known massage/ day spa in Atlanta that she later exited. She is flexing her entrepreneurial talents by launching an online women’s boutique https://www. marijaqua.com/ that caters to busy professional moms. “This isn’t about pieces of clothing but about how to achieve an elegant look effortlessly. None of us have enough time in the day and I wanted to help women take control of their wardrobe...and their life!” Another passion of this dynamic couple is the organization Married 4 Life. This is a major initiative they have lead and cite as a rock that has kept their 17 year relationship
“NEVER FORGET YOU ARE A SUPER STAR. HAVE FAITH IN YOUR ABILITY TO BE YOUR BEST. PERSEVERE AND ALWAYS KEEP CLIMBING THAT MOUNTAIN!” — SHAMARI DEVOE
strong. They have hosted multiple walks with thousands of married couples across the USA. “Making sure that couples are united, speaking, and staying together,” explained Shamari. “People from all different walks of life can come together. It’s just a time of connecting with your spouse.” You can walk with them on April 25, 2020 in Atlanta. Circling the globe, building businesses and a family invariably leads to many realizations that you would want to share with your younger self. When we asked what advice they have for those looking to their future, Shamari said “Never forget you are a super star. Have faith
in your ability to be your best. Persevere and always keep climbing that mountain!” “Mic drop! How can I follow that?” asked Ronnie but then got serious and said “What you put into something is what you will get out of it. Prepare. Read. Study. Learn from those that came before you.” Ronnie and Shamari continue to tour the world bringing love, entrepreneurial insight and of course timeless music to the world. Check them out at a venue this year and join them in creating Your New Skylines. FOR MORE INFORMATION To learn more about Ron & Shamari’s real estate firm go to https:// devoerealestate.com/
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PUBLIC SERVICE
Atlanta’s Small Business Champion
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ommissioner. Politician. Entrepreneur. Parent. Protector of Human Rights. American Patriot: There are many labels that could be used to define Lorraine Cochran-Johnson but the one that most people think of when they meet her is Kindness with Purpose. Lorraine is widely known as a champion for job growth and business creation for her family of 368,000 people she represents in Atlanta, GA. She is tireless in the pursuit of building opportunities for her constituents and the results show it. With 99.3% of the votes cast in her favor we were lucky to catch up with her as she is a whirlwind of action for her District. Originally from Greenville, Alabama and an eighteen-year DeKalb County, GA resident, Lorraine attended Troy University where she received a B.S. Degree in Political Science and Criminal Justice; a M.S. in The Administration of Criminal Justice; and, received the M.P.A. in Public Administration with a concentration in Economic Development and Grant Writing from Auburn University before attending John Marshall Law School Lorraine has developed state and federal proposals since 1994 that resulted in the procurement of millions
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in CDBG funding for state and local entities through the Auburn University Economic Development Institute. As a community activist and parent, Lorraine is a past president of Pine Ridge Elementary School PTA (2006-2007) and Chapel Hill Middle School (20082009) PTA and independently secured over $200,000 in funding for school revitalization and digital technology in 2017. As a professional, Lorraine spent over a decade at Creative Loafing Newspaper. An entrepreneur, Lorraine founded Salons Unlimited Magazine, a publication that started with 5,000 print issues in Atlanta and grew to a 56,000 circulation in 31 U.S. cities in three years before being sold in 2010. In 2009, Lorraine became a founding member of United Front Media, a premiere film and visual media company specializing in content development where she produced commercials for the City of Atlanta, MARTA, KIA and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. In 2015, Lorraine joined Real Times Media as the General Manager of the Atlanta Daily World Newspaper and Associate Publisher of Who’s Who In Black Atlanta and VP of Business Development for RTM Properties – AtlantaDailyWorld. com and Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine, before resigning to pursue public service.
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Lorraine strongly supports positive initiatives in economic development, education, public safety and home ownership. Moderator of DeKalb’s PDS-24 television show EngagementNow, Lorraine works with show producers to develop content crafted around issues relevant to modern education. The wife of Ret. Lt. Col. William H. Johnson, III, niece of Annie Page and the Mother of Martin Luther King Jr. High School International Baccalaureate student Zion Cochran, Lorraine values family and community above all else. CONNECT WITH LORRAINE To learn more about Lorraine or to connect with her go to http:// commissionerlorrainecochranjohnson. com/
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At Tailored Living®, our designers are the local experts at maximizing your living space and getting your home beautifully organized with custom storage and flooring systems that are designed with your personal style and lifestyle in mind.
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Closets • Garages • Garage Flooring • Home Offices • Murphy Beds • Pantries • Craft & Hobby Areas ©2020 Tailored Living, LLC. All rights reserved. Each franchise independently owned and operated. Tailored Living® featuring PremierGarage® is a trademark of Tailored Living, LLC and a Home Franchise Concepts brand.
RECOMMENDATION
The Riviera Maya Welcomes Conferences at The Iberostar
S
ervice has always been an Iberostar differentiator in the hospitality industry. Our dedication to service is evident in every staff member, from event planners to housekeepers. We can accomodate any size group and make your event extraordinary. Iberostar Selection Paraíso Maya gives you the Caribbean experience while also placing you at the heart of the Mayan civilization, one of the most fascinating cultures of pre-Colombian America. Take in this millennia-old atmosphere at the lobby bar, a recreation of the legendary pyramid of Chichén Itzá. Soak in one of our 9 pools, including a slow river that will make you feel like you’re floating through the Mexican jungle. Or jump in the wave pool if you want a safe environment to play in the waves. Maya guests have (4) Resorts to use and enjoy at the Paraiso Complex where you will find, full service
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fitness center, golf, tennis, shopping center, many walking trails and more! The property’s Conference Service Manager is like a member of your team, providing added value because you don’t need to bring your own staff to the event. We design our function venues so they’re grouped in close proximity, in order to provide greater convenience, focus and functionality for attendees. Flexibility is key, allowing different ways to configure the spaces. Many of our venues have natural light, as well as access to the outdoors for fresh air. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR FACILITIES, reach out to Marlo Sims at Iberostar Conference Planning marlo.sims@iberostar.com or call her directly on 301-219-7334 and be sure to tell her you read about Iberostar in Franchise Journal for your special package!
THE PROPERTY’S CONFERENCE SERVICE MANAGER IS LIKE A MEMBER OF YOUR TEAM, PROVIDING ADDED VALUE BECAUSE YOU DON’T NEED TO BRING YOUR OWN STAFF TO THE EVENT.
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INNOVATIVE
Marisol Binn — The Inventor of the Airport Spa
Concept Provides Relief to Stressed Travelers
T
he vision behind the airport spa concept sprang from the creative genius of Marisol & Moreton Binn. The Binn’s are serial entrepreneurs and world travelers who have been active on the global stage for decades. In addition to founding companies they are passionate about rescuing animals and founded the Binn Animal Rescue Sanctuary on dozens of rolling wooded acres in Ridgefield,
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CT where they are “parents to about 150 animals”. In 2001 they were standing in line at JFK when Marisol commented “everyone looks so stressed out” to which Moreton replied “everyone needs a drink” but when Marisol looked further she had a eureka moment “Yes they do, and they need a massage!” From that observation the airport spa business was born. The Binn’s went on to create Xpress Spa that grew to over 50 locations worldwide from
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2003 to 2015. They exited the company and Marisol was ready to take her vision to the next level. After hosting thousands of passengers each week at her spas, she continuously refined her vision with innovations that are now being rolled out worldwide with Spa Here. While Marisol is the creative force and client experience guru behind the spas, Moreton focuses on the business aspect.
Prior to his airport career he built Atwood Richards, a global multi-billion dollar empire that focused on bartering major transactions globally. The New Yorker magazine termed him ‘The Barter Baron’ while People Magazine dubbed him ‘The Sultan of Swap’. He’s a man who knows how to get things done and when asked he says “Marisol is the brains, the brawn and the look at Spa Here!” Their new concept, based on a Privacy Cocoon mini-spa, is built on an understanding of the needs of airports, as well as ‘unaddressed’ passenger requirements. They added that Spa Here will offer travelers the opportunity to decompress in privacy while enjoying therapeutic treatments. “The goal is to immerse passengers in new spa therapies, convenience and luxury, so they depart refreshed in the shortest time possible. "Passengers don’t want to be exposed to everyone in the concourse when taking spa services. The combination of privacy, comfort and connectivity
while having everything conveniently within reach will entice the Dallas/Fort Worth passenger to experience Spa Here,” Marisol added. With locations at DFW Airport and LaGuardia they are planning on expanding globally in the coming months. Keep your eyes out for Spa Here and when you see one head in and treat yourself to an affordable luxury “on the go”. Thank you Marisol and Moreton for making air travel a little more refined and comfortable! FOR MORE INFORMATION
or to donate to the Binn Animal Rescue go to www.binnanimalrescue.org
TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT AT SPA HERE GO TO https://www.spaherewellness.com/
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EXPERT ADVICE
Find the Courage to Be Independent by Patti Zapparolli, Licensee of Modern Health USA & Founder of 4Lyfe, LLC
M
y career is 26 years in the making, with various leadership roles, and over those years I found there were always two common themes: 1. Everything I did, worked hard for, achieved was for someone else’s bottom line. 2. I wasn’t truly happy. I loved my entire 26-year journey as an executive, but it didn’t bring me true happiness and joy. Like many other female business executive, making a difference in others’ lives was very important to me. The missing piece was the pure freedom to determine my own future. In order to make a change I had to find the courage to be independent so I resigned my position and THEN decided to figure my next move. I didn’t have this all figured out when I quit, and I certainly do not recommend this for everyone, but it felt right for me.
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I started researching franchises and business ownership, got a career coach, went to job fairs, and met with countless people. What interested me the most was the Cannabis Industry. Through my research I found Marilyn Imparato with The Franchise Consulting Company and my search took on a direction. All of a sudden I was in control of a speed boat as opposed to floating down a lazy river! Marilyn helped me focus my time and effort into taking action in putting a priority in exploring business ownership. Navigating the franchise world is a skill that most of us don’t have. As executives, we know how to reach out to others, prioritize, put projects together, conduct due diligence, and create winning teams. This time I was doing that for me. I had bumps in the road along the way, but I didn’t give up. I launched my business by purchasing a license from Modern Health USA, a leader
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in the CBD field! I now help HealthCare Practitioners understand the efficacy of CBD through a robust evidence based clinical study program and a patented nanotechnology CBD delivery system. By having access to patented nanotechnology that delivers 20 times the bioavailability of other products, practitioners are confident that therapeutic doses are efficacious, and users experience bona fide results. I have freedom, in an industry I sought, and inspiring change in the healthcare industry. All while making a difference in others’ lives. Perhaps some of you are feeling the same way and might be missing something from your current career, perhaps you are aren’t sure what you would do or want to do, and you might be overwhelmed at even the thought of it. Treat your business search like any other project you have done in your professional career! Put your own consulting team together to help you find the right fit for you and take control of your future! FOR MORE INFORMATION, REACH OUT TO www.modernhealthusa.com
PRODUCT LAUNCH
SmartPatch Launches at IFA 2020 ™
Powerful Brand-to-Customer Engagement Product Comes in the Form of a Keychain or Patch
P
acific Emblem Company out of SoCal has created a very powerful brandto-fan/customer engagement product in the form of a Patch or Keychain called SmartPatch™. Simply put…the company manufactures a brand’s custom Patch or Keychain and
when their customer swypes over it with their smart phone, it instantly takes them to the brand’s message, offer, coupon or more! And…The BEST PART… once the SmartPatch is out in circulation, the brand can log into the SmartPatch. com proprietary dashboard and update or redirect a NEW message, offer, prize or information to all their customers within seconds! How cool is that? A “talking” patch or keychain you ask? “Yup”…says Soergel….”we created a fun, affordable and unique engagement product that allows brands a way to communicate their message, news, events, prizes right to their captive audience. We are very excited to share this amazing technology to franchisors, f ranchisees and others who want to
continually stay in touch with their customers.” SmartPatches or SmartPatch keychains are made of Embroidered, Woven, Rubber or other fabrics to create the perfect Instant-message driven product. SmartPatch launched at IFA 2020 and the response and interest was overwhelming. “It’s like Magic,” CEO and Inventor Rich ‘Dr. Patch’ Soergel says. “Customer or Fans can now swype a branded patch or keychain and instantly be taken to a landing page or their favorite brands? I still get goosebumps everytime I show it!” SmartPatch™ is trademarked and patent pending. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SMARTPATCH Contact Rich or Steve at hello@ smartpatch.com or see their newly launched website at SmartPatch.com - SmartPatch™ Branding. Right. Now.
“WE CREATED A FUN, AFFORDABLE AND UNIQUE ENGAGEMENT PRODUCT THAT ALLOWS BRANDS A WAY TO COMMUNICATE THEIR MESSAGE, NEWS, EVENTS, PRIZES RIGHT TO THEIR CAPTIVE AUDIENCE.” — RICH 'DR. PATCH' SOERGEL
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Smart Franchises Know That Powerful Customer Engagement = Stronger Sales! THIS WILL BLOW YOU AWAY!
TM SmartPatch… the ultimate Brand-to-Fan Patch or Keychain that instantly “engages” your customers directly to their smart phone. And the BEST PART…. you can redirect or send new offers, messages, coupons at anytime in the future. IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES!
CALL 800-872-8778 TO LEARN MORE A DIVISION OF
PACIFIC SPORTSWEAR & EMBLEM COMPANY
PACIFIC SPORTSWEAR & EMBLEM CO. SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
quotes@SmartPatch.com • @SmartPatchUSA
SmartPatch.com
©2017-2020 SmartPatch™ SmartPatch™ is patent-pending. All rights reserved.
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