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July/Aug 2020 $5.95
No Excuses. Just Grit. Laura Spaulding
Marketing Tips
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Business Trends
March/April 2020 1
Laura Spaulding’s “never-give-up” mentality has led her to great heights in her business. Failure is not an option, especially when you don’t have a Plan B, she says. Read her inspiring interview in this issue! Publisher/ Editor in Chief Elizabeth Denham elizabeth.denham@thefranchisewoman.com
Leverage the Power of Women
to grow your brand
Let us help you grow your brand! Find out how we can target your next franchise owner.
Managing Publisher Rebecca Monet rebecca@zorakle.com Designer Annie Malloy annie.malloy@thefranchisewoman.com Contributors Nancy Friedman, Michelle Hummel, Faizun Kamal, Julie Lusthaus, Rebecca Monet, Tom Porterfield, Michele Rempel, Susan Scotts Marketing Juanita Azul info@thefranchisewoman.com
We strive to create an amazing resource for women in the franchise industry. We appreciate all ideas, feedback and questions. Please contact us at any time. www.TheFranchiseWoman.com info@thefranchisewoman.com 251-300-1324
Contact Us 7060 Ponce de Leon Drive Spanish Fort, Alabama 36527 www.thefranchisewoman.com Entire contents copyright ©2020
July/Aug 2020
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IN THIS ISSUE
25
20
44
Departments 6 Letter from the Editor. 38 Policy and Pride. 16 Zoom Etiquette. Are you a Zoom 40 Should I Franchise My Tutoring Zombie?
22 PPE Maximize Forgiveness. 24 Growing Your Franchise Through Engagement
Business Now?
48 How Should I Market My Business in a Lull?
30 Creative Activities to Keep Your Kids 50 Featured Franchises. Busy so You Can Work. 52 Women on the Move. 34 Shift Happens- Keeping Positive in Challenging Times.
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The Franchise Woman
32
12 28
Features 10 Welcome Rebecca Monet into The 42 Franchise Woman Partnership.
12 No Excuses. Just Grit. 20 From Dreamer to Business Owner. 44 26 The One Question Everyone is
Why Now is the Best Time to Start a Franchise. Creating a Culture for Success.
Asking.
July/Aug 2020
5
Letter from the Editor This issue, we are talking to women who are killing it in the franchise world. In our “She is Successful” issue, we interview three women who are growing their franchising businesses and who have all overcome struggles and setbacks to make their dreams a reality. While each defines success differently, one common trait they share is determination. They all demonstrate a “never-give-up” attitude that leaves no room for doubt or failure. We can’t wait for you to learn more about Laura Spaulding of Spaulding Decon, Carolyn Thurston of Wisdom Senior Care and Laurie Spivack of Goodbye Graffiti. We also have another big announcement! I have partnered in The Franchise Woman Magazine with Rebecca Monet of Zorakle Profiles. As co-publishers, we have a goal of creating a community of women in the franchising space who support each other and provide mentorship, resources and tools to empower each other to grow and thrive. As an independent magazine, The Franchise Woman welcomes anyone who has something to offer to our female audience. We welcome all brands and make every effort to present stories that delve into the hearts of women across the industry. We also have our usual marketing tips, legal tools and business trends, so check out our contributors’ articles. As we are still navigating an unusual time in the world, we so appreciate their willingness to participate in the magazine. Our podcast, Where Passion and Purpose Collides, hosted by Rebecca Monet and me, has debuted to great reviews! We are committed to providing great stories and discussion through the podcast, and we look forward to expanding our community of women.. We salute our Franchise Women for using their time, talents and treasures to make the world a better place. If you have a great story, please reach out. We can’t wait to meet you! Fiercely,
Elizabeth Denham Publisher/Editor in Chief
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The Franchise Woman
Do you Dream of Owning a Business? Are You Considering Franchise Ownership? Taking the leap into franchise ownership can be exciting. The prospect of owning your time and driving your own destiny is appealing. When choosing the right franchise system, it is critical to do your research and determine which will be the best fit for you. The Franchise Woman has partnered with Zorakle Profiles to provide a science-based assessment that will help determine your aptitude for success.
Find Out Which Franchise is the Best Fit for You! Take the survey for $29.95, and you will receive a business profile outlining the following: • Values • Stage of growth • Culture • Work style • Competencies
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For more information, please contact The Franchise Woman at info@thefranchisewoman.com Powered by Zorakle
July/Aug 2020
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Learn about Susan Scotts’ new app, “Conscious Manifestor” on page 34.
8
The Franchise Woman
WISDOM
BENEFITS TO GUARANTEE
TRAINS ME
OWNERS BUSINESS
GROWTH
FOR SUCCESS
SUPPORT AVAILABILITY 24/7 Availability Computerized System John C. Maxwell Coaches Search Engines Experts PROFESSIONALISM State Licensing Training
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PROTECTION WITH
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Owners Personal Growth 1 on 1 Business Coaching Scheduling Support
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BUILD & GROW A BUSINESS If you’ve ever wanted to impact many lives at once, you can do exactly that as a Wisdom Senior Care Business Owner. Providing comfort and assistance to our seniors’ daily living Compassionate individuals interested in owning a Wisdom Senior Care Franchise are in for a fulfilling experience You may Reach out to us at (800) 280-3758 about franchise
facebook www.wisdomseniorcare.com
July/Aug 2020
9
Features
Welcome Rebecca Monet into
The Franchise Woman Partnership The Franchise Woman
The Franchise Woman magazine is thrilled to announce that Publisher Elizabeth Denham, has welcomed Rebecca Monet as partner and Co-Publisher starting immediately.
goal is to provide a community of women who support each other in business and in life, along with resources, tools and connections they need to thrive.
“Having Rebecca join The Franchise Woman team will elevate the magazine in terms of quality and exposure,” Denham said. “With her roots in the franchising space and her dedication to empowering women, she will help us provide an even higher level of quality and content − and she adds another layer of fun, fierce and fabulous!”
“We want to provide a haven for women in which everyone is welcomed and included,” Monet said. “And the fact that we are an independent magazine means that our doors are open to anyone who needs support and information.”
The partnership brings together two women from different generations, different experiences, different political perspectives, different backgrounds, different points of view and one common goal. That
10 The Franchise Woman
Denham agrees. “Giving women a community in which they have a voice and the power to ask for advice, insight or just a friendly ear is so important to us,” she said. “We want women to feel empowered and providing them this space and the educa-
tion and resources they need will benefit not just women, but the businesses they run as well.” And be sure to stay tuned. The two have big plans for the next year. “We are planning on making The Franchise Woman more than just a magazine,” Monet said. “We have already launched our podcast, Where Passion and Purpose Collide, and we can’t wait to build more opportunities for women.” As we create more resources for women in franchising, be sure to keep in touch as we update our brand and reach out to women to see how we can offer support, tools and connections going forward.
Rebecca Monet Rebecca Monet is CEO and chief scientist of Zorakle Profiles and has been in the franchise consulting and psychometric assessment business since 1993. Monet is known for her uncanny ability to draw performance correlations. She is fascinated with neurology, neuroeconomics and human performance as it relates to business success.
They have helped thousands of individuals desiring to own their own business find a right-fit franchise system. A business in which they have the highest likelihood of success and satisfaction. The SpotOn! System is Monet’s most comprehensive and predictive work to date.
Monet is the inventor of the meta-analysis methodology used in Zorakle’s SpotOn! Profile and SpotOn! Eclipse Reports which categorically compare prospective franchisees to a franchise system’s top performers. This meta-analysis approach provides insights no singular profile, survey, algorithm or assessment can, and has changed the way in which franchise companies recruit and select franchisees.
Elizabeth Denham is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The Franchise Woman. Elizabeth has a passion for helping women find and use their voices both in their businesses and in their lives. This passion has led her to produce The Franchise Woman as a resource to provide inspiration, practical business tools and new opportunities for entrepreneurial women in the franchise industry.
Zorakle tools provide franchise companies a means to reduce training, support and litigation costs while increasing franchisee satisfaction, validation and performance.
Elizabeth has had an extensive career in writing, digital media and marketing. She is Editor of Relocating Fauquier County and has edited and written for Relocating Baldwin County. She has written and published two books: “Sweeten the Deal: How to Spot and Avoid the Big Red Flags in Online Dating,” a memoir and advice book for women going through divorce and dating and “Moving Day: Overcoming the Fear of Change,” a children’s book. She wrote a blog on the Huffington Post for five years and has appeared on HuffPost Live and the Daily Brew television program. She has also been featured on John Tesh’s “Intelligence for Your Life” as a relationship expert. She uses her project, “Pursuit of Humanity: Voices of Alabama,” to demonstrate her belief in the humanity of all and to advocate for the acceptance and understanding of the LGBTQ community. You can find The Franchise Woman here:
Elizabeth Denham
“
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
That goal is to provide a community of women who support each other in business and in life... July/Aug 2020
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She is Successful
No Excuses. Just Grit. by Elizabeth Denham
12 The Franchise Woman
Have a dream. Set a goal. Find a way. Don’t give up. These are the elements of Laura Spaulding’s personality that have led her to running a successful franchise system and to earning the respect of those in the franchising industry. “When I started my business, I didn’t leave myself any other options,” Spaulding said. “I rented out my house, lived with friends, had cheap business cards and a crappy website. I did guerilla marketing and went door to door. There was no Plan B.” Spaulding is Founder and CEO of Spaulding Decon, the fastest growing franchise specializing in crime scene cleanup with 24 locations. Her “no excuses” attitude coupled with the grit and drive to get things done got Laura through more than a few tough times – including not being approved for loans as a woman.
“After I started a training class for crime scene cleanup, I went to the bank for an SBA loan. I had spoken to two guys who had the same income, same assets. They walked in and got a loan. I was denied. I tried four more banks – same thing. When I asked for a home equity loan to replace some windows, I was approved. I used that little bit of money to start my business, and I have never had a business loan. I have tried – but I have had to bootstrap my way into business and then into franchising.” Spaulding said not being able to get business loans was a humiliating experience, and it didn’t just happen to her. “Through networking and speaking to other women, I found out that only two percent of venture capital goes to women. When I applied to help with franchising my business, I was profitable. There was no
reason I should not have been able to get a loan.” Spaulding has used her struggles as motivation to help others. Initially, her goal was to share the wealth with like-minded people through her business. Now that goal has evolved. “I want to be the brand that gives to minorities and women,” she said. “We are giving away a franchise territory to a veteran, and we would love it if it were a minority or female veteran.” Spaulding believes that mindset is everything in determining your success. That, and making a plan and getting it done. “My pet peeve is when people say, ‘I wish, I wish, I wish,” Spaulding noted. “I want to say, “Quit wishing and do something!”
July/Aug 2020
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Spaulding believes this attitude is behind her ability to achieve her goals. “It’s 100 percent mindset. If you really want something, you will make it happen,” she said adding that you have to make an executable plan and then do it. “It is often when you are struggling the most that you can do the best. No excuses. You can’t deposit excuses, so I don’t tolerate them.” Spaulding focuses on her goals by writing them out each year. At the end of the year, if she hasn’t met some of them, she moves them to the next year’s list and figures out why they didn’t happen. She has also learned that asking for help is critical. “I had a terrible experience with picking some wrong franchisees,” she said. “But it took some time to figure out that was the problem. I hired someone to assess what was going wrong in the business. They told me I had a great system, but I wasn’t getting franchisees that were a good fit. It was a good lesson in asking for help and hiring out the things I wasn’t great at. Learning to hire out your weaknesses is a definite strength.” Over the years, Spaulding’s goals have evolved. Now, her greatest goal is to help make 100 people millionaires through her franchise system. “I want to share this business with others,” Spaulding said. “I was just a poor police officer, and this business has changed my life. I have learned that things in life don’t happen to you, they happen for you. Some really hard stuff had to happen to get me where I am today. And I love to see when people join this business and go from making $50,000 a year to making up to $200,000 in a month!” For more information, visit www. spauldingdecon.com/
14 The Franchise Woman
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Customer Service
ZOOM ETIQUETTE:
Are you a ZOOM ZOMBIE?
by Nancy Friedman, Founder and Chairman, Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training
16 The Franchise Woman
Ok, here we go. I’ve had, as you might imagine, dozens of complaints on how people act on Zoom calls. And certainly not on purpose, we all know that. However, the
need has come to go over the top ten ZOOM ZOMBIES as I’m calling them. And not in any special order, they all seem to be irritants.
Zoom Zombie #1
Zoom Zombie #4
Use a REAL BACKGROUND from your location. FAKE IS FAKE. No one really believes you’re on the beach and doing a Zoom meeting. And while it’s “FUN,” it can be very distracting. And those who change the background several times during the meeting are simply childlike. Your office, your family room, dining room, even the kitchen. We all know we’re at home. Messy office? It’s ok. Honest. Having the San Francisco bridge behind you isn’t that important and certainly, Las Vegas in the background can be ‘loser-ish.’ (Pun intended)
We don’t eat during a business meeting. This one is frightening that I even need to say it. Not even a snack. Yes, ok for some water. But munching on a sandwich or opening a bag of popcorn or chips? The microphone magnifies the sound 10-fold. A real OMG. Who is doing that? It’s a business meeting. Even the movement of a water bottle on a desk makes a big sound. That’s where you need to learn to use your MUTE.
Zoom Zombie #2 Keep good lighting in FRONT of you. Not behind you. Test it out first. Get a Zoom partner, if even someone in your own home, to test the lighting out. It’s like taking your picture outside. If the sun is behind you, normally your face is in the dark. Get the ‘sun’ in front of you and you look great. Same issue on Zoom.
Zoom Zombie #3 Dogs, kids, and other members yelling in the background. Never fun – on any phone call, let alone Zoom. Be prepared. In most cases, you know you have a Zoom call coming up. Get the dogs in another area of the house. If you can, have someone occupy them while you’re on the Zoom meeting. Alone? Then try and put the Zoom meeting at a time kids are napping or already in bed. Or before they get up. Schedule it. Most of the barking, crying, and extraneous noises are NOT appreciated.
Zoom Zombie #5 Be a little bit creative. I have noticed so many people use the same word in starting each sentence. “SO” is the big one. So this and so that. We don’t need the word “SO” in front of every sentence. And while you’re at it. Be mindful of how often you’re saying UMMMM. Most folks use it as a crutch.
Zoom Zombie #6 Your name will appear on your picture. Notice if you put the cursor over the name you will be able to change what it says. Some folks put their email there. Or the company name. You can customize that part. There are two ways. One, put the cursor right over your name. And two, the three little dots in the upper right on the screen has a “change name” option. Again, only if you want to.
July/Aug 2020
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“
At least keep a hint of a grin on your face. No one looks good frowning.
Zoom Zombie #7 Learn – Learn – Learn. Practice – Practice – Practice. Ahead of time. Practice with a friend or a home companion – or even by yourself. Check out the screen options. This way when you’re on the Zoom meeting, you won’t be the one yelling out “where is this or how do I do this?” Don’t let a business Zoom meeting be your very first. You can have rehearsals. Be familiar with the screen…and its options.
Zoom Zombie #9 On a personal note: Having a “happy hour” with friends? You can probably forget most of these guidelines. Although I’m betting they’ll appreciate your sticking with them…as you will them.
Zoom Zombie #10
Zoom Zombie #8 You’re on the air. It’s TV. Sit up straight. Don’t slump. No one looks good when they’re slumping. Very unflattering. Keep your hands AWAY from your face. Don’t lean into your palm with your palm on your face. Very unflattering. And watch your nervous habits. We all have them; we’re just not aware. Some folks play with their hair constantly. Some folks bite their nails. Some do other odd things. Be aware.
Smile. Do you think I’d forget? You knew that was coming, didn’t you? Think it doesn’t matter? Show me a picture of you that you don’t like and I’ll show you it’s a picture where you’re not smiling. At least keep a hint of a grin on your face. No one looks good frowning. And you can use the Telephone Doctor mindset. “A phony smile is better than a real frown.” Even when you’re discussing something difficult or sad. I’m not saying to laugh out loud, but I am saying having a slight smile will help the tone of voice.
Nancy Friedman, Founder and Chairman of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, is a sought-after speaker for franchise and corporate conferences, sharing tips and advice in customer service, communication and sales. As a former franchisor, she brings the good, bad and ugly for us to review. Author of nine books, Nancy can be reached at www.nancyfriedman.com, or email her at nancy@telephonedoctor.com or call: 314-291-1012 CST.
18 The Franchise Woman
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19
She is Successful
From Dreamer
to
Business Owner by Elizabeth Denham Carolyn Thurston is a self-described dreamer. From a young age, she had a strong faith, a relentless desire to help people and the gumption to find a way to succeed. That gumption led her to her position as Founder and CEO of Wisdom Senior Care, an emerging franchise, and President and CEO of Wisdom Health Academy, a state-approved nursing school in Durham, North Carolina. “In 11th grade, God gave me the idea and a name – ‘Wisdom,’ ” Thurston said. “I told my mother, and she said, ‘Girl, you can do it!’” After going to school for sociology, she had a burning desire to get her nursing degree. She worked in a hospital for a time and then went to work in home health care always knowing she wanted to start her own business. In 2005, she had a dream, but she didn’t know what to do with it and had no money to start. She decided to go for it. By 2006, Wisdom Senior Care came into being and Thurston learned as she went.
20 The Franchise Woman
“
I worked to build myself up so that when I began the journey into business ownership, I was ready.
“I had no business experience at all,” she said. “I learned that if you don’t have a business degree, have people around you who know business.” After ten years, Thurston began to feel burnout. She was doing everything herself, losing her passion and gaining fear. This is the typical reality of more than 30 million businesses nationwide. She got the opportunity through her church to be introduced to wEquipu, a business coaching and digital marketing agency. With the agency, she discovered and read the book, “EMyth” by Michael Gerber and set her business growth around the concept of franchising. “My whole story is about faith which is our first core value as an
organization. I didn’t have money, and my credit wasn’t great, so I had to learn how to become my own bank,” Thurston related. “I began franchising in 2016, and we have 5 franchisees now.” Thurston credits her persistence with pushing her forward. “I just don’t quit,” she said. “One of my greatest strengths is tenacity. The harder it gets, the harder I am going to fight. And when anyone tells me I can’t do something, that gives me the energy to prove them wrong.” Not only does Thurston stick to whatever she sets her mind to, she also makes sure she is prepared when opportunity arises. “I was shy. I knew I wanted to improve that part of myself, so in high school, I went to the library and read self-improvement books to learn to speak up for myself,” she said. “I worked to build myself up so that when I began the journey into business ownership, I was ready.” She is also intentional about surrounding herself with a good support system.
by Kristen Horler, MS
“I have learned that you have to put people in your life and in your business who you trust and who will speak the truth,” she said. “Life is about improving ourselves and now, as a franchisor, I am in a position to help others avoid some of the things I have gone through.” Thurston defines success as being able to do things and live life without physical or mental limitations. It’s the whole picture of health – physical, mental, spiritual, social. It’s about being able to help others and about leaving a legacy by building a community of Wisdom Business Owners for her children. It’s also about keeping perspective about fear. “You can’t let fear take over in business,” Thurston said. “You don’t know if you don’t try. What’s the worst thing that could happen? If it’s not death, everything else can be corrected. The real goal is to live with faith, core values and integrity and build core values that guide your decisions. Everything else will come.” For more information, visit: www. wisdomseniorcare.com/ and www. wisdomhealthacademy.com/
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Paycheck Protection Program
Maximize Forgiveness by Tom G. Porterfield, CPA, CFE
It is important that small businesses receiving the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans manage the loan proceeds. For that reason, we are sharing some best practices for managing PPP loans.
Payroll and Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) PPP loans are forgivable, but reductions in employees, work hours and total payroll decrease the forgiveness. To manage this, recipients determine the baseline FTE and payroll amounts to calculate the forgiveness. This requires the average FTEs for the periods: • February 15, 2019 to June 30, 2019 for Option 1 and • January 1, 2020 to February 29, 2020 for Option 2. The other baseline is the total allowable payroll for the most recent quarter prior to the loan origination. You will need to gather the payroll expenses for employees during that first quarter. Track payroll expenses during the “covered period” by employee excluding employees earning over $100,000 annualized. The covered period has now been revised allowing recipients to choose an 8-week or 24-week period. Because the recipients must spend no less than 60% of the loan proceeds on payroll, it is important to track and monitor this from the start. Start by asking your payroll provider or CPA to help you gather this information.
Segregate PPP Proceeds Open a new bank account to deposit and manage the PPP loan proceeds. Then pay the allowable expense from your existing bank accounts and transfer the funds from the PPP account to cover the expenses. This is important because the balance left in the PPP account should approximate the unforgivable balance at the end of the covered period.
22 The Franchise Woman
Maintain 8-Week and 24-Week PPP Projections and Logs Because recipients have the option of choosing 8 weeks or 24 weeks from the loan origination date to make the allowable expenses, it is important to project allowable expenses. Project and track the allowable expenses as actual expenditures are made over the 8- and 24-week periods. Set up a folder to save the reports and invoices supporting payroll, group health care benefits, retirement and other allowable expenditures.
Communication Because the PPP loans are new, it is important to communicate with your banker throughout the expenditure period. It’s also important to understand the banker’s expectations for this process. Also keep abreast of any changes or clarifications of the PPP loan process. Taxability of the PPP Forgiveness There is a saying – “It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.” When it comes to the PPP loans, forgiveness is written into the CARES Act. This forgiveness is specifically exempted from federal income taxes. Sounds like a great deal, and it really is. It appears that someone reached out to the IRS and asked for permission. And while the IRS did not kibosh the tax free forgiveness, they clarified the deductibility of the related expenses in Notice 2020-32. While you are not taxed on the forgiveness, you can’t deduct the expenses paid by the forgivable portion of your PPP loan. So some think of this as bad news. It’s really a neutral event from a tax standpoint. Recipients are not taxed on the forgiveness on one side of the equation. On the other side, the related expenses are not deductible. So in the end, the tax effect of the PPP forgiveness is tax neutral.
Accounting for the PPP Forgiveness Recipients should record the forgiveness to an easily recognizable account on the income statement. Do this to ensure that it is not taxable on your 2020 tax returns. Yeah, this a little technical for most of us. Here’s what you need to do: • Record the forgiveness in a separate “Other Income Account.” • Work with your CPA specifically identifying the forgivable portion of the PPP loan. • Review the M-1 section of your return reconciling your book income to the taxable income. • Verify the forgiveness is removed from the book income (Line 5a Income recorded on books this year not included on Schedule K, lines 1 through 10), and • Verify the same amount is added back to book income (Line 3a Expenses recorded on books this year not included on Schedule K, Line 1 through 12 and 14p).
The Remaining PPP Balance The balance of the PPP loan at the end of the 8or 24-week covered period converts to a 2-year term loan at a 1% interest rate. Payments on your PPP loan are deferred for 6 months from the loan origination date. There is no prepayment penalty on the PPP loan. For that reason, recipients should consider how they will handle the unforgivable portion of the loan now in forecasting long-term cash flow.
Summary of the PPP Best Practices First, understand the PPP loan forgiveness formula. Secondly, manage your expenditures during the 8- or 24-Week covered period to maximize the forgiveness. Then follow these steps: 1. Gather the FTE and Payroll information for the baselines noted above. 2. Segregate the proceeds in a separate bank account. 3. Transfer funds to operating and payroll bank accounts as allowable expenditures are incurred. 4. Create and maintain a projection of allowable expenditures. 5. Update the projection as allowable expenditures are incurred. 6. Scan and save supporting reports and invoices in a central folder to support the loan forgiveness calculation. 7. Record the forgiveness to a separate “Other Income” account. 8. Work with your CPA and review the 2020 M-1 Schedule ensuring the forgiveness is not taxable nor, the related expenses are not deducted. Finally, follow these steps to maximize the loan forgiveness and create liquidity during this difficult business cycle.
Tom Porterfield, President and CEO of Porterfield & Company, has a passion for working with franchise owners and operators, which is grounded in his appreciation for operational excellence and the processes that achieve it. That’s what franchises are all about: delivering consistently high-quality goods and services to drive sustainable profitability through regional customer loyalty. With the franchise industry in mind we developed COMPASS (Complete Outsource Monthly Processes and Accounting Service System™) and SHaRP (Simplified HR and Payroll) products. We believe that franchisees should sleep better knowing that we are putting the best business practices, technology and accounting knowledge to work for them. For more information, call us at 844-309-4930 or contact us via our website at www.porterfieldcpa.com
July/Aug 2020
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Social Media
Growing Your Franchise
Through Engagement by Michelle Hummel
Growing Your Franchise Through Engagement Engagement has been the buzzword in the digital marketing landscape for nearly a decade and with good reason. While there are many technical definitions, at its core, engagement is just another word for conversation. Basically, it’s what puts the social in social media, and now in the time of physical distancing, engagement is more important than ever. A recent article in The New York Times, “The Virus Changed the Way We Internet,” cites sources showing Facebook traffic is up 27 percent since February 29, when Covid-19 was being first being recognized as a serious matter. Even though the country is reopening, most people are more comfortable interacting virtually rather than physically. Any business can benefit from this by engaging with your current and potential customers.
24 The Franchise Woman
Content Is King Before enacting an engagement strategy, the first step is a content plan. Think of content as the media in social media. Your business needs to post well-planned and well-executed content every day. Not only does this help your customers know what’s going with your business, but the potential customers you plan to engage with will check out your pages before speaking with you. A well-planned content strategy includes a mix of information about your products, highlighting the human element of your business, giving inspiration and posting thought-provoking ideas. Think for a moment about the last show you watched on television. Ads were placed in between the content – not the other way around. Your social media content strategy needs to flow the same way. Now let’s consider the well-executed part of your strategy. Every post needs an accompanying image taken in good lighting at a minimum, if
not professionally taken, or from a stock service. The text needs to be free of grammatical errors and misspellings and needs to consider the many ways it could be interpreted, as well as its tone and timing. If your content misses the mark, your business could quickly go viral in a negative way.
Inbound Engagement This is simply business gold. Inbound engagement is when customers reach out to you directly. Whether they’re commenting on a post or asking direct questions, it’s important to respond promptly – and take it up a step. If a customer comments with an emoji, give them two back. If they leave a positive comment, thank them and ask them a question back. You could also show your sense of humor by thanking them and including an appropriate gif. The more customers engage with your page, the more the social media platforms’ algorithms will continue delivering posts to them, allowing your business to stay top of mind.
Outbound Engagement After you’re experienced with inbound engagement, it’s time to extend your circle. Think of outbound engagement as dating for a moment. If a stranger approaches you and immediately asks for a date, you’d probably turn them down. However, if you get to know someone first, you’re more likely to agree to the date when they do ask. Social media works the same way. Start by building a lead list of potential customers. This isn’t possible for B2C customers on Facebook, but it works there for B2B. B2C and B2B outbound engagement works on all other social media platforms. Once you have your lead list, build the relationship by liking one or two of their posts. Another week leave a comment or retweet them. Another week ask a question about their post. Now that you’ve built the relationship, go ahead and take it to the next level by direct messaginging them one of your blogs you’d think they’d be interested in and asking for their feedback.
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Engagement is time-consuming, but its benefits will increase your bottom line by attracting new customers and reinforcing your brand loyalty with current customers, especially in this time of physical distancing.
Engagement is time-consuming, but its benefits will increase your bottom line…
Michelle is the CEO and Founder of Web Strategy Plus, a full-service digital marketing agency, where her team of experts specializes in helping franchise owners develop websites, SEO and Social Media Strategies. A published author of three books in her series, “The Social Media Magnet: Everything You Need to Know to Attract Customers with Social Media.” She also holds a valuable Internet Marketing Degree and provides training to help individuals acquire Social Media Management Certification through Web Media University. Contact Michelle at michelle@webstrategyplus.com.
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Features
The One Question
Everyone Is Asking
by Rebecca Monet
I know you better than you know yourself. Underneath that tough exterior, there lies a tender underbelly. But none have seen it. Not your friends, colleagues or boss. Not your children in whose eyes you are a combination of superhero and ATM. Not even your adoring and balding husband. What?! But he’s seen me naked, you exclaim. No, he’s clueless too. How do I know? Because he’s sound asleep and snoring while you’re wide awake asking yourself:
“Do I have what it takes?”
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You’re not alone. Everyone asks themselves that question. But rarely out loud. Even rarer, is getting an answer in advance of taking the leap into business ownership. Indeed many linger for years watching on the sidelines as others much less talented crossover from corporate minion to business owner. Oh, I’m not suggesting you are dawdling. Besides, how would I know that? Nor am I implying you lack confidence or ambition. I’m simply suggesting this one question has hindered countless individuals from achieving their dreams of business ownership.
Granted not everyone has the ‘right stuff ’ to be a franchisee but just as often the issue is in regards to ‘right fit’ instead. Two different things. Both are important. I’ve spent 27 years in the psychometric assessment business specifically in franchising. I research, create and validate tools to determine if someone has what it takes to be a business owner and if so which franchise would be the right fit. I love data and being able to quantify and predict things. Call me a nerd, but franchisors who care about the performance of their franchisees like having me around.
Self-Control
feelings, mouth, time and money. Top performers do not bow to their feelings. They take their thoughts captive. They zip it because gossip, criticism, whining and complaining are destructive acts of pride. Most importantly they are good at delaying gratification. Want to fail? Speak and spend like there’s no tomorrow. Want to succeed? Exert self-control.
Pop psychology suggests if we are self-aware − understand our emotions, strengths, weaknesses and drives − we will be happier and more successful. I can’t argue the happier part but I can tell you our research shows no such correlation to business success. In fact, low performing franchisees scored higher in self-awareness than top-performing franchisees, pointing to negative correlations. Instead, top performers scored higher in self-control. Their ability to manage disruptive emotions and impulses effectively and remain calm in the face of the unexpected is what leads to success. This in turn confronts another false assumption, that one must understand something to control it. Top performers control their thoughts,
Initiative Low performing franchisees scored higher in self-confidence whereas top-performing franchisees scored higher in initiative. Seems odd right? How is it that someone with strong self-confidence would avoid taking initiative? Let’s look at the difference. Confidence by definition is courage that comes from certainty about our capabilities and goals. This doesn’t sound very con-
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Do I Have What it Takes?
In the past eight years, Zorakle Profiles has assessed more than 120,000 franchisees and prospective franchisees. That being said, let me provide an unbiased, science-based answer as to what it takes to be a successful franchisee. Then you can decide. Top-performing franchisees exhibited these three traits in spades over their low performing counterparts.
fident or courageous to me. If one must be certain about something before taking action what kind of courage does that take? Initiative, on the other hand, is the power at one’s own discretion to do something before others do. In other words, someone with initiative is not waiting until he is confident in his capabilities. Top-performing franchisees take initiative. They cut through the red tape. They mobilize themselves and others even when all the ducks are not in a row. So why does someone with strong self-confidence not take initiative? Because confidence does not mobilize it gloats. Want to fail? Continue to gather competencies and capabilities, take that seminar, read that book, hire a coach and whiteboard your ideas. Want to succeed? Get up. Get dressed. Go do it.
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Humility While we are on the topic of self-confidence and gloating let’s look at the role of humility in business success. Humility is the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people. Hmmm, sounds like anti-gloating to me. Top performers outscored low performing franchisees in the trait of humility. Top performers treat people with respect. They are not easily offended. They don’t take credit for what others have done. They do not need to be right or insist on having their way.
Pride is the enemy of success. We’ve heard ‘pride cometh before the fall’ a thousand different ways, yet we are a culture that is easily offended and applauds arrogance. Want to fail? Pretend you know it all, be easily offended and insist on being right. Want to succeed? Serve others, admit your mistakes and ask for help. I trust this quick glimpse into three attributes of successful franchisees answers your question: do I have the right stuff?
Rebecca Monet is chief scientist and president of Zorakle Profiles. Zorakle Profiles is a franchise-specific solutions provider of psychometric assessments. Zorakle’s SpotOn! meta-analysis provides insight no singular profile, survey, algorithm or assessment can. Zorakle’s SpotOn! science determines franchisee-franchisor compatibility and predicts performance. Zorakle reduces recruitment and support costs while increasing franchisee validation and performance.
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#1 Ranked S.T.E.A.M. Enrichment Franchise Snapology.com/franchise July/Aug 2020
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Health and Wellness
Creative Activities to Keep Your Kids Busy
So You Can Work
by Elizabeth Denham
The COVID-19 pandemic presented all of us with a lot to fear: health risk, job loss, isolation, life without toilet paper‌the list was long. And while many of us were able to work from home, making that shift at a moment’s notice was challenging. Even more difficult, many of us were working from home and trying to keep our kids engaged with school.
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Now is no less challenging. Many summer camps are canceled, vacations postponed, friends kept at bay. So, the question is sent out to the vast universe. How do I entertain my kids so I can work?! I have some ideas. And I will admit, many are not my own. I have watched
my kids and my nieces and nephews (heretofore known as The Gaggle) come up with some pretty creative ideas that I am going to share with you in the hopes that it will keep them occupied and out of your hair (at least for a while) so you can get some work done in peace.
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Make Art. Make a Movie. Make Fun!
Zoom a la Painting with a Twist or Bob Ross The Gaggle has created a gallery of fine art with zoom, paper/canvas and whatever art supplies are on hand. Here is the deal. Your Gaggle, which can consist of friends, family or even solo) will: 1. Get on Zoom or Facetime with other Gaggle members. 2. Choose a picture everyone will paint or draw. 3. Each creates art from his/her own locations with idle chitchat and bounteous commentary on the others’ work. 4. Run to the living room and show whoever is home. This should get you about 30 minutes.
Cooking Show Competition a la Gordon Ramsay This can be a bit messy, but cleanup can buy you another half hour. The deal is you mess up the kitchen, you clean it up. This must be articulated before beginning. You will need to add the ingredient list to your next grocery run, but this one could buy you a couple of hours. For this one, The Gaggle will: 1. Choose a recipe. 2. Get on Zoom or Facetime. 3. Set out ingredients for a recipe. You can make this challenge harder – my Gaggle did – by having one person read instructions but NOT reveal portions of ingredients. This adds the potential for disaster which makes for better TV (my Gaggle filmed it and added it to their website). Want to see? Not sure if you do, but here it is! https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=x9NKV8PY_8k 1. Create recipe. 2. Have everyone taste and describe. 3. Run to whoever is home and force into taste testing. 4. Clean up. This one can buy you a couple of hours.
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Make a Movie The Gaggle does this every year when the cousins all come to town. They spend weeks meeting online or on the phone and writing a script. They plan shots, edits, costumes, etc. They even have a YouTube where on of my older sons says 103 unsuspecting victims have sat through these movies. I love them. It’s all about perspective, right? 1. Write a script. 2. Plan costumes. 3. Plan shot selections. 4. Plan locations. 5. Film 6. Edit (you’d be amazed that they all know how to do this on their phones). 7. Show it to every unsuspecting victim you can find! 8. This one, when done right, can buy you days and maybe even weeks! May the force be with you this summer!
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SHIFT HAPPENS -
Keeping Positive
in Challenging Times by Susan Scotts
No matter who you are or where you are, Covid-19 has affected everyone in one way or another. The world is not the same place it was just a few short months ago. In life, “SHIFT” happens. As resilient human beings, we always learn to adjust and redirect. If you are in a state of flux with life as you currently know, you are not alone! The “new normal-ish” is something we haven’t identified yet, and I believe it will continue to change and evolve. However, many of us don’t like change − especially many of the changes that we are facing now during coronavirus. Just because things have changed, doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy life in a positive way. It just requires a shift in our thinking as well. Please know, it’s ok to not be ok. Allow yourself to feel all the feelings. All crises are just opportunities to go back to our core principles and decide what really matters and readjust our lives to lead a life that is fundamentally more nutritious for our physical beings, spirits and souls.
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With all of the external issues we’ve been faced with, I feel that many of the biggest things we are learning are internal. Introspection has surely hit all of us, with additional time to think while in quarantine. It is a time that requires our patience. Patience, according to a Benedictine Monk, means to
“sit with our suffering.” Isolation can take from you, or GIVE you the space created for dreaming of what you really want for yourself, an opportunity to clear the clutter of everyday noise, activities, and even physical things we really don’t want, need or enjoy any longer. These are the times that shape us. You can
choose to be shaped or to shape yourself. Are you allowing the isolation to take from you, or give to you? To shape you, or for you to shape yourself? Here are some helpful ways to stay positive and to make you more hopeful:
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THINK POSITIVELY. I know that sounds obvious, but having positive thoughts is extremely important. Good can be found in almost every situation (sometimes it is not obvious at first, but good things can positively come from what we see as a temporarily bad situation.) Perhaps now we have time to experience the small things in life and remember how special they are. Enjoying the glorious sun coming up, taking time and enjoying a delicious, flavorful breakfast or dinner with your family. Listening to the beautiful harmony of the birds chirping or simply enjoying a slower pace of life. Taking a little time for ourselves to just breathe in the fragrant grass and flowers and simply enjoy a warm, summer day. The glass is either half full or half empty, how will you choose to view it? Meaningful moments are happening that we were too busy to enjoy before. This time is allowing us to enjoy them! MAKE A GRATITUDE LIST AND LEARN TO ATTRACT WHAT YOU DESIRE. Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” If you are personally struggling to find gratitude in your day or your life, try making a gratitude list. Get out a piece of paper or even a laptop and begin to write all the positive and good things in your life. It can be as simple as, “I have a roof over my head,” or “I have enough food to eat.” How about, “I am healthy!!” Keep writing! You’ll see once you begin, it’s easy to keep
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writing and see all the wonderful things in your life. If you can’t focus on something good, think of how much worse it could actually be. Be grateful. Energetically you get back what energies you put out into the universe, so by seeing the beauty, you will attract more beauty into your life. To empower you to attract abundance in your life, I created a powerful app called The Conscious Manifestor (available in both Apple and Google Play stores). The Conscious Manifestor app provides you with a positive affirmation each day that you select and helps you learn how to utilize the art of consciously attracting abundance in your life. Why not choose to attract what you really desire today! SERVE OTHERS. After creating a gratitude list, you can begin to see how incredibly blessed you are. To add to that list, instead of allowing this time of forced isolation to create separation, why not let it empower you to come even closer to others by helping them? It doesn’t have to be a huge expense for you to make a difference. Making a simple phone call to someone who is at high risk during the pandemic can make a huge impact. You can donate food or time to a local group who is serving your local community. The small kindnesses that will become who we were during this time will become who we are after it.
USE YOUR TIME PRODUCTIVELY. Embrace a slower pace - it’s the little things that add up to a full life. Instead of seeing this time as a punishment, try viewing it as an opportunity for additional time to do what you want to do. You can start by identifying what is important to you. As the lockdown forces us to turn inward, it offers us an opportunity to rethink what’s important and what we were meant to do. Perhaps your excuse in the past has been “I don’t have time to think about what I really want to do or the time to learn something new.” The ground has certainly shifted, and many people are reviewing their lives, reflecting not only on “what’s important” and “what makes me happy” but also “what was I created to do?” It may be time to reevaluate what you do to earn a living to have a more purposeful life. For some, it may be mandatory due to a layoff or closure. For others, it is necessary to
live a more authentic life. Together we can explore meaningful work that will make you happy and fulfilled and learn about possibilities that allow you to “make a life, not a living.” Perhaps it is time for you to consider a homebased business so you can be there for your children or a service-based business that allows others to work for you and you can then focus on what’s important to you. There are many options available that you’ve never even thought of or might have dismissed prematurely that could be a good fit for you. As a Career Transition Coach, I’ve been helping people for over three decades to become self-sufficient. A free 10-minute call will change your life, so use this time productively and let’s learn together what might be a good fit for you. Learn more on Apple App Store or Google Play or at ConsciousManifestor.com. What are you waiting for?
Susan Scotts is a multiple award winning career transition coach with The Entrepreneur’s Source® and possesses three decades of experience in helping empower individuals to become entrepreneurs through franchise business ownership. For a complimentary consultation, she can be reached at 561-859-9110 or SScotts@EsourceCoach.com.
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A Time to Celebrate! On June 15, 2020, in the middle of Pride Month, The United States Supreme Court ruled that existing federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. This is a major victory for the LGBTQ community as they have lived in fear of being fired for who they were. “The Supreme Court’s clarification that it’s unlawful to fire people because they’re LGBTQ is the result of decades of advocates fighting for our rights,” said James Esseks, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender & HIV Project to
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Pride
by Elizabeth Denham
NBC News. “The court has caught up to the majority of our country, which already knows that discriminating against LGBTQ people is both unfair and against the law.” With the introduction of the Pride Council as a part of the International Franchise Association (IFA), inclusion and diversity are important in the franchising industry. The Franchise Woman celebrates this Supreme Court decision and looks forward to continuing to support diversity and inclusion in the industry in all its forms.
While many businesses are reopening across the country, there is still a lot of information to keep up with in terms of COVID-19 and franchising. The IFA website has updated information on topics relevant to your business and the legislation surrounding the industry. Here are some recent updates: CORONAVIRUS UPDATES EMPLOYER GROUPS MOVE TO DEFEND JOINT EMPLOYER RULE IFA STATEMENT ON SENATE PASSAGE OF PPP FLEXIBILITY ACT
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Legal Tools
Should I Franchise
My Tutoring Business Now? Tutoring is a booming business. In the U.S., it is reportedly a $4.9 billion industry. It is considered to be relatively recession-resistant in that parents are reluctant to cut education services to help their children. While in-person tutoring is likely to continue to experience strong growth, online learning may be even stronger. The size of the online tutoring market in the U.S. has been estimated at $608 million with an average growth of 6.9 percent between 2014–2019. However, because of COVID-19, e-learning may grow even faster. For those who have an existing tutoring business, this may present an opportunity to consider franchising. Before moving forward, there are costs and benefits to be weighed as with any franchise. These issues should be considered in relation to how they specifically apply to a tutoring franchise.
Market size and location
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If you will be offering in-person tutoring, then you will want to target franchisees in optimal markets with a high percentage of parents who can afford tutoring services. With online tutoring, you may have more flexibility in terms of the location of your franchisee. However, either way, you must comply with both federal and state franchise rules. Many states have their own requirements for filing and registration and they may vary depending on where the franchisor is domiciled, where the franchisee is domiciled or where the business will be located. You will need to consult an experienced franchise lawyer about compliance with these rules.
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by Julie Lusthaus
While in-person tutoring is likely to continue to experience strong growth, online learning may be even stronger. Staffing
Typically, tutors have an educational background. For added credibility, you may want to require that franchisees hire tutors with tutoring certifications from the National Tutoring Association, American Tutoring Association and other certifying bodies. If the franchise will have a physical location, franchisees will need to access a good pool of candidates in the area at an affordable price. Note that tutors may be considered “employees” rather than “independent contractors,” which means they are subject to wage, hour and other employment laws.
Reserving rights to online sales
Startup costs
If you are franchising an online learning business or your in-person tutoring business also offers online tutoring as a separate service, you will need to decide if you want to reserve the right to sell online services yourself. This information will need to be included in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). Item 12 of the FDD sets forth the geographical areas within which your franchises will/may operate. You must consider whether you want the ability to sell products and/or services within a franchisee’s territory through Internet activities or other channels of distribution.
As the franchisor, you will have significant upfront costs related to business plans, legal documents, operations manuals, marketing materials, and other expenses. However, you also must consider the startup costs for franchisees. An online learning franchise will have significantly lower costs for the franchisee than developing and maintaining a physical location. However, there may be added expenses related to training, software, tech support, and marketing for an online-only business. Franchising your tutoring business has great potential for growth, but it is important to discuss the specifics of your situation with a knowledgeable franchise attorney and business advisor. If you have questions about franchising your business, contact Lusthaus Law.
Julie Lusthaus represents franchisors, franchisees and independent business owners. To learn more, visit her website at www.lusthausfranchiselaw.com
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Feature
Why NOW is the Best Time
to Start a Franchise! by Faizun Kamal Starting a business is tough in any climate. So why would anyone think about starting a business in the midst of a global pandemic? Over the past few months, I have seen many people become frozen with fear allowing uncertainty to rule their lives. I have also seen many others who are taking bold and calculated risks because they understand that fundamentally, the bigger the disruption, the greater the potential for opportunities to arise from the disruption. As a business owner myself, I understand that entrepreneurship encom-
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passes two sides of the same coin: risk and reward. In many ways, entrepreneurship is a balancing act – containing and minimizing the risks while leveraging all the possible rewards. And franchise ownership is unique in that through its proven business model, it reduces financial risk considerably while increasing the potential upside for its franchisees. It is a way to get into entrepreneurship with minimal risk and greater efficiency. If you’ve ever thought about starting your own business, don’t shy away now. This may be the best time to
start your own franchise. Here are some of the compelling reasons why my clients are deciding to begin their business now. “Recession proof” your career 40 million. That’s the number of people who have lost their jobs since the pandemic was declared on March 6. While the number itself is astounding, it masks the true toll of these numbers. For every person who lost their job, one family’s future was jeopardized.
If this is you or you are in fear of getting laid off, this may be just the right time for you to start exploring business ownership. Don’t allow the vagaries of the economy or a virus dictate your future. As a franchisee, you own your own business and cannot be laid off or furloughed from it.
Business Administration is offering various funding options that make it easier than ever before to get funding to begin a business. Coupled with lower interest rates that we have not seen in a very long time, business ownership has become a viable option for many people.
Use your time in quarantine wisely
Vet how “pandemic resistant” a brand really is
As the world paused, many people also paused in their lives. They took a deep introspective look at their careers and asked themselves the hard question: am I living the life I want to? The answer that came back to many of my clients was: no.
Franchises represent some of the most successful businesses in the world. Now, more than ever, franchises have been put to the test. In the face of great disruption and threat, they have had to nimbly adapt their business model to not only survive but thrive at a time when most other businesses have suffered. Many of the brands I work with have changed their operational and marketing tactics. Through pricing and vendor management strategies, these brands have pivoted to continue to grow through the pandemic. Some have had the best quarters they have ever had in their history.
Professionals around the country are starting to realize that they want to escape the 9-5, generate wealth, and finally live life on their own terms. Many are realizing that franchise business ownership could be the opportunity they have been looking for, to reinvent their careers and take back control of their destiny. Take advantage of funding opportunities On March 27, 2020, the president signed the CARES Act, which provided billions in relief to American workers and small businesses. As part of this program, the Small
Good franchisors communicated daily with their franchisees as they pivoted their business models in real time to minimize store closures, reduce employee layoffs, implement new initiatives to keep customers, help franchisees obtain PPP funding and renegotiate leases with landlords.
As you explore whether franchising is the right option for your career, you will be able to speak directly to franchisees to understand how their brands supported them through the pandemic. Were they able to continue to grow and make money? Did they have to shut down their location? As businesses reopen, what support did they receive from their franchisors? This is the perfect time to understand whether a franchise is truly recession − and pandemic −resistant. Leverage a softening real estate market Unfortunately, many businesses will not be able to survive the pandemic. They will vacate their storefronts and offices. Commercial landlords will have real estate available for which they may be willing to negotiate more favorable terms. Many franchisors are negotiating such favorable real estate deals for their franchisees. These cost savings can be considerable. As German philosopher Meister Eckhart said, “And suddenly, you know… it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of new beginnings.” Are you ready to begin the journey of finding your perfect fit franchise? The time is now.
Faizun Kamal is a nationally-renowned public speaker and career strategist. As CEO of The Franchise Pros, Faizun coaches people nationwide on making the transition from employee to entrepreneur. She provides guidance to embrace chaos, fear, insecurity and uncertainty as doorways of opportunity to help individuals find their “perfect fit” business based on an assessment of their personal, lifestyle and income goals. She guides clients to move beyond career burnout to build a sustainable career that they love! Email Faizun at faizun@thefranchiseconsultingcompany.com or call 443-604-6276.
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She is Successful
Creating a Culture for Success by Elizabeth Denham
“My business philosophy is that it is my employees’ job to keep customers happy, and it is my job to keep the employees happy.” This keen focus on culture and employee cultivation is what Laurie Spivack, CEO and President of Goodbye Graffiti USA, credits with the success of her business. Goodbye Graffiti USA is a franchise based in Seattle and offers graffiti removal, power washing, maintenance programs and anti-graffiti coating services. “Culture is critical in the success of a business,” Spivack said. “I work hard to create a family-feel among our employees. I want people to be excited to come to work.” Spivack uses training, personal responsibility and benefits to create the kind of atmosphere that keeps employees engaged. She offers a robust benefits plan, public transportation subsidies and a living wage for every employee.
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“My business philosophy is that it is my employees’ job to keep customers happy, and it is my job to keep the employees happy.” “I measure the success of the Seattle operation by two main things: 1. More than half of our employees have been with us for more than three years, one for 14 years. 2. People call us and ask us to take care of them when they have graffiti issues. They trust us to show up and solve their problems.” Spivack is in a unique business in that you never lack for jobs. “There is always graffiti,” she said. “And our business model offers several revenue streams. In addition to graffiti removal and power washing, we offer an anti-graffiti coating which makes it easier to clean surfaces. Once coated, you can use hot water to remove graffiti using less water and no chemicals which is good for the environment. The coating needs to
be done every three years, so these customers keep calling.” Another recurring revenue stream is the Ever-Clean Program. This is a contracted service that puts customers on a weekly patrol route, and Goodbye Graffiti removes any graffiti they find for a flat-rate, monthly fee. Spivack has created a strong training program for her franchisees which includes training on how to find opportunities and write proposals for government contracts. “A lot of our customers are city governments and municipalities, so we include that assistance in our 200 hours of operations training,” Spivack said. “We wouldn’t be alive without government contracts.”
New franchisees come to the Seattle office and immerse themselves in the operations. They learn technical processes, best practices for graffiti removal, software and operations procedures, marketing strategies and networking ideas. “I get great satisfaction out of creating and providing jobs to people,” Spivack said. “Recruiting new franchisees into business ownership and helping them create good jobs for people, that’s my dream. I offer generous territories because I want each owner to make a good living and feel satisfaction in helping others work.” For more information, visit www. goodbyegraffitiusa.com/
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Looking Forward Coming in September:
the “The Community Engagement� Issue Reserve your space today.
Reach out at info@thefranchisewoman.com 46 The Franchise Woman
I Am Woman by Susan Scotts I AM the Creator of my own Destiny. I AM a Conscious Manifestor of Abundance and a Teacher. I’m a Daughter and Mother and Lover. I AM Authentic and Empowered. I AM definitely a ‘think outside the box’ type of person. I Am a Giver. I AM a Caring, Empathetic, Confident, Creative, Compassionate, Determined, Kind and Thoughtful Lightworker and Servant who is Inspired by all the beauty life has to offer. I AM an Old Soul. I AM Joyful, Grateful, Healthy and Wealthy beyond belief. I AM Forgiving and Forgiven. I AM Secure while I am insecure. I AM Motivated, Prosperous, Valuable and Successful, yet Imperfectly Perfect, just as I AM. Most of all, I AM truly Blessed … Because nothing is more powerful than what you say about yourself. I AM Woman.
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Marketing Tips
How Should
I Market My Business One thing I believe we can all agree on right now is that 2020 has been a memorable year for small businesses. I’ve talked to very few business owners or franchisees who have said that it has been “business as usual” for them. Add a traditional summer “lull” for many industries, and it could be a slow year indeed. As I mentioned in my previous article, marketing during difficult times becomes even more vital to the health of your business. Rather than thinking of this as a marketing “downtime,” think of it as a marketing “uptime.” Here are some ways you can take advantage of a slowdown:
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in a Lull?
by Michele Rempel
“
… marketing during difficult times becomes even more vital to the health of your business. Write about your successes
Have you been thinking about those customer success stories from the last year or so? Now is a good season to turn those stories into case studies that you can share on your website and social media. Case studies can be in print or video format and are perfect for sharing on social media, in emails and on your website (if you can add content to your site). They are also helpful for your sales agents to review and even share with prospects.
Reward your loyal customers This could be the perfect time to develop a loyalty program, especially if your franchise is in the service industry. We’ve worked with franchisees who ordered a few different gift items (usually with their logo) to give to customers on their start date “anniversaries” (“Thanks for being a loyal customer for 2 years!”) or who have used their services after a certain number of times. We have seen customers post about the gesture on social media or even use it as the impetus to post a review on Google or Facebook. Your local promotional items rep will be overjoyed and probably extremely helpful in selecting the best gifts for your loyalty program.
Build a new marketing channel Consider branching out into a new social channel. We have seen several of our clients decide that this is the time to embrace Instagram or LinkedIn as an additional way to reach potential customers and clients. Others have been using this opportunity to reconnect via regular email newsletters to past customers.
Do some sleuthing about your competition If you haven’t been paying attention to what your competition is doing online, you might have some extra resources (time, if nothing else) to do that now. Whenever we talk to prospective clients about helping them market their businesses, we always spend some time checking out their competition. When your business is humming along, it is easy to get micro-focused on what’s happening in your own business and lose sight of what others are doing. You might discover new opportunities or threats, or a new approach to marketing that you had not considered before.
Economic downturns or lulls can be frightening and frustrating. Responding to them with a fresh perspective can pay big dividends. “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity”. ~Sun Tzu
Michele Rempel is the founder and managing partner of Westvyne, a marketing and website design firm based in California and Illinois. For almost a decade, she and her team have been guiding their clients in what to say, how to say it, where to say it, and who to say it to in order to attract and retain customers. For more information about Westvyne, visit www.westvyne.com.
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rch Engines Experts
utation and Credibility
Featured Franchises
SIONALISM
e Licensing Training
iness Training Programs
ning In House
m Approach
ENCY & CONTINUITY
mpassionate Owners
ners Personal Growth
n 1 Business Coaching
al Setting
Wisdom Senior Care®
edulingWisdom SupportSenior Care has created a network
of successful business owners. Through our founder, we have learned a lot about seniors and how to care for them. Training more than 250 senior home care providers has proven that we can help even more franchisees become successful through our core values and mission. By creating a high-quality network of Wisdom Business Owners through our franchise, we aim to build a network of dependable and trustworthy providers. Our core values set the standard for both our services and our franchise system. Giving and sharing are what solidify our organization. For more information, visit www.wisdomseniorcare.com
SENIO
The Original Popcorn House
The Original Popcorn House is popping up in cities across the country. They feature over 60 handcrafted, gourmet popcorn flavors, homemade sweet treats, and deliciously crafted, cinnamon frosted, praline nuts. Every family-owned and operated small business franchise can sell gourmet popcorn through retail locations, wholesale, catering, fundraising, special events, corporate accounts and E-commerce. Franchisees benefit from exclusive training at Original Popcorn House’s headquarters in Delray Beach, Florida. You’ll receive a hands-on “popping” experience, plus operations, marketing and business management support. This is a low-cost and unique franchise opportunity. For more information, visit www.originalpopcornhouse.com.
PROTECTION WI
HOME CARE SERVIC
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Turn it into a PT/FT business as a Paint Color Consultant! • Low Entry Cost/Quick Start Up • Home-based • Work/Life Balance • Large Territories
1-844-EZ-COLOR 1-844-392-6567 Snapology understands that children are meant to learn through play. Whenwww.AmericasColorConsultants.com children Snapology
are actively engaged in hands-on, interactive learning activities, their creativity flourishes and they show a greater interest in school. If kids are happy, then parents are happy and your business will flourish. There are several elements that make Snapology a great franchise opportunity. First, Snapology programs are fun. They provide the right balance between fun and education to appeal equally to children and their parents. Second, Snapology offers dozens of revenue streams. Imagine the possibilities with the over 60 different program topics and themes to offer for classes, parties, summer camps, and scouting events. Birthday parties alone are a $10 billion industry. Third, large territories are available. Finally, Snapology is a low cost, home-based, mobile business teaching robotics and STEAM principles through classes, camps, parties and other events. For more information visit www.snapology.com/franchise.
Got An Eye For Color?
America’s Color Consultants (ACC) is the nation’s first paint color consulting franchise. Paint color consultants are important - and popular - members of the booming home improvement industry. A trained ACC Consultant helps clients select fresh colors for their spaces through convenient in-home appointments. During this time of “safe at home,” virtual consultations are available. An ACC franchise is an excellent lifestyle business for anyone with an eye for color/design to earn additional household income or start a lifelong career. Qualified candidates can grow their home-based business from P/T to F/T with a proven, successful business model. The entry fee is low and there is ongoing training and personal support by the founders.
For more information visit 1-844-EZ-COLOR (1-844-392-6567) www.americascolorconsultants.com
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Women on the Move The Franchise Woman would like not only to inspire women to achieve their dreams of successful business ownership, but also to recognize women who are owning it, killing it and making big moves in the industry.
MaidPro MaidPro named top franchise for women entrepreneurs by Franchise Business Review.
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Debbie Fiorino Debbie Fiorino named an Influential Business Woman by South Florida Business Journal.
Rebecca Monet Rebecca Monet is now Co-Publisher of The Franchise Woman Magazine.
Michelle Fee Michelle Fee, CEO and founder of Cruise Planners was recently inducted into the Sandals Resorts International (SRI) Hall of Fame.
Angela CotĂŠ Angela CotĂŠ launches Play Bigger Performance Groups.
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Contact Us Let us help you grow your brand! Find out how we can target your next franchise owner. We strive to create an amazing resource for women in the franchise industry. Please contact us at any time.
251-300-1324 www.TheFranchiseWoman.com info@thefranchisewoman.com
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PUSHPA KUNWAR The Patch Boys Las Vegas, NV
TAMARA HOLMES The Patch Boys Central VA
LEA RUBINSTEIN The Patch Boys Ocean County, NJ
LISA KALEZIC The Patch Boys Raleigh, NC
Don’t Let Our Name FOOL YOU The Patch Boys is a Great Business for Women • Niche Concept
• Flexible Schedule
• Low Cost of Entry
• Low Overhead
• Quick Startup Time
• High Margins
• Home-Based Business
• Ideal Work-Life Balance
Holes in your ceiling? We can help!
www.holeshappen.com
844-99-PATCH
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