Own Your Business.Own Your Life.

by Stan Friedman

My name is Stan Friedman, and I am passionate about franchising. Over my 32-year franchise career, some have known me as a franchisor, others as a supplier and others still, as a franchise podcaster. All who know me, though, know this: I am deeply committed to doing well by doing good. That is the mantra that has led to my many years of engagement with the International Franchise Association (IFA). It is that philosophy, too, that has driven my resolute commitment to the promotion of diversity and inclusion in franchising.

My work in this space has led to many fascinating introductions, opportunities and collaborations with some truly amazing people. Many of these people travel in orbits that would never have touched mine, but for our collective interest in this work. And that’s what led me here, as your Token Man. My mission as your Token Man is to introduce you to some truly amazing women, sources and initiatives that perhaps you might have missed too, had this Token Man not shown up with a bundle of information to share. So, what do you say? Let’s go!

If you are at the early stages of exploring franchising, I hope that this will encourage and inspire you to learn more about how you can “own your business and own your life” and help you take charge of your destiny. For those already committed to franchise business ownership, these resources are available for you, too, and can enable and empower you to climb to even greater heights. For those of you that may be industry executives or play supporting roles, these resources can assist you in the administration of day-to-day responsibilities with those you serve.

Barb Smith

My first introduction is Barb Smith. Barb is Senior Vice President and Director of Key4Women at KeyBank. With more than 1,000 branches in 15 states, Key Bank is one of the nation’s largest. And, while there’s a reasonably good chance that you reside somewhere other than one of those 15 states, worry not. Key4Women resources can be accessed remotely from desktops or smartphones at www. key.com/small-business/services/ key4women/overview.jsp.

KeyBank and Key4Women are deeply committed and engaged with The IFA’s Education Foundation. These groups are committed to helping inform and educate women and members of diverse communities about the power that franchising brings to the economy and the roles that we as individuals may play locally, delivering services to what are oftentimes underserved communities. Barb and other Key executives joined forces with members of the IFA team last fall, piloting a half-day program in Cleveland that served as a primer on franchising. We had representatives of SCORE, SBA and others there to provide technical assistance to curious attendees, toeing into these waters for the first time.

Also in attendance and participating in the program were Connie Hill-Johnson, a local, veteran franchisee of Visiting Angels and Vanessa Whiting, also a local, multiunit franchisee of Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen. Their participation on a panel discussion that I proudly facilitated, brought to light the fullness of the franchisee experience. They shared the hard work, the uncertain beginnings, the winding life paths that can lead to franchising; the 24-hour responsibility that comes with being your own boss and not least of all – the fulfillment and success that can come from being a business owner. Most importantly, they provided validation to the audience that all of this was possible. More about this program and these awe-inspiring women can be found here.

“I am deeply committed to doing well by doing good.

Rebecca Monet

Another passionate peer in franchising that I would like to introduce you to is Rebecca Monet. Rebecca is the Founder, CEO and Chief Scientist of a company called Zorakle Profiles. They are the providers of franchise-specific solutions that utilize algorithms that screen seven sciences and almost magically provide insights that can determine franchisee-franchisor compatibility and predict anticipated performance. It’s not rocket science, but it’s pretty darn close. Rebecca is a frequent speaker at industry events and a contributor to several trade publications. Whether you ever have the occasion to take one of her assessments, Rebecca is a giving and sharing resource and can add value to you both personally and professionally, as you navigate your way through the ecosystem of franchising.

Women’s Franchise Committee

The last introduction that I’d like to make today is to an amazing group of Powerful Women in Franchiing, the IFA’s Women’s Franchise Committee. Formed in 1996, the Women’s Franchise Committee (WFC) is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging women in franchising by creating a network of business professionals dedicated to strengthening the success of women in franchising. The WFC has created many programs and resources to achieve this goal, ranging from how-to guides and conferences to local networking chapters.

MISSION

The mission of the Women’s Franchise Committee is to promote women’s participation in franchising by providing international networking opportunities for the exchange of ideas, resources and experiences.

VISION

The Women’s Franchise Committee is committed to providing resources for women seeking career growth opportunities in franchising.

WOMEN’S FRANCHISE NETWORK (WFN)

WFNs are local networks designed to develop relationships with women franchising professionals and to address issues, share ideas and offer solutions related to franchising. The first network was launched in May 2002 in Denver and now includes markets across the United States and Canada. Look for more networks to continue popping up across the country! Click here for a listing of networks and corresponding planning chairs.

The success of the Women’s Franchise Network continues to grow, and IFA and the WFC have taken “lessons learned” into consideration to revise and add to their Guidelines for Establishing a Local Network. They even have a comprehensive manual that provides in-depth information on how to set up your own local network, host your first meeting, and keep the energy level high at all your meetings throughout the year. Included, too, are ways for customizing your network to meet the needs of your particular market, including sample budgets, sample agendas, ideas for topics of discussion, sample handouts, and more! If you are interested in starting a network in your area, please contact Jeanine Littrel at Jlittrel@Franchise.org to obtain your own copy of the Guidelines.

Well, I think that’s a wrap for this TOKEN GUY. I hope you find these connections and resources to be useful and helpful guides, as you continue on your trajectory toward sustainable growth and sensible franchising. If I can ever be of service, please feel free to reach out to me. I invite you too, to subscribe to the Franchise Today podcast at Blog TalkRadio, or download it from just about any place that podcasts are found. You will find quite a library of guest interviews with industry leaders and executives, including your very own, Franchise Woman.

Stan Friedman, CFE is a 32-year franchise executive, veteran franchisor and President of FRM Solutions, a “franchise-centric: technology company.” FRM enables franchisors to better manage their relationships with prospective and existing franchisees. He also offers consulting services on a limited basis, to emerging franchisors and suppliers, that are new to the franchising space.

Stan is a member of the IFA Supplier Board, a founding Board Member of the IFA Diversity Institute, serves on The IFA Education Foundation’s Leadership Council and was recently elected to its Board of Trustees. At home in Atlanta, Stan serves on the Board of the Southeast Franchise Forum, leading its Membership Committee. In 2011, the IFA honored Stan with its Ronald E. Harrison Diversity Award, previously awarded only seven times in IFA’s 60-year history.

Stan also hosts Franchise Today, a weekly podcast featuring interviews with C-level franchisors, franchisees and suppliers, all of whom share nuggets with the audience about how they’ve achieved sustainable growth through “sensible” franchising.

sfriedman@frmsolutions.com − www.frmsolutions.com stan@sensiblefranchising.com − www.sensiblefranchising.com