New Jersey Feature Articles

In the two previous newsletters, I discussed Selling Skill #1 ("Follow a successful sales process") and Selling Skill #2 ("Strong relationship-building skills").

Taking a franchise brand international is, in a sense, the final frontier for growth. It's where many franchise brands that have begun - and been successful - in the U.S turn when they seek expansion. It's a strategy that often occurs in part because of growth that has saturated domestic markets and territories. Typically, larger more established franchise brands begin looking across borders for untapped markets and potential growth. It's an expansion strategy that's not new. But during the past couple of decades as franchising has continued to grow as a popular business model, the international growth strategy has been on the rise. International franchising can also provide opportunities for new and existing franchisees looking for expansion options. There are opportunities as near as Mexico and Canada and as far as the Middle East. In one sense, international franchising can be a relatively smooth and easy process. After all, the franchise concept is built around infrastructure, simplicity, replication, and streamlined operations. What works in one place generally works in another. And many international markets are wide open and untapped and offer enormous potential for franchisors - with the right products, services, and business culture.

By now you're most likely familiar with pop culture buzzwords like tweets, friending, and texting. But if you haven't had much firsthand involvement in these activities, chances are you will very soon. These ubiquitous and participatory endeavors are all part of a "social networking" trend that's spreading like wildfire online and, some say, is poised to create a new frontier in 21st century marketing.

Robert came to us to help him develop a 5-year Transition Growth Plan so he could sell his company and retire. He had high expectations for what the sale would net him financially, based on his presumed growth rate. Unfortunately, his presumptions were well beyond business reality. He had never utilized a written strategic growth plan or a business model innovation program. And the stagnant state of affairs which made up his company were proof of this.

Tasti D-Lite's coming to Arizona...and Facebook is helping spread the news. Jonathan Kaufman is the area developer and multi-unit franchisee for the state, where he's scheduled to open more than 40 Tasti D-Lite units. But it's his first store opening that has kept him busy this fall and Facebook has been one of his strategic marketing tools.

Gaining access to and securing capital is more important for franchisees today than ever. Every week we talk with multi-unit franchisees about how they are growing and the kind of financing it takes for them to achieve their goals and objectives. It's an important topic and sometimes we get some very candid responses.

Brian Castro's help desk department serves more than 1,000 computer users at his company's corporate center. Among the 23 employees in his multi-generational staff are several Millennials (born 1980-1999) who he hired last year, fresh out of college. Like the rest of Brian's help desk staff, his Millennials are excellent at solving difficult computer problems, usually under a critical deadline. Overall Brian, a Baby Boomer, is pleased with his new hires and tells them just how much he values them.

Stephen Reitz was in his late 30s when he entered the world of franchising. He'd already learned quite a bit about the world of business in the years preceding his career switch. "I had a number of positions before I got into franchising," says Reitz, who spent 20 years at Ford Motor Company in sales and marketing. One highlight at Ford was a week he spent with W. Edwards Deming, the legendary management and quality guru who helped the Japanese create some of the world's leading manufacturers--and who spurred Reitz to become passionate about process improvement.

Why would both a franchise capital finance company and the CEO of a retail franchise brand sign on as franchisees of a new concept? That's what Siegel Financial Group and Gabriel Bottazzi, CEO and founder of Bijoux Terner, have done. They are among the six franchisees who have signed on with RetroTax. Part of the reason, both say, is that it's a great concept. RetroTax, as the name implies, finds tax credits for both franchisors and franchisees--and gets paid as a percentage of what they find.

You've worked hard to build your multi-unit franchise business, and now it's time to step back--not only from the day-to-day operations, but perhaps from the business itself. Is it time to let go? Can you? Will the business continue without you?

Franchising is the most popular system for growing a business in the United States today. According to every government survey, franchising has experienced explosive growth since the mid-70s and is expected to be the leading method of doing business in the new century. In the United States, there are over 2,500 franchise systems. These systems have in excess of 534,000 franchise units, which represent 3.2% of the total businesses. This 3.2% of all businesses controls over 35% of all retail and service revenue in the U.S. economy.

In reality you are taking your assets, which you own, and investing them in someone elses' brand and operating system. You will always own your assets. You will always own your corporation. But you will "do business as" (dba) a licensee of the franchisor.

Perhaps you're familiar with Pinkberry. It's the frozen yogurt concept that launched amid a flurry of long lines, celebrity praise, and customers driving hours just to get a taste of the tangy yogurt at its original Los Angeles location when it opened in 2005. Since then, the brand has continued to grow--as has an exploding slate of competitors--and now comes news of a fresh injection of capital and some ambitious expansion plans.

It's time to open your first franchise store. It's an exciting event but one that can also be filled with anxiety. But you can alleviate much of that anxiety with some proper planning and by relying on advice and support from the franchisor.

Social media, social networking, social marketing, social recruiting. Whatever you call these new connectivity platforms, they're sweeping the business world in 2009--much as the Internet and World Wide Web did circa 1995. Everybody wants in on the action, but no one is quite sure how. Okay, maybe some people know. We asked a few--and went online (of course) to find out more. We also pulled a few thoughts from "The Long Tail," a book by [i]Wired[/i] magazine Editor Chris Anderson on how Web 2.0 and social media have transformed marketing and sales.

Why did lenders go from using fog-the-mirror underwriting to 100 percent cash collateral requirements in less than a 36-month period? Why did the banking watchdogs not bark? From a franchise growth perspective, the answer is simple: It doesn't matter. What does matter is confronting the new lending reality.

Most of the headlines in 2009 have carried a common theme with respect to business and retailers in particular: a struggling economy and record high unemployment. Although most employees, customers, and vendors are as honest as the day is long, others simply cannot resist the temptation to steal what they cannot afford--especially in difficult times.

Sean Falk's "secret weapon" for achieving success in business may lie in his Ironman triathlon creds. This three-time triathlon winner (a race that combines a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run) harnesses his drive and energy to ride herd on 10 retail units (four brands) and one restaurant in three states. Or maybe it's experience in the U.S. Marine Corps., where he attained the rank of captain.

Franchise Update Media Group, the leading industry resource for franchise development, announces the winners of its 11th annual STAR (Speaking To And Responding) Awards, which included two new categories this year - SEO and Social Media. The awards recognize excellence in lead generation, recruitment, and industry-wide best practices in franchising.

Franchise Update Media Group, the leading industry resource for franchise development, announces the winners of its 11th annual STAR (Speaking To And Responding) Awards, which included two new categories this year - SEO and Social Media. The awards recognize excellence in lead generation, recruitment, and industry-wide best practices in franchising.

Cleveland-based USA Insulation has added new franchise locations in Indianapolis, Chicago, Omaha, Portland, Me., and central New Jersey. Company President Patrick J. Pitrone attributes the company's growth to forecasts of a cold winter, unpredictable energy prices, and the Federal Energy Tax Credit of 30 percent (up to $1,500) for homeowners who add insulation by year-end.

The constant theme of this column is Do It Effectively, Do It Legally, Make a Difference. How a franchisor addresses its sales promotional materials fits this theme. That is, a franchisor's sales promotional materials must effectively capture a candidate's attention and also must comply with the rules.

Last month we discussed the first of the three key selling skills involved in effectively selling new franchises--and how they apply in good economies and bad.

Build-A-Bear Workshop, in partnership with WiredSafety.org, is promoting October as "Stop Cyberbullying Month" at its stores and in its online virtual world, buildabearville.com. Cyberbullying, a growing problem among children, tweens, and teens, made national headlines in 2006 when a 13-year-old girl committed suicide after being bullied online by a group that included the mother of one of her former friends. The franchisor is focusing on online safety education and how to help prevent cyberbullying through several programs, by providing activities and materials to promote safe online 
play for kids, and by participating in a Stop Cyberbullying Coalition event on Capitol Hill on October 13.

The big multi-unit rollers who convened in Vegas this April represented more than $1.6 billion in annual revenues, and they were playing to win. It was all part of the 2009 Multi-Unit Franchising conference, sponsored by Franchise Update Media Group this past April 15-17 at the Bellagio hotel. The annual event, which attracted a record 500-plus multi-unit franchisees, franchisors, and vendors from across the country, was a sure bet for attendees.

Airport concessions may, at first glance, seem like a risky endeavor. Traffic has been steadily declining for a year - down nearly 12 percent in February 2009 when the FAA released its last traffic statistics - and the barrier to entry remains high. But consider the upside. The largest U.S airports host an average of 60 million passengers each year. Not one U.S. air carrier offers their coach passengers breakfast, lunch, or dinner service on domestic flights. Locations offering healthy, fresh, portable options are limited, yet travelers often have hours to wait for delayed flights, missed connections, or - in the best case scenario - a shorter than average security wait time.

It seems there really is a silver lining in every cloud. And the recent economic downturn has deposited a little of that silver at the feet of some multi-unit franchisees who can tolerate risk and don't mind a little "remodeling" work. Today, opportunities abound to buy distressed franchise units from other troubled or bankrupt franchisees--often for pennies on the dollar. If they have the stomach, these "rescuers" can snatch up these units, turn them around, and watch the dollars flow in.

Franchise training. It's likely one of the fundamental reasons you've selected a franchise business opportunity. It's all there - product and service information, operations details, marketing, accounting procedures - everything you need to know to operate a business is typically covered in some degree of detail by the franchisor. That's because the franchisor knows how the system works, they've refined it and they can offer that valuable knowledge to you as a new operator.

Keeping up on the rapidly evolving social media scene, and how platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others can be used to help achieve your business goals is like trying to catch Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt in the 100-yard dash.

Even in tough economic times, franchisors are stepping up and giving back to causes and organizations they - and their franchisees - believe in. Many of these activities fall under the radar, displaced by news and events deemed more immediate or important. What could be more important than raising money and donating time to help those in need, especially when budgets are pinched and time is at a premium? That's why we're taking the time to recognize our contemporary heroes.