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Franwise Blog
Marketing: The Next Step to Beating the Pandemic
We all choose how we relate to stressful situations: pull your head into your shells like a tortoise, or, strike out with a steady pace and win the race, like another, more famous, tortoise. Which do you choose? The COVID -19 pandemic hit threw us all off balance. It was hard to fathom and understand, but we […]
10 Steps to a Safer Reopening
If your business or office has been closed for the better part of three months, it is time to take a look at everything from top to bottom.
Resources for Re-opening
Congratulations! You have made it though one of the country’s most trying times and navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing, restructures, PPP and the rest. But now what? How do you bring your franchise brand back to a changed market effectively? There is so much to reconsider as you prepare to reopen that concerns the […]
Franchising Really Does Give Back
“I wondered why somebody didn’t do something. Then I realized, I am somebody.” author unknown. For the last 15 years, I have had the privilege of volunteering with a local charity at Christmas time. Share Our Selves is a social services organization that, among its many great works, does Adopt-A-Family every year. This year, we […]
The Trip You Had
How was your #IFA2014 experience? Was it exactly what you expected? How to integrate change into your franchise system while staying true to your vision.
This Thanksgiving be grateful for the welfare state.
It is Thanksgiving and a time of reflection. We pause to appreciate the bounty in our lives and express our gratitude. It is my favorite holiday. But this year, it is important to re-examine the history of the holiday and what it meant then and now. The first Thanksgiving was a celebration of welfare. And […]
Dealmakers’ Summit & Sound Franchising Combine For Success
Last week was historic for franchising: Dealmakers’ Summit was launched. I was privileged to be a part of it and to learn. Dealmakers’ Summit is the brainchild of Susan Black-Beth, COO of Super Wash Car Washes, and it was designed to match equity funds with franchise systems looking to expand, improve or sell. As an […]
Balancing Vacations and Franchisees
“ Summer time and the livin’ is easy…” Oh, Ira Gershwin knew of what he spoke! It is summer and the sun, warm breezes, clear skies and long days call a siren’s song to us all. Office staff is peeling off for vacation and well-deserved rest. But what about your franchisees? Does the business model […]
Women, Leadership and Franchising
Women in business – that used to be a radical phrase and when I say “used to be” I am referring to my teens. Now, women are ubiquitous in Western businesses. Some, like Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina, have gone on to great notoriety and made the leap from business to politics and back again. […]
A Shoe-shopping Love/Hate Story
Men will never understand our love affair with shoes, so most women have given up explaining it – including me. But this is a story about shoe-shopping love. I ordered shoes from Zappos for the first time on Tuesday. I hate to shop (there is a gene broken somewhere in my DNA string), but shopping […]
Reflections on Labor Day
It’s Friday and the last national holiday of the summer is to be celebrated. How many of us will enjoy a three day weekend? That is one of the many contributions to the workplace that we are celebrating this weekend. It’s more than sun, beer and BBQ – it’s about labor. How many of you […]
Southern CA FBNs offer a panel of the pros. Three opportunities to hear them.
Marketing is not a field of dreams, but if you market your concept right, they will come. Come to one of three great Franchise Business Network meetings to learn from the best: Marketing Strategies for Building Your Brand. Speakers are: Carol Skinner of Juice It Up!, Amy Boone Thompson, COO of Stroller Strides, Allison Heinright […]
A brave new world – for consumer marketing
Being brave is hard and being brave in hard times is the mark of a leader. Tomorrow the brave leaders in consumer marketing for franchise brands will gather in San Francisco at Franchise Update Media Group’s first Consumer Marketing Conference. They have gathered the best in marketing strategies for retail and service brands to discuss […]
Drowning in a sea of love?
Help! I’m drowning!! I am deluged with posts from social media gurus, fan pages, business experts and daily coupon offerings. There is so much stuff in my SM pipeline that I can’t find those posts that are most meaningful to my business and me.
I saw the future yesterday. Are you ready for it?
I saw the future yesterday. Are you ready for it? Background I had the privilege of participating in a panel discussion at Cal State Fullerton presented by Epsilon Nu Tau, the first co-ed fraternity for entrepreneurship. The topic was “Women Entrepreneurs.” As I looked at the audience noticed there were no notepads, but there were […]
IFA Convention – Investment or Expense? The Follow Up
The IFA convention is over and you are back at your desk (maybe a few dollars poorer from the casinos). There were lots of people to meet, some great laughs and boatloads of information. So now what? To make your attendance at the convention an investment instead on an expense, there is a lot of […]
An Ode To Spring
Spring. Passover. Easter. No matter what you are celebrating, this is a season of renewal, rebirth – a season of fresh opportunities. And though, for me, this was a tough week I found my faith renewed by the acts of friends. I believe in the inherent goodness of people. Given the opportunity, most people want […]
IFA Convention: Investment or Expense
Making The IFA Convention An Investment Instead Of An Expense. The IFA Annual Convention is only 3 ½ weeks away and I’m excited about it. But, as I talk with friends, colleagues and clients about the money to attend and exhibit many say it is too expensive. I think that is backwards: this is one […]
What Did You Say?
This is a brilliant, fast and important article for anyone who wants to be understood! Make your communication work for you. These lessons are equally important when writing your manuals. http://www.forbes.com/2011/01/06/annoying-business-jargon-entrepreneurs-business.html
Happy New Year and a Challenge
What do winning iPhone-game scores, knitting, franchising and social responsibility have in common? I had lovely holidays: they were quiet, enjoyable and spent with the people I love and with my iPhone, which I also love and have too personal a relationship with. New Year’s Day I hit three “personal bests” on iPhone games. I […]
Just roll with it baby
Did you ever have “one of those days”? It starts out troubled and keeps on getting crazier? That was my day today. The alarm sounded at 3:15 AM. That is not a typo – it was dark and very early because I had to get to LAX for a 6:30AM flight. I stumbled through the […]
The Proof is in The Pudding
This is a special edition for National Punctuation Day. The air soled ate swayed Wales, until his sun tolled hymn two weight; four more thyme! That sentence does not make sense but it passes muster when run through the Microsoft spelling and grammar checks, so, is it correct? In the last few months we have […]
You’re Not The Boss of Me!
When Moses came down the mountain with the clay tablets he was not carrying the 10 Suggestions; they were Commandments.
Picture This
Use visuals in your writing to illustrate points, lead the eye and keep the readers’ attention. But, be sure to use good visuals and use them well.
My Journey of Change in 12 Miles – Small Change Has an Impact
Lather, rinse, repeat. Lather, rinse, repeat. Doing the same thing repeatedly with the same results can be boring. Doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Doing the same thing repeatedly and getting different results is progress.
Sturgis & O’Connell Join Forces
By combining their expertise in franchise sales, development, operations and training, they offer franchisors a spectrum of consulting and advisory services unmatched in the franchise industry.
SLRP is more then the water lapping at the shore.
According to Will Rogers, “Everyone is stupid, only on a different topic.” When we listen to others, we gain information
My Journey of Change in 12 Miles – Week Two: Walking the Plan
“It’s so much more friendly with two.” Piglet, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book
My Journey of Change in 12 Miles – Week One: You Need A Plan
Perhaps some change is spontaneous, but not this one. I realized immediately that I needed a plan for this 12-mile walk.
Covalent mindshare without enterprise-wide action items
Credibly recaptiualize customized best practices without client-centered experiences. Monotonectally e-enable world-class deliverables through optimal bandwidth. Quickly underwhelm distinctive models whereas effective communities. Interactively syndicate value-added infrastructures vis-a-vis economically sound users. Progressively innovate resource sucking users before timely materials.
Ten Steps to Clearer Communincation
“Use your words.” This is the new anthem of mothers across the nation, and a darn good idea. But I would like to see the phrase expanded – just a little – to, “Use your words correctly.” Words are so important: they convey information, meaning and emotion. This is how we relate to each other […]
Pride of Ownership is the key to franchi
Pride of Ownership is the key to franchise success. http://wp.me/pQIj1-A
Read ’em and weep – a new blog post. ht
Read ’em and weep – a new blog post. http://wp.me/pQIj1-u
Oops, did I say that out loud? http://wp
Oops, did I say that out loud? http://wp.me/pQIj1-n
This has been an extraordinary week – we
This has been an extraordinary week – we are happy to now work with Complete Nutrition. Thanks, Ryan. My staff needs to get busy.
Best Practices make Perfect. http://wp.m
Best Practices make Perfect. http://wp.me/pQIj1-h
Best Practices Make Perfect
By now we have all realized there is a new world order in the franchising sector predicated on the 2008 financial collapse and stalled credit markets. It took a while to realize that there was no silver bullet or magic potion to make franchise sales as robust as they had been in the previous years. […]
Another great day and the honor of worki
Another great day and the honor of working with another new brand. We are happy to be consulting with Blackfin in Denver!
We are very proud to now be working with
We are very proud to now be working with Menchie’s!! We are very excited about working with this fun, new brand!
Just completed a terrific project with P
Just completed a terrific project with Pandora jewelry. It was an honor and a pleasure.
Facebook for lovers – and fighters. Ther
Facebook for lovers – and fighters. There are some business lessons in the subtext here. http://ow.ly/1ox1g