From the
editor’s
desk
Franchise
update|Q2
CHAIRMAN
Gary Gardner
BY Kerry Pipes
CEO
Therese Thilgen
President
Steve Olson
Speed Thrills
I
f speed and efficiency aren’t woven
into the fabric of your brand, you are
losing candidates and slowing system
growth. Sounds harsh, but it’s a fact. Facts
can be that way.
I recently returned from Franchise
Update’s 12th annual Multi-Unit Franchising Conference in Las Vegas. More
than 1,200 multi-unit franchisees, franchisors, suppliers, and investors were on
hand this year—the largest number ever.
(In-depth coverage of the conference begins on page 20.)
Seventy percent of the multi-unit franchisee organizations at the conference
reported they were seeking new brands,
and the Expo Hall provided them the
perfect opportunity to kick the tires of
many dozens of brands—as well as those
of suppliers—who filled the Expo Hall in
record numbers.
One thing that has become evident in
recent years is the growing importance for
franchisors to provide clear and relevant
information to potential franchisees—
quickly—from initial contact to signing
the franchise agreement and opening a
new location. Franchising is becoming
more sophisticated, and those who want to
excel and expand want good information
from the start—especially larger multiunit organizations. If you’re not providing them with that information from the
start—including detailed financial data in
your FDD—you’re falling behind those
who are.
Speed is the focus of this issue. Speed is
critical in recruitment efforts, for maintaining positive relationships with franchisees,
and for reaching customers. The buzz in
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Franchiseupdate Iss u e II, 2 0 1 3
recent years has been how companies are
using technology to communicate more
quickly and effectively at all levels and
with all constituencies. In franchise development and growth, technology—done
right—is a must-have advantage.
In Challenge the Pros (page 60), Jocelyn Blain, chief development officer at
Fresh To Order (f2o), discusses the technology needs and processes of an emerging brand. She says a good CRM system
is imperative for generating and tracking
leads, delivering a digital franchisee kit,
and as an online resource for candidates
during the award process. As she says,
“In addition to enabling organizations to
become more efficient, technology allows
lean development teams to be more effective without an increase in staffing levels.”
And what about customers? It’s essential
to reach them quickly and efficiently as
well. In our CMO Roundtable (page 36),
Paul Macaluso, chief marketing officer at
Moe’s Southwest Grill, says the marketing
department shoul