Chairman ’ sNote
Welcome to 2017 !
Welcome to a new year , filled with possibilities and challenges , and hopefully heading to a better direction with the new presidency .
Before elaborating on that , I warmly invite you to join me in Las Vegas in April for the 17th annual Multi-Unit Franchising Conference . On the recommendation of our board of advisors ( multi-unit franchisees like you ), we ’ ve shifted the days of this year ’ s conference to Sunday through Wednesday , April 23 – 26 . The annual charity golf tournament , which raises many thousands of dollars for deserving causes , is on Sunday .
We are repeating our franchisee-only “ First-Timer
Franchisee Meet & Greet ” event that Sunday evening , from 6 to 7 p . m . at Carmine ’ s restaurant in The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace . Members of the advisory board will be on hand to welcome newcomers . The franchisee-only Opening Social follows from 7 to 9 p . m ., providing an opportunity for franchisees to mingle while enjoying appetizers and drinks .
The educational sessions , also designed with input from the advisory board , will include how to be the employer of choice in a tight job market , key items to look for in assessing a brand , how to scale your organization for growth , and many , many more . We also are bringing back the “ Money Room ,” an opportunity for operators to meet one-onone with franchise lenders . The “ Law Room ” offers similar opportunities to meet with legal experts .
The recent legislative and regulatory threats to franchising , combined with the uncertainty created by a new administration in Washington , will be the focus of Wednesday morning ’ s closing session . The session will include the IFA ’ s @ OurFranchise initiative to help franchisees learn how to educate their employees , customers , and legislators about franchising .
While most expect the new administration will be more favorable to business , it will take time to overturn the actions of the previous administration on issues such as joint employer , overtime rules , the Affordable Care Act , predictive scheduling , and more . The nomination of Andy Puzder , CEO of CKE Restaurants , as Secretary of Labor is good news for franchising . If he is confirmed , franchising will have a friend in the White House . ( See the story on these topics and more , beginning on page 54 .)
I ’ m excited about this year ’ s keynote speakers . I ’ m a big fan of Marcus Lemonis , star of the CNBC show “ The Profit ,” as well as an accomplished businessman , investor , and philanthropist . Along with many others , I ’ m looking forward to meeting him .
As for those possibilities and challenges I mentioned , 2017 is shaping up to be a very exciting year for franchising . For the most part , we are able to control what happens inside our own organizations . But for those of us with brick-and-mortar locations , what happens inside our four walls is being affected more each year by external forces — from workplace rules to how we hire . And while financing has loosened , coping with increased paperwork , regulation , and state and local laws affecting how much we pay our employees , to delays in approvals for new sites is costing all of us time and money and affecting our bottom line .
That ’ s all the more motivation for me to want to get together with my fellow multi-unit franchisees . No matter how large or small our organizations , we all must deal with the same issues . The educational sessions and networking opportunities are always helpful to me . And the chance to meet with brand representatives in the Exhibit Hall to explore new concepts , along with suppliers who can help me improve my organization and operations , is always rewarding .
This year , I urge you not only to attend the conference in April , but to tell your franchisors about it and ask them to send their best operators to join us in Las Vegas . What feels different this year is not only the opportunities to improve our own companies , but the necessity of reaching out to the non-franchised world to educate them on the value of our small-business model . Because even with more than 700 units , all my business is still one store and one customer at a time .
So please attend and pay special attention to our efforts to remind those outside forces about how many people we employ , how much we contribute to our local communities , and how much of that depends on the survival of the existing franchise business model .
I look forward to seeing you . Please be sure to say hello and tell me what ’ s on your mind .
See you in Vegas !
Guillermo Perales CEO / Founder , Sun Holdings
2017 Conference Chair
6 MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE ISSUE I , 2017