Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue I, 2012 | Page 27

MEGA

“With a solid business plan, the right people, the right
measurements, and proper feedback, we’re going to succeed.”

MANAGEMENT
Business philosophy: We’ve developed a management circle. It all starts
with the business plan, which is core to our beliefs and culture and which tells
us when to hire, how many to hire, and how to train in a way that helps us
execute our business plan. Once trained, we empower our people and give
them a lot of room to make mistakes. We trust and verify and measure everything. With a solid business plan, the right people, the right measurements, and
proper feedback, we’re going to succeed.
Are you in the franchising, real estate, or customer service
business? In Canada, our operations concentrate on our customers; we’re
very service-oriented. In the U.S., we concentrate on our customers, who are
our franchisees. We spend a lot of time developing training programs and marketing programs to help them be successful in satisfying their customers.
What gets you out of bed in the morning? New ideas, opportunities.
We’re working on a new marketing idea and I can’t wait to get to the computer and look at the spreadsheet. I’ve really enjoyed working with an outside
consultant for the last 3 years—not something I’ve been inclined to do in the
past—and he has really helped our business.
What’s your passion in business? It has evolved from the beginning
when I was simply trying to create a secure financial base for my family. As
time has gone on and we’ve become successful, my passion has been seeing
our people grow and develop as people, buy houses, and raise kids. It’s motivational to see the impact we’ve had on so many people.
Management method or style: I spend a lot of time with the business
plan and offer the team plenty of room to operate and make mistakes. If there
are different ideas or disagreements, we hammer it out in the business plan.
Greatest challenge: Environmental issues have been, by far, the biggest
challenge for our business. It’s also been the biggest disappointment to see government operate on emotions and not on science and to be forced to change to

products that are much more expensive and deliver lower results to customers.
Another ongoing challenge is dealing with marketing laws put into place by governments trying to justify their existence. I understand the bigger picture, but
somehow it’s got to be based on science.
How close are you to operations? Not at all in the day-to-day.
Have you changed your marketing strategy in response to the
economy? How? We have changed our marketing strategy not because of
the economy but because of legislation, such as the “Do Not Call” list. Also,
we saw a shift in 2011 with more people buying on the Internet, so we’ve
changed our marketing strategy and are developing our cyberspace strategic
presence in response to customer buying behavior.
Personality: My daughter says I’m an analytical, driven individual with my
eye on the results. I’m not a risk-taker but I’m extremely tenacious and loyal.
How do others describe you? My daughter says people view me as a
leader who is tenacious, analytical, and loyal.
Fire and hire? I haven’t really done much of that in years; the same six key
reports I recruited are still with us. They’ve been allowed to buy shares. They’ve
made a lot of money and they’re worth a lot of money.
How do you train and retain? We continually do that, using the management circle to adjust training for results.
How do you deal with problem employees? In the past, I’ve been
loyal to employees to the point of keeping them on too long. Two years ago,
I hired a consultant who helped me unders