Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue I, 2012 | Page 59

Best

OF THE BEST

Jim Snyder

ward County, churches, synagogues, golf tournaments, and
more. No TV or radio, though.
“You can’t wait for your phone to ring or someone to walk
Donatos Pizza
in your door,” says Alan. “You have to be out there, aggressive,
It’s All About “Best”
work hard, stay current on technology, stay current on pricing,
and produce a good product.”
Jim Snyder, who operates a Donatos Pizza restaurant in BelleSocial media has been a mixed bag for the couple. Harriet fontaine, Ohio, also won his second Franchisee Partner of the
attended a Facebook class, but that turned out to be unpro- Year award—18 years after winning his first. He also won the
ductive. For their business, “I think it’s a huge waste of time. company’s Promise Light Award in 1994, given to franchisees
Google AdWords has been a much better thing for us. As who best represent Donatos’ mission to promote goodwill
soon as we got involved, emails started coming and the phone through products, service, principles, and people.
“I don’t know that I do anything different today than I did
started ringing,” says Alan. “Google is great. I work directly
with them and I’ve seen results. We got two inquiries today in 1993,” Snyder says. “Every single day I’m out there to build
we wouldn’t have otherwise.”
on the Donatos promise: ‘To serve the best pizza, and make
Their normal clients are small to medium-sized compa- your day a little better.’”
Before becoming a franchisee, he worked for Sears in the
nies that can’t afford the big marketing firms. “So we step
into that role,” says Alan. “We don’t experience our clients as appliance service business for nearly 30 years in a variety of difsign buyers, but as marketing partners. We work very closely ferent roles. “I reached a point of burnout and was looking for
with them to help them stand out and hopefully succeed. We something else to do. Donatos had just started announcing they
want them around for a long time—their success is ours. It’s were going to do franchising. I decided I would look into it.”
not just a commodity.”
Shifting to franchising and giving up a weekly paycheck
To accomplish that, they have their own graphic designer was a “huge step,” says Snyder. “I had a 27-year security blanon staff, says Harriet. They also take on jobs other franchisees ket on top of me with benefits. It was a tough decision to walk
would never think of taking on, like large construction projects away from that. I took the plunge and laid my money on the
or hotels. “Big projects bring bigger profits,” says Alan. “We’ve line. It’s been very rewarding in many, many ways—the freedone signs 55 feet high by 35 feet wide on the sides of garages.” dom that I have, the flexibility of owning my own company,
And, since print machines max out