Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue III, 2014 | Page 70
sociates called How to Attract Multi-Unit
Franchisees to Your Brand. The four panelists—Todd Evans (after years at Aaron’s,
now VP of franchising at Rent A Wheel/
Rent A Tire), Scott Iverson (VP of marketing at Toppers Pizza), Brian Sommers
(VP of franchise development at Jersey
Mike’s), and Jim Sullivan (SVP of franchise development at CKE Restaurants,
aka Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr.)— shared what
they’ve learned and the strategies they’ve
used to find qualified multi-unit operators
for their systems.
Following lunch, the afternoon was
divided into three groups of educational
breakout sessions: Growing to 20 Units,
Growing from 20 to 30 Units, and Growing
Beyond 50 Units. Session topics included
Going from Grandma’s Pocketbook to
Lender Financing; Management to Leadership; The Right Capital Plans for Growth;
Making the Commitment to Grow; Executing The Vision; and People—A Critical
Element of Growth. Moderators kept the
packed sessions focused and moving, with
plenty of time for audience participation
and questions.
Expo-mentum
With the day’s sessions completed, attention
turned to the opening cocktail reception
in the Expo Hall—the place to meet and
greet. This year saw a record number of
exhibitors, and floor space sold out faster
than at any previous MUFC. Service providers, technology companies, and other
vendors, along with dozens of franchise
brands, were on hand to rub elbows with
franchisees, tell their stories, and answer
questions.
The Expo Hall opened for business
twice more during the conference, dur-
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MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE IS S UE III, 2014
Charles Smithgall III, Mike Kulp, Roland Spongberg
ing the Thursday lunch hour and again on
Thursday evening. It continues to be a focal
point for networking and a cornerstone of
the conference, the place where conversations get started and deals take root.
State of the economy
Thursday began with a continental breakfast and an informal business solutions
roundtable session that provided opportunity for plenty of interaction covering a
wide variety of topics. Chairman Hashim
then welcomed everyone back to the general session before introducing the annual
“State of Franchising” address from Frandata President Darrell Johnson.
Looking at the overall economy, Johnson
said most of the economic news is “fairly
positive,” but he predicts continuing modest GDP growth of 2.5 percent for the next
2 years or more (compared with 3 percent
in the past). The good news for business
owners, he said, is that “at least it’s fairly
predictable.”
Johnson also discussed the meaning for
franchisees of strengthening capital markets and the ongoing demographic shift
from Baby Boomers to Millennials. He
said Boomers are retracting from discretionary spending, no longer carrying the
economy as they begin to retire. And with
Millennials preferring urban over suburban
living, they’re not buying cars and homes,
which means fewer big-ticket purchases.
(However, they do love going out to eat
with friends.) One negative consequence for
franchisees of the move back to America’s
cities is that commercial rents for Class A
space are rising four times as fast as rents
in the suburbs.
“Million dollar” keynote
JB Bernstein, a sports agent and marketing
pioneer who was the inspiration for the
recent Disney film “Million Dollar Arm”
(starring Jon Hamm as Bernstein), proved
a touching and inspiring keynote speaker,
and a testament to the power of believing
in your dreams.
Bernstein, a 25-year-veteran of the
rough-and-tumble consumer goods and
sports marketing business knows what it
takes to succeed—and the many obstacles
standing in the way. He said his major