Chairman ’ sNote
MUFC : Why I Attend Each Year
I
immigrated to the U . S . to pursue my dream of becoming a successful entrepreneur . Born and raised in Mexico , where I was trained as a CPA , I earned my master ’ s degree in business administration from Texas A & M . In 1997 I bought my first franchise , a Golden Corral , with a $ 100,000 SBA loan . Today my company , Sun Holdings , operates 710 units and is one of the largest franchisees in my adopted country .
Ambition , dedication , and discipline are key to developing a large company . Ambition will give you a goal to reach for in your business . But to reach that goal , you must be dedicated and patient . Discipline will help you work hard to achieve the success you seek .
As I expanded my company with multiple franchises in different locations , I no longer was able to operate and oversee them myself . A successful franchisee must have ( or develop ) not only a solid infrastructure to build upon , but also leadership skills strong enough to guide managers and employees from afar to keep each location and each brand running smoothly .
These skills and more are critical to success , which is why I look forward each spring to the Multi-Unit Franchising Conference ( MUFC ). The educational sessions and panels are designed by an advisory board consisting of successful multi-unit and multi-brand franchisees in different industries and stages of growth . Their interests are your interests , their challenges the same as yours — which is why attendees come away each year with useful , relevant solutions to help them grow .
This year , advisory board members welcomed first-time attendees at a meet-andgreet cocktail hour , sharing their experience not only in franchising , but also providing tips to help first-timers navigate the rich and varied conference agenda with its workshops and panels .
For me , one of the best parts about this conference is the built-in opportunities for informal networking . I can learn about new brands , and which brands are working for my peers . After all , if you want to build an empire , you must be able to determine which franchise brands are the most successful and which will be successful in the future . I also can ask my own questions about topics such as hiring and retaining the best employees , the latest on governmental regulations and wages , and tour the Exhibit Hall to learn about new technology and other solutions .
Then there are the keynote speakers . This year featured Jim Collins of “ Good to Great ” fame and Joe Theismann , former NFL great . Both were informative and inspiring . For Collins , it was the second time he ’ d been a keynote speaker at this conference . He also joined a panel of multi-unit franchisees to discuss what made them great . Theismann , a Super Bowl winner and MVP with the Washington Redskins , inspired , challenged , and entertained the attendees with stories from his NFL days and as a restaurant owner . That evening , he helped raise more than $ 30,000 for charity .
To sum up : The Multi-Unit Franchising Conference is the place to be next April for its powerful agenda , educational sessions , peer-to-peer networking , franchisee-only events , and inspirational speakers .
Finally , I would be remiss if I didn ’ t thank Michael Kulp , the 2016 chair , for his year of service and dedication to making a great conference even greater — as well as all the past chairs who have built the conference into the great event it is today . It ’ s a true honor to be named chair of the 2017 Multi-Unit Franchising Conference .
See you next April in Vegas !
Guillermo Perales CEO / Founder , Sun Holdings
2017 Conference Chair
6 MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE ISSUE III , 2016