Franchise Interviews

We are meeting Jon Ostenson.  Jon Ostenson is a consultant, investor, author, and international speaker specializing in the area of *non-food franchising*. Having served as the President of an Inc. 500 franchise system and now as a multi-brand franchisee, himself, Jon is uniquely positioned to educate others on franchising and franchise selection.

In addition to serving as the CEO of FranBridge Consulting, Jon oversees FranBridge Capital where he and his partners own 17 territories across 5 property service franchises.

Jon is the author of ‘The Franchise Path’ and is a frequent contributor and thought leader for publications on the topic of franchising and franchise investments. Prior to FranBridge, Jon was the President of ShelfGenie, a national franchise system with 200 locations.

In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast.

Franchise Interviews Meets with Moe's Southwest Grill.  Today we are going to discuss the state of the restaurant industry in the new economy.  Over the last several years, restaurants suffered their biggest declines in a generation according to Technomic, a Chicago-based restaurant consultancy. While many sectors of the restaurant industry continue to struggle, the fast-casual segment is driving the industry's growth. In fact, leading fast casual dining chains have grown in sales during the last three years, and total visits grew according to RestaurantsNews.com.

Moreover, fast casual is expected to remain the fastest growing segment of the restaurant industry in 2011. We are meeting with Paul Damico, President of Moe's Southwest Grill. Moe's, the fast-casual franchise known for fresh made-to-order burritos, quesadillas and more.

We have a great show today. We are meeting with Josh Skolnick, Zach Beutler, and Erik Van Horn of Horse Power Brands.  Horsepower Brands is a portfolio company of franchise brands in the service industry delivering first in class customer service and experiences. More importantly the services they provide are needed by all consumers across North America.  One of the newest brands to the Horsepower Brands family is Mighty Dog Roofing (MDR). A roof over your head is vital to protect your family, whether it is a planned project or unexpected event that occurred, MDR is here to help you with this significant but definitely necessary improvement to your home.

Most service industries do not require a brick and mortar location, so you can cut down on a lot of your overhead expenses driving stronger profitability faster. Additionally, you can get a franchisee opened up and successful much quicker.

In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast - Entrepreneurial Types - Which one are you? This is key to determining what type of business opportunity is right for you. This great quote in franchising comes from Nick Bibby of the Bibby Group. Nick discusses a topic we have discussed on Franchise Interviews on several instances and the is entrepreneurial types.

Physical Therapy NOW opened its doors to care for our community on November 12, 2003 under the direction of Andy Zapata. The center was founded on the following core principles: to provide optimal patient care by ensuring all patients receive reliable, personal, excellent healthcare that is cost-effective, to create and maintain a great working environment, and to continuously evaluate and improve every aspect of our practice to ensure that we excel in both patient care and employee satisfaction.  We are meeting with Andy Zapata, CEO of Physical Therapy Now.  In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast - Michael Gerber - How do I want to be remembered? - Here was Michael Gerber's response to the question, "What advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur looking to buy a business?" Michael Gerber is the author of the very successful "E-Myth Revisited". Michael made over a dozen quotes that were noteworthy of making the Great Quotes in Franchising

Is your business prepared if an accident or illness sidelines you or a key employee? How do you prioritize that when you’re managing the day-to-day? Many people depend on your business, so it’s crucial to protect business value by preparing for unexpected disruptions that can happen in the short term. With an easy-to-follow Business Continuity Plan in place for unplanned events, you’ll be ready. We have a great show today.

We are meeting with Rochelle Clarke.  Rochelle is the Founder of Succession Strength, Inc – a company that helps business owners protect their operations and transition them smoothly from owner to heir. She is the author of the 5 Critical Succession Conversations: A Comprehensive Guide for The Family Business. Rochelle is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and has worked with businesses of all sizes, including Fortune 500 companies. Contact Succession Strength [email protected] for a consultation. Rochelle discusses the following questions:

You’re from Succession Strength. Tell us a little about what you do.Why is business continuity planning relevant for franchisees?Can you describe the history of ContinuityStrength?How has technology played a role in your business?We’re living through the effects of a pandemic. This disruption isn’t normal. What other disruptions should franchisees be aware of?Could you give us some interesting examples of businesses that have put a plan in place?What are the characteristics of businesses that use the online ContinuityStrength platform to create their own business continuity plans instead of going to an advisor?What types of things are included in a ContinuityStrength plan?What advice would you give to aspiring and current franchise owners?

First ever franchise blog launched targeting war veterans. Joel Libava, franchise expert/consultant and a popular franchise industry blogger has expanded his Internet offerings related to the world of franchise ownership, and has started a new blog, The Franchise Blog 4 Vets. {www.Thefranchiseblog4Vets.com}. This is the first ever blog on franchising that will be focused on war veteran's returning home from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas of the world requiring our armed forces presence. Joel will also give some fantastic tips on how to buy a franchise.

We are meeting with Anne Huntington Sharma, President of Huntington Learning Center,  the nation's leading tutoring and test prep provider with approximately 300 locations nationwide and a growing roster of online programs. Ann will discuss how she led the company through a complete digital transformation in response to the global pandemic, launching a variety of new digital and hybrid programs including HuntingtonHelps LIVE, Huntington Study Hall, Huntington Homework Help, and Academic Performance Coaching.

Franchise Consultant Jim Coen Tells You What You Need to Know About Buying A Franchise Business

Jim is one of the top experts when it comes to franchising.  Get the facts you need before buying a franchise business. Respected franchise consultant Jim Coen, owner and President of Franchise Perfection, talks about his 30 years of franchise, marketing, and entrepreneurial experience and how to pick the perfect franchise business opportunity for you.