Franchise Interviews

Several years ago, one of my peers Elzie Flenard introduced me to motivational speaker Steve Pavlina.  Steve produced a number of great podcasts available to the public (uncopyright) on motivation, entrepreneurship and life balance.  This podcast discusses how to overcome fear.  We will start the show with a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast, featuring hall of fame speaker Warren Greshes.

We start today with our most recent Great Quotes in Franchising podcast and discuss why franchising is like taking an open book test.  Next we discuss tax tips with Craig Cody.  

As a Certified Tax CoachTM, Craig Cody belongs to a select group of practitioners throughout the country who undergo extensive training and continued education on various tax planning techniques and strategies in order to become, as well as remain, certified. With this organization, Craig has co-authored an Amazon best seller, Secrets of a Tax Free Life.

In addition to tax planning, Craig's practice offers traditional tax services as well as off site CFO services. With a dedicated and passionate team we are able to provide daily guidance and advice to business clients. Our efficiency is embedded in our team concept. Our clients include, but are not limited to, Medical Professionals, Clothing Sourcing Businesses and Commercial Electrical Companies. Craig answers the following questions:

What is the biggest mistake you see small business owners making regarding taxes?

How can business owners use their CPA to their Advantage?

How often should a business owner communicate with his/her CPA and why is it so important?

In Part Three, we conclude with another clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising podcast with Melanie Bergeron.

We have a great show today. We are meeting with Mike Ruiz, President of Global Talent Solutions (GTS).  Global Talent Solutions helps bridge this gap for franchise employers, whose sector contributes 3 percent of the U.S. GDP. He and his company are driving an incredible amount of employment activity in the franchise space. Its talent acquisition takes a candidate-centric approach by being more efficient, less antiquated and systematic.

GTS is helping franchise employers nail interviews - as well as best positioning them before and after - with a unique, agile and simultaneous approach to the classic three-pronged acquisition method of research, outreach and recruitment.  In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.  For more information...go to www.gtsrecruiters.com

We are meeting with Rafael Alvarez, the founder of ATax.  ATAX is a full-service income tax preparation business that represents and caters services toward the Hispanic community. Services include bookkeeping and accounting, driver's license assistance, notary services, and insurance analysis helping to educate the community on the steps they need to take to ensure citizenship and financial success in the economy. Every ATAX franchisee has the ability to offer supplemental services as part of their business model. These secondary services can range from English as a second language, immigration advice, passport photos, and so on, which turns their business into a year-round operation.

* A Safe Haven: ATAX is dedicated to helping the Hispanic community by being a benefactor to the communities it serves, mainly helping educate and dispel fear through the support they offer their customers.

* Strong Financial Model: The ATAX model helps franchisees feel supported, profit quickly and retain clients through multiple revenue streams, which can be added if the franchisee desires.

* High Demand: Taxes are unavoidable and over half of the American population defers to a tax preparer as opposed to filing taxes themselves. For that reason, ATAX's services will always be in demand during tax season.

We have a great show today. We are meeting with Laura Coe of Snapology.  Snapology is a low cost, home-based, mobile business teaching robotics and STEAM principles through classes, camps, parties and other events.  At Snapology, they understand that children are meant to learn through play. When children are actively engaged in hands-on, interactive learning activities, their creativity flourishes and they show a greater interest in school.  If kids are happy, then parents are happy and your business will flourish.  Snapology, a franchise that provides a fun, inviting environment for kids at all levels to gain valuable life skills involving STEM/STEAM, including logic and problem solving, as well as social skills and teamwork. Snapology’s adaptable, research-based curriculum allows children to learn through play. 

Every business has a story.

Snapology was founded by two sisters, Lisa and Laura Coe, who decided to start their business after seeing the love their children had for creative play using building blocks and other materials that snap together. Laura found that her son’s love of LEGO’s helped calm him down when he was dealing with mild behavior issues. She looked for local programs that he could join, but could not find any that fit. Together the sisters came up with the idea of offering enrichment classes and camps to teach science, technology, engineering, mathematics, art and literacy concepts.  Listen to our interview with Laura Coe. In part two, we will play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

We are welcoming back Charles Bonfiglio, CEO and President of Tint World.  Charles left Brooklyn, NY when he was 21 years for Florida to pursue his dreams of entrepreneurship.  Since 1982 Tint World® has provided high-quality window tinting and vehicle accessories to people who love their cars. With a wide selection of automotive products and services, clean, attractive facilities, and superior customer service, Tint World® has become America's favorite place for auto styling and marine styling accessories, and residential and commercial window film services.

Now, anyone can be the proud owner of a Tint World® Automotive Styling Center. In 2007, Tint World® began franchising, and quickly became the nation's largest and fastest-growing window tinting and auto styling business opportunity. If you're interested in running your own business and being your own boss, you too can enjoy the excitement and profitability of running your own Tint World® auto styling business – all for a surprisingly low initial investment.

Hi everyone and welcome to a very special edition of Franchise Interviews.  Our theme over the last several weeks has been social media marketing for franchisors and franchisees.  Today, we are meeting with Sophie Nguyen, CEO of So Gold Marketing. Sophie decided to pursue a career as a social media consultant back in 2013. She kicked off her professional experience managing Purdue University’s social media accounts for 3 years. Connecting with students, having real-time conversations via social media all while building Purdue’s online presence. Then she made another decision to move to the fast-paced Silicon Valley, the tech start-up capital of the world, to begin her career as an entrepreneur, and this is where So Gold Marketing was born. The rest is history.

Connecting to people is the heartbeat of So Gold Marketing. Their relationship with their clients is about getting to know them and their company, so they can best understand how to connect to their clients. And ultimately help them reach their business goals. Their clients say it best, “They do so with a genuine interest to grow your business.” When their clients are successful, they are successful.  In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

We are meeting with Cassidy Crail, the Co-founder of C Squared Social.  Cassidy is going to discuss the history of C Squared Social, how many franchise brands are starting to look at millennials, and how C Squared Social helps franchisors reach this large market of potential new franchise owners.  C Squared Social is the expert in targeted digital advertising. They use their proprietary Four Point Targeting Method to get your message in front of the people you are looking for on all the most popular social media platforms, mobile apps and websites. C Squared Social design the ads, customize the campaigns and automate your call to action to meet all your objectives.

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

We are meeting with Ken Hutcheson, President of U.S. Lawns.  All of US Lawn’s landscaping professionals have a genuine commitment to improving communities and improving lives every day, which is a big reason they became part of the Network to begin with.  From the Home Office in Orlando, FL, community leaders across the United States are selectively onboarded and trained to do business proudly displaying the U.S. Lawns star. Right now, there are over 250 U.S. Lawns locations throughout the country, and their expansion continues to bring them ever closer to having franchises in all 50 states, so they can serve all major and secondary markets with first-rate landscape maintenance crews and commercial grounds management excellence.

Even multiple location commercial property owners are secure in the fact every property is being treated with the same care; their grounds maintenance teams are all operating under the same code; all are equipped with the ideals and processes you’d expect from a top national chain; and all are united by a passion for service to their neighbors.

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

We are meeting with Bill McPherson, the vice president of franchise development at AlphaGraphics, the global company that offers printing and marketing solutions at nearly 300 locations around the world.  Bill is a franchise veteran with nearly 30 years of executive and sales experience.. He’s also a Certified Franchise Executive and frequent IFA speaker/contributor.  In Part Two, we will play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.