Franchise Today

With more than 20 years of experience managing, owning and franchising health clubs, Chuck Runyon has distinguished himself as a leading authority in the field of fitness. Chuck revolutionized the fitness industry when he and Dave Mortensen co-founded Anytime Fitness – an alternative to big-box gyms which typically feature expensive “frills” that few members actually use or need.

Under his leadership, Anytime Fitness has earned numerous industry accolades, including the #1 Franchise on the planet, according to Entrepreneur magazine, “One of America’s Most Promising Companies,” according to Forbes, and the “Fastest-Growing Fitness Club in the world,” according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). Last Sunday, the trophy wall at Anytime Fitness and Self Esteem Brands took on yet another crowning honor, when the International Franchise Association presented Chuck and his co-founder and President, Dave Mortensen, it’s coveted Entrepreneur of the Year Award in front of 4,000 people, in attendance at its 60th Annual Convention, in Orlando.  Chuck Runyon talks about it all, on Franchise Today.  .

Today, as most everyone settles back in following IFA Convention 2020, Franchise Today reprises my recent interview with IFA President and CEO, Robert Cresanti.  What a spectacular conference it was.   

Back next week with IFA Award Winners, Chuck Runyon and Dave Mortensen, co-founders of Self Esteem Brands, parent company of Anytime Fitness, Waxing the City and more!

Horace Williams has a long history of "doing well, by doing good"  Today, he shares how being a servant leader has impacted his career, but moreover, how it continues to influence the lives of those around him.  For the past four years, Horace has been heading up Franchising at Honey Baked Ham.  When you couple Horace's principle-centered leadership, with the magic of an iconic brand, then top it all off with a team of like-minded professionals, that are all commited to excellence, the result is a recipe for success, second to none.  And, Honey Baked Ham is well positioned for more of the same.  Sustainable growth and sensible franchising, are the reasons why.  Horace tells how and why, right here, on Franchise Today.

My guests this week are Jeremy Sorzano and Jason Webb, co-founders of Soccer Shots.  Jeremy and Jason talk about the process of adding executives to their corporate team, along with a third partner, one with strong franchise and soccer experience.  The result?  Accelerated and sustainable growth and unit level economic that work for their franchisees.      

Jeremy Sorzano and Jason Webb, coming up next, on Franchise Today.

Jason Anderson is the President of United Franchise Group's Venture X.  This rapidly rising concept is experiencing meteoric growth... growth though that is measured, calculated and intentional.  Like everything at UFG, there is a rhyme to the reason.  Jason explains some of the magic behind this, at Venture X.  

Much can be attributed to the concept, but more, much more is tfound in the calculus.  Right people, right chairs, right place, right time.  Jason Anderson, the "X Factor," at Venture X.

IFA President and CEO Robert Cresanti lifts the curtain and offers us a sneak preview of IFA Convention 2020, just weeks away.  He will also provide us with some BREAKING NEWS and a snapshot of the the State of the Franchise Union.  How did 2020 wrap up on key and critical issues from the perspective of Government Affairs and what can we look forward to, both in the year and decade ahead.

My guest today, is serial entrepreneur extraordinaire Steve Cody.  Steve is the founder of several companies, both in franchising and technology, but our conversation today will focus primarily on the Better Software Company.    

Designed to ensure that franchisees can utilize technology to carry out the vision of their franchisor’s concept, Better provides both zors and zees a deeper understanding of what is happening throughout franchise locations.  It also provides insights into what Zees are actually doing out in the field.

Better focuses predominantly on service brands and can customize and control a single product/service list with proper images, descriptions, and recommended pricing to Zees.  It will also create email templates, client attributes, automated alert templates, new services, and products in one place for everyone to have immediate access or set permissions to control who has access to what.  It will also provide scheduling and CRM tools for franchisees, to manage their relationships, appointments and touch points with their customers and even provide mechanisms for the production of estimates and workorders in the field, as franchisees are meeting with potential of existing clients.

I hope you've all had a safe and Happy New Year! Today, Cruise Planners Michelle Fee delivers an ENCORE Performance.  We'll be back next week though, to begin another new season of inciteful guest interviews for 2020!

Until then,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Stan

As we wrap up 2019, I thought I'd do my best, by taking a shot at political correctness, something I'm not terribly good at...  So, here I go!  I'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Good Kwanza, Happy Ramadan or whatever it is that is YOUR reason, for celebrating the season.  Also, I'd like to share a little gift... the gift of music..This is an original piece of Christmas music that I hope you will enjoy, regardless of your religous persuasion.  It is written and performed by recording artist and friend, Mary-Kathryn. I hope you will enjoy listening to it, as much as I enjoy sharing it with you.

Until we meet again in 2020, please be safe and have a Happy New Year!

Stan

The HomeVestors idea began in Dallas, Texas in 1989, when real estate broker Ken D’Angelo bought so many homes, he decided to transform his real estate brokerage into a home-buying business. By 1996, he took his business even further, when he created HomeVestors and sold his first franchise in the Dallas area. He figured out how franchises could advertise together, share vendors, and route calls to each other through a phone system and he eventually expanded to Kansas City. When he had 20 offices up and running, he expanded to Atlanta. HomeVestors of America® is now comprised of more than 1,100 franchises spanning 46 states and D.C and is growing dramatically.  All of their independently owned and operated franchisees are supported centrally with mass advertising from their nationally-recognized “We Buy Ugly Houses®” brand, proprietary home evaluation, and lead management software, deep knowledge of the industry, and financial resources.  Today we are joined by their CEO David Hicks, who has doubled the size of the company from 500 franchisees in 2014, to more than a thousand today.