Franchise Today

The UPS Store, Inc. recently launched, Mission: Veteran Entrepreneurship, a program offering significant financial incentives – valued at nearly $300,000 – for a select group of qualified U.S. military veterans to help open their own The UPS Store® franchise location.  

The UPS Store, Inc. is proud to support America’s U.S. armed forces as they pursue starting their own business and as a part of this effort the company will waive the franchise license fees for 10 first-time veteran franchisees.  

The UPS Store, Inc. is accepting franchise application packets through Monday, Nov. 11, 2019 (Veterans Day).

Chris Adkins, The UPS Store's Vice President of Franchise and Business Development will discuss this and more during this episode of Franchise Today.

During this episode of Franchise Today, Chip Baranowski talks about he awards franchises, with Authority.  As VP of Franchise Development for Authority Brands, Chip discusses everything from marketing and lead generation, to processes, procedures and pipeline, funnel and candidate management.  All that and more, on this episode of Franchise Today.

In the Front of the House, I talk with Ryan Hicks, about his 15 day, Multi-State Modrn Businss Podcast Road Show and tour, starting July 15th.  Then, my interview this week is with Brig Sorber, Chief Brand Officer and co-founder of Two Men and a Truck. He and his brother Jon started in the early 1980s as a way to make extra money while in high school. 30 years later, the company has grown to more than 350 locations worldwide.  This brand has a great story and a powerful culture.  It's all been born out of a great family's shared belief in focusing on giving.    

Their mission:  Continuously strive to exceed customers' expectations in value and high standards of satisfaction.  

Brig shares how his family built their brand through servant leadership.  He believes that this more than anything, is the fuel that has powered their growth.  From movers and office personnel, to franchisees and the communities that they serve, everyone is on the same page, at Two Men and a Truck.

Fully Involved: Most of the subs at Firehouse Subs by default, are served "fully involved." (one of many kitschy firehouse references), which to customers means, automatically topped with a whole bunch of stuff, including lettuce, tomato, mustard, and a generous helping of mayo.  Fully Involved is also an apt description for Firehouse Subs Chief Executive Officer, Don Fox, a life-long over-achiever in both the culinary and franchising sectors.  Today, Don Fox serves as our First Responder and helps us learn about the magic of this incredible brand, started by REAL first responders and staying true to core values, through explosive growth.

Unlike DISC or other assessment tools that simply gauge personality and communication styles, Zoracle is franchise specific and scientific.  In fact, its predictive analysis is based on 7 sciences that absolutely nail the results, each and every time.  Franchise prospects simply answer a few on-line questions and within minutes, Zoracle’s algorithms scientifically analyze their thresholds for risk, their management styles and even their propensity for single, or multi-unit ownership.      

Zoracle’s SpotOn! meta-analysis is the closest thing to a sure thing.  And, because it’s all based on scientific algorithms, it flawlessly determine franchisee-franchisor compatibility and accurately predicts the performance a franchisor can expect from the candidates being considered.  

We'll talk about how franchise brokers, franchise recruiters and yes, how prospective franchisees themselves, all benefit from this knowledge.  All of that and more, on this edition of Franchise Today!

Kit Vinson is a marketing specialist with over 20 years of experience from the ground up. His resume includes corporations such as Hillenbrand Industries, Service Corp. International and Infinity Broadcasting, showing his experience in advertising, financial services, and manufacturing.

Kit earned an MBA from The American Graduate School of International Management (a.k.a. Thunderbird) in 1994. His fields of study include International Marketing and the Spanish language. He has also completed business studies at the University of London in London, England and language studies in Antigua, Guatemala.

Kit’s entrepreneurial ventures and his experience working for Fortune 500 corporations have given him a unique perspective into the business world.

He is very active outside of work as a volunteer basketball coach for the YMCA, and the Den Leader, asst. Pack Master, and Committee Chair for Cub Scout Pack 847.

Kit is also the host of an industry specific podcast called The Franchise Manual Podcast. Using this vehicle, Kit is creating a resource library for start-up and emerging franchisors, to help them as they travel down the road of franchising. His podcast has been downloaded by listeners across the U.S., as well as 42 countries. Next up, on Franchise Today!

When No Limit Agency was created in March 2008, Nick Powills saw an opportunity within the agency world, to deliver better relationships, strategy, service, and results, while consistently accomplishing and exceeding clients’ expectations.

Now, 10+ years later, No Limit has earned national recognition, by maintaining a high level of professionalism in the eyes of its clients, the media, the industry and the public. Today it calls Chi town home and its offices in the historic Prudential Building serve as home base for a team of 35 professionals, creating and telling stories and delivering measurable results, for more than 80 brands that they serve.

In today’s world of information on demand, the No Limit Agency strives to connect all the silos -- meaning, when they create a piece of content, it extends across channels. A press release morphs into a media pitch, or is repositioned into an article to use for their 1851 marketing platform, or serves as the foundation for a social media campaign and even forms the basis of content for a visual, like an infographic.

No Limit’s mantra, is their commitment to creating a wide breadth for their client stories, while maintaining message consistency across all channels.  This creative team of storytellers, have themselves become known as brand biographers, covering all the bases, in this ever-changing and evolving age of information, on demand.

With more than 25 years of experience in business, including time as a consultant, entrepreneur, executive, venture capitalist and successful franchisor, Kevin Wilson’s passion has always been to build and lead strong teams of people, then support their successes.  He's already done that quite effectively with Mosquito Joe, recently sold to Neighborly and here he GROWS again.  This time Kevin is creating a BUZZ, with his latest offerings:  Home Clean Heroes, Pool Scouts and British Swim School.  We talk about it all, on this edition of Franchise Today!

His life hasn’t been simple and success certainly wasn’t handed to himon a silver platter. Devan Kline has faced obstacles, defeat, and disappointment. Seven years ago, sitting alone in a hotel room– he was devastated. After setting his sights on making it to the big leagues, he had just been released from the San Francisco Giants organization,  after his third spring training. All he could think to himself was “What comes next?

Well, what  next came was Burn Boot Camp, now boasting more that 200 locations in 37 states and growing, with "strength in our bodies and passion in our Souls!   Devan Kline, next up, on Franchise Today!

The franchise resale market is hot and continues to build steam.  Smart money is on those franchisors who embrace this and actually weave franchise resale programs into their development mix.     

This week on Franchise Today we talk about all of this and more, with Terry Kelm, President of the Franchise Division at Sunbelt Business Brokers. Terry's focus at Sunbelt is on helping franchisors create and implement such programs.  Listen, as he details how you too, can begin with the end in mind and create a well planned and executed resale program, one that actually augments, not detracts, from your overall development strategy.