Franchise Today

This week on Franchise Today a two-part series on Franchise Finance kicks off. Host, Paul Segreto welcomes as his returning guest to the show, Ron Feldman, CEO and Co-founder at Franchise America Finance.

Paul and Ron focus on several options, traditional and new for today's franchisees to explore and secure financing in continued tight, but slowly loosening credit markets. The discussion also includes the various challenges that small business owners are facing that ultimately may adversely affect their bottom line and their future ability to expand operations.

About Our Guest

Ronald Feldman is a co-founder of Franchise America Finance™, a boutique franchise investment and lending source. Prior to his affiliation with Siegel Financial Group & Franchise American Finance, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Response USA, a publicly traded Alarm Systems Company. Mr. Feldman was instrumental in both the public offering and ultimate sale of the Alarm Division.

Mr. Feldman and his wife were one of the early Goddard School Franchisees and successfully owned, operated and sold their Goddard School in 2007. He has been a keynote speaker at scores of franchise related events, appeared on television programs as the "Champion of Small Business", and has been published numerous times in trade magazines. He is also an instructor on financing and access to capital to the International Franchise Association (IFA).  Ronald has the distinction of being a Certified Franchise Executive ("CFE").

In the final segment of the "Voices of Franchising" series on Franchise Today, host, Paul Segreto welcomes Therese Thilgen, President & Co-founder, Franchise Update Media Group. Paul and Therese discuss the recently completed IFA Convention, trends in franchising and upcoming Franchise Update Media Group conferences.

About Franchise Update Media Group

Franchise Update Media Group (FUMG) has been a leader and innovator in providing valuable information and intelligence to franchisors, franchisees and franchise prospects for 25 years. Their purpose is to help franchisors, multi-unit franchisees, prospective franchisees and franchise service providers improve and grow profitable enterprises.

The "Voices of Franchising" Series continues this week on Franchise Today. Host, Paul Segreto welcomes as his guest, Nancy Weingartner, Executive Editor at Franchise Times Magazine. Just a day after the 53rd Annual International Franchise Association Convention in Las Vegas, Nancy and Paul discuss highlights of the event.

About Franchise Times

Franchise Times Magazine is the most respected news and information source for the franchise sector. Published 10 times a year, the magazine covers the people, events, issues, industries and companies that make the franchise sector one of the largest employers in the country.

Just days ahead of IFA's 53rd Annual Convention, Franchise Today welcomes IFA President & CEO Steve Caldeira, as part of the show's "Voices of Franchising" series.  Host, Paul Segreto and Steve Caldeira discusses IFA's 2013 policy agenda and offer insight into the economic future of franchising. In addition, Steve provides a preview of the upcoming IFA Convention.

About the IFA

Celebrating over 50 years of excellence, education and advocacy, the International Franchise Association is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA’s mission is to protect, enhance and promote franchising through government relations, public relations and educational programs.

This Special Edition of Franchise Today is also part of the current series, Voices of Franchising. Host, Paul Segreto is joined by Nick Powills, CEO & Chief Brand Strategist of No Limit Agency and Founder, 1851 Franchise Project. With less than a week to go in the countdown to the first print issue of 1851 Magazine, Paul and Nick discuss this relatively new, dynamic and unique project and publication, and its place within franchising. 

About Nick Powills

Nick Powills is CEO of No Limit Media Agency, a progressive communications agency blending franchise public relations and social media campaigns. Through management of more than a 100 different franchise’s media relations accounts, Powills leads brands to greater success in public relations, advertising and marketing strategy.

In the second series of 2013, Franchise Today host, Paul Segreto welcomes as his guest, The Franchise King, Joel Libava. The series, "Voices of Franchising" kicks off with Paul and Joel discussing franchising from the franchise candidate's perspective. Based upon his work with candidates and his recent publication, "Become a Franchise Owner", Joel shares unique insight, truly from the outside looking in.

About Our Guest

The Franchise King®, Joel Libava, is the author of Become A Franchise Owner! (Wiley Publishing). He’s on a mission to create a new generation of super-successful franchise owners. Joel provides much-needed advice to individuals interested in franchise ownership with his top-notch advisory services and to the masses via his award-winning franchise blog- www.thefranchiseking.com/blog . In addition, he works with a select number of franchisors, helping them boost their marketing efforts. Joel's newest project is the Franchise Biz Directory.  He’s on Twitter, constantly @FranchiseKing .

What is the value proposition of brand management to both franchisors and franchisees? This is the question that will be front and center this week on Franchise Today. Host, Paul Segreto will be joined by his guest, Sandy Lechner, Managing Partner of SproutLoud Media Networks and formerly CEO & Founder of Synergy Brand Management. A "Consumer Marketing Expert", Sandy will provide his insight and perspective on the important role brand management plays in franchising today. This segment of Franchise Today is part 4 of 4 in the Marketing Series "Promote Your Brand".

About Our Guest

Sanford (Sandy) Lechner is Managing Partner of SproutLoud Media Networks, and formerly CEO and Founder of Synergy Brand Management, a full service Brand Management company offering solutions for Franchise and Multi-Unit Retail Systems, which include Print, Direct Mail, Specialty Items, Apparel, Creative Design, and Fulfillment Programs. Mr. Lechner is a CFE (Certified Franchise Executive), a member of the IFA Supplier Forum, and sits on the FranPac Advisory Board of the IFA (International Franchise Association).

He was formerly the SR Vice President of St Ives US Division from 2002-2007, an $800 Million Commercial Printing and Graphic Arts Company, where he launched a Franchise Print Division. And, prior to that he enjoyed a 17 year entrepreneurial Publishing and marketing career, creating and selling two companies.

4-Part Marketing Series, Promote Your Brand Continues from the Customer Perspective

This week on Franchise Today, Steve Baxter, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales at Satmetrix joins host, Paul Segreto in the third part of the Marketing Series, promote Your Brand. Together they journey through customer service, customer expectations, and customer experience and show how they're actually all essential, if not key components of today's marketing.

About Our Guest

For the past six years, Steve has been intimately involved with the Net Promoter Score concept created by Satmetrix. He has over 22 years of experience in the enterprise software industry and is the Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales at Satmetrix. Widely recognized as a visionary, entrepreneur, and expert on customer loyalty, he has designed, built, and delivered customer loyalty, feedback, and retention software to over 70 brands and thousands of franchisees. Before joining Satmetrix, Steve was the Founder and CEO of Systino (later, Listen360) that provided NPS software to the SMB market. Prior to this, Steve was the EMEA Managing Director of CDC Software, a global publicly–traded enterprise software company, the COO of Stonesoft USA, and held a variety of executive sales and marketing positions early in his career. A regularly invited speaker to the franchising industry, Steve has delivered keynote speeches to some of the world's largest brands on the subject of customer loyalty, building brand reputation, and the economics of customer-centricity.

Franchise Today Marketing Series Continues

In segment two of four of the Marketing Series on Franchise Today, our guest this week is Jeremy LaDuque, CEO at ElementsLocal. Jeremy shares his insight on online marketing with Franchise Today host, Paul Segreto, with specific focus on both the challenges and opportunities franchisors and franchisees alike are faced with in today's ever-changing digital world.

About Our Guest

In co-founding ELEMENTS in 1999, Jeremy created a company with a strong vision — to assist businesses in solving their most critical challenges through forward-thinking implementation of web strategies and business solutions. After graduating with honors from the State University of New York at Brockport, Jeremy was a key member of the client support team for TCI, a Fortune 100 Telecommunications firm (acquired by AT&T). Prior to starting ELEMENTS, he was the Director of Web Services at Best 1 Internet, a fast growing internet service organization.

Jeremy lives in Atascadero, California with his wife, daughter and son and enjoys mountain biking, skiing and the occasional triathlon. He was awarded the Pacific Coast Business Times' "Top 40 Under 40" for his professional excellence and profound commitment to the community. Jeremy is a member of the Technology Advocacy Committee of the SLO Chamber of Commerce, and member of Softec.

Next week's guest: Sherri Fishman, President, Fishman PR & Marketing - Moving Brands Forward

Franchise Today returns for a 4th year on Blog Talk Radio with a 4-part Franchise Marketing Series, "Promote Your Brand!" 

In this premiere segment, host, Paul Segreto welcomes Steven Greenbaum, CEO at PostNet and most recent franchisor to go undercover on CBS hit show, Undercover Boss. This week's discussion focuses on Steven's experience on Undercover Boss and how that experience opened his eyes to additional ways to improve the PostNet brand and concept while also improving local and brand marketing efforts.

About Our Guest

Steven J. Greenbaum, CFE, has served as chief executive officer and director since he co-founded PostNet International Franchise Corporation in 1992 after spending nearly ten years in the pack and ship industry. 

Since the inception of PostNet’s franchising program in July of 1993, the company has licensed more than 700 franchises in the United States and numerous countries internationally including over 230 locations in Southern Africa. 

Steve has been a Certified Franchise Executive since 1997 and was honored with the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2003 and the Gary Rockwell Award for Excellence in Franchise Development in 2004. 

In 2008, Steve served as Chairman of the IFA and is also a past Chair of IFA’s Educational Foundation.