Franchise Today

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.

That’s the business philosophy of Multi-Flagged aread developers, empire builders and co-founders Grant Simon and Greg Thomas...It's also how they got their name – LSGF Management.  (Life's Short, Grow Fast!)

LSGF Management provides management services to franchisees and operators of retail and quick service food locations across the southeast. We currently support 50+ Great Clips in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina; 100+ T-Mobile Premium Retailer Stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee; and 7 Smoothie King stores in Georgia and Alabama. 

Grant and Greg will share valuable nuggets about what it takes tfor franchisors to attract the attention of leadership and development guys like them.

This week we’re joined by two marketing gurus:  919 Marketing's Founder and CEO, David Chapman and Rallio’s VP of Business Development, Ryan Hicks.  This promises to be a robust discussion about the intersection between traditional marketing and today’s digital world, as described by the ubiquitous Gary Vee and others.  In this conversation, David and Ryan will discuss the ingredients needed for the perfect recipe, to help you break through the white noise that assaults us all daily.  Tune in and learn, as these two pros help you make sense of it all.  David and Ryan will offer helpful tips on how to create interest, engage prospects and manage the top, middle and bottom of your franchise development prospect funnels.  It's all coming up next, on Franchise Today.

Retro Fitness CFO Robbie Sprechman talks about both the Fiscal and Physical Gains of Retro Fitness Ownership, This Week on Franchise Today!

$2,197,482: AVG GROSS SALES PER UNIT FOR THE TOP 10% OF RETRO FITNESS CLUBS

$628,203: AVGERAGE EBITDA REPORTED BY TOP 10% OF RETRO FITNESS FRANCHISE OWNERS

3,029 :MEMBERSHIP BASE AT THE AVERAGE CLUB (TOP 10% HAVE OVER 5,800)

$140.18: AVERAGE REVENUE PER SQUARE FOOT FOR THE TOP 10% OF RETRO CLUBS

The top 10% of Retro Fitness Clubs Avg. Gross Sales, Avg. EBITDA and Avg. Rev. Per Sq. Ft. numbers as published in Item 19 of the Retro Fitness 2018 Franchise Disclosure Document. Read Item 19 in its entirety for important defined terms, assumptions and qualifiers relating to these figures.