Francorp will Be at The Seattle Coffee Fest

Francorp to Present at the Seattle Coffee Fest on Expansion Options

Francorp, the world leader in franchise development and new franchise system launches will be at the Seattle Coffee Fest this coming weekend. The Show is the largest of its kind catering to business owners in the coffee industry.

Francorp has been asked to present and run workshops in order to help educate and provide a resource to the show's attendees on franchising a business.

Francorp works closely with most major tradeshows and business sectors around the globe. Don Boroian founded Francorp in 1976 as the only full service, in-house franchise development firm, to this day Francorp is unique in that they continue to be the only franchise consulting firm that has a full time staff and "all under one roof" approach.

Mr. Tom DuFore, Executive Vice President for Francorp Consulting, will be in attendance for the show this weekend. Below are details:

Washington State Convention & Trade Center
800 Convention Place
Seattle, WA 98101-2350

Phone: 206-694-5000
Fax: 206-694-5399
Email: info@wsctc.com
Website: www.wsctc.com

Exhibition Hours:
Friday & Saturday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm, Sunday: 12:00pm - 4:00pm

Educational Training: Exhibition Hours:
Friday & Saturday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm, Sunday: 12:00pm - 4:00pm

Educational Training:
Friday & Saturday: 8:00am - 5:00pm, Sunday: 8:00pm - 4:00pm
Friday & Saturday: 8:00am - 5:00pm, Sunday: 8:00pm - 4:00pm

For more information on franchising or how to franchise, visit the Francorp corporate site, www.francorp.com

Francorp will be presenting at the Florida Restaurant Show in Orlando, Florida this weekend. For information visit the Florida Restaurant Show website for details.

Here are a list of the conference educators. Francorp is presenting on how to franchise a business and how to buy a franchise.

Don Boroian founded Francorp in 1976 and since that time, Francorp has cemented itself as the global leader in franchise development and franchise consulting.

Francorp is frequently brought into restaurant and trade groups to help their members and associates about franchising in order to help them evaluate whether franchising would work to expand their company.

Full Conference Schedule
Friday, September 11

10:00 – 11:30 AM
Knowledge Exchange – Invitation Only
Moderator: Larry Stuart, President, Larry Stuart Hospitality
Featuring Joel Cohen, Chief Experience Officer/Wizard of WOW, RestaurantMarketing.com
www.larrystuarthospitality.com

The Knowledge Exchange is 60 minutes of idea and solution sharing with peers on the theme topic:
Time is tight and business is challenging. How do you ensure growth in this economy? To kick-off the Knowledge Exchange, Larry Stuart will deliver a quick ten minute guide on the top 3 keys to surviving in a down economy – and then the knowledge exchange begins!
Sponsored by Tyson Foodservice.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Marketing Recipes for Success in Challenging Times
Linda Duke, CEO, Duke Marketing, LLC
www.marketing-cookbook.com

Restaurant marketing expert and author Linda Duke will share some of her sales driving tips, tools and tactics of successful marketing programs and creative visuals of top restaurant brands in the country. The restaurant business has become highly competitive and with consumers ever changing demands and time constraints, it is imperative that restaurant operators have marketing programs in place to get their share of sales, awareness and frequency.
www.marketing-cookbook.com

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Email Marketing-How to Skyrocket Sales & Make it Your Best Weapon
Boris Bugarski, CEO and President mUrgent
www.murgent.com

From email marketing strategies to tactics, this session will demonstrate proven methods for stinging your competition, creating business and buzz in your neighborhood, and making your email marketing work harder to combat this slowing economy. Learn how thousands of restaurant locations across the U.S. have used Boris Bugarski's top email marketing secrets and tips for growing sales month after month by building a monster email list overnight and effectively leveraging email for higher ticket sales.

Take-Aways:
What components are necessary for a solid e-club program

1. Learn the differences between email marketing service providers
2. Know the secrets for building an email list overnight – and how to keep it growing
3. Discover how to create subject lines that command higher open rates – and the best tips on how to create higher click through rates

PLUS! Boris’s top tips on growing bigger ticket sales

12:30 – 1:30 PM
Disney's Approach to Quality Service
Tom Madden, Manager, Content Delivery and Quality Control - Keynote Speaker
The Disney Institute
www.disneyinstitute.com

Quality Service showcases how Disney is able to understand the psychographics and demographics of Guests’ needs, using a sound service infrastructure, ongoing research, and quality service standards that exceed Guests’ expectations. Discover how attention to detail creates a consistent, world-class service environment for both employees and consumers.

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Retaining Your Customers & Brewing Profits with Delicious Coffee
Michael Love, Ultimate Barista USA, Owner, Coffee Labs Roasters Inc.
www.coffeelabs.com

Join Mike Love, in a lively informative presentation about Coffee, its origin, Market trends and how to add to your bottom line with brewing “Tips and Tricks”.
New and Current Coffee trends will be discussed, along with how to implement these into your business. Don’t let your customers be “deserters”..(Patrons who leave an establishment after a meal to find delicious coffee). Adding quality coffee to your menu will increase profits and let your customers first, last and lasting impression be an excellent one.

1:30 – 2:30 PM
A Year in Social Media – Case Study
Paul Barron, SVP, Publisher & Chairman
Fast Casual Magazine
www.fastcasual.com/magazine.php

Building your brand and restaurant business is a challenge now more than ever. Why? It's simple you have lost control of the consumer. But wait that's a good thing in today's always on everything anywhere, anytime consumer social sphere. New media branded as social media, social web, and few terms yet to be named is really just about connecting to your audience. Problem is in requires high-tech tools and an understanding that we as restaurant owners and operators are not familiar or comfortable using. Fear not, as we take you into a real how to process of creating your own digital footprint and develop your Social Media Makeover!

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Pouring and Inventory Control
Brice Jones, Hospitality Consultant, Attrarre Group,
www.attrarregroup.com

2:00 – 3:00 PM
How to Keep Fine Dining Alive and Profitable
Larry Stuart, President, Larry Stuart Hospitality
Social media, communal tables, and tasting menus are just some of the ways restaurants have reacted to the change in consumer dining. When and how should your restaurant respond? Learn what some of the most successful restaurateurs and chefs are doing, to continue to bring in crowds without sacrificing their brand.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Imaginative Resort & Restaurant Branding
Scott Ward, Vice President, Sales/Marketing, Scrub Island Resort, BVI, www.mainsailhotels.com
Tom DiGiorgio, CEO, DK-Group, www.dk-group.com
Andre' Capi, Director of Architecture, DK-Group, www.dk-group.com
In today's economic and competitive environment, there is a temptation to resort to short-term tactical pricing strategies to the detriment of your brand. Consumers have to be motivated and captivated so it is important to develop a brand with charisma and drive it home throughout the customer experience.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Expanding Your Company Today Through Franchising
Christopher Conner, Vice President, Francorp
www.francorp.com

This session will highlight multiple ways companies look at to grow and how the present market conditions are affecting each. Growth strategies include: venture capital, licensing, franchising, debt, internally generated capital, and business opportunities. If you are serious about growing your company, this session is a must.

3:00 – 4:00 PM
Stand Out…or Step Aside
Larry Mersereau, CTC
PromoPower LLC
www.promopower.com

What do you think goes through a person’s mind when they’re thinking about eating out? Do they ask “Where’s the cheapest place in town?” Maybe it’s “Where can I get this over with in a hurry?” Or is it “Where can I go where I feel welcomed and appreciated, and will feel like it was well worth the money when I leave?” Actually, there are a number of questions. Your marketing and advertising should answer some of them. Your sales efforts answer more. And service controls whether they get the kind of experience that will leave them satisfied and likely to come back again…and again. You must understand each step of the loyalty-nurturing-continuum, and manage them all properly if you want to grow your business. This program gives you simple, doable…effective strategies and tactics you can use immediately to make that first thing that they think be: “Let’s go to ( your name ). Why would we go anywhere else?”

3:30 – 4:30 PM
Customer Service – When You Care, They Know
Richard Flint CSP, Chairman & CEO
Flint, Incorporated
www.RichardFlint.com

When the customer enters your establishment and doesn’t feel their business is valued, you lose! You talk about “service” and the customer talks about “satisfaction”: when the two aren’t connected through the feeling of “being appreciated”, business is lost. Join Richard Flint as he shares his insights into how to build the bridge between the concept of Customer Service and the experience of Customer Satisfaction through being able to define “Customer Appreciation.” The program – When You Care, They Know!

The Philosophy: Your product gets you noticed, your service gets you remember and when the two are tied together through quality, the customer feels appreciated: that creates Customer Loyalty.

3:30 – 4:30 PM
Common Sense Marketing For Independent Restaurants: How To Compete Against The Big Chains & Win!
Joel Cohen, Chief Experience Officer/Wizard of WOW, RestaurantMarketing.com

Designed for independent restaurants, this fast-paced workshop shows you how to do the little things inside and outside of your restaurant that win the hearts and wallets of your guests. Common sense marketing is simply about being the "mayor" and winning the campaign in your neighborhood.This workshop gives every attendee a direction and over 25 easy, inexpensive tactics to use that will make their guests say, "Wow!" For the restaurateur that needs simple ideas that are rewarding and easy to achieve, this workshop is it.

3:30 – 4:30 PM
100 Million Singles + The internet + Your Restaurant + Success Tom Jaffee, CEO/Founder, 8minuteDating.com and David Evans, President, Digicraft

Want to create a "buzz" for your venue, attract new customers on your slow nights of the week, or grow your base of regulars? There are more than 100 million singles in America, whose available time, discretionary spending, and appetite for premium brands represent a huge and untapped business opportunity for restaurants. This session will outline specific strategies for utilizing recent innovations in social networking, mobile services, event hosting, and online dating that you can employ right away with just a small outlay of time or resources, and in some cases with no expense to your business.
Saturday, September 12

10:00 – 11:00 AM
Common Sense Marketing For Independent Restaurants: How To Compete Against The Big Chains & Win!
Joel Cohen, Chief Experience Officer/Wizard of WOW, RestaurantMarketing.com

Designed for independent restaurants, this fast-paced workshop shows you how to do the little things inside and outside of your restaurant that win the hearts and wallets of your guests. Common sense marketing is simply about being the "mayor" and winning the campaign in your neighborhood. This workshop gives every attendee a direction and over 25 easy, inexpensive tactics to use that will make their guests say, "Wow!" For the restaurateur that needs simple ideas that are rewarding and easy to achieve, this workshop is it.

10:30 – 11:30
Tactical Marketing Workshop
Rob Crews, President
C Results Marketing

Hear from a former restaurant CMO who will give you 30 ideas in 30 minutes to drive your business and then spend 30 minutes answering your toughest marketing issues. Bring your questions and expect a lively, fast-paced discussion.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
How to Sell More Franchises
Sponsored by The Franchise Edge & The Franchise Sales Solution
www.thefranchiseedge.com

Join Paul Samson, President of The Franchise Edge (The National Franchise Development Partner for Sysco foods) in an interactive session that will provide you with critical information on how to sell more franchises and grow your business. Key focal points will include: generating, managing and tracking leads, how to build a measurable and consistent sales process, creating a 10 Point-of-Contact Campaign, establishing a goal-setting dialogue with prospects and moving prospects through the sales process.

12:00 – 1:00 PM
Turning Your Vendors Into Partners
Moderator: Linda Duke, CEO, Duke Marketing, LLC
www.dukemarketing.com

Restaurant operators have numerous vendors to purchase goods and services from. Across the entire food and beverage industry there are thousands of product partners and opportunities that often go unnoticed or under utilized. This panel of restaurant Supplier/Vendors will discuss what type of support, promotional dollars and innovative programs are available to restaurant operators. Panelists will share several case studies and success stories, as well as discussing current opportunities for operators to take advantage and turn their vendors into partners.

12:00 – 1:00 PM
Culinary Cocktails Francine Cohen, Beverage Consultant

12:00 – 1:00 PM
Restaurant Operations for a Profitable Bottom Line
Darren s. Denington, CFBE
Service With Style
www.servicewithstyle.com

Systems, Systems, Systems. Implement tested and proven systems on Service, Hiring, Training, Cost Controls, Inventory and Daily Functions that will have your restaurant operating smoothly for a strong future.

12:30 – 1:30 PM
Retaining Your Customers & Brewing Profits with Delicious Coffee
Michael Love, Ultimate Barista USA, Owner, Coffee Labs Roasters Inc.
www.coffeelabs.com

Join Mike Love, in a lively informative presentation about Coffee, its origin, Market trends and how to add to your bottom line with brewing “Tips and Tricks”.
New and Current Coffee trends will be discussed, along with how to implement these into your business. Don’t let your customers be “deserters”. (Patrons who leave an establishment after a meal to find delicious coffee). Adding quality coffee to your menu will increase profits and let your customers first, last and lasting impression be an excellent one.

1:30 – 2:30 PM
Senior Hospitality: Gearing Up for a Graying America
Jeff Catrett
As life expectancy rises and baby boomers enter their retirement years, accommodating seniors is increasingly a fact of life for the hospitality industry. However, to date, not enough thought has been devoted to the needs of older guests. Mr. Catrett will provide an overview of the expectations of this important and growing market segment, while highlighting mistakes made by the healthcare industry to draw parallels on how the hospitality industry can avoid the same pitfalls. He will offer insight and advice on what the hospitality industry can do to prepare for and better service the growing number of aging baby boomers.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Environmentally Sustainable Restaurant
Colleen Oteri, Communications Manager
Green Restaurant Association
www.dinegreen.com

Yes, it’s possible. The Green Restaurant Association, the leading organization for restaurants achieving restaurant sustainability will provide you with an overview of how your restaurant can become more environmentally sustainable in a way that makes sense for your business.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Email Marketing – How to Skyrocket Sales & Make it your Best Weapon
Boris Bugarski, CEO and President
mUrgent
www.mUrgent.com

From email marketing strategies to tactics, this session will demonstrate proven methods for stinging your competition, creating business and buzz in your neighborhood, and making your email marketing work harder to combat this slowing economy. Learn how thousands of restaurant locations across the U.S. have used Boris Bugarski's top email marketing secrets and tips for growing sales month after month by building a monster email list overnight and effectively leveraging email for higher ticket sales.

Take-Aways:
What components are necessary for a solid e-club program

1. Learn the differences between email marketing service providers
2. Know the secrets for building an email list overnight – and how to keep it growing
3. Discover how to create subject lines that command higher open rates – and the best tips on how to create higher click through rates

PLUS! Boris’s top tips on growing bigger ticket sales

3:00 – 4:00 PM
Marketing Optimization
Rob Crews, President
C Results Marketing

Being good enough is no longer the benchmark. Come hear how the best marketers are now optimizing their ideas and not leaving money on the table. This is your chance to come see the future of marketing.

3:30 – 4:30 PM
Want To Own A Business? Need a Job? Franchise is Your Solution
Christopher Conner, Vice President, Francorp
www.francorp.com

In this session you will learn how buying a franchise is an excellent option to consider in today’s job market. It also will discuss the advantages to buying into a franchise instead of going into business on your own. If you are a job seeker or future entrepreneur this session is for you.

Francorp - Don Boroian

Francorp has worked with 112 of the most recent Franchise 500 companies. This is important from the perspective that Francorp as a consulting firm has done work with these franchise systems, many of which Francorp developed from the ground up. Francorp is renowned as the world leader in franchise development and new franchise launches. The firm continues to develop successful franchise systems today after 34 years of franchise consulting work. Look over the Francorp corporate site for more information on the firm and the clients Francorp has developed.

www.Francorp.com

LPCW Offerring Franchises!

A Franchise that Celebrates Children and the Arts!

Filling the Gap
Early exposure to dance and theatre can have lasting benefits, including acquiring social and physical skills that will help children throughout their lives. Yet, dance professional Daune Pitman noticed two disturbing trends in dance classes for young children: either the little ones were being taught strict ballet, which was beyond their physical capabilities, or the classes were treated as playtime.
Seeking to establish a meaningful program, Daune developed Little People’s Creative Workshop (LPCW). LPCW classes are age-appropriate and taught by trained professionals. They are largely held in daycare centers and preschools, which puts them within reach of children who may not otherwise be able to take them.
Established in 1991, Little People’s Creative Workshop is now the largest organization teaching dance to children in the U.S. We’re augmenting our steady growth with expansion, via franchising. Our turnkey franchise program provides all you need to establish and grow a home-based business with multiple growth avenues!

How to Franchise - Marketing

What makes franchise marketing effective?
The perpetual question on every franchisor’s mind today is how do I keep generating good quality leads for franchise sales in this economy? When the going gets tough, the franchisor needs to get creative. The great thing about franchise marketing is that it is very targeted and specific. When was the last time you saw a Super Bowl Ad marketing for new franchisees? It’s just not that likely. The reason is simple, the consumer advertising we see every day is expensive because of the reach and coverage. It is worthwhile for a company to advertise for car insurance when almost anyone who sees the TV commercial could be a potential client. That is not the case when advertising for a franchisee, the franchisee is a clearly defined candidate. The demographics have hopefully been defined ahead of time, the areas of interest are predetermined, the capital requirements and all other attributes are clearly defined. Thus, the advertising is much more focused and generally speaking less expensive.
The different avenues that franchisors use for franchise marketing run the gambit. The Internet of course is the most widely used medium, about 74% of all franchise leads today come from the web. Print Media can be effective based on the readership and specificity of a publication. Direct Mailings can work in some instances as well as Email Marketing Campaigns. Tradeshows are the most showy and grand of the marketing mediums for franchise lead generation and can also be a wonderful way to market a franchise. When it comes down to it there are a lot of avenues…but how does a franchisor know where to spend their ad budget? How do they determine where they will get the most “bang for their buck”? There are several keys that my firm has lived by when it comes to franchise marketing, if these key issues are clearly and completely defined and addressed, the franchise marketing process can be a lot of fun and generate great leads. If these key points are ignored or only briefly addressed, the franchise marketing process can drive a franchisor mad!
1. Define your Buyer. Have you ever heard the phrase, “Ready, Fire, Aim!” It sounds funny, that’s because it doesn’t make sense! The first goal of the franchise marketing effort should be to clearly define the buyer. I don’t mean “salesperson with a desire to succed”…..I mean, “Female, ages 28-37, Midwest and Southeastern US, Household income between $75k-100k, work experience with kitchen products, married, preferably with children.” We want specifics, down to every last detail. Once we completely figure out who this franchisee is, then we can more effectively plan our marketing.
2. Establish franchise sales goals. Clearly identify the marketing approach. Start first with how many franchises you plan on selling into the system within the next 6 months and year. Don’t plan much further than that, because beyond that point you will most likely have to redo this plan based on then current circumstances. Once we have the goals set, we then can back out of that equation. Typically we are looking at around 1000 qualified leads for every 50-100 meetings with prospective franchisees. From those meetings the closing percentage is typically around 5%. So if we determine that we would like 5 franchises to open during the first 12 months of rolling out the franchise, we need to plan on generating 1000 leads during those first 12 months. The beauty of franchise marketing is that it is very measureable and much easier to track then consumer marketing…we can actually tell how effective it is!
3. Determine the advertising mediums. Different buyers can be reached via different advertising avenues. In some franchises all of the marketing can be done over the Internet, in others the marketing has to be done through direct mailers to specified candidates….like doctors in the case of a rapid care facility. Outline the pros and cons of each medium and establish the most effective based on the cost. This is where the importance of the defined franchise buyer comes through.
4. Establish the Budget. The average cost per lead on the Internet is around $30, the average cost from a tradeshow can be as much as $200 when factoring in travel, time, booth set up and other costs. So take into account some kind of an average cost based on the advertising venues you have determined will be most effective at reaching the target audience. For those thousand leads you may need $10,000 in advertising dollars for that first year to hit the 5 franchises sold.
5. Create the Collateral materials. A Franchise is a big investment for most franchisees, in fact for many of the buyers it is literally everything they have. The franchise offering should look extremely professional and really has to be buttoned up. This means that the brochure should be top quality, there should be a sales video to present to the buyer what the business entails and helps create excitement in the franchise. Pamphlets and handouts should be put together. All of this built around creating value in the business offering, not the product or service that the business offers. The overall theme should be “Mr. or Mrs. Franchisee, you can make a great living doing this, and have fun while you’re at it.” Franchise buyers fall in love with franchise concepts because they envision themselves running a business doing what the franchisor does. The collateral materials should be the vehicle that sparks that interest in the franchisee’s mind.
6. Put together a comprehensive application form. There should be two forms in the end…one that the franchisee fills out initially to give the franchisor initial information from which the franchisor can make a decision if they want to follow up with the prospect any further. This should be basic information that the franchisor should know up front as soon as possible in the sales process, like how much capital do you have to invest! The second form will go into much more detail and would be sent with the brochure and information packet. This form should go into work history and personal background, so that the franchisor can really get to know who this prospect is and what they are all about.
7. Execution. Franchise marketing is like all advertising and marketing, it isn’t a science, although it is much closer to one than consumer marketing, it still varies a great deal in its effectiveness and results. Some times, just when things are getting to the point where a franchisor is thinking they should throw in the towel and call it quits is when they really should do some MORE advertising! It takes consistency. The franchise buyers can be fickle, lots of time it has nothing to do with the franchise offering or the marketing, but rather with the franchisees life and circumstances. They do come back and look again, we want to be there when that prospect makes the buying decision.
8. Excellent Follow Up. Great franchisors have wonderful salesmanship in the sales process. Leads should be followed up with immediately upon contact. Phone calls are important and there should be high frequency between calls until a contact is made. The franchise sales process isn’t rocket science, it just takes hard work and good planning.

Christopher Conner
Vice President
Francorp, Inc.
www.francorp.com

Blockbuster Sticks to the Bricks

Blockbuster sticks to the bricks
06:29 PM PT, Sep 23 2008
The instant gratification of video-on-demand and the novelty of movies by snail mail may get many a consumer more excited than an old-fashioned trip to the corner store, but for Blockbuster Inc., the store is still the thing.
The Dallas-based video rental and retail chain, which closed hundreds of stores over the last year, plans to revamp many of its remaining outlets, expand its movie and game offerings, and add more rental and download kiosks.
But it’s still keeping an eye toward increasing Internet-based downloads through Movielink, the digital movie site it acquired last year, and attracting more movie-thru-mail subscribers. Critics say stores are passé, but Blockbuster notes that its mail customers also have the convenience of returning or trading-in their mail-ordered movie at stores — something which Netflix can't do because it doesn't have brick-and-morter outlets (just in case an Ingmar Bergman flick showed up in the mail when you were more in the mood for "Sex and the City").
“Most people read a lot of interesting headlines, and we enjoy the headlines, about Netflix, Amazon, Apple, so forth,” says Tom Casey, Blockbuster’s chief financial officer, during a presentation at Thomas Weisel Partners’ Annual Consumer Conference on Tuesday. “But what you need to understand is we really have a market that we address that’s nearly $36 billion in size. Video-on-demand is actually pretty small.”
That $36-billion figure is the total market for DVD's and game sales — where Blockbuster has been expanding — and movie rentals. Blockbuster has a 40% share of the $9.6 billion movie rental business, of which in-store rentals account for more than half the total revenue, followed by mail subscription and video-on-demand, according to the company.
Blockbuster reported a loss of $44.7 million, or 23 cents a share, in the second quarter, ended June 30, compared to a $34.2 million loss in the same period last year. But same-store revenue rose 9%, and the company reaffirmed that it expects a profit for the year.
“Traffic tends to transfer to a nearby Blockbuster whenever they close a store,” says Arvind Bhatia, an analyst at Sterne Agee & Leach, Inc., adding that he estimates a “normal attrition” of about 150 store closures in the U.s. this year and next. Blockbuster now has about 8,000 stores worldwide.
"Financially, they're doing well," he adds.
Blockbuster plans to increase its stock of rental and retail movies and games at each store as well as pay for store refurbishing, from paint and carpeting to adding Blu-ray kiosks. Some stores have already undergone a broader remodeling, complete with gaming stations and cafes.
“Too many of the stores still look like the old blue-and-yellow 90s VHS stores,” Casey says.
And analysts think Blockbuster still has life left in its stores — particularly on the retail market — before the Internet or video-on-demand becomes the dominant delivery system.
“We all have the idiot friends who have collections of hundreds of DVDs. Nobody is going to collect 100s of DVDs on their hard drives,” said Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter. “And the movie studios don’t make as much" on rentals or on-demand services, where the profit margins are smaller.
Pachter notes that as long as Blockbuster gets customers in stores and studios release movies on DVD before they allow video-on-demand and streaming online, the company will thrive.
“Blockbuster says, why not buy a movie while you’re in here? What else can they sell? Popcorn, video games, maybe a TV or an iPod,” Pachter said. “They’re merchandising better, and that’s absolutely working.”
— Swati Pandey

Small Business

WALL STREET'S TROUBLES TRICKLE DOWN
Posted: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 9:23 AM by Eve Tahmincioglu

Sunday night, Eduard Slinin, the owner of Brooklyn-based limo service Corporate Transportation Group, was watching television when he heard news Lehman Brothers might file for bankruptcy.

“I was afraid and worried. Lehman is one of my biggest clients,” says Slinin, whose business services financial firms on Wall Street, driving everyone from top executives to investment bankers to their destinations.

On Monday morning, Slinin’s worse fears turned out to be a reality. Lehman Brothers had filed for bankruptcy.

“I’ve been in this business for 28 years and I never would have thought something like this could happen,” he says. “We went through the ’87 crash. The 2001 crisis. This is the worst.”

The storm that’s raining down on what were once Wall Street titans is also soaking some small business owners who rely on major financial sector companies for their livelihoods.

For most business owners throughout the country with few ties to the financial world, the havoc on the Street will have little impact, says Bill Dunkelberg, chief economist for the National Federation of Independent Business. That is, unless consumer spending is significantly derailed as a result.

But for entrepreneurs like Slinin, it's a different story.

He got a call from Lehman on Monday telling him that Lehman employee vouchers would no longer be honored, and if employees used his car service they would have to pay by their own credit cards.

With the loss of Lehman, his company, that employees 96 people, could see at 15 percent drop in sales and some layoffs.

Christopher Morgan is president of Corbeau Technologies Inc., a company that implements financial systems for a host of major financial institutions including investment banks.

“We expect to be significantly impacted by the financial crisis that we are seeing today,” he says.

“Our entire business involves implementing back-office systems in financial companies,” he explains. “These are large-scale, capital projects, that typically are an investment in the tens of millions of dollars at the large financial institutions and millions at smaller companies.”

The crisis on Wall Street could go two ways for Corbeau.

Financial firms may decide capital expenditures need to be put on hold and that could put projects Corbeau now has in the pipeline at risk. Or, on a positive note, he notes, those firms could want “more out of their investment accounting systems -- the systems we implement and support -- therefore needing more from companies like Corbeau Technologies.”

So basically, entrepreneurs like Morgan and Slinin are holding their breath and hoping the financial industry turmoil won’t ravage their bottomlines.

“Today there’s a lot of panic,” says Slinin about recent Wall Street events. “I believe things will rebound.”

Are you all as optimistic as Slinin? How will Wall Street's woes impact your business?

Taking on Restaurants and Grocers

Entrepreneurs

Taking On Restaurants And Grocers

Melanie Lindner, 05.08.08, 6:00 PM ET


The meal-assembly industry was born in early 2002 when Stephanie Allen and Tina Kuna opened their first Dream Dinners store in Snohomish, Wash. The concept: Customers prepare their own food in bulk using the restaurant's kitchen, ingredients and recipes--all for less money than buying and cooking food from the grocery store. And, of course, no dirty pots and pans.
Dream Dinners, now with 208 locations in 37 states throughout the U.S. (and another 29 under construction), is the largest of these chains. But with food prices soaring, angry franchisees snapping and its financials sagging, the company--and much of the meal-assembly industry--is feeling like it's on the chopping block.
On the surface, the value proposition sounds compelling: At Dream Dinners, busy parents who want their kids to eat right can crank out 12 meals, up to 72 servings, in less than two hours for just $250. The company insists (based on its own research) that preparing those same meals at home would require 18 to 20 hours of shopping and cooking and cost between $525 and $585.
In Pictures: A Look At The Meal-Assembly Players
In Pictures: Seven Tips For Fledgling Franchisees
In Pictures: Six Franchise-Contract Time Bombs
Smelling success early, Allen and Kuna began to franchise. And it caught on: Since Dream Dinners' conception, 13 similar chains with more than 20 stores each have sprouted up, plus at least 12 chains with fewer than 20 locations. Today there are 1,293 of these stores in 49 states (West Virginia lacks such a location), according to Andy Potter of the Meal Assembly Network, which tracks the industry.
But that bigger footprint hasn't translated into sizable riches. Even before food prices really started to spike (see: "What Grocers Teach Us About The U.S. Economy"), Dream Dinners was taking it on the chin, according to audited financial statements in the company's latest Franchise Disclosure Document, filed with the State of Washington Department of Financial Records.
As of Dec. 31, the company boasted $2.9 million in assets, against which it carried $3.4 million in liabilities. (Such negative book value implies that if Dream Dinners were unwound today, shareholders wouldn't get much.) That's a snapshot, but here's a trend: Last year, the company lost $628,000 on $7.5 million in sales; compare that to 2005, when it earned $928,000 on sales of $4.5 million.
"Quick growth does not equal profitability," says Richard Rosen, a Manhattan-based franchise lawyer who closely follows the meal-assembly industry but does not represent any specific franchise. "This is a fad industry that grew way too fast."
Typically, new business concepts need up to five years to season before they can be franchised successfully. Dream Dinners--along with its next largest competitor Super Suppers, now with 165 stores--both began franchising in less than two years.
Now more meal-assembly locations are closing than opening, says Potter. Since January, large chains (with more than 100 stores) have shuttered 11% of their stores; mid-sized chains (10 to 99 stores), 8%; and small chains (two to nine stores), a whopping 17%.
Franchisees are starting to bristle. In late April, 15 of them filed a lawsuit against Dream Dinners, claiming a host of transgressions, including violation of franchise laws, negligent fraud and breach of contract. "We were sold a proven concept," says Jennifer Garcia of Oxford, Conn., a plaintiff who closed her two Dream Dinners franchises in December. "This is an untested, unproven and flawed business model."
Michael Garner, a Minneapolis-based attorney representing the franchisees, says many others are dissatisfied and that he expects they too will soon come forward. In a joint e-mail response to Forbes.com, Allen and Kuna write: "The plaintiffs are a fraction of the more than 200 Dream Dinners franchisees, the vast majority of which refused to be involved in the lawsuit. Instead of working their businesses during these challenging economic times for the industry, [the] plaintiffs apparently chose to sue us."
A major point of contention has to do with rosy promises Dream Dinners seemed to have made to its franchisees. Under the Federal Trade Commission's franchise law, franchisers are not permitted to make "predictions" about franchisees' financial success--unless they do it in the Uniform Franchise Offering Document, which typically contains a host of disclaimers.
Dream Dinners "totally disregarded these regulations," says Garner. It not only posted financial projections on its company Web site, he says, it also put them in a Power Point presentation given to potential franchisees.
Jennifer Hemann, a former Dream Dinners franchisee in Maryland and one of the plaintiffs in the suit, alleges that she was shown that Power Point presentation--which included estimated profit margins for a given volume of customers--when interviewing with the founders. "They told us, 'Our lawyers said not to show this to you, but if you write fast, you can get it all down,'" she says.
After sinking hundreds of thousands of dollars into her stores, Hemann claims she never turned a profit: "In my two stores, I lost a combined $800,000 in my initial investments and operating costs." Garcia says she got the same routine from Allen and Kuna: "They offered financial information, but said their lawyers told them not to--then gave a wink-wink and a smile."
Allen and Kuna write that they are "unaware" that earnings projections were ever on their Web site. Of the Power Point presentation, they write that "projections were displayed that our lawyers previewed and approved."
The slides, provided by Garner, present some tantalizing figures: Allen and Kuna projected that, at 187 customers per month, a franchisee could expect to earn $75,400 in profit annually, or 18.9% of total revenue. On the high end, at a quoted 328 customers per month, net profits jumped to $163,300, or 23.3% of sales. The estimated distance customers would be expected to drive: two to five miles. Allen and Kuna insist that "the figures were realistic and based on the actual performance of stores."
If the U.S. economy doesn't perk up soon, things may get even worse for meal-assembly outfits. "It's a lot easier for some families to spend $30 to $50 on one meal at a casual dining restaurant like Applebee's than to drop $250 at one time at a meal assembly store," says Potter.
Bottom line, says Rosen: "The jury is still out on the meal assembly industry. But if someone approached me with one of these franchise contracts, I would advise them to take caution."

Portillo's

Low brand awareness prompts Portillo's image ads
Nation's Restaurant News, June 28, 2004 by Gregg Cebrzynski
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OAK BROOK, ILL. -- Portillo's Hot Dogs, a Chicagoland institution for 41 years, launched its first-ever image campaign in response to lower-than-expected brand awareness when the chain opened a unit in a new market.
"I want everybody to know us," said founder Dick Portillo, who appears in TV spots for the 40-unit chain.
Portillo said he learned that 30 percent of the population of Shorewood, a town southwest of Chicago where a new unit opened recently, had never been to a Portillo's.
"That kind of upset me," he said. "That opened my mind, and I wanted to introduce us to new customers," he said.
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The campaign includes 30- and 10-second TV spots and eight radio spots that take a humorous approach in telling the history of Portillo's.
The TV spots "Chicken in a Mug" and "Liver on a Stick" are designed to show how some "harebrained marketing schemes" failed while Portillo's marketing innovation succeeded.
"Chicken" opens on an actor holding a mug stuffed with a large drumstick. "I busted my tail feathers trying to make Chicken in a Mug fly, but I'm the one who got deep fried," he says with a recognizable Chicago accent. In "Liver," the actor holds the product and says, "Liver on a stick was gonna be the new taste sensation, but the public's fickle, my friend."
Then the spots describe how Portillo's began in 1963 as a single-unit trailer--a replica appears in the spots--that sold hot dogs and tamales and has grown since then with its menu of hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage and Italian beef sandwiches. Portillo appears at the end of the spots, standing inside a restaurant. He faces the camera and says, "When you see 'Portillo's Hot Dogs' over the door of my restaurants, you know it's the original in Chicagoland for great food and incredible service."
In a radio spot titled "Tour Guide," the title character asks whether any of the tourists have questions about Chicago. "Sausage!" a man shouts. "So you want to know about sausage," the guide says, and then he describes Portillo's. The man asks to be taken to the "Mecca of wieners, the king of kielbasa."
In "Dream Analysis" a guy tells the psychiatrist that he dreams he's "salivating" for a Portillo's hot dog but then finds himself transported to a place where he's "surrounded by clowns and phonies, all trying to hock me garbage."
The psychiatrist says, "This dream can be reconciled" by going to one of the 40 Portillo's units.
Diamond City of Libertyville, Ill., produced the campaign.
"I wanted to tell a story, more than anything," said creative director Michael Reilly. "I didn't want it just to be Dick telling the story. We decided we'd create a Chicago-type character that could act as almost a tour guide to Dick Portillo's career."
Reilly said he decided to take a humorous approach in the ads to match the "warm and fun vibe" in Portillo's restaurants. Portillo agreed that humor would work best to raise brand awareness.
"That's what I find more interesting when I see something on TV," he said. "That's what sticks in my mind."
The chain does not release sales figures, but Portillo said sales growth has been strong year after year, and compared with other chains, "We're on a roll."
Still, Portillo acknowledged that "competition in general, whether it's food or gas or pizza or clothes, is tougher and tougher. There's over 2,300 places in Chicago and the suburbs that sell hot dogs. It's a tough market, and we are one of the No. 1 guys in the market."
The current campaign is scheduled to run through summer. New ads this fall probably will include promotion of the chain's catering business, Portillo said.
Reilly said he "would keep it funny, and I want to keep introducing Dick" to consumers.

Francorp Client - FastSigns

FASTSIGNS(R) News: Attention! 'Moving Billboards' on the Road

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August 28, 2008 // Franchising.com // Carrollton, TX - The last time you were on the road, did you look at the other vehicles around you? Did you notice the graphics on delivery vans, trucks and other vehicles that identify businesses and organizations in your area? If not, next time you are driving around, look at the information on vehicles – the company's name, phone number, website or location. There could also be photographs of people, products or facilities. Does the vehicle of your business or organization have any type of identifying signs or graphics? If this is not something you think about on a regular basis, maybe it should be."From major corporations to small individually-owned businesses, companies are trying to create affordable attention by using every media available," says Drue Townsend, senior vice president of marketing for international sign and graphics franchisor, FASTSIGNS(R). "The road to advertising has taken a turn toward the big, the bold and the beautiful when it comes to vehicle graphics, and due in part to new materials, techniques and technology available, the day of the simple logo and phone number is long gone."Full-color digital graphics and wide format prints allow businesses to wrap entire vehicles, both large and small, in giant photographs, and thanks to a remarkable perforated vinyl material, graphics can continue across the side and rear windows without obstructing the view from inside.The most effective vehicle graphics incorporate vivid colors and keep the message brief and memorable. Viewers typically have only a few seconds to view a vehicle in traffic, which is why the presentation should be dramatic enough to grab their attention quickly. One exception is the back of the vehicle that drivers may see for several minutes while idling in traffic, making it the best place to list products or services.If a business is not ready to completely wrap a vehicle, or maybe the vehicle is used for multi-purposes, there are still signage options available. The standard magnetic sign even has a new look. Magnetic signage has become more colorful, flexible and durable than ever before. Magnetics can be custom-cut in virtually any shape to conform to a vehicle or to the design of the graphic. It still creates awareness and catches the eye of the public.Thanks to advances in technology and new, less expensive materials, high-impact vehicle graphics are now available and affordable for budgets of all sizes.FASTSIGNS(R) sign and graphics centers use innovation and technology to make the sign buying process simple by offering for a full range of custom sign and graphic products.

Francorp Client - Soul De Cuba

The Soul of Crown Street
Nicole D'Andrea, Senior Writer
08/06/2008
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If you go... Soul de Cuba 283 Crown St., New Haven; 203-498-cuba; souldecuba.com What makes a city a city isn't something you can exactly put your finger on but when you feel it, you know it.
That's sort of the best way to explain the vibe of Soul de Cuba, tucked away on the corner of Crown and High streets.
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Just 40 seats for dining and only a handful of stools at the bar, Soul de Cuba embodies everything that is the lifeblood of New Haven. Think diversity in culture, historically accurate native cuisine and of course, authenticity of ownership.
Birthed by New Haven staple Yoon Kim, son of Sung Kim who has operated Seoul Restaurant on Crown Street for many years and brothers Jesus and Robert Puerto, Soul de Cuba has solidified itself as a New Haven necessity since its doors opened in January 2005.
Shortly after opening the first location- about one year- Jesus revisited his past, traveling to the South Pacific where he used to do work for the Peace Corps and launched a second Soul de Cuba in Honolulu, Hawaii across the street from the Hawaii Theater.
Hailing from an international relations background, Jesus shares that he and his partners are now finalizing the details for a global franchise expansion of Soul de Cuba which coincides with the debut of the restaurant's new line of homemade mango salsa, honey balsamic vinaigrette dressing and mojo marinade which are sold in store and are coming soon to participating supermarket shelves.
Phoning in from Hawaii- he gets to run this location while little brother Robert mans the New Haven locale- Jesus explains, right now he's at a crossroads with his business and he's hoping to figure out what is the best way to replicate the Soul de Cuba concept on a national level and become one of, if not, the first chain of Cuban eateries.
But before this Afro-Cuban enclave takes the world by storm, it's important to consider where it came from and who the Puertos are.
Though Jesus has a lengthy background serving in the international relations field- he came to New Haven through Paul Newman's Association of Hole In The Wall Camps to serve Thailand, Southern Africa and Japan- his family's past is deep rooted in Cuban cuisine.
Coming to the Tampa area of Florida, at the turn of 19th century, Jesus' great grandfather Santiago Gonzalez settled in Ybor City, which is the oldest Cuban-American community in the U.S.
The Puerto's family established themselves in Ybor and became well-known bakers. Even today, Robert says, they have a cousin who has taken up the baking trade in Ybor.
Generations of Afro-Cubans from the Puerto lineage have contributed to the flavor and style of Sol de Cuba and when speaking of franchising in terms of a restaurant "concept" it's sort of impossible to do so because the mantra of the restaurant is anything but trendy, stylish or en vogue. There's no "concept" per-se because it's real, right down to the family photos, which adorn the walls and even the cigar box tops that decoupage the bar top- yes, the Puerto family was also cigar rollers in Ybor City.
By way of food, diners can delight in the traditional marinated pork, a famous Cuban dish called lechon asado where the meat is marinated 24 hours in mojo- a creamy blend of citrus, oregano and garlic- before cooking.
But also on the menu, there are dishes that aim to highlight the unique Afro-Cuban heritage that the brothers share. Jesus explains that in addition to meals bearing the namesake of their past, it's the paintings of Afro-Cuban spirituality and respect for family that really puts the soul in Soul de Cuba.
Rabo encendido, traditional oxtail stew shares a place on the menu with Abuela's sopa de frijoles negros and less conventional dishes like Robert's pollo Soul de Cuba.
Cooking for almost half his life, Robert has taken the reins of the business from behind the stove and says he continues to try to represent the Cuban and Afro-Cuban cultures with his food while also taking into consideration the importance of creating new dishes with more contemporary ideals.
Before the rest of the world has the opportunity to delight in the wondrous multi-sensory experience of Sol de Cuba, which wakes your mind and taste buds simultaneously, take advantage of dining in the New Haven location where it all started (283 Crown St., New Haven; 203-498-cuba).
The Spread: Lunch entrees $11-$16, sandwiches $7-$9, appetizers $7-12, dinner entrees $12-$21.Signature: Soul de Cuba offers jars of homemade mango salsa and bottles of honey balsamic vinaigrette dressing and mojo marinade for sale in store, and soon on participating supermarket shelves. Also, make sure to order the Puerto family recipe sangria or a classic Cuban mojito.
Beyond the food: Monthly, you can come enjoy drum nights at as the restaurant is turned from a dining space to a dancing frenzy. Check souldecuba.com for dates.What we ate: Pollo Soul de Cuba, $18 (Marinated chicken breasts (overnight) pan fried and served with Chef Robert's special salsa of mango, black beans, red onion and rum, served over arroz blanco and plantanos maduros.
What we thought: Soul de Cuba is the epitome authentic and represents the best of New Haven's multicultural cuisine. If you're interested in having some imported wines or Cuban influenced drinks, this is one the city's most romantic spots to do so. If you're dining, Soul de Cuba is known for making traditional Afro-Cuban food with a contemporary twist- evidence of its success is the sweet and hearty Pollo Soul de Cuba.

www.francorp.com

Francorp works with the Louisiana Restaurant Association

Francorp Partners up with Louisiana Restaurant Association to work with members on expanding their restaurant operations. Francorp has a number of partners like the Louisiana Restaurant Association, more can be found at www.francorp.com.

“The mission of the Louisiana Restaurant Association is to enhance and ensure the growth and development of the foodservice industry in Louisiana by working together as an industry to improve the political, economic, and social environment in which the industry conducts business. The LRA will develop and administer programs and services in order to continue its role as the indispensable resource for the members of the Association.”
The Louisiana Restaurant Association was established in 1946 to promote, protect and serve the interests of the state’s foodservice and hospitality industry. Under the leadership of its original officers and directors, the association set forth several founding principles that continue to guide the association to this day. Since its inception, the LRA has become one of the most outstanding state restaurant associations in the nation and is heralded as a leader among all trade associations.
In 1982, the association formed its Self Insurer's Fund for workers’ compensation – one of the most successful programs of its kind in the country. In 1995, the LRA moved its operations to its current 23,000-square foot headquarter building in Metairie, Louisiana. The association’s Education Foundation was established in 1996 and boasts one of the nation’s premier School-to-Career programs with 46 schools and more than 900 students participating statewide. The annual Louisiana Foodservice EXPO, hosted by the LRA, is recognized as the region’s top tradeshow for the foodservice industry.
The LRA is governed by a Board of Directors that represents all segments of the foodservice and hospitality industry in Louisiana. The LRA, LRA/SIF and LRA Education Foundation have a staff of 65 professionals with the executive vice president serving as chief executive officer. Today, the LRA’s nine statewide chapters are composed of 7,000 restaurant operations and related businesses, including hotels, caterers, institutional feeders and suppliers of goods and services to the restaurant industry.

Francorp Client - LuluLemon Athletica

Lululemon's Next Workout
Can Christine Day broaden the yoga clothier's appeal?
by Aili McConnon
BW Magazine

Incoming Lululemon CEO Day and co-workers Chris Buck
Lots of chief executives talk about keeping an ear to the ground. Few do it. Even fewer do it literally. But on a recent Sunday in Vancouver, B.C., Christine Day, the incoming CEO of yoga apparel retailer Lululemon Athletica, was on her hands and knees in a fitting room hemming pants. That's standard operating procedure at Lululemon. Every worker, from the C-suite to the accountants to the design team, must spend at least eight hours a month working in stores—an unusual mandate for a retailer. It's a way to keep close to the company's carefully cultivated and well-heeled clientele: the burgeoning Yoga Class.
Serving that niche with a laser-like focus has paid off for the Vancouver retailer. In 2007, sales rose 85%, to $275 million; profits leapt 300%, to $31 million; and the company raised $344 million in an initial public offering. Lululemon fans shell out $92 for a pair of workout pants, compared with $60 at Nike (NKE) or $70 at Under Armour (UA), according to research firm ThinkEquity Partners. No wonder, then, that at most of its 86 warehouse-chic stores, Lululemon sells $1,710 worth of gear per square foot—about triple the rate of red-hot retailers Abercrombie & Fitch (AWF) and J. Crew (JCG). "It's the best growth story in retail today," says Paul Lejuez, a senior analyst at Credit Suisse (CS).
As Day takes over—her official start is June 4—Lululemon is at a precarious point. It plans to increase its U.S. store count from 38 to 69 this year, with a goal of 300 over the next few years. But inventory problems have crimped margins, since the company had to pay extra to ship out-of-stock items to stores by air. Amid worries over cash-strapped U.S. consumers, the stock price, which rocketed to 60 after going public at 18, has fallen back to 31. How Day manages the rapid growth will determine whether Lululemon fades away, like so many once-hip retailers, or becomes a lasting franchise.
Day most recently ran Asia-Pacific operations at Starbucks, which serves as both a growth template and a cautionary tale for Lululemon. "At Starbucks, we moved too quickly away from the authentic Italian espresso," she says. CEO Howard Schultz hired her in 1986 as his assistant. She took care of everything from bookkeeping to human resources and quickly moved up the management ranks. In his memoir, Schultz credits Day for her early insight that the coffee chain's stores should be designed as "sisters—each with an individual appearance, but clearly from the same family." In her most recent post, as head of Asia, Day oversaw a side of Starbucks' business that is still growing furiously even as U.S. stores slump.
Lululemon has been quietly growing since 1998, when it was founded by Dennis "Chip" Wilson, a Canadian entrepreneur who had previously founded a surf, skate, and snowboard company. After attending a yoga class, he found the cotton-polyester blends most people wore to the studio were uncomfortable and ill-fitting, and they collected sweat. He created a black exercise pant for women made of fabric that would wick away perspiration and fit well, too. In 2000, Wilson, still the company's design chief, opened a small design and retail space in Vancouver that doubled as a yoga studio. He created clothing during the day and tweaked it based on feedback from students who took yoga classes in the same space at night.
Linking with local gurus has been crucial. Before Lululemon opens a store in a new city, it approaches yogis or other fitness class teachers. In exchange for a year's worth of clothing, they become Lululemon "ambassadors," wearing the duds in front of students and giving the company design feedback. They also host students at private sales and free classes sponsored by Lululemon in unmarked lofts or condo spaces.
Now the pressure's on Day to expand Lululemon beyond yoga into sports such as running, swimming, and biking. Outgoing CEO Robert Meers, who previously led Reebok International, put together a management team of retail vets from the likes of Nike, The Limited (LTD), and Abercrombie (RL). Day, though, has been visiting stores and picking up tips from workers on the line. At regular breakfast meetings, she's fond of asking employees: "What's the most idiotic thing we did in the last 60 days?"
SIDESWIPED BY SEAWEED
Early on, Lululemon dodged a bullet. In November, The New York Times reported the company made false claims about a line of clothing infused with seaweed that purported to moisturize skin during exercise. Lululemon says third-party tests confirmed its garments contained a seaweed derivative, but it removed the claims from labels.
A more pressing challenge is inventory. Analysts say stores in coastal areas often run short of small sizes and those in the Midwest sell out of larger sizes. Day says the company has rolled out a new inventory-management system and will spend up to $1 million on a direct-sales Web site. Day is quite aware that, in a recession that's punishing other retailers, she'll have a brief window in which to fix the glitches. "You can't be complacent about blaming the economy," she says, "when it's probably some operating...issue you're trying to get right."
To watch a video interview with incoming Lululemon CEO Christine Day, go to businessweek.com/go/tv/lululemon.
Back to the Hot Growth Table of Contents
McConnon is a staff editor for BusinessWeek in New York.

Panera Bread Company

Time to make the dough …Ronald M. Shaich, CEO of Panera Bread Co. and alumnus of the class of 1976 at Clark University, got his start in business in Worcester.

As a student, Mr. Shaich saw the need on campus for a source of snacks and essentials. So, he founded the General Store, which remained a student-run store at Clark until 2003. Five years after graduating from Clark with a degree in government-international relations and two years after earning a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School, Mr. Shaich, co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Panera Bread Co., began his career in the bakery-café industry when he opened a small cookie store in downtown Boston. Shortly thereafter, he combined his cookie store operations with a local bakery to co-found Au Bon Pain Co. Inc. In 1993, Mr. Shaich led Au Bon Pain’s purchase of a 19-location bakery-café concept called St. Louis Bread Co., and launched the comprehensive revamp of St. Louis Bread. Under Mr. Shaich’s leadership, the average business volume at St. Louis Bread increased by 75 percent between 1993 and 1997, the year St. Louis Bread began its national expansion using the name Panera Bread Co.

In 1999, Mr. Shaich decided to sell all of Au Bon Pain’s business units, including the flagship Au Bon Pain brand, betting the future of the company on the growth of Panera Bread. The entire company was renamed Panera Bread. Last year, Panera Bread had more than 1,200 bakery-cafés and has been ranked No. 1 by J.D. Power and Associates out of 110 companies for customer satisfaction. “We’re doing the highest volumes of any food-service company outside of casual dining. That’s 20 percent more than a McDonald’s,” Mr. Shaich said. In his 25-plus years as CEO, Mr. Shaich has received widespread recognition for his leadership and, in 2005, he received the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association’s Gold Plate Award as the outstanding leader in the food service industry that year. But everyone knows there’s always a Worcester connection: Mr. Shaich continued his involvement with his alma mater as chairman of Clark’s board of trustees from 1998 to 2001, and continues to support the school where it all started. Poetry to our earsIf you haven’t had the opportunity to meet Worcester poet laureate Gertrude Halstead, here’s your chance. Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the Worcester County Poetry Association will help Miss Halstead celebrate her 92nd birthday during “Rare Readings” from 2 to 3:30 p.m. July 20 in the Higgins House, on John Wing Drive off Salisbury Street, Worcester. During this free event, which is open to the public, Miss Halstead will read from her book “memories … like burrs” which recalls her incredible escape from Nazi Germany during World War II. She will be joined by Sam Cornish, poet laureate of Boston, who will read the title poem from “Generations,” which is about the “wonders and woes” of urban life and is the best known of his many published volumes. Olympiad of academiaWhen athletes compete in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing next month, a group of Nichols College students the same age as some of the competitors will be able to relate to its theme, “One World, One Dream.” “Being on top of the Great Wall of China was a life-changing experience I will never forget,” said senior Ryan Johnston, who recently returned from a 13-day trip to China with other students, alums, faculty and staff of the Dudley school. Mr. Johnston said he was truly impressed by how friendly and accessible the Chinese people were and most enjoyed talking to average Joes on the street, most of whom spoke at least a little English. Libba Moore, associate dean for business, was “fascinated with artifacts from three incredibly different political regimes: emperors and dynasties, Mao’s Communist China, and the contemporary transition to a leading capitalist power today.” Dawn Sherman, assistant dean for special academic programs, couldn’t believe that there were KFC restaurants on practically every corner. After suffering from a sinus infection early in the trip, Miss Sherman was relieved to run into a group of Curry College nurses who were working at a local hospital and advised her on a change in medication. It was professor Rick Hilliard’s third trip to China, but the signs “Everybody Does Every Job” and “This Is a Communist Workshop” stood out to him. Pat Hertzfeld, associate vice president for finance, was startled by China’s wholehearted embrace of internationalization, as evident in the use of English on most signs. “And the spaces are huge. Tiananmen Square holds over a million people. I couldn’t possibly show its true size by taking pictures. We Americans have never seen building on this scale.” The trip’s focus was to examine international business in Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai and Hong Kong, but it also included visits to important historic and cultural sites. How do I love thee?Rather than reading about the classics, a group of Fitchburg State College students is traveling the road to Verona, made famous as the home of Romeo and Juliet, in the region of the northern Italy with a well-preserved artistic heritage of the Roman, Medieval, Renaissance and Modern periods. The Center for Italian Culture at Fitchburg State College has awarded $12,000 in scholarships for students to pursue studies in Italian language and culture. Scholarship recipients are: Jeffrey Andree, Stephanie Aguilar, Nicholas Asilo, Megan Benevides, Kate-Lynn Coraccio, Joana Dos Santos, Nathan Fiske, Katrina Gigante, Katie Gowell, Rachael McWeeney, Genna Sandler, Matthew Tomasetti, Amanda Valcourt, Sara Viola and Erik Weikert. Twelve students will use the scholarship money to study in Verona as part of the college’s summer study abroad program; others will put the money toward tuition and fees. The Center for Italian Culture at Fitchburg State College was established in 1999 by Amelia Gallucci-Cirio, class of 1938. “Amelia’s history with Fitchburg State began in 1934, when she received a scholarship of $150, a considerable amount in 1934, and it enabled her to attend Fitchburg State,” said Anna Mazzaferro, advisory board president for the Center for Italian Culture It’s never too lateAmerica’s largest undergraduate transfer scholarship has been awarded to recent Quinsigamond Community College graduate Gerard Boucher. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation scholarship awards up to $30,000 per year to help students transfer from community colleges to complete their bachelor’s degrees at a four-year institution. Mr. Boucher plans to attend Clark University to pursue psychology/therapy, psychology and human services. After 14 years drug- and alcohol-free, Mr. Boucher became a counselor and plans to improve himself academically in order to help more people. “No matter how far someone has strayed from social norms, they are redeemable, recoverable human beings,” said Mr. Boucher. He said he knows this not only because he once might have been deemed “unrecoverable,” but also from his years of experience with others who found themselves in similar situations. Helping handsInstead of jumping into the work force, more than a few Assumption College 2008 graduates have committed to a year or more of volunteer service: Allyse Gruslin will work with inner-city high school students who come to St. Gabriel’s Spiritual Center for Youth on Shelter Island, N.Y., for retreats and other spiritual opportunities. Next month, Caitlyn Jones will head to orientation for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Meghan Lovett is completing the Providence Alliance for Catholic Teachers program this summer, and in the fall will teach math and science to middle-schoolers at St. James-St. John School in New Bedford, while working on her master’s degree in school administration at Providence College. Angela Martano will head to Denver in October to work with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, which focuses on disaster relief, environmental aid, educational needs and public safety. She could be assigned to a project anywhere in the United States, wherever there is need. Jaclyn Sargent will volunteer with City Year New Hampshire to tutor at-risk middle school students, work with an after-school program, and direct service projects.

Denny's

Denny's announces new organizational structure
13th June 2008
By Staff Writer
Denny's, a family-style restaurant chain, has redesigned its organizational structure to support its ongoing transition to a franchise-focused business model.
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According to the company, it has completed an extensive review of its organizational structure. In April, the firm realigned its senior leadership with three executive officers reporting to the CEO. The company has restructured the organization under this leadership to effectively execute its new strategic direction with primary emphasis on sales, brand and franchise.
Additionally, the company has created four regional vice presidents of operations (RVP) positions that will have accountability for the performance of both company and franchise restaurants within a geographic region. The RVP's and their support teams will manage an integrated effort to drive guest counts, sales and profitability while ensuring operational excellence.
The new organizational structure increases brand and franchisee support, but also allows for consolidation of certain departments and job functions resulting in the near-term elimination of approximately 50 positions, the company said.
As a result of these staff reductions, the company expects to incur a restructuring charge attributable to severance and other expense of approximately $5 million in the second quarter of 2008, which will be paid out over the next 12 months.
Nelson Marchioli, president and CEO of Denny's, said: "Through the success of Denny's franchise growth initiative, the mix of franchised restaurants in the Denny's system is now up to 76%. In our quest to become a franchisor-of-choice in the restaurant industry, we must continue to evolve our corporate structure and mission to focus on driving sales, expanding the brand and providing valuable support to our franchisees."

Francorp International

Francorp has 17 International offices around the globe. These offices are run by Francorp Franchisees. Francorp is the one franchise consulting and franchise development company that actually franchised it's own business. This is a key point in that our business model is built on the very strategy and expansion tool that we teach and impliment for our clients. Francorp continues to open new offices and expand the reach of it's clients. Francorp has the capability to bring clients from the U.S. into other countries as well as bring foreign concepts into the U.S. market.

Franchising A Business

Franchising a business takes a great deal of planning and structure. In order to do this effectively one must have the correct structure, training systems and commitment to effectively grow a franchise organization. This is only possible by bringing in the right people, professionals and experienced staff. Francorp is a professional organization of franchise consultants built on the principals that make businesses successful. Please visit Francorp's site, http://www.francorp.com/ for more information, details and insight into what has make the firm the most productive and successful franchise organization in the world.

You can also interact with and see what Francorp clients have to say about the firm at http://www.francorp1.com/