Recently added articles from Franchising World:
Leveraging technology to advance your systems.(IN THIS ISSUE)
Aug 01, 2008; Greenbaum, Steven ... Virtually overnight, new applications of technology re being introduced that help facilitate advancement in our personal and professional lives. Many see technology as a driver to growth and profitability, as well as a time-saver. Whether it's the ease of communications via wireless ...
Shaping the public's perception of franchising.(IFA PRESIDENT AND CEO'S COLUMN)(Column)
Aug 01, 2008; Shay, Matthew ... Never underestimate the impact of a first impression. For IFA, first impressions began when it was founded nearly 50 years ago. Since then, the landscape of the business and policy environments has evolved, and many impressions of the association and the franchising industry have changed ...
Grow your franchise with online marketing tools: e-mail marketing and online surveys are excellent tools for communicating with a franchised business' customers.(TECHNOLOGY: DRIVING FRANCHISE GROWTH AND PROFITABILITY)
Aug 01, 2008; O'Brien, Kevin ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Internet has brought about tremendous change in the way people find and communicate with businesses. Growth in technology has fostered the development of countless new Web-based business tools and services that help people manage their businesses ....
Leveraging technology for franchise performance and growth: effectively-implemented franchise technology solutions can provide a single platform to manage franchise processes by significantly reducing operating costs.(TECHNOLOGY: DRIVING FRANCHISE GROWTH AND PROFITABILITY)(Industry overview)
Aug 01, 2008; Pamecha, Amit ... A quick look for the fastest-growing and best-performing franchise systems shows that there are several factors attributable to their Success: * The unique idea or concept behind the franchise, * Franchisor and franchisee profitability, * ...
"No-brainer" technologies: if a system hasn't implemented these no-brainer steps yet, it is a great place to start.(TECHNOLOGY: DRIVING FRANCHISE GROWTH AND PROFITABILITY)
Aug 01, 2008; Spindel, Brian ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The franchising industry has now reached a point where technology, at some level, reaches into every discipline within a franchise company. From reporting and marketing to support and communication, technology has increased efficiency and effectiveness for ...
Five steps to e-mail marketing success: e-mail marketing has emerged as a powerful tool that facilitates customer communication, incremental sales and raises bottom-line results in the most immediate times. Properly put in place, e-mail marketing can be a very powerful weapon in a marketing and sales arsenal, especially for an economy that is slowing down for many franchise systems.(TECHNOLOGY: DRIVING FRANCHISE GROWTH AND PROFITABILITY)
Aug 01, 2008; Bugarski, Boris ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Imagine having a database of customers that have proven to spend money with the franchise company or customers that have raised their hands and volunteered to receive your marketing messages. Many companies have taken the easy task of asking their ...
Facing a web-based fork in the road? Make the right turn: most companies are missing opportunities by ignoring Web-based systems.(TECHNOLOGY: DRIVING FRANCHISE GROWTH AND PROFITABILITY)
Aug 01, 2008; Hooper, Dave ... It is rare to find a CEO or chief financial officer that speaks fluent "geek." Conversely, the "techies" tend to spend money on systems, software and solutions without a strong understanding of the bottom line. Most companies are missing the boat with regard to Web-based operational ...
Guerrillas with laptops: making the most of interactive media: to compete effectively for qualified leads and communicate a brand's message quickly and cost-effectively while maintaining real- time communications with its franchisees, franchise companies have to turn to the Internet.(TECHNOLOGY: DRIVING FRANCHISE GROWTH AND PROFITABILITY)
Aug 01, 2008; Facinelli, Sally ... Franchise organizations across the board are feeling the pressure to keep their budgets low while still increasing sales. With a limited marketing budget, one of the first areas to focus on is using free or inexpensive technology to get the message out. Fortunately, there are many ...
Blogging 101 for franchisors: easy to start, hard to measure, but potentially an effective marketing tool.(TECHNOLOGY: DRIVING FRANCHISE GROWTH AND PROFITABILITY)
Aug 01, 2008; Bennett, Chris ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Weblog, or "blog" for short, is simply a collection of articles posted on the Internet. Popular blogs are regularly read and extensively discussed by tens of thousands of users. Impressed by the extent and depth of consumer contact that blogs offer, many ...
Penetration testing: why franchise systems need information security: regular penetration testing of applications and system security are necessities which will help mitigate the risk of a data breach and system compromises.(TECHNOLOGY: DRIVING FRANCHISE GROWTH AND PROFITABILITY)
Aug 01, 2008; Chan, Henfree ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Information security was once considered just a technical problem, but due to the combination of advanced technology and malicious intent, it is now everyone's problem. Most people would be surprised to learn that the personal or financial data of more ...
Where do the presidential candidates stand on franchising issues?(FW FOCUS: GOVERNMENT RELATIONS)(Discussion)
Aug 01, 2008; Flanagan, Troy ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Part One When U.S. Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) get the official approval of their respective parties later this summer, the largely-divergent views of these two historic figures will be on full display before a ...
IFA urges Congress to address rising energy costs: as the nation prepares to vote for legislators and a president this fall, a topic generating as much ink and airtime as the candidates themselves is the issue of escalating energy costs. Topping that list are the rising costs of oil and gas, which the International Franchise Association has urged Congress to address immediately.(FW FOCUS: GOVERNMENT RELATIONS)
Aug 01, 2008 ... The International Franchise Association recently urged Congress to take decisive, effective and immediate action to address the rising cost of energy in the United States. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In a joint letter with other leading business organizations dated June ...
Supporting federal legislators: FranPAC report card: the International Franchise Association's current financial support to candidates for federal offices as of mid-June is reflected in the following "report card.".(FW FOCUS: GOVERNMENT RELATIONS)(Statistical table)
Aug 01, 2008; Adams, Victoria ... <Pre> Supporting Federal Legislators: FranPAC ReDort Card The International Franchise Association's current financial support to candidates for federal office as of mid-June is reflected in the following "report card." IFA's political action committee, FranPAC, supports ...
IFA's official Sommelier: turning red wine into greenbacks: summer wine auction tops new record under the relentless gavel of "Doc" Cohen.(IFA SUMMER LEADERSHIP PHOTO FEATURE)
Aug 01, 2008 ... "Aggressive ..." "Decadent ..." "Precocious ..." "Volatile ..." "Doc" Cohen's rapid-fire delivery and tart comments whipped the audience into a frenzy, but those weren't taunts to an out-of-control crowd, they were expertly-chosen recommendations designed to incite and induce ...
Colorado Springs: IFA leadership meeting zeroes in on political challenges ahead.(IFA SUMMER LEADERSHIP PHOTO FEATURE)(Conference news)
Aug 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Faced with the possibility of a challenging political atmosphere in Washington, D.C. in just a few months, the International Franchise Association's leadership gathered in Colorado Springs this summer to hone its plans for an intensive government ...
Q&A with U.S. Ambassador Susan C. Schwab, U.S. Trade Representative.(FW FOCUS: A FRANCHISING WORLD Q & A)(Interview)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Ambassador Susan C. Schwab was nominated to be U.S. Trade Representative by President George W. Bush in 2006 and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate the same year. Schwab is a member of the president's Cabinet and serves as his principal trade advisor, negotiator and spokesperson on trade ...
Disclosure law violations: understanding the penalties.(FW FOCUS: LEGAL)
Aug 01, 2008; Buckberg, Joel R. ... Franchise sales activity that complies with federal and state laws and administrative regulations governing such activity rewards the franchisor and its personnel with peace of mind. The franchisor who satisfies its disclosure obligations never has to face the potential havoc of alleged ...
Pressure points: bankruptcy code amendments, court decisions.(FW FOCUS: LEGAL)
Aug 01, 2008; Salzberg, Mark A. ... It often seems that the odds are stacked against creditors in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding. After all, a central purpose of a Chapter 11 reorganization is to afford the debtor a breathing spell from its creditors. This "time-out" by necessity will affect, at least temporarily, a ...
IFA's veteran's assistance program wins coveted summit award: IFA program is one of six chosen out of 38 applicants.(FW FOCUS: AWARDS AND HONORS)(Awards list)
Aug 01, 2008 ... The International Franchise Association has received one of the six 2008 Summit Awards from the American Society of Association Executives for its Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative. "We are honored to win the coveted Summit Award," said Matthew Shay, IFA president and ...
Hilton Hotels.(PEOPLE)(Ross Klein, Richard M. Lucas and Amar Lalvani appointed)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Hilton Hotels appointed Ross Klein as global head of luxury and lifestyle brands; Amar Lalvani as global head of luxury and lifestyle brand development; Richard M. Lucas as executive vice president and ...