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There are numerous legislative developments that will affect franchisees in 2012 and beyond, so it is more important than ever that you stay up-to-date both with federal changes and with your specific state’s requirements. Here are some of the most significant issues that you’ll want to learn more about:…

Q: I would like to run an ad in the local media, but don’t know where to begin with creating an ad. Any recommendations?

A: First, you should check with your franchisor and their communications and/or marketing department.  Many franchisors have already created a variety of print and online ads that can be localized and resized to fit their franchisees’ needs.  Don’t recreate the wheel if not necessary.  If there aren’t ads available, however, check with the newspaper,…

Not all topics are worthy of a press release, but there are quite a few that you should share with your local media.  Beyond the grand opening announcement, be sure to develop press releases for expansions or relocations.  If your franchise is receiving a “face lift,” this is definitely newsworthy.  If you have been recognized in the industry or by your franchisor, then spread the word.  Do you have new personnel or management to announce?  Include this in your press release.  And, always…

There’s always more to do than time to do it these days. That’s why I love discovering new tools and apps that help me get it all done.

I also love to share what I find and so I teamed up with Hubspot to write The Productivity Handbook: 7 Apps That Will Change The Way You Do…

What if the local news station contacts you and wants to do an interview tomorrow morning at your location?  Would you be prepared?  If not, you may want to take note of some simple steps you can take to be as prepared as possible for your next interview.

Step 1:  Follow These Pre-Interview Tips

Prior to the interview, determine the key messages you want to convey during the interview.  For a broadcast interview, you’ll want to keep it simple with three…

Get out from behind that desk!  Meeting and teaming up with other small business owners in your area might turn out to be the best thing you ever do for your business.  

Why network with other small business owners?

• Local intelligence:  get on-the-ground information about good and bad vendors, local marketing opportunities that produce surprising results, and insights into what’s affecting business growth positively and negatively in your…

Q.  In the FAQ called “How Can I Improve Sales”, you talked about Way to Wealth Formulas.  I now understand that I can’t just “have more customers” – I have to increase my Marketing Leads or my Close Rate – but how do I improve my close rate?

A.  Recall the Customer Formula, which says this:

Marketing Leads  X  Effectiveness Rate  =  Customers

Assume that you have 100 Marketing Leads.  If your Effectiveness Rate (or Close Rate)…

There are several tools you can use to monitor social media sites and what people are saying about your brand. One great tool is Social Mention. Social Mention, is a social media search engine that searches user-generated content such as Twitter, Facebook and Blogs.

You can sign-up for free and set up keywords or phrases that you would like to have monitored. Anytime those keywords are mentioned you will receive an email…

Q.  So, how?

A.  It’s been said that low sales is the number one threat to a business.  Not lease expenses, not staff turnover, not the economy, not inventory carrying costs, not collections – but sluggish sales.  But, is this really the right question to ask?

Q.  You just answered me with a question.

A.  Yep.  For good reason.  Even though your biggest threat as a franchise owner is low sales, you can’t just “improve” or “fix” the problem. …

It’s no surprise that now in days whenever a customer has a negative experience with a brand or product, they share their disappointment on social media sites such as Twitter. As a franchisee and franchisor it’s still important to acknowledge your customers and respond. The important key here is to take the conversation offline. This can be done in a simple way, such as tweeting back “Please email us at (insert email address) so we can resolve your concern immediately” or “Please contact our…

Today’s consumer is more discerning and more connected than ever before. Whatever you may feel about the current state of social media - whether you consider it an overwhelming wave of too much information or an integral part of your marketing mix - there is no denying that social media is redefining the lines of communication between brands and their clients and allowing them to forge relationships like never before.

As a franchise business owner, it’s important to know that the…

A: It’s really important to remember that most reporters get hundreds of e-mails a day and won’t have the time to respond to every single one. Therefore, we suggest following up with a polite, brief phone call one or two days after you send your press release. Just keep in mind that the reporter you are reaching out to may be on deadline and quick to get off the phone. Jot down a few notes so you can quickly explain why you are calling once you’re able to connect live. 

Q: I’ve received several negative posts on my Facebook page and I’m not sure whether I should delete them or not. Any recommendations?

A: Before deleting any negative posts, we suggest adding a set of “House Rules” on your Facebook page. Many of today’s most-recognized brands have implemented “House Rules” or something similar on their pages. By doing so, you have the opportunity to explain to users that photos, comments, links and other material deemed “unproductive” will be…

Did you know that 97% of consumers search for businesses online? Looking up phone numbers and addresses in a big, bulky phone book is a thing of the past. That’s why it’s so important to take control of your business online and make it easy for people to find you. One of the first things business owners, including franchisees, should do is register (for free) with Google Places.



What is Google Places? It’s a free local platform to help businesses connect with customers and vice…

If your store’s Grand Opening is around the corner or if you have a 10 Year-Anniversary coming up, you may be thinking about hosting a special event to mark the occasion. It is important to recognize that organizing a successful event takes a great deal of time and planning. Sure, you can whip an event together in one week; however, chances are you’ll be stressed out, over budget and may never want to host one ever again. To prevent this from happening, we have compiled below a list of Do’s…

Great marketing ideas are born from listening to the market.  Simple tools like Google Alerts or Social Mention can keep you up to date on what people are saying about your brand, your location, and your products.  

Internet listening posts like Google Alerts and Social Mention work in the same way. You enter search terms, and get the latest web and news items related to your topic(s) sent right to your inbox.  Get started by entering your brand…

By now, you are probably aware that Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service.  In fact, you may have created your own Twitter handle but are lost as to how you can use Twitter to increase business locally and differentiate yourself from the competition.  Since Twitter was created five years ago, it has gained worldwide popularity with nearly 200 million users generating 200 million tweets daily making it a must use tool in today’s business world.  Below are some hot…

About one in six Americans move each year. If you are mailing to customers and inquirers whose addresses you’ve had for years, you are likely throwing away a large part of your marketing budget.

Before any mailing, you should have your printer or mail shop “scrub” your list. They can run it against the NCOA (National Change of Address) database to identify people who have moved and give you the option to mail to the new addresses. In addition, they can CASS Certify your list…

Know your media

Before reaching out to someone in your local media, research and define who you are contacting.Make sure you are contacting the right person for the right type of news. Know who does what in your local media (you may need to call the media outlet to find out), and don’t waste their time (or yours) sending story ideas and press releases to the wrong people.

Remember that reporters are focused on meeting the needs of their…