10 Reasons New Franchisors Should Join the IFA

Starting your own franchise is a huge accomplishment. You have taken an idea, built it from the ground up, and found others who believe in your brand and want to share it with their community. As a new franchisor, you have taken a step away from the day to day to begin paving the way for the future of your business. You now have new challenges to tackle, new processes to learn and new problems to solve. But where do you turn for advice? Who can you connect with that understands what you’re going through? That is where the International Franchise Association (IFA) comes in. The IFA connects franchisors, suppliers and franchisees to a community of like-minded individuals looking to network, become more educated on franchising and support the franchise industry as a whole. 1851 Franchise spoke with Scott Lehr, Senior Vice President, U.S. & International Development & Conferences of the IFA about why new franchisors should join and he shared his top 10 reasons. Check them out below!

1. Networking and Education: As a new franchisor, you’ll have many opportunities to learn from the best and brightest in franchising. Whether it’s attending IFA’s Annual Convention with 3,600 franchise professionals or having a conversation with a CEO of a 100 unit-franchise system, IFA ensures its members have exposure to people who have made mistakes and are willing to share their learnings. At IFA’s yearly convention, you will have the opportunity to attend an Emerging Franchisor Bootcamp where new franchisors can pick the brains of c-level franchise executives. New members also receive a complimentary registration to the convention for the first two years as part of their membership.

2. FranShip: New franchisors can also benefit from IFA’s FranShip mentoring program where you are partnered with leader in franchising. Lehr shared, “We generally match people by interest or topic. We have found that matching franchisees in different categories works because there is always crossover and something new to learn from someone with a different perspective.” However, members are encouraged to contact their partner with any topic including: franchise development, operations, legal, international, franchise relations. Everyone is there to help you grow your franchise knowledge!

3. Connections to Valuable Suppliers: One of the benefits of IFA and attending IFA events like the IFA Convention is the connection to valuable partners. Supplier members have a variety of expertise including: marketing and PR, finance, insurance, technology and legal. These experts can be a great asset to assist in growing your brand.

4. Legislative Support: As a new franchisor, you are focused on growing your business but are you aware of the legislative threats and activities going on around you that can affect your ability to franchise your business? The IFA is constantly monitoring legislative activity and constantly informs members about the impact new legislation can have on their business.

5. Publications and Information: As a member of IFA you and your team receive valuable publications and e-newsletters such as Franchising World, IFA’s monthly magazine, IFA Insider and IFA SmartBrief all designed to keep you up to date on what is happening in franchising. 

6. Franchise Development Leads: As a member of IFA you are listed on IFA’s website which attracts over 150,000 visitors per month looking for franchise opportunities. Your company is also listed in IFA’s Franchise Opportunities Guide which is sold in bookstores and newsstand across the country and is distributed at all MFV franchise shows including: International Franchise Expo, Franchise Expo West and Franchise Expo South. As a member of IFA, you also receive discounts to exhibit at the MFV shows where you can meet prospect franchisees face to face.

7. Professional Development: As a new Franchisor you need to get up to speed quickly with your franchise education. The IFA’s Educational Foundation is here to help. According to Lehr, “The professional development program was created by our educational foundation and is taught by your peers, franchisors and CEOs.” He continued, “It’s the great way for a new company to get up to speed on franchising. A lot of companies use this as the number one training for franchise executives to get them to the next level of expertise on franchising.”

The Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) designation can be earned by taking franchise classes. The mission of the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives™ (ICFE) is to enhance the professionalism of franchising by certifying the highest standards of quality training and education. ICFE offers a wide range of continuing education programs for professional development. Meeting the requirements of the program and completing the course of study leads to the CFE designation. More details can be found at on IFA’s Certified Franchise Executive page.

8. Research: IFA membership provides you access to research to help get you up to speed on franchising. Visit the Franchise Education & Research Foundation website for more information.

9. Other Events and Webinars: IFA hosts many events throughout the year to provide additional connections for franchisees. Events like the Emerging Franchisor Conference, Franchise Development Seminars, FranTech – Franchise Innovation Conference, IFA legal Symposium can be found on the event page of the IFA website. The IFA also hosts monthly webinars covering a range of franchising topics. Visit the Wednesday Webinar page of the IFA website for more information.

10. Being Part of the Community: As a new franchisor, there is no better way to learn than immersing yourself into the franchising community. The best way to further your expertise is to connect with the largest franchising association, the IFA!

Learn more about IFA membership benefits on the IFA membership page of their website. You can also view the IFA membership kit which includes more detailed information on how become a member. Becoming a new franchisor is a stressful process, but the IFA is here to support you in your transition into becoming a franchise expert!