1851 delivers on commitment to provide franchising’s news hub

When we looked out over the landscape of publications that sought to serve the franchising industry, we had to wonder one thing: Whose interests were they truly serving? Some industry publications seemed to be nothing more than a front for trade shows. Pay the sponsorship freight, get the front page. Some industry publications seemed only interested in writing about brands that advertised on their pages – a pay-for-play scenario. Want a full-page spread about your concept? No problem, here is the rate card. Pick your position, pal. And other publications appeared to be a smattering of content – most of it gleaned from external sources – that propped up a franchise-development portal. Want to know which brand is best for your investment? Trust us, we know. What about authentic news? What about the mechanics of what the International Franchise Association reports as an $840 billion-dollar industry? What about a methodology that is so relevant to American business that one of every eight people in the workforce – or nearly 8.5 million people – in some way participate in it and all but a small percentage utilize for goods and services each day? Franchising is too important to be pushed to the background. So when we went about the process of imagining what a full-service digital publishing hub could provide to the franchising industry, we determined that it must be relevant – to a very specific audience. And that audience is composed of the potential franchisee, the franchisee, multi-unit franchisees and investors with an eye on the franchising methodology. That is the audience that 1851franchise.com will serve each day. That is a group of people in excess of 50 million people that are looking for news, content and relevant information about the businesses that are most important to them. Franchisors and the executives that power the industry are important to our equation. They are the people that the primary audience must know at a deeper level. They are, after all, the people whose talents, abilities and approaches must align with the franchisees and potential franchisees. Nobody writes a check to a brand. People write checks to people. Franchising is where entrepreneurs and the most ardent dreamers of the American dream intersect to create opportunity. It is where anyone can be the boss and live the life that they had always hoped to experience. It is a collection of brands that have refined a concept to an extent that allows virtually anyone with any level of experience to succeed. And it is a place where the rules and the expectations for outcomes are clearly articulated for any investor to review before making a leap of faith. And when we set out to recreate 1851franchise.com, we wanted all of that to become front and center to our mission to deliver relevant news, content and information. Welcome to the re-imagined 1851franchise.com. You’ll see a number of new features that make the publication indispensible to people with an interest in franchising, work in the franchise industry or simply have a passion for small business. Each Monday through Friday, our readers will receive more relevant news and information – and then even more of it. The 1851 team will create a fresh conversation each day around original content that you can’t find anywhere else, opinions from our experts and the headlines from around the franchise industry – all in one place. Our site will be updated frequently, and the news of the moment that affects the industry will stream through our pages at a pace that no other site will match. No other publication will have as much daily content on its site geared toward this audience; none will provide it with the speed, accuracy and insight delivered by 1851franchise.com. Each month, we will thematically create an editorial schedule that focuses on an area of importance in the industry. For July, in honor of our nation’s 238^th birthday, we celebrate the contributions of our veterans and those that have served our country. Look throughout the month for relevant stories on the people that served and now serve others through franchise brands. This is going to be fun, and we’re going to create this site together. The most relevant news sites are not stoic monoliths, but social beings. We welcome your participation through comments, submissions and communication to our staff. Sound good? We can’t wait to show you what’s next. We’re glad that you’re along for the ride.

 – Chris Krug, Editor in Chief