It’s been more than two months since the World Health Organization officially declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic and states across the country began ordering businesses to close in compliance with social-distancing guidelines. In that time, the franchise industry has seen an array of impactful pivots and innovations to keep businesses afloat and, in many cases, even contribute directly to the fight against COVID-19. Crucially for the franchise industry, recent weeks have also seen an unprecedented spike in unemployment, resulting in a vast and diverse new pool of talented entrepreneurs looking for more control over their careers.
With the pool of franchisee candidates arguably at an all time high, Franchise Growth Mastermind will help franchisors craft impactful new development strategies for the post-COVID-19 marketplace during a two-day virtual summit called #TheGreatReturn on May 21 and 22.
The first post-COVID-19 franchise conference is designed to provide participants with concrete, actionable strategies to define and fortify growth plans for a profoundly promising future in franchising.
“We’ve gathered some of the franchise industry’s most prominent and innovative thought leaders to guide franchisors through a range of tactics to increase awareness of the franchise opportunity, drive new inquiries, convert leads and build formidable growth strategies for the new franchise landscape,” said Nick Powills, publisher of 1851franchise.com.
On Thursday, May 21, leadership panels will guide franchises through:
- Planning to Launch Checklist — speakers TBA
- Tips From Restaurant Brands on Building Your Growth Checklist — Bob Fish, co-CEO and co-founder at Biggby Coffee, and Brett Larrabee, director of international development at Little Caesars Pizza
- Understanding Your Assets — Eric Martin, vice president of franchise development at Lawn Doctor*, Inc., Mosquito Hunters, LLC and ecomaids, LLC
- Tips From Non-Restaurant Brands on Understanding Your Assets (Website, Franchisees, Budgets) — Paul Pickett, chief development officer at Wild Birds Unlimited; Joe Mathews, CEO of Franchise Performance Group; and Randall Henderson, VP of residential and commercial at Property Management Inc.
- Building a Deeper Understanding of Your Data — Angela Coté, franchise consultant and host of The Franchise Growth Catalyst Podcast, and Brent Dowling, co-founder and CEO at Raintree
- Tips From Development Officers on Understanding Data and Reporting Wins — Scott Thompson, chief development officer at Big Blue Swim School and Level 5 Capital Partners; John Sica, chief strategy officer, vice president of franchise development & PMO at BatteriesPlus; and Thomas Flaherty, chief development officer at Buffalo Wings & Rings
- Aligning Your Google Analytics — Lisa Welko, president at Integrity Franchise Group
- Winning at Growth Happy Hours (Live Facebook Q&A) — Keith Gerson, president of franchise operations at FranConnect; Brent Dowling, co-founder and CEO at Raintree; and Michelle Rowan, president an COO at Franchise Business Review
On Friday, May 22, leadership panels will guide franchises through:
- Opening Review — speakers TBA
- Budgeting — Lisa Welko, president at Integrity Franchise Group
- Cost Per Lead, Cost Per Deal, Brokers and Sales — Bob McQuillan, VP of franchise development at Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa; Sean Fitzgerald, president at TruBlue Total House Care; and Steve Beagelman, Founder of SMB Franchise Advisors
- Story Alignment: Finding the Right Stories and Telling Them — Mike McFall, co-CEO and co-founder at Biggby Coffee, and Josh York, founder and CEO at GYMGUYZ
- Tips from Franchise Development Marketers on Aligning Stories, Working With a PR Firm and Digital Storytelling — Amy Przywara, chief marketing officer at Sylvan Learning, and Brenda Febbo, chief marketing officer at Lightbridge Franchise Company
- Working With Brokers — Jania Bailey, CEO at FranNet; Sabrina Wall, CEO at Franchise Brokers Association; and Alesia Visconti, CEO at FranServe and Franchise Dictionary Magazine
- Establishing What Winning Looks Like: Walk Through Traction-Type Model on Franchise Development — speakers TBA
Registration for #TheGreatReturn franchise summit is open now. To get a head start on the discussion, participants are encouraged to join 1851’s Franchise Mastermind Facebook community, where many of the thought leaders featured in the summit are already exchanging valuable ideas and best practices.
