Franchise Development Players: Jennifer Benjamin

1851 Franchise: How did you fall into franchising?

Jennifer Benjamin, Vice President of Franchise and Market Development for Lennys Grill & Subs: Years ago, a friend and former colleague recruited me to come work for him. I started in a lead generation role for our development team and quickly moved in to a sales role. I’ve been in a franchise development role ever since and enjoy it more and more every day.

1851: What makes you love the franchising industry?

Benjamin: I love franchising because it gives people the ability to be in business for themselves, but not by themselves. Franchising helps eliminate large risks for small business owners; it provides proven systems, processes and overall support to help franchisees be successful.

1851: What makes a great franchisee?

Benjamin: A good franchisee has a keen sense of accountability and leadership. They hold themselves accountable for their overall success and lead their people to uphold the same clear vision through trust, optimism and passion. They must be financially stable and customer service oriented.

1851: What’s the No. 1 thing that sells franchises?

Benjamin: Trust is the number one thing that sells franchises. Buyers are making large investments into brands they trust. They need to believe that the systems, processes, support and people leading the company put them in the most optimal position to be successful.