Growing a Franchise
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Franchise Development Players: Jennifer Benjamin
Lennys Grill & Subs' vice president of franchise and market development tells 1851 what makes her passionate about the industry.
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.
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About the Author
Nick Powills
FollowNick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.
