The 8 | October 5, 2018

1. Frantastic: Sonic is making a Frantastic donation to schools across the country. Through its Limeades for Learning program, the brand is letting customers vote for teachers who they believe are worthy of a donation. Teachers will then have to request specific learning materials that those donations can be put towards if they’re selected. In total, Sonic will donate $1 million to the winning teachers and schools.

2. Franlebrity: This week’s Franlebrity isn’t only famous in business — he’s a legendary two-sport athlete. After previewing our exclusive interview with Bo Jackson last week, the first three parts of our 10-part series are officially live on 1851. No Limit Agency* CEO Nick Powills sat down with Jackson to discuss everything from his childhood and motivation to his philosophy on achieving success and more. The interview will continue to unfold on 1851 over the course of the month.

3. Frash Money: Franchisors looking to make Frash Money by bringing in new franchisees need to make sure that their development websites are strong. To learn more about the best practices behind those critically important sites, 1851 spoke with Jamshaid Hashmi, CEO of ClickTecs. Hashmi says that it’s imperative for brands to have a clear call to action, address what the user is seeking and more in order to inspire candidates to inquire. Head to 1851 to check out the full article.

4. Frant of the Week: Is the next recession on the way? Signs are pointing to yes. But that doesn’t mean franchisors should start scaling back — in fact, in his latest Frant, Powills argues the opposite. What triggers franchising growth is often against the traditional norm, which is why brands miss their opportunity to thrive. Powills recommends that franchisors remember that shaky job security equals more buyers, putting them in a position to succeed, even when the economy isn’t at its best.

5. Franch Forward: Corporate boards in California won’t be Franching Forward without women. The state has become the first to require publicly traded companies to have women on their boards of directors. This move was signed into effect by California’s governor over the weekend, and it’s set to last through the end of 2019.

6. Fran Funny: Burger King is bringing the Fran Funnies with its latest TV spot. The campaign starts by saying that the ad’s copywriting was done by artificial intelligence, and proceeds to make statements like “bed of lettuce for you to sleep on.” Ultimately, the ad is designed to poke fun at the idea of AI taking over everything.

7. Franspiration: “If you think you can buy a franchise and things are just going to happen, you're going to struggle. The support that is there is great, but things don’t just fall into place. You have to treat it as your own and grind as a business owner.” - FirstLight* Home Care franchisee Jeremy Fellows.

8. Franemies vs. Frands: Both full and part-time employees have found a Frand in Amazon. The brand is raising its minimum wage to $15, according to a new report, and the move is likely to go into effect on November 1. This increase will affect more than 250,000 employees plus an additional 100,000-plus seasonal staff members. Right now, the federal minimum wage is $7.25