Young Ones to Watch: Brady Lee of United Franchise Group

1851: What was it that drew you into franchising? 

Brady Lee, Vice President of Franchise Development for United Franchise Group: I grew up in Franchising. My family has been franchising businesses for about 40 years so I have been around it my whole life.

1851: What do you see as the biggest change that is going to impact the franchise industry going forward? 

Lee: The biggest change I see moving forward has been the same changes we’ve been adapting to for years…internet. Now more than ever, information is so easily accessible to potential franchisees so making sure we have the most relevant information about each of our brands is crucial.

1851: What do you do to help your brand stand out from the competition? 

Lee: Our company mission statement is: “We have one customer: Our franchisee. When they’re successful, we’re successful.” We strive to live by that mission statement and that’s what I think makes us stand out.

1851:  What advice would you give to other young up-and-comers? 

Lee: Advice I would give to a young up-and-comer would be to learn from your more experienced peers. Once you get into the franchise industry, most people stay in it forever because it is a great industry! There are so many great franchise companies and so many people with invaluable experience to learn from, they are resources you should definitely take advantage of!

1851: What advice would you give to someone deciding to own a franchise? 

Lee: The first piece of advice I would say is to make sure the franchise you go with is something you can really see yourself enjoying what you do on a daily basis. You have worked your whole life to get to this point so the last thing you want to do is buy yourself a “job”.  Secondly, I would make sure the company you are going with has the correct support services in place to help you be successful. You may come across a franchise with a great business model but if they are not in a position to sufficiently support you, it’s defeating the whole purpose of joining a franchise company.