FranDev Players: Chad Palmer, Vice President of Franchise Development, United Franchise Group

Chad Palmer, vice president of franchise development at United Franchise Group, has his finger on the pulse of the industry, with more than 1,600 franchise locations in 80 countries around the world under his company’s oversight. 

And according to Palmer, the industry has a massive year ahead of it. Drawing from his experience franchising in every industry, from work-at-home solutions to retail and full-service restaurants, Palmer predicts a strong future for franchising, noting that across the U.S., millions of Americans are reconsidering their careers in light of 2020’s turmoil.

1851 caught up with Palmer to see what his company has in store for 2021.  

1851 Franchise: Tell us about your firm.

Chad Palmer: United Franchise Group has more than 30 years of franchising experience and has grown into a franchising giant with more than 1,600 franchise locations in 80-plus countries around the world. 

Our book of brands includes franchise industry leaders like Signarama, the world’s largest sign franchise; Fully Promoted, the world’s largest embroidery and promotional products franchise; Experimax, the trusted retailer for the sale and service of pre-owned electronic devices; Transworld Business Advisors, the world’s largest business brokerage franchise; Venture X, a retail shared office franchise; and SuperGreen Solutions, a franchise that offers sustainability advisory services. 

Most recently UFG has expanded into restaurants: Jon Smith Subs, an established sub shop; and The Great Greek Grill, our new Greek food restaurant. We also offer a business networking franchise called Network Lead Exchange, we provide outsourcing business solutions through ROI, and we help up-and-coming businesses franchise their brand through our Accurate Franchising brand.

1851: How did you get into franchising?

Palmer: After working for a decade and a half in the multi-location music instrument retail space, I came to UFG to help advance its digital marketing initiatives. After showing the impact digital marketing and data analysis had for our franchisors, I was moved into the role of director of franchise development and have since recently been moved up into the vice president of franchise development role. Along the way I have met many fellow franchising fanatics, and I am a full-blown believer in using the power of franchising to change people’s lives.

1851: Are there any keys to consistent franchise growth?

Palmer: Let’s get right to the core of the matter on this one. The best way to have sustained long-term franchise growth is to offer a franchise with a proven and successful business model. Testimonials from successful owners are one of the strongest validation points of our sales process. Build your brand right, and the sales will follow.

1851: Biggest hurdles to successful franchise growth right now?

Palmer: Any hurdles that franchisors are feeling right now, I believe may be self-imposed. I strongly believe that this next year is going to be huge for us, both as a company and as an industry. More people than ever have had an unprecedented amount of time to do some self-evaluation and are exploring franchising as the best solution to become their own boss and lead their lives into new exciting directions. We are very fortunate that our book of brands covers everything from work at home solutions to full retail, food brands and more, so we usually have a perfect fit for any prospect.

1851: How did the COVID crisis affect franchise growth opportunities?

Palmer: Operationally, we had to pivot and change gears like many other franchisors. Most notable was a switch to alternate communication methods like virtual discovery days and virtual training. These have worked out so well that we foresee a combination of virtual and in-person training as part of our long-term approach to educating and onboarding our new franchisees.

Many of our brands stepped up in this challenging time and have experienced their best sales ever. In particular, Fully Promoted was able to source masks, hand sanitizer and other essential supplies early via our vendor networks. Signarama shifted gears toward Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), which included innovative new products and repurposing equipment to create face shields, guards, custom CDC signage and even intubation boxes to protect surgeons when faced with new challenges. 

While Signarama has always been focused on business-to-business, COVID-19 brought about a shift in our customer too.  As a result, we have seen many owners crushing it with their largest sales numbers in years, even decades in some cases. 

1851: Are there any common mistakes you see franchisors making when trying to grow?

Palmer: Being afraid or slow to enforce compliance. It is important to remember that making sure franchisees follow the plan is what gives franchisees the best possible chance to achieve their highest profits as soon as possible. There is a reason there are blueprints to follow, and that is one reason why former military personnel do so well in franchising. They trust in the plan, follow the plan and accomplish their goals by utilizing the plan.

On the flip side of that is that we franchisors must be open and willing to change and adapt when necessary. Often the best ideas can come from newer franchisees who look at problems in a different way or come up with great ways to add value to the existing structured plan. 

These last six months have seen many micro changes made by all our brands that have ultimately contributed to an outstanding sales year. To quote the Japanese proverb, The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists.

1851: What are your biggest goals and plans for 2021?

Palmer: We are launching a new digital platform called FranchiseMart to help our fellow franchisors find buyers for their resales and acquire high-quality leads for selling their new franchise units. 

We saw a void in the space for potential franchisees to review both new and existing franchise opportunities in one spot instead of jumping all over the internet. In 2021 we are also introducing our FranchiseMart Resale Assistance Program, which gives other franchisors access to our broker network and support systems to help them sell their resales much faster. New owners come in with new passion and often turn challenged locations into winners in as little as a year. We think finding these new owners for resales quickly and efficiently will be a major factor in the success of UFG and other franchisors in 2021.