The 8 | May 26, 2017

1. Frantastic: Instagram is stepping up its Stories game. What was once viewed as a Snapchat clone is now taking over the social media scene. Instagram is rolling out two new kinds of Stories that are location and hashtag-based to ensure that its users will never run out of things to watch on the app. Check out this week’s edition of “The 8” to see what we think this new feature will look like for Instagram addicts going forward.

2. Franlebrity: The latest Franlebrity to be featured on 1851’s cover is Jean Baudrand, chief development officer for FSC Franchise Co. After working with major companies like Burger King and Yum! Brands on both the national and international levels, he’s now focused on helping Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and The Brass Tap* expand. And according to Baudrand, it’s the power of the franchising business model and its strong combination of a proven system and passionate franchisees that continues to keep the industry moving forward across the board.

3. Frash Money: Sylvan Learning* is going above and beyond to ensure that its business ownership opportunity is accessible to the next generation of franchisees. To make its system more affordable, the brand introduced in-house financing up to $100,000. This new program will allow owners to dedicate their resources to growing their businesses and marketing initiatives right off the bat, ultimately helping them establish strong community relationships from day one.

4. Frant of the Week: In the final installment of his series highlighting the truth about franchise development, No Limit Agency* CEO Nick Powills explains that lead generation can’t be limited to just one tactic. Instead, it’s a giant funnel. Generating leads takes more than traditional ads and portals—brands need to engage in a variety of different tactics to reach the right candidates.

5. Franch Forward: With a new franchise agreement under its belt, Toppers Pizza* is Franching Forward at a rapid rate. And as the brand continues to target key markets like Minnesota and Virginia for development, it’s positioned for long-term success. Toppers is also expanding its reach by partnering with multi-unit owners, which is a trend that’s expected to continue down the line.

6. Fran Funny: If you had to choose between the gym and McDonald’s, what would you do? Watch “The 8” to see what it looks like when you’re trying to be healthy but your demons are still haunting you.

7. Franspiration: “We need every member of our team to be providing our franchisees with the best support and guidance possible. Otherwise, the advantages that come with being a part of a proven franchise system are lost, and the entire system loses its edge.” – Tom Jenkins, Buffalo Wings & Rings’ director of franchise operations

8. Frands vs. Franemies: We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, Facebook is our Frand. In addition to being a great platform for sharing content and reaching prospective franchisees, the social network is now adding a food delivery option to its main navigation system. As more brands are able to sign on for the new service, there’s no doubt that this will be another way that technology changes the way restaurants interact with their customers through delivery.