Everything Your Franchise Needs in 2021 at the IFA Virtual Annual Convention

By Tam Kennedy, Taco John’s Franchisee and IFA Franchisee Forum Chair

My business looks different today than how it looked a year ago. At the beginning of 2020, I had a thriving business, multiple locations, stable financial growth and plans to expand even further. When COVID-19 hit, I had to readjust my operations, re-train my teams and provide everyone with personal protective equipment (PPE). When things really got rough, I had to apply for government relief and even shut down some locations.

But despite all of this, I’m confident and (cautiously) optimistic for 2021. We didn’t know how to navigate the pandemic at first, but today we’re better informed and equipped to manage the road ahead. Franchisees looking for the tools they need to succeed this year should join me at the IFA 2021 Virtual Annual Convention.

Here are three reasons why I’ll be logging on to this must-attend event:

1. Tools to manage through the pandemic and beyond.
2. Actionable strategies to fuel your growth.
3. Meet your peers and mentors.

Tools to manage through the pandemic and beyond. 

In spite of the pandemic, many franchisees have found ways to thrive. That said, it’s important to understand what’s happening to our industry — good and bad — in order to prepare for the future. At the event, we’ll hear from renowned speakers in the public and private sectors about their insights and predictions into what the future holds. 

At the outset of a new Administration and new Congress, the IFA is bringing us information straight from a bipartisan group of senators, governors, and the new White House to help our businesses take advantage of COVID relief opportunities and know what’s coming next. We’ll hear straight from the source about potential relief bills, a vaccine timeline and other major developments that could affect how we operate.

This is especially helpful for anyone who’s had to lay off employees and apply for government assistance through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).  

Actionable strategies to fuel your growth. 

Sessions will take place over the course of three weeks in February and cover topics including marketing, sales, finance, operations, innovation and more.

We’ll get a better understanding of how to collect and leverage our customer data to increase sales and provide a better experience. We’ll discuss the right marketing mix, how to measure it and how to optimize our marketing campaigns for the highest ROI.

If you’re working with a limited budget, there are sessions to help you make the most of it in your marketing. As more and more consumers engage with brands online, we’ll talk about the importance of research, design and consistency when it comes to delivering a positive digital customer experience at the local level.

We’ll address COVID-19 head on and get an understanding of how to reposition our brands to changing consumer behavior, during and post-pandemic.

Whatever you need right now to drive your business forward, the IFA 2021 Virtual Annual Convention has it.

Meet your peers and mentors.

The need to remain connected to peers, share learnings and reaffirm our strategies remains. Though we won’t be meeting in person in 2021, the IFA is bringing franchising to us virtually through IFA 2021.

There will be plenty of opportunities to meet, collaborate and learn from each other through virtual breakout sessions, roundtables and happy hours. There are also special problem-solving sessions led by mentors in the industry.

IFA 2021 is committed to being better and more accessible than ever before and at $99 for franchisees, there’s no reason not to attend. All the sessions will be available on demand (and accessible for three months), meaning there’s plenty of content to binge to ensure you’ve got all the tools you need to succeed.

I can’t wait to see what milestones 2021 has in store, and am sure that IFA 2021 will help me get there.

To learn more about the IFA 2021 Virtual Annual Convention (February 10-25) and to register, visit franchise.org/convention.

See you at the Convention!

Tam Kennedy is a franchise owner of Taco John’s International and Chair of the IFA Franchisee Forum. For more information and franchise opportunities for International Franchise Association (IFA) franchisor member Taco John’s, click here.