2023 CFE Special Sessions

3 CFE Education Credits

The world of technology is vast, fast, and ever-changing. From consumer convenience to cost-efficiency, technology plays a key role in brand awareness, added value, operational efficiencies, consistency, and buyer intelligence, just to name a few. Hovering over the expansive value of technology is the murky world of hacking and cyber-security threats. How do franchisees and franchisors build effective technological solutions while keeping their operations and information safe in today’s world?

A two-Part session, attend to gather best practices and proven solutions for:

       First Half: Technology to build your brand

• Evolution in tech within franchising
• Franchise Management Platforms
• Communication/Collaboration
• Point of Sale systems
• Marketing Platforms - sales automation
• Examples from growing organizations and what they do

     Second Half: Protect your brand

• Evolution of Cyber Security 
• Case studies of cyber-attacks impact
• Prevention Strategy for Franchise and Franchisee (Software & Hardware)
• Response Strategy for Franchise and Franchisee

Speakers: TBD

Price for this class is $399 (member) and $599 (non-member).

8 CFE Core Credits

IFA Fran-Guard™ is IFA’s Franchise Sales Management and Compliance program. Through this program, the business case for compliance will be demonstrated, along with how a culture of compliance will help you and your staff build a vibrant company, while also helping you protect your system and avoid costly mistakes.

This session is specially designed to help senior executives learn how to take initiative-taking steps to:

• Reduce risks
• Manage growth
• Build a stronger, healthier franchise system

Speakers: TBD

Price for this class is $699 (member) and $899 (non-member).

7 CFE Education Credits

Sweeping changes in the world are forcing us to confront the urgent need for a new way to lead. The changing nature of the world of work, and the choices people have, has forced leaders to rethink and dramatically adjust their styles, methods, and skills.  The traditional “Command & Control” leadership style that prevails in 92% of organizations doesn’t inspire the level of commitment, motivation, collaboration, and performance needed today.

For years we have talked about changing how we lead. Now it’s time to act.

To succeed, organizations need to rethink their approach to leadership. Leaders must see their potential to engage others, expand their impact, create collective action and engagement, and drive breakthrough results.  Trust & Inspire is the leadership solution for the future of work. Trust & Inspire leaders get phenomenal results in ways that grow people. They focus on releasing—rather than containing—the potential in each of us. Trust & Inspire leaders help their organizations win in the workplace and win in the marketplace. This is exactly the kind of shift needed in leadership today.

During this full-day work-session, we will highlight:

1. A leader’s mindset: moving from command and control to trust and inspire
2. The mindsets, skillsets, and toolsets required to engage team members
3. Develop the leadership potential in others and improve performance through consistent feedback and coaching.

Speakers: TBD

Price for this class is $699 (member) and $899 (non-member).

7 CFE Education Credits

Master the art of financial conversations that reveal opportunities to grow strategically and profitably . Not a numbers person? No problem. You’ll stay engaged in a day of peer-to-peer facilitated activities using financial statements and KPIs to develop actionable insights that get real traction with franchisees and managers.

You’ll receive a 100+ page resource book filled with coaching activities, case studies, tips and tools to support the seven sections of this full-day workshop:

• Measure, Understand, Get it Done! – Support a culture for continuous improvement.
• Level Up Your Coaching – Practice effective coaching with scenarios you encounter every day.
• Measure What Matters – Chose the right KPIs. If the numbers are boring, you’ve got the wrong numbers.
• Profit is Not Optional – Use Breakeven PLUS to reverse-engineer your sales goals starting with your target profit. Then build the sales plan and advertising budget to support the goals.
• Financial Statements, Where the Story of Your Business is Told - Work the case study to gain insights from KPIs, financial trends and benchmarks
• 5 Steps to a Better Business – Use the Profit Soup Financial Assessment Worksheet to build a business improvement plan, then coach for traction to the plan.

Gain the skills, insights and discipline to deliver financial coaching that sticks. Learn more

Speakers: TBD

Price for this class is $699 (member) and $899 (non-member).

7 CFE Education Credits

This highly engaging session will provide an overview of key issues faced by franchise executives in managing franchise operations. Using real-life scenarios and hypothetical formats, this course will present a series of problems that are faced by franchise executives every day.

Participants will receive information, solutions, and resources relating to:

• The serious problems franchisors typically face
• How others are solving these problems

Speakers: TBD

Price for this class is $699 (member) and $899 (non-member).

7 CFE Education Credits

It is simply impossible to achieve sustainable success in franchising without healthy franchise relations. FranTogether is a highly acclaimed CFE workshop for franchise leaders that teaches proven franchise relationship skills and strategies based on cutting-edge psychology, decades of real-world experience, and research from hundreds of franchise networks.  

You will experience an engaging and impactful day of interactive learning, with lots of opportunities to discuss and share your insights on issues of importance to you. You will also learn powerful evidence-based tools and processes for: 

• Navigating change and getting buy-in to new initiatives 
• Building trust and commitment in your leadership 
• Creating a high-performance healthy franchising culture  
• Understanding why conflict occurs and how to quickly resolve it 
• Improving communication at the personal and organizational levels 

FranTogether is led by three passionate and highly respected franchise practitioners - an attorney, a business psychologist, and an engagement consultant – all with extensive experience in the real world of managing the inherent human, legal and commercial challenges of franchising. 

Whether you are a seasoned CEO, or someone relatively new to franchising, you’ll find this program useful, enjoyable, and inspiring. 

Speakers: Greg Nathan, CFE, Psychologist & Founder, Franchise Relationships Institute; Brian Schnell, CFE, Partner & Chair of Franchise Practice, Faegre Drinker; Evan Hackel, CFE, Founder & CEO, Ingage Consulting 

Price for this class is $699 (member) and $899 (non-member). 

4 CFE Education Credits

According to FRANdata, a franchise industry researcher, multi-unit operators have significant advantages in the initial stages of recovery following an economic crisis. They have the knowledge and access to capital and resources to move quickly. According to the 2021 Buyer’s Guide from Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine, ‘nearly 45,000 multi-unit operators (MUOs) in the U.S. today control more than half (54.8%) of all franchised units in the country, amounting to approximately 228,000 total units’.

Whether you are a franchisor or franchisee, this session will provide tangible information necessary to:

• Develop criteria for multi-Unit ownership

Speakers: TBD

Price for this class is $399 (member) and $599 (non-member).

3 CFE Education Credits

The second, third and fourth unit can be EASIER to manage. How can that be? What plans, skills, systems and support provide the foundation for multi-unit success? Join us for ½ day before the Leadership  Conference as we answer these questions from both the franchisor and franchisee perspective.

Assess your own organization’s readiness and find actionable ideas to accelerate profitable growth through multi-unit expansion with these topics.

• Start with the End in Mind – How many units does it take to build a million-dollar enterprise value in your system? Set goals and learn how experts determine what a business is worth including financial and non-financial influencers on value
• Race to Profit - Use Breakeven PLUS to build a plan that has new and growing franchisees turning a profit before the cash runs out.
• Profit Soup’s Three Cs of Multi-Unit Success – Every franchisee AND Franchisor needs all three!
• Your Traction Plan: Commit to Act – Apply the course principals and select KPI’s to create your own traction plan aimed at growing your organization through multi-unit expansion.

Earn the skills, aptitudes and mind sets to support successful multi-unit franchisees and hear how the best in the business create an investor’s mind-set, preparing their franchise system and support teams to facilitate successful multi-unit ownership. Learn more

Speakers: TBD

Price for this class is $399 (member) and $599 (non-member).

8 CFE Core Credits

IFA Fran-Guard™ is IFA’s Franchise Sales Management and Compliance program. Through this program, the business case for compliance will be demonstrated, along with how a culture of compliance will help you and your staff build a vibrant company, while also helping you protect your system and avoid costly mistakes.

This session is specially designed to help senior executives learn how to take initiative-taking steps to:

• Reduce risks
• Manage growth
• Build a stronger, healthier franchise system

Speakers: TBD

Price for this class is $699 (member) and $899 (non-member).

7 CFE Education Credits

Providing effective field support is one of the most important, and expensive, services provided by a franchisor. It is also the key to building a network of engaged and profitable franchisees. However, the field consultant role is complex and demanding, requiring the ability to build trusted adviser status, drive performance and ensure compliance to brand standards. The ongoing training and development of field consultants is essential. This highly practical workshop will equip field consultants with proven techniques, tools, and processes to: 

• Build and maintain high levels of trust and credibility 
• Stay focused on the things that add value to franchisees 
• Maintain high energy, keep organized and manage stress 
• Get commitment and buy-in to new initiatives 
• Improve the effectiveness of face-to-face and virtual meetings 
• Coach franchisees to achieve higher levels of performance 
• Deal with conflict and difficult interpersonal situations 

The program will be dynamic with lots of opportunities to interact and learn from other participants supported by two panels of seasoned field consultants who will also share their insights and tips for success. Whether you are a seasoned operations manager, field consultant, or relatively new to franchising, you’ll find this workshop extremely useful and enjoyable. 

Speakers: TBD

Price for this class is $699 (member) and $899 (non-member).

7 CFE Education Credits

Leaders at every level make a significant impact on every metric in your business: employee productivity and engagement, customer satisfaction and loyalty, innovation, and financial performance. Leaders are the “Difference-Makers” in your business.

From new and emerging leaders to those in the executive suites, the role of a leader has always been tough – and today’s realities make it even tougher. People skills typically account for 80 percent of success in this role. Yet many people are promoted into leadership because of their technical capabilities, without mastering the skills of managing and motivating others. Without these basic skills, leaders at every level can struggle with leading teams in today’s workplace.

The 6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team™ is a special collection of relevant, practical resources that provide leaders with the mindsets, skillsets and toolsets needed to excel in their critical roles of leading others effectively.

Speakers: TBD

Price for this class is $699 (member) and $899 (non-member).

4 CFE Education Credits

Franchise Advisory Councils provide an effective way to establish two-way communication between franchisees and the franchisor. Especially in today’s world of constant change, achieving open dialogue is paramount to success for the franchise system as a whole.

This session focuses on the fundamentals of creating an effective Franchise Advisory Council:

• Initial structure, bylaws, terms, and onboarding
• The role of the Franchisor
• Sub-Committees
• Communication and Change Management

Speakers: TBD

Price for this class is $399 (member) and $599 (non-member).