Franchise Operations Conference

Conference Emcee: Michelle Rowan, CFE, President & CEO, Franchise Business Review

Your worst nightmare: Being filmed while a field visit goes wrong! We did just that and want to share the results with you followed by a lively discussion of what went wrong and why. We will focus on tips, methods, and best practices for optimal operations for the rest of the conference.

Speakers: Michelle Rowan, CFE, President & CEO, Franchise Business Review; Jackie Adams, CFE, Director, Operations, Floor Coverings International; Tim Williams, Director, Operations & Franchise Development, Williams Fried Chicken, Inc.

Stress-free networking – Need help taking the first step in forging new business relationships? New this year, IFA will be creating small groups of 10 to dine at a nearby restaurant. Get a taste of Chicago while creating bonds with your fellow attendees.

(Included in the registration fee. Restaurant sign-up will be sent closer to the meeting date. Special dietary restrictions will be considered.)

Grab some breakfast and network with fellow attendees with the same role or brand system size as you. Tables will be labeled accordingly.

Operations folks are in the middle of the corporate team and the franchisees, and responsible for, or can impact, the state of the relationship. This session will discuss:

• How to drive satisfaction & engagement.
• An understanding of how the person in the middle navigates the goals of both audiences & gets results on aligning & moving everyone forward.
• A franchisee's perspective on what makes a world-class FBC.
• What really matters during a shop visit?
• How can an FBC prepare for a business consultation to best impact the Franchisee while also fulfilling FBC field obligations?

Moderator: Amy Perkins, CFE, Senior Business Consultant, Ben & Jerry’s
Speakers: Antonio McBroom, Franchise Owner, Ben & Jerry’s; Bill DiPaola, CFE, Chief Operating Officer, Ballard Brands, LLC

Employee recruitment & retention will make or break every business in the next 5 years.

• Strategies & best practices to help franchisees & managers find and keep top talent without upsetting their lawyers
• Tips for supporting franchisees facing hiring challenges, supporting teams that are under-staffed, spread thin... and the retention/turnover related to that
• How can we teach franchisees the importance of culture on hiring and staff retention?

Moderator: Justin Waltz, VP, Franchise Operations, Big Blue Swim School
Speakers: Kristin Kidd, Director, Operations, The Lash Lounge and Franchisee, School of Rock; Hannah Campion, Franchise Business Coach, Biggby Coffee

How has field support evolved over the last year and what does the future of field visits look like.

• Mobile
  • You went a year with no travel and field visits and had strong results. How to support your franchisees WITHOUT field visits going forward
  • If you went a year with no travel and your company struggled, what about the in-person field visits were key?
  • Your business model has no Brick and Mortar issues - how to best support franchisees and their staff when their best work is done in the customer's home
• In-Person
  • How it’s split between compliance and coach once you’re back in the field
  • How to technology streamlines operations BUT drives the importance of the FBC role. Franchisors believe that with technology they can save money by reducing staff, but in fact investment in technology should be a doubling down on additional staff support
  • Field Ops vs Store Operations: Differences, Similarities, and where the lines blur

Moderator: Pat Durkee, COO, Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services
Speakers:  John Francis, Board of Directors, Sports Clips, Inc.; Jillian Lorenz, Co-Founder, The Barre Code

Using data and financials to create prescriptive field support.

• Franchisors gather data from franchisees and should know how they relate to franchisee performance. Use that data to create a diagnosis for the franchisee and make the field visits prescriptive, addressing the diagnosis.
• Understand what makes franchisees succeed and what makes them fail.
  • How can field ops coach franchisees on these key indicators?
  • How do you determine what your indicators are?
  • What relevant data should be collected?
  • How do you conduct comparisons to the appropriate peer group in your network?
• How data impacts the visit and the Zee/Field Ops relationship

Moderator: Mary Ann O’Connell, CFE, President, FranWise
Speakers: Jotham Hatch, Training Director, Chem-Dry Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning; Larisa Walega, CFE, VP, Marketing, Ziebart International Corporation

(Repeated session from 10:00am)

How has field support evolved over the last year and what does the future of field visits look like.

• Mobile
  • You went a year with no travel and field visits and had strong results. How to support your franchisees WITHOUT field visits going forward
  • If you went a year with no travel and your company struggled, what about the in-person field visits were key?
  • Your business model has no Brick and Mortar issues - how to best support franchisees and their staff when their best work is done in the customer's home
• In-Person
  • How it’s split between compliance and coach once you’re back in the field
  • How to technology streamlines operations BUT drives the importance of the FBC role. Franchisors believe that with technology they can save money by reducing staff, but in fact investment in technology should be a doubling down on additional staff support
  • Field Ops vs Store Operations: Differences, Similarities, and where the lines blur

Moderator: Pat Durkee, COO, Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services
Speakers:  John Francis, Board of Directors, Sports Clips, Inc.; Jillian Lorenz, Co-Founder, The Barre Code

This group activity adds value to every attendee by connecting them with seasoned franchising and operations experts (“mentors”) in a problem-solving setting. Come prepared with a specific problem in your field you would like to find an innovative solution for. After a brief introduction, the mentor asks participants what their specific problem is and other attendees at the table can offer relevant feedback and ideas based on experience.

(Repeated session from 10:00am)

Employee recruitment & retention will make or break every business in the next 5 years.

• Strategies & best practices to help franchisees & managers find and keep top talent without upsetting their lawyers
• Tips for supporting franchisees facing hiring challenges, supporting teams that are under-staffed, spread thin... and the retention/turnover related to that
• How can we teach franchisees the importance of culture on hiring and staff retention?

Moderator: Justin Waltz, VP, Franchise Operations, Big Blue Swim School
Speakers: Kristin Kidd, Director, Operations, The Lash Lounge and Franchisee, School of Rock; Hannah Campion, Franchise Business Coach, Biggby Coffee

(Repeated session from 11:30am)

Using data and financials to create prescriptive field support.

• Franchisors gather data from franchisees and should know how they relate to franchisee performance. Use that data to create a diagnosis for the franchisee and make the field visits prescriptive, addressing the diagnosis.
• Understand what makes franchisees succeed and what makes them fail.
  • How can field ops coach franchisees on these key indicators?
  • How do you determine what your indicators are?
  • What relevant data should be collected?
  • How do you conduct comparisons to the appropriate peer group in your network?
• How data impacts the visit and the Zee/Field Ops relationship

Moderator: Mary Ann O’Connell, CFE, President, FranWise
Speakers: Jotham Hatch, Training Director, Chem-Dry Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning; Larisa Walega, CFE, VP, Marketing, Ziebart International Corporation

There is no perfect or standard field visit, but there are ways to ensure success. Now that we have shared ideas, the theories behind them and, their improved outcomes, let’s see how to put them in action. Find out directly from a franchisee, what they expect from their field representatives and how they view a successful coaching session. Then learn from a franchisor and industry expert how you can support a franchisee through the creation of a business plan utilizing technology and your identified KPIs.

Moderator: Dean Hatzitheodosiou, CFE, Sr. Account Executive, FranConnect
Speakers: Mike Gagliano, Owner, Floor Coverings International Oakbrook, IL; Gerry Henley, CFE, President & Founder, Launch to Growth; Joelle Delva, CFE, VP, Operations, Dream Vacations