Think Local, Give Local

How to sow seeds of success in your community.

By Sean and Kim Falk, CFE

Franchising is a specialized and proven business model. Specifically, a company creates a brand and a method for operating a business. Founders will use franchising as a way to distribute that brand across the nation. It’s critically important to understand that there is not one big corporation running all these locations. Instead, that business you love to visit is locally owned and operated by a member of your own community!

Thinking Locally

Franchise business owners want nothing more than to give back to the community that provides so much for them. That franchised location provides needed taxes for community growth, jobs for a robust economy and training for future opportunities. Additionally, when you shop local, you are supporting the businesses that sponsor Little League, provide scholarships, give to local charities, volunteer countless hours and sponsor events in your hometown. This is the genesis for how Franchising Gives Back.

Every year, there are thousands of events all over the nation that make an impact locally. Those events would be too numerous to list in this publication. Everyone involved deserves recognition for his or her effort. The International Franchise Association recognizes many brands and franchise business owners at the annual Franchising Gives Back awards ceremony. The IFA also hosts a volunteer service event every year that brings together franchisors, franchisees and suppliers to make a major impact on an organization in need.

Giving Locally

Sean Falk, CFE is a Client Executive with Hylant and Kimberly Falk, CFE is the Development Director for Primrose Schools. They have participated in the service event for many years. Hylant has been involved every year since its inception. This year’s event was unique because IFA volunteers returned to serve a school that they helped two years prior. The school, located on the outskirts of Las Vegas, has many needs. Most of the students are homeless. All of them are on food assistance programs. Most students would not have access to vegetables and fruits daily or even have three complete meals. The school’s dropout rate was very high and only a handful of students ever considered going to college.

When Sean and Kim arrived at the Franchising Gives Back volunteer service event in 2017, they painted buildings, wrote inspirational messages on murals and created garden beds. The students used the gardens to study science by figuring out planting schedules, watering rates and how to cultivate plants. Students held farmer’s markets for those fruits and vegetables, creating a business model and learning how to be sustainable. Assignments were given to work the crops, prepare for market, sell and get ready for the next planting season. Students also ate those veggies and fruits. Some students did not recognize what they grew; having never seen those fruits or vegetables before.

In 2019, Sean and Kim arrived and saw the success of the programs they helped implement two years prior. This year, they focused on upgrading other parts of the school. It was extremely gratifying to see the growth and how the school’s leadership team treats the students as family. The teachers take every resource available and achieve a return on investment that would be admired by any and all business executives. Attendance is more consistent, advancement is on the rise and students talk about their future and the opportunities it holds.

Succeeding Locally

A culture of hope, belonging and success has grown among the students and staff. This is significant for children to feel at this age and dream about their future. It is the foundation for a community that supports each other and participates in their own successes. Sean, Kim and all the participants of Franchising Gives Back are proud of their contributions to that effort.

Franchising is a small community that is spread out far and wide. We are motivated by success and achievement. Often, our giving back events are scheduled for a full day. The organizers estimate the time it will take us to complete the tasks at hand. Our competitive personalities are motivated by the challenge and we always end up going above and beyond what’s asked of us. Sean also serves on the IFA VetFran committee and is passionate about issues related to transitioning members of our nation’s military. Kim actively participates in Primrose Promise, through which local school owners, with the help of more than 63,000 Primrose children and their families, raised nearly $1 million in 2018 for charities in their communities. This performance is repeated by other franchise businesses day after day in local communities across the nation. Our teams on the local level are proud of their involvement and love to see the contribution and impact they make.

Everyone has a purpose in life. A lot of those purposes revolve around supporting others or giving back some of the success you have achieved. Maybe you are an awesome mentor. Perhaps you send a check to your favorite charity every year. Some of you may provide sweat equity in community projects. Franchising Gives Back does all of those, and sometimes we do all of them at the same time. This year is still young and there are so many ways to get involved locally. Perhaps going to franchisinggivesback.org will inspire you with new ideas or help create a road map for how to get involved. Next year, we will be proud and honored to join hundreds of franchise organizations as we give back to the community of Orlando, Fla. during the IFA convention.

Kim Falk, CFE, is the Director of Franchise Development for Primrose Schools and Sean Falk, CFE, is a Client Executive/Franchise Development Leader with Hylant.