Conference Program—Symposium 2

HOW TO FRANCHISE YOUR BUSINESS
This seminar is ideal for business owners interested in franchising or those simply looking to determine if franchising is a legitimate growth option. It will help business owners understand whether they have a business that is franchisable and how franchising stacks up against alternate growth strategies (such as licensing, dealer models, and joint ventures). Attendees will also gain a thorough understanding of the process of franchising, including necessary resources, costs, and personnel needs. Discussions will include the advantages and disadvantages of franchising, and will provide a framework for analysis that will allow business owners to understand whether franchising is the best strategy to reach a company’s future expansion goals.

All course materials are in English only. All symposium attendees receive free admission to the exhibits on all three days.

Register for Symposium 2 and be our guest at a private cocktail reception, Saturday, January 10 from 5:00pm-6:30pm.



Dates
Saturday, January 10, 2009, 12:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Rates
Advance: $249 includes exhibit hall admission and seminars
On-Site: $280 includes exhibit hall admission and seminars

Individuals enrolled in the Certified Franchise Executives program will earn 100 education credits towards completion or recertification of the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) designation by attending How to Franchising Your Business. For more information about the Certified Franchise Executives program, please call or email Rose DuPont (202-662-0771 -- rdupont@franchise.org) or visit www.franchise.org/certification.aspx.

This Symposium Will Look At
  • How small businesses have used the power of franchising to create a $1 trillion market force.
  • Definition of franchising. How to tell if the relationship you create will cross the threshold.
  • Advantages and disadvantages to franchising, and when franchising is an appropriate growth vehicle.
  • Alternatives to franchising, including company-owned growth, licensing, joint ventures, agencies, and dealerships/distributorships.
  • How to determine if your business is actually franchisable.
  • Determining the adequacy of returns for the franchisee and the franchisor.
  • How to determine if franchising is a part of the best possible growth strategy for your firm.
  • Understanding the process of franchising a business.
  • Using goal-driven planning to develop your business plan.
  • Developing an appropriate franchise structure.
    • Determining the value proposition
    • Franchise sales strategies and speed of growth
    • Developing an appropriate support structure
    • Determining fees, royalties, and other sources of revenue
    • Territory and other issues affecting growth
  • Tools and techniques for ensuring quality control in the franchise process, including Operations Manuals, Training Programs, and more advanced training techniques.
  • Compliance with franchise laws and regulations.
  • Other laws affecting franchisors: Trademark, Business Opportunity Laws, Relationship Laws, and Anti-Trust Issues.
  • Marketing your franchise effectively.
  • Effective use of the Internet and technology within franchising.
  • The Franchise Sales Process.
  • Costs and returns of implementing a franchise channel of distribution.
  • The decision to franchise.
  • Best practices for established franchisors.

Moderated by: Mark Siebert, CEO, iFranchise Group, Inc.
Panelists: Dave Hood, President, iFranchise Group, and Will Woods, Partner, DLA Piper US LLP
Mr. Siebert has worked with hundreds of franchisors, from start-up operations to corporate giants. A franchise consultant since 1985, Mr. Siebert founded the iFranchise Group in 1998 as an organization dedicated to developing long-term relationships with successful franchisor clientele. He is an expert in evaluating companies for franchisability, structuring franchise offerings, and developing franchise programs. The strategic planning recommendations developed by Mr. Siebert have been instrumental in the growth and success of numerous national franchisors.

During his career, Mr. Siebert has personally assisted over 30 Fortune 1000 companies and over 200 start-up franchisors. He travels extensively to meet with companies considering franchising, and regularly conducts workshops and seminars on franchising in cities around the world. For more than two decades, Mr. Siebert has been actively involved in assisting U.S. franchisors in expanding abroad. His efforts have been responsible for the sale of numerous international licenses. He has also personally supervised the establishment of international consulting practices in Argentina, Chile, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Uruguay, Peru, and the Philippines.

Mr. Siebert is widely acknowledged as a leading authority on franchise expansion and finance, having in 1989 led a joint venture for the purpose of obtaining funding for franchisors. In 2001, he co-founded Franchise Investors, Inc., an investment firm specializing in franchise companies.

Mr. Siebert is frequently called upon as an expert witness in franchise-related cases. He was on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Franchisees and Dealers, on the Board of Advisors to Connections for Community Ownership, was named to the Franchise Times list of "20 To Watch" in franchising in 2002, and in 2001 was named the AAFD’s Supporting Member of the Year.