Wednesday, February 25, 2009

IFA Convention Recap

Myself with: Dina Dwyer-Owens, CEO of The Dwyer Group, Chairwoman, IFA; Shawn Goldsmith, IFA Don DeBolt Scholarship winner; and Steve Greenbaum, CEO of PostNet and immediate past Chairman of the IFA. As talked about in previous posts, for the past 3 or 4 years, I have been very involved with DECA, an organization that among other things, prepares, mentors and trains high school and college students to become America’s next generation of entrepreneurs. Last spring I had the honor of presenting Shawn Goldsmith, of Oceanside, NY, the IFA’s Don DeBolt scholarship at DECA’s National Convention. IFA invited Shawn to our 49th Annual Convention in San Diego, to get a taste of franchising IFA style. Here, I am showing him around and introducing him to some of the best in the franchising business.
Brian Schnell, attorney for Faegre & Benson, and myself.

Me with: Michael Roman, CFE, Fuels Franchise Strategy Manager of Exxon Mobil Corporation; Shawn Goldsmith, IFA Don DeBolt Scholarship winner; and Fred DeLuca, Founder of Subway.

From my perspective, this year’s IFA Convention was amazing.

First, on a personal note, while I teetered on the edge of losing it toward the third day, I actually managed to keep my voice this year. My apologies to those who might have wished for the alternative… my thanks too, to those that didn’t encourage me to smoke “just one more” cigar at the bar each evening. No names need be mentioned, because you know who you are. (Ron Feldman)

This Convention was very powerful in what it delivered. Jim Bugg, Bill Clinton, and Cary Fiorina all delivered powerful keynotes that basically stated that the future of America is in the hands of small business. Certainly, there are situations and conditions that we can’t control, but if we keep our eye on the things that we can, we will emerge victorious. I believe that is true. Yes, we are living in some very scary times and no doubt, more changes lie ahead. How we manage what we can control though, can and will make a difference.

The economy was, of course, a hot topic at the Convention, for franchisors as well as franchisees. I guess we are each playing the same game on different playing fields. Our franchisees are charged with growing their businesses locally, just as we are with growing our brands globally. At the local level they must seize each and every opportunity to make the most of whatever twists or turns they are confronted with. No different than what most franchisors are confronted with, just that we play our game on a larger playing field. Otherwise, it’s very much the same for each of us.

But despite the bumpy economy, the Convention experience was excellent. For RetroTax, the Convention presented new opportunities for national accounts that we can service; three new prospective franchisees; and a tremendous amount of collective intelligence shared by and with my peers.

With that said, whether using it as a connector to new business leads or as an educational resource, an IFA membership is a good idea anytime, but COMPELLING in times like these. There is no other single event (the annual IFA Convention – 2010 in San Antonio) that can offer so much at one time, in one place across each and every discipline of our business model, to the benefit of everyone in franchising. Operations, Marketing, Franchise Development or Administration: Whether you’re a start-up or legacy brand, there was something for everyone at this Convention.

Besides the convention, there are other IFA events franchisors, franchisees and suppliers alike should attend. For instance, I will speak on behalf of the IFA Diversity Institute and Minority Fran initiative, at the upcoming IFE in Washington, DC, March 20-22, another good opportunity to connect, learn and thrive forward.

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