Public Affairs Conference Success – On To Franchise Update TODAY

The IFA Public Affairs Conference was high energy and positively charged. IFA’s Conference and Government Affairs team was on top of their game and did a stellar job in keeping the program on track and the speakers relevant. George Will as a repeat speaker worked well for me as well. He was every bit as good this year as we was last. Just as he does weekly on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, he breaks down all of the political double speak, to the simplest of common denominators.

More than 400 IFA loyalists attacked the Hill to lobby their members of Congress for the myriad of issues that are important to IFA and its members, predominantly:
· Capital Access
· Card Check
· Health Care

As for me, I broke ranks and instead of joining the rest of the Georgia gang to visit our Peach State elected officials, I spent my time seeking out those Members of Congress and staff that can make the greatest difference with reference to the passage of another issue that IFA has signed on to, one that is near and dear to all of us at RetroTax. I am referring to HR 1677, HR 3500 and S 1222, three bills that are focused upon the extension and expansion of the legislation governing the Federal Empowerment Zones and Renewal Communities and tax credits available to businesses that send resident employees to work in those zones. My time on the Hill was very productive and I am confident that we will prevail in the extension of these benefits.

And, I think other IFA member’s time was productive, too, as there were easily 450 in attendance, a true reflection of the times and how important our collective voices are on the Hill, in these challenging times.

This week, the franchising fun continues, as I will be Networking, networking, networking at the Franchise Update Leadership Conference in Chicago – STARTING TODAY.

I am looking forward to robust conversations with franchisors that can benefit from RetroTax services, to learning as much as possible from my peers and as always, to giving back as much as I can, to those that can benefit from hearing from me. I’m really looking forward to participating in the “pre-conference, CEO Summit again this year. As was the case last year, it is facilitated by the very able Linda Burzynski and is a mindshare session for CEOs and Presidents only. This interactive program is all about "Exceeding Today's Stress Tests for Franchise Growth". How to continue to grow franchise units, where to get the right capital, what your org. chart should look like, how to craft salary and incentive programs and issues like that.

As for the panel that I am speaking on this year, our topic is: Lead Generation Track -- Where Can I Find More Qualified Prospects in this Economy? I join the very capable Paul Mangiamele, President/CEO, Salsarita's Fresh Cantina and Kevin Drudge, Vice President of Franchise Development at Valpak for this session.

Information shared at events like the IFA Public Affairs Conference and Franchise Update’s conference in Chicago this week are validating my belief that the recession has hit bottom, but that there will be a long slog to recovery. It could take years to get there, but barring any unforeseen events, I don’t think that things are geared to get any worse than that which we have already experienced.

If you are at Update – be sure to connect with me (best way if you want to schedule a meeting is by emailing me at stan.friedman@retrotax.com). Can’t wait to see all of you!

RetroTax Featured on Fox Business Live in New York

IFA’s Public Affairs Conference a Must – as is Tonight’s ATLFA

We all know how every move we make is critically important during these trying economic times. Equally important, is absorbing as much information as possible, to support our moves. This week's blog post serves as a friendly reminder that Ron Feldman, CEO of Siegel Financial Group, (and RetroTax franchisee) is in town and will be discussing financing in franchising at tonight’s Atlanta Franchise Alliance networking event, just ahead of next week's big IFA conference, September 14-15 in DC. Both of these are MUST attend events for everyone in franchising!

ATLANTA FRANCHISE ALLIANCE
TONIGHT (9.9.9) from 5:30 – 7:30
The Ravinia Club
2 Ravinia Drive
Atlanta, GA 30346

An evening with Ron Feldman, CEO of Siegel Financial Group discussing the state of financing in franchising.

IFA’S PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONFERENCE
September 14-15, 2009
JW Marriott Hotel
Washington, DC

IFA’s Public Affairs Conference is the franchise industry’s most important advocacy event.
Formerly known as Franchise Appreciation Day, re-branded Public Affairs Conference, is your chance to discuss with members of Congress how franchising is being impacted by their decisions. During the conference, IFA schedules meeting on Capitol Hill to discuss:
Economic Stimulus Programs
Health Care Reform
Card Check Legislation
Finance/lending reform
Tax Policy

This year’s keynote speaker is George F. Will, America’s foremost political commentator and columnist.

There is no registration fee to attend either of these programs.

More than 500 franchisors, franchisees and suppliers participated last year to tell franchising’s story. Join the IFA again this year to lobby Congress on the issues that matter in protecting the business climate for franchising.

3 Questions With Steve Romaniello

Steve Romaniello,
Managing Director of Roark Capital Group

In addition to Managing Director of Roark Capital Group, Steve Romaniello is Chairman of the Board of FOCUS Brands, the franchisor and operator of nearly 2,200 ice cream stores, bakeries, restaurants, and cafés in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 32 foreign countries under the brand names Carvel®, Cinnabon®, Schlotzsky’s®, Moe’s Southwest Grill®, and the franchisor of Seattle’s Best Coffee® on military bases and in certain international markets. Focus Brands also sells its famous ice cream cakes in over 10,000 retail outlets through New Britain, CT-based Celebration Foods, Carvel’s manufacturing and distributing division. Romaniello also serves on the Board of Directors of FASTSIGNS Holding Corporation, the International Franchise Association (IFA), the IFA’s Diversity Institute, and the Atlanta Franchise Alliance.

Prior to joining Roark, Romaniello was President and Chief Executive Officer of FOCUS Brands (2002-2008). Steve joined Carvel in January 2002 as President of the franchise and foodservice division, and led the strategic turnaround of Carvel, one of America’s favorite ice cream brands. During his tenure at Focus Brands, Steve led the acquisition of Cinnabon® and Seattle’s Best Coffee® International in 2004, Schlotzsky’s® in 2006, and Moe’s Southwest Grill® in 2007.

Prior to Focus Brands, Romaniello was President and Chief Operating Officer of US Franchise Systems (USFS). Romaniello helped grow USFS from one brand with 27 hotels in nine states to three brands with over 500 hotels in 47 states and 5 countries. Before joining USFS, Romaniello was a Vice President at Holiday Inn Worldwide’s, responsible for franchise sales, services, support, and training for the 1,700 hotels in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean operating under the Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza brands. During his tenure, Holiday Inn Worldwide increased its franchise from 60 in 1991 to 300 franchises in 1995. From 1988 to 1991, Steve held various positions with Days Inn of America. Romaniello is a graduate of Tufts University.

Since moving over to Roark as a Managing Member, what have been your primary initiatives?
Since moving to Roark my primary initiatives have been to support certain of our franchise portfolio companies, including Focus Brands, Money Mailer, McAlister’s, and Fast Signs (Roark affiliates also control Primrose Schools and Batteries Plus, two other leading franchisors). I have also helped organize the second annual Roark Franchise Summit which brought together 90 executives from our franchise companies for leadership development training and to work on best practices. Finally, I have been helping the team in finding investment opportunities in the franchise space and evaluating and acquiring brands. Roark has over $900 million to invest and we recently announced an agreement to acquire Pet Valu, a leading Canadian based franchisor of specialty retailers selling pet food and pet products.

When do you foresee an improvement in our economic climate?
I think the economy is at or near the bottom though we expect choppy waters on the way back up. Our best guess is that the improvement will be gradual and recent improvements will likely not accelerate until unemployment bottoms out sometime next year.

As a franchisor in Atlanta, what regions have you seen attract the most franchisors and why?
Atlanta is home to a large number of franchise companies- some of the best brands and franchise leaders in the industry are here. One other notable area is Colorado, specifically Denver. While I am not sure what attracted them to the region initially, I think their presence is more visible because the leadership there is top notch and committed to franchising as an industry.

BONUS: Where is your favorite travel spot and why?
Italy! Do you really have to ask why?

Interested in connecting with Steve Romaniello from Roark Capital Group, (404) 591-5215, http://www.roarkcapital.com/; stever@roarkcapital.com.

Three Questions, interviews conducted by Stan Friedman, President and Co-Founder of RetroTax, appears twice a month exclusively at http://www.retrofacts.blogspot.com/.