Atlanta Business Radio Franchising Special

I'd like to express my thanks and appreciation to Amy Otto and Lee Kantor, hosts of Atlanta Business Radio, for inviting Jim Squire and me, to co-host a one hour broadcast, dedicated completely to franchising. These invitations were extended to us, because Jim and I each chair one of Atlanta's two franchise membership forums. Jim, The Southeast Franchise Forum and yours truly, The Atlanta Franchise Alliance. The two of us then, invited an outstanding line up of guests, to talk about the state of franchising in this challenging economic and political climate. We were joined first by David French, VP of Government Relations at the International Franchise Association, followed by Geoff Seiber, CEO of FranFund, Ron Feldman, CEO of Siegel Financial Group (and RetroTax franchisee) and Michelle Belinfante of The Leasing and Management Group.

The link that follows, will take you to more about the program and to yet another link, that will

enable you to stream the program's audio. http://atlantabusinessradio.libsyn.com/

To all of those that I will not see or speak with in the next few weeks, I wish you and your families a very safe and Happy Holiday season.

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.

Save the Date: September 9 in Atlanta

While we have yet to announce the special location, (be sure to tune in to our LinkedIn Group or our Facebook Page later next week, for details) we have announced the date for the next Atlanta Franchise Alliance networking event and meeting. It is Wednesday September 9, 2009 (Yes, that’s 09, 09, 09), and we will be presenting a powerful expert and speaker, to help us all navigate the tangled mess that has resulted from the recession and credit freeze, and its impact on franchising.

On 9/9/09, come hear one of the foremost authorities on franchise finance, the state of the credit freeze and its impact on franchising, as Ron Feldman, CEO of The Siegel Financial Group (and a RetroTax franchisee) updates us on how we got here, where we are and more importantly, where we're heading.

As those of you regular attendees know, most of our events are purely centered around networking, so having a speaker is a treat... but having Ron Feldman as that speaker, provides an exponential "added value" to the 9/9/09 event. Whether you are a franchisor, a franchisee, a member of a corporate team from either, a supplier, an attorney, ir any an interested party, who's income is dependent upon the well being of those in the franchise space, do not miss this event.

Again, be sure to check out our Web site, LinkedIn or Facebook later next week for additional details – and of course, as always. check my blog. Hope to see all my franchising bretheren on 9/9/09. Check back soon, for updated 411 on the location.

ATLFA Meets This Week: If In Atlanta, Don’t Miss It

I would like to personally invite all of the RetroFacts readers to the Atlanta Franchise Alliance’s May meeting, 5-7 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, May 21, 2009) at the Paper Mill Grill, 305 Village Parkway, in Marietta, GA.

The meeting is a great networking event and an opportunity to connect with your franchise colleagues from Atlanta.

To understand the value of the ATLFA, one must first understand our growth, as throughout the last year it has been two-pronged. First and foremost, we continue seeing many first-timers at our networking events, which is always a great indicator of growth. Secondly, we are growing internally, with the addition of four new members of our board in 2009. They are: Nick Powills, CEO, No Limit Media Consulting, Rich Greenstein, Partner, DLA, Piper, Greg Cory, CEO, eMaximation and David Asarnow, President, CEO at CLIX Portrait Studios.

This week, without a doubt, the economy and its impact on our businesses and ability to obtain credit and financing for new and existing franchisees will be top-of-mind. That remains the hot topic everywhere.

Our topical meetings set the tone for great interactions. Anyone with an interest in keeping up to date on what’s going on around them in franchising should clear the calendar for tomorrow night. Whether you are a franchisee, franchisor or a supplier, this is where to connect with all of those on the cutting edge of the franchise business model locally.

Are You in Atlanta? The ATLFA Wants You!

For those of you not familiar with our franchise group, The Atlanta Franchise Alliance is a networking group that I Chair in Atlanta. Our mission locally, is to follow the IFA's model of bringing franchising’s best practices and people together. We meet several times a year to network, learn, share fellowship, and exchange valuable nuggets that help us each individually and collectively, to strengthen the business model that is franchising. Whether you are a franchisor, a franchisee or a supplier, you are more than welcome to attend any of our events.

In 2008 our Alliance grew significantly and in 2009, we are going to get bigger and better. We will grow by bringing in more people to our networking events and providing them with everything that they came looking for and more. We will host networking events on the following dates, so mark your calendars: January 15; May 21 (also an IFA franchise political action committee fundraiser); August 20; and November 12. Locations for these meetings are TBD and will be posted on our Web site, at least two weeks in advance of each event (http://www.atlantafranchisealliance.com/).

Anyone interested in attending these meetings can find more information at our site. Don’t hesitate to email me (http://www.blogger.com/stan.friedman@retrotax.com) either, if you have questions or would like to be added to our mailing list.