Help DECA Score $250,000.00

Just about everyone who knows me, knows of my passion and commitment to an organization called DECA. DECA inspires and educates young entrepreneurs all over the world, leading many of them to careers in franchising. Currently, DECA is competing for a $250,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant, www.refresheverything.com/decainspires.
Voting started on April 1st and runs through April 30. Grants are determined by popular vote, so PLEASE Vote DECA Every Day! – and encourage your friends, family and colleagues to do the same.

What this grant would do for DECA includes the following:
•Support DECA’s Competitive Events Program and their Intl. Business Plan Event.
•Expand DECA’s professional development opportunities for Advisors.
•Build new DECA Chapters and deliver services to greater numbers of members and advisors.

To vote for DECA’s Pepsi Refresh Project go to, www.refresheverything.com/decainspires. You’ll need to register through the Pepsi Refresh site to cast your vote. At the bottom, left hand corner of the page click “Sign In” and follow the prompts - you can either create an account through the Pepsi Refresh site or login through your Facebook account. Once you’re in, click on “Vote for this idea.” You can vote for DECA’s Pepsi Refresh Project one time every day.

Because this is a viral campaign please help to spread the word -
•Post a comment on DECA’s Project page after voting.
•Post your vote on the status page of your Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn and/or other social media pages – click “Promote this idea” from the www.refresheverything.com/decainspires page.
•Create a Widget for your web site – click on “Widgets” from the www.refresheverything.com/decainspires page.
•Encourage your friends, family, classmates, students, colleagues, neighbors.... to Vote DECA Every Day! - and spread the word through their networks.

Voting, and commenting, DECA Every Day! is also a great FREE way to put your brand in front of DECA’s most enthusiastic high school and college members and advisors.

Thanks for your support!

Stan Friedman (on behalf of)
John Fistolera
Director of Development, DECA
1908 Association Drive . Reston . VA . 20191 . 703/860-5000 phone . 703/860-4013 fax

COMING SOON! RetroFacts will be undergoing a complete redesign, with a whole new look and feel. Stay tuned...

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.

3 Questions With Brian Schnell

Brian Schnell, Partner at Faegre & Benson, LLP

Brian Schnell focuses his practice in franchising and product distribution law. He is a leader of the Faegre & Benson Franchise Team, a premier international franchise practice representing more than 200 franchisors with headquarters based in 35 states and seven countries.

Based at Faegre's HQ in Minneapolis, MN, Brian counsels both emerging and mature franchisors in a variety of industries with regard to all aspects of their franchise programs. He is the lead corporate franchise lawyer for more than 80 franchisors, ranging from companies with thousands of locations worldwide to companies who are in the initial stages of building their franchise systems. These clients operate in dozens of industries including restaurants and related food businesses, hotel, health and fitness, media, automotive aftermarket, pets, convenience stores, children's, and many commercial and residential service and retail segments.

Brian is a past chair of the International Franchise Association (IFA) Supplier Forum and a member of its Legal/Legislative, Awards and Membership committees. He also serves on the board of trustees for the IFA Educational Foundation and the Franchise Advisory Board for WomenVenture. He is a frequent and well-regarded speaker and author on franchising. The first male to receive the IFA Women's Franchise Committee Crystal Compass, Brian was distinguished for this honor in 2009 based on his leadership in franchising. He also is one of only eighteen franchise lawyers recognized worldwide by Chambers Global.

What can guests expect at this year’s Faegre Franchise Summit?
As delivered at past Summits, our Summit guests can expect lively and robust discussion on financial, social media and leadership topics. Our Summit speakers are all industry leaders who will facilitate a passionate discussion on best practices that will make an absolute difference to franchisors and franchise systems.

What are the hot legal topics in franchising this year and what do you foresee coming in 2010?
Candidly, there is not much new on traditional legal topics other than perhaps how franchisors should legally address social media and its utilization in their franchise systems. The hot topics exist on the legislative front with what is happening on Capitol Hill regarding financing availability for small businesses, health care, employee free choice act and other critical small business issues. If there ever was a time for franchisors and franchisees to attend IFA's Public Affairs Conference and reach out to their legislators, September 2009 is that time. In addition, a number of states are increasing their efforts on the tax front in order to help state budget shortfalls. 2010 will be an interesting year on the legal front, as much of what happens next year will depend on how franchisors and franchisees resolve their differences in these economic times. Franchisees and franchisors will struggle and some will fail. If the parties resort to courts and arbitration to resolve problems in confrontational and expensive proceedings, we will see new law (not necessarily good law) that will impact the future of franchising.

When do you foresee an improvement in our economic climate?
We are beginning to see early recovery signs now, but it likely will be the first quarter 2010 before the recovery really catches stride. In that regard, it is critical for franchisors to continue to act now in order to assist franchisees to get through this tough period and understand changes in consumer buying patterns and then be poised to take advantage of market share opportunities.

BONUS: What is your favorite restaurant in Minneapolis and why should people try it?
Manny's (http://www.mannyssteakhouse.com/ 821 Marquette Ave; Minneapolis, MN 55402; (612) 215-3700) There is nothing better than a great steak coupled with a fantastic bottle of wine.

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

Economic Improvement Continues – My Economic Predictions

For those of you that read my blog regularly, you know that I remain optimistic about the future, despite these challenging times that we’re all living through. It’s been a while though since I last commented on how I see things, so an update seemed in order. While on some fronts I believe that economic conditions surrounding the recession may finally be close to bottoming out, I’m still a bit concerned about the potential for another meltdown in real estate. This one though, on the commercial front. With so many business failures recorded during the first half of the year, there is the potential for a commercial crisis, stemming from landlords unable to meet their mortgage commitments on unoccupied retail and office spaces.

Needless to say, when it arrives, economic recovery will be good for all businesses, franchised or otherwise. I think though, that it will take a bit of time for demand to catch back up with supply on the real estate side. Overall, as a business model, I believe that franchising would have weathered this storm with far less stress, but for the perfect storm caused by the simultaneous impact of the recession and credit freeze. More than anything, it was the latter that has gummed up the works for franchising, keeping displaced employees from becoming aspiring new entrepreneurs.

Through all of this, IFA members should all be extremely proud of their membership in the International Franchise Association. Now, more than ever, the IFA, it’s Board of Directors, its Government Relations Team, and members on all fronts, franchisors, franchisees and suppliers have made their voices heard at the White House, on Capitol Hill, at the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Treasury.

Don’t miss your chance to do the same by voicing your concern to your elected officials at http://www.franchisingvotes.com/ and by attending the IFA’s fall Public Affairs Conference on Capitol Hill in mid September. More about that opportunity to meet with your elected officials can be found at http://www.franchise.org/publicaffairs.aspx. Each of these efforts support the loosening of the purse strings so that banks again begin lending to existing and/or soon-to-be franchisees. That will provide the best assurance of sustainable growth for our economy and the creation of new jobs and businesses on Main Streets across America. In addition to the obvious value propositions provided by the IFA, like education and networking, in my opinion, there is nothing more powerful than the voice it provides in terms of political action.

As for the future – or the end of this economic drought -- I wish I could read those tea leaves and see through the haze. I do think though, that what happens (or hopefully doesn’t,) between now and summer recess on Capitol Hill, will speak volumes to where we can expect things go from here.

As the old saying in TV news goes, “film at 11.”

RetroTax Welcomes Bob Ritter, Franchising Industry Veteran, to the Team!

As the co-founder and President of an emerging franchise concept, supporting existing franchisees, along with the ongoing growth of the network, are my two top priorities. Well this week, in one move that I am extremely proud to share with you here, RetroTax has accomplished both, when Bob Ritter, veteran franchise professional, joined the team as Vice President of Franchising and National Accounts.

As has been the case with so many industry peers, I met Bob Ritter through the IFA. Bob and I first connected at an Annual IFA Convention back in the day, and we have become really good friends since. I’ve always been impressed with Bob’s tremendous appetite for knowledge and how well networked he was with the franchising community’s leadership. It’s been during the past two years though, that we developed an even stronger business bond and personal friendship. All of this occurred at the same time that Al Newcomb and I were creating and launching RetroTax.

During this period, I’ve been traveling more frequently to Bob’s home-town of Indianapolis. Indy also happens to be Home Base for RetroTax. When Bob and I first began talking about my new business concept, (over a beer or two, I might add) he became extremely intrigued by the RetroTax concept. Like me in years past, Bob has spent a great deal of time involved with a concept that occupies a highly competitive, crowded market space. Conversely, RetroTax represents a unique b2b offering and is a virtual stand-alone, in terms of competitive franchise offerings. Before learning too much more about our concept, this fact alonw, captured Bob's attention and interest.

As Vice President of Franchising and National Accounts, Bob will perform multiple roles, as a powerful utility player on the RetroTax team. His diverse experience will be called upon to assist with the development and training of new franchisees, support of existing franchisees, and the growth and management of our National Account relationships. Additionally, Bob’s skill sets will also provide a real boost to the leadership development of our Indianapolis-based franchise support and tax credit processing teams.

Recruiting someone with Bob’s expertise and strength of reputation is a major coup for the RetroTax team and we are extremely proud to welcome him to the family.

Atlanta-Franchisor Focused on Customer Service In Tough Times

Last week I was treated to a multi-tiered experience at an Atlanta-based franchisor’s “company store.” While this may seem to stray a bit from those things that I usually write about, I think that this experience is definitely worth sharing. Let me preface by telling you that the focus of this post is not so much about the retail experience itself, (which was remarkable) but more about the culture that I was exposed to, on a number of fronts. The concept is called Clix Portrait Studios and it’s headed by CEO, David Asarnow.

This all started with my need to update my publicity headshots. When I saw David at the IFA Convention, I mentioned that to him and he suggested that I come to Clix. I did and I not only came away with some outstanding composites, but add to that, a dose of franchising at its very best.

Because I went to their “company store” for my session, the studio that I visited also serves as the Clix Training Center. So all of that said, let me set the stage. I arrived for my 4 p.m. appointment and stepped into the usual mix of chaos one might expect to find at that hour of the day at a retail portrait studio: Families with babies and high energy kids, some well behaved, others not. On this day, though, add to the mix new franchisees in training from Arizona, along with a new member of the corporate team, also in training. So, I stepped back and asked myself, do I really want to do this or should I come back another day? I decided to stick it out and am I glad that I did.

For years, be it in food or any other franchising concept, for that matter, I have always professed that a franchisor’s single greatest strength, resource or assets, are his people. I know that if it’s a food concept, your recipes are important and that no matter what, there’s always your “trade secret” proprietary stuff. Bar none though, in my mind, when you’ve got the right people piece in place, you’ve got a cultural advantage that no competitor can steal. That’s what I experienced at Clix. There was one single, common denominator present that was shared by the experienced, technical help, as well as the newbies in training (staff and franchisees).

There was an absolute alignment of one thing first and foremost… the customer’s experience.

Whether it was having the patience to engage a screaming five year old and replace her tears with a smile, or go back and reset some poses, because they just didn’t hit the high water mark that was desired, every single thing that I could see in this corporate culture screamed “customer-centric.”

You know, living up to expectations used to be the gold standard, but anymore, that’s simply not enough. In fact, in today’s world, that’s no longer even point of entry. Exceeding customer expectations is the new starting line and from there, treating your customer to a WOW experience is where the rubber really meets the road.

It’s no different at RetroTax then it is at Clix or anyplace that subscribes to principle centered leadership. It all starts at the top, with leadership by example. Next, put the right people in management positions and empower them to deliver upon their areas of responsibility. Then, select teammates and franchisees who share the vision, values and ethics of the culture they are joining. Sounds easy, doesn't it? But it’s not, or trust me, everyone would be doing it.

FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT, Not just about the Sale… It’s more about the Relationship

Many business people boast of their unique approaches to the sale of their products or services. Not to sound trite, but in the world of franchise development, it should NEVER be about the sale, but rather, about the relationship between the parties. Personally, I have no interest in selling franchises. It’s a new world, a new era and at RetroTax, a concept that I co-founded, and whose day-to-day operations I direct as President, SELLING franchises is a non-starter. No, I am not parsing words, with reference to the difference between “awarding” vs. “selling” franchises. I’m just telling it like it is. To date, each of our franchisees have been personal referrals. That notwithstanding, if a prospective franchisee presents himself to us, but does not meet or exceed our baseline for shared vision, values and ethics, they’re out of here, on the first pass, despite the fact that they may have been referred. That is not just lip service either, it is fact. It is real, it has already happened and it will happen again, I’m sure.

As the IFA Convention approaches, (barely a week away, in warm San Diego) it is important for fellow franchise executives and suppliers too, for that matter, to examine their selling practices. Take stock of this fundamental statement: neither your customers nor potential franchisees want to be “sold.” Rather, each of your prospective clients, customers or franchisees, would prefer that you appeal to a deeper level of connection, communication and relationship between all parties to the potrential transaction as well as to your product or brand.

My own personal experience repeatedly demonstrates that it’s more about relationships. Some of these relationships were built months, years, even decades ago. While some of these didn't provide any quantitative value at the time that they were created, several are now front and center and are intrinsic to the growth and development of my company.

There is actually no better evidence of this than the relationship between my partner and me. It took us more than a dozen years of talking about it, prior to putting our program together and our case study is just the tip of the iceberg. Beyond us, I cite the following:

RetroTax Franchisee No. 1, Kevin is an 18+ year friend and peer, a consummate franchising professional.

RetroTax Franchisee No. 2, Jim was a personal referral from our CPA.

RetroTax Franchisee No. 3, Iraida yet another personal referral, came recommended from one of my most highly valued IFA peers.

Prospective franchisees No. 4, 5, and 6, were also introduced to me via personal relationships, from other IFA peers, one of which is actually the President of yet another franchise concept. To my point, it’s much more about the relationships in franchising, than about the sale.

When you attend the upcoming IFA Convention, think about the relationships that you make, renew or update with new, old and established peers and friends. All of these connections represent opportunities for you to seize the moment, every moment, every opportunity, both real and perceived, with each and every contact that you make or renew. As my partner Al Newcomb so often says, no meetings are bad meetings.” As the old saying goes, “Carpe Diem.” Seize the moment and don’t let any opportunities that are worthy of your consideration, pass you by.

Temple Daily Telegram Highlights Minorities Rise in Business

Let's hear it for Texas. Some might argue that it is still the Wild, Wild West and a less progressive state than others, but when it comes to minority business ownership and job creation, many of those others could take a lesson from the Lone Star State.

Carroll Wilson's article, titled “Small business, minorities in business on the rise in Texas in the Temple Daily Telegram,” is cause for celebration.

America's face is changing and as it does, so should the faces of America's would-be entrepreneurs and business owners. They should reflect the faces of the residents of the communities that they serve. From the sounds of this article, health care and social services are taking the lead in terms of jobs created by small business owners. Now, savvy franchisors from these and all market segments would do well to invite business ownership, not just opportunities for employment, from members of these communities.

To read more about minority franchise ownership opportunities, visit the International Franchise Association (IFA) at http://www.franchise.org/ and search for information regarding Minority Fran. As the second term Chairman of the IFA's Minorities in Franchising Committee, First Vice Chair of its Diversity Institute, and one of the architects of this Minority Fran initiative, I'm proud to see Texas out in front on this one.

Get the Most Out of Industry Meetings -- NETWORK

FRANCHISE UPDATE FALL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE:
Pictured from left to right: Casey McEwen, Partner, FranSystems, Josh Greenbaum, student, Stan Friedman, Steve Greenbaum, CEO PostNet and Chairman, IFA

While attending franchise industry meetings, conventions, conferences, etc., my takeaways come from collecting information and experiences from the speakers. But there's more than that, much more. Beyond the speakers, the greatest value at these events comes from networking. Be it with a prospect for a franchise, a company executive that can benefit from our (RetroTax’s) services, someone that needs to meet me or someone that I need to meet... I cannot ever remember leaving an industry event without some golden nuggets... I'm talking about gems that make me richer for the experience, born out of networking.

In our down economy, franchise executives and partners are searching for better, more creative methods to grow their business – especially when attending industry events – and they're focusing more than ever, on building connectors, networks of shared information. Such was the case at the recent Franchise Update Fall Leadership Conference in Chicago. I know of no other industry or business conference where the franchising professionals in attendance are as caring and sharing as they are at this one, bar none.

The IFA Convention, in San Diego, will be the next big networking opportunity for the industry. By then America will have elected a new President and the economy will most certainly be in a different state than today (not necessarily better or worse, just different). It will be interesting to see what types of information franchisors, franchisees, and suppliers try to pull there. While the IFA Convention is the granddad, the largest of all franchise industry conferences, as with anything else, you'll get what you give at this event. Earlier this year I got to thinking about the upcoming IFA and said to myself, "Maybe this year I will go as a spectator, lighten my load and just enjoy the convention with fewer commitments than usual. Then I thought about it again – and said, nah.

IFA’s convention is loaded with incredible amounts of intellectual capital, crossing every conceivable discipline of franchising. Franchise development, operations, marketing, relationship building, legal updates, etc. There’s just so much opportunity to give, to get, and network. Whether you're attending for the first time, or for the 20^th, get focused on one or two issues that you deem to be amongst your highest priorities. Lock and load on those topics and drill down deeply with speakers, exhibitors and peers who are all there with you, at the same time, in the same place, for the same reason.

Don’t miss this opportunity to network and find business solutions. Then, fasten your seat belts and get set for the ride of your life in 2009.