| June 18, 2012 | News for the franchise sector |
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- IFA's Luther talks about the state of franchising
Franchising "creates a huge amount of jobs," IFA Chairman Jon Luther said while discussing the International Franchise Expo in New York. Franchise opportunities exist in all sorts of industries, said Luther, who explained that IFA and franchisors are working with banks to help improve the lending environment. The franchise industry is also offering opportunities and assistance for veterans seeking to become business owners.  Fox Business
(6/15)     
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Companies flock to franchise expo: Hundreds of exhibitors were expected to attend the International Franchise Expo in New York over the weekend. Mooyah's franchise director said the brand would be on the lookout for a partner in the New York area at the event. Crain's New York Business
(6/15)
- Mrs. Fields to relocate to Denver area
Mrs. Fields Famous Brands is moving its headquarters from Salt Lake City to Broomfield, Colo. "Denver has a willingness to share information, and we think that adds value to this organization," said CEO Tim Casey. Other franchises, such as Quiznos, are also based in the area. The Denver Post
(6/16)
- Caribou Coffee fills the niche by buying digital space
Caribou Coffee is expanding its menu items while maintaining an unpretentious presence in fourth place among coffee chains. Restaurant-industry analysts such as Jefferies' Andy Barish say it has a good chance of staking out a middle ground between the American light coffee of Dunkin' Donuts and the serious dark of Starbucks. The chain is relying on digital and social media in lieu of broadcast ads. "To try and compete with McDonald's and massive broadcast marketers -- we're not going to win that game, so we have to fight a smarter fight," says Senior Vice President of Marketing Alfredo Martel. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model)/CMO Strategy blog
(6/18)
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| Best Practices & Business Leadership |  |  |
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- Why you don't want workaholics at your company
Employees should be encouraged to turn off their work sometimes, because trying to labor 24/7 can damage their productivity, health and well-being in the long term, Josh Tolan writes. He writes that a workaholic's priority list will "quickly become disheveled as their work-related items drive the disappearance of previously meaningful tasks." TLNT.com
(6/15)
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- Mobile is at the heart of better inventory tracking for big retailers
Mobile devices are increasingly part of major retailers' inventory tracking and control strategies. Lowe's is among the companies using smartphones and applications to allow store managers to check inventories in their own stores or check with other locations, resulting in a more efficient supply chain. "Retailers are using big data to shorten the replenishment cycle of their products. We're seeing that more as networks have become more reliable, they can pull the data and have better tools to process and manage it," said Steve Stone, senior vice president of cloud intelligence at MicroStrategy. The Washington Post
(6/17)
- Social shopping and the next wave of fashion retail
Online retailers have changed the face of fashion retail with policies that encourage consumers to order clothing and shoes and easily return the pieces that don't work, writes Monogram co-founder and former Amazon product manager Leo Chen. Now, social sites such as Pinterest and personalized services such as Siri are ushering in the next wave of fashion retail innovation, he writes. TechCrunch
(6/16)
- Facebook's free features appeal to retailers
Retailers are making the most of all the free features on Facebook, but many balk at paying to advertise on the social site, according retail experts. "With all Facebook's free stuff, retailers don't have to worry whether it works very well. But the moment they pay a nickel, there has to be accountability," said ShopRunner's Fiona Dias. The Sun (Baltimore)/Reuters
(6/15)
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VetFran members recognized by GI Jobs and MilitaryFranchising.com
More than 100 VetFran members have been recognized by GI Jobs and MilitaryFranchising.com on the 2012 "Military Friendly" List, an annual survey. Since last year, according to the survey, nearly 4,000 veterans became franchise business owners, a 35% jump. IFA's Operation Enduring Opportunity was launched last year as a campaign of VetFran to hire as team members and recruit as franchise business owners 75,000 veterans and military spouses, in addition to 5,000 wounded warriors.
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Taking your franchise into new markets
"Entering Canada & Mexico" is the next WednesdayWise Webinar, scheduled for 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern time July 11 and sponsored by the IFA Supplier Forum. The webinar will be moderated by Robert Shaw, CFE, executive adviser for international business for Right at Home, and includes speakers Larry Weinberg, CFE, partner at Cassels Brock & Blackwell; and Roberto Litwak, CFE, director of international development at Feher & Feher. WednesdayWise Webinars are approved for 50 CFE participation credits per webinar.
| IFA Member Monday | |  |
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Jiffy Lube welcomes its youngest franchisee
Jiffy Lube has signed its youngest franchisee to date: 23-year-old Miles Blauvelt of Baltimore. Blauvelt is no stranger to Jiffy Lube, having advanced through management and now transitioning into his role as owner of MAB Lube, a Jiffy Lube franchise. He will operate the Jiffy Lube service center at 1316 Merritt Blvd. in Baltimore that was previously owned by his father.
| Policy & Finance Update | | |
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- Could regulations boost small-business lending?
Big banks have stepped up their commitment to small-business lending, but data indicate that a lower percentage of loan applications were approved in May compared with earlier months. However, regulatory requirements could increase small-business lending in the next few years, according to Rohit Arora of Biz2Credit. Crain's New York Business
(6/17)
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