The mantra of Acceler8Success Group is to act swiftly, act decisively, make it happen, and make it count.

So, how does one do so in the face of fear?

“There’s nothing to fear but fear itself” is a very true statement. Unfortunately, that may be easy to comprehend but it’s not easy to act upon. Fear in hearing no makes the salesperson drag out the sales process. Heck, maybe is better than no is actually the justification.

However, the longer the salesperson hangs onto maybe the more time is wasted — time that could be used on realizing other opportunities including actually closing other sales. Of course, there are similar situations outside sales.

Doing nothing when a definitive decision is necessary is often due to fear in making the wrong decision. Not asking a question because of fear the answer is not what you want to hear. Fear causes wrong decisions, procrastination and so many different things that are certainly not progressive or proactive.

Typically, it starts a domino effect of reacting and like dominoes, once they start toppling over it’s difficult to stop the momentum… and quickly, it gets away from you. So, realize your fears, act decisively and move forward, but don’t let fear paralyze you.

Conquering Fear

Fear can only be realized as we’re able to admit being scared. It’s only with that admission and realization that we can work through fear and hopefully, overcome it. As fear is such a strong emotion that easily grips the soul, it takes time and patience to overcome such a grip. Little by little, fear can be replaced by courage gained from confidence that fear is just a challenge to be conquered.

Although, conquering fear does not have to be done alone. Instead, collaborative efforts aligned with common goals truly exemplify the phrase, ‘strength in numbers’ and it’s that strength that will make it easier to defeat fear. Easier said than done? Possibly, but the alternative is being overwhelmed by fear and that, we recognize, is not living…

Talk to a friend or a colleague today about your fears. Doing so will go a long way toward realizing that there truly is nothing to fear but fear itself.

Conquering Fears to Becoming an Entrepreneur

Have you ever dreamt of becoming an entrepreneur?

If you answered yes, what’s stopping you?

If it’s because you’re scared, then you’ve got company. Fear is the most common reason people fail to start their own businesses. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, or fear of losing the steady income from their day job.

Of course, there’s a good reason for all of these fears. Around 50 percent of small businesses fail within five years, so it’s no wonder people hesitate to pursue their dreams of entrepreneurship.

Making the decision to become a full-time entrepreneur and go “all in” on my startup was one of the hardest but most rewarding experiences of my life. If you’ve got big ideas for a business but fear is holding you back, read about some steps you can take to move past those worries and start your entrepreneurial journey HERE.

“Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.” Benjamin Franklin

Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!

A positive person focuses on what’s good in their life, finds joy in the simple things, and takes the general attitude that while there are lots of things they can’t directly control, they can control what they choose to focus on. Positive people can inspire and influence others to reframe and to think about things differently. They can be infectious in a good way.

Beginning each day on a positive note can increase your productivity and even improve your overall health. Time to get those positive thoughts flowing! Starting your day off right has always sounded like a nice idea, but now a new study indicates that “waking up on the wrong side of the bed” is more real than ever.

Positive & Motivational Quotes: A second voice that echoes our thoughts, beliefs & claims.

If you spend even a short amount of time on social media you’re bound to come across a quote or two. I’m sure we could divide quotes into quite a few categories but to me, it’s really just three categories. Quotes that either motivate me, inspire me, or those that spur my emotions.

Mind you, I’m not referring to memes. I’m talking about quotes from influential and famous people, from movies, books, and the like, and from individuals that actually write inspiring words and place them on beautiful images.

Quotes can open our eyes and minds to understand truths and acknowledge things we might otherwise have missed. They let us see life from another, wider perspective, and in this sense, they expand our mind and awareness.

A quote can spur us to reflect as they may be applicable to a specific task or event occurring in our lives right at that time. Reading quotes can improve how we feel and change our mood for the better. Often a quote can offer inspiration for the day or week, and inspire us when our normal motivation has lapsed.

Quotes can act as reminders to focus us toward a specific goal or plan of action. Either as a short sentence or as several sentences, quotes are typically easy to memorize. As such, we can refer to them often and as we may be so inclined, share with others at appropriate times.

Inspirational quotes can remind us to see our mistakes and setbacks as great learning opportunities, and provide comfort that there is nothing that we can’t learn from. Rather than living in the past and recycling old news, we gain support to move past our regrets and learn from them.

Another reason we love inspirational quotes? They affirm what we already know (or think we know) about ourselves. One of the greatest human motivations is our desire to be able to both fit into categories or types of people, and to feel like we’re in good company (and, often, limited company) once we’re there.

Interestingly, scientific research has shown that motivational quotes make us feel the same as actually accomplishing something. If that is correct, then that could be a very, very, very bad thing.

Quotes, especially on social media can be quite distracting as there are just so many that are shared every day. I do value the ones where the person sharing the quote actually shares their own thoughts about the quote.

A good quote can be the heart of a compelling article, an interesting story, or a compelling speech. As such, good quotes help to tell a story and enhance the credibility of a press release, news story or speech.

Words that are crafted well can leave a lasting impact on us, while similar words presented by us can leave a lasting impression on others.

11 Reasons to Read Positive & Motivational Quotes

1. Motivational quotes motivate, inspire and encourage.
2. Motivational quotes energize and prompt you to take action.
3. Positive quotes create optimism and hope.
4. Motivational quotes give insight and wisdom.
5. Motivational quotes offer hope.
6. Positive quotes bring light and happiness into our day.
7. Motivational quotes teach.
8. Motivational quotes open the mind to see life in a wider perspective.
9. Motivational quotes are mood changers.
10. Positive quotes inspire you to adopt positive thinking and take positive action.
11. Reading motivational quotes does not require effort.

*Credit to Remez Sasson, author of the blog post, Motivational Positive Quotes – 11 Reasons to Read Them at SuccessConsciouness.com.

Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!

With recent news of a Chick Fil A franchisee being creative with a 3-day work week, I thought it’d be interesting to revisit a prior article at Acceler8Success Cafe, Is a 4-day work week realistic, practical, feasible across the board?

Let’s start with the article about the 3-day work week…

While many restaurants are having a hard time finding staff these days, Justin Lindsey is weeding through a pile of applications so tall you’d think he was hiring for a Chief Taco Officer or Chief Candy Officer. But he’s not. The operator of Chick-fil-A Kendall in Miami, Florida is looking for fast-food workers. Fortunately for him, they’re applying in droves, as first reported by QSR magazine.

Last month, Lindsey received 429 applications in one week for just one full-time position. Surprisingly, the biggest draw wasn’t the competitive wage — it was the three-day workweek.

Read the complete story, Chick-fil-A operator introduced a three-day workweek, and applications are pouring in HERE!

Now, let’s revisit…

Is a 4-day work week realistic, practical, feasible across the board?

The discussion about a 4-day work week continues to heat up. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t see an article debating the pros and cons, as well as the “necessity” of having an additional day off from what has been the typical 5-day work week for years. It’s interesting to read different perspectives on the topic. From business owners to executives to salaried staff to hourly employees, all seem to be making strong points whether for or against the movement.

I first became aware of a 4-day work week back in 1978 when I moved to a small town just outside San Antonio. USAA, one of the world’s largest employers in San Antonio at the time and still today, was on a 4-day work week. I thought, what a great idea. Of course, at the time I was only thinking about it from the perspective of an hourly employee.

Oh my God, 3-day weekends, every weekend!

As someone who has mostly worked in a home office for the past twenty-plus years, I really don’t have a set work schedule. Actually, I do but what I don’t have is a set schedule to end my workday, or for that matter, even to start the workday. Sure, we could debate the premise of entrepreneurs working 16-hour days, 6-7 days a week as being ridiculous and unnecessary, and essentially being nothing more than a foolish badge of achievement but let’s keep that for another day. I promise we will address it here very soon.

Today, let’s look at the 4-day work week from the small business owner’s perspective. Is it feasible to operate the typical small business only 4 days? For the most part, the answer is no. After all, the business will need to be open 6, if not 7 days a week. It’s certainly a different situation than that of an office setting for a major corporation that could essentially close an extra day like a weekend day. Or schedule overlapping shifts and remain open 5 days a week.

Yes, there are options and probably some very creative options to make it work. Or are we really talking about moving to a 4-day work week but keeping daily schedules at 8 hours, at the same wage as for a 40-hour work week? With already slim margins at the typical small business, that seems impossible to even consider. For restaurants, I don’t see any way it would be possible.

That all said, I am an advocate for a 4-day work week at 8 hours per day. In certain work environments, I can see how it could actually increase productivity as some of the case studies have proven. A 4-day work week could go a long way to improving employee wellbeing and mental health. Yes, I could see the benefits, but I can also see the pitfalls.

Personally, I envision the 4-day work week as an option. For some companies it could work. I just don’t believe it can be something that would work effectively across all industry segments and especially, in a society that is driven by instant gratification and convenience. Therein is the key.

I believe the 4-day work week would have had more of a chance of being successful across the board back in the day, when weekends were days of leisure, family and worship.

Many businesses were closed on Sundays and workers had the day off. Saturdays were for errands and chores and dealing with things that weren’t done during the week. People stayed close to home washing their cars, mowing their yards and grabbing a few things at the local grocery store.

Customer-facing businesses were open, typically until 5-6 PM but banks, offices, etc. were closed on Saturday. So, it was mostly small businesses that were open. For businesses that were open on Sunday such as bakeries and restaurants, they closed early on Sunday and all-day Monday, as well.

Of course, that is not the case today as we are accustomed to being able to do what we want to do and at any time during the day. We’ve even grown accustomed to stores being open on major holidays, late hours and 7 days a week. Do we really need to shop at 6AM the day after Thanksgiving or shop for furniture at 10PM or for anything on Sunday? Certainly not, but it is what we want. It’s what we command.

If off from work an extra day per week, what would we do that day? Would that extra day be like the typical weekend is today with us running from store to store, almost at a frantic pace? If work schedules revert to a 4-day work week, will extra workers be necessary to man the stores and restaurants? Will some people look to take on an extra job with an extra day off, thus killing the notion of the extra day being necessary for one’s wellbeing and mental health?

I really don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all solution. Yes, the 40-hour week should be an option, but it cannot be the rule of thumb across the board. That is, unless our mindset as a society reverts to the way it was back in the 1950’s. I just don’t see that we can revert back to living an Ozzie & Harriett life again. I, for one will not be wearing a tie for dinner while sitting at my dining table? I look forward to your thoughts, so please don’t be shy!

Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” – Nelson Mandela

According to Merriam-Webster, hate is defined as intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury; a systematic and especially politically exploited expression of hatred.

Without going down the politics rabbit hole, I’ve been mesmerized by the hate being exhibited in every corner of our nation. I’ve refrained from using the word great to describe our country, as the last time I did I was lambasted with comments about defining our country as such.

For the record, and quite frankly, I do believe the United States is a great country. If anyone doesn’t believe it to be so, well, I respect their opinion. However, all I would ask is that they look at other countries throughout the world and just make some simple comparisons before turning their opinion to judgment of others’ opinion.

In any event, this morning I find myself reflecting upon Nelson Mandela’s quote and the word, hate. I really do hate that word. I truly hate that it’s in my vocabulary. Hate in that sense is not the hate I’m referring to or what Nelson Mandela was referencing.

Maybe my mind is wandering a bit this morning because growing up Catholic I recognize that today is All Saints Day. Again, not trying to go down any rabbit holes, including the religion rabbit hole, but my mind wandered off to when I was 6 years old and attending St. Mary Mother of Jesus School in Brooklyn, NY.

Instead of celebrating Halloween we celebrated All Saints Day. We dressed up as the saints we may have been named after or as a saint we had learned about in class. It was a simpler time and hate certainly wasn’t in our vocabulary. At least hate as we know it today.

I remember attending camp in Coney Island and recall befriending kids from different backgrounds. Although, it’s only now looking back that I thought about the differences. Back then, we were all just kids with no prejudices whatsoever. We all got along very well and couldn’t wait to see each other the next day.

A few years later as my Mom remarried, we moved from our Italian neighborhood to one that was predominantly Jewish, and alongside low-income housing. As one might imagine, there was definitely some diversity in our school but overwhelmingly, my class was almost all Jewish.

In fact, I recall being one of only three kids in class during the Jewish holidays – it was me, Mary Ann Yip and Ruby Hope. Mary Ann was Chinese-American and Ruby was African-American. We, along with our Jewish friends, all got along. I don’t recall hate being in the equation despite us living in the mid to late-sixties amidst racial unrest televised seemingly non-stop.

Two years later we moved to Staten Island and to a neighborhood that wasn’t as diverse as the neighborhood we had left, but the schools had varying levels of diversity. I played basketball against junior high schools that were mostly black. Parish church teams, as well. Sure it was competitive but we all got along.

In eighth grade I was fortunate to play on the Junior High School All-Star team. The team was to play the Staten Island Junior High School champion. Well, the champion team had red uniforms, as did my school. So, when I was put in the game, I had to wear a different jersey, one that was not red.

Ken Washington, a player from another school offered me his jersey. It was light blue. I entered the game and scored a quick basket. A few minutes later during a timeout, I came to the bench and Ken, whom I had not known before except for playing against him, put his arm around me and jokingly said, my basket was the result of the luck of his jersey. We laughed. Ken was black, and back then, I didn’t give it a thought. We all got along.

Fond memories, for sure. All of them. And I’m glad I remember each one to this day!

However, thinking back and reflecting upon the Nelson Mandela quote above, I’ve realized that although the quote is true, it’s very eye-opening. Sadly, I can certainly say I wasn’t always innocent. I’m not sure when I had changed, or why.

Embarrassingly, there have been times when I’ve laughed with the crowd at the expense of others and made decisions that I now know were based in part upon what were clearly prejudices. Yet, I’m confident I can say I’ve never hated because of skin color, gender, age, background or religion.

I guess I always felt if I didn’t hate, I wasn’t prejudice or exhibiting discrimination. I was also going to mention not ‘disrespecting’ but I as I’ve gotten older I realize that disrespect is exhibited in a number of ways. So, yes, I have disrespected, as well. No excuses.

All that said, I’ve learned that being a good person is not about being politically correct. It’s not about any reason or justification whatsoever beyond just being a good person, and just one person in a world of equals.

My regret is only realizing all of this in recent years. My goal is to be a better person, not by trying to be better, but by being better intuitively because we should not have to try to be a good person.

A thought comes to mind – we know the opposite of hate is love, but maybe the opposite of hate should also be respect? After all, one of the definitions of respect is, due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others.

Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!

“Just because something isn’t happening for you right now doesn’t mean that it will never happen.”

The quote above is one that I have come across quite often on various social media sites. It’s what originally spurred my thinking about how many individuals put off taking a step into entrepreneurship, maybe waiting for the perfect time, and the perfect opportunity. Or, if already a business owner, putting off the necessary next steps to grow their business.

I thought, is it procrastination? Or, is it that they’re just ill-informed or do not know where to turn to for resources and support?

Many times it takes being able to find useful information and resources that will help a person along, whether to inspire and motivate them and/or to provide them with insight and perspective so that they may make an informed decision – one in which they are confident. Often, it’s just something that becomes an eye-opener to possibilities or potential solutions.

So, I had decided to help, and continue to do so today. Mostly, it’s a passion but of course, as an entrepreneur, I also want to grow a business – a business helping others succeed!

My mission is clear – to help individuals from all walks of life understand various aspects of entrepreneurship, whether expanding upon current business ownership or exploring opportunities. Since 2014, I had developed and deployed a plan to do just that and created Acceler8Success.

From a philosophy to a methodology to a business model, Acceler8Success, and subsequently, Acceler8Success Group was developed and has evolved to assist todays and tomorrow’s entrepreneurs succeed.

My objective remains steadfast to provide information, insight, perspective, services and resources about entrepreneurship – whether to explore possibilities, expand upon ideas or build upon current business ownership. All as may be applicable across various business platforms and distribution models including:

• Franchising – growth strategies for current business & franchise models; single, multi-unit, area development & enterprise opportunities; management consulting; investment & capital raise projects; assist individuals explore franchising & business ownership as the next step in career growth.
• Small Business & Restaurants – startup or acquisition; improve business operations; develop and execute expansion & growth strategies including franchising; explore exit strategies.
• Freelancing – assist in turning creative skills into a business and how to grow that business; explore growth strategies including transition to a bricks & mortar and/or franchise model.
• Professional Services – work with sole practitioners in law, health & wellness, insurance or financial services; improve and expand current business practice; explore business expansion.
• Comprehensive Consulting & Coaching Services – sales & business development, business management, digital marketing, branding, personal branding, and social media. Coaching entrepreneurs, business owners & partners, and brand executives.

International Consulting Services – Since 2020 with the addition of my partner, Erik Premont, Acceler8Success Group has successfully expanded to serving entrepreneurs and investment groups conducting business within international markets in exploring development opportunities and acquisitions within the U.S. 

Erik leads a select team of highly experienced multi-lingual franchise & business development professionals whose primary focus is specific to Spanish, Portuguese & French speaking clientele as well as spearheading efforts with other non-English speaking clientele. 

Learn more about Acceler8Success Group by previewing the following websites:

Acceler8Success OwnABizness Entrepreneurship411

For more information, please contact me or Erik Premont at the following email addresses:

Paul@Acceler8Success.com Erik@Acceler8Success.com

Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!

Sundays at Acceler8Success Cafe are focused on providing motivation and inspiration for the week ahead. My goal is to provide a positive foundation for the week that will complement the weekday activities at Acceler8Success Cafe. My intent is to do so as an extension of my commitment to help current and aspiring entrepreneurs achieve and accelerate their success.

Motivation & Inspiration Week of October 30, 2022

Very few could have planned for the bumpy ride over the past 2+ years, but what about for the next 2-3 years?

How do you plan to grow your career over the next few years? Does your planning include soliciting various perspectives?

Is your plan more about wishes, hopes & dreams or is it a solid action plan with specific steps, benchmarks, goals & potential ‘what if’ measures?

There are many great quotes about goals and goal setting but two come to mind.

One is by Fitzhugh Dodson… “Goals that are not written down are just dreams.”

“People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine.” by Brian Tracy is the other.

Well-defined plans must be developed to achieve specific goals. Results must be analyzed often. If missing the mark, leave the goals intact. Realize that each day provides new possibilities and opportunities. Refocus efforts to achieve your goals. But do not change your goals!

How long have you been interested in replacing your job or retirement status for business ownership? Well, what are you waiting for? 

How many Mondays have been and gone since you said, I’ll start next week?

Many will recall the Disney quote, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Yet, it’s often met with our skepticism along the lines of what if – what if it doesn’t work out?

But, if you’re passionate about the dream and do your due diligence, go after your dream. Go after it with the mindset of things working out. After all, instead of being skeptical, ask yourself, what if it does work out? Think about that for a second. What if it does work out?

One of the most motivating speakers is Jim Rohn. If you’re not familiar with him, take a few minutes to check him out on Google. He’s been quoted many, many times. As for achieving goals, Jim Rohn says, “If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”

Wait. Not so fast. If you’re passionate about owning your own business and believe you’re finally ready to take steps toward that goal, I’ll ask you to consider one more thing – your entrepreneurial stretch.

It can be something as simple as that one thing that will take you out of your comfort zone? Or, maybe it’s something that will create great strain due to then current circumstances? Possibly it’s something that will extend your limits – your breaking point? Or, it could be something caused by fear.

But it could be something that will ultimately be the result of repeated excuses, procrastination, poorly identifying priorities, lack of commitment, unclear vision, complacency, etc.

Therefore, your top priority BEFORE making a final decision to make your goal of business ownership a reality, will be to consider what could possibly be your entrepreneurial stretch and outline steps you will be prepared to take should your entrepreneurial stretch be stretched to its limits. This is critical to your success!

Think about it this way… If it were easy to be an entrepreneur, everybody would do it. Right?

So, the million dollar question is – How committed are you to entrepreneurship? Before jumping to answer, please take the time necessary to consider in order that you can honestly answer this question. After all, it’s one that only you can answer as it matters to you!

Have a great week ahead. Act swiftly. Act decisively. Make it happen. Make it count!

Another month is coming to an end. It’s hard to believe we’re now only two months from another new year! Do you realize we’re closer now to the year 2045 than we are to Y2K? Where has the time gone?

No doubt, time flies which should be motivation enough to get things done. We must.

Yes, we must and as a reminder, today I’m sharing an article with the same words – we must – that had been published here at Acceler8Success Cafe earlier this year. Sharing it today, I hope it provides some motivation, and realization that we must be proactive in order to survive, get beyond survival, and thrive once again. We must stop spinning our wheels.

Quite a few things, as we once knew them, have changed. And so, we must embrace change. We must change. Yes, we must.

We Must.

The past 2+ years have seen many scrambling to fight off challenge after challenge. Accordingly, actions have been mostly reactive. To many, it’s been a shear, exhausting act of survival.

Well, it’s time to make the complete shift back to being proactive.

If it’s a pivot to move forward in what may be a new normal, we must accept it. If it’s a drastic change that is required, we must act on it. If it’s a new direction that is inevitable, we must move toward it.

We must get back to playing to win as opposed to playing not to lose.

Even in the face of failure, we must dust off dreams that have been cast aside. We must pursue them once again. We must do so with purpose and conviction.

We must overcome negativity with a positive mindset. We must explore possibilities. We must capitalize on opportunities.

Life as we once knew it has changed. We must realize it for what it is. We must deal with it. We must adapt. We must take action.

We must act swiftly. We must act decisively. We must do so with aggressive plans to not only survive, but to thrive. We must accelerate success.

We must make it happen. We must make it count. Yes, we must!

Help is just a message, call, email or text away!

The future may be a bit bumpy for some, more so for others. Knowing who to turn to and when to turn to for guidance and help is important. Having resources at your disposal is also important.

So, if you and when you hit a wall, for whatever reason, please feel free to reach out to me for assistance or even if you just need someone to talk to. Please do not hesitate.

You may reach me by phone or text at (832) 797-9851, or if you’re more inclined, please send me an email to paul@acceler8success.com. All interaction will be kept confidential.

Have a great weekend. Make it happen. Make it count!

I’ve been asked time and again by brand founders my philosophy about achieving success as a franchise brand. As the International Franchise Association Emerging Franchisor Conference is next week in Nashville, Tennessee, I thought it’d be a good time to share my thoughts on franchise success, and especially for those franchise founders unable to attend.

Franchise Success Strategy

At Acceler8Success Group, we focus on developing strategies for healthy, sustainable growth. Unlike many consultants and advisors in our field, we know that this must be more than just a focus on franchise development to acquire and convert leads.

That strategy is based on a concept of a hierarchy of franchise success requiring certain needs be met as a foundation to the next level and ultimately sustainable growth. Our approach is much like the Maslow model of human motivation.The first level of success to be achieved is establishing and maintaining franchisee profitability. The next level is to maintain a healthy relationship with the franchise network. Sustainable growth in franchise development relies on a solid foundation of profitable franchisees that believe in the management team guiding their future because sustainable growth relies on validation from the existing network for future franchise development.

Once that foundation is in place, a strategy for growth relies on the third level of success. A robust marketing and management approach must be developed to generate leads, develop prospects, and convert franchise candidates to open and operate a successful franchise location or territory. This development will be designed to maximize the impact of the positive validation from the existing franchisees.

The fourth level requires a constant vigilance of the management to team to understand and react to changes within the marketplace. The evolution of the offering and the brand creates a continuous improvement cycle that continues to support and sustain unit profitability, the franchisee/franchisor relationship, and thereby continued success in franchise development.

90% of organizations continue to miss their strategic targets. Poor planning is at the root, but you are only as good as your culture. James Milsom, Head of Marketing, i-Nexus regarding ‘True North’ companies

We believe our approach to franchising is in accord with the simple and constant philosophy of True North companies:

• We provide outstanding companies the tools for improved performance.

• We partner with management to provide new opportunities for growth.

• We believe that the most important assets in any business are the people who run them and work at them every day (including the franchisees).

• We develop strategies built on a solid foundation and continuous improvement for long-term success

• And of course, we reflect and maintain the highest standard of integrity.

We start with an introductory meeting to determine the pain points of our clients and the pain points of their franchisees. The next step involves a complete evaluation of the franchise system to help the franchisor identify the actual root causes of the problems that have hindered or reversed its growth pattern. Once we have determined the root cause(s) of the issues, in coordination with the existing management, we develop a strategic plan to strengthen every level within the hierarchy of success.

The strategic plan is designed to be cyclical in nature allowing continuous improvement at each level so as you reach the evolution level the cycle starts again with an evaluation of how the changes have affected the unit economics of the franchises and the relationship. Again that will impact validation and the foundation for growth through franchise development. This cyclical approach for continuous improvement provides the strategy a plan for sustainable growth.

For more information about our Franchise Success Strategy, please reach out to me via email at Paul@Acceler8Success.com. As well, please visit our website to learn more about our comprehensive services. Our initial consultation is complimentary as it’s necessary for us to fully understand goals as well as current challenges.

Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!

At what point does a Financial Performance Representation, also known as an Earnings Claim, cross the line beyond federally mandated franchise disclosure requirements?

Social media has created many opportunities to present and discuss franchise opportunities across multiple digital channels, often linking from one social media platform to another. As many franchisors jockey for a competitive edge (or for survival) and continue to increase their digital marketing efforts, it’s imperative they not lose sight of franchise disclosure requirements. Especially, if these efforts are spearheaded by a person or agency not familiar with franchise disclosure rules.

The practice of embedding financial information is growing. It’s no surprise considering the increasing number of online press releases, blogs, social media posts, and even books about a franchise brand or founder. There’s also the popularity of reality TV shows to consider.

Certainly, publishing financial information alone doesn’t necessarily create a financial performance representation. But, directly or indirectly referring candidates to the information is an earnings claim, and if the shared information is not in line with a franchisor’s Item 19 of its Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), it does becomes improper or illicit.

Considering the linking capabilities in the digital space, often to the point of creating a cross-platform, multi-tiered effect, some self-professed industry professionals apparently believe they can get away with improper financial performance representation. Especially, as digital and social media continues to expand into new areas. As such, much of the activity is virtually under the radar of most authorities.

It appears the thought is, if enforcement of franchise disclosure is lacking in traditional areas, digital and social media marketing have become the new wild west!

Beyond the obvious illicit practices and potential ramifications to unsuspecting franchise candidates, also causing reason for concern is the impression it makes upon start-up franchisors that follow suit – often, not even realizing the practice may be improper. After all, they see it being done by individuals who they believe are reputable franchise professionals. So, why not follow the same practice that they unsuspectingly come to believe is actually a best practice?

Sure, everyone is responsible for their own actions, and ignorance is not a legal defense. However, if these practices, borderline or otherwise continue within franchising, more and more will participate to the point of it becoming a common practice, with many believing it has become a best practice.

Momentum will pick up with so-called thought-leaders promoting the practice as an effective lead generation strategy, influencing even more franchisors. Some will be unsuspecting. Some will just jump on the bandwagon.

At what point will these practices be considered to be out-of-control and intolerable, and detrimental to franchising? Or, will the franchise community just wait until another BurgerIM situation raises its ugly head, and with more media attention?

Who hasn’t seen the phrase “organizational skills” listed as a requirement of a position? It might seem excessive that this vague term in such demand, but the possession of organizational skills can make or break your career success.

While this is true for any role, it is even more important for a small business owner.* As there are so many tasks to juggle on any given day, keeping everything organized is the best way to ensure being able to maintain even some semblance of work/life balance which as we know all too well, is essential to positive mental health. It’s also essential to effectively run a business, and especially through periods of economic uncertainty.

Organizational skills are defined as, a set of techniques used by an individual to facilitate the efficiency of future-oriented learning, problem-solving, and task completion; It requires the integration of several elements to reach a planned goal.

Listed below are 5 essential organizational skills to propel a small business toward success:

1. Scheduling. More than just scheduling shifts and meetings, a small business owner is responsible to ensure scheduling of every aspect that goes into running the business. From scheduling progress check-ins for projects to scheduling incentive programs for sales goals, the ability to create a schedule and stick to it is essential to running the business.
2. Delegation. It’s impossible for one person to handle everything that needs to happen to keep a business running smoothly—that’s why delegation is key. By delegating, in not only lightens the load on the owner’s shoulders, it empowers the team to tackle difficult tasks.
3. Time Management. In many jobs, time is managed for the employee. They’re provided with small goals on the way to larger accomplishments and project timelines are completed at their manager’s discretion. However, as a small business owner, those project timelines and daily tasks are set by themselves – often, reactive to needs. Proactive management of time is key to improving productivity.
4. People Management. Managing is commonly regarded as a “people skill,” but it takes organizational savvy as well. Planning evaluations, building a successful team and orchestrating group meetings may not be the leadership tasks that get all the attention, but they’re just as integral to being a respected and regarded manager.
5. Preparation. Being prepared is the key to staying on top of business routines. Whether it’s taking notes before a meeting with staff, franchisor, or banker or jotting down the next to-do list at the end of the day, starting off on the right foot will keep the business owner from playing catch-up when they should be looking ahead.

*Note: Small business owners include small independent business operators (Mom & Pop), franchisees, restaurant operators, professional services providers (law offices, medical offices) and even solopreneurs with staff.

Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!