Facts, not Fiction, Lead to Franchise Success

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The following is an article submitted by Guest Author, Katryn Harris. Katryn is the CEO of Open Box, a company focused on helping franchisors use technology to build their franchises. She brings her background in management, business strategy and communication as well as her team of technical experts to work with franchisors, ensuring that their technology fits their business strategy and moves their franchises forward. Be sure to check out Katryn’s blog.

Feedback Loops and Franchise Success
By Katryn Harris

A few days ago, I was talking with Greg Nathan from the Franchise Relationships Institute about his software product that helps franchisors select franchisees who are the most likely to succeed.

In brief, the Franchise Relationship Institute does this by benchmarking characteristics & traits of past successful franchisees and then providing a system that compares new applicants with those traits and characteristics.

Greg is a trained psychologist and works strong in the scientific tradition; hypothesize, measure, analyze and then compare results with hypotheses. One of his current projects is the validation of the exact extent to which is product is successful in predicting new franchisee success and, not surprisingly, his results will be fact based & very precise.

Listening to Greg talk about the validation project, I was struck again by how vital these feedback loops are to franchise growth.

Successful franchises implement the best programs and systems they can come up with, but then they measure, analyze and adjust based on the numbers and results (rather than what they ‘think’ is happening). And the faster they can complete this cycle (and then start it up again), the more likely they are to be successful in the long term.

From 1-800-GOT-JUNK?’s Net Promoter measurement tool to calculation tools for attrition rates to sales performance indicators, business growth is fueled by knowing exactly what is actually happen so the best actions can be taken. One of our customers ties client satisfaction records into payroll bonuses for their employees, which is a great motivator to get everyone in the company on board in trying their hardest to keep the clients happy – you can imagine what that has done for their referral and return customer rates.

What are your best scientific tools to create feedback loops and do more of what is working & change what isn’t?


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50 Social Sites for Business Success

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The following article was recently posted online and should prove a valuable resource for all businesses looking to expand their social media efforts.

50 Social Sites That Every Business Needs a Presence on
By Inside CRM Editors

If your business limits its online presence to advertising banners and blogging, it’s missing out. The Internet provides powerful networking opportunities that allow users to effectively target their audience by logging on to social sites like LinkedIn, Digg and more. Take advantage of these tools by asserting your company’s presence online and reaching more potential customers, business partners and employees.

Social-Media/Social-Bookmarking Sites

Share your favorite sites on the Web with potential clients and business partners by commenting on, uploading and ranking different newsworthy articles. You can also create a member profile that directs traffic back to your company’s Web site.

  1. Reddit: Upload stories and articles on reddit to drive traffic to your site or blog. Submit items often so that you’ll gain a more loyal following and increase your presence on the site.
  2. Digg: Digg has a huge following online because of its optimum usability. Visitors can submit and browse articles in categories like technology, business, entertainment, sports and more.
  3. Del.icio.us: Social bookmark your way to better business with sites like del.icio.us, which invite users to organize and publicize interesting items through tagging and networking.
  4. StumbleUpon: You’ll open your online presence up to a whole new audience just by adding the StumbleUpon toolbar to your browser and “channel surf[ing] the Web. You’ll “connect with friends and share your discoveries,” as well as “meet people that have similar interests.”
  5. Technorati: If you want to increase your blog’s readership, consider registering it with Technorati, a network of blogs and writers that lists top stories in categories like Business, Entertainment and Technology.
  6. Ning: After hanging around the same social networks for a while, you may feel inspired to create your own, where you can bring together clients, vendors, customers and co-workers in a confidential, secure corner of the Web. Ning lets users design free social networks that they can share with anyone.
  7. Squidoo: According to Squidoo, “everyone’s an expert on something. Share your knowledge!” Share your industry’s secrets by answering questions and designing a profile page to help other members.
  8. Furl: Make Furl “your personal Web file” by bookmarking great sites and sharing them with other users by recommending links, commenting on articles and utilizing other fantastic features.
  9. Tubearoo: This video network works like other social-bookmarking sites, except that it focuses on uploaded videos. Businesses can create and upload tutorials, commentaries and interviews with industry insiders to promote their own services.
  10. WikiHow: Create a how-to guide or tutorial on wikiHow to share your company’s services with the public for free.
  11. YouTube: From the fashion industry to Capitol Hill, everyone has a video floating around on YouTube. Shoot a behind-the-scenes video from your company’s latest commercial or event to give customers and clients an idea of what you do each day.
  12. Ma.gnolia: Share your favorite sites with friends, colleagues and clients by organizing your bookmarks with Ma.gnolia. Clients will appreciate both your Internet-savviness and your ability to stay current and organized.

Professional-Networking Sites

Sign up with these online networking communities as a company or as an individual to take advantage of recruiting opportunities, cross-promotional events and more.

  1. LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a popular networking site where alumni, business associates, recent graduates and other professionals connect online.
  2. Ecademy: Ecademy prides itself on “connecting business people” through its online network, blog and message-board chats, as well as its premier BlackStar membership program, which awards exclusive benefits.
  3. Focus: Focus is a business destination where business professionals can help each other with their purchase and other business decisions by accessing research and peer expertise. Most importantly, Focus provides open, quality information for all businesses that is freely available, easily accessible, and community powered. 
  4. YorZ: This networking site doubles as a job site. Members can post openings for free to attract quality candidates.
  5. Xing: An account with networking site Xing can “open doors to thousands of companies.” Use the professional contact manager to organize your new friends and colleagues, and take advantage of the Business Accelerator application to “find experts at the click of a button, market yourself in a professional context [and] open up new sales channels.”
  6. Facebook: Facebook is no longer just for college kids who want to post their party pics. Businesses vie for advertising opportunities, event promotion and more on this social-networking site.
  7. Care2: Care2 isn’t just a networking community for professionals: It’s touted as “the global network for organizations and people who Care2 make a difference.” If your business is making efforts to go green, let others know by becoming a presence on this site.
  8. Gather: This networking community is made up of members who think. Browse categories concerning books, health, money, news and more to ignite discussions on politics, business and entertainment. This will help your company tap into its target audience and find out what they want.
  9. MEETin.org: Once you’ve acquired a group of contacts in your city by networking on MEETin.org, organize an event so that you can meet face-to-face.
  10. Tribe: Cities like Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, New York and Chicago have unique online communities on tribe. Users can search for favorite restaurants, events, clubs and more.
  11. Ziggs: Ziggs is “organizing and connecting people in a professional way.” Join groups and make contacts through your Ziggs account to increase your company’s presence online and further your own personal career.
  12. Plaxo: Join Plaxo to organize your contacts and stay updated with feeds from Digg, Amazon.com, del.icio.us and more.
  13. NetParty: If you want to attract young professionals in cities like Boston, Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Orlando Fla., create an account with the networking site NetParty. You’ll be able to connect with qualified, up-and-coming professionals online, then meet them at a real-life happy-hour event where you can pass out business cards, pitch new job openings and more.
  14. Networking For Professionals: Networking For Professionals is another online community that combines the Internet with special events in the real world. Post photos, videos, résumés and clips on your online profile while you meet new business contacts.

Niche Social-Media Sites

Consider linking up with one of these social-media sites to narrow down your business’s target audience. You’ll find other professionals, enthusiasts and consumers who are most likely already interested in what your company has to offer.

  1. Pixel Groovy: Web workers will love Pixel Groovy, an open-source site that lets members submit and rate tutorials for Web 2.0, email and online-marketing issues.
  2. Mixx: Mixx prides itself on being “your link to the Web content that really matters.” Submit and rate stories, photos and news to drive traffic to your own site. You’ll also meet others with similar interests.
  3. Tweako: Gadget-minded computer geeks can network with each other on Tweako, a site that promotes information sharing for the technologically savvy.
  4. Small Business Brief: When members post entrepreneur-related articles, a photo and a link to their profile appear, gaining you valuable exposure and legitimacy online.
  5. Sphinn: Sphinn is an online forum and networking site for the Internet marketing crowd. Upload articles and guides from your blog to create interest in your own company or connect with other professionals for form new contacts.
  6. BuzzFlash.net: This one-stop news resource is great for businesses that want to contribute articles on a variety of subjects, from the environment to politics to health.
  7. HubSpot: HubSpot is another news site aimed at connecting business professionals.
  8. SEO TAGG: Stay on top of news from the Web marketing and SEO (search-engine optimization) industries by becoming an active member of this online community.

General Social-Media Sites

The following social-media sites provide excellent opportunities for businesses to advertise; promote specials, events or services; and feature published, knowledgeable employees.

  1. Wikipedia: Besides creating your own business reference page on Wikipedia, you can connect with other users on Wikipedia’s Community Portal and at the village pump, where you’ll find conscientious professionals enthusiastic about news, business, research and more.
  2. Newsvine: Feature top employees by uploading their articles, studies or other news-related items to this site. A free account will also get you your own column and access to the Newsvine community.
  3. 43 Things: This site bills itself as “the world’s most popular online goal setting community.” By publicizing your company’s goals and ambitions, you’ll gain a following of customers, investors and promoters who cheer you on as you achieve success.
  4. Wetpaint: If you’re tired of blogs and generic Web sites, create your own wiki with Wetpaint to reach your audience and increase your company’s presence online. You can easily organize articles, contact information, photos and other information to promote your business.
  5. Twitter: Is a social networking and microblogging service that allows you answer the question, “What are you doing?” by sending short text messages 140 characters in length, called “tweets”, to your friends, or “followers.”
  6. Yahoo! Answers: Start fielding Yahoo! users’ questions with this social-media Q&A service. Search for questions in your particular areas of expertise by clicking categories like Business & Finance, Health, News & Events and more. If you continue to dole out useful advice and link your answer to your company’s Web page, you’ll quickly gain a new following of curious customers.

Job Sites

If you want to secure high-quality talent during your company’s next hiring spree, you’ll need to maintain a strong presence on popular job sites like the ones listed below.

  1. CareerBuilder.com: Reach millions of candidates by posting jobs on this must-visit site.
  2. The Wall Street Journal’s CareerJournal: The Wall Street Journal’s CareerJournal attracts well-educated professionals who are at the top of their game. Post a job or search résumés here.
  3. CollegeRecruiter.com: If your firm wants to hire promising entry-level employees, check CollegeRecuriter.com for candidates with college degrees.
  4. Monster: Post often to separate your business from all the other big companies that use this site to advertise job openings.
  5. Sologig: Top freelancers and contractors post résumés and look for work on this popular site.
  6. AllFreelance.com: This site “offers self-employed small business owners links to freelance & work at home job boards, self-promotion tips” and more.
  7. Freelance Switch Job Listings: Freelance Switch is the freelancer’s online mecca and boasts articles, resource toolboxes, valuable tips and a job board.
  8. GoFreelance: Employers looking to boost their vendor base should check GoFreelance for professionals in the writing, design, editing and Web industries.
  9. Yahoo! Hot Jobs: This site is often one of the first places that job seekers visit. Post open opportunities and check out informative articles and guides to gain insight on the hiring and interviewing process.
  10. Guru.com: Build your company’s repertoire with top freelancing professionals by advertising projects on this site, otherwise known as “the world’s largest online service marketplace.”

The original source of this article is InsideCRM.com, part of the Focus network of sites.


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Franchising vs Licensing: The Debate Continues

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Well, every so often the debate on Franchising vs Licensing continues. Today, I noticed another discussion on LinkedIn about the subject so I’ve decided to post the responses on this site and look forward to all additional comments and insight.

Franchising vs Licensing (as posted on LinkedIn 12/5/09)

“I have a client with a service-based business that was exploring franchising. Upon further research, he has decided to set up licensing arrangements instead. Based on what he told me, it seems like licensing is a much simpler way to expand his business. I am looking for both advice and experience sharing. I would also like to know where I can view a sample/boilerplate licensing agreement. Thank you.”

Here are a few of the responses…

Response: “A franchise is of course a license and a license is a franchise if it meets the definition of a franchise.

If a licensor sets out to offer a license that 1) allows the licensee to use the licensor’s brand name, 2) charges fees or royalties greater than $500 in the first six months and 3) has significant control or assistance over the licensee’s business activities/operations/marketing then that license is a franchise.

The fact is that when all three legs of the franchise definition are met the license is a franchise. You can try to call a franchise a license if you want, but this would be a perilous and reckless path to take.

Additionally, you can search all manner of Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs) which contain franchise agreements [online at California Electronic Access to Securities & Franchise Information].”

To this response, the individual that originally posted the discussion responded: “I was told by multiple sources that there is a difference.”

Response: “You are correct there is a difference between a license and franchise, however it is not a choice. It is determined by definition.

In other words, if you are going to license [your company] to a licensee, charge them an upfront fee and an ongoing royalty and direct them to use your system of services/marketing/operations then the license is a franchise.

If your license is by definition a franchise and you choose to ignore this fact then you are running a huge risk and the consequences in financial terms will make franchise compliance look cheap in comparison.”

I chimed in with a recommendation: “I highly recommend you read [an informative report] about the differences between franchising and licensing [by Rochelle B. Spandorf].”

I am sure the debate will continue as more and more individuals look for the easy and cheap way out. The long and the short of it is, “If it looks like a pig, and it smells like a pig, and it tastes like a pig… then it is a pig!” And, let’s keep one thing in mind – ignorance is not a defense in a court of law!

Google results: Franchising vs Licensing


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Franchisors Financially Helping Franchisees: A few thoughts

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helpRecently, I posted a discussion on the International Franchise Association group on LinkedIn about the topic of “Franchisors Financially Helping Franchisees.” Surprisingly, there were only a few responses on such an important topic.

The first responder stated, “…considering the economic conditions we’re dealing with. I’m interested in hearing what others are doing in this area.” I agreed and stated, “I just hope the franchise industry doesn’t put it’s head in the sand and expect things to be status quo. As I’ve mentioned in one of my blog posts, putting one’s head in the sand leaves a very important ass-et vulnerable for all the world to take advantage of. Not a pretty site!”

Anyway, I thank the franchise professionals that did share their thoughts. Every little bit helps in our dedication to franchise success at all levels.

A Director of Franchise Relations at a national franchise concept wrote: “We feel it is important to do what is within our means to help our franchisees succeed. After all, isn’t their success our success? We have waived royalties for franchisees that have experienced a slower ramp up, provided they are doing everything called for within our system.”

A Director of Franchise Development at a national franchise concept added: “We put a ton of resources behind the support we offer our franchisees both at the initial launch stage, and on an on-going basis. As such, we’ve viewed royalty waivers or reductions as methods that may help reduce some bleeding, but not as a means to turn things around. We would rather focus additional resources on local marketing and sales driving efforts designed to build sales and the franchisee onto solid footing. Cutting royalties only address on part of the problem without really getting to what may be the cause of the lower than expected performance in the first place. [Landlords] that indicate they want to see a franchisor reduce royalties as a condition of offering rent relief may not be aware of the investment already being made by the franchisor to help build sales. Ultimately, in our business, it is the ]landlord] that needs to live up to their end of the bargain in bringing traffic to the centers where our franchisees operate.”

And, the President of a business development organization rounded out the discussion by stating: “I think the decision to help and how to help is very complex. The franchisor has a lot to lose when a franchisee fails but not every franchisee will survive the current economic climate. If the franchisee is truly following the book, is capitalized as required, is willing to listen and not resist/mistrust the efforts of the franchisor, I believe the franchisor has an obligation to go well beyond what they might otherwise do. Sit down, assess the situation, formulate a mutually beneficial plan, get to work. A franchisor must never forget that the best and cheapest PR comes from its franchise system and that it cuts both ways!”


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Questions That Decision-Makers Ask About Social Media

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The following is a recent discussion in one of the Social Media groups on LinkedIn. As always, I’ll keep the individuals anonymous and only identify by their Linkedin description. The discussion was started by a Digital Marketing Consultant. Not only did he ask the question, he provided his answers as well.

questionsFive Questions Your Boss Will Ask About Social Media (and the answers)

1. Isn’t social media just a new type of ad?

No it’s more than that, it’s actually a whole new way of reaching clients. If you think of ads as one technique used to communicate your value to prospects, social media is a whole new channel to do this. Yes you can still communicate your value but rather than trying to cram it all into one sentence (as you would with an ad) you have to be a bit more patient.

2. Isn’t all this social media stuff expensive?

Well yes and no. From a cash investment perspective, most of the top online social media services are free of charge to register with. However, to really make an impact through these tools you need to spend a lot of time on them. You have to explore, see who’s talking about things related to your company and try to open up a dialogue with them in a non-creepy way.

3. But I hear it’s all a fad anyways

Certainly various social media services will come and go and some will be a bit more gimmicky than others, but the underlying principle of social media, transparency, is hard-coded into the very DNA of the world wide web. If you can build your social media ‘muscles’ on one tool you’ll quite easily be able to transfer this skill set and mentality to other tools.

4. It’s all very well to make ‘friends’ online but SHOW ME THE MONEY

There are clear cut and well documented examples of companies making money from social media. But it doesn’t quite work like a typical print/online ad. You’re not likely to get a flood of business from your first blog post, your first message on Twitter or your first video uploaded to Youtube. But as you start developing a base of followers you can really start to leverage the power of social media. Imagine having a few thousand online users following your every uttering on Twitter, or subscribing diligently to your blog updates. These become powerful channels for launching new products, promoting special offers and even testing products.

5. Ok, so I guess we’ll need to hire some guru to get us set up?

By all means if you can hire one of the multitude of talented social media gurus and specialist agencies. But I think you’d do just fine with a couple of diligent, friendly and passionate members of staff. After all, you and you’re staff know your product and your clients better than any guru. Also, in the world of social media, an authentic, if perhaps clumsy approach trumps a polished but scripted approach. People can usually see through that quite quickly and your credibility will drop dramatically.


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Employer Social Networking Policies: Part II

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The following was written by franchisEssentials Guest Author, Megan Erickson of the Dickinson Law Firm as follow up to Employer Social Networking Policies that we reposted on this site last week. As you may know, Megan is the author behind the recently launched Social Networking Law Blog.

In response to last week’s post, one of our readers commented, “I look forward to your further insights in this area. It is something that “MUST” be thought out by companies today. They really have two choices. A policy of engagement in the Social Networks or staying out altogether. And if they engage they need to seriously engage their employees and impress upon them how being active in social networking sites means that they are a representative of their company and that in the long term their actions will affect the company’s rep in the world.”

Employer Social Networking Policies: Pre-Drafting Considerations, Part II
by Megan Erickson of the Dickinson Law Firm

As [recently] noted, I plan to write a series of posts addressing social networking policies in the workplace. In [recent post] post, I discussed some things an employer may want to think about before drafting social networking policies — including some things to keep in mind when starting with a sample policy. I’ll build upon that by offering a few considerations here for employers to ponder as they begin thinking about drafting, updating, or maintaining a social media policy. This list is by no means exhaustive, but is meant to help employers focus on personalizing social networking policies (and hence, make them more effective).

* Don’t be afraid to take care of some groundwork before involving an attorney, but focus these initial efforts on identifying the company’s business interests, needs, goals, and expectations as they relate to the policy. This will make your lawyer’s job much easier, and may save your company time and money. For example, if you want to encourage social media use among your employees for marketing purposes, your policy will set the parameters within which your employees operate. The framework for such a policy will significantly differ from an employer whose primary goal in establishing a policy is something else (such as the protection of confidential information).

* Brainstorm how the policy should address both: (1) online activity which occurs on company time or using company resources (i.e., blogging at work, Facebooking on company laptops, etc.), and (2) online activity, regardless of when or where, which may have implications for your business (i.e., complaining about work on personal blog from personal computer after-hours that discloses trade secrets).

* Thoughtfully consider how far the restrictions should go. Keep in mind practical considerations. Not only do many studies suggest it’s not good for morale or recruiting to ban all social networking sites or Web 2.0, an all-out ban will be difficult to enforce. Take a realistic approach, and bear in mind ad-hoc policing could easily lead to selective enforcement issues down the road.

* How do you monitor employee technology use? Federal and state privacy laws should shape your policy.

* Consider quirks of your particular workplace technology that might present special considerations. For example: Do employees have company-issued web-enabled cell phones? Do you want policies addressing text messaging? Pagers? Off-duty conduct on company laptop during non-work hours?


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Franchise Success: The New Formula

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Recently, as I was preparing for the Frantelligence Webinar series with Franchise Business Review, Lizette Pirtle, the author of various blogs including Small Biz Franchise and International Expansion Experts, contacted me to discuss franchise client support, and being able to provide information to her franchise clients. I could immediately tell that she had a definitive passion and desire to help her clients and provide them the resources necessary to continue to build their brands.

franchise success the new formulaSince then, Lizette introduced me to her new blog and book, Franchise Success: The New Formula. Clearly, Lizette is an expert in franchise operations and training at franchisee and franchisor levels. Her more than 20 years franchise experience is expansive covering daily operations, marketing, communications and training. She is passionate about designing franchise operational and training systems that allow franchisees and franchisors achieve the success they seek. With a knack for breaking concepts down and creating efficient and effective processes, Lizette derives tremendous joy in assisting her clients discover and implement their vision. A preview of the book confirmed my thoughts about Lizette’s passion and desire. The book is a definite must-read for anyone in franchising.

Would You Like a Complimentary Copy?

To download a complimentary copy of the book, please click HERE. Once you’re directed to the “Get the Book” page, scroll down to the “Do You Have a Gift Code?” section and look for the “Courtesy of Paul Segreto of franchisEssentials” link. Click the “Download” button and when prompted, type in the case-sensitive Gift Promotion password, “franchisEssentials1” to receive your complimentary copy. All we ask is that once you read the book, please let Lizette know your thoughts, comments, suggestions or stories HERE.

Would you like more than an e-copy? If so, the actual book may be purchased on Amazon.com!


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Local Business Listing, Search Engine Rankings and Mobile Devices

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The following article has been submitted by Guest Author, Melih (“may-lee”) Oztalay. Melih is CEO of SmartFinds Internet Marketing, an internet marketing company known for developing very creative marketing strategies. Before starting SmartFinds, Melih ran one of the Detroit Metropolitan area’s premiere Internet Service Providers (ISP), SpeedLink, from the early 1990’s where he served for nearly a decade as President and CEO. In the new century he has pursued taking the creative and marketing services from his experience in the 1990’s to businesses via SmartFinds Internet Marketing. franchisEssentials is honored to have Melih as one of its Guest Authors.

local-listingLocal Business Listing, Search Engine Rankings and Mobile Devices
by Melih Oztalay, CEO at SmartFinds Internet Marketing

There has been an ongoing difficulty for small local businesses to benefit from the Internet. Particularly if they are completely dependent upon the local market. Yes, those businesses still do exist and will continue to exist. As technology has been developing, there is an answer for the local business. It comes in the form of the major search engines having free local listings.

What Are Business Local Listings? In summary this is your free yellow page listings by Google, Yahoo and Microsoft. Do you still need to advertise with the Yellow Pages? This need is definitely dwindling. The upcoming generations are using the Internet and their mobile phones. Most probably are not familiar with the hard copy yellow pages. Baby-Boomers are a growing group of mobile device users…and certainly EVERYONE is using the Internet.

Why Use the Local Business Listings? There are a number of reasons why the Internet local business listings are important to the local business.

1. Listings can show up in search results
2. Helps advertise business for free
3. Helps promote any discounts, offers, promotions
4. Displays on Mobile maps (e.g. iPhone)

The benefits help to increase your exposure through the Internet with this free listing. It can help you reduce your yellow page costs and makes sure you can get in front of your customers when they need you through the Internet or their mobile devices as they are around town.

Additionally these local listings help give you the opportunity to get more information in front of your customers than the yellow pages can ever offer. This would include your menus, your products, services, photos, videos, coupons, offers, promotions to mention a few.

Did we mention this was a free listing? Did we also mention you can update this listing anytime you want? And, lastly, you get statistics about your statistics. Now we’re confident the yellow pages cannot provide statistics. The benefits far outweigh the costs from the hard copy yellow pages.

Do you need your own website? No. Would it benefit you? Possibly, but dependent upon your business. Your free local business listing could be your website. The reason for having your own website would be because the free local business listing is not allowing you to add everything a customer may wish to see.

Like everything else on the Internet, it is best to work with a professional firm that can help get this setup for you. You have to be sure to have the right keywords for your business, along with knowing how to get the listing up to date so it benefits with immediately. Once the local business listing has been updated you can either maintain the information yourself or continue having a low cost monthly fee to have it maintained and monitored for you.

Monitoring your listing is very important as customers have the ability to post reviews about your products, services and business. Of course their ability to review you are not limited to the local business listing and include everything from Angie’s List to Complaint Boards on the web. While this may sound like a negative, you can turn customers with problems and complaints to long term relationship. You have to address their concerns and have them reach out to you instead of the Internet with their emotional frustrations.

Whether you are a single store, have multiple locations, are a franchise or a bank with multiple branches, you will want to learn more about local business listings. Learn more about Local Business Listings and submitting them to the search engines and other local related business websites and directories at SmartFinds Local Business Listings.


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Employer Social Networking Policies

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social media and the lawThe following was written by franchisEssentials Guest Author, Megan Erickson of the Dickinson Law Firm. Megan recently started Erickson’s Blog on Social Networking and the Law. The blog addresses legal issues relating to social media and Web 2.0. Megan states, “This blog is in its early stages, so I hope you’ll continue to check back as I add content and get a chance to make improvements.”

Rush Nigut, who publishes the blog, Rush on Business, recently posted, “Now that’s a blog that will have a never ending flow of posts. She already has an interesting array of posts… This is one blog I’ll be sure to follow.”

Employer Social Networking Policies: Pre-Drafting Considerations & Dangers of Sample Policies
by Megan Erickson of the Dickinson Law Firm

Employers often want to know more about permissible or effective social networking policies for their employees. Of course, there’s no such thing as a “one size fits all” social media policy for employers, but I think readers might find it helpful if we took some time to address important considerations involved in drafting, updating, or maintaining a policy addressing employees’ online activities. With that goal in mind, I’m going to begin a series of entries specifically tackling some of those issues.

Pre-Drafting Considerations

These issues arise even before the policy drafting begins — so that’s where we’ll start. The planning stage of an employer’s social networking policy defines the later effectiveness of the policy. It may be wise for information technology personnel, human resources professionals, other internal company decisionmakers, and legal counsel to sit down together to determine the employer’s business interests, needs, goals, and expectations under the yet-to-be-drafted policy.

Sample Policies or Model Guidelines: Don’t Forget to Assess the Company’s Unique Needs

It’s important to keep in mind that although model policies or sample guidelines may offer some helpful “nuggets,” those policies derive from unique business considerations – which may or may not align with the business interests of other companies. For example, many employers look to the IBM Social Computing Guidelines – one of the first publicly available social media policies. While I do think IBM’s policies are lovely, all the attention given to IBM’s guidelines (and model policies in general) easily distracts employers and discourages them from carefully analyzing their own unique objectives.

As a technology company, IBM has been motivated to actively encourage employee use of social networking. Other employers probably do not have the same motivations. More than 10 years ago, when most employers were trying to limit employees’ online activity, IBM was encouraging its employees to use, learn, and participate in online activity; the company continues to advocate its employees’ participation in Web 2.0. The overarching business interests of a technology company like IBM (i.e., promoting use of online media for marketing and business reasons) may conflict with the overarching business interests of other employers (i.e., perhaps a greater need to protect proprietary business information).

In sum, if human resources professionals at Acme, Inc. look to a sample policy for drafting guidance, they should always bear in mind that the fundamental principles underlying IBM’s (or anyone else’s) guidelines may not best serve the interests of Acme. At the risk of sounding very “lawyer,” I now point out the obvious: social networking policies, as with most employment policies, require individualized attention and should be specifically tailored to the needs of each employer.

Sample Policies or Model Guidelines: Quality Control

The other problem with examples found online is quality control. Googling “social networking policies” may give an internet user a list of results, but it generally doesn’t disclose things like: who drafted the samples, the employer’s jurisdiction and applicable law, or the business interests driving the policy. In other words, the policy could have been drafted by an idiot, it might address too much or too little, and Company A may be focused on helping its sales team effectively use Facebook as a marketing tool while Company B just wants to keep its associates from divulging confidential financial information on MySpace.

Without properly assessing the business interests and concerns the employer wants or expects its social media policy to address, the resulting policy will be of little value to the employer. Before drafting any guidelines, employers should focus on the fundamental framework for and guiding principles behind their anticipated policies.


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The 5th Annual Franchisee Satisfaction Awards

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FBR awardsThe Franchisee Satisfaction Awards sponsored by Franchise Business Review are the industry’s most prestigious awards, honoring excellence in franchising. Each year, Franchise Business Review conducts thousands of independent surveys of franchisees across the industry. The Franchisee Satisfaction Awards recognize the leading franchise companies with the highest levels of overall satisfaction among their franchise operators.

Franchise Business Review presents awards to the top rated franchises in 17 industry categories: Advertising & Sales, Automotive, Business Services, Child Services, Cleaning & Maintenance, Financial & Tax, Food, Health & Beauty, Home Services, Pet Services, Real Estate, Specialty Retail, Senior Care, Services, Sports & Recreation, Technology and Travel & Hospitality. The top franchise within each category is also honored with a Best Franchise in Category award. Additionally, franchise companies are recognized in other categories including investment level, overall system size, most improved satisfaction, and Franchise of the Year.

Since 2005, nearly 500 leading franchise systems have participated in Franchise Business Review’s annual Franchisee Satisfaction Awards. 150 of those franchise businesses have been recognized for their system’s excellence, as rated and reviewed by their own franchisees.


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