The IFA will celebrate the success of small business franchising during National Franchising Week, October 17-22. The week will include a variety of activities, including a trip to Washington, D.C., by franchisors and franchisees. They plan to meet with their elected representatives to discuss the benefits of franchising.
"We want everyone to know the benefits of the franchise business strategy and the contributions that small-business franchisees and their franchisor partners make to the U.S. economy," said IFA President Don DeBolt. "Our franchisee members tell us they couldn't have made it without the help and support of their franchisors. The relationship between them is crucial to the success of both."
IFA's board of directors and member-run committees will also meet during the week to advance the association's goal of responsible franchising. The Minorities in Franchising Committee, Women's Franchise Committee and Franchisee Advisory Council will address such issues as franchising's role in economic revitalization, barriers to the advancement of women and minorities, and fostering communication between franchisees and the home office.
Perhaps the most interesting feature of National Franchising Week will be the small business franchising awards planned for three franchises.
Eileen Caccavone and Jan Pitman were full-time moms in the 1980s. But by the early 1990s, they decided to start a small business. The two friends took a chance by becoming the first franchisees of the new Just-A-Buck dollar store concept. With virtually no business experience-Caccavone had never held a job-they entered a competitive industry and grew the operation to five stores in New York's Hudson Valley region. The two have done so well that their husbands sold their businesses and now work for their wives.
Kerren Sargent was a single mom in a new town. She had no income, no friendsand no relatives in the area when she attempted to open a newly-created Cookies By Design franchise in San Diego. After overcoming difficulties in obtaining financing, she faced numerous setbacks, including the breakdown of her dough mixer the day before Valentine's Day and the walkout of her baker just before the Christmas rush. But Sargent persevered. Hard work and creative local marketing efforts have put her near the top of the nearly 200 Cookies By Design stores in the United States.
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