Inaugural Year of IFA Franship Program Provides Insight Into Industry

Franchising World October 2011

By: John Rotche

A favorite business mantra throughout my career and life has been “We are who we are because of the people that come into our life.” This mantra led me to help launch and spearhead the IFA’s Franship Program in 2010. Looking back on the program’s inaugural year has provided insight into the industry and forged bonds between different franchisors in administration, operations, sales and marketing, as well as strengthened relationships between suppliers and franchisees.

The mentoring program was designed to provide franchisees, franchisors and suppliers the opportunity to share best practices along with strategic positioning and advice from some of franchising’s premiere leaders. Franship has 16 mentors serving as ambassadors and collectively mentoring more than 50 different franchisors, franchisees and suppliers. The program has converted over 80 percent of non-IFA members that reached out to Franship for assistance who have since become members of IFA.

Finding myself on the “other side of the desk” and talking with members of the industry that were seeking advice and knowledge about their own franchises, it became obvious that the industry needed a mentorship program. While the franchising community has always leaned on each other for support, the Franship mentoring program lends structure and formality to the process.

Access to Expert Advice
For instance, Melanie Bergeron, CFE, chairwoman of the Board of Two Men And A Truck and a member of the IFA Board of Directors, now mentors two franchisors on a regular basis as a part of Franship. She was honored to be a part of Franship because of her own experience starting out in the industry.

“When Two Men And A Truck first joined the IFA, the networking and help was like a fresh glass of water in the desert,” said Bergeron. “We were desperate for information and everyone we met kindly took us under their wing, it was amazing. This is why I’m eager to give back.”

And give back she has. Bergeron gets a lot accomplished on brief phone calls and e-mails with her mentees and says that it is not time consuming. She also adds that it is rewarding to give advice and encouragement and then watch these emerging franchisors take their businesses to the next level. “I even attended one of my mentee’s (Painting with a Twist) first annual convention,” added Bergeron. “They did such a great job. It is so rewarding to give recommendations, see them being used, then to be included in their event. The whole experience is incredibly heartwarming.”

Susan Black-Beth, CFE, COO of Super Wash Inc., has also found the mentorship/mentee relationship established by Franship to be a winning situation. “I mentor one executive, a franchisor with a fresh concept getting ready to open her first location. The concept is targeted at young children and families, which is of great interest to me because I have two small children,” said Black-Beth. “I’ve worked with my mentee on such areas as her development program, infrastructure, recommendations of who to work with, etc. All the while she has shared her expertise with families and children with me, so as I’ve been mentoring her in her business life, she has been mentoring me in my personal life. It’s been wonderful to develop this mutual rewarding friendship through Franship.”

“The Franship program is about giving back to an industry and association that has given so much to me,” added Black-Beth. “For the past year, Franship has been a great resource for our members whether new or seasoned,” said Paul Rocchio, IFA director, development and member services. “The program is beneficial in helping them understand the benefits of the IFA and the people involved in it love it, both mentors and mentees.”

Not only is Franship beneficial for franchisors, but it has made an impact on franchisees and suppliers in the industry. Tabbassum Mumtaz, multi-unit franchisee with 152 units from KFC to Long John Silver’s and Taco Bell, and serves as a member of the IFA Board of Directors, is a mentor to several new franchisees of Yum! Brands and other brands looking to enter the QSR world of franchising. “Starting from the beginning when they get into the franchising world, I am able to help them with the interview process and evaluate the deal to see if it is a win-win situation for them,” said Mumtaz. “I also offer advice on legal, administrative and even lending issues. Someone held my hand and helped me grow; it is my responsibility to help others grow.”

Personal Path to Mentorship
These stories remind me of lessons I learned as a mentee in my own career and about the power of mentorship.
After being recruited to play linebacker for the University of Michigan football program under legendary coach Bo Schembechler, I suffered a career-ending injury which resulted in my becoming a quadriplegic. After a complete recovery, I had the opportunity to work alongside Schembechler while serving on his coaching staff.

What resonates most for me throughout that experience is Schembechler truly understood his role as a head football coach was to groom and develop young players into becoming strong men of character and integrity. Of course, winning was important at Michigan, but he knew that if he invested in mentoring these young men and focused on making them better people, winning was sure to follow. Under Schembechler’s leadership, Michigan had the best winning percentage of all Division 1 football programs, while consistently leading the NCAA in graduation rates among his players.

Upon graduation, Schembechler sent me to see his friend Tom Monaghan (founder of Domino’s Pizza) for a job at their Ann Arbor, Mich.-based World Headquarters. I, of course, just assumed because we won the Big Ten Championship three out of the last four years that Monaghan would be so honored to have me join his team that I was sure to be granted an executive position with the company. I quickly realized after they issued me a pizza delivery uniform that it was not going to be that easy.

Monaghan had a wonderful way of keeping one humble and teaching life lessons along the way. In doing so, the first job I had with him was to deliver pizzas for the University of Michigan Domino’s Pizza store. This meant I would have to deliver pizzas to the Michigan Football team every Sunday after a home game while they would review the prior day’s game films. Did I mention, Monaghan had a wonderful way of keeping one humble?

In all seriousness, Monaghan was very much like Schembechler, a dynamic leader that leads by example. He believes that his role is to help make those around him better and stronger people and in doing so, success within the business was sure to follow.

After Monaghan sold Domino’s, I spent four years with Krispy Kreme and then purchased a small, one van air duct cleaning business as a passive investment. After my son was born and diagnosed with some severe respiratory illnesses, I soon learned that having my air ducts cleaned would help provide relief to my son. This led me to resign from Krispy Kreme and focus on growing this small business to provide relief for other children suffering from similar illnesses.

After understanding the fragmented landscape of the business, I felt there was an opportunity to take the company national through the franchising model. Although I spent the past 10-plus years working within the franchising industry, I had no clue of how to start a franchise business.

In comes the next mentor into my life, David McKinnon. McKinnon (former IFA Entrepreneur of the Year), chairman of Service Brands International (Molly Maid, Mr. Handyman, 1-800 Dry Clean, and ProTect Painters) took me under his wing and helped guide me though the early years of franchising my company, DUCTZ. DUCTZ grew to 175 locations in about four years whereas I then sold the company to the property restoration giant, Belfor.

BELFOR, of course, was not in the franchising business and I didn’t have McKinnon in the office down the hall for me to run to every time I had a question, idea, or problem. So I had to turn to IFA for support. The wealth of knowledge from many of the IFA members not only helped me continue to grow DUCTZ, but helped me to start another brand, HOODZ (cleans commercial restaurant hoods), and grow this business to more than 140 locations in 18 months. I am very grateful for all of the leaders and mentors that have helped me along the way, and I believe Franship will have the opportunity to impact many others businesses and lives in a similar way.

To learn more about Franship, visit

https://www.franchise.org/

franship.aspx . John Rotche, CFE, is the president of Ann Arbor, Mich.-based BELFOR. Franchise Group Inc., a multi-concept franchise system. The company’s two franchise concepts, DUCTZ and HOODZ, center on the compliance and proper maintenance of commercial kitchen hoods and residential and commercial air duct, carpet and upholstery cleaning services. He can be reached at 734-864-9799

John.Rotche@belfrangroup.com

.