FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Alisa Harrison, 202-628-8000

Matthew Haller, 202-662-0770

aharrison@franchise.org

mhaller@franchise.org

@franchising411

IFA PARTNERS WITH THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU TO INCREASE RESPONSE RATES FOR THE 2012 ECONOMIC CENSUS

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2012 – International Franchise Association President and CEO Steve Caldeira today urged franchise business owners to be on the lookout for the 2012 Economic Census forms, which will begin to arrive next month.

“If you are one of the four million business owners who receive the 2012 Economic Census form this fall, please take a few minutes and fill it out promptly,” said Caldeira. “Timely and accurate responses translate to better information about the industry and its role in the U.S. economy. As we work to spread the word about the economic impact of franchising to the U.S. among policy makers, the media, lenders and prospective franchise owners, having the best government data available is critically important.”

The Economic Census is the official 5-year measure of American business. Forms will be mailed between October and December 2012. Forms will be due by Feb. 12, 2013 and the data will be released beginning in late 2013 or early 2014. Collected during years ending in “2” and “7”, Economic Census results serve as the foundation for the gross domestic product (GDP) and other indicators of economic performance.

“Information from the Economic Census illustrates the significant contribution franchise businesses make that touches nearly every U.S. community. The partnership forged between the IFA and the Census Bureau will ensure the high quality and importance of the data from the upcoming 2012 Economic Census,” said Thomas L. Mesenbourg Jr., acting director, U.S. Census Bureau.

Caldeira applauded the work of the U.S. Census Bureau in ensuring that franchise business categories are included in the Economic Census.

“With so many challenges facing the franchise sector, our efforts to educate policy makers about the economic prowess of franchising has never been more relevant. When we point to data that show how franchise businesses compare to non-franchise businesses with regard to more jobs created and more economic output generated, that’s very powerful,” said Caldeira. “We rely on the U.S. Census data as the foundation for our economic analysis and we very much appreciate the commitment of the dedicated staff at the Census Bureau to ensure we have the most reliable data as possible.”

Caldeira said to help get the word out about the 2012 Census, which collects basic data about the number of employees, payroll, and the value of goods or services produced in 2012, the Census Bureau for the first time in history has developed a franchise industry page on the agency’s web site. At the web site, franchise business owners can learn more about the Economic Census and preview their Census form. The page, launched this week, is located at www.business.census.gov/franchising.

The page can also be accessed via the IFA web site www.franchise.org/census.

“Please respond promptly if you receive a form,” Caldeira said. “As the Economic Census tagline says, your response makes a difference.”

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About the International Franchise Association

The International Franchise Association is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. Celebrating over 50 years of excellence, education and advocacy, IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising. Through its media awareness campaign highlighting the theme, Franchising: Building Local Businesses, One Opportunity at a Time, IFA promotes the economic impact of the more than 825,000 franchise establishments, which support nearly 18 million jobs and $2.1 trillion of economic output for the U.S. economy. IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law and business development.