San Jose, Ca. – The International Franchise Association’s (IFA) Open for Opportunity Roadshow stop in San Jose wrapped up yesterday afternoon after a back-of-house tour of a local franchise and a roundtable discussion with community leaders and elected officials on the opportunities provided to California workers through franchising. B-roll video of the roadshow is available for download and use on-air and online here (attributable to IFA).

“San Jose has countless stories of local franchise business owners who are living their own American Dream because of the opportunity they found in franchising,” said Mike Layman, Senior Vice President of Federal Government Relations for IFA. “Our discussions today focused on how franchising can provide equitable opportunities for workers from all different backgrounds and how the industry helps uplift and strengthen the San Jose community. Because of the commitment from local leaders, franchisees, and franchise brands, I am confident the San Jose franchise community will continue growing and prospering.”

“As a proud member of the LGBTQ community, I can attest to the opportunities franchising provides to people from all walks of life. And the business model empowers me to prioritize diversity and equity among staff and everyone we serve,” said Alex Johnson, local Cinnabon franchisee business owner. “If there is one thing I’ve learned as a local business owner, it’s that we must protect franchising so it continues to provide opportunities to people like me.”

“At the San Jose Chamber of Commerce, we believe that economic diversity and vibrancy is key to our region’s growth and prosperity. And the success of our community depends in large part on the success of our local businesses,” said Derrick Seaver, President & CEO of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce. “Our local franchise businesses are helping to drive success here and throughout the state. The franchise business model creates opportunities for people to go into business for themselves, helping to create a path to economic equity for so many of our fellow residents.”

California is home to more than 75,000 local franchise establishments that employ more than 728,000 people. The industry provides nearly $30 billion in payroll, generates nearly $70 billion in economic output, and contributes more than $43 billion to California’s gross state product.

Open for Opportunity – which officially launched at IFA’s Annual Convention in San Diego and has stopped in South Florida, Philadelphia, and Wilmington – focuses on sharing the stories of local franchise owners and workers from around the country to demonstrate the positive impact they have on economic growth, job creation, and the communities in which they operate. The San Jose roadshow stop included back-of-house tours and a roundtable discussion with franchisees, local elected officials, and business and community leaders.

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About the International Franchise Association:

Celebrating over 60 years of excellence, education, and advocacy, the International Franchise Association (IFA) is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations, and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the approximately 775,000 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.2 million direct jobs, $787.7 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy, and almost 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees, and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology, and business development.

 

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Katherine Knight Patterson

Email:

kpatterson@franchise.org

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