Best practices is a hot buzzword right now, but don’t get lost in a jargon black hole. What it really boils down to is business development — taking the company you’ve got and helping to transform it into something to be admired.

 During an Oct. 30 news media call, International Franchise Association Pres. and CEO Steve Caldeira, CFE, announced plans to file a Freedom of Information Act request with the National Labor Relations Board. The association is requesting the reasoning behind NLRB General Counsel Richard Griffin’s recent recommendation that franchisors and franchisees can be considered “joint employers” in labor-practice complaints. 

Exceptional customer service enables an underdog franchise brand to use public opinion to boost the perceived value of its merchandise.

Overseas expansion can be very profitable, but careful consideration is required.

Brands that create authentic, meaningful and unique interactions and experiences will have better odds of sustained success with millennials. Millennials account for more than 21 percent of consumer discretionary purchases.

Today, marketing technology tools offer the most effective ways to manage your brand’s reputation both nationally and at the local franchise level. If you’re not using a marketing technology tool, online reputation management can easily demand lots of time.

Companies with fewer than 1,000 employees are nearly twice as likely to be attacked electronically.

Centralized marketing solutions allow you and your franchisees to more effectively and more efficiently tell their stories, engage with their audiences.

Growing a brand throughout a region is not an easy task, especially for those with no previous business experience. It takes time and dedication, but when you have the right group of people working together with the same goal in mind, anything can be achieved.

The most effective regional developer programs tend to be winning scenarios for both the franchisor and the developer.