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Visitor Success Stories

 

Thousands Of People Are Now Successful Franchise Owners

The National Franchise Show is more than a showcase of incredibly successful franchise operations. It is a starting point for big change for many people looking to make a leap in their career path. These are some of our favourite stories - people who came to the show, found their franchise match, invested, believed, and grew something spectacular.

"After university graduation I spent five years working as a professional engineer in a large corporation, after which I decided to try it on my own. Ten years and three different enterprises later I was still searching for a career with a higher purpose. More and more I realized the need for support and more security, and thus I began investigating the Kumon Math & Reading Centre franchise opportunity.

The application and selection process was very professional, it was thorough yet still pleasant, and I immediately sensed Kumon's desire to achieve the establishment of a successful centre. After the first year of operation I reached the enrollment goal established in my business plan, and now 18 months later, I am feeling more and more confident that I have chosen the right franchise."

- Mr. Lotfi Sansa - Certified Kumon Instructor & Franchisee
Kumon Math & Reading Centre of Montréal - Ahuntsic/St-Michel Nord

"I attended the 2013 Atlanta Franchise Show where I met Leslie Kuban of FranNet. I was already looking at a variety of franchises but was confused as to how to move forward from what I'd read and seen up to that point. Having been in the corporate world my whole career, most recently as a Regional Sales Director, franchising and starting a business was a very new animal to me.

The best part of the Show was the various presentations given by knowledgeable and well-spoken professionals. FranNet's presentation on Ten Big Mistakes to Avoid when Choosing a Franchise was especially helpful in shaping my understanding of exploring franchising in a productive way.

I promptly scheduled an appointment with Leslie Kuban of FranNet for after the Show. Leslie assisted me through the exploration and due diligence process with several different franchise brands. I was pleasantly surprised by what opportunities existed and was even more surprised to find myself choosing a Master Franchise opportunity. I launched my franchise in January 2014 and am growing according to my plan and projections. Attending the Franchise Show was a win for me and my family! "

- Jim Gillespie

"I had considered the idea of owning a pub, restaurant or sport bar for many years, but felt that I had to wait for my children to be done with school before making the leap to business ownership. I attended the Franchise Show in San Diego even though I wasn't quite ready to leave the security of my full-time job. At the Show I met Tim from Rosati's Pizza. I had never heard of Rosati's Pizza before attending the Franchise Show. Having the opportunity for a face-to-face conversation with the Head of Development was perfect for me. I was able to get all my questions answered without having to search online for hours. After the show I drove to Temecula to a Rosati's Pizza location for dinner. I met with the Franchisee of the store and he told me his story and experience with Rosati's. That was it - I was sold! I called my wife and said "we have to do this!" Nine months later we opened the doors to our very own Rosati's Pub.

Life is very different now. After a year of hard work we now have the operation running smoothly to the degree that my wife and I are able to come and go and enjoy more family time.

When I was working my corporate job I found myself missing significant events in my children's lives. Now, I am able to arrange my work day to watch soccer games and spend time as a family.

Working with Rosati's has been a fantastic experience. They are very supportive in helping me grow my business. In fact, I just recently learned that my location has the highest sales per square foot in the entire Franchise chain! That is the great thing about Franchising - my success is their success!

If I had not attended the San Diego Franchise Expo I would never had learned of Rosati's Pizza and not started this new and exciting chapter in my life. If someone is considering business ownership, I highly suggest visiting a show. Having all the options in one room is a great way to learn about new opportunities. You can set your own plan for success."

"I visited the Franchise Show while on lunch break from another event I was attending at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta. At the time, I was working a corporate job and seeing layoffs happening regularly. Watching people lose their jobs forced me to think about creating my own financial security. I remember walking through the show and looking at all the amazing opportunities.

I actually walked by 360clean 3 times because I didn't think that cleaning would be a good fit for me. The owner of the brand stopped me as I was on my way out and explained the business and the benefits of the cleaning industry. He was easy to talk to and sincere; I had to learn more. The business model was solid, the support team was very hands-on and the franchise fees were fair; so, I decided to become a 360clean franchisee. A year later, I was the 360clean Rookie of the Year, and running a business that I was truly proud of. The Show was in the right place at the right time, and filled with the right people. That, folks, is probably the best lunch break I have ever taken!"

"When I stopped in to visit the Franchise Show a couple of months ago, I hardly thought I'd walk out with a Franchise in my pocket, but that's exactly what happened.

My first impression of Garry at the Curb Ease booth was positive. I listened to his story, which unfolded at my pace, not his. Despite my obvious enthusiasm Garry made it clear that a prospective Curb-Ease franchisee would have to be the right fit. I was glad they weren't just selling franchises to anyone that happened by. The message was that Curb Ease wanted a network of trained professionals to represent the brand. And, they wanted those professionals to be successful. This appealed to me. Also appealing was the fact that there were already many systems in place, systems that Curb-Ease has been perfecting since the company started. There were systems and procedures for advertising, franchise exposure, customer leads, customer service, and an accounting system. There was also was head office support.

Within 10 minutes, I'd formulated a plan. I called my son Joel first.

If I was going to be able to pull this off, I'd need a partner, and he was it. Joel is 23, and had just graduated from the business program at The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. After explaining the concept, Joel jumped on board without hesitation.

Next I called my wife, Betty. Betty sells new homes, is intuitive, very good with people, and is an excellent judge of character. She is dedicated to our family and loves to travel (and she also loves the occasional glass of wine!). After a quick explanation we agreed that we should all come back the next day and talk.

Betty, Joel and I returned the next day and reviewed all of the stuff Garry and I had talked about. Betty was sold and Joel was already on board. He could see the potential. So, as a family we made the decision to apply for an opportunity to buy a Curb-Ease Franchise. We waited for the answer, and then one day it came. We were in. The rest is, and will be, History."

"I discovered Firehouse Subs at the Franchise Show. I was out looking for a career change... and the Franchise Show proved to be worthwhile. I especially enjoyed the workshops. I attended all of them!

There were two in particular - one had to do with 'due dillegence' and learning how to select a franchise. The second best one had to do with 'understanding the various financing options available'. Attending the show was one of the best decisions I have made, and it led me to my decision to join the Firehouse Subs Team."

- Alicia Hughes, Firehouse Subs Franchisee

"I have owned a couple of small private businesses in the past, but I have always dreamt of owning a business that afforded me the opportunity of achieving financial freedom. I was always hesitant to take action as I was reluctant to give up the security of my long-standing full-time job with a great salary and benefits.

About two years ago, I heard a commercial on the radio for the Jacksonville Franchise Show and decided to attend. I figured it would be a great, no pressure way to research business ownership options. I had already done enough research to know that owning a franchise was the safest and easiest way to start a business. My visit to that event ended up being the best business decision I had ever made.

Visiting the show was a great way to compare and contrast a variety of business ownership options in many industries and at all investment levels.

RaceWay Stores is one of the many options I found at the Show. I was surprised to see them there as I didn't know they offered a business opportunity. At the event I was able to talk directly with their key development people and soon after made the decision to join the RaceWay family. Two years later, I'm still gainfully employed, but see early retirement on the horizon. I now have two RaceWay locations and will be opening my third very soon. RaceWay has been a very supportive and wonderful company to work with and build my little empire. I have a manager that helps run the day to day business for me, but I am very involved. I love working at the stores and greeting customers and I visit at least one of my locations every day.

My advice to anyone who is looking to own their own business is to visit a Franchise Show. There are so many options all in one place, free educational seminars and the opportunity to speak with a real person. Keep an open mind, look for something that fits your goals and lifestyle because what you think is the right business for you may not be. There are so many options you are certain to find something that will work with your skills and experience at the show.

I am very happy that I went to the show, as it has afforded me the opportunity to realize my dream of business ownership and financial freedom."

- Ron Nelson, RaceWay Franchisee

"We attended a Franchise Show 5 years ago, not knowing what to expect. We knew we wanted to be business owners and felt that attending the show would be a good way to start looking at options.

We walked through the show and talked to many different exhibitors, but our interest was piqued by Universal Windows Direct.

We exchanged information at the show and made plans to continue the conversations. Sixty days later, we opened for business - and our lives were changed forever! If we hadn't attended the Franchise Show, we would still have been thinking and researching, 60 days later. The Show was the kick-start we needed."

- Ron Nelson, RaceWay Franchisee

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