Franchise Interviews

We are meeting with Clay Sanger of JINYA Ramen Bar: JINYA Ramen Bar was founded by Tomo Takahashi in 2010. His parents were restaurateurs in his native Japan, but he frequently visited the United States. Throughout his teenage and college years, he became obsessed with the goal of opening an authentic ramen restaurant on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. In 2010, Tomo made his vision a reality and opened the first JINYA Ramen Bar in Studio City, California. The restaurant was a communal eating experience utilizing community tables, a welcoming environment accompanied by modern interiors and an authentic Japanese menu. People were falling in love with the authentic Japanese noodles and broth, you couldn't find anywhere else. In 2012, Tomo and his team began franchising JINYA Ramen Bar - the first and only gourmet ramen franchise in the U.S. Fast forward to today and there are 35 locations from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. and everywhere in between. The franchise has received praise from prolific late L.A. Times restaurant critic Jonathan Gold, and Hollywood stars are always coming in for their insatiable ramen fix.

This week (May 30 to June 1) Franchise Interviews will be visiting the International Franchise Expo in New York at the legendary Javits Center. Many refer to this show as the Super Bowl of franchising. Today you will hear numerous interviews on how to prepare for a franchise show.First you will hear our conversation with Tom Portesy, the President of Mart Franchise Ventures Expositions.  Mr. Portesy will discuss what aspiring frantrepreneurs can expect from a franchise show.  Next you will hear our interview with the franchise expert Terry Corkery who gives his advice to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to buy a franchise as well as some fantastic tips on attending franchise shows. The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, or Javits Center is a large convention center located on Eleventh Avenue, between 34th and 40th streets, on the West side of Manhattan in New York. http://www.ifeinfo.com/ Top 10 Reasons You Should Attend The International Franchise Expo: Meet face-to-face with over 400 of the top franchise brands. Get educated on how to be successful from the start through the over 70 free seminars offered. Understand the financial model of franchising. Meet with financial experts on how to best fund your franchise, and how to budget for your future. Dig deeper into the nuances of franchising through attending in-depth educational workshops. Meet with leading consultants to understand how to pick the right franchise for you. Explore the benefits of being in business for yourself, not by yourself. Discover opportunities in industries that are new or that you might not have considered. Understand the difference between becoming a franchisee and an area developer, and what to consider when making this decision.

We have a great show today. We are speaking with the co-founders of the Central Bark® franchise system Jackie Jordan and Chris Gaba.  Jackie and Chris began this journey over 15 years ago with a vision that every dog deserves the very best care in a safe and clean environment.  Central Bark has taken day care to a whole new level with their unique “Whole Dog Care” approach, which integrates a full range of fun services specially balanced to nurture your dog’s whole health – their physical, mental and emotional well-being. These services and products adapt with your dog as they grow and develop, helping nurture and support them throughout their whole lifetime.  In part three we are joined by franchise expert Chris Simnick.   With over 2 million total dog visits to the Central Bark Doggy Day Care system and as the pioneer in creating the “UnKennel” franchise concept, the company has developed multiple streams of revenue, which includes grooming to training and retail ensuring that business is not limited to only day care and sleepovers. Maintaining consistency and continuity of care creates not only a home away from home for the dogs, but the safest possible social environment.

We are meeting with Bryan McMahon, CFO of Open Works.  When you compare OpenWorks to other companies in their industry, you’ll find that there is a clear difference. Unlike their competitors that simply maintain facilities, Openworks is the only facility services company that strives to create results that are measurable and add value to your business.  OpenWorks Difference Guaranteed customers, NO selling requiredWe train our franchisees on not only how to do the commercial cleaning, but how to manage a business and be a successful business ownerEquipment package includedInitial & ongoing training included The Brand OpenWorks is a trusted brand that was established in 1983Financially Strong: $30 million+ in revenueFull-time partnership opportunity The Commercial Cleaning Industry $150+ billion a year industryRecession-resistant industry & necessary service An OpenWorks franchise is not just about cleaning buildings when employees go home at the end of the day – it’s about harnessing your professional motivations and teaming up with a recognized leader. It’s about joining an innovative organization that is revolutionizing an industry that is dedicated to quality by providing exceptional services that are an essential part of business.

We are meeting with the founder of Delta Restoration Services Mike Mastous.  Delta Restoration Services has tripled its presence in the past 12 months and is set to add several dozen more locations this year. The property restoration franchisor is investing heavily in its training and support functions, including building a state-of-the-art flood house training facility in Denver. Mike Mastous conceptualized Delta after spending his career in the restoration industry operating restoration companies, adjusting for insurance carriers, and helping other brands expand into restoration. The full-service model was not an option for the customer or for insurance companies to use at the time. Micheal saw this opening and has been on a quest to fill it since 2006. Having our Founder and President driving the company’s daily operations and constantly looking for new opportunities for efficiency and profitability allows all franchises to take advantage of the native operational acumen and operational experience in real time. Support is always a phone call away. In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with Juliette Schmerler.  Juliette is the Creative Director and Founder of Sparktank Franchise Marketing. Sparktank's "franchise growth program" focuses on helping franchisors find new franchisees with powerful marketing materials and "outside the box" lead generation campaigns. Juliette's inspiration for helping franchises grow comes from the amazing opportunities she has seen her clients provide for new entrepreneurs to fulfill their dreams of business ownership. She loves being part of sharing each brand's story and spreading the word about their franchise opportunity. In part two, we play a clip with Michael Gerber from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

We are meeting with Christy Wilson Delk  After 17 years in corporate sales and distribution, Christy Wilson Delk decided to risk it all. In 1996, she sold her house and cashed out her 401K plan for the down payment on the $1.7 millions dollar SBA loan needed to buy and build a Kids R Kids Academy franchise in Orlando, Florida. Over the next 15 years, she expanded twice and grew her business into one of the largest franchises in her industry before exiting successfully in 2012.  Now, an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at Rollins College and contributing writer, Christy has turned her focus to helping others realize greater professional rewards through growing a successful business.   In Part Two, we discuss Chrity's book, "My Adventure In Franchise Ownership".  "I admit, there were many times that I felt tired, alone and frustrated about my ability to run my business consistently well. I was disappointed that there was nothing available to help me and other franchisees get through the tough times. I learned quickly that the franchisor could only do so much and that the rest was up to ME.  That's when I put the 4 Pillars Approach in place at my franchise. After I sold, I decided to be the person to add the missing piece. I wrote Adventures in Franchise Ownership to help others build a framework that leads to greater success and satisfaction. I really hope this tool can be utilized to help you achieve success in your business."

We are meeting with Anthony Amos of HydroDog.  Anthony Amos founded the mobile dog-grooming company HydroDog at age 21 during his off-time as a professional rugby player.  His franchise model achieved massive growth and success in Australia, and Anthony has introduced HydroDog to The United States through the extended, nationwide 50-state BatheToSave.com Tour that includes his entire family in public dog-washing events benefitting local shelters and raising awareness for rescue adoption of dogs at a time of epidemic-level canine euthanasia.  This tour’s legacy also continues beyond the Amos family tour, in the form of regular public dog-washing events conducted by local HydroDog franchises that continue to expand rapidly throughout the country. In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

There are only five days left before filing your taxes.  This time of year, we get many questions on franchises that provide tax services.  We are going to play clips from two very interesting franchises in the tax industry.  First, we play a clip from our interview with Dom Cirello of the BookKeeping Express franchise opportunity. Dom is a franchisee to BookKeeping Express. BookKeeping Express, a national organization and franchise that provides businesses with professional bookkeeping services. Bookkeeping Express was founded in 1984 in California.  Next we meet with Nick Rizzi of the Smart Tax franchise opportunity.  Smart Tax allows its franchisees to own a tax preparation business without requiring a background in finance, accounting, or tax law - it's a business that is easy to start up and operate, just by following the established and comprehensive Smart Tax franchise system. In Part Three, we are meeting with Tab Burkhalter: Founder and CEO of Numbers House, which specializes in helping entrepreneurs legally start their businesses, as well as providing back-end office support in bookkeeping, payroll, etc. Tab is a licensed CPA who can provide expert commentary and insight on all things business-related in the home services field. His company helps owners make sure their business is structured in a way that is most advantageous in regards to taxes, in addition to offering payroll and bookkeeping services. Tab will discuss the following topics on this show: * The most common tax deductions franchise owners overlook * You can borrow from your 401k to start a franchise, but should you? * Financial and tax implications of opening a second franchise location * Exit strategies for franchise owners In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast

We are meeting with Mike Thakur of the Work Lodge franchise opportunity.  The Work Lodge designs, operates and grows all-inclusive work spaces.  According to a recent study, shared workspaces have grown at an incredible rate of 200% over the past five years. Their mission is to create environments that inspire, empower, and enable our members to do work that changes lives...including theirs.” Mike Thakur understands how to create healthy environments that lead to success in the workplace. After moving to Houston 14 years ago from the United Kingdom, Mike decided to utilize his degree in Theology Studies and launched a church with his wife. While on his journey, he went to work for a security company specializing in kidnapping for ransom and extortion. Because of the line of work, there was no central office, so Mike began to explore shared office spaces. Once he found one, it felt like solitary confinement. He knew there was demand for energized coworking workspaces and immediately began to look for real estate in Houston to open his own. Mike soon after stepped down from his security role and founded WorkLodge in 2015. In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast.