The Global Franchise Podcast

Kick-start your emerging brand the right way, with Rich Elms of BabyBallers

The world of child-centric franchises is an increasingly populated one, with the line between parent and entrepreneur becoming virtually non-existent. This is certainly the case for Rich Elms, who founded his child soccer concept BabyBallers back in 2016.  
Popularity prompted Rich to launch the BabyBallers franchise opportunity in 2017, and since then, the brand has expanded beyond its U.K. roots to markets as far as Australia. 
But if Rich could go back in time and give himself some advice in 2015, when BabyBallers was just an idea, what would he say to start the brand off on the right foot? And now it’s developing in international markets, what does Rich look for when recruiting new franchising partners? Tune in to find out! 
To keep your finger on the beating pulse of franchising, sign up for our newsletter at https://www.globalfranchisemagazine.com/, subscribe to our definitive magazine, and join the conversation with our experts today on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
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This episode of the Global Franchise Podcast is brought to you by BrightStar Care, a private-duty home care and medical staffing franchise, with prime territories available nationwide, and five revenue streams for uncapped earning potential. For more information, visit www.brightstarfranchising.com. 

How to modernize established franchise brands, with Beto Guajardo of Focus Brands International

The food and beverage franchise industry is easily one of the most analyzed and celebrated of all sectors in this business model. I’m sure we could all name countless restaurant franchise brands that we’ve loved over the years, and experts have been deciphering what innovations and evolutions work best since we began flipping burgers or slicing pizzas many decades ago.  
One organization that’s no stranger to evolution is Focus Brands. The parent company owns six beloved franchise concepts and has an impressive portfolio of more than 1,650 sites across 60 countries around the world. But recent news stories like the opening of the first-ever Auntie Anne’s drive-thru site, or a brand-new build-out for Schlotzsky’s, have shown that this is one franchisor that’s not afraid to try new things.  
To learn more about what the future holds for Focus Brands International, we sat down with Beto Guajardo, the franchisor’s president. Beto has many years of experience in senior leadership and is brimming with useful insight that restauranteurs far and wide can put into practice. 
To keep your finger on the beating pulse of franchising, sign up for our newsletter at https://www.globalfranchisemagazine.com/, subscribe to our definitive magazine, and join the conversation with our experts today on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
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This episode of the Global Franchise Podcast is brought to you by BrightStar Care, a private-duty home care and medical staffing franchise, with prime territories available nationwide, and five revenue streams for uncapped earning potential. For more information, visit www.brightstarfranchising.com. 

The essential traits of a successful care franchisee, with Shelly Sun of BrightStar Care

The in-home care market has exploded in recent years, with an increasing number of senior citizens looking to receive care in their own homes as opposed to moving into a residential care facility. As such, brands like BrightStar Care have been in fierce demand; with the established care franchisor continuing to grow and expand since its creation back in 2002. 
Now with over 345 locations open throughout North America, BrightStar Care has become an institution in the care franchising sphere; with the name being synonymous with empathetic and efficient at-home care and skilled medical services.  
But how did BrightStar Care begin, and how is it continuing to differentiate itself in the care market? And, for investors looking to enter this benevolent space, what personality traits and experience are best for finding success? To find out, we caught up with Shelly Sun, founder and CEO of BrightStar Care.  
To keep your finger on the beating pulse of franchising, sign up for our newsletter at https://www.globalfranchisemagazine.com/, subscribe to our definitive magazine, and join the conversation with our experts today on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
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This episode of the Global Franchise Podcast is brought to you by BrightStar Care, a private-duty home care and medical staffing franchise, with prime territories available nationwide, and five revenue streams for uncapped earning potential. For more information, visit www.brightstarfranchising.com. 

How business owners can buy themselves time, with Eric Schurke of Moneypenny

The sector we’re taking a look at today is very unique, in that many of our audience have probably engaged with an outsourced communications provider without even knowing. 
This is especially true for international supplier Moneypenny, which handles over 20 million calls and live chats for its client base of 21,000 businesses. 
To learn more about the benefits of using this model, and how it can boost the productivity of your brand, we’ve sat down with Eric Schurke, CEO North America for Moneypenny. 
Eric has been in the answering service game for upward of 17 years, making him the perfect expert to speak to about how this segment is changing the game for franchise brands across the board. 
To keep your finger on the beating pulse of franchising, sign up for our newsletter at https://www.globalfranchisemagazine.com/, subscribe to our definitive magazine, and join the conversation with our experts today on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
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This episode of the Global Franchise Podcast is brought to you by BrightStar Care, a private-duty home care and medical staffing franchise, with prime territories available nationwide, and five revenue streams for uncapped earning potential. For more information, visit www.brightstarfranchising.com. 

Understanding your franchise’s ‘why’, with Patrick Crawford of Scorpion

In today’s business landscape more than ever before, consumers are looking for authentic brands that are driven by more than just commercial gains. But sometimes, identifying the ‘why’ of your business can be trickier than it seems. 
In Scorpion’s latest market study, for example, the majority of franchise owners felt that the onus for pursuing brand loyalty and showcasing market differentiation fell onto them, rather than their franchisor. This comes from a misalignment of values from the top-down, and can result in customers and even new franchisee prospects being left on the table. 
So how do you recenter your approach and identify your franchise brand’s ‘why’? To find out, we’re joined on this episode by Patrick Crawford, senior vice president of strategic marketing at Scorpion. Patrick has built his career on relationship development and business growth, so he’s the perfect person to speak to when a strategy needs a much-needed adjustment.
To keep your finger on the beating pulse of franchising, sign up for our newsletter at https://www.globalfranchisemagazine.com/, subscribe to our definitive magazine, and join the conversation with our experts today on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
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This episode of the Global Franchise Podcast is powered by Scorpion. For more information, visit scorpion.co/franchises

Unbeatable tips for boosting your franchise brand, with Keith Gerson of FranConnect

Our guest today, Keith Gerson, comes from an organization that should be familiar to many international franchisors. FranConnect is widely recognized as one of the leading systems for scaling franchise unit sales, with the business assisting in 8,022 franchises sold every year. 
This is just one of the many kinds of services that FranConnect offers, with franchisee engagement, unit profitability, and support for emerging brands being other pillars holding up the organization. 
In Keith’s role as president of franchise operations, he’s seen it all when it comes to brands looking to grow and expand, as well as emerging concepts making a name for themselves. Join us as we cover the entire international franchising playbook, and run through the specific, actionable tips that you can employ to really propel your business. 
To keep your finger on the beating pulse of franchising, sign up for our newsletter at https://www.globalfranchisemagazine.com/, subscribe to our definitive magazine, and join the conversation with our experts today on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
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How the pandemic accelerated flexible workspace’s explosive growth, with Steve Holloway of IWG

The world of flexible workspaces is one that we’ve covered previously on the Global Franchise Podcast, but it warrants a return visit considering the immense interest that franchisees are taking in this explosively popular sector. 
As the dust begins to settle on the global pandemic, remote working finds itself at the top of many employees’ wish lists. It’s a good thing, then, that international franchisors such as IWG are there to fill this increasingly competitive gap in the market. 
On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Steve Holloway, global franchise development director for IWG, about how the previous year has impacted the flexible workspace landscape. Will it be a consistent rise to further success, or have particular adaptations had to be made to accommodate a brand-new kind of client? Tune in to find out!
To keep your finger on the beating pulse of franchising, sign up for our newsletter at https://www.globalfranchisemagazine.com/, subscribe to our definitive magazine, and join the conversation with our experts today on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
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Your topical guide to Australian franchising, with Mary Aldred of the Franchise Council of Australia

The Australian franchise market has proven to be enticing for major international brands for decades, and even during an ongoing pandemic, large franchisors are flocking to its shores to take advantage of the country’s internationally-minded consumers who have an awareness of the franchise business model. 
But Australia is also still experiencing the challenging shockwaves caused by COVID-19. Many regions of the country are going into snap lockdowns mandated by the government, and the Australian business community is struggling to stay afloat. As of mid-July, for example, 40 per cent of the country’s population were under strict stay-at-home orders, preventing a return to any kind of normalcy.
For this episode of the podcast, we wanted to get a clear picture of what it’s like to franchise within Australia at the moment. Who better to join us, then, than Mary Aldred, CEO of Franchise Council of Australia. Mary has been in the role since 2018, and grew up around family-owned small businesses. She has a true appreciation for how this sector of the market operates, making her the perfect voice to dissect Aussie franchising.
To keep your finger on the beating pulse of franchising, sign up for our newsletter at https://www.globalfranchisemagazine.com/, subscribe to our definitive magazine, and join the conversation with our experts today on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
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This episode of the Global Franchise Podcast is brought to you by fit20, a revolutionary 20-minute fitness concept disrupting the industry. For more information about how you can become a part of this exciting network, head over to fit20.com.

How to future-proof your legacy franchise, with Laura Rea Dickey of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has been a staple of the North American restaurant scene since Travis Dickey opened the first location’s doors in Dallas, Texas in 1941. In the years since, the brand has updated its technology and convenience to appeal to the 21st-century consumer – and yet, somehow, has never lost sight of its people-first roots. 
Whether this means signing a ghost kitchen partnership to open 100 virtual restaurants in the U.S., or pushing ahead with an “evolve or die” mantra, Dickey’s exemplifies how to keep a legacy brand updated for a modern crowd. And it shows: with over 550 sites currently open around the world, Dickey’s is on track to hit 700 by the end of this year. 
To glean some insight into exactly how the operation has remained on the cutting-edge for 80 years, we caught up with Laura Rea Dickey, CEO. Previously chief information officer for the franchise brand, Laura knows a thing or two about putting your best tech foot forward. 
To keep your finger on the beating pulse of franchising, sign up for our newsletter at https://www.globalfranchisemagazine.com/, subscribe to our definitive magazine, and join the conversation with our experts today on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
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This episode of the Global Franchise Podcast is brought to you by fit20, a revolutionary 20-minute fitness concept disrupting the industry. For more information about how you can become a part of this exciting network, head over to fit20.com.

The five Ds of succession planning, with Rochelle Clarke of Succession Strength

If the past year has shown us anything, it’s that planning for the unknown can be invaluable. The businesses built for the long-term are those that understand why the day-to-day is just as crucial as looking five or 10 years down the road. But how exactly do you go about readying your business for the future? And, perhaps more timely, how can you prepare so that even something like a global pandemic doesn’t unsteady your trajectory? 
To answer these questions and many more, we’re joined on this episode by Rochelle Clarke, founder of Succession Strength and Continuity Strength. Rochelle has worked with numerous organizations to prepare them for the future, and her team’s bespoke action plans leave no stone unturned.
If you want to find out more about the five Ds that could derail your brand, or why commitment is just as important as capability, then this is the perfect instalment for you. 
To keep your finger on the beating pulse of franchising, sign up for our newsletter at https://www.globalfranchisemagazine.com/, subscribe to our definitive magazine, and join the conversation with our experts today on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
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ⓣ https://twitter.com/globalfranmag
ⓕ https://www.facebook.com/globalfranchisemag/
This episode of the Global Franchise Podcast is brought to you by fit20, a revolutionary 20-minute fitness concept disrupting the industry. For more information about how you can become a part of this exciting network, head over to fit20.com.