Location3 VP of Growth Tom Lynch Becomes Certified Franchise Executive

Last week I had the honor of participating in the Certified Franchise Executive graduation ceremony at the IFA Convention in Orlando. Becoming a CFE was a rigorous process that gave me a deeper understanding of the practical and logistical practices of a franchise as well as the nuances that come with owning a franchise.

The real-life value of the CFE program hit while at the convention, where we were tasked with crafting a turnaround plan for a fictional franchise brand that’s experiencing stagnant growth. With a limited budget, limited turnaround time, and potentially unrealistic performance goals, part of that turnaround plan was to submit a plan to provide 15 services to franchise owners as required by FDD Item 11:

• Site approval
• Design assistance and advice
• PR/Marketing/Grand opening advice
• Access to the brand intranet
• Email access
• Access to the manual(s)
• Communication through seminar, webinars, etc.
• Continuing consultation on advertising and general operations
• Furnish field support
• Provide electronic account forms
• Include you in purchasing programs
• Create marketing programs
• Provide additional standards training
• Provide approved Suppliers
• Provide ad approvals

At first glance, it seemed like a lot. But as I broke it down into its individual parts, I realized that 11 of these 15 items could be addressed with the help of a franchise marketing partner. That epiphany gave me great confidence that our approach to franchise marketing at Location3 is providing real, far-reaching, value.

At Location3, we take pride in immersing ourselves in our partners’ business at every level — from local franchisee marketing to national ad campaigns, franchise development, grand openings, and more. This allows us to lend our resources and expertise to offer solutions for our partners in every situation. The deeper our understanding of the everyday processes of a franchise system, the more likely it is that our tactics will help our partners accomplish sustainable growth at both the ‘zor and ‘zee levels.

That level of partnership drives our business and continues to drive my goals for partner growth success. I’ve always strived to make a meaningful impact on the professional and personal lives of our franchise partners. The CFE program gave me confidence that every day we’re helping our partners in tangible ways, aside from simply exceeding marketing KPIs.

I’m proud to be a part of this great group of individuals who are the 2020 CFE Graduating Class, each of whom value their craft and their industry enough to take countless hours of personal time to study and understand everything franchise. Thank you to the ICFE program and the IFA for supporting this program and supporting our industry, and thank you to the new Chair of the IFA Catherine Monson for steering the boat in its next journey.

Becoming a Certified Franchise Executive is something I would recommend for anyone that is a part of a franchise system, either at the franchisor or franchisee level, or for those who work with franchise systems.