Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue II, 2014 | Page 8

Chairman’
sNote

2014 Multi-Unit Conference
Is Packed with Resources

F

ellow Franchisees,
As you are reading this, we are putting the final touches on the Franchise Update 2014 Multi-Unit Franchising Conference.
If there were ever a case study as to the
relevance of attending the MUFC, this is the
year. Our country is faced with continued economic uncertainty and turbulence. To make
matters worse, we could
possibly be in one of the
most difficult regulatory
and compliance eras that I
can recall. As franchisees, a
great way to navigate these
obstacles is to learn from
other franchisees.
The MUFC is far and
away the premier venue for the exchange of
ideas, information, and learning about great
new franchise opportunities. Throughout
the recession, while various segments of the
economy were decimated, franchising, albeit
at a reduced rate, grew. In fact, some of the
largest franchisees today made their biggest
gains during the depths of the downturn.
This proves that franchising is strong and
very resilient.
The theme for this year is aptly titled
“Planning for Growth.” This is in recognition of the fact that sustainable growth is an
outcome of a well-devised plan. The days of
haphazard decision-making in franchising are
gone as the stakes are far too high. To this
end, this year’s conference focuses on plan6

MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE IS S UE II, 2014

ning in the most important facets of business,
human resources, marketing, and financing.
We also recognize that these facets are very
different at various levels of unit ownership.
Therefore, for the first time, the MUFC will
tackle these topics in a “track system” to ensure the highest degree of relevance to franchisees. Of course, any franchisee is free to
attend any session they choose.
Another topic that franchisees need to take
on is our role in advocacy. Traditionally, as entrepreneurs, franchisees “go with the flow.” We
create jobs, provide needed goods and services,
support our local communities, pay our taxes,
and just get on with it. However, we have
reached a point where our elected representatives need to hear from us to prevent further
damage to our economy because of unintended consequences of legislation. With the
Affordable Care Act being the most prominent
example of this, other equally significant issues
on the legislative horizon can be quite harmful. An important session on franchising’s role
in helping better educate lawmakers will be
presented at this conference.
I look forward to seeing all of you in Las
Vegas, April 23–25 at Caesars Palace for the
conference and for a great few days of learning, networking, and deal making!

Aziz Hashim
Chair, MUFC 2014