Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue I, 2015 | Page 32

“The field is where the best ideas will always come,
and it is always about the team.”
MANAGEMENT
Business philosophy: To strive for excellence.
Management method or style: I usually have a softer approach. I always felt that I spend as much time with my staff as I do with my family, and I
so want the office atmosphere to be enjoyable and productive.
How do others describe you? Honest, loyal, caring, a little eccentric, and
sometimes late—not my best quality.
One thing I’m looking to do better: I can always be more patient.
How I give my team room to innovate and experiment: Always,
in any business, if you think it begins and ends with you, that is a recipe for
failure. The field is where the best ideas will always come, and it is always
about the team.
How close are you to operations? Very. I believe it is what I do best.
The quality of a product and customer service is where it starts and ends.
What are the two most important things you rely on from your
franchisor? A proven way to do things and procedures that provide a basis
for success. It gives you the feeling that you are not in this alone.
What I need from vendors: Fair prices and consistent quality.
Have you changed your marketing strategy in response to the
economy? How? It is a balance. When I was the development agent for
Subway in South Florida, we developed the $5 footlong. This strategy went on
to be the biggest event in franchising. The key is knowing when to stop one
marketing strategy and go on to the next. It can be difficult. In a slow econo-

my, discounting is always the first idea, but it must be a balanced approach. I
always like to focus on great products as the main focal point in our marketing.
How is social media af fecting your business? Social media is a twoedged sword. With the new technologies, we now have mobile ordering apps
and customers can comment on their experience on many different platforms,
which is great. The negative is when a comment is inaccurate. Once a person
reads it, they tend to believe it, and it can be difficult to change their perception.
How do you hire and fire? I have hired through most routes. My favorite
is by a referral, someone I know and whose opinion I trust. I am sure, like
most, that I don’t like to fire people. I have had to do it many times over the
years. It’s necessary, but not the best part of my position.
How do you train and retain? Our training is very comprehensive and
always starts and ends with customer service. Training is teaching someone
something new. It has to be done in a manner that is detailed and in-depth.
Sometimes current staff forgets how difficult it can be to learn something new,
no matter how basic it may be. So patience is the key.
How do you deal with problem employees? Quickly! If the problem
is more detailed training, we will work on that issue. If it is an attitude, or how
the employee is treating customers, they will be let go.
Fastest way into my doghouse: Lie to me. Or cause drama in the office
or store.

BOTTOM LINE
2015 goals: To open our first Persona in the South Florida area.
Growth meter: How do you measure your growth? By the success
of the franchise. If we open and customers love our product, which I believe
they will, we will have 20 stores open in the next 3 years.
Vision meter: Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years?
Happy and healthy and growing a great new chain that can revolutionize the
pizza industry.
How is the economy in your regions affecting you, your employees, and your customers? The economy is always a factor. It
is a constant that is always dealt with—how you market and advertise,
employee wages, value to your customers. Value is never just about the cost
of a product, it is how much your customer enjoys their purchase in relation
to what they paid.
Are you experiencing economic growth in your market? South
Florida is currently going through a growth cycle. The real estate and tourism
industries have experienced huge growth in the past few years, and all of South
Florida, especially Miami and Miami Beach, have become international cities
with tremendous foreign investment dollars coming in.
How do you forecast for your business? It can be difficult because

30

we rely on past customer counts to predict the future. We all do it, but it is not
an exact science.
Have you used private equity, local banks, national banks,
other? Why/why not? I have had great experiences with my local banks.
We usually borrow varying amounts for each franchise we open. Banks like
franchises because of the track record for success and knowing they will be paid
back on their loan.
How are you handling rising employee costs (payroll, minimum
wage, healthcare, etc.)? Ultimately, those costs are going to be passed
on to the consumer. Everyone wants a living wage and healthcare, but if the
franchisees aren’t profitable it can’t happen.
How do you reward/recognize top-performing employees? We
have goals that are tangible so everyone knows what they are striving for. We
have monthly meetings where we recognize our top-performing employees with
bonuses and awards.
What kind of exit strategy do you have in place? Right now, none.
I enjoy what I am doing way too much to concentrate on anything but growing
Persona.

MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE IS S UE I, 2015

MUF15-1_sager(26,28,30).indd 30

1/15/15 3:27 PM