Archive for Author 'John Santiago', only excerpts shown, click title for full entry.
Now that the hot summer selling months are behind us and we enter cooler weather, I believe the next two quarters—the last in 2016 and first in 2017—will be a test for our stores and provide some indication of the direction we will be heading, at least for the near future. The big question […]
In the last issue of Avanti, I explained why I believe the culture of this franchise system must change if it is to move forward and meet the substantial and material challenges that it now faces, and will most certainly face in the future, both internal and external to the system. As further evidence […]
When I first came into the 7-Eleven system a little more than a quarter century ago, life was simpler and the majority of franchisees expected to have only one store. Things have changed drastically since then, and today all but the luckiest franchisees find it tough to survive as single store operators. I know […]
With all of our festivities now behind us, I would like to start off by thanking all the franchisees who attended our 41st annual convention and trade show and made it a huge success. I would also like to thank all of our vendor partners, who went above and beyond in their support of […]
As many of you know, the joint employer initiatives of the National Labor Relations Board and the United States Department of Labor have created quite a tumult in the world of franchising. Some have suggested that if the joint employer doctrine receives widespread acceptance, it will end franchising as we know it. I do […]
In early July a group of franchisees including many FOA leaders met in person and over the phone to talk about the upcoming 2019 Franchise Agreement and to start establishing in writing what franchisees would like to have in that agreement. The very first thing we agreed on was that we wanted it to […]
In Chicago during the dog days of summer when most of us experience our highest sales of the year I am reticent to take a day out of my very busy schedule to give away FREE Slurpees on 7-Eleven’s annual birthday. I say this not because I am loathe to promote my brand, but […]
In the last two months franchisees throughout the country, with help from corporate, have placed a lot of emphasis on hot foods. We all understand this is the direction 7-Eleven is going, because it will help us remain competitive. The question that arises in the midst of all this activity is how effective is […]
For hundreds of years, social scientists have debated the nature versus nurture conundrum. Are we a product of our DNA and the genes we inherited from our ancestors, or are we the product of the environment that raised us, including the influence of our family, teachers and friends? Or both? As lawyers, we are […]
“To be, or not to be…” is the opening phrase of a soliloquy in the “Nunnery Scene” of William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. In the speech, a despondent Prince Hamlet contemplates death and suicide while waiting for Ophelia, the love of his life. I have not submitted articles to Avanti for several issues. This was […]
