Archive for Author 'John Santiago', only excerpts shown, click title for full entry.
I’ve been a franchisee for many years and I’ve seen my share of unfair practices by SEI. In some instances, I let things roll off my chest. I’ve come to realize that some battles aren’t worth fighting. But in other instances, like the way that SEI is treating their vendors, I feel that something […]
Over the last few months, there has been increasing talk about the number of promotions we run during any given period. At times we are presented with as many as 175 promotions to execute. As you all know, it’s extremely time consuming to get your store ready for all of this promotional activity. It […]
As we begin 2016, perhaps the two biggest issues facing franchisees are the new franchise agreement coming our way in three years and the minimum wage increases occurring in states and cities across the country. There’s no denying our business environment is changing, so it is essential that SEI and franchisees work together to […]
One of my favorite movies is the 1997 feature entitled “Wag the Dog.” The all-star cast includes Dustin Hoffman, Robert DeNiro, Willie Nelson and Anne Heche. The plot involved the creation of a make-believe war to distract attention from a scandal involving a sitting president. In case you haven’t seen this excellent film, I […]
The holidays are usually a time of happiness, excitement and enthusiasm for what the New Year will bring. This was certainly the case last year, in December 2014, when the Franchise Owners Association of Chicagoland (FOAC) hosted its annual holiday party and invited our CEO, Joe DePinto, to be part of the festivities. Not […]
It was the day before Thanksgiving and I was in my store completing my CDC order on the GOTT. A customer walked in and wished me a happy Thanksgiving. We talked about how thankful we should be to have our families, our health and a job or a business in this economy. He asked […]
As the end of 2015 quickly approaches, it’s a good time to look back and reflect on our sales and profits. Sales in many parts of the country have exceeded expectations with good levels of sales increases, and the addition of hot foods has brought new guests to our stores via word of mouth. […]
Minimum wage, one of the hottest issues among the franchisee community, is causing franchisees to have fear and skepticism about the future. Folks are concerned how this is going to impact the franchise business model. In some areas, the minimum wage is going to the $15 range over the next five years, a good […]
The dictionary defines making common cause “as uniting one’s interest with another’s.” This is another way of saying that there are certain opportunities, when two parties have similar interests and concerns, to effectuate their goals more effectively by working in concert, collaboratively, cooperatively and in good faith. Over the past 18 months, this has […]
When 7-Eleven Inc. approached me about installing the hot foods program in my store my initial reaction was one of great anticipation because I had heard from franchisees around the country that the business was good if you had the proper clientele in the proper location. I was eager to find out. This was […]
