Archive for Items Categorized 'Avanti Magazine', only excerpts shown, click title for full entry.
At the February 15-18 National Coalition Board meeting in Monterey, 7-Eleven, Inc. VP Greg Franks gave a presentation on the development of the 2019 contract to 78 assembled presidents and vice presidents representing the 43 Franchise Owner’s Associations around the country. It was the first time SEI has spoken about the 2019 contract at […]
In December, we had more stores reporting a decline in gross profits than in previous months. I asked some franchisees what they thought could be the cause of this decrease and one of their responses was, “We have too many promotions.” While it is true that we need promotions to help drive traffic into […]
We as franchisees face many different issues on a day-to-day basis while operating our stores. Many are between us and SEI in relation to the operation of our stores, compliance with new sales plans, cleanliness, various policies adopted by SEI, shared responsibilities … you name it and differences can arise on any issue. Most […]
In a previous issue of Avanti, we described an initiative of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the United States Department of Labor, which some have characterized as a frontal assault on the franchise model as we know it. The NLRB has alleged that McDonald’s as a franchisor is jointly liable along with […]
As I write this article, I am on a flight to the 7-Eleven Experience (7EE). The flight is completely full, and most of the passengers are local franchisees and vendors who service our stores. The 7EE offers franchisees a great opportunity to see and identify ways to build their business, and also offers vendors […]
After the National Coalition’s Board of Directors meeting in San Antonio in October, there were whispers among franchisees and SEI higher-ups not in attendance that NCASEF Vice Chair Jas Dhillon and I had invited a prominent Dallas litigator to the meeting. There was talk that we were planning a lawsuit against our franchisor. Well, […]
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 […]
