March 11, 2010
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Your Entertainment Franchise Personnel News SourceFranchise News Watch brings you the latest in entertainment franchising personnel news from around the web. As a news aggregator for the entertainment franchise industry, Franchise News Watch streams the latest ground breaking franchise articles, features, guides, blogs, news and more directly to your desktop.  Entertainment Franchise Personnel NewsAlamo Drafthouse Cinemas Names New COOAlamo Drafthouse Cinemas, the nation's oldest cinema-eatery concept showing first-run films - named best movie theater in America by Entertainment Weekly - is proud to announce Craig Paschich as the company's chief operating officer, a newly created... Blockbuster Further Strengthens Commitment to Multi-Channel Entertainment DeliveryBlockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI, BBI.B), a leading global provider of media entertainment, today cemented its commitment to multi-channel delivery of entertainment by hiring former Philips executive Kevin Lewis as Senior Vice President, Digital Entertainment. Chuck E. Cheese's Announces New Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer of International DevelopmentCEC Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: CEC) today announced the appointment of Michael Beacham as Senior Vice President-Chief Operating Officer of International Development. Beacham is responsible for directing the company's growth internationally as well as... The Travel Franchise Group Announces Shifts for LeadershipToday, The Travel Franchise Group – North America's largest travel agency franchisor with over 1,700 franchised locations under four brands – announced that two key members of its executive management team would shift into different roles with CEC Entertainment Announces Executive PromotionsThe Board of Directors of CEC Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: CEC) today announced that President Michael H. Magusiak will become Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company effective December 29, 2008. Richard M. Frank, currently Chairman and... Gamer Doc(TM) Video Games Expands Franchise Development TeamGamer Doc(TM), the retail video game store that delivers a new and interactive customer experience, today announced that Darren Monahan has been tapped to fill the newly-created director of franchise development position. He reports to David Walker... Gamer Doc(TM) Video Games Adds Brian Seligman to Area Developer TeamGamer Doc(TM), the retail video game store that delivers a new and interactive customer experience, today announced that Brian Seligman has joined the company as the Area Developer for Northern Virginia and Atlanta. EagleRider Appoints Director of Corporate OperationsEagleRider, the world's largest motorcycle rental company, is happy to announce the appointment of Barry Breckon as Director of Corporate Operations. Christophe Alaux appointed Chief Operating Officer Hotels FranceChristophe Alaux will join Accor as Chief Operating Officer, Hotels France, effective August 11, 2008. Pump It Up Expands Management Team Following Merger with BounceUPump It Up, the nation's largest franchise of interactive, indoor inflatable playgrounds for private parties, announced today that it has added two highly experienced franchising executives to its management team, including a Vice President of... H3 Enterprises, Inc. Announces New Management TeamH3 Enterprises, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: HTRE) ("H3" or the "Company") announces the revamping of its management team to focus on building strong internal controls to help manage the Company's expansion efforts. IHG continues to boost Asia Pacific marketing and sales team with seven key appointmentsIHG Asia Pacific today announced seven key appointments to its marketing and sales leadership team in the region, specifically designed to drive brand performance and support the accelerated expansion of the IHG brands in the Asia Pacific region. Blockbuster Recruits Seasoned Entertainment Executive Jeffrey Calman to Head New Media Content & Studio RelationsBlockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI, BBI.B) announced it has appointed Jeffrey Calman to the newly created position of Vice President Studio Relations and New Media. Blockbuster Inc. Names Rebeca Johnson Chief Marketing OfficerBlockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI, BBI.B) announced the appointment of Rebeca "Becky" Johnson as Chief Marketing Officer. H3 Enterprises, Inc. Announces New Chief Technology OfficerH3 Enterprises, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: HTRE), the world's first publicly traded hip-hop company, has hired Jordan Edelson as Chief Technology Officer and Digital Entertainment Director to spearhead H3's video gaming and web property development. IHG appoints David Tessier, Senior Vice President and CFO for the Americas RegionIHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms, has named David Tessier to be senior vice president and chief financial officer in the Americas region. Gamer Doc(TM) Adds David Walker and Pat Harriman To Executive TeamGamer Doc(TM), the retail video game store that delivers a new and interactive customer experience, today announced that it has added David Walker and Pat Harriman to its executive team. Red Roof Inn Adds Two New Senior VPs To Growing RanksRed Roof, an innovative leader in the economy lodging segment, announces the addition of two key members to their growing ranks. Retired Four-Star U.S. Army General Tommy Franks Appointed to CEC Entertainment, Inc. Board of DirectorsCEC Entertainment, Inc. announced today that retired four-star U.S. Army General Tommy Franks has been elected to its board of directors effective March 26, 2008. Cruise Holidays Names Jim Pascale as Director of Franchise DevelopmentToday, Cruise Holidays announced that Jim Pascale is its new director of franchise development. Accor appoints Michael Issenberg as Chairman And Chief Operating Officer, Asia PacificAccor announced today the appointment of Michael Issenberg as Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Accor Asia Pacific and as a member of Accor Executive Committee effective 4 February 2008. Play N Trade Adds Tom McMahon to Executive TeamPlay N Trade Franchise, Inc., one of the fastest-growing franchises worldwide, today announced that Tom McMahon has been named to fill the position of chief operating officer, bringing more than 20 years of benchmark-setting retail growth and expansion... Play N Trade Names Jeff Broviak Vice President of Brand StrategyPlay N Trade Franchise, Inc., one of the fastest-growing franchises worldwide, today announced that retail video game expert Jeff Broviak has been named to fill the newly-created position of vice president of brand strategy... Jeffrey Palmer Named Senior Vice President Of Sales And Marketing For Motel 6 And Studio 6Accor North America, one of the largest hotel chain owner and operators in North America, announces the hiring of Jeffrey Palmer as senior vice president of sales and marketing for Motel 6 and Studio 6. IHG Names David Greydanus, Senior Vice President, North America OperationsIHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms, has named David Greydanus, senior vice president, North America Operations. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC Board AppointmentInterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) today announces that Ms Ying Yeh has been appointed an additional independent Non-Executive Director of the Company. Play N Trade Names Roger Lloyd New CEOPlay N Trade Franchise, Inc., one of the fastest-growing franchises worldwide, today announced that Roger Lloyd has been named the new CEO. He replaces Yuvi Shmul, who will remain on the board of directors. AmericInn International, LLC Names Thomas Giuliano Director of Franchise Sales and DevelopmentAmericInn International, LLC announces the appointment of Thomas Giuliano as director of franchise sales and development. Giuliano joined the franchise sales team October 15, 2007 and will cover the New England and Mid-Atlantic states. Dana Peluso Named Senior Legal Counsel For Accor North AmericaAccor North America, one of the largest hotel chain owner and operators in North America, announces the promotion of Dana Peluso to Senior Legal Counsel. Blockbuster Inc. Names Eric H. Peterson EVP, General Counsel & SecretaryBlockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI)(NYSE: BBI.B) today announced the appointment of Eric H. Peterson as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary. Blockbuster Inc. Names Thomas M. Casey EVP & Chief Financial OfficerBlockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI)(NYSE: BBI.B) today announced the appointment of Thomas M. Casey as the company's new Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Accor North America Announces Executive ChangesAccor North America, the largest hotel owner operator in North America, today announced key executive changes. Blockbuster Announces Departure of Chief Operating Officer Nick ShepherdBlockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI)(NYSE: BBI.B) today announced that Nick Shepherd, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), will leave the company as of the end of September. Blockbuster Inc. Names Keith Morrow Chief Information Officer and David Podeschi Senior VP, Merchandising, Distribution and LogisticsBlockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI)(NYSE: BBI.B) today announced it has appointed two senior level executives to its management team. |
Features & Special ReportsIs it Time for an Operating Cost Audit?: Franchise Tenants Unite!When was the last time you challenged a landlord or property manager about the operating expenses or common area maintenance (CAM) charges? Probably not recently or never, right? To clarify, operating costs are the day-to-day management and maintenance expenses charged to the tenant; examples include asphalt repairs, snow removal, property insurance, and so on. Franchise tenants pay a proportionate share of these costs based on the space they occupy. Therefore, if a franchise tenant occupies 12 percent of a building, he or she will pay for 12 percent of the operating costs. Paying by this said ratio is the industry standard but, of course, there are deviations for special circumstances like free-standing buildings and so on. "Old School" Communication: Cell Phone Texting Builds Customer TrafficConsidering the wide-ranging abilities of today's smartphones, simple text messaging may seem passé, but it's a basic social media tool that's working wonders for Chris Kramolis' franchise operation. He's been using text messages to build business and compile a database of his customers--and he doesn't see any reason to deviate from something that's working. Discovering Oil: Multi-unit Operator Strikes it Rich with Oil Change FranchisesDarrell Lamb remembers toiling away in the heyday of the mid-90s stock market. He was always searching for new investors, and on the lookout for hot investments. One day some of his advisers told him about an opportunity - a chance to invest in the Express Oil Change franchise. He had reason to trust the advisers since they were his uncle, who was president of the company, and his dad, an Alabama optometrist who was always interested in investing in growing ventures. Capital AccessDustin Winkle was a victim of the dot-com crash a few years back. While pondering his next career move, he visited with family members who operated some dry cleaning stores. He liked what he heard and purchased his first Martinizing Dry Cleaners stores six hours away in Yakima, Wash. It was a long commute from his home in Boise, Idaho, but he loved the business. Three years later his family was ready to sell its dry cleaning stores and Winkle was more than happy to buy some units closer to home. Today he operates 10 Martinizing Dry Cleaning stores (and one non-Martinizing unit) in the Boise area. Multi-Tasking: What It Takes To Be A Successful Multi-Unit FranchiseeTwenty years ago, franchising meant buying the rights to and opening a single unit or business. But a changing trend has taken hold during the last two decades. Today, it's not uncommon for a single franchise operator to have 5, 6, or even dozens of units. FRANdata research notes the number of multi-unit operators now tops 34,000, and those operators control more than 155,000 franchised units in the U.S. It's a growth strategy that has proven effective but it should be approached with caution. Multi-unit operators are generally wired differently then their single-unit counterparts. Successful multi-unit operators are typically experienced, skilled, professional business executives who have chosen franchising as their business model. They possess the skills, training, capital, infrastructure, and vision to operate numerous units and have the ability to continue adding units to their portfolio--without stressing their organization or their stomach. Episode 006: The Benefits of a Franchise ModelFranchising provides benefits for both seller and buyer. For franchisors, the primary benefit is the ability to use other people's money to expand the brand more rapidly than they could either on their own or through investors or lenders. The initial franchise fee and ongoing royalties they collect allow franchisors to build their brand without sacrificing control to outsiders or the pressure of repaying lenders. Measure for Measure: Unit Economics Plays a Leading Role on Today's Economic StageThe most fundamental business strategy calls for black numbers on the bottom line. In simplest terms, it's proof the business is generating more cash than it is spending. All too often, though, entrepreneurs get involved in businesses without employing a proper system to help them keep a watchful eye on what they're earning and what they're spending. Managing day-to-day operations can be so time-consuming that it leaves little room for financial analysis. Or perhaps key individuals lack a basic understanding of how to read and interpret financial statements. Combine these factors with the down economy, and you'll likely wind up with a troubled business. Service Based Franchising: Where the Action IsLast week we ended our discussion of service concepts with the point that many of these businesses are based on customers making the choice to trade money (surplus) for time (deficit). The example we used was maid services, where time-starved customers spend money to buy time they can spend with their family and friends. Other examples of businesses built on services that customers could perform themselves but choose to pay someone else for include lawn and landscaping services, residential painting, oil change, and installation of home entertainment systems. Seven Steps to Fiscal Fitness: A "Fiscal Physical" Will Help Your Business Survive, Grow, and ProsperIn the few minutes it takes you to read this article, 40 businesses across the nation will fail--and that statistic was [i]before[/i] the economic downturn of the last 24 months. Tragic? Yes. Remarkable? Not at all. The road to business success is littered with the skeletons of companies whose owners--mostly brilliant and skilled individuals--failed to "take care of business" in the financial management of their enterprise. Service Based Franchising: What Franchisors WantWhen you first consider franchising as a business model, one of the choices that arises is which type of business, in which sector, suits you best. One basic choice is to make is goods or service; another is retail or home-based. In previous months, we've explored ways to find the sector, and the franchisor, most likely to give you the best chance of success. More recently, in the previous four weeks, we've discussed the attributes franchisors look for in franchise candidates in the retail sector and in the home-based sector. Here we apply the same lens to the services sector. Let's begin with the similarities. All franchisors want candidates who follow the system, pay royalties on time, possess marketing skills and savvy, know how to run a business, show leadership and growth potential, are good communicators, and are expansion-minded, community-oriented, and willing to give back to the system. Franchisors look for these skills whether you choose a service, retail, B2B, or other concept.
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