Bistro-In-A-Box

Since F.C. Dadson started offering its "Store-In-A-Box" program last year, I've started to notice that "In-A-Box" has been added to quite a few things. Most of the time, it's intended to imply something is all-inclusive or turnkey. But Muvbox is a restaurant coining the term "Bistro-in-a-Box" and that's exactly what they are offering: an outdoor restaurant concept that folds up into a shipping container at the end of the day. Compact, customizable, and eco-friendly? This is just too cool.

It seems that we're seeing more and more restaurants and retailers scooping up unique real estate and popping up in unexpected places. Could these adventurous and untraditional businesses like Muvbox be giving us a glimpse into the future? If so, being a "store-in-a-box" provider is about to get even more exciting.

F.C. Dadson Gets Even More Social

You've been hearing word of new things coming from F.C. Dadson in the social media world for a couple weeks now. It's with great excitement that The Diaries announces that F.C. Dadson is now on Twitter and Facebook too!

Seeing all the cool things going on online, F.C. Dadson thought it was the perfect time to join in the fun. Don't worry, The Dadson Diaries will continue to feature new posts every Monday and Thursday. But if you're itching for more, follow us on Twitter and/or join us on Facebook where we'll continue the conversation.

Consistency

Why is it that when vacation time comes to an end, I always feel like I need another vacation to recover? Every 4th of July since I can remember, I've participated in some sort of city celebration. There's always been a parade or band and I've ended the day with a fireworks show. This holiday, I bucked tradition and spent the weekend on a lake in north central Wisconsin. No parade, no band, no official city fireworks. While it was fun, it wasn't what I've come to expect. Maybe this will start a new tradition, but it just wasn't the same.

Though some out there will argue that people enjoy variety, the popularity of the nation's top brands says otherwise. When away from home, we may try the local cuisine, but it's just as likely -if not more- that we'll stop at that national chain because we know what to expect. This is why consistent branding among all of your franchise or retail locations is incredibly important. If people can easily recognize your brand from the outside, they'll know they can count on the experience and quality inside.

That's where modular store design fits in. There's enough flexibility to ensure a perfect fit in a variety of location types, yet the branding elements remain the same. No matter where a location is, people are still able to recognize it as part of a franchise or retail chain. And that improves your chances of making a sale, which is always good for business.

Public Enemies

Want to know something cool? A portion of Public Enemies was shot less than 30 minutes away from the F.C. Dadson office. For a few weeks last spring, downtown Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with its already historical appeal, was transformed into a full-blown movie set. While it was a little unnerving to hear so much gunfire in a normally quiet city, people (including yours truly) turned up day after day to catch a glimpse of filming. Talk about the coolest sneak preview ever AND if you were lucky enough, you may have actually gotten to meet Johnny Depp (sadly, I did not).

Just as public enemies are problems for the FBI, financing (or lack thereof) is causing problems all its own for franchisors and franchisees alike. The good news is that franchise industry lenders are coming up with creative financing options to help franchisees build new stores, purchase equipment, refinance, or with any other business need they may have.

While F.C. Dadson isn't in the franchise lending industry, we're definitely connected to it. If a client asks for help finding financing, we can introduce them to a lender that fits their interests. Using our network to help our clients grow -- just another value-added service FCD provides.

The Social Media Movement: We're in. Are you?

Touring the blogosphere this morning, I saw that our friends at No Limit Media Consulting had posted this "call-to-action" for franchisors to join the social media movement. If you're a franchisor who's not currently blogging, hosting a Facebook page, or tweeting, you should really check out their post out for some compelling reasons to start. (One that we found particularly interesting: 93% of consumers feel that companies should have a social media presence." 93 percent, people!)

With franchisors' involvement in various social media outlets growing, there's no better time for the rest of the franchise industry (suppliers included) to cultivate our own presence within these channels. For F.C. Dadson, it started in 2007 with this blog; and you can expect to find us broadening our social media reach in the near future. Why we do it (and why you should too):

• We want to make our company as approachable as possible.
• We want to make F.C. Dadson as easily-reachable as possible.
• We want to give the F.C. Dadson name as much personality as the people who work here have.
• We want to share our experiences.
• We want to spread our knowledge.

But most importantly, we want to give our clients and prospects a sounding board, a place to share experiences, express concerns, become part of the conversation here at F.C. Dadson.

By no means is this list all-encompassing. The longer we think about it, the longer the list gets. This is just the "highlight reel," but still more than enough motivation for us to be a part of the social media movement. F.C. Dadson's in. Are you?

Speed Bumps

Who doesn't love a forward-thinking company? Add U.K. supermarket chain Sainsbury's to the list with their introduction of a "'people-powered' kinetic energy system" at its store in Gloucester, U.K.. Cars driving over special plates placed around the store's parking lot will generate energy, which in turn will be used to power all the store's check outs. While reading this article about these energy-producing bumps in the road, all I could think was "That is so cool!"

It's a fortunate coincidence I found this article because it makes a great lead in for this next bit of news I have to share. The Dadson Diaries will be undergoing some changes in upcoming weeks as our marketing department works to align our social media efforts. There may be some bumps in the road along the way, but as Sainbury's shows, some bumps actually help make for a better business. In our case, we're hoping they'll lead to a better experience for all of you Diaries readers.

So please bear with us and pardon our dust. We promise it'll be worth it.

Recession's Discounts

Retail sales were up in May --the first increase in months. Partially attributed to rising gas prices, some see it as a sign that consumer spending is picking up and the recession might just be nearing bottom.

If you're eager to do your part in spurring the economy by spending some cash at retail, I found this handy list on Forbes.com of 10 things to buy before the economy improves. Some obvious choices include a house, car, and TV. Some of the not-so-obvious? Diamonds (prices down 14%, on average), laptops (increased interest in netbooks is bringing prices down), and toys (lower-priced options to arrive in time for holiday shopping).

Rounding out the top 10:

1. House
2. Car
3. Vacation
4. Toys
5. High-Dividend Stocks
6. Laptops
7. Diamonds
8. Women's Clothing
9. Televisions
10. Furniture

I don't know about you, but I see a few things on that list that are on my wish list. I guess there's no time like the present to take advantage of the discounts and cross of few items off. Looks like I have some shopping to do!