The Dadson Diaries Wants You

It's hard to believe that we've been at this blogging thing for almost two years now. We've covered a lot of territory during that time and hope that we've provided you a place to find some industry insights and food for thought.

But we also realize that we're nothing more than words in cyberspace without our readers. We mentioned a few posts ago that we're making some changes to the blog and we want your help.

What would you like to see on The Dadson Diaries?
What topics would you like us to cover?
What commentary would you like us to provide?

We can't wait to make this place even better for you and we look forward to seeing your ideas.

Supporting Our Troops

There are a lot of cool things about the franchising industry, but one that The Dadson Diaries finds the most rewarding is its sense of community. From industry suppliers helping franchisors and franchisees get started to fellow franchisors and franchisees helping each other out, it's clear that every stakeholder wants to move franchising forward and see it succeed.

Within the last month or so, we've really seen this sense of community come out as franchise systems and suppliers set out to help military veterans achieve the dream of owning their own businesses. 7-Eleven announced that it was offering lower franchise fees to honorably-discharged veterans. Last week, the Daily Dose blog at Entrepreneur.com featured a post on Maid Brigade's decision to give away over 100 franchise opportunities to qualified veterans.

And other franchises are showing their support in other creative ways. Green Beans Coffee, for example, opens coffee shops in some of the world's most dangerous places for active soldiers to find a bit of calm and a good cup of coffee as well as running programs for civilians and other soldiers to show their support for the troops.

F.C. Dadson is also showing our support through our Veterans Incentive Program that offers discounts on product orders placed by qualified veterans whose franchise system participates in the International Franchise Association's VetFran program. For more information on our incentive program, call (800)728-0338.

Defining Characteristcs

When you hear the words "state fair," you may think of amusement park rides, fried food on a stick, or grand stand. For Wisconsin residents, two words immediately come to mind: cream puffs. If you head down for the fair, you have to have at least one of these cream-filled pastries, and you can expect a bit of a wait to get yours as there will be a line. But people do wait in line because they know it'll be so worth it.

So why all this talk of cream puffs? Well, they were talking about them on the radio this morning, and, in addition to making me a little hungry, it made me have this thought: when thinking about my company, what comes to peoples' minds? What about F.C. Dadson will people wait in line for? What is our defining characteristic?

A few of the most important questions any business needs to answer, brought to my mind and now yours courtesy of the Wisconsin State Fair cream puff and The Dadson Diaries. Talk about some real food for thought. (I know, lame joke but I had to make it.)

P.S. If you're interested in trying a state fair cream puff or two, the Wisconsin State Fair runs from Aug. 6-16 in West Allis, WI (right next door to Milwaukee).

Lofty Goals

While some make the argument about setting seemingly unattainable goals and instead sticking to those easily within reach, today's celebration of the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon has me thinking otherwise.

In 1961, then President Kennedy expressed this notion: "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth."

In 1969 it happened.

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

What Makes YOU Different

If you've ever wondered just how important a store's atmosphere is to the overall brand experience, head on over to the Retail Design Diva blog and check out Ron Knoth's lament over his neighborhood Dunkin' Donuts being turned into a Tim Horton's.

When you're selling a product such as coffee, which people can get in practically any food service establishment, you need another point of difference. A signature menu item at the very least. But even better than a signature menu item is a signature store experience. Slapping a new paint color on the walls and hanging new signage is a start, but is that enough? Not according to Ron, and I think I'd have to agree.

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.