Meeting of the Frogs: My Pad or Yours?

It’s time for the IFA Convention in New Orleans! As we get ready for this key event in The Big Easy, it brings to mind a question that often comes up during emerging franchisor sessions and conferences: “When should we start having annual conventions for our franchisees?” The answer is - NOW!  

Each year in January, an especially slow time in retail, all Big Frogs get together at what we call the Big Frog-a-thon. I can't count how many ways this annual convention benefits our store owners and, as importantly, us, the franchisor.

We asked ourselves in the beginning if we could afford it - the time and the money required to put together a Big Frog convention. We really didn’t have much of either, but we said, “If the big franchisors do it, so should we!” Plus, it was a chance to bring together all the amazing people who bought into the dream we now all share – a sustaining, prosperous future with Big Frog.

So, in 2009, we had our first annual meeting at the first Big Frog store in Clearwater, Fla. The number of stores attending? Three. The number of stores in the system? Three. Okay, it may not have been anything to write home about, but the newness of being store owners and the giddiness of starting this adventure together kept us going through that first year.

At our second convention (over 10 attendees, woot!), we created the State of the Frog Address, where we disclosed our corporate P&L, all we had accomplished (and failed to accomplish) and our goals for the coming year. It proved a great opportunity for us to "grade" ourselves on our performance and give the franchisees the opportunity to ask the tough questions. (Side note: Last year’s GPA was 3.0, but we're pretty tough graders.)

Every year since, we added something new to the Frog-a-thon. The third year, we invited our vendors to train and network with the store owners. In year four, we added panel discussions so the franchisees could learn from other successful Big Frog store owners. The fifth year, we added moderated round tables where our owners exchanged ideas in small groups – a huge hit!

Now, in our sixth year, with 59 units in the system, over 50 stores attended Frog-a-thon 2014, with a record 110 attendees that included vendors and corporate employees. The convention was hailed by our franchisees as the best yet - that's because over 70 percent of the meeting gave franchisees the opportunity to speak with other franchisees via round tables, panel discussions and social events. Networking is king!

Our store owners always leave the Frog-a-thon with more knowledge and expanded network connections, completely rejuvenated for the new year. And the same goes for us. We're excited about all the new ideas, exciting plans and a fresh report card to make this year the best ever for our store owners. I see the Dean's List in our future!

'Tis the Season

The Importance of Thank You

First, Happy Holidays to all!  With only 21 shopping days until Christmas, we're all looking over our family's wishlists and figuring out how to budget those holiday dollars. (An aside: Have you seen how much LEGO sets go for these days?)   But, remember this season is about showing our loved ones how important they are so we want to make those gifts special, not necessarily expensive.  

That sentiment goes the same for our company.  As a small business owner with fantastic vendors, employees and customers (our franchisees), its time for me to think about how I want to show them how important they are to our organization.  Each one plays a vital role in the success of Big Frog and I'm sure that's the case with any company.  Technically, I know that I should have pondered my gift giving months ago, however, since we are the home of 24 hour custom t-shirts, I feel like I should have the luxury of doing this type of planning last minute.

I did a little research just to see what type of gift giving corporations for their employees and customers.  Then, just to be trendy, created our first infographic summarizing my findings (see high res version on Pinterest here).  Does my research really tell us anything new?  It seems obvious that our customers/vendors/employees will appreciate a thoughtful gift; meaning there is a greater chance of them saying kind things about us or even doing nice things for us.

 

Our First Infographic!  Corporate Gift Giving

What do we give to our franchisees?  At our annual convention (the Frog-a-thon), we give Big Frog branded items to Big Frog store owners that can MAKE their own Big Frog branded gear.  There is just something about receiving an item made personally for you that speaks volumes, even if you could have purchased or made it for yourself.  The first time we gave these gifts to our franchisees, even I was a bit surprised by their reaction, but what our gifts say to them is that we thought of each person individually and took the time to create their gift. 
If this works for my customers, this will work for any company's customers.  Take the time to create a gift just for them.  Here are a few great ideas used by our retail store's customers: 

• Mobile Auto Detailing Company - Custom, branded stone/thirsty coasters that fit in the cup holders of their customer's cars.
• Country Club - At their annual Christmas party, gave away branded golf towels.
• Commercial Cleaning Service - During December cleanings, left branded mouse pads on everyone's desk with a Happy Holidays design.

These aren't the usual companies that you expect to do something special for their clientele.  These are just small business owners that took the time to create something unique (not expensive) for their customers.  'Tis the season of giving and everyone loves being appreciated for their loyalty to your brand.