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We’d like to pass on two important notices from the world of conferencing. Do remember how informative (and fun) February’s IFA convention was? Well the IFA wants everyone to know that early bird booking to attend next year’s event has opened.

The 2010 IFA annual conference will be held in San Antonio from February 5- 8th. The IFA has opened early-bird booking for members to IFA members only until September 15. Early bird booking means a saving of $50 on registration fees. But if you book online today, you can save $100 on booking fees. There’s more info here. It will be the 49th annual IFA convention and is certain to be as much of a blockbuster event as this year’s conference, where Bill Clinton provided the keynote address.

In the shorter term, there’s an interesting IFA event being held in LA at the end of September. The IFA has announced plans for its Franchise Development Super Session which will be held in Los Angeles from September 30 to October 1st in the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites. This year’s Super Session title is “Selling Franchises in a Challenging Economy”. There’ll be a revamped agenda and its program will aim to keep you on the path to successful franchising. Highly notable is the keynote speaker: internet and technology entrepreneur Scott Ksolosky.

A CEO of three successful start-ups and a Turnaround Expert, Scott will be sharing some of his innovative ideas on how to use to the internet and technology to generate sales.  You can also expect the “unconference” format for a section of the event. It’s sure to be a n energizing session, and you can book your place today at the IFA’s website.

Knowledge is power in this economy, so inform yourself at these two events.

National Small Business Week is upon us. There are a number of events happening around the country to accentuate the notion that small businesses and franchises are the life blood of the US economy. We’re of the opinion that every week is small business week, but we’re happy to unite with the franchising community, as well as entrepreneurs and small businesspeople and trumpet the important economic work wehttp://www.franchisedirect.com/blog/wp-admin/edit.php all do.

Franchisees or small business owners around the Beltway might be interested to visit the National Small Business Week event winding up at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Conference. After all, SBA head Karen Mills has made headlines for a bold new small business initiative announced in her address yesterday.

Ms Mills introduced a new temporary program for small businesses, America’s Recovery Capital (ARC). Through ARC, the SBA will provide short-term relief to small businesses in urgent financial trouble.
These are some of the details of the plan:

• These short-term loans of up to $35,000 can be used to cover payments on non-SBA debt.
• They have no SBA fees or interest costs for the borrower and are 100 percent guaranteed by the SBA.
• The loan is for six months, followed by 12 months of no repayment and then 5 years to pay it back.
• ARC loans are for viable businesses, meaning that the business must have an established history of good performance – but they are in a situation where they just need a little extra help to bridge the “troubled waters.”

This is a very promising initiative and comes right on the back of an interesting new study saying that small business confidence is at its highest ranking all year.

Finally, have a look at this great video, created by entrepreneur phone service Grasshopper, and feel the positivity of entrepreneurship during this National Small Business Week.

Franchise Direct has started a news video series, featuring up to date news stories from the franchise business and entrepreneurship community.

The series aims to provide viewers with informative news pieces about developments in the entrepreneurship community as well as news stories from franchises.

Download Franchise Update: 04/20/09, or view in the player below

In the first episode of Franchise Update, Franchise Direct’s Lillie Burroughs brings you news from Nutrition Zone who have just announced the opening of new store in Chula Vista, California. This episode also covers details of upcoming IFA seminars, which are available on our franchise seminars calendar. These seminars offer individuals the valuable opportunity to meet franchisors to discuss franchise opportunities available. Keep Watching!

Here are two very interesting food franchising trends spotted in the Wall Street Journal lately. Both have emerged as responses to the recession and one in particular illustrates the kind of ingenuity franchisees will need to beat this downturn.

Food franchises purchasing empty food franchises: As the number of failed restaurants begins to add up, successful food franchises are looking to convert these empty sites into their own brand image.

The story quotes Mike Nolan, CDO of Panera Bread, a food franchise that has been taking over a number out-of-business Bennigan’s restaurants. Mr Nolan confirms the general consensus of this blog that there’s no better time to open a franchise than during a recession.

“Our experience says the best time to grow, all else considered, is during times of recession,” says Mr. Nolan.

With the risks and capitol involved with building new units, franchisors are beginning to target the growing number of vacant restaurant spaces. This will be a trend to watch over the coming weeks and months.

Free food: The WSJ also reports that some Denny’s restaurants are giving away one Grand Slamwich if you and a friend both order one tomorrow. Meanwhile, Cici’s Pizza is spreading one million pennies across the floor of its stores offering free and discounted pizzas should customers discover a lucky coin with a sticker on the bottom.

Free food is probably the natural extension of the ‘In Rainbows’ approach to dining, in which customers at select restaurants pay what they feel is the deserved price for their meal. This is perhaps a sign of how desperate some restaurateurs are to get diners into their establishments. But our research shows that consumers are still willing to pay for a meal, they’re just far more selective. One hopes that the occasional free meal will attract more customers.

Let us take a moment to offer a belated welcome to Karen Gordon Mills, who was finally confirmed as the head of the Small Business Administration last Thursday. Her appointment couldn’t come fast enough, as cracks in President Obama’s small business stimulus package are already beginning to emerge.

Ms Mills, who comes to the position after a successful career as a venture capitalist, perhaps does not seem like the ideal candidate for revitalizing the small business sector, but she has made all the right soundings during the confirmation process.

“I am a believer in American small business,” she told the committee. ” … If confirmed I pledge to pursue these tasks with the utmost energy, and to be your partner in giving small businesses the help they need to thrive, to grow and put Americans back to work.”

As Business Week magazine chronicles, Ms Mills’s appointment has been widely hailed by those in politics and the small business sector. They quote Karen Kerrigan, president of the Small Business & Economic Council:

“I think [Mills] can be highly successful in transforming the agency by simply focusing on collaborative partnerships with other agencies and departments, as well as business associations and private-sector partners.”

Unfortunately, Ms Mills really has her work cut out for her. The Washington Post recently reported that only two weeks after President Obama pledged $15billion for the small business sector, “every major provider of these kinds of loans says the plan will not work as designed”. It seems that lending institutions are finding the terms of the government’s plan, in particular having to surrender ownership to the government and limit executive pay, so unappealing, they’re not participating.

“How can you do business if the government at any time can change the rules of the game to protect its investment? That unknown today . . . puts us in a position that we don’t feel is prudent,” Joseph J. DePaolo, chief executive of Signature Bank.

So the challenge for Karen Gordon Mills is pretty clear. The country is full of prospective franchisees ready to start work. What they are waiting for is free-flowing capitol. Her success (or failure) in her post will be judged on whether small business people can get the lifeline they desperately need.