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Are you looking to learn about franchise operations in one or more business sectors and/or invest in a franchise? Trade shows might be a good way to do both, and there are several franchising expos coming up.
These expos provide an opportunity to engage multiple franchisors in conversation about investment and site availability while addressing your concerns and questions. Deciding to attend involves weighing the costs and time involved with your reason for attending. These will vary depending on location and what you want to achieve. Regardless, you will want to get the most out of visit to a franchise expo.
Go All In
Expos tend to be on weekends, but sometimes start earlier. Key advice: arrive at the beginning. The energy is high, and it’s easier to strike up a conversation with strangers. Then, be there for the whole event. For example, if the event is targeted for Friday and Saturday, then arrive Thursday evening, and mingle with others at the hotel. It gets you more comfortable with your surroundings. It also makes you more recognizable and prone to starting conversations during the event.
The beginning of your expo going experience will involve attending seminars and asking lots of questions. But don’t leave too early because towards the end is when many appointments are set for follow-ups and discussion. The franchisors have been working the show booths, so the last day, or last few hours if the expo is only a single-day event, is a good time to solidify future plans and relationships. Set aside the dates so you can be thorough and leave nothing on the table.
Be Strategic
Seminar topics and show offerings are extensive, and they all offer valuable information of some kind, but try to limit yourself to the things that meet your goals. So, as you plan your time, target those seminars that resonate with you. Maybe you need guidance on overcoming your fear or ways to avoid major pitfalls in a new franchise. Even better, there might be a seminar focused on your preferred franchise type.
Pore over the expo schedule and speakers, and get to work marking it up long before the show. Be ready to ask lots of questions to franchisors, franchisees, and other experts that are available to you. This can start in the hotel bar before the show officially starts too. It’s a good time to solicit ideas and recommendations as well.
Before you leave for a show, plan a quick meeting with the franchise reps or people you most want to see. Then, wrap up each day with more networking. The end-of-day chatter puts together faces and names of key industry personnel in your area of franchise interest. Those nights often cement relationships and do more to contribute to your success than visiting booths or sitting quietly in a meeting room during a seminar.
Involve Your Stakeholders
This may be a spouse or potential co-investor in a franchise, but sharing the expo experience will help make your joint decisions easier and more equitable. Another person also helps divide and conquer the hard work of making colleagues into friends, whether that occurs on the show floor or sharing a cup of coffee with a franchisor.
Franchise expos offer a strategic opportunity to investigate investment options and connect with those who will have an influence on your future franchise site. Attend without fear, be well-organized and ready to make the best possible use of your time at your franchise expo visit.
Anne Daniells is a co-owner of Enterprising Solutions, a professional services firm specializing in corporate communication and financial improvement for businesses where she shares decades of corporate and entrepreneurial experience—including franchise ownership—in her writings on business culture. She has authored hundreds of articles for publications including AllBusiness.com, TweakYourBiz.com, and MSN.com. Reach out via her website for more on where corporate culture, communication, and human architecture collide.