Ronald Harrison –2016 Table of Contents

Transcription

Ronald Harrison –2016
Table of Contents
Ronald Harrison At A Glance……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………………..……..2
Ferenz Feher – CEO, Feher & Feher………………….………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………..…………………..3
Anthony Lolli – Founder & CEO, Rapid Realty Franchise, LLC……………..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7
Ricardo L. Rivera-Badia – President & Senior Consultant, All Around Franchise & Business Consultants………………….……………………………….………11
2016 Ronald E. Harrison Award Documentation
Ferenz Feher
Anthony Lolli
Ricardo L. Rivera-Badia
CEO
Founder & CEO
President & Senior
Consultant
Feher & Feher
Rapid Realty Franchise, LLC
All Around Franchise &
Business Consultants
Founder
(Yes/No)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Industry
Management Consulting
Real Estate Services
Franchise Consultants
N/A - Supplier
50
N/A
N/A - Supplier
7
N/A
None
None
None
Nominee Name
Title
Company Name
Units (number of
units per brand)
Years in Franchising
(company)
IFA Leadership
Positions:

IFA Committees
CFE (Yes/No)
IFA Educational
Foundation
Nominated By:
IFA Social Sector Task
Force
IFA Advocate with local
government
Social Sector Task Force
None
Yes
No
Yes
Yes. Served as the only foreigner in
the Franchise Education Committee
Program at NOVA University
No
No
Supplier
Franchisor
Supplier

Ferenz Feher—Feher & Feher
Questionnaire Response No. 1
Detail your professional achievements.
I started in franchising over 25 years ago by launching the Steren Electronics franchise program. The network has now grown to over 400 units
nationwide (Mexico) making it one of the strongest in the country. After working in a franchise system for a few years and learning and
understanding of its benefits I was committed to making the model available to the entire business community in Mexico and decided to launch
my consulting firm. I have successfully helped businesses create franchise networks for the past 17 years. I have been a member of the IFA for
the past 9 years. I had the honor and privilege of serving as the President of the Mexican Franchise Association and continue to have an active
role as a board member. I also served as Vice-Secretary of the World Franchise Council, General Secretariat for the Iberoamerican Franchise
Federation (FIAF) and as Chairman of the International Franchise Consultants Network (IFCN). I serve in several Board of Directors (franchise
systems) such as Prendamex, BCU, Merik, Nutrisa, Mudanzas Thelsa and LectoSystems. I am also a board member for Entrepreneur Magazine
and participate in the Emerging Leader Network of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico. These positions allow me to greatly influence the direction of
franchising in the country. By most accounts I am recognized as one of the top experts on franchising in Mexico and recognized as such not only
domestically but also internationally. This reputation has allowed me the opportunity to open offices in the United States and Guatemala.
How have these achievements advanced the principles of franchising as a viable business strategy, and its positive
visibility?
Through my firm, I am responsible for the development of over 850 franchise networks in Mexico. This number represents over 50% of the
domestic brands operating as a franchise system in this country. I participated along government officials in the creation and subsequent
revisions of the Mexican Franchise Law that is currently in effect. I have published 4 books on franchising and 1 on entrepreneurship. The latter,
“Como ser un emprendedor sin tanto rollo”, sold out in its first edition and has become an inspiring tool for young entrepreneurs. My third book,
“Franquicias con impacto social” has been instrumental in establishing the legal framework for social franchises in Mexico; revolutionary work
even for the United States. I also have a weekly radio program, which I use to promote the benefits of the franchise business model and
entrepreneurship. I have had the opportunity to be a franchisee, a franchisor and a consultant, so I am able to relate to all aspects of franchising
through personal experience and influence key players in the sector for the benefit of the franchise model. I taught franchise related topics for 6
years at the Tecnologico de Monterrey, one of Mexico’s most prestigious private universities and I have been a member of the faculty of PROCEF
for the past 15 years, which is the only Franchise Certification Program, offered by the Mexican Franchise Association in conjunction with
Universidad Anahuac, also a renowned private university in the country. I am the first consultant in Mexico to address the topics of microfranchising and Franchising for the Social Sector, not only on a theoretical plane by publishing the only book on social franchising in Mexico and
Central America, but also on a practical aspect having created several micro-franchises and social franchises that are in operation today in
Mexico and Guatemala.
Questionnaire Response No. 2a
How have your achievements helped to promote diversity within your organization and/or the franchise industry?
For a consulting firm to be successful, it is of paramount importance that its team of collaborators has a broad range of knowledge and
experience and I am adamant about building diverse teams to meet the needs of all our clients. My team is formed with people with all different
skills and backgrounds to reflect the true makeup of our society. As proud as I am of my team and its diversity, I am also extremely proud of the
work I have lead as it relates to Franchising in the Social Sector. It is through this work that I am able to truly influence and promote diversity in
the franchise industry by positively impacting the lives of at-risk or underprivileged populations and help integrate them into the mainstream. I
have had the opportunity to touch many different and diverse groups and have found a common thread through Social Franchising. This model
provides not only a platform to increase the visibility of these wonderful programs that go from creating sustainable housing to assisting children
with cancer, but also a mechanism by which to expand throughout the country. I am also heavily involved in international franchising, assisting
Mexican Franchisors to establish presence in the U.S., other markets and vice-versa, broadening the exposure of diverse concepts in
international markets. I have presented different topics related to international franchising in all continents.
List the leadership and/or committee/task force positions you have held in IFA.
Member of the Franchising in the Social Sector Task Force.
List other awards and honors bestowed upon you by the franchising community.
I received the Juan Huerdo award, granted by the Mexican Franchise Association to the most influential personality in Mexico in the franchise
industry, 2001
The Mexican Chamber of Restaurants and Food Products (CANIRAC) recognized my efforts of promoting food and beverage franchises, 2004
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico, through Mr. Earl Anthony Wayne, Ambassador recognized my support to the U.S. Commercial Service in the
Franchise Sector, 2011
Ganar-Ganar, a Mexican publication devoted to Social Responsibility recognized my article “Social Franchising for Mexico” as the best opinion
article, 2011
Detail your history of community involvement.
My personal philosophy as an entrepreneur and businessman is to always give back and I have demonstrated this through my involvement in
many community organizations and related activities. For example, through a non-profit organization I applied “Comercio Justo” (translated as
Fair Commerce), a way to support indigenous communities by launching and distributing a brand of coffee produced by one of these communities
into a national supermarket chain. I provide mentoring to different business entities such as Endeavor and Victoria 147; this last organization
empowers businesswoman to accelerate their businesses and I assist in providing different strategies for their growth. Through World Vision
International I have developed several micro-franchising programs in Guatemala allowing the community to have alternative options to low-cost
franchises, as well as creating social benefits in the alimentary sector to vulnerable communities. I am working as well with World Vision Mexico
to standardize operations which will benefit thousands of children in my own country. In conjunction with the Universidad del Valle de Mexico
(UVM) a member of Laureate International Universities I provided a training course on Franchising in the Social Sector to over 8,000 students in
march 2015. I developed a micro-franchise for the MASISA system, which revolutionized the way small individual carpenters approach their
business and provided a platform for organized, sustainable operation and growth. I am actively involved in the board of ORT University in
Mexico, the only higher education institution that seeks to enhance and strengthen the social sector through trained professionals in Social
Responsibility, Entrepreneurship and Social Leadership. We also support the education of 9 underprivileged children, which we have done for the
past 10 years.
In 2011, I wanted to take our community initiatives even further by dedicating one day to give back to our surrounding communities. The company’s “Giving
Day” is one day out of the year where our thirty-five offices, including our joint ventures, donate time and resources to complete designated projects for some
25 charities in our local communities.
Demonstrate how this has transcended commercial benefit and heightened the positive awareness of franchising.
Through my community involvement and the social franchises I have developed, we have been able to help hundreds if not thousands of people
who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to be assisted. Franchising has been an invaluable vehicle by which these programs can not
only be replicated and grown, but also as a mechanism to teach others about entrepreneurship and business. In the majority of the cases, this
support has been given to diverse sections of the population such as underprivileged communities or people with special needs, women and
children, etc. I also assisted MUSA (Mujeres Unidas en la Salud) which has inspired 10,000 women in Mexico to become muses to create
awareness in Mexican households that “you are what you eat”. Through this program government officials hope to reduce the ongoing obesity
problem in our country. This is not only an outwardly position, but within my own firm, I have worked to obtain the designation of Socially
Responsible Enterprise, extending this sense of commitment to the community to all of my team. We run races to benefit non-profit organizations;
we provide treats to hospitalized children among many other socially conscious activities. Through commercial franchises I have created a
franchise system, Arreglalo, professional seamstress shops (tailoring and alterations), which has grown to 120 units around Mexico. Thus giving
more than 400 formal jobs to women.
Provide details on any pertinent legal actions that concern franchise systems with which you have been affiliated.
There have been no legal actions taken against any franchise system in which I am affiliated with personally.
Include any other information that you believe may be helpful to IFA in its consideration of you as an honoree.
Although most of my work has been related directly to franchising, a very important aspect of this business model that can’t be overlooked is
entrepreneurship. I have made great efforts to not only support the franchising community, but also the entrepreneurial spirit in Mexico, proof of
which is that my firm has been recognized as one of only 28 business incubators in the country. We assist entrepreneurs to develop their ideas
into concrete businesses, which may later mature as a franchise system. I am also in the process of publishing my fifth book, which focuses on
entrepreneurship. I have written several articles in IFA sponsored publications as well as in publications all around the world such as Russia,
Greece, Israel, Brazil, Guatemala, Spain, Italy, etc. on different franchise related topics. We are privileged to be mentoring a non-profit
organization based out of Michigan focused on creating self-sufficient residential environments for young adults with special needs. While serving
in the executive committee of the World Franchise Council, I had the opportunity to participate in the creation of the strategic plan for the
organization.
Are there legal, financial or other issues or situations that your selection as the recipient of an IFA award might raise which have the
potential to attract negative publicity or attention for the association and/or the franchising industry? Please describe.
None
Anthony Lolli — Rapid Realty Franchise, LLC
I started my own real estate company--the original Rapid Realty--in 1998 at the age of 21. The NYC real estate market at the time was entirely
focused on Manhattan sales, but I chose to specialize in outer borough rentals, an underserved and overlooked market. Unlike the few other
companies that even handled apartment rentals at that time, I put rentals front and center and worked at all ends of the economic spectrum, not
just the most expensive luxury properties.
With just one location, Rapid Realty became Brooklyn’s top rental firm. In 2009, I broke away from the rest of the industry once again. At the
height of the recession, real estate companies were hurting. But because Rapid Realty specialized in rentals, the one sector of the real estate
industry that was booming, we were able to expand when competitors were closing offices left and right.
In NYC, most real estate companies expand by opening corporate-owned branches. But, after doing extensive research, I chose to franchise.
Today, Rapid Realty is a 100% franchise company, with 38 franchises open and over 20 currently underway. We’re one of the largest real estate
companies in New York, now offering Master Franchise and Area Developer opportunities and expanding nationwide.
Rapid Realty won back-to-back Franchisee Satisfaction Awards from Franchise Business Review. In 2013, I was named Entrepreneur of the Year
in the Golden Bridge Awards and won the Silver Stevie in the Real Estate Executive of the Year category of the International Business Awards.
visibility?
Real estate companies in NYC traditionally avoid franchising, preferring to open corporate branches and install top salespeople as managers. I’ll
admit, I originally intended to follow that model myself. I even trained several of my best brokers to be our first wave of managers. But just before
construction on our first new branch was supposed to begin, all those managers I had trained quit to form their own competing firms!
That was when I started delving into franchising. I quickly realized that franchising was actually a beautiful solution to an industry-wide problem. I
was far from the first real estate broker to lose my best brokers because they wanted their own companies. But by franchising, I could offer my
best people the chance to own their own business while keeping them within the Rapid Realty family. There’s no doubt in my mind that the
decision to franchise is responsible for the Rapid Realty's enormous success.
Today, I’m a walking ambassador for franchising. I share that story everywhere I go, and constantly tell people how franchising was the smartest
choice I ever made. I’ve told that story in countless interviews in newspapers and magazines, as well as on the radio, TV, and in speaking
engagements. It's at the core of the book I'm publishing this summer with Diversion Books. For many of Rapid Realty’s franchisees (including
multi-unit owners and area developers), this is their first experience with franchising. And now they all believe in it just as much as I do.
When I was a young real estate agent, I wanted to work in the tony neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights. Even though I had been quite successful
elsewhere in Brooklyn, I was turned down for a job by just about every brokerage in Brooklyn Heights. They told me I didn’t look or sound like
what people in that neighborhood expected from a real estate agent.
When I started my own company, I wanted it to be a place of inclusion and opportunity for all, regardless of how they looked or talked when they
first walked through our doors. As a direct result, each Rapid Realty franchise location is wonderfully representative of its surrounding community,
creating an incredibly diverse company culture.
Franchising has allowed me to empower a new generation of minority and women business owners in the highly competitive—and all too often
homogeneous—world of New York City real estate. Well over 80% of our franchise owners are women and minorities, and the same is true for
our agents. Many of our most successful agents and franchisees didn’t own a suit when they first came to us, or didn’t speak much English, or
didn’t look like the stereotypical picture of a real estate professional. But we gave them a chance, and the results have been nothing short of
phenomenal.
Rapid Realty received the 2013 Special Achievement Award from the National Minority Business Council and was named one of the 2014
Champions of Diversity by the New York Urban League.
None as of yet.
The Franchise Business Review gave Rapid Realty the Franchisee Satisfaction Award in 2013 and 2014 and named Rapid Realty one of the top
50 companies for franchisee satisfaction among companies with 99 or fewer units. See more awards, including some won by Rapid Realty's
franchisees with my support, at: http://www.rapidnyc.com/pressmedia/awards
Since the day I founded Rapid Realty, I have always looked for ways to get involved with giving back to the community. When we were just
starting out, with a small handful of agents, we’d all climb into a van and I’d take them to volunteer at a homeless shelter or a coat drive. When we
got a little larger, we organized more elaborate activities, such as splitting up into groups and going out to low-income areas to hand out turkeys
with all the trimmings on the night before Thanksgiving.
Since becoming a franchisor, I have continued to find ways to get involved that suit the growing capabilities, manpower, and resources of the
company at any given moment. For instance, in 2011, we organized a stand-up comedy benefit to raise money for the Red Cross, something we
never could have done when we were still small.
Since then, I have personally taken part in numerous charity fundraisers, particularly for organizations aimed at combating childhood illnesses,
reducing inner city gun violence, supporting wounded veterans, and promoting equal educational and professional opportunities for minorities.
I have constantly encouraged every franchisee I mentor to get their own offices involved in charity, as well. I introduced a way for Rapid Realty
agents to boost their commission split by participating in charity, and have since seen offices hold food, clothing, and toy drives, work on Habitat
for Humanity builds, and much more.
Some companies are content to write a check and call that their charitable contribution for the year. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I’ve
always tried to get more involved than just being a bank account. I give my time and voice to the organizations I support, and I encourage all
Rapid Realty franchisees and agents to do the same. Whether it’s an agent helping out their favorite local charity or the whole company coming
together to support a single cause, I heavily promote those acts on social media, and I always emphasize that they were only possible because of
franchising.
When I give to charity, I often take a photo handing a check over to representatives of the organization. When I share that image online, I make it
clear that I was able to make that contribution because of my success as a franchisor.
In 2009, I decided to start providing free real estate school tuition to anyone in need. The job market was abysmal. Many people who were
interested in real estate couldn’t afford the mandatory licensing classes. I paid for hundreds of people to attend classes that would normally cost
over $300. Many of them became Rapid Realty agents, working out of our growing network of franchises. If we weren’t expanding that quickly, I
wouldn’t have been able to make that offer. But because of franchising, hundreds of people attended school, had jobs waiting for them, and some
of those people even became Rapid Realty franchisees themselves.
None
I’m a guy who came from nothing. My father was a first generation Italian-American WWII veteran-turned-schoolteacher. My mother immigrated to
the US from Ecuador with $40 to her name. We shared a tiny one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn throughout my childhood. I got my real estate
license at 19 and started my own firm at 21 to try to provide for my parents. I built my company from the ground up (literally—I couldn’t afford a
proper construction crew, so I hired day laborers and worked alongside them to build out the space).
So you can understand when I say it was hard for me to make the decision to franchise. It took every penny I had to start my own company, and
giving up control over the brand like that—having to put my trust into other people to run their own offices with the love and care I'd put into mine
for over a decade—was the most difficult thing I’d ever done. But it also turned out to be the best.
Today, I can’t believe I ever thought about growing my company any other way. I’m a vocal advocate for franchising everywhere I go. Franchising
is what empowered me to build a company where the agents are so passionate that over 100 of them have gotten tattoos of our logo. I’ve written
articles promoting franchising for numerous publications, including the Huffington Post and USA Today. Franchising has become part of my DNA,
as much as it’s a part of my company’s.
None
Ricardo L. Rivera-Badia — All Around Franchise & Business Consultants






Dedicated 16 years of my professional career working in a franchise development family business and was part of the conception, development, and
administration of several Puerto Rican franchise concepts.
On September 2013, founded my own professional services company, All Around Franchise & Business Consultants, devoted to provide consulting
services to companies that are interested in growing up their businesses through the franchise model.
Was selected by the Puerto Rico Trade and Export Company to mentor and manage the first government initiative aimed at developing Puerto Rican
brands. This initiative named Local Exportable Franchises Development Program, consisted in providing a monetary incentive to a group of companies
with the purpose to develop their brand into a franchise model so they can export their concepts worldwide.
Entered into an agreement to provide consulting services in the Dominican Republic in order to organize and develop a franchise industry in this
country.
Currently organizing Expo Franquicias Caribe, the first international franchise exposition in Puerto Rico to be held on August 8th. The purpose of the
expo is to promote the franchise industry, showcase the newly developed Puerto Rican franchise concepts, and promote the introduction of
international concepts in the local market.
Completed the Franchise Management Certification program from Georgetown University.
visibility?
I am a true believer that franchising is one of the economic development strategies that are going to help the reconstruction of the Puerto Rican economy.
Every step that I have taken in this fascinating industry has confirmed it. Before I developed the Local Exportable Franchises Development Program for the
government of Puerto Rico in 2014, there where less than 8 recognized franchise concepts in the Island. In the beginning, it was very hard to make the local
companies understand and believe that they have the same possibilities to be successful in the franchise industry as the other international companies that
have a presence in Puerto Rico. After the Program, and many other initiatives, we now have over 20 franchise concepts that comply with all of the FTC
requirements. It is clear that the message is getting across and that local companies are understanding the powerful impact of franchising.
The development of Puerto Rican franchise concepts and their expansion to the United States and any other place in the world is going to provide the industry
with a great cultural diversity with unique flavors, colors, sounds, and accents.


IFA Social Sector Task Force
IFA Advocate with local government
None







Group Leader – Support Group for Pulmonary Hypertension Patients in Puerto Rico (2009-2011)
President of the Franchise Committee of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce (2007-2009)
Vice-President of the Small Business Committee of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce (2014-2015)
Mentor of the 1 Million Cups entrepreneurial program (2014-present)
Member of the Board Directors of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce (Elected on June, 2015)
President of the Small Business Committee of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce (Appointed on July, 2015)
Speaker on Small Business and Franchise seminars in universities and communities.
When you do what you love and in the industry you love money is totally secondary. Been able to help local companies realize their capacities and potentials
is very rewarding. Both in Puerto Rico and in the Dominican Republic we have been in contact with the franchise industry since the 60’s because of the arrival
of fast food, gas stations, car dealerships, and many other concepts. But is now, after many years of preaching the franchise gospel, that both the Puerto
Rican and Dominican companies are aware that they can compete head to head in quality, customer service, experience, and profits with any other concepts
from the world.
None



Local Exportable Franchise Development Program
Expo Franquicias Caribe is the first international franchise expo to be held in Puerto Rico
Expansion of our firm and franchising promotion to the Dominican Republic.
None

Ronald Harrison –2016 Table of Contents

Transcription

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