The 2025 International Franchise Association (IFA) Conference in Las Vegas brought together franchisors, franchisees and their suppliers. Hot Dish’s own CEO and Co-Founder, Dawn Kane, participated in a panel discussion with other industry leaders entitled “Strategies from Top Franchise Visionaries.” The discussion was moderated by Catherine Monson, CFE, who serves as the CEO and President of Propelled Brands. Other panelists included:
- Richard Weissman, CEO/Chairman, The Learning Experience.
- Dan Monaghan, CFE and Managing Partner, Clear Summit Group.
- Javier Solis, CFE and Co-Founder, Toro Taxes Franchise.
These industry leaders shared insights on the importance of responsible franchising. Here are the key takeaways from the session, along with actionable strategies that franchisors can use to strengthen their systems:
Lay the foundation for franchise success through good governance
Strong governance within a franchise organization helps ensure consistency, fairness and franchisee success. To create this strong foundation, franchisors should:
- Clearly define standards for support, communication and collaboration within their system.
- Encourage the use of Franchise Advisory Councils (FACs) and franchisee committees to foster feedback and influence key areas like marketing, training and operations.
- Treat all franchisees fairly, with consistent policies and a commitment to delivering measurable value.
Empower franchisees
The best franchisors prioritize tools, training and transparent communication to set franchisees up for long-term success. These could include:
- Hosting regular town halls or webinars to keep franchisees informed on company performance, upcoming initiatives and challenges.
- Proactively integrating crisis management into franchise support so that franchisees are empowered to respond to unexpected challenges. Resources might include:
- Playbooks with local strategies.
- Government aid application guides (if applicable).
- Customer communication templates.
Ensure system-wide alignment with a connected brand strategy
A cohesive brand strategy benefits the entire organization — from corporate teams to franchisees to customers — by establishing a unified brand experience. Aligning on the shared strategy and goals helps drive efficiency and builds trust within the franchise system. By emphasizing consistency in brand messaging, quality control and customer experience, brands can:
- Strengthen customer perception and make the brand more memorable.
- Maintain standards at the local level through standardized training and providing clear marketing communications guidelines to franchisees.
Find and retain the right franchisees
Brands today are placing more importance on recruiting franchisees who align with their mission and values, not just those who meet financial criteria. Having good brand protection strategies in place can help, including:
- Providing franchisees with clear guidelines and ongoing education.
- Establishing accountability programs, like mystery shopper evaluations and regular field audits to ensure consistency.
Inspire franchisees through a culture of motivation and engagement
Engaged franchisees are more likely to succeed and contribute positively to the brand’s reputation. One way to do this is by publicly recognizing top-performing franchisees with:
- Awards.
- Additional support resources.
- Financial incentives.
Hot Dish is your partner in responsible franchising
IFA 2025 made one thing clear: franchising is thriving, but sustainable success requires responsible growth, innovation and the right partnerships. As Dawn stated during the panel discussion, “Responsible franchising isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a commitment to long-term success for both franchisors and franchisees.”
Hot Dish is more than just a marketing partner — we are a champion of responsible franchising. We provide expert guidance, brand-aligned marketing strategies and franchisee engagement solutions that fuel long-term success for our clients. Our approach combines franchise marketing expertise with a commitment to transparency, support and collaboration to drive sustainable growth on both a national and local level.
We can help franchisors maintain brand consistency through seamless, national-to-local creative execution that includes high-quality marketing assets, data-driven digital strategies and performance-based solutions. Our targeted franchisee recruitment strategies use clear and compelling brand messaging that resonates with the target audience to attract the ideal ownership candidate.
Ready to grow responsibly in 2025 and beyond? Let’s talk!
