Franchising Experts Featured at WDCEP’s Doing Business 2.0 Event

February 9, 2012

This morning, the WDCEP’s business development program Doing Business 2.0 featured a panel program of franchise experts who walked attendees through the nuts and bolts of owning, operating, starting and growing a franchise in DC.

Franchising is a solution for people who want to own and operate their own business, while working under an established brand, allowing them to benefit from the experience and know-how of the franchisor.  A Franchise offers the franchisee a complete system of doing business, from branding and marketing, to assistance with business set up, personnel training, and product supply.

Franchising has been a driving force in the U.S. economy for several decades.  Although in recent years the recession has affected franchise businesses causing restrained growth, the International Franchise Associations projects franchise business jobs to grow 2.1 percent this year, an increase of 168,000 jobs.

“Today’s program outlined the essentials of operating a franchise, while also supplying anecdotal and personal perspectives from franchise operators,” said Daour Diawara, Manager of Business Development at WDCEP and director of the Doing Business 2.0 initiative. “A lot of people assume operating a franchise will be easier than starting a business from the ground up, but in reality it’s much more complicated, and today’s program helped educate our audience on these issues.”

The event featured remarks from Thomas France, a Partner at Venable, LLP, who explained the legal aspects of franchising; Ben Litalien, Founder and Principal of FranchiseWell, LLC, who discussed strategies for managing a franchise, and Desi Desormeaux, Franchise Sales Representative at 7-Eleven, who outlined the franchising process for 7-Eleven; and Nancy A Wade, Senior Real Estate Representative at 7-Eleven, who discussed their expansion plans.

Following the speakers’ presentations, the audience was able to gain more specific knowledge through a Question & Answer panel discussion and through access to panel experts. Speaker presentations are posted to wdcep.com within two business days of events.

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It is the mission of the Washington, DC Economic Partnership, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to promote business opportunities throughout the District of Columbia and to contribute to business retention and attraction activities