Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue III, 2011 | Page 53

equipment or price differently and affect how that individual
franchisee operates.
Says Schultz, “Establish a collaborative partnership with the
franchisor. Go to them and ask, ‘What are you doing? Who are
the people who understand the business? Are you leveraging
FRANdata?” (See page 52.) This is particularly important for
smaller, emerging franchise systems, he says. “That’s where you
have the biggest issues. Can you give us good data on why this
brand is going to be successful?”
“Banks want to see historical, profitable tax returns—2010,
not 2009—and positive same-store sales,” says Feldman. Banks
today are afraid to lend because of the regulators, he says.
One approach to improving the lending environment is Franchise America Finance (FAF), a collaboration between Siegel
Capital Group and The Bancorp Bank. “What we wanted to
create was a custom SB H[