--- title: "Forbes: Founder and CEO of SMB Franchise Advisors Discusses How to Tackle Discovery Day in a COVID World" url: https://burnaze.com/article/31bef9db-e31e-44a1-81cb-cb5ecd28a7f2 source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/forbes-founder-and-ceo-of-smb-franchise-advisors-discusses-how-to-tackle-discovery-day-in-a-covid-world-2716054 category: "Franchise Industry" industry: "Franchise Industry" topics: ["People"] published: 2021-06-23T22:17:00.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T02:25:11.003Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/12057375b33b88d0d303fa52e02807626115.jpg --- # Forbes: Founder and CEO of SMB Franchise Advisors Discusses How to Tackle Discovery Day in a COVID World **TL;DR:** Steve Beagelman, Founder and CEO of SMB Franchise Advisors, discussed the pros and cons of in-person and virtual Discovery Days in a Forbes article. Beagelman shared his insights on the benefits of both formats, including the importance of in-person experiences for potential franchisees and the cost savings of virtual events. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2021-06-23. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/forbes-founder-and-ceo-of-smb-franchise-advisors-discusses-how-to-tackle-discovery-day-in-a-covid-world-2716054).* ## Story 19 has forced many franchisors to shift their Discovery Days to a virtual platform. Now, with restrictions lifting in many states, it’s time to decide whether to shift back to in-person Discovery Days. In a recent Forbes article, Founder and CEO of SMB Franchise Advisors Steve Beagelman shares the pros and cons of both in-person and virtual Discovery Days. A Discovery Day is a critical day for potential franchisees since they finally get to meet corporate team members and fully understand the company’s culture and values, said Beagelman. There are certainly benefits to having Discovery Day in person and virtually. “From tasting the food in restaurant concepts to trying the service, in-person Discovery Days give potential franchisees the opportunity to really experience the brand,” Beagelman told Forbes. “This is especially crucial if a brand is trying to expand outside of their region and the potential franchisee is from a market without a nearby location to visit.” According to Beagelman, there is something to be said about meeting in-person for relationship building. However, the virtual option allows franchisors to save a lot of money on airfare, hotels and food. It also allows franchisors to bring several franchisees together in one place. ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - franchise expansion (topic) - Franchise Industry (sector) - Forbes (company) - SMB Franchise Advisors (company) - discovery day (topic) - relationship building (topic) - virtual events (topic) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/forbes-founder-and-ceo-of-smb-franchise-advisors-discusses-how-to-tackle-discovery-day-in-a-covid-world-2716054). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/31bef9db-e31e-44a1-81cb-cb5ecd28a7f2).