Franchise Expos: Are They Dead?

Computer chip shortages are occurring across the world. Auto manufacturers are halting vehicle production because they can’t get the hundreds of silicon chips needed to get their vehicles across the assembly line.

Texas is suffering a deep freeze with failing infrastructure, while business owners in states like New York continue to permanently close their doors.

Notice a trend?

Everything is changing, it’s happening right before our eyes, and....it's about to start changing even faster.

Big Idea: It’s time to rethink your business and adapt. Prepare for change and leverage your strengths to take advantage of the massive opportunities that these changes will bring for the few leaders, brands and teams that are prepared for them.

Mark Mize has spent much of his career building and selling companies, so he knows a lucrative model when he sees one. Now, Mark and his wife Heather are set to become the newest franchisee team with Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, the 475-plus-unit spa franchise that is rapidly expanding throughout North America. The Mizes have signed on to bring five Hand & Stone spas to the Houston area, the first of which is scheduled to open in March 2021.

The Mizes arrive at Hand & Stone after diverse entrepreneurial careers in a range of industries. Starting in public accounting, Heather and Mark's resumes boast stints in software, oil and gas and even party rentals. Throughout their careers, the Mizes say they have learned firsthand how businesses can impact their communities, and they are adamant about using their new Hand & Stone franchises to connect and uplift their respective communities.

In the franchise world, the broker is the influencer. They are the ones who we want eating our burgers with their model faces (not really, but you get the point). And for the broker, when the ‘zor is good, boy, does it make it so much easier for our prospects. Check out our list of franchise influencers you should know.

You drop $20k + travel expenses and head off to a beautiful big city that you only get to see three times (when you arrive, drunk at a supplier party, and when you leave). You wear comfortable shoes because you are standing all day talking.

After your 15th show, you get pretty good at prospecting (judging). That guy who has a bag with six stress balls? Tire kicker. Another guy is walking too fast to you with his hand placed gently over his badge (supplier number 1,000). And now someone wearing a suit, probably expo police, is heading over to tell you that you can’t steal that $50 cardboard trashcan from another booth.

If you read that without laughing, definitely buy a spot at the next expo. If you laughed, maybe it’s time to brainstorm a better use of funds once we return from COVID.

What will happen with expos after the pandemic? Will they remain? Will they vanish? Will they change? What do you think? Join our community and participate in the question we are posting, right about... now.