--- title: "Jonathan Pace Thinks You Should Spend Your Development Budget Getting to Know Candidates in 2020" url: https://burnaze.com/article/cdb3db88-439b-49f5-afeb-010817cd55de source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/jonathan-pace-thinks-you-should-spend-your-development-budget-getting-to-know-candidates-in-2020-2711031 category: "Franchisors" industry: "Franchise Industry" segment: "Franchisors" topics: ["Finance & M&A"] published: 2019-09-17T14:09:02.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T02:29:31.833Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/b769122dabfa3eaa6b90a429609bed5c377.jpg --- # Jonathan Pace Thinks You Should Spend Your Development Budget Getting to Know Candidates in 2020 **TL;DR:** Jonathan Pace, a Chicago-based franchise consultant, advises franchisors to spend their development budget on getting to know candidates in 2020. Pace, president of On Pace Franchise and Business Advisors, emphasizes the importance of profiling tools and attracting quality franchisees. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2019-09-17. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/jonathan-pace-thinks-you-should-spend-your-development-budget-getting-to-know-candidates-in-2020-2711031).* ## Story Jonathan Pace is a Chicago-based franchise consultant and business broker, currently serving as the president of On Pace Franchise and Business Advisors. Pace founded the consulting company in 2015 after identifying a frequent disconnect between the employees and owners of retail franchises. On Pace Franchise and Business Advisors brings years of experience from both sides of the franchising table to its consulting work, achieving measurable results for clients based on a deep understanding that franchise success doesn’t just come from the top down, it must be instilled at every level of the business. **Pace**: I started out in the franchising industry as a manager of Moe’s Southwest Grill, eventually moving over to the corporate side and opening units with Smashburger. Through training countless franchisees from all over the U.S., I realized I had a passion for matching people with their ideal business. Although I liked the idea of franchise consulting, I didn’t have a good understanding of the financial side of the industry. My business partner, Michael, had his CPA license and extensive accounting experience, so we decided to start a business together in which we’d be able to help connect franchisees with the correct brand based on their background, interests and goals. **Pace**: First of all, it is never a bad idea for franchisors to hire outside consulting. Firms like On Pace specialize in placing franchisees and are able to add value by bringing the brand prime candidates. Oftentimes, franchisees already know the kind of opportunity they are looking for, so consultants like myself make sure these candidates are able to connect with the right franchisor. While a business can always attract franchisees based on sales, the candidates who are passionate about the brand will always be more successful. Consultants are able to bring vetted, passionate candidates to franchisors on a silver platter. In the long run, it is important to remember that franchisors make more money off of royalties, not the up-front fees. Here’s an example: I had a candidate interested in purchasing a neighborhood Subway or Cold Stone Creamery operation. After I discovered she had a love for financial services, I brought her attention to the bookkeeping franchise Supporting Strategies, which ended up being the perfect match. Without our consulting, clients are unaware of how many opportunities there are out there. Internally, franchisors should be spending their development budget on profiling tools. If you are able to profile the most successful franchisees in your system, you can use that data to target new candidates. Through franchisee testimonials, candidates are able to identify with these success stories. **Pace**: Franchisors often spend too much on fancy lead portals. Instead of flashy ads meant to appeal to as many people as possible, spend money on attracting quality franchisees. There is no need to draw the attention of everyone; the candidates who really want to be a part of [a brand] will find it. The franchise should sell itself through the attractiveness of the model and the testimonials of successful franchisees, not the flashy sales information. Brands don’t need to be spending a ton of money on glitzy ads or flying everyone out to their extravagant headquarters—it is more about having a quality team and franchise system in place. **Pace**: Technology, of course, has become a defining tool in how franchisors look for the right candidates. The biggest trend I am seeing currently is franchisors putting money into social media targeting and SEO to find people that are qualified and interested. As more brands grow their presence on social media, we will continue seeing an emphasis on online content. **Pace**: Brands need to spend more money *after* they’ve gotten an inquiry. It is important to have a really good online platform, with all support and resources in one place. The best franchises out there create an online university, educating candidates on the fence to make them feel comfortable investing. **Pace**: A majority of the marketing budget should be allocated toward local activities. Get your name out there in the local chambers or networking organization, using your marketing budget to show people in the community that you are committed. Each area should feature a hyper-localized social media strategy that spotlights the specific store instead of the entire franchise brand. ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - Franchise Industry (sector) - franchise development (topic) - Subway (company) - franchise consulting (topic) - Moe's Southwest Grill (company) - Smashburger (company) - Cold Stone Creamery (company) - marketing budget (topic) - social media strategy (topic) - candidate targeting (topic) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/jonathan-pace-thinks-you-should-spend-your-development-budget-getting-to-know-candidates-in-2020-2711031). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/cdb3db88-439b-49f5-afeb-010817cd55de).