Understanding the Relationship Between Franchisor and Franchisee Sets EZ CERT’s Executive Leadership Team Apart

Today, EZ CERT is known by franchise brands across the country for its proactive approach to insurance compliance. But its proven Certificate Tracking System hasn’t always been a part of the insurance and franchising industries—that all started when Doug Groves, principal at EZ CERT, realized that there was a glaring gap that needed to be filled.

Before launching EZ CERT, Groves gained years of experience in the insurance business by working with homebuilders. The relationship between homebuilders and their subcontractors was simple with regards to insurance—it could all be easily tracked. However, when Groves switched gears and became a franchisee, he realized that the relationship between franchisors and franchisees wasn’t quite as intuitive when it came to having the right coverage.

“Homebuilders and subcontractors have a relationship that’s similar to a franchisor and franchisee. Homebuilders have to keep current certificates of insurance on file for all of their subcontractors, but that can be managed with papers in a binder. The need for a true software tracking system isn’t necessary in that world. But it is necessary in franchising,” Groves said.

Through his roles as an area developer for both Boneheads and The Tilted Kilt, Groves understood how a franchisor could quickly become overwhelmed with keeping track of insurance compliance for every one of its locations. He also recognized the obligation that he had as a franchisee to purchase insurance according to the FDD, and send that certificate into the corporate team. But he also saw first-hand the problems that could arise on the franchisor side of the business through this tracking method.

As a non-revenue generating activity, insurance can often fall behind other tasks like growth, brand strengthening and a brand’s core business efforts.

That’s when Groves had the idea for EZ CERT. He knew that there was a need for software that could track insurance while fully understanding the insurance certificate. By combining his experience in the industry with his understanding of the franchising business model, he created a layered certificate tracking system that keeps insurance at the forefront of its priority list at all times.

“What makes EZ CERT essential to the franchising industry is its ability to maintain constant communication with franchisees. It’s increasingly difficult for brands to keep up with insurance certificates as they expand and update their FDDs—that’s where we come in,” said Groves. “We take an incredibly proactive approach to ensuring that franchisees have the right coverage. At the end of the day, an error in insurance can lead to legal problems for a brand. It’s our job to prevent that from happening.”

What started out as Groves’ idea is now a thriving company that helps major franchise brands like Sport Clips*, Rent-A-Center, Tropical Smoothie Café and Kitchen Solvers stay ahead of the curve when it comes to insurance certificates. EZ CERT’s team boasts a combined 50-plus years of insurance experience with backgrounds as customer service representatives, insurance consultants, insurance agents and multi-franchise area developers.

That ability to combine insurance expertise with a clear understanding of the franchising business model continues to set EZ CERT apart from the crowd. And with an executive leadership team that’s passionate about helping franchisors ensure that their franchisees are covered, the brand is confident that it will continue to experience success.

“I’m incredibly proud to be a part of the EZ CERT team. There aren’t many services out there that work closely with both franchisors and franchisees to ensure that the right insurance certificate steps are being taken to be in compliance with a FDD,” said Heath Groves, brand manager at EZ CERT. “We take the time to create personal relationships with our clients, which ultimately sets us apart. It’s our job to know their specific franchise system so that we can provide them with the services that they need to succeed.”