Bellevue,
08
November
2018
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03:24 AM
America/Chicago

Are You Ready to Be Your Own Boss? Franchising Expert to Help Connect Local Entrepreneurs With Right Opportunity at December 5 Event

FranNet of the Heartland Owner on Tap for College of Business Speaker Series Event

Bellevue University will welcome Blake Martin – a franchise owner himself and an expert at helping prospective franchise owners – as its keynote speaker for the College of Business Speaker Series event scheduled for Wednesday, December 5, noon to 1 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and will be held in the John B. Muller Administrative Services Building at 812 Bruin Boulevard in Bellevue, Nebraska.

Martin heads up FranNet of the Heartland, a franchise organization that he describes as “like Match.com for local entrepreneurs.” His topic for the December 5 event will be “Is Franchising a Good Fit for Me?”At FranNet of the Heartland, Martin and his staff assist people from all walks of life who are interested in new or additional small business ownership opportunities within Nebraska and western Iowa.

Linda Thomas, Professor in the University’s College of Business and coordinator of the series, said attendees will have the opportunity to fill out a Personal Franchise Assessment that gives them more insight into their strengths and helps them determine what businesses would be a good fit. “The Personal Franchise Assessment that Blake will provide to attendees will help anyone who may be interested in franchising uncover their business DNA,” she said, “and give them really valuable information about what franchise model is the best match for their skills, passions and goals.”

Thomas said that attendees will learn about both the opportunities and risks related to franchising. “We expect that people who attend will walk away with a better idea of what to expect in the franchising process,” she said. “They’ll be better educated and know what to ask along the way.” Thomas added that the free, public event will also be available to view via livestream at: https://mediastream.bellevue.edu/Mediasite/Play/a900f8047dad4440ac5e8a2448a21bb51d.

Prior to opening FranNet of the Heartland in 2016, Martin spent two decades building franchise systems from the ground up and owning and operating a local small business franchise. Martin also has volunteer experience with SCORE, Veterans in Business Forum, Excel with a Mentor and the Entrepreneur’s Educational Collaborative.

According to the 2018 Franchise Business Outlook issued by the International Franchise Association, the United States franchise sector is set to grow for the eighth year in a row. Franchise establishments are expected to reach more than 759,000 this year.