Scenes from the Zoup seminar. Photo by Jana Chiabai.
The Zoup franchise is looking to expand to the Pacific Northwest, and is offering free seminars for prospective business owners to check them out! Our own Jana Chiabai attended the Seattle seminar last night and sampled some of their award-winning soups after hearing their brief presentation. She thinks, "this market is perfect [for Zoup] due to the cool weather."
If you're interested in funding your own Zoup restaurant, contact our Business Development team at 888.472.4455 x3331 to learn more about how Guidant can help. To attend the Oregon Zoup seminar tonight in Lake Oswego, click here.to RSVP.
It's not often that our representatives return from company travel and talk about chainsaw juggling acts or Kiss cover bands, but that's exactly what happened this week. Business Development West Coast Representative Jordan Melin attended the Anytime Fitness Conference in Chicago, which featured a performance by Hairball (pictured at left) and a meeting that ended with a presenter juggling chainsaws (for real). 1300 professionals attended this annual event, which celebrates the achievements of the franchise, provides inspirational seminars and offers educational opportunities for franchisees looking to take their Anytime Fitness clubs to the next level. Follow Anytime Fitness on Twitter: @AnytimeFitness Follow Guidant on Twitter: @guidant
In a post today on the IFA FranBlog, Guidant is noted for their participation at the Faegre Franchise Summit in Minneapolis last week, where CEO & Co-founder David Nilssen served on a finance panel and stepped up the commitment to VetFran by becoming a VetFran Preferred Provider.
Members of our Business Development team are currently on-site at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Veterans Small Business Conference & Expo in Detroit.
Our East Coast Representative, Jana, is pictured here at our booth speaking with an entrepreneur.
At the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Veterans Small Business Conference & Expo in Detroit June 26 - 28, 40 franchise brands of the International Franchise Association will present the inaugural Franchising Pavilion.
At the event, the new free Veterans Franchise Toolkit and Veterans Mentor Network will be unveiled.
These initiatives are an extension of the Operation Enduring Opportunity campaign, which began in November of 2011 as a national effort to get veterans back to work and into business ownership.
Guidant is proud to be participating! If you're attending the event, please stop by our booth (10810) at the Open House, and say 'hi' to Rachel and Jana, who will be representing our team.
Join industry leaders at FranDev 2012 from June 23 - 27 at the Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain Resort.
Guidant Financial is proud to be a sponsor of this event and welcomes you to join the leadership of Management 2000, FranConnect, Faegre Baker Daniels, Greenbaum Marketing, FranData, Fishman PR, MFV Expositions, Tortal and others for a franchise recruitment summit like no other. For more information or to register, click here.
How does four
days at a luxury resort in the mountains of Arizona sound?
If world-class
hiking, a Jack Nicklaus golf course, fine dining and spa treatments appeal to
you, we’d like to tell you about the upcoming FranDev conference.
The most
experienced franchise experts and leaders are coming together June 23 – 27 at the Ritz Carlton Dove
Mountain in Tucson, Ariz. to spend time discussing the best ways to improve
their systems. Topics covered include: recruitment, lead generation,
marketing—and of course—financing. You can also receive 450 Education CFE
credits for attending.
To register,
fill out the form on page 14 of the brochure above. Be sure to check “Guidant
Financial” where it asks how you heard about the conference.
In an article today about the IFA's recent partnership announcements, Guidant Financial is recognized as a key player in helping potential franchise owners gain capital to start their new business.
At the IFA Small Business Lending Summit earlier this week, Guidant CEO David Nilssen served on a panel of experts who spoke about creating jobs and franchise financing in today's economy.
Nilssen emphasized the optimism Guidant saw in their most recent annual client survey, and the fact that our services, coupled with SBA lenders, can provide liquidity to a transaction and enable it to close.
A new strategic alliance between Guidant Financial and the International Franchise Association was announced today at the Small Business Lending Summit in Washington, D.C.
The formation of the alliance takes an important step in the ongoing quest to make more credit available to both aspiring franchise owners and existing franchisees.
In November, in conjunction with the IFA and Joining Forces, Guidant was honored to become a part of the Operation Enduring Opportunity campaign, which aims to put 100,000 veterans back to work by 2014.
Today, Joining Forces celebrates its first anniversary.
To learn more about our program for veterans, click here.
To view a video from the First Lady, click the 'play' button below.
It may seem unlikely in light of the volatile economy, but experts are saying that now is actually an ideal time to purchase a franchise.
In an article for NuWire Investor, eAuth.com CEO David Omholt discusses the timing:
Historically, some of the greatest business launches came at a time when it might have seemed counterintuitive to the academics and the uninitiated. If we rewind the clocks back to 1954 (a recessionary cycle that coincided with the end of the Korean War) a young salesman named Ray Kroc began negotiating with the McDonald's brothers to be their franchise agent. To many, Ray seemed 'off his (K)rocker' (or a couple Big Macs short of a picnic, as it were) to be taking risks in such an economic environment. Well, how wrong they were!
He goes on to say that it's difficult to see the hope in launching a venture when a good majority of the current financial media coverage is negative, "Yes, I too read the negative headlines and listen to the pessimistic pundits on their views of the world and here at home. Problem is, they fail to give the positive factors equal airtime. And there are plenty of them."
We're pleased to announce our new alliance with the Professional Athlete Franchise Initiative (PAFI).
PAFI is dedicated to helping pro athletes transition from sports careers to franchise ownership, and Guidant is poised to help those individuals secure funding for their new businesses.
CEO & Cofounder David Nilssen and Business Development Director
Rachel Villiott just returned from a wonderful visit to the Franchise Finance Conference in Las Vegas.
There, they both connected with a number of franchise professionals,
sharing ideas about funding. David also spoke on the topic 'Franchise Finance Options A-Z: Financing Deals Under $500k' alongside
Ronald Feldman, the Cofounder of Franchise America Finance.
On behalf of all of us at Guidant, our warmest wishes go out to Susan Black-Beth, Director of Franchising at Super Wash, Inc. who is also a valued Guidant partner.
Susan will receive the prestigious Bonny LeVine Award in a ceremony tonight at the International Franchise Association Annual Convention.
The award was created in memory of Postal Instant Press Co-founder and esteemed IFA member, Bonny LeVine, in 1994 to commemorate her outstanding contributions to the franchising industry.
The honor is bestowed annually to "a female franchisor or franchisee who has demonstrated ability in franchising as evidenced by her contributions to the growth of the business; contributions through her community through board positions, volunteer work and activities that promote the professional advancement of women; and, of course, her contributions as a mentor to women in franchising."
David and Rachel standing in front of the box Rachel helped build!
Guidant CEO David Nilssen and West Coast Buisness Development Director Rachel Villiott participated in the inaugural "Franchising Gives Back" event today in Orlando.
The day of service aims to demonstrate the "generosity and impact the franchise industry has on local communities."
Stop by Booth 517 at Franchise Expo South this weekend and sign the Guidant "wisdom wall." Doug Smith and Jana Chiabai will be there, ready to talk franchise financing.
Congratulations to our Vice President of Business Development, Jerry Darnell on becoming an Admiral of the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska.
Admiral Joe Wishcamper, Guidant Senior Counsel, presented him with his certificate today during an impromptu ceremony at Guidant Headquarters in Bellevue, Wash.
The presentation ended with a spirited serenade to Darnell.
The West Coast Franchise Expo is known as the premier franchise event in the western United States.
With over 100 franchise concepts and more than 40 suppliers exhibiting, the event provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs to explore franchising in a face to face setting.
Guidant Financial had a prime location, highlighting a complete suite of funding options including iFinance, the premier 401(k) rollover product in the industry.
This photo shows our Business Development Director Doug Smith and our Business Development Vice President Jerry Darnell enjoying time with David Louy, Vice President of Aussie Pet Mobile.
Calling all veterans: attend the Hiring Our Heroes Career Fair today in Seattle at Century Link (across from Safeco Field).
Guidant Financial Business Development Director Rachel Villiott will be available to answer your questions at the event from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.Stop by and say "hi!"
Last weekend in San Diego, members of our team were delighted to attend the eSource Super Regional Showcase.
Business Development Director Rachel Villiott spoke about franchise financing at the event, which took place at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel San Diego-Mission Valley.
Brandon of Us Lawns and
Eric of Paul David Restoration with Rachel.
Rachel, along with Business Development Representative Jordan Melin, who also made the trip, enjoyed connecting with other franchise professionalsand discussing how Guidantcan assist with franchise funding.
They look forward to continuing the conversations started at the event, and at the dinner they all shared the night before.
Franchise Source Brands International, which owns The Entrepreneur's Source, Expense Reduction Coaching, AdvoCoach and Business Partner, were pleased to host the recent conference for franchise professionals.
More than 125 brands and 250 coaches met earlier this week at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to learn more about each other and ultimately explore how they can help a greater number of individuals create the lifestyle, income, wealth and equity that they want--through franchising.
Sandy Lechtner and David Nilssen with restaurant owner
'Mario' at Mario's Cantina (the best Cuban food in all of So. Florida)
At the event, Guidant Financial and The Entrepreneur's Source unveiled their new pre-qualification tool that will help buyers evaluate their true finance-ability before they start searching for a business or franchise.
The tool is the first of its kind and is expected to start an industry-wide paradigm shift, sparking the conversation of financing earlier in the buying process.
Our team was thrilled to be a part of this groundbreaking launch.
Guidant is proud to be a sponsor of the 2011 Over The Top interactive workshops, which feature franchise experts sharing ways to develop successful franchise recruitment systems.
Three separate events will be held next month in Toronto, Dallas and Tampa. Attendees can earn 150 CFE education credits.
The workshop is just $249 per person. To register online, click here. Or, register by phone. Call 800.747.5763.
Mark Dayman (McLean Group), Jim Squire (Firestone), David Nilssen,
Stan Friedman (FranConnect) and David McDougall (FranIntel)
Our Cofounder David Nilssen recently attended the "How Franchisors Win in the Competition for Credit" event at the Southeast Franchise Forum. He spoke about the current credit environment and how the competition for credit impacts franchisors.
David also caught up with NFL great Fran Tarkenton. They discussed Tarkenton's new website onemorecustomer.com and how Guidant may become their go-to financing resource. Nilssen commented that he was "excited to see the new version of their small business resource site when it launches in the next few weeks. What they are doing is consistent with the Guidant mission -- helping more individuals succeed in small business -- and thus why we are discussing how we might collaborate in the future."
David Nilssen, Fran Tarkenton and Jim Solomon with Tarkenton's 1965 NFL Pro Bowl MVP Trophy.
Guidant Cofounder David Nilssen and Business Development Representative Jordan Melin traveled to Dallas over the weekend to attend The Entrepreneur Authority Seminar on franchising.
At the event, they met a great bunch of potential franchisees and learned more about how The Entrepreneur Authority operates from CEO/President David Omholt and Certified Franchise Executive Jason Killough. Nilssen also spoke to the attendees about franchise financing options.
Melin and Nilssen were especially inspired by a presentation from a gentleman who used The Entrepreneur Authority's services eight years ago and continues to have a thriving business today.
Guidant was proud to sponsor the FranPac/VetFran luncheon today at the International Franchise Association (IFA) Public Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C.
Our cofounder David Nilssen had the pleasure of introducing Eric Greitens, the founder of The Mission Continues nonprofit and Navy SEAL,who recently published The Heart and the Fist, a New York Times bestseller about leadership and service.
Eric spoke about how his desire to create The Mission Continues so that disabled Veterans could connect with a life purpose and become citizen leaders here at home.
Nilssen commented, "His words were truly inspirational!"
If you're in the Dallas area, please join us this Saturday at The Entrepreneur Authority Seminar where our Co-founder David Nilssen will speak on the topic of franchise financing.
The seminar will cover all aspects of purchasing a franchise, including legal considerations, financing options, industry trends, and the pros and cons of franchise ownership. It's a great way to get all of your questions answered in one place!
It all happens Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10:00 a.m. - Noon at the Blue Mesa Grill/Plano, which is on the Southeast Corner of 121 & Dallas North Tollway. A complimentary brunch will be served. To register, click here.
Guidant Business Development Representative Jordan Melin will also be on-site at the seminar to answer your questions. You may contact him at Jordan@guidantfinancial.com.
A big "thank you" to Robert Tunmire, Executive Vice President of The Dwyer Group, for hosting Business Development Director Doug Smith during a recent visit to their headquarters in Waco, Texas.
Doug got a peek at their offices, gave a presentation about Guidant services to their "home team," and enjoyed meeting with various leaders from their organization.
In a recent BusinessNewsDaily report, BrightStar Care CEO and cofounder, Shelly Sun (also a Guidant partner) shares her reasons why now could actually be the perfect time to start franchising.
The first-ever "Lending Bootcamp" was held in Denver last month, hosted by Kevin Hein.
Small business leaders from all over the country gathered at the Denver Country Club for the meeting, which included a seminar about financing strategies and solutions in light of recent economic challenges.
Guidant Co-founder David Nilssen and Executive Vice President of BoeFly, LLC were both featured on the panel of experts.
To read more and see photos from the event, visit the IFA FranBlog.
Guidant CEO and Co-founder Jeremy Ames is quoted in today's Marketwire, speaking on the topic of multiple borrowing options.
With business lending on the rise, it is often necessary for prospective entrepreneurs to use more than one method of funding to get their venture up and running.
Ames told The Entrepreneur's Source, "Lending institutions are more open to offering a loan when they see more cash on the table from other sources like retirement funds, home equity loans and access to other assets of the borrower."
Have you visited our Guidant LinkedIn page yet? If not, we'd love for you to stop by! Click here to connect.
And once you're there, if you have a moment, we'd appreciate you checking out our iFinance product page and leaving us a recommendation. It will provide an extra vote of confidence for your candidates who may be searching social networks for additional information about Guidant.
It's back to business as usual in our beautiful new space, located in downtown Bellevue, Wash. Below, you'll find photos of our first week in the new office:
We're pleased to announce that we have entered into a new strategic partnership with The Entrepreneur's Source (TES). In the coming months, future franchisees will be able to pre-qualify for franchise financing through a dynamic, high-tech experience coupled with high-touch customer service as a result of this arrangement.
Read about the details of this new partnership in our full press release here.
Since 2003, we have helped thousands of new business and franchise owners obtain alternative small business funding by providing innovative and easy-to-use small business financing solutions. The dominant leader in
401(k) Small Business Financing, Guidant can help your candidates invest their retirement funds into a business, penalty-free. In addition, Guidant can help your candidates obtain additional forms of financing like SBA loans, unsecured loans and equipment leasing. As the only company in its industry to make the Inc 500 list in 2008, no one is more qualified to work with you and your clients.