Franchising Gives Back

In a period of great uncertainty for the community, and tremendous hardship for the first responders and hospital workers who are battling COVID-19, James Connor and his Biggby Coffee franchise in Trenton, Michigan are answering the call of service.

In Western Pennsylvania, Sport Clips franchisee Al Rodriguez is assisting his community in myriad ways, even as his salons are closed or reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an example of all of franchising giving back, FranNet franchise consultant Tracy Rickman is serving her community in Ohio in this time of need.

In St. Charles, Illinois, CD One Price Cleaners franchisee Tom Simonian is going above and beyond to provide a first responders in need with real-world resources and solutions as they fight COVID-19.

As owner of The Little Gym North Raleigh/Wake Forest, Richard Moore knows about keeping kids in his community active, energetic, and healthy. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, his gym has been closed to ensure the health of children that his gym normally serves.

Linda Sharp, a PuroClean franchisee based out of The Woodlands area north of Houston, is a longtime active member of her community, and her business has operated with an eye toward community service and dedication.

In the Tri-Cities area of Washington state, IHOP franchisee Susan Mendenhall is once again feeding her community in times of crisis, and showing resilience in the face of adversity. Mendenhall is no stranger to stepping up in challenging times; in 2015 her IHOP location in Kennewick, Washington fed firefighters who were responding to devastating wildfires in the area.

Like many businesses in the printing and signage industry, SpeedPro plays a vital role supporting other businesses and their customers with custom and engaging signs, placards, decals, and more.

By Lori Wolff, Mosquito Joe

Local business owners have no shortage of opportunities to support their communities.

Small-business owners across the country are reeling from the catastrophic and ongoing fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. Even those well positioned to capture an outsized share of rapidly diminishing consumer spending must contend with the uncertainty of what comes next and just how dire and widespread the pandemic’s long-term effects on the economy will be.

Jesse Johnson, Metal Supermarkets multi-unit franchisee in Indiana, was able to use his resources and talents to help local doctors protect themselves against coronavirus. At the request of Hancock Regional Hospital CEO Steve Long, Johnson quickly designed and constructed a booth to be used for rapid, massive testing of people who may have the coronavirus.