How Creative Colors International Spends Its Recruitment Budget

We asked Mark Bollman, President of Creative Colors International, “What are the key factors in how you determine where to spend your recruitment budget?”

We look at several key factors. Historically, our primary factor is based upon past and prior year results of what we have done in terms of advertising. This includes print or online, SEO, pay per click, trade show, franchise portals, broker network shows, and events. 

In short, if we are getting good traction with our marketing and advertising efforts throughout our sources, we will stick with our recurring spend every year or look to increase the spend in hopes of gaining even better results. However, if our lead flow is not where we expected it to be and was poor or substandard with any such expenditure, we will not repeat the process as it doesn’t make sense to spend money with no return on investment.

This is especially true when it comes to reviewing all the online portals, as there are simply way too many of them and it’s impossible for us to make an investment in all of them, especially with a limited budget. That being said, we try to focus on the ones that we feel can bring us the best value based on our unique franchise model.

Too many times the salespeople at advertising/marketing companies overpromise a positive return on investment and anticipated results as a way to sign you onto their programs. While that may have great results with a brick-and-mortar franchise brand, it does not necessarily mean it will work for a home-based franchise model. These companies need to understand it is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and that they must work with each franchisor to find the best solution for each brand. It is ultimately about conversion, and if we don’t receive good quality leads and prospects that convert for our brand, it’s a moot point.

We also look to factor in what new markets we want to try to open and develop over the coming year and will look to specifically target our efforts there. We also keep a certain percentage of money earmarked for new opportunities. Since new programs and strategies become available to the marketplace throughout the year, we like to test them, as one could be the next home run for our brand.