2017 MVPs: Honoring This Year's Most Valuable Performers

When Bret Stewart was growing up, he dreamed of being a doctor so he could help people. Life may have led him down a different path, but his desire to positively influence the lives of those around him is realized every day.

If there is a way to see or hear the Sport Clips name, Johnny Weber will make it happen. Weber, the brand's largest franchisee with 56 stores, and recipient of the 2017 MVP Single Brand Leadership Award, is all about spreading the word on the brand--all day, every day, in every way.

When Mitchell York first came across Maui Wowi Hawaiian Coffees & Smoothies as a possible investment, the corporate executive immediately passed on the brand, vowing he'd never wear a Hawaiian shirt.

Multi-brand franchising is a growing phenomenon. Some franchisees are not content with operating one brand so they add one, two, three, or more other brands to their portfolios.

"Real estate development is one of the hardest things for a franchise," says Philip Schram, chief development officer and chair of Buffalo Wings & Rings.

Multi-unit and multi-brand operators continue to grow in both numbers and size--and so does attendance at the Multi-Unit Franchising Conference.

Bain & Company asked leaders of 362 companies if they felt their companies delivered superior customer service. Eighty percent believed that the service they provided was indeed superior.

With new regulatory and legal hurdles, a newly confirmed Labor Secretary under a new administration, and revolutionary consumer technology developments popping up everywhere, all signs point to the continued disruption of the hourly workforce

I have just returned from a three-week trip where I presented programs for a client in India, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore. I then went on to present two additional programs for a client in Australia who has many multi-unit restaurant owners.

I frequently receive questions from clients and prospective buyers asking, "What's the hottest new opportunity in the marketplace?"