Interview with Kim Daly, a franchise consultant and business coach, to explore the world of franchising beyond the restaurant industry.
In this episode of Room for Seconds, host Gregg Majewski sits down with Kim Daly, a seasoned franchise consultant and business coach, to explore the world of franchising beyond the restaurant industry. Kim shares her insights into why many new entrepreneurs should consider non-food franchise opportunities, her unique approach to matching clients with franchise models, and the essential mindset for business ownership. Kim and Gregg discuss the importance of aligning franchise choices with personal and financial goals, busting myths about 'semi-absentee' ownership, and the value of building scalable, membership-based models for sustainable success. Join them for an eye-opening conversation that sheds light on the broader franchise landscape and what it truly takes to thrive in it.
One of Kim’s primary goals is to guide new franchisees toward realistic, scalable business models that align with their resources and long-term objectives. She emphasizes that franchise success doesn’t always mean starting with a high-profile brand or a costly investment. Instead, she often points clients toward service-based franchises that are lower-cost and provide a viable path for scalable growth.
“I'm infinitely more interested in what you want to achieve over the next 3, 5, 10 years than I am what business you think is the one to get you there. I'm the expert. I'll give you the ideas of what can get you there because many times... I'm able to bring ideas to people that they never would have thought about. They don't think they're qualified for them... [but] they start to kind of check the boxes and go ‘wow!’”
Kim shares examples of how she steers clients towards franchises that match their ambitions and financial resources. She encourages exploring models with recurring revenue, such as membership-based services, which help franchisees build predictable cash flow alongside scalable growth.
A common misconception about franchising is that it’s a “business in a box” that guarantees success from day one. Kim explains that franchise ownership requires the same diligence in building a customer base as any other business. Despite the support and systems that franchises offer, she cautions that success in any franchise still depends on the owner’s efforts to acquire customers and grow the market.
She debunks this myth, saying:
“Business ownership is always about customer acquisition because so many people think, ‘I bought a franchise, why do I have to go create my market? Isn't it just build it and they come?’... When you're on the outside and you're not educated, you put those things together and think that must be how it works in franchising.”
The truth, Kim points out, is that while franchising offers established branding and training, it’s not a turnkey solution. Owners must put in the work to cultivate their customer base and build their brand presence in the local market.
Kim encourages a more flexible approach to entering the franchise world, particularly for those who may not have the capital for their "dream business." Instead, she suggests starting with an attainable franchise to gain business experience, build financial resources, and eventually qualify for larger opportunities. Much like building strength over time, this gradual approach to franchise ownership can lead to long-term success and stability.
She explains,
“You may not have enough money to invest in the dream business but that doesn't mean you don't have enough money to invest in the first business… You build that business, you gain some knowledge, you gain some skill... you've increased your net worth... and now you may qualify for that dream business."
Starting small not only provides critical learning experiences but also helps owners refine their goals and understand what they truly want in their business journey.
For the past 20 years Kim Daly has been helping entrepreneurs, investors, and stuck 9-5 professionals take control of their lives and step out of the corporate cycle by investing intelligently in the franchise businesses and become "franchisepreneurs." She is an international best-selling co-author of Franchising Freedom and the founder and host of the Kim Daly TV YouTube channel.
Before becoming a franchise consultant Kim was an entrepreneur and highly sought after consultant in the health and fitness industry working with brands such as Denise Austin, Dr.Denis Waitley, Gold’s Gym and eDiets.com. She is the creator of “The Daly Plan” – a millionaire mindset coaching program that enabled her to build the largest franchise consulting business in the history of franchise consulting in 2012. She aspires to be the most influential and motivational voice in the franchise industry. Kim is a mom of two teenage boys. She is passionate about fitness and nutrition. She lives on the beach in Southern New Hampshire where she loves to ski in the winter and workout year round.
Gregg Majewski has a vast amount of experience as a corporate executive in the restaurant industry. As the former CEO of Jimmy John’s, he played a major role in expanding the franchise from 33 to 300+ stores in just 5 years by surrounding the company’s marketing strategy around the innovative approach of delivering sandwiches and being “freaky fast”. Majewski has worked to develop restaurant concepts over the last two plus decades, before starting Craveworthy Brands in 2023, which currently includes a growing portfolio of restaurant brands. Craveworthy Media is Majewski’s gift back to the industry that has given him so much. The goal of Craveworthy is to inspire the up and coming industry leaders by providing important information, stories, and insights from titans past and present.
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Room for Seconds is produced and published by Cali BBQ Media on behalf of Craveworthy Brands