Dawn Abbamondi, Author at SMB Franchise Advisors

16 June, 2026

Finding Your First Franchisees at In-person Events

Navigating the franchise development landscape can be confusing. Where – and how much money – you should invest is the ongoing debate for leaders in the industry. Here, we are highlighting several events where you can find new franchisees in person – meeting them face-to-face can allow you to take them from lead to candidate…

1 June, 2026

Reflections on the 2026 IFE

This year, SMB Franchise Advisors had over a dozen franchise brands exhibiting at the IFE in New York. In fact, this is the 15th year of doing so. In 2011, the International Franchise Expo was one of the first events I attended representing SMB, helping emerging brands to bring their concept to the franchising stage….

19 March, 2026

Spotlight On Small Town Play Cafe

Earlier this month, we had the chance to sit down with Founder – and as she also refers to herself Head Mom In Charge – Kim Coe. Here, we are spotlighting her brand and new franchise: Small Town Play Café. The concept is a modern play café combining specialty coffee, indoor play, and family-focused experiences,…

29 January, 2026

Mess Hall Truck Shop Client Spotlight

As we wrapped up the end of 2025, the SMB team enjoyed having Emily Bargeron and Olivia Lake join us the Annual Summit. To help celebrate the year’s accomplishments in franchising, they We had an opportunity to interview Mess Hall’s Founder and CEO, Emily to share more about this unique retail and experiential franchise that…

20 November, 2025

SMB Spotlights the Story Time Chess Franchise

Earlier this month, the team at SMB sat down with Jon Sieber, Story Time Chess co-founder and franchise president of this emerging brand. We learned more about this exciting children’s enrichment and chess education franchise where local owners are focused on making the process of learning chess fun, accessible and educational for young learners. SMB…

15 October, 2025

Five Things I Wish I Knew Before Franchising My Business

Steve Beagelman had the opportunity to speak with Cynthia Corsetti on things he wished he had known before launching his franchise. For those of you reading this and getting to know Steve, he franchised his brand Black Tie Express while he was in college over 30 years ago. One of the main takeaways was summed…

29 September, 2025

SMB Spotlights SweetWater Technologies

Earlier this month, the SMB team spoke with Hannah Gripp from SweetWater Technologies to learn and share more about this emerging brand – a sustainable farming and agricultural support franchise. SMB Franchise Advisors: In a few sentences, describe what services your brand provides and what your company is all about. Hannah Gripp: At Sweetwater Technologies,…

28 August, 2025

SMB Spotlights Cascadia Pizza Franchise Expansion

This summer, the SMB team had an opportunity to spend some time with the franchise founders and leadership behind Cascadia Pizza Co. Based in the Pacific North West, they are now looking to expand nationwide. Here is what Calvin, Buck and Thomas had to share. SMB Franchise Advisors: In a few sentences, describe what your…

31 July, 2025

SMB Spotlights Deer Solution

We recently sat down with co-founders Kris and Jaime Goodrich to share more about Deer Solution – a specialized service franchise focused on residential and commercial customers. SMB Franchise Advisors: In a few sentences, describe what services your brand provides and what your company is all about. Kris Goodrich, President: At Deer Solution, we provide…

14 July, 2025

Spotlighting Brands at the International Franchise Expo

Each year, the SMB Franchise Advisors teams supports our SMB Franchise Family in New York City at one of the largest franchise expos – the IFE. This event brings thousands of potential candidates in person for the opportunity to get to know the founders and leadership teams. For established brands and those who are just…