Black MBA - Spring 2008 - (Page 97)

I had the drive to own this business and work for myself. That was my goal and nothing would stand in the way of that.” And the sacrifice didn’t stop once training ended and the franchise agreement was signed. The franchise McDonald’s offered him was in Canton, Ohio, an area where Bobbitt didn’t know a soul. He moved from Detroit while his wife, Hortense, remained there and continued to work as the director of dietetics at a 250-bed hospital. Bobbitt worked around the clock to ensure the business stayed afloat. As a youth, he’d watched his grandfather’s business collapse and was determined that his would not. He worked many 15-to 18-hour days during the first year in business, because he was an inexperienced operator – in a new restaurant – in an unfamiliar location with a novice staff. He understood that starting a business is a risky proposition even with the backing of a quality franchisor. McDon- ald’s provided a proven business system, but it still was his responsibility to work it. His money was on the line and it was a year before he relaxed his work schedule and grew to trust employees. “It’s a hands-on business,” Bobbitt says. “You need to be in your restaurant on a consistent basis and not just turn it over to people you think are running your business. You need to know where all the dollars are coming in and where all the dollars are going out.” Around the same time, the franchising bug bit Hortense. Now, relocated to Ohio, she saw how profitable franchising could be and what hardship could befall families in which only one member understood the business. She also got trained as an owner/operator, and McDonald’s offered her a restaurant. In all, the Bobbitts opened three restaurants and bought two existing stores before retiring in December 2007. “I did it for security,” Hortense says. “If something happened to Bob, I didn’t want to go through grieving my husband and trying to learn how to run a business.” In the early 1990s, McDonald’s launched a nutrition campaign and its Cleveland region engaged Hortense to travel around Ohio discussing nutrition at schools, businesses and community events. Her dietetic expertise and franchise ownership made her an ideal spokeswoman. Looking back on the unlikely development of her career from dietician to fast food franchisee, Hortense suggests other women consider franchising. “If you have management skills and good work habits and want to have a very lucrative career, I would say go for franchising,” she says. “You can be very independent, but you’re not in there alone.” mba Bob Bobbitt on Franchise Advantages 1. One real strength in franchises versus independent businesses is that approved suppliers delivered all of the products and items that we sold. The distribution system is very strong. If you owned your own business you wouldn’t have that kind of support. 2. Being a national brand was more advantageous than going out on your own. There are more than 25,000 McDonald’s restaurants contributing to advertising. Also, a good franchise system offers training, financial assistance and support. 3. The other thing that made our business so successful is the consistency of our product. If you go to one McDonald’s wherever you go in the country, you’re going to get the same McDonald’s hamburger. 4. Women and minorities are well represented within the corporation, among the operators and the suppliers. Valerie Daniels-Carter – Pizza Hut, Burger King, Auntie Anne’s Today, Daniels-Carter is the owner of 64 Pizza Huts, 38 Burger King restaurants and 12 Auntie Anne’s Pretzels stores. She feels equally at home making a Whopper in Milwaukee or strategizing with Pizza Hut’s CEO in Dallas. She’s able to lead the 3,500 employees who work for her company, V&J Holding Companies Inc., because she’s stood in their shoes. She understands the challenges of their work and appreciates their devotion to the task. “I really champion the individuals who work with me,” Daniels-Carter says. “I can’t do it all by myself.” Both long-time employees and recent hires agree, that Daniels-Carter is a rare leader who consistently embodies and inspires excellence. Leslie Stewart Jr., a market leader for the company in Milwaukee, says the corporate culture could be summed up in one word – “electric.” “There’s a sense of positive energy when you walk in the door, and it definitely sparks a flame in you, if you didn’t have one already… a flame to do the best that you can,” he says. BlackMBA • Spring 2008 97 VALERIE DANIELS-CARTER did it all when she opened her first fast food restaurant in 1984. She tackled everything from human resources and accounting to food preparation and bathroom cleaning. The pride of ownership and a desire to understand restaurants from the ground up fueled her immersion into the business.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Black MBA - Spring 2008

Black MBA - Spring 2008 Passion, Purpose and Power Contents Web Browsing From the President & CEO Up Front Advertising for Change CEO to CEO: Straight Talk with Barbara L. Thomas and Renetta McCann The New Executive Search Wealth Building: A Head Start on Investing and Saving Young Continuing Education: Lifelong Learning is Easier than You Think Making Good: Catching up with some of NBMBAA’s 2007 Scholarship Winners On Campus: Universities Win Grants to Fight Poverty Public Service: Does Your MBA Fit in the Government Sector? Bridge Building: Make a Career of Giving Back Steady Speed: Kim Harris Jones Shares what Drives a Successful Auto Industry Career Financial Planning: A New Way to Work Your MBA Global Focus: Keeping up with the Competition Clock On the Move: Member News, Promotions and More Industry Focus: Biotechnology, Energy, Food & Beverage, Global Media and Entertainment Employer Profiles: Campbell Soup, FINRA Financial Finesse: Denise Hales Harrod and CompuCredit Advocate for the Financially Underserved Creating Lasting Change: GE Impacts Quality of Life in Africa William W. Wells Jr.: Finding Strength in Diversity Leaders of Tomorrow® Community Service Program: NBMBAA® and Wal-Mart Partner to Reward Students Who Give Back Reaching Out: NBMBAA® Chapters Give Back to Their Local Communities How To… Buy a Franchise: Understanding the Basics of Acquiring a Franchise After the Gridiron: Keith Sims – Dunkin’ Donuts Franchise Confidential: Paul Hubbard – Papa John’s pizza Strength Through Adversity: Bob and Hortense Bobbitt – McDonald’s On the Ground Floor: Valerie Daniels-Carter – Pizza Hut, Burger King, Auntie Anne’s Use Your Superstar Status: Black Entrepreneurs Break into Japanese Economy Marketing Maven: Odyssey Media Entrepreneur Linda Spradley Dunn Staying the Course: Black Marathoners Share Lessons from the Race Relationship Forum: Soul-Mate Strategies for the Career-Minded Vacations that Matter: Travel to Make a Difference Advertisers Index

Black MBA - Spring 2008

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