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Usually, franchises think of video as just a tool for ads or social media clips. But video can go much deeper — it can drive franchise development, support franchisees on the ground, and keep your brand consistent across locations. Here are four video types that most franchises overlook, and skipping them might mean missing out on some serious growth opportunities.

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

Franchise development videos

When you’re recruiting new franchisees, another polished pitch just isn’t going to cut it. What prospects really want to see are real success stories. That’s where franchise development videos shine — by focusing on actual transformation.

Think about it: 92% of consumers prefer brands that make their ads feel like stories. Imagine a video where a franchisee shares their journey from feeling unsure to building a successful business, all with your brand’s support. Seeing real people on screen makes it relatable. Potential franchisees can picture themselves in these stories, and that makes them more likely to trust and join your brand. Missing out on this type of video? You could be missing a big chance to make an emotional connection with future franchisees.

Related: Want to Become a Franchisee? Run Through This Checklist First.

Customer testimonials

Customer testimonials are gold for trust-building, but many franchises aren’t taking full advantage of them. Most franchisees don’t have easy access to a library of these testimonials, which means they’re losing out on a powerful tool to build credibility in their markets.

Here’s the reality: 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as a friend’s recommendation (BrightLocal). Imagine if every franchisee could share testimonials from real customers in their area. That’s a game-changer. New customers would be way more likely to choose your brand after seeing locals rave about it.

Without these videos, franchisees miss out on a simple but effective way to boost credibility, keep brand messaging consistent, and increase sales.

Related: Find Out Which Brands Have Ranked on the Franchise 500 for Longest, Earning a Spot In our New ‘Hall of Fame’

Training videos

One of the biggest challenges in franchising is keeping the brand experience consistent across all locations. Since each franchisee runs things independently, a standardized training process is a game-changer—and training videos make it happen.

Training videos create a unified way to onboard and educate teams. Instead of each franchisee scrambling to come up with their own methods, a shared video library sets the standard for everything from operations to brand values.

Skipping these? You’re leaving franchisees to figure things out on their own, which leads to inconsistent customer experiences. With these videos, you save time, reduce training costs, and build a team that’s in sync on brand standards—resulting in better customer experiences and a stronger brand overall.

Related: Learn the Secrets of Running 20+ Businesses as a Side Hustle — Finding and Nurturing Your ‘STIC People’

Meet the team videos

Consumers today crave authenticity. They want to feel connected to the people behind a brand. In fact, people are 2.4 times more likely to view user-generated content as authentic compared to brand-created content (Stackla). Meet the Team videos introduce the real people in your business, helping to humanize the brand.

For franchisees, it builds a sense of community. They get to “meet” the leadership team and support staff, which creates a more personal connection. And for customers, knowing who’s behind the brand builds trust, making them more likely to choose your business over a faceless competitor.

Without this personal touch, franchisees and customers might see the brand as just another corporate machine. Meet the Team videos help your brand come across as approachable and relatable—qualities that help you build loyal relationships over time.

Related: See The Entrepreneur 2024 Top Franchise Supplier List

Why video matters for franchise growth

Video doesn’t just grab attention — it drives action. It’s a huge boost for franchise brands aiming to attract new franchisees and local customers. Using the right types of videos makes your brand memorable, relatable, and trusted across every location.

Brands that embrace video aren’t just “marketing” — they’re connecting with people. From storytelling that attracts franchisees, to testimonials that build local trust, to training videos that ensure consistency, video can fuel growth across the board. Don’t miss out on these opportunities. Start creating story-driven content that connects, converts, and helps your entire franchise network grow.

Related: Don’t Have Time to Start a Business? This Doctor, Lawyer and Now Part-Time Franchisee Would Disagree.

As generations move into different life stages, the way we market to them evolves. It’s a unique challenge to consider how to attract different generations of customers as purchasers of our products and services.

The up-and-coming generation of 12-to-27-year-olds, also known as Generation Z, are changing the way companies do business. We must understand that this generation embraces different values from those who came before them and favors alternative trends. For continued success, businesses should prepare to meet the needs of this demographic cohort as it grows and changes.

As Gen Zers enter adulthood, they are making purchasing decisions that are having an impact on the bottom line. This means it’s time franchisors examine the ways they can adjust their practices to accommodate this market segment. Here are specific ways businesses can appeal to Gen Z:

Focus on authenticity

It’s not enough just to say you do or stand for something—you must put it into practice in a way that is transparent and authentic to your consumers. Gen Z, in particular, favors brands with strong values that show through in customer reviews, digital marketing, social media and advertising, as well as through the brand’s actions in the real world.

For example, don’t just say you offer work-life balance and flexibility to potential employees. Show it on social media through posts highlighting how your organization’s benefits and programs support employees that are working parents. Emphasizing a supportive work environment that offers wellness programs can address this generation’s desire for a mental and physical health focus that’s supported by the brands they love. When a brand supports its workforce, it’s putting its words into action.

Stay at the forefront of tech

With a focus on convenience and speed, Gen Z is fully immersed in innovation and tech. Their digital-first approach means that companies need to place the same emphasis on social and digital development, making it a top priority. Mobile ordering, digital-tour scheduling, social media engagement, e-commerce and app integration are just a few of the things to focus on when marketing to Gen Z.

The ability to be nimble when it comes to advances in the tech space is a competitive advantage that can set a company apart in the eyes of consumers. Artificial intelligence, for example, is a key area to practice this type of adaptability. Stay open to all the developments that will propel your company forward in the eyes of a tech-savvy generation.

Mitigate risk

According to Emarketer’s Gen Z’s Path to Purchase report, Gen Z consumers conduct a lot of research before making purchasing decisions and are typically not impulse buyers. Their focus on risk awareness and mitigation efforts means providing enough information to make them feel comfortable with their buying decisions is essential.

Personalization of this experience is a huge factor in the purchasing journey of Gen Zers—they want a website that offers personalized recommendations in real time. And they’re more willing to share their data for this purpose. If a brand experience doesn’t meet their needs, they’re prepared to seek out others that will. Even though they are used to sharing data more readily, these consumers are still very privacy conscious. They’re more open to sharing data if they receive a reward like a discount or unlock more personalization features.Helping this set of consumers feel at ease with making a purchasing decision and sharing data is necessary to earn their business.

Take action in the community

Gen Z is big on community engagement on a large and small scale. They like to see a brand participating in sustainable sourcing and local partnerships to maximize its social impact while also doing good within the communities it serves.

Eco-friendliness and sustainability are two values that can attract a socially conscious Gen Z consumer and entrepreneur to your franchise brand. A company that says it values sustainability but has a high carbon footprint is not going to come across authentically to consumers willing to investigate. Make sure what you’re doing is in line with your brand values and not just something to make it look like you’re active in this space—discerning consumers can tell the difference.

At Kiddie Academy, we truly value our corporate social responsibility efforts—whether it’s seeding a community fund to help teachers during hard times or helping our franchise locations organize local fundraisers—and we share them loudly and proudly so customers and franchisees can see if their values align with ours.

As a franchisor marketing to a rising generation, you’re not just selling your product or service, you’re selling your brand. Make sure you are learning from and embracing what Gen Z finds important to amplify your business and grow your customer base.

The Federal Trade Commission banned businesses from writing and buying their own reviews in an August ruling. Now, it’s alleging that a customer review site, Sitejabber, published “misleading” ratings and reviews on behalf of the 130,000 businesses on its platform. The FTC’s proposed order would stop Sitejabber from “misrepresenting” customer ratings and reviews “in the future.”

The FTC’s complaint alleges that Sitejabber collected reviews at the point of sale, or before customers received or experienced a product or service. In one example, customers were asked to rate their overall shopping experience out of five stars and write something quickly directly after checking out.

Related: Do You Own Pyrex Measuring Cups? The FTC Might Send You a Check in the Mail

These quick ratings and reviews, or Instant Feedback Survey results, become part of a site’s profile on Sitejabber. The FTC says this could mislead people into thinking prior customers rated a business’s product or service highly when they were actually just rating the shopping experience.

“Presenting [Instant Feedback Survey] results as post-fulfillment reviews and ratings can mislead consumers into believing that a business’s high review count and high rating means thousands of customers have had positive experiences with the business’s products or services, when in fact the ratings and reviews displayed primarily reflected only customers’ experiences shopping on the business’s websites,” page four of the FTC complaint reads.

How to Avoid FTC Scrunity on Your Website Reviews

Businesses can avoid FTC scrutiny by making sure their Instant Feedback Survey ratings and reviews are unentangled from their product ratings and reviews — so customers clearly know what’s being rated.

This is one of the FTC’s first enforcement actions under its new rule.

“Along with our rule on fake reviews and testimonials, cases like this one show that we’ll act to stop all forms of deception in the review ecosystem.” FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection director Samuel Levine stated.

The FTC’s earlier rule on fake reviews and testimonials stops businesses from buying or selling fake reviews, including AI-generated ones.

Related: Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp All ‘Engaged in Vast Surveillance’ to Earn Billions, According to the FTC

It’s as if sports cars had been invented, but not traffic signals or speed limits.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly present in the workplace. But sorely needed “rules of the road” governing its deployment and use are slower to follow.

Employees are noticing. According to a recent survey of employees from CYPHER Learning, Bridging the AI Digital Divide, 69% believe clearer guidance is needed regarding the use of AI in their places of work.

AI adoption is only accelerating, so HR leaders may find themselves tasked with developing a clear, effective AI policy framework.

Related: 4 in 5 Employees Want to Learn How to Use AI at Work, New Research Shows — and It’s on Leaders to Teach Them. Here’s How.

Why an AI policy framework matters

It likely delivers clear business value. Example from the recent POLITICO AI & Tech Summit: Kevin Czinger, CEO of Divergent and Czinger Vehicles, declared can help U.S. manufacturers leapfrog the world — provided government and business develop clear policies.

“The most important thing is — don’t repeat the failures of the past 20 years,” says Czinger.

C-suite leaders should be eager for policies that not only drive AI productivity but reduce risk — by acknowledging AI’s new and unfamiliar complexity, supporting compliance with legal and ethical standards, and promoting trust.

Those sports cars are roaring out of the showroom. Here are seven tips to help you set up traffic signals.

1. Needs assessment

Drafting AI policy prior to capturing your organization’s specific needs is a faulty approach that rarely pays off. Conduct your own internal surveys and focus groups. Scoop up employees’ unique concerns and expectations.

You’re likely to discover qualms. CYPHER Learning found 45% of workers believe AI will impact job security. Don’t dismiss such alarms. A good assessment will pinpoint areas where guidance on AI is particularly needed.

2. Clear objectives

What is AI for, anyway? Your AI policy should articulate clear objectives that align with business goals. If your organization aims to enhance productivity, outline how AI is expected to help and address potential risks.

Clearly defined objectives help employees see the business rationale for AI. They’ll also set you apart from organizations that talk a big AI game, stand up vaguely tasked in-house “centers of AI excellence,” but don’t achieve clarity.

3. Ethical considerations

New AI technologies raise ethical questions related to data privacy, bias, accuracy and accountability. All can challenge user trust. Develop guidelines for ethical AI use, including:

• Transparency: The workings of AI algorithms and decision-making processes should be well understood.
• Fairness: Implement measures to monitor for signs of bias in AI systems, particularly in hiring and personnel evaluations.
• Accountability: Name the parties responsible for AI’s results. Clarify that no AI implementation will be allowed to freelance, independent of human oversight. Define key judgments or decisions that will not be delegated to AI.

With these steps, HR can boost organizational trust in AI.

Related: How to Implement Ethical AI Practices in Your Company

4. Training and resources

Whether AI helps your organization or has neutral impact depends partly on how well its implementers understand it. Training sessions can familiarize employees with their AI tools, their capabilities and natural limitations, and ethical guardrails. Create:

• AI literacy workshops to demystify AI and present a balanced view of the technology.
• Training on data privacy and security measures.
• Ongoing updates regarding new AI developments.

Rolling out AI in the workplace has few precedents. Employee training improves the odds of your workforce adapting to AI productively and responsibly.

5. Feedback loop

Your AI policy should react to events, pleasing and otherwise, and evolve in-step with organizational needs and the technology itself. Establish a feedback loop — channels such as regular check-ins, anonymous surveys or open forums where employees relate experiences and voice concerns.

Use feedback to drive teachable moments and expose emerging challenges. Challenges, especially, should be hauled into the sunlight for scrutiny, not buried in unread meeting minutes.

6. Compliance and regulatory standards

AI policies must align with legal and regulatory frameworks inside and outside your organization. Some of those frameworks are just swimming into focus, so track new laws covering data protection, employment practices and AI usage. This practice should not only reduce legal risk, but give employees confidence that you’re looking out for their rights and privacy.

7. Innovation and collaboration

As qualms subside and trust increases, encourage an organizational culture that embraces AI as a tool for innovation, wielded with transparency and accountability. Promote collaborative projects that involve employees in AI development, such as pilot programs or brainstorming sessions on AI applications. Involving employees in such initiatives can foster a sense of ownership and further alleviate resistance.

Related: 3 Ways to Succeed in the Rapidly Changing AI Landscape

Implementing the policy framework

Once the AI policy framework is developed, it’s crucial to implement it effectively. Some strategies for a successful rollout:

• Leadership buy-in: Do all you can to get senior management to endorse the AI policy. Vocal high-profile beliefs can significantly influence employee acceptance.
• Communication strategy: Communicate the policy to all hands via emails, intranet posts and town hall meetings. Use real-world examples to illustrate the policy’s relevance and benefits.
• Monitoring and evaluation: Establish metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the AI policy over time. Track deviations from policy standards and work to see why they occurred. Regular assessments may identify areas for improvement.

As AI reshapes more work settings, HR professionals can play a pivotal role in guiding organizations toward responsible and ethical AI usage. A comprehensive AI policy framework from HR can reduce employee concerns, promote transparency and increase the chances that organizational investments in AI succeed — boosting productivity and sparking innovation.

Our CYPHER Learning survey found 69% of workers want this kind of clear, actionable guidance. So it’s time for HR leaders to pitch in. Embrace the challenge! Create a policy framework that benefits the organization and helps employees thrive in tandem with AI. You’ll be shaping the future of work itself.

Running a business leaves little time for a reading list, but personal growth doesn’t have to wait. With Headway, you can make self-growth a sustainable daily habit, even with a packed schedule.

This app is designed for entrepreneurs and business owners who want quick access to powerful ideas and insights from the world’s best nonfiction titles — all without the time commitment of reading full books. If you’ve heard enough and want to get lifetime access for $59.97, go right to checkout now.

Headway’s approach to learning is simple and highly effective: summaries of bestselling books, condensed into engaging 15-minute formats you can read, watch, or listen to on the go. By focusing on the core ideas, concepts, and principles from each title, Headway allows you to grasp valuable takeaways without replacing the original content. Instead, it provides a quick preview that inspires users to explore the book further if they want a deeper dive.

For entrepreneurs, this means building a personal growth routine that aligns with your busy life. Each day, you can access actionable insights and tips that align with your goals, whether it’s improving productivity, staying motivated, or expanding your skill set. Headway offers a customized experience, with formats that suit whatever learning style fits your needs best.

Ready to get started? Headway helps business owners make self-growth part of their daily routines — no matter how busy things get. It’s like having a mentor in your pocket, guiding you through the best insights in the industry so you can keep moving forward.

Head straight to checkout to take advantage of this discount ending November 10 on a lifetime subscription to Headway Premium for $59.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

As we gear up for 2025, there’s no better time to set a New Year’s resolution that can truly elevate your personal and professional life. For a limited time, Babbel is offering lifetime access to their acclaimed language-learning platform for just $149.97—a fraction of the regular $599 price.

With courses in 14 languages, Babbel is the ideal tool for business professionals, avid travelers, and anyone looking to foster a deeper connection with different cultures.

Developed by over 100 expert linguists and backed by research from Yale University, CUNY, and Michigan State University, Babbel covers travel-ready topics and practical conversation skills. Plus, you can start right at your level—beginner, intermediate, or advanced—so you’re always learning without repetitive drills. Babbel’s proven strategies and real-world topics ensure your language skills are both useful and enjoyable to build.

There is a freedom to having lifelong access to language skills tailored to your needs. Babbel’s comprehensive platform is perfect for picking up a few phrases for business trips, improving international communications, or simply making travel more enjoyable and immersive. For professionals, being multilingual can give you a major advantage in the job market, opening doors to opportunities across borders and industries.

One of the more convenient features of Babbel is that you’re not limited to using it just on your phone. Babbel is also available on desktop, so whether at your desk or on the go, you can seamlessly continue learning.

Your progress is synchronized across devices, ensuring you pick up right where you left off. Planning to practice in a place with no Wi-Fi? Simply download your lessons in advance, and you’re set to study anywhere, anytime.

With 10,000+ hours of online language education and 14 languages, Babbel’s lifetime access lets you explore one or tackle them all—at your own pace.

Get Babbel lifetime access for just $149.97—a fraction of the regular $599 price— through November 10.

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

While everything has seemingly gone up in price, business travel in particular can quickly eat into your budget. There are ways to dramatically reduce those costs with one easy and affordable investment. Sounds amazing? Head straight to checkout to grab it at this price.

The OneAir Elite Plan offers a lifetime subscription that helps people save big on flights, hotels, and more. For just $69.99 (reg. $790) through November 3, you can gain access to an exclusive membership that ensures you’ll always find the best deals on travel.

OneAir Elite is designed to help you travel smarter financially. With lifetime access to a vast selection of business, first, premium, and economy-class flight deals from up to 10 home airports to destinations worldwide, you’ll never miss out on a great deal. This membership also includes access to all mistake fares, giving you an even greater chance to score great prices.

At the heart of OneAir Elite’s effectiveness is its advanced AI technology. This AI-powered system scans and tracks millions of fares in real time, so you receive the best flight deals faster and more accurately than ever before. It’s like having a personal travel assistant who never sleeps, constantly on the lookout for deals that fit your specific needs.

If this could help your bottom line, stop wasting time and go to checkout to purchase it now.

The OneAir Mobile App for iOS and Android makes the entire process simple and user-friendly. Unlike other discount travel services that redirect you to third-party sites to complete your bookings, OneAir allows you to search, book, and manage your travel all within the app.

The Elite Plan allows you to set up destination-specific deal alerts and tailor your preferences. Whether you have frequent business trips to specific cities or you’re planning future international meetings, you’ll receive relevant and targeted flight deals that align with your needs.

Don’t sit on this opportunity to get the best flight deals and one-on-one support for the rest of your life.

Head straight to checkout to get a OneAir Elite Plan lifetime subscription on sale for just 69.99 (reg. $790) through November 3.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Understanding and leveraging AI can be a game-changer for almost any career. If you’d like to tug that line, learning from home can be a game changer.

For a limited time, this ChatGPT & Automation E-Degree is available for just $24.97—a fraction of the usual $790 price tag. With 25 hours of immersive content across 12 expert-led courses, this e-degree will help you master powerful AI tools, boost efficiency, and gain valuable insights that can be applied directly to your work.

The course content is tailored specifically for business professionals who want to enhance their AI skills. Through hands-on modules, you’ll explore real-world applications, learn to streamline business processes and discover how to automate tasks to save time and resources.

In addition, you’ll gain experience using more than 20 essential AI tools that can be customized to fit unique industry demands, making this course invaluable for professionals in marketing, business, and coding.

Each course within this e-degree offers tools and techniques that can be applied immediately to improve productivity and effectiveness. You’ll explore data visualization techniques, learn to build engaging, AI-powered narratives, and enhance your communication skills by mastering ChatGPT’s conversational abilities. By the end, you’ll be well-versed in using automation to streamline workflows, making a real impact on your daily tasks and projects.

AI and automation are shaping the future of business, and understanding these technologies is quickly becoming essential. This e-degree provides knowledge of AI fundamentals and offers useful insight into customization, allowing you to tailor AI tools like ChatGPT to meet your specific professional needs.

Whether you want to improve client communication, drive innovation, or streamline creativity or data handling, this e-degree provides a foundation to thrive in a digitally advanced world.

Don’t miss the ChatGPT & Automation E-Degree while it’s available for just $24.97 (reg. $790) through November 3.

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

By 2025, AI agents will be running tasks we never imagined, potentially cutting costs and streamlining operations at levels that many businesses aren’t prepared for. With companies like Anthropic, Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI racing to lead this AI evolution, “Phase 3” of AI—where agents act like autonomous digital employees—is closer than you think. It’s here now!

In this video, we’ll dive deep into what AI agents truly are, how they work, and why they’re set to redefine productivity, profitability, and even entire industries. Discover the incredible potential of AI agents, but also the risks. I’ll break down strategies to integrate AI agents into your own business and show you what’s needed to keep ahead of this game-changing technology. Prepare now, or your competition—and your clients—might leave you behind.

Download the free ‘AI Success Kit’ (limited time only). And you’ll also get a free chapter from Ben’s brand new book, ‘The Wolf is at The Door – How to Survive and Thrive in an AI-Driven World.’

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LINKS:
Free chapter + Success Kit download: https://www.thewolfofai.co/free-chapter
Book Link: https://mybook.to/thewolfbook

AI is an expensive business, costing upwards of $100 million simply to train a new model.

At Microsoft, though, a multi-billion dollar investment in AI appears to be paying off: CEO Satya Nadella said on a quarterly earnings call on Wednesday that Microsoft’s AI business “is on track to surpass an annual revenue run rate of $10 billion next quarter” and become “the fastest business in our history to reach this milestone.”

The annual revenue run rate projects revenue over a period of time based on previous revenue.

Related: Will It Take Nuclear Power to Sustain AI? Microsoft Is Betting on It.

Microsoft has invested about $14 billion into OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. It has also made several multi-billion dollar AI commitments, including a deal to reopen Three Mile Island, a nuclear power plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

^{Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images}

Nadella also pointed out on the call, which went over earnings for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, that Microsoft Cloud revenue was up 22% year over year, growing to $38.9 billion for the quarter ending September 30. Revenue overall increased 16% to $65.6 billion.

At Microsoft, “AI-driven transformation is changing work, work artifacts, and workflow across every role, function, and business process,” Nadella said.

Though Microsoft’s earnings were better than expected, the company’s shares fell by more than 5% on Thursday because its predicted cloud revenue growth was less than expected.

Related: These CEOs Have the Biggest Pay Packages in the U.S., According to a New Report

Nadella was well-compensated for leading Microsoft: He received a pay increase of over $30 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, resulting in an overall pay of $79.1 million compared to $48.5 million a year prior.

Nadella’s compensation would have been $5.5 million higher, but he asked for it to be lower following a series of cybersecurity breaches.

Meanwhile, Microsoft went through layoffs affecting nearly 1,900 people in its gaming division in January.

Microsoft now has about 228,000 employees globally.

Related: Microsoft Strikes Back at Salesforce, Announces New AI Agents That Can Take Over Finance, Sales, and Service Tasks