FranchiseNow, Inc., a SaaS platform that aims to bring accountability, control, and transparency to franchise qualification and funding, announced the appointment of Marni Smith as Vice President of Success and Growth. Smith, a certified franchise executive (CFE), brings more than 25 years of c-suite-level experience from organizations such as Great Clips, Propelled Brands, CarePatrol, and Sandler.
In her new role, Smith will lead franchisor onboarding, adoption, training, engagement, and growth initiatives across FranchiseNow's expanding network of franchise partner brands. FranchiseNow provides an integrated platform and the DreamStart™ Funding Program to help align candidates, franchisors, and funding resources while reducing delays.
“Marni's experience, industry relationships, and passion for helping franchisors succeed make her an outstanding addition to our leadership team,” said Sam Phelps, president of FranchiseNow. “As we continue to scale our platform and support more franchise brands, Marni will play a critical role in helping our partners maximize the value of FranchiseNow while creating greater accountability, control, and transparency throughout the franchise development and funding process.”
Smith emphasized the platform's speed advantage. “When a candidate signs the Franchise Agreement, they no longer have to wait for the traditional 45, 90, or even 120 days to fund their franchise. The franchisor gets paid now. The new franchisee starts training now. Think of it as Venmo meets franchise funding.”
She noted that her belief in the platform led her to join the company. “After I was introduced to FranchiseNow, I introduced FranchiseNow to all my candidates and each of them chose to use their services, with a 100% success rate.” The appointment comes during a period of significant growth for FranchiseNow as it expands its partner network and helps candidates move from inquiry to ownership with greater speed.
The platform’s centralized process is designed to improve communication, accelerate timelines, and provide real-time visibility. Smith’s addition is expected to help franchise brands integrate FranchiseNow into their development processes and accelerate adoption across franchise sales organizations.
