Craig S. Slavin, CMC
Biographical Overview

Drawing on almost 30 years of solid experience directly in franchising and other forms of distribution systems, Craig provides the direction required for creating, managing and implementing successful growth programs. In addition, he has helped many existing companies and franchisors improve their competitive position by responding to changes more effectively, streamlining operations, developing new operating concepts, products and services, implementing automation and enhancing productivity.

Mr. Slavin's educational background in Architecture greatly affected his business philosophy and the guidance he provides to clients.  Mr. Slavin's proprietary Franchise Architecture process, created through The Franchise Architects, a company he founded in 1980, serves as the "core architecture" of the expansion programs for hundreds of worldwide companies in more than 40 industries on four continents.

As a professional speaker Craig has conducted educational seminars on franchising in almost every major business publication and for many prestigious institutions and groups throughout the world. He has been featured in articles on franchising in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Success Magazine, US News & World Report, Nation's Restaurant News, The Chicago Tribune, INC. Magazine, SKY Magazine (Delta Airlines), Women's Wear Daily, Chain Store Age Executive, National Petroleum News and Canadian Foodservice and Hospitality Magazine just to name a few.

Mr. Slavin was selected to the 1990 faculty of the American Bar Association's Forum Committee on Franchising, is a re-elected member of the advisory council of the International Franchise Association's Counsel of Franchise Suppliers and is currently a member of the Association of Management Consultants; an approved arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association Panel on Franchising, serves as an expert witness in franchise litigation and was selected to the Board of Editors for Leader's Franchising Business & Law Alert, which is division of the New York Law Publishing Co.

Mr. Slavin is the originator of the nationally acclaimed franchisor survey, published annually in Success Magazine; author and creator of The Franchise Success System, a self-study workbook and audio cassette series covering the essential elements on how to evaluate and select a franchise business.

He also created the Franchise Match.  This very effective program matches individual buyers with specific franchised businesses based on the compatibility of their personality and behavior traits, learning style, geographic preference and investment criteria.

Mr. Slavin authored Chapter 36, "Franchisor's Evolutionary Growth Process" of the American Management Association's book entitled, "The Franchising Handbook."

Mr. Slavin is also very instrumental in the automation process of franchise companies. Combining his experiences in managing the franchise process along with various computer modules, franchise companies are learning how to reduce the time managers and franchisee spend doing the "business stuff" of managing their business.  This enables them to spend more time face-to-face with customers as well as a refocus on reducing expenses and increasing customer satisfaction.

Mr. Slavin has appeared in the past seven editions of "Who's Who In America" and was also selected to "host" the first "ON-LINE" session, on owning a franchise, by The International Franchise Association and Microsoft Network (MSN).

In addition, Mr. Slavin is also very proud of his "Strategic Alliance" with the professional services firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP .  This relationship enables us to provide superior and effective franchise development services.

Mr. Slavin can be reached via e-mail at franchisit@aol.com.