Grand Prairie Franchise U
Published on June 07, 2023
In an effort to continue to align entrepreneurial opportunities in Grand Prairie with the City’s mission of elevating and strengthening its economic development efforts, the City of Grand Prairie launched a new program "Entrepreneur U” in February of this year. Entrepreneur U is a free monthly series of workshops that provides information, resources, and connections for small businesses seeking greater knowledge to take their enterprises to the next level
A component of that initiative, Franchise U, launches this month and will give participants everything they need to know about what it takes to be a franchisee. The series of virtual workshops will cover the best types of franchises for today’s economy, the costs and risks of starting a franchise, financing options, why you should consider hiring a franchise attorney, and other key considerations. Visit the City of Grand Prairie Small Business Resources web page for more information.
“Commonly, the most-often reported obstacle to becoming a franchise owner is access to startup capital,” says Kay Brown-Patrick, Business Manager. “In addition, a skills gap from a lack of related educational opportunities is also commonly cited. That is why programs like Franchise U are needed”.
The initiative is focused on growing the number of franchisors and franchisees in historically underserved and overlooked communities. To lead the effort, The City is partnering with FranNet, a franchising consulting firm, attorney Carlos White, who’s practiced franchise law for the last 15 years, Cadence Bank, and local franchisees like Corey Masters who is the owner of a local Smoothie King.
The Franchise U schedule includes the following:
June 8 – Franchising 101
June 15 – Legal Essentials of Franchising
June 22 – Funding Your Franchise
June 29 – A Chat with Franchisees and Franchisors (in-person with limited seating)
Those interested should register online at www.gptx.org/smallbiz or contact Kay Brown-Patrick at kdbrown@gptx.org.