UT Franchising Program Receives Significant Endorsement

The Online Franchise Certification program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business recently received endorsement from the International Franchise Association (IFA), the world’s preeminent organization for franchising.

Haslam is now an IFA affiliate, meaning once completing the UTK Online Franchise Certification program, participating individuals are eligible to receive non-degree credits from the IFA Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) program. “Thousands of franchise professionals at every stage of their careers have reached new levels of professional success after achieving the CFE certification,” according to the IFA’s website.

Lindsay Mahony, director of franchising program initiatives, assistant head of the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship and senior lecturer at Haslam, says, “Part of the mission of the Haslam College of Business is to serve the citizens of Tennessee and beyond by providing inspiring educational opportunities. We are grateful for the opportunity to enhance our program offerings with this non-degree certificate for our community members with an entrepreneurial mindset who are interested in franchising.”

About the Haslam Franchise Certification Program

Classes for Haslam’s Online Franchise Certification program are held live and synchronously. The seven-week curriculum provides students with critical knowledge of the franchising business, including:

Foundations: How franchising differs from other businesses
Evaluation: Determining the right franchise business for you
Acquisition: Learning to write a business plan and obtain funding
Building: Recruiting, hiring and retaining franchise employees
Leadership: Modeling the qualities of a successful franchise leader
Operations: Managing and measuring operational components of franchising
Growth: Implementing successful practices to ensure successful growth

“The vision for this initiative is to raise the awareness of franchising as a vehicle for entrepreneurship,” says Cordell Riley, program instructor and advisor to the university. “Shelly Sun Berkowitz (HCB, ‘92), founder and executive chairwoman of BrightStar Group Holdings, Inc., conceived this program and is graciously providing funding.”

Under the leadership of Riley, a franchising expert with nearly 30 years of experience, the program offers ample opportunities for students to expand their network through fellow entrepreneurs in their cohort and a national board of professional advisors.

“We want to show the next generation of entrepreneurs how they can be in business for themselves, but not by themselves,” Riley says.

The fall 2024 session of Haslam’s Online Franchise Certification program begins October 7. Seating is limited — register today to be your own boss while being part of something bigger.

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Haslam College of Business - UT Franchising Program Receives Significant Endorsement