FranchiseNow Appoints Marni Smith Vice President of Success and Growth

FranchiseNow, Inc., a SaaS platform that streamlines franchise qualification and funding, has appointed Marni Smith as Vice President of Success and Growth. Smith, a certified franchise executive with over 25 years of experience at companies such as Great Clips, Propelled Brands, CarePatrol, and Sandler, will oversee franchisor onboarding, adoption, training, engagement, and growth initiatives across the company's expanding network of franchise partner brands.

In her new role, Smith will focus on helping franchisors integrate FranchiseNow's platform into their development processes, improving accountability, control, and transparency. FranchiseNow aims to reduce the traditional 45- to 120-day funding delay after a franchise agreement is signed, allowing candidates to move quickly to training and onboarding. Sam Phelps, president of FranchiseNow, stated, "Marni's experience, industry relationships, and passion for helping franchisors succeed make her an outstanding addition to our leadership team."

Smith's background includes working alongside franchisors to improve operational performance and enhance the franchise candidate experience. She expressed enthusiasm for the platform, comparing it to "Venmo meets franchise funding" and emphasizing its ability to create a "win-win-win" for franchisors, candidates, and development teams. Smith noted, "When a candidate signs the Franchise Agreement, they no longer have to wait for the traditional (and troublesome) 45, 90, or even 120 days to fund their franchise. The franchisor gets paid now. The new franchisee starts training now."

FranchiseNow's platform centralizes qualification and funding, offering real-time visibility and reducing bottlenecks. Its DreamStart™ Funding Program aligns candidates, franchisors, and funding resources to accelerate the path to ownership. Smith's appointment comes during a period of significant growth for the company as it expands its partner network and helps candidates move from inquiry to ownership with greater speed.

Smith added, "I’m not saying this because I’ve joined the company; I joined the company because I’m a true believer. 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." Her experience uniquely positions her to help franchise brands integrate the platform and realize its full potential.