See the newsletter with all graphics at COMMON GROUND VOLUME 3 : ISSUE 1 NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE LINK.  Text only version provided below, links only work in the full archived version via the link above.

Volume 3 : Issue 1

1Q – March 2014

Welcome to Common Ground News

In this Issue:

* Feature Article – Top Reasons to Map Territories: Franchise or Independent –
Retail or Service

* Tips & Techniques – helping you get the most out of our online mapping
application at [1]GeoMetrx “How to Automatically Optimize Your Territories”

* Thematic Map – Optimized Territories: a sample of how GeoMetrx can help you
maximize your market potential

* Trivia Challenge​​ – Modern Franchising: Can you put these fast food
restaurant chains in order of franchise year?

This and all our newsletters are available through our Knowledge Center resource
listed on our website. We encourage you to share our Common Ground News with
your friends and colleagues and we welcome your feedback. Visit our website and
make a comment on the [2]contact us page or send us an email
at [3]info@geo-e.com.

—-Kent Hargesheimer,

Managing Partner

Geo-Legend

Phone: 1.888.848.4436

Web: [4]www.geo-e.com

[5]www.geometrx.com

[6]www.geoprinter.com

[7]www.gis4less.com

Email:

[8]

[9]info@geo-e.com

Follow Us:

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Blog: [14]Common Ground Blog

Newsletter Archives
• [15]December 2013
• [16]November 2013
• [17]October 2013
• [18]September 2013
• [19]August 2013
• [20]July 2013
• [21]Previous Issues

Top Reasons to Map Territories:

Franchise or Independent – Retail or Service

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How many profitable territories are within each of your markets?

For both new and established businesses – franchise or independent – retail or
service – managing territories is one of the most important factors impacting
your success. You want to be sure to locate your business in the best possible
place to reach your market and provide easy access for your customers, while
proactively maximizing your market potential. This is especially critical when
you have multiple locations within a specific market area. Large metro areas can
support multiple locations of a single enterprise. However, if these locations
are in too much competition for the same customers, none will thrive.

Have you maximized market potential through territory alignment?

Choosing a location for your business is more than just finding an available
space to lease or purchase. It requires understanding market potential through
careful analysis of all available data resources, and proactively creating
well-balanced, aligned territories. If you have picked the “ideal” territory for
the first location in a specific market, you may have left money on the table.
Without properly assessing a market before assigning territories, you run the
risk of not being able to successfully add additional territories in that market
at a later date.

Many of our clients have wished they had [22]GeoMetrx before they started
selling territories. They have realized, in hindsight, they have limited their
potential reach with their first few deals just because they wanted to sell
something.

Do you have a mapping tool to visualize your territories?

Being able to visualize markets on a physical map is the best approach to
creating territories. The [23]GeoMetrx mapping application allows businesses to
evaluate and manipulate a multitude of data to create the best possible
territory divisions within any market across the U.S. In addition to the wealth
of data within our mapping tool, companies can upload their own proprietary data
as well, to further enhance their market analysis. Remember, the best defense is
a good offense. For an example of optimized territories within a market see our
example below.

Top 3 Reasons to Map Franchise Territories / Multiple Market Locations

♦ Maximize the number of profitable territories in a market – don’t “leave money
on the table”
* Trade Area Development
* Market Potential Analysis

♦ Measure territory demographics, such as population households, businesses and
much more
* Customer Profiling (age, income, education, etc.),
* Competitive Analysis

♦ Visualize territories and assess physical geography; accessibility
* Measure Drive Times
* Evaluate Traffic Patterns

Other Benefits of Mapping Territories

• Map customer locations – ‘birds of a feather flock together’

• Easily standardize design of territories – choose a geography and stick with
it

• Give your franchisee confidence – do your homework and share your knowledge of
the market

• Enhance your franchise agreements – put a clear definition of the franchise
territory in the franchise agreement

• Generate business lists for B2B franchise concepts – now the franchisee has a
lead list to let them hit the ground running

It’s never too late to get started. If you are just beginning to consider
opening additional locations or franchising your business concept, start out on
the right foot and create well-balanced territories that are sure to succeed. If
you already have multiple existing locations in one or more markets, mapping
your current territories will help you make the most of remaining market
opportunities, while getting it right the first time in new markets. If you are
well established, you can still take advantage of visualizing your territories,
providing your franchisees with invaluable data and insight, and most
importantly, setting yourself up to correct territory inequalities when the
opportunity to realign arises as well as determining which locations should be
closed or consolidated.

To learn more about [24]GeoMetrx call today at 1.888.848.4436 or [25]request a
free demo online. Let our experts help you make the most of your business
concept.

Tips & Techniques – ​Automatically Optimizing Territories

In our feature article (above), we’ve shared the importance of managing
territories within a market. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways
within our [26]GeoMetrx application. One of the easiest and most efficient ways
to is to use the automatic optimization feature to create and balance any number
of territories you designate, based on a balancing variable that you
choose. Click on either the link or image below for our step-by-step automatic
optimization guide.

[27]”How to Automatically Optimize Your Territories”

[28]

Manually vs. Automatically Optimized Territory Alignment

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Assessing market potential prior to assigning territories within your market’s
is vital to your company’s success. Once you have taken into consideration all
the influences on your customers for your business concept you are ready to
develop a territory strategy within any given market.

In the simplified example below we have divided Dallas, TX into seven unique
territories aimed at reaching households with children under 18, and incomes of
$100,000 or more. The geography level was set to ZIP Codes.

The first example was created manually by visually selecting adjacent ZIP Codes.
Adjustments to any alignment scheme can be made by swapping ZIP Codes between
store territories. Utilizing the power of GeoMetrx to automatically optimize
territories within a market based on any variable you choose, is not only a
tremendous time saver, it creates well-balanced territories ensuring that all
your stores or franchisees have an equal opportunity to succeed. Examples 2 and
3 display the results of optimizing territories based on two different
demographic data points.

Example 1: Manually Aligned Territories

[29][Manually-Aligned-Territories.jpg]

Example 2: Automatically Optimized Territories (Population Age <18)

[30][Automatically-Optimized-Territories-Population-Age-under-18.jpg]

Example 3: Automatically Optimized Territories (HH Income $100,000+)

[31]

Click on the images above to see enlarged version.

In addition to creating well-balanced territories, the average distance to the
center of each territory was improved from 6.5 miles to 4.0 miles or less, an
efficiency increase of approximately 40%.

[32]GeoMetrx has the tools you need to assess the opportunities, locate the
ideal site location, and evaluate the competition. For more information on how
to obtain access to [33]GeoMetrx tools and datasets, contact us today at
1.888.848.4436.

First Quarter 2014 – Modern Franchising

According to an [34]article written by Don Daszkowski, “the modern leading form
of franchising, known as business format franchising, became popular post World
War II.”

1) Can you put the following fast food restaurant chains in the correct order
that they entered the world of franchising?

Burger King
Dunkin Donuts
Kentucky Fried Chicken
McDonald’s

[35]Click Here for the Answers

References

1. http://geometrx.com/
2. http://geometrx.com/contact-us/
3. mailto:info@geo-e.com?subject=October%202012%20Newsletter%20Feedback
4. http://www.geo-e.com/
5. http://geometrx.com/
6. http://www.geoprinter.com/
7. http://www.gis4less.com/
8. mailto:info@geo-e.com
9. mailto:info@geo-e.com
10. http://www.facebook.com/GeoMetrx
11. https://twitter.com/#!/geometrx_
12. http://www.linkedin.com/company/691866
13. http://geometrx.com/feed/
14. http://geometrx.com/blog/
15. http://geometrx.com/2013/12/geometrx-common-ground-news-volume-2-issue-12-meal-preparation-recipe-success/
16. http://geometrx.com/2013/11/geometrx-common-ground-news-volume-2-issue-11-home-decor-improving-market/
17. http://geometrx.com/2013/10/geometrx-common-ground-news-volume-2-issue-10-youth-sports-industry-growing-opportunity/
18. http://geometrx.com/2013/09/geometrx-common-ground-news-volume-2-issue-9-tutoring-services-an-inspiring-opportunity/
19. http://geometrx.com/2013/08/geometrx-common-ground-news-volume-2-issue-8-air-quality-measurement-industry-opportunities-the-sky-is-the-limit/
20. http://geometrx.com/2013/07/geometrx-common-ground-news-volume-2-issue-7-reinventing-the-modern-book-store-a-new-chapter-begins/
21. http://geometrx.com/category/newsletters/
22. http://geometrx.com/
23. http://geometrx.com/
24. http://geometrx.com/
25. http://geometrx.com/geometrx-demonstration-request-form/
26. http://geometrx.com/
27. https://www.mappingresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Automatically-Optimizing-Territories.pdf
28. https://www.mappingresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Automatically-Optimizing-Territories.pdf
29. https://www.mappingresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Manually-Aligned-Territories.jpg
30. http://geometrx.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=6131&action=edit
31. https://www.mappingresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Automatically-Optimized-Territories-HH-Income-100000+.jpg
32. http://geometrx.com/
33. http://geometrx.com/
34. http://franchises.about.com/od/franchisebasics/a/history.htm
35. http://geometrx.com/newsletter-trivia-answers/