North America’s largest franchise expo making its first stop in Cincinnati

The Mayor’s office has worked to bring North America’s largest franchise fair to the Queen City to support job creation and the city’s entrepreneurial spirit. It’s the first time Toronto-based National Event Management has brought The Franchise & Business Opportunities Expo to Cincinnati.The city took a proactive approach to bringing the expo here, said show director Leslie Lawrence.”This is something we normally produce on our own, but we’re putting on this show with the Mayor’s office, which wanted to bring it to the city,” Lawrence said. National Event Management each year holds 27 annual business ownership events across North America, showcasing over 1,700 businesses to 65,000 prospective businesses.       PNC Bank is also sponsoring the event, which is part of Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory’s Shop 52 economic development initiative to encourage investment in the city’s 52 neighborhoods.”Buying a franchise is a great way for individuals to go into business for themselves because they are buying into a proven business concept and the franchising company will have many resources to help them succeed,” Mayor Mallory said.  “This is another part of my Shop 52 initiative to create opportunities for Cincinnatians to open their own businesses and be successful.”The expo is set for Nov. 20 and 21 at the Duke Energy Center downtown. The expo will be 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 4p.m. There are full-time and part-time opportunities, and about 50 businesses will be on hand including Firehouse Subs, Allstate, Jack of All Trades Handyman, Griffin Waste Services, Re-Bath and Budget Blinds.  Admission is free and tickets are available online. Lawrence described the expo as a “low pressure” event where people can talk directly to franchise representatives at a variety of investment levels. Those interested can also learn more about sources of financing, and how to begin the process of owning a franchise. “There are seminars that provide a free education before you start a business. There is free financing and free legal advice and people talking about the core competencies you need so you chose the right business for you,” said Lawrence.Writer: Feoshia HendersonSources: Mayor’s Office and National Event Management show director Leslie Lawrence  You can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiawrites