Advertisement
 
 
Carl Gerhardt

Business Sense & Sensibility

By Carl Gerhardt

About Carl

Carl Gerhardt is the chairman of Alliance Franchise Brands LLC, the parent company of Allegra Network LLC and Sign & Graphics Operations LCC, and a world leader in marketing, visual and graphics communications, linking more than 600 locations in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. The company’s Marketing & Print Division, headquartered in Plymouth, MI, is comprised of Allegra, American Speedy Printing, Insty-Prints, Speedy Printing and Zippy Print brands of marketing, printing, mailing and Web services providers. Its Sign & Graphics Division, headquartered in Columbia, MD, is comprised of Image360, Signs By Tomorrow and Signs Now brands of sign and graphics communications providers.

Carl and his wife, Judy, owned and operated their own successful Allegra franchise for nearly 20 years before selling the $2.3 million operation in 2003. He is a PrintImage International/NAQP Honorary Lifetime Member and was inducted into NAPL’s prestigious Soderstrom Society in 2010 in recognition of his contribution to the industry.

 

Giving Back Strategically Without Breaking the Bank

By Carl Gerhardt, Chairman, Alliance Franchise Brands | Posted on June 18, 2013
We should all give back to the community and to causes that fit our business and our personal values. However, if we are to operate a successful business, we should give back strategically and make it a part our business plan and marketing plan.  Read More >>

Industry Centers:

Be a One Minute Coach: Fix Behavior the Way You Want It to Be

By Carl Gerhardt, Chairman, Alliance Franchise Brands | Posted on June 11, 2013
We can’t change basic personalities, but we can alter behavior if we are proactive in dealing with both negative and positive instances. We have the right and the responsibility to form our companies with the values and a culture to which we subscribe. Why let our company drift toward values that we do not believe in? One minute coaching can be a valuable tool if we learn to practice it regularly.  Read More >>

Industry Centers:

A Hiring Tool That Works

By Carl Gerhardt, Chairman, Allegra Network | Posted on May 23, 2013
If you have not used the Printing Impressions job posting site on PIworld.com, I recommend you give it a try. I recently assisted one of our franchise members with recruiting a production manager, and we used the site. Within two weeks of posting the job, we received more than 40 resumes.  Read More >>

Companies Mentioned:

Industry Centers:

Huge Customers and Business Risk: Do and Do Not

By Carl Gerhardt, Chairman, Allegra Network | Posted on May 10, 2013
Huge customers are great when you have them, but what happens if and when you lose them? It can be a disaster, and even put your firm at risk. We see this more and more in today’s market. The most successful and growing firms often have one or more very large customers that grow to dominate their sales and influence how they do business.  Read More >>

Companies Mentioned:

Industry Centers:

Emergency Fund Wisdom

By Carl Gerhardt, Chairman, Allegra Network | Posted on April 29, 2013
Whether you keep a very strong current ratio with large cash reserves in the business or you choose to keep it in liquid personal assets, do one or the other. You will sleep better and will be better prepared for emergencies. Equally important is to be in a position to capitalize on the great opportunities that are still out there in our industry.  Read More >>

Companies Mentioned:

Industry Centers: