ACFN hosted its first annual Franchise Conference on the weekend of August 18-21, 2006. It was attended by about half of ACFN's franchisees as well as the staff. Franchisees first had a chance to meet and mingle with each other and staff at the Kerr home, where a welcoming dinner was held on the evening of Friday August 18th. A Business Meeting was held the next morning, Saturday August 19th. Silver, Gold, and Platinum Franchises were celebrated and given congratulatory trophies. During the meeting, ACFN staff covered topics including Accounting, Administration, Marketing, and Technological Maintenance. Franchisees Michael Daniel, Brian & Debbie Dawson, Ken Haynes, and John Garsaud spoke to franchisees and staff, giving helpful personal tips for running a successful ATM franchise. Vice President Avi Blankroth spoke to franchisees about growing their business, corporate deals, and gave a brief history of the company. Finally, President Jeffrey Kerr relayed information about ACFN's past, present, and future plans for growth and development. The meeting was a great springboard for everyone's thoughts about a growing and successful franchise. Franchisees and staff converged again on Saturday evening for a night of food and entertainment. Guests ate dinner, and then were entertained by the hilarious comedian John Dicrosta. Early morning on Sunday August 20th, franchisees and staff played a friendly game of golf to cap off the weekend. ACFN�s first Franchise Conference was a highly anticipated event for everyone involved, and we all look forward to next year's event. We hope to see you there next year!

Marketing Tips from Robert Harris

Here are a few thoughts from an up and coming marketing guru that is part of the ACFN family. We all know the importance of communication within the work environment, and believe me, I know that every one of you franchisees wants to know what is happening with your leads. The best way to communicate with the marketing team for questions relating to leads that are being worked on is via email. Give us ample time to respond before calling. Let me use this analogy: the longer one flips a coin, the more likely the number of heads and tails will equalize. So let's apply that law to dropping leads. The more leads you drop, the more locations you are going to get, and the better your chances are of getting superb locations. All of this equals making more money for you. The best part is that the law of averages, combined with the talent that is present within the ACFN marketing team, is a sure win for each and every franchisee. As one of my favorite sayings goes "Helping us helps you make money!" Now get out there and drop those leads! The last topic I will cover is meticulous notes. The more information you can provide on the locations that you drop packets at, the better chance we have at closing the deal. If we can talk to the General Manager, and understand his location's needs, the easier it is for us to overcome his objections. An objection is just a question waiting to be answered. So please provide us with the information we need. Try to introduce yourself to the GM. Find out where the nearest ATM is, tell us if you think a cabinet would look good in the location, where the ATM could be placed and whether it was busy when you were there. Even the smallest detail can make the difference.