The Story Of FranChoice

Our Beginning

Jeff Elgin, our founder and CEO, had decades of experience helping franchise companies grow by recruiting top-quality candidates to become franchisees. His systematic way of helping candidates and companies make informed decisions was successful and produced results across multiple brands and business categories. Though this process produced results that were very gratifying, the process itself could also be frustrating, because he couldn’t always match candidates with the franchise system he was representing at the time. He had no option but to tell these people that they didn’t match well with his franchise and should go search elsewhere. 

The Opportunity

Thinking about the people he had to turn away in the past made it clear that there was an unfulfilled need in the industry – a way for virtually anyone looking for a great franchise to get help finding one. 

So, he set out to address it.  Jeff started FranChoice using his experience to develop a consultative approach designed to bring together qualified candidates and a wide variety of exciting franchise opportunities.  

FranChoice was formed more than two decades ago, and little did Jeff know that the process he created all those years ago would still be in use today!  

At FranChoice we believe there are several keys to our success.  One of these is the approach we use.  We know each candidate is different, with his/her own unique goals, dreams, and desired business characteristics.  Once we feel that we understand those, we set out to find their “perfect match”.    

Our consultative process and guidance are provided by our consultants who are experienced business executives or business owners and are oftentimes franchisees themselves.  These pros take the time to learn all about what a candidate wants to accomplish through business ownership.  They then find franchise companies that potentially fit the bill for each person.  Our consultants have proven to be great listeners and they spend several hours on average with each candidate asking questions and gathering information before they ever get to the point of suggesting companies. It is more work to do it this way, but the results speak for themselves.  Over the years we have made introductions that resulted in over twenty five thousand franchise locations placed!   

Another key to our success relates to the franchises in our inventory.  Having outstanding franchise options in many different categories is key. That way a candidate, with assistance from their consultant, has more opportunities to find the business of their dreams. No matter what characteristics a candidate is seeking, the company has a variety of compelling and interesting options.  

Our Results

For more than 20 years, Jeff and his team have refined and polished this model which has brought incredible value to our candidates.  To this day, our process saves candidate’s valuable time and effort.  They don’t have to chase concepts that don’t match up with their goals.  They get multiple franchises to consider without having to compromise on quality.  They pay nothing for this service.  It is provided at no cost to the candidate because franchise companies recognize and respect the quality and fit of the prospective franchise owners we bring to them. 

The vision that Jeff had when he started FranChoice has continued to develop and grow over the years.  The frustration of only having one brand to represent has been replaced with the satisfaction of being able to give each candidate great suggestions for franchise companies to research and perhaps select for themselves. 

FranChoice consultants provide the guidance and assistance to help you make the best choice for you. 

At FranChoice it is truly all about choice, and Jeff’s vision has become reality! 

We created a systematic approach for pre-screening franchise opportunities and developed processes to gather information from candidates. These systems help our consultants find franchises that can match the candidate's goals. This creates a win-win scenario for all.

Jeff Elgin

Founder & CEO, FranChoice Inc.

How Our Vision Becomes Your Value

Vision and Mission

At FranChoice, it’s all about choice. We offer our qualified candidates customized franchise matches. Our trusted relationships with many franchisors help us match your dream and business plan with the right opportunity. Rather than representing one brand, we can connect our candidates to the best franchise systems, across a variety of categories. Providing choices fuels our mission to help people realize their dreams. 

Expertise

Our team of veteran executives understand the franchise industry.  We’ve created processes for learning about candidates as well as pre-screening franchise opportunities. We developed the approach used by our consultants to gather information, conduct due diligence, and match candidates and franchises. This method helps our consultants understand a candidate’s investment level, position, plan, personality, and goals and present them franchises best suited for their success. 

Support

Our consultants provide support throughout the franchise selection process. We ask the right questions to discover your dreams and plans and provide thoughtful guidance when considering the franchises that may best fit you. Because franchisors value the quality of our candidates, our entire franchise matching process is free to the candidate. Our support and commitment help create a valuable win-win situation for both entrepreneurs and franchisors.  

Results

Our process and relationships have created proven success in franchise business ownership. For decades, our work with candidates has resulted in more than twenty five thousand franchise locations placed.  Those results continue today and every day, with our current and future franchise owners. 

Begin your Journey

We can guide you towards finding the right franchise opportunity. Take the first step towards achieving your business goals by starting your journey with FranChoice

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The FranChoice Home Office Team

Jeff Elgin

CEO

Jeff Elgin is the CEO of FranChoice, Inc., the premier network of franchise referral consultants in the United States. Prior to founding FranChoice, he served for over eight years as the Vice President of Franchise Development for Great Clips, Inc., a Minnesota-based franchisor of value-priced hair care salons. During his tenure, the company grew by over 1000 units. He was the director of franchise development for Figaros Italian Pizza and National Video from 1986 through 1990. Mr. Elgin’s franchise experience also includes being a franchise owner with seven stores in the National Video chain from 1984 through 1986. Jeff has served on the board of directors of two international franchise companies and has done consulting work with a number of franchisors. He is nationally recognized for his expertise in creating and implementing systems to recruit significant numbers of new franchisees for various franchise companies and has done extensive speaking at franchise industry events.

Tony Verbeten

CFO

Tony was a senior finance and accounting professional for many years. He worked at a public accounting firm for 10 years and was also the controller, CFO or Vice President of Finance at multiple public and privately held companies. He has established and overseen company employee benefit programs, including 401K and stock option plans and has been involved in the negotiation and due diligence process of numerous acquisitions. Tony joined FranChoice in 2002, and while he is involved in all aspects of the operations at FranChoice, Tony primarily focuses on the back-office areas of accounting, legal compliance, and employee benefits. Tony and his wife Kendra have three grown children and they live in Plymouth, MN. In their spare time, they enjoy being outdoors as much as possible, especially spending time on the water.

Linda Menter

VP - Consultant Development

Linda is the Vice President of Consultant Development for FranChoice Inc. She began her career in the world of franchising right out of college, by working for International Dairy Queen, then spent many years in business-to-business sales. She eventually then became an executive with two different start-ups. At each company she created and managed the organizational structure, developed key performance indicators, and negotiated deals with vendors. Linda then left the corporate world to form her own consulting company, where she focused on working with companies to create and implement client retention and growth strategies, project plans and operational processes. She has also owned two other businesses, one of which was a franchise. Since joining FranChoice in 2005, she has held numerous roles within the company including executive level management of technology, marketing, and consultant development. She currently oversees all facets of the consultant side of the business.

Trent Halvorson

VP - Franchisor Relations

Trent is the Vice President of Franchisor Relations for FranChoice Inc. Prior to joining FranChoice he spent 17 years at Best Buy Co. in many roles including Territory Marketing Manager and Senior Customer R&D Manager. During his time as the Territory Marketing Manager, he was responsible for understanding the competitive retail landscape in his territories. He collected strategic and tactical information and developed strategies to gain revenue and market share. Trent served as the single point of contact for primary retail intelligence for his territories. In his role as the Sr. Customer R&D Manager he was responsible for retail execution of all company test products and sales strategies. Trent joined FranChoice in 2013 and has served in many capacities since then, including managing the franchisor selection process, training and supporting new and existing consultants, and has trained dozens of franchise developers. He also created systems to assist the franchisors in improving their sales processes. Trent currently oversees the entire franchisor side of the business.

Lindsay Sanderson

Director of Operations

Lindsay is the Director of Operations for FranChoice Inc. and brings over two decades of experience in the retail industry. She honed her skills in sales, operations, and leadership during her 8-year retail store tenure at Best Buy Co. Starting from the sales floor, working her way up to management roles, she gained invaluable insights into customer behavior and effective team management along the way. Her journey with Best Buy then led her to the corporate headquarters, where she spent 15 years delving into sales enablement and played a pivotal role in managing key product categories. Much of her time was spent working closely with industry-leading vendors, where she developed strong relationships and implemented strategies to drive growth and maximize profitability. She also created effective sales processes, and training and communication campaigns in support of the company’s priority initiatives. Lindsay joined FranChoice in 2024 and supports the franchisor relations and consultant development sides of the business.

Kaitrin Halvorson

Operations Manager

Kaitrin Halvorson became the Operations Manager at FranChoice Inc. in 2024, bringing over two decades of experience in the retail industry. Throughout her career, Kaitrin has focused on revitalizing both new and underperforming businesses, emphasizing growth and operational improvements. With experience across various business management areas—including Customer Relations, Marketing, Sales, and Operations—she has employed a creative, solutions-oriented approach that led to significant gains in performance and profitability. Kaitrin’s passion for problem-solving and optimizing productivity has been a central part of her professional journey, guiding her efforts and driving success. Her expertise in process optimization, cost control, and strategic planning supported her role in these businesses to running more efficiently and achieving long-term success. Kaitrin has also led several rebranding initiatives, aligning operational practices with evolving company images and market positions. Her leadership in these projects fostered a cohesive customer experience and strengthened the company’s market presence.

Jim Malina

President

With over 30 years of experience in retail leadership, Jim Malina has built a distinguished career as a dynamic and results-driven leader across Operations, HR, and Change Management. Throughout his career, Jim has consistently demonstrated his ability to craft and execute high-impact strategies that inspire teams, drive organizational success, and deliver exceptional results. At Best Buy, Jim spearheaded a business unit generating over $500 million in annual sales, leading a team of more than 1,200 employees. His leadership was instrumental in cultivating a high-performance culture, empowering employees to excel in serving customers, and driving sustained growth and performance. In addition, Jim oversaw HR and Change Management for the entire U.S. store network, where he led large-scale transformation initiatives, refined operational processes, and executed complex strategies that significantly improved business outcomes. In 2025, Jim joined FranChoice, where he plays a key role in advancing the company's strategic vision, driving continuous improvement, and developing talent across the organization. His leadership is focused on fostering innovation, optimizing performance, and ensuring the company is well-positioned for future growth and success.

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