Subscription-Based Franchise Model Provides Stability And Long-Term Impact
The Alternative Board (TAB) presented the perfect blend of self-fulfillment and reliable income for Neal Grossheider (above with family), who wanted a career change. After leaving the Air Force, he sold real estate with his wife. “We were really good at it, but after four years, I realized I was not happy. I worked about 70 hours a week and wasn’t living the life I wanted. In the Air Force, I discovered that instruction and education as my true passion. I wanted to teach and explored adjunct professor positions. Those would have been great except that our standard of living would have dramatically changed.”
Grossheider ultimately jettisoned the adjunct professor plan and went all-in with TAB Emerald Coast of Pensacola, Fla., in April 2023. The franchise feeds his passion and offers financial independence with steady income and a self-sustaining business model.
How It Works
Founded in 1990, TAB franchisees bring together six to 10 business owners from noncompeting industries to brainstorm and advise for their mutual benefit — in essence, a board of directors for small-business owners.
TAB clients pay monthly dues that range from $500 to $1,200, depending on the region and the type of board. Revenue is predictable because members stay with TAB for more than 5 years on average, and many stay 10-plus years.
“I told my franchise consultant I was looking for stable income with the flexibility of additional revenue streams without a ceiling, the ability to be with my family as much as needed, a staff at corporate that was supportive throughout my entirety with the franchise, and the ability to create something of my own with the brand I build. He did some research and soon sent information on TAB. After doing more research and talking to their representative, I became extremely intrigued. I knew TAB was right for me after making discovery calls to a bunch of TAB business owners and visiting a TAB board meeting. I had a really good feeling about it.”
Franchisee support, a priority for Grossheider, is a TAB hallmark. Corporate provides all franchisees with a list of qualified target prospects, multichannel marketing assistance, prospect referrals and in-depth prelaunch training. TAB assigns each franchisee a mentor and accountability partner, supplies ongoing training, and holds international conferences.
A Typical Day
Grossheider sets his own schedule, typically starting early with administrative work. Later in the morning, he meets with prospective clients and collaborative companies. Afternoon duties include networking and professional development for members.
Board meeting days are different; he dedicates the entire daily schedule to those. Grossheider, who holds an MBA, leads two boards himself. One is the basic TAB advisory group with well-established small businesses and a few midsize ones; his Key Executive Board develops a business’s No. 2 person so its owner can focus on growth. Contract facilitators lead two additional boards: the Accelerator Board, which teaches fundamentals to newer businesses, and the Presidential Board, which builds on Accelerator Board teachings to turn smart business practices into lasting habits. “My five-person team frees me up to focus on the business and not constantly be in the business.” He plans to add one or two boards in 2025 and another four boards during the next three years.
TAB’s Timeline
The Alternative Board (TAB), a B2B-only franchise, has helped franchisees and their business owner clients prosper for 35 years. In addition to TAB’s historical offering of peer boards and coaching, TAB franchisees also earn significant additional income from its StratPro business transformation workshops and HI-MAP management development training. This timeline shows TAB’s milestones.
- 1990: Allen Fishman founds TAB in St. Louis.
- 1996: TAB franchises its first unit.
- 2009: TAB crosses the Atlantic with a U.K. franchise.
- 2010: Brand reaches 175 global locations.
- 2016: TAB launches first Middle East franchise.
- 2017: India becomes the site of TAB’s first Asian unit.
- 2018: South America has its first TAB site, in Chile.
- 2020: TAB exceeds 350 global locations.
- 2025: Newest international franchise comes to Paraguay /Northern Argentina.
Learn more about the TAB franchise.
