As COO, Prager is Committed to Building a Strong Franchise Brand by Partnering with Qualified Franchisees, Securing Real Estate, and More
JD Prager has been named the new chief operating officer (COO) of redC Business Advocacy, a consulting firm that provides entrepreneurs with support at all levels of business and franchise development. As COO, Prager will lead redC’s team of development, real estate, design and construction managers to ensure a seamless development process for clients. Additionally, Prager will be committed to building a strong franchise brand by partnering with qualified franchisees, securing real estate, creating a finished product that is cost effective, and more. Previously, Prager held construction and real estate positions at WellBiz Brands, an umbrella of health-related franchises.
“redC’s growth is tied to the growth of our client partners. It’s easy to get out of bed everyday knowing that I am going to contribute to the growth of our client partners and in turn, the growth of redC. I look forward to the day when redC develops into a household name within the franchise community,” said Prager.
Prager has known Brendan Charles, founder and CEO of redC Real Estate Design & Construction, for years. “I know what kind of person he is and the integrity he brings to the table everyday. He and I share the same fundamental belief in this business, and it starts with building trust and building relationships. Without those relationships built on a solid foundation of trust and common goals, redC wouldn’t be here,” Prager adds.
In Prager’s view, redC could potentially disrupt the traditional way of thinking about franchising, especially with emerging brands. “A brand’s success is driven by unit economics, or simply put, franchise owners who are successful and make money. By allowing franchisors to focus on marketing and operations, while trusting in a partnership with redC to grow the brand in accordance with the franchisor’s growth strategy, the franchisor can align internal resources to the KPIs that drive unit level revenue. The lifecycle of a franchise is 10-20 years or more. The opening process is nine to 12 months.”
If Prager was a franchisor, he “would put my resources towards the longevity of the brand by focusing on driving unit level AUV’s and let proven outsourced professionals at redC drive the finite opening process.”
Prager and Franchising
Prager got his start in franchising as an opening project manager at Quiznos, where he worked with both new and experienced franchise owners, as well as cross-functionally with real estate, construction, and operation teams. Prager likes helping franchise owners realize their goals of being their own boss and the thrill of accomplishing difficult tasks. These include negotiating a deal, getting a challenging location open, or seeing the franchise owners open successfully.