NO DRAMA WITH MAMA (OR ANYONE ELSE)

How to run a successful franchise with loved ones.

- JON MARCUS

Considering that United Franchise Group started with a business that creates signs, it makes sense that the walls of its sprawling West Palm Beach headquarters are covered with-you guessed it-a whole lot of signs.

Among the most prominent, front and center in the lobby, there's one sign that announces the company's core value: "Like a family."

But UFG, which is affiliated with 10 franchise brands with more than 1,600 franchises worldwide, isn't just like a family. It's a multigeneration, family-run business, with several family members on the payroll. That includes Ray Titus-who founded Signarama with his father in 1986-and Titus' three sons, plus assorted nephews.

In 36 years of running the company, they've learned a lot about what it takes to keep the wheels of a family-run franchise business turning smoothly. "The franchise model is very attractive to families," says Ray Titus. "There are systems in place, processes in place, roles defined...and we understand those dynamics."