Mary Jo Larson

4 weeks ago | franchisetimes.com | Mary Jo Larson

My grandmother had a lot of great sayings: “He’s windy.” (He talks too much.) “You’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” (You’re more likely to get what you want when you’re nice.) And finally, one of my favorites: “He was three sheets to the wind.” (He was drunk.) When my son Ben was a middle schooler, he and a group of friends were playing outside and were chided by our neighbor. I don’t remember why, but I do remember Ben coming inside and telling me it wasn’t fair.

1 month ago | mnp.ca | Lisa Gordon |Mary Jo Larson |Steven Kwasny |Michelle Miller

Event Confidence Event Tax Services Indirect Tax International Corporate Tax Tariffs present new challenges for your business. The risk of a 25 percent increase in costs gets the attention, but there are other hidden impacts that you will need to consider. Do your contracts need to be reviewed? Will you need to make changes to your workforce? Are you prepared to scale up your operation if new opportunities arise?

1 month ago | mnp.ca | Steven Kwasny |Lisa Gordon |Mary Jo Larson |Michelle Miller

Insight Performance Insight Private Enterprise Consulting Forensics Find all of our insights related to trade challenges in one place. Scenario planningSteven Kwasny and Mary Larson discussed the importance of scenario planning in navigating uncertainty. They emphasized that businesses often find themselves in a defensive posture during crises, focusing on survival. "Often in times of crisis or uncertainty… you're in survival mode," Steven said.

1 month ago | franchisetimes.com | Mary Jo Larson

About 20 years ago, husband Doug and I wanted to sell our house, and enlisted a local realtor—let’s call him Bob—to do so. When Bob found out what I did for a living, he wanted to talk franchising with Doug. Bob always thought he should buy a Subway, hire a manager, and be an absentee owner. The money would roll in. When Doug told me about their conversation at the time, I laughed out loud.

2 months ago | franchisetimes.com | Mary Jo Larson

During one recent weekend, husband Doug and I took our two grandchildren, seventh-grader Sydney, and fourth-grader Sawyer, to McDonald’s for a quick bite before Sawyer’s hockey game. Sydney frequents McDonald’s, as it’s a short walk from the junior high school for her and her friends. When we entered, Sydney walked immediately to the kiosk and brought up the menu. Doug and I eyed each other—this girl knew exactly what to do, and quickly.