The Right Fit

CEO KRISTIN ODEH says Wilmington is ripe for franchises. Odeh runs Momentum Franchise Group, a licensed affiliate of Business Alliance Inc., one of the largest franchise brokerage networks in North America, she says. She brings twenty-five years of experience in the financial services, automotive, technology, and retail industries. What makes Wilmington an attractive place to start a franchise? A combination of things Odeh points out.

“The city does not have many large corporations,” she says. “But it is growing and that is creating a mecca for entrepreneurial opportunities. Plus, there are people who graduate and are looking to stay, and also the military.”

Odeh wants to use her passion for business in helping others grow theirs. She understands that wanting to own your own business can be daunting and fraught with lots of decision-making for many people. “Some clients just don’t know where to start,” she says. As a “franchise coach,” Odeh and her business help lessen the risk of starting a business.

From her previous business background, she has developed relationships with over 100 franchises looking to come to Wilmington. Her experience includes her role as executive director of the Global IT Programs and Consulting Practice Development for Ford Motor Company; vice president of IT Global Engineering Solutions Delivery at Dell, Inc, among other roles.

Momentum Franchise Group covers a wide variety of franchise options, which include “more than just your typical fast food.” The list runs from big to small options, from automotive to environmentally green to senior care opportunities.

Once a future franchisee contacts her the matchmaking process begins. Skills are assessed along with backgrounds and personalities. Then Odeh will guide a client through a five-step process that includes an initial consultation and legal review all the way to what she calls “Discovery Day”. This is a crucial step where “a client will not only get information to assist in making a decision but will get to meet the staff that will be supportive in the operation of the franchise business.” Lastly, comes decision time whereby “should you choose to own a franchise, you can be confident that you have taken the necessary steps towards controlling your own life, by owning your own business.”

Odeh is on the verge of making her mark here in Wilmington and has already helped launch over 20 franchises in Charlotte with pending contracts in Raleigh and South Carolina.

She came to Wilmington in 2018 with her husband with plans to retire. Settling in North Carolina had always been on the radar as Odeh and her family vacationed many summers in the Outer Banks. Not one to sit still, and with such a strong desire to help others, it was only a matter of time before she saw opportunities in Wilmington and getting to know the community.

She has already delved into local places visiting nearby microbreweries, downtown restaurants, and one of her favorite spots Island Beverage in Carolina Beach.

Her goal is to save time, money, and effort in selecting the best franchise opportunity for clients. Odeh doesn’t subscribe to a one-size-fits-all philosophy. “Not every franchise is created equal,” she says. “And what works for one person may not for another.”

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