Jim Howe brings over 30 years of experience in franchising, both as a franchisee and a franchisor, to his role as Brand President of NerdsToGo®. Jim is leading the growth of the NerdsToGo brand, ushering in NerdAssure, a proprietary, all-inclusive solution that makes data flow fast and accurately, providing protection during IT outages and cyberattacks, so franchisees could focus on B2B customers.
Prior to this role, Jim was an integral part of the FASTSIGNS International team for 11 years, beginning his career as a Business Consultant in January 2011. He held several leadership roles before he became the Vice President of Franchise Support in September 2013. In that role, he led the Franchise Support, Sales Development, Training, and New Center Opening Support departments, as well as executing planning for all company events. He has also held his CFE (Certified Franchise Executive) designation for over 6 years.
Howe’s prior franchisor experience includes The Coffee Beanery for 9 years and the retailer Wicks and Sticks for 5 years. Jim was also a Hallmark franchisee for 7 years, and he and his wife are currently franchisees of Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming; his wife Shelley and their son Trevor operate the Woof Gang franchise.
Howe is truly passionate about and understands franchising, which includes the importance of effective systems, possessing a deep focus on franchisee profitability, and working to build strong relationships with franchisees through open, two-way communication. He believes in delivering well-thought-out programs to help the network grow its profitable sales. In addition, Jim has facilitated Roundtables at the International Franchise Association’s Annual Convention for multiple years, including a Business Solution Session in 2020, as well as having facilitated a group of Emerging Franchisors in 2020, 2021, and 2022 during a special session for Emerging
Franchisors on setting up best practices. Jim Howe was also active on the 2021 IFA Convention Committee.
