Wunderbar! (Wonderful!) That’s how my time has been in Germany, where I was honored to be the keynote speaker at the German Franchise Association Convention’s Business Community Event. It’s times like these when I know that values are universal. The things we hold near and dear to our company culture back home are alive and well in places far and wide.

As I welcomed attendees in Berlin, I was encouraged to see so many smiling faces in the crowd. Franchising continues to have a strong attraction as a business model in Europe, and for those wanting to know our foundation for success across Dwyer Groups brands, I was happy to oblige. In particular, I discussed how we “Lebe R.I.C.H.” (Live R.I.C.H.) at Dwyer Group following our Code of Values and the themes of Respect, Integrity, Customer focus, and Having fun in the process.

Economics are universal, small business reigns supreme, and franchising has a growing audience in the U.S. and abroad.

What I gained in return at the meeting in Germany was monumental. Not only can business leaders identify with the key ingredients it takes to succeed in franchising, but they also look to operate with integrity. That’s one of the key reasons Dwyer Group brands continue to expand in the U.S. and on an international stage. Having recently acquired two additional service brands in the U.K. - Bright & Beautiful R) and Countrywide Grounds Maintenance R) - our platform for doing business has been well received. And that includes the Dwyer Group Code of Values that we follow to support all of our brands.

With more than 2,850 franchisees around the world, we are on a journey to be in business for yourself but not by yourself on a global scale. And while small business continues to propel economies, the franchise networks in the service trades are rapidly growing and recruiting a bigger skilled workforce to do valuable service to a customer base in need of the very best.

Good business knows no boundaries.

Looking back on Dwyer Group’s history, there was no crystal ball that could have shown us where would be today. But our Code of Values that we operationalized to hold us accountable to live and lead in the best possible manner have been at the heart of business to carry us all the way. We may speak different languages, we may have different customs, and we may consider different countries our home. But values are a common thread that we all can appreciate. And with values as our guide, good business knows no boundaries.