iFRANCHISE GROUP AND HORWATH INTERNATIONAL FORM STRATEGIC ALLIANCE

The iFranchise Group has been appointed to the Horwath Franchise Services Group (a joint venture between Horwath International and Eversheds) for the purpose of providing franchisors with comprehensive solutions to their franchise and small business development needs in the United States and, in cooperation with other members of the group, around the globe.

Through this alliance, Horwath will provide its clients with access to the franchise consulting expertise of the iFranchise Group. Horwath Franchising will refer its U.S. clients to the iFranchise Group for the development of strategic plans, operations and training documentation, marketing materials and media plans, and sales strategies.

"We view this as a tremendously important endorsement of our services," stated Mark Siebert, CEO of the iFranchise Group. "More importantly, it provides us with a significant opportunity to service our franchisor clients."

Horwath International is an integrated organization of independent accounting and management consulting firms, which provide creative and innovative business solutions, to clients generally and in key specialty areas. It ranks among the top international professional service firms associations, with more than 110 member and correspondent firms with 415 offices in 280 cities throughout the world.

Eversheds is one of the world's largest law firms with 24 offices and associated offices worldwide. It offers the complete range of legal services to businesses. Its Franchise Practice Group is one of the largest and most respected in the world.

According to Werner Rotach, CEO of Horwath and Martin Mendelsohn, Chair of Eversheds' European Franchise Group, "The iFranchise Group is well established as the preeminent leader in the international franchise community and is staffed by experts with many decades of franchise experience. Horwath is proud to announce this alliance and to make the services of the iFranchise Group available to all of our global partners."

Through this alliance, the iFranchise Group will offer franchisors a tremendous array of services under a single roof. In addition to the franchise consulting services provided by the iFranchise Group, this fully coordinated approach will feature:

• Accounting and Tax Services for Franchisors and Franchisees
• Information Technology Services and Software
• E-Commerce and POS Solutions
• Back Office Support including Bill Payment, Invoicing, Payroll Services, and Reporting
• Valuations
• Estate Planning
• Pension/Retirement Services
• Corporate Finance
• Financing Packages for Franchisors and Franchisees

At the same time, this alliance will allow the iFranchise Group to better serve the needs of its international client base. Through its affiliated offices, it can now offer ground-level representation on every continent.

"For the first time ever, the franchise community can go to one source for all of their consulting and small business needs," stated Siebert. "Franchisors will have the comfort of working with a one of the world's largest consulting firms with the industry-specific expertise of the nation's premier franchise consultants."