Airborne IntelligenceKnow who keeps up with the goings-on of a franchise? The advisory council.

What's one of the best things you can do if you join a relatively small system? Sign up for the franchise advisory council. When Arnie Klingenberg joined Worldwide Express in 1996, he was one of the company's first franchisees, so joining the franchisee advisory council was pretty easy. "At that point, you could pretty much ask; now it takes a nomination and a vote," the Edgemont, Pennsylvania, franchisee explains. "The first year, there were only 10 [franchisees], and five of us were on [the advisory council]."

Joining the council was important to Klingenberg, 36, because it gave him the ability to have a say in decisions that affect the entire franchise, which sells Airborne Express overnight shipping services. "It keeps me much more in the loop," he says. "Considering we only sell Airborne Express, the way we deal with them, the rates, service and level of communication with the local stations and personnel are huge issues, and I want to be involved."