"For years, though, running the SBA gauntlet was harrowing…That's all changed. Realizing that they needed to address the problem, the SBA assembled industry leaders from the franchisor, franchisee and lender communities. Over two years, they grappled with the issues and how best to solve them. “They decide that the best solution was an independent, third-party intermediary with experience in reviewing franchise documents, handling filings, and performing web site development. That was us, “ says Kolton, president of FranData."

"According to Jeffrey E. Kolton, a Washington D.C. franchise attorney and consultant, who runs Frandata Corp, a research firm that analyzes franchising trends, when asked about the hardest part of starting a franchise company: “The devil is in the details, setting up an infrastructure: accounting, training, marketing, hiring, retaining employees and payroll issues – all of the things that any small business must go through in the beginning .”

"When Jeffrey Kolton's wife, Barbra Marcus Kolton, died of breast cancer in 2001, he was determined to make a positive difference in other cancer patients' lives. He created a memorial fund to open a boutique in Barbra's honor catering to cancer patients, because “the oncology ward didn't have any ‘accessories' available…forcing caretakers to take time away from the patient to find these items at specialty stores.” So Kolton contacted the CEO of ICED, owner of the Women's Health Boutique franchise. Kolton's original idea was to become a franchisee…but the hospital wanted to be in control. Kolton was asked to represent WHB in negotiations with the hospital, and helped create a nontraditional franchise agreement to locate the concept in health care facilities."

"So why would a practicing attorney invest six months of his life…to pass an exam (the prestigious American Sommelier Association certification) …for a job he'll probably never apply for? “Anyone who knows me knows that I've always loved wine…and people who really enjoy wine, in my opinion, really enjoy life” says Kolton. And anyone who knows Kolton knows he is someone who lives life large. Before rejoining Kaufmann's (law) firm, Kolton practiced law with some of the superstars of franchise law, founded and sold FRANdata, an ahead-of-its-time company that packaged information for sale to franchise companies, and traveled the world."