Currently, over 13 million people are displaced, sick and starving due to severe drought conditions in the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda). Also, ongoing conflicts and an unsteady political climate across the region have compounding an already unimaginable crisis for these families.

The situation is dire, but you can make a difference and save lives even with a small donation. $1 will feed four children.

The World Food Program, a United Nations non-profit organization funded entirely through voluntary donations from people like you, has teams on the ground right now distributing food and providing aid but they need your help to continue.

In August alone, WFP assisted some 990,000 people in Somalia; 3.74 million in Ethiopia (including 240,000 refugees); 1.86 million people in Kenya (including 546,000 refugees); 109,000 drought-affected people in Djibouti and more than 700,000 in the Karamoja region of Uganda. The numbers are staggering, but progress is being made every day.

In the Dolo Ado camps of Ethiopia for example, the acute malnutrition rate is over 50 percent among newly arrived children under five years of age. In response, WFP is supporting extensive feeding programs at camps and at transit centers in the region. Lives are being saved.

Many people are receiving aid, but countless others are not. The food aid shortfall in the Horn of Africa is projected to be over $215 million USD over the next six months. Action is desperately needed now and with your support the much needed aid being provided by WFP can continue and expand.

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Joining us today for Vonigo Spotlight’s second interview is Richard Avis, President & CEO of Aussie Pet Mobile Canada . With its extensive global footprint across hundreds of locations in 12 countries, Aussie Pet Mobile is consistently ranked as the World's #1 Pet Service Franchise. Richard was kind enough to spend some time with us and offer his insights into what it takes for a franchise operation to be successful.

Q. Richard, with 20 years under your belt, in retail and other franchises, you’re clearly a fan of the franchise business model. For you, what ingredients need to be in place to make a successful franchise?

A. To be classified as a successful franchise, in my opinion, you must have a proven business model which has longevity, systems and processes. More importantly, the franchisor needs a group of successful existing franchise owners who will openly validate the model and are actually enjoying the experience of owning and operating their own franchised business.

Also, it’s a real advantage to have a system that is non-retail based. Let’s face it, retail is saturated and we often see the "same old, same old" in today’s retail marketplace. Many small retailers compete for a limited geographic market and unfortunately end up working primarily for their landlord, paying employee wages and their franchisor’s monthly royalties. Hopefully, if all goes well, there’s a small profit remaining for all the hours of hard work they’ve invested into their business.

Suffice it to say, I look for exciting, unique, preferably home-based or mobile franchise systems that are scalable, don’t require highly skilled labor and also have a high client retention rate

For me, Aussie ticks all these boxes!

Franchisee selection is also important. At Aussie, we look for extroverted dynamic entrepreneurs to join our team. Usually, it’s the sort of individual who wants to be recognized throughout their community and loves having fun. Times are tough; why not go to work and have some serious fun!

Q. Aussie Pet Mobile is very hands-on with its franchise owners. What do you think has made Aussie Pet Mobile such a successful franchise model?

A. Aussie Pet Mobile started in 1996, some 16 years ago, and is now in 12 countries with over 700 protected territories being serviced each and every day. We’ve had the opportunity to make some mistakes, learn from them and improve our systems and processes to ensure we’re maximizing our franchisees’ bottom line profitability. Keeping in constant communication and learning from our team mates has provided unparalleled support to the growth of each Aussie franchise.

Q. Tablets, smartphones and Wi-Fi have all helped people keep in touch on the road and when away from a central base of operations. How vital is an online management system like Vonigo to maintaining your team culture and delivering support to franchisees?

A. It is absolutely paramount that our franchise owners can be interactive in 'real-time' with their front-line staff. Appointments, not to mention the general dynamics of operating in a real-time environment, mean that we need to have access to up-to-the-minute information and live data. This results in increased efficiencies, productivity and better client service. Vonigo provides us with both flexibility and simplicity combined with real-time online client scheduling, groomer management, invoicing and a number of other features that are critical to our daily operations. We also look to the team at Vonigo to assist with our continued growth through addressing business challenges with technology. Despite some sizeable operational challenges, it seems nothing is a problem for Vonigo and they always make themselves available to 'go the extra mile'.

Q. What are your goals with Vonigo as you spread further around the globe and deal with multiple countries and language issues?

A. We've selected Vonigo as our primary client management system for all our international expansion. Vonigo’s system is multi-leveled and provides a wealth of real-time information to our franchise owners, their staff and of course our corporate operations as well. Vonigo’s system is easily translated into any language and in fact we’re scheduled to have Vonigo translated into Brazilian Portuguese for our recently awarded Brazilian Master Franchisor. The management team at Vonigo is like a division of our business. They’re eager to assist, understand our business model and add value to the operations and day-to-day activities of Aussie Pet Mobile.

Q. How has the learning curve been for Vonigo?

A. Vonigo comes with a built in online 'learning centre', which has been very helpful.

Also, if we find there is something we need or that one of our franchise owners needs, the team at Vonigo gets involved and works with us to develop the tools necessary for all users to be functioning seamlessly with the knowledge that they have the back-up and support of people who care about their business.

Vonigo simplifies and streamlines our operations.

Q. With a solid online management system allowing you to maintain quality and support around the world, what does the future look like for Aussie Pet Mobile?

A. The future looks amazingly simplistic. Vonigo has assisted us with creating a workflow that is designed to standardize our processes, provide real-time information enabling us to make informed managerial decisions and to assist our franchise owners with measuring their business metrics. Our owners have increased efficiencies and have the means to communicate with their front-line staff efficiently with up to the minute data. The Vonigo system has resulted in our being able to efficiently and professional streamline the all our operations. Interestingly, there are over 12 million pets in Canada alone and we want to make sure we’re available to bathe them all!

You Gotta Dirty Dog? Call Aussie and we'll… Keep 'em Clean n' Cute!

More about Aussie Pet Mobile is available at www.aussieptemobile.ca.

The Panasonic Toughbook Aims to Please.

Gartner predicts over 55 million tablet computers will be sold this year and new options, other than Apple’s dominant iPad, are emerging. While Apple once controlled over 95% of the tablet market, competitors are innovating rapidly and announcing viable alternatives seemingly every week. In fact, Apple’s market share in the tablet category has slipped to 77% within a few short months. Certainly the iPad remains the leading tablet, but when it comes to mobile business users in the field there’s a new player in this space that’s worth a look.

Panasonic has recently entered the market with the durable Toughbook tablet, which is an extension of their popular laptop series bearing the same name. Durability is the key differentiator and with the Toughbook’s added ruggedness, Panasonic intends to impress the same professionals and governments that have embraced their Toughbook laptops. Think field workers. Think government. Think Vonigo customers.

According to the press release, "The Toughbook tablet will include a high brightness, daylight viewable screen so that mobile workers, in markets like field service, home healthcare and public safety, can easily see critical data and operate the device regardless of lighting conditions. The new tablet will also include an active stylus, allowing mobile workers in sales, customer service and mobile point-of-sale environments to capture signatures on the device’s 10.1-inch XGA multi-touch display."

The durability of the Toughbook tablet goes beyond just its shatterproof exterior and offers built-in hardware level security that other tablets have not addressed. This tablet is being marketed as a device that goes beyond reading books or playing games. Undoubtedly, the Toughbook is geared to users seeking a tablet that can take a beating in the field and still perform.

With the Toughbook running Android, it’s a great option for Vonigo users in the field and it should hit stores around Christmas.

Take one for a spin and let us know what you think!