New Research Guide Provides Franchise Industry with Sales and Marketing Intelligence

San Jose, Calif. - For the first time, franchisors, development consultants, and advertising and marketing suppliers have access to the most comprehensive research guide to sales and lead generation performance in franchise recruitment.

The 2007 Annual Franchise Development Report (AFDR), released by Franchise Update Media Group, one of the nation's leading franchise information providers, provides meaningful data specific to different franchise concepts, investments, and budget levels.

"This report provides franchisors and their suppliers with the knowledge they need to accelerate system growth, increase selling performance, and make smarter, more cost-effective advertising decisions," said Steve Olson, publisher of the 2007 AFDR.

According to franchise executives utilizing the report, the published benchmarks for building recruitment budgets and media plans are raising their awareness of development standards in their respective industries. "The 2007 "Measuring Up" report is excellent!" said Elise Hansen, Franchise Development Coordinator for ChemDry. "It's great knowing where everyone else is at. The performance measurements for sales follow-up showed what we're doing right, and where we can improve our efforts."

Jeff Bevis, Executive Vice President of Comfort Keepers, agrees with Hansen. "Our entire Franchise Development team found the 2007 report to be of high value. It provided solid benchmarking for our own performance, as well as delivered benefits to our annual budgeting process for 2008. It has also made a definite difference in our sales forecasting and tracking of our sales process metrics. We found the report to be well worth the investment."

The 200 page report was compiled using historical franchise data, survey data gathered from 132 franchise concepts representing more than 88,000 units and information provided by thousands of CEOs and senior development executives. The lead generation survey results are reported by industry category, system wide gross revenues, annual recruitment budgets and franchise investment per unit.

"Historic trending of sales and lead sources is critical, must-have information for development executives," said Cynthia Gartman President & COO of Country Place Franchising. This document provides key answers."

For more information or to order a copy of the 2007 AFDR, please contact Sharon Wilkinson with Franchise Update Media Group at (800) 289-4232, ext. 202 or sales@franchiseupdatemedia.com

About Franchise Update Media Group
Founded in 1988, Franchise Update Media Group is one of the nation's leading information companies in franchising, operating divisions in publishing, executive conferences and the Internet. The company publishes the leading independent franchise trade magazines, Franchise UPDATE and Area Developer. It also produces franchising.com, and develops surveys and research products for the franchise industry. Visit the company at www.franchiseupdatemedia.com.