Computer and Internet Services Franchise Industry News & Announcements

Indicates Three-year Decline in Summer Purchase Intentions
LARGO, Fla., May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As consumers get ready to kick off summer this Memorial Day, the Valpak annual Consumer Savings Report reveals it's going to be a scaled-back summer for many of them. The third annual summer report* indicates a steady decline in consumers' purchase intentions over the past two years, from 70 percent in 2010 planning to spend the same or more to just 50 percent in 2012. Only 23 percent of consumers plan to spend more this summer over last, down five percent from last year, on purchases ranging from vacations to home improvement to electronics.
Valpak, the 44-year direct and digital savings leader, conducted the report to explore how consumer spending is evolving year over year...

G.I. Jobs Magazine Names TeamLogic IT to Its Prestigious 2012 List of Military Friendly Franchises; The National Computer Services Franchise Ranks in the Top 10 Percent of All Franchises Nationwide
May 17, 2012 // Franchising.com // MISSION VIEJO, Calif. – TeamLogic IT, a leading national provider of comprehensive computer-based services for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), has been named a top Military Friendly Franchise® by G.I. Jobs magazine for 2012.
The magazine’s prestigious Military Friendly Franchises® list identifies franchises that demonstrate the best military recruiting practices in the nation. This honor ranks TeamLogic IT in the top 10 percent of all franchises nationwide.
“Being named as a top Military Friendly Franchise is very humbling,” TeamLogic IT President Chuck Lennon said...

Tuesday, May 1, 2012 - AUSTIN, TX - These days, the viruses and malware that can cripple business computer systems hitch rides on tools virtually every business uses: Adobe PDF and Flash files and JavaScript.
That's in part because users, even those who religiously install security updates ("patches") for major software programs and operating systems, often ignore prompts from Adobe and Oracle. IT professionals have found that many users either don't recognize them or think the updates themselves are Trojan horses bearing viruses.
CMIT Solutions, the leading provider of managed IT services for small businesses, is separating itself from its rivals by including patch coverage for Adobe and Java in its popular CMIT Marathon package...

SPRING GROVE, IL--(Marketwire - May 8, 2012) - To better serve business customers, Cartridge World has added printers to its eco-friendly product line of ink and toner printer cartridges.
The new printer product line is a natural addition for the ink and toner retailer, as the company expands its offerings for its business customers. The new printers, made by Hewlett Packard and Canon, are available in Cartridge World stores for sale and/or through a new printer loaner program.
"Cartridge World is always looking for ways to expand service to our customers, and printers are a perfect complement to the printer cartridges we already offer," said Frank Case, President of Cartridge World North America. "Our goal is to provide a one-stop shop for our customers' printing needs...

SOUTHBURY, CT--(Marketwire - May 7, 2012) - When thinking about protecting the future of our children, there are many lessons we can all learn from today's economy and job market. Chief Operating Officer and President of The Entrepreneur's Source® Brian Miller says parents and educators, in particular, should be asking: "Are we misleading our kids to believe that a secure job market awaits them after their formal education? With outsourcing and technology negatively affecting the job market today, what will it be like in 10 years?"
"There is a silver lining to these concerns," says Miller. "Let's start teaching our children about the value and benefits of business ownership at the middle school and high school levels. If we tap into the imagination of young kids early on, we will change the future of their lives, and possibly the future of our country, as well...

More Than 1,000 Schools Competed in Cartridge World Contest
SPRING GROVE, IL--(Marketwire - Apr 30, 2012) - Three schools accepted $15,000 from Cartridge World as winners of a recent national contest to receive technology funding. Chattahoochee Elementary School in Duluth, Ga., J. Harold Van Zant Elementary School in Marlton, N.J., and Manhattan Catholic School in Manhattan, Kan. were each presented a check by their local Cartridge World store during celebrations at the schools.
More than 1,000 schools in the United States and Canada participated in the "Save Vote Win" contest hosted by Cartridge World to win a cash prize of $15,000 toward the use of technology or other school equipment. The contest received an overwhelming response, and nearly 100,000 votes were cast for the schools...

SOUTHBURY, CT--(Marketwire - Apr 26, 2012) - Many business owners are looking for ways to keep their enterprise visible and top of mind with customers. The explosive growth of social media provides an excellent opportunity to reach a new demographic, but many entrepreneurs are unsure how to best use the medium. Brian Miller, president and COO of Business Partner Marketing Coach ® says, "Business owners can benefit greatly when they understand how to take advantage of online technologies to grow their business."
As we celebrate the entrepreneur during National Small Business Week (May 21st- 26th), Miller says social media is more personal and can be more effective in lead generation than traditional forms of marketing.
"Social media tactics work interactively, giving a compelling, searchable and dynamic presence to a business, product or service in the online market space," says Miller...

FASTSIGNS® to Discuss Conversion Initiatives and Strategies
April 26, 2012 // Franchising.com // CARROLLTON, Texas – FASTSIGNS International Inc., the worldwide franchisor of FASTSIGNS® sign and graphics centers, will be exhibiting at the upcoming National Business Media (NBM) Show in Dallas, May 10 – 12, 2012.
The NBM Show is a business trade show designed to educate attendees on the latest in sign making, digital printing, apparel decorating, engraving, personalization, promotional products and more. Mark Jameson, FASTSIGNS Senior Vice President of Franchise Support & Development, will be hosting a booth at the show, No. 816, to speak with independent sign shop owners about the company’s franchise opportunity and conversion program...

April 25, 2012 // Franchising.com // PLANO, Texas – ColorTyme, Inc., the nation’s longest-running franchisor of independently owned-and-operated rent-to-own stores, announced today that it has hired Fred Mattox as Vice President and COO.
Mattox brings over 30 years of rent-to-own experience to his new position, in which he will serve as the head of ColorTyme’s Operations department. He will work with both franchisees and individual stores to maximize their operational efficiency.
“To have the opportunity to bring someone in like Fred who has both the experience in the industry and the knowledge of what it takes to be successful in the operations side of the business is very exciting for us,” said ColorTyme CEO Cathy Skula...

FASTSIGNS® Starts 2012 with Multiple Deals for New Centers, Brand Conversions
April 23, 2012 // Franchising.com // CARROLLTON, Texas  – FASTSIGNS® sign and graphics centers has started off 2012 with a strong first quarter of franchise growth, signing deals for new franchises, converting independent sign shops to the brand, and opening several new centers around the country.
On the heels of a five-unit franchise partnership in Puerto Rico, FASTSIGNS started off 2012 with eight signed deals, four of which were independently owned sign shops that converted to the FASTSIGNS brand. In addition, by June 2012, FASTSIGNS, which provides marketing and visual communications solutions to businesses, organizations and events of all types and sizes, will have opened 12 new centers since the beginning of the year...

Battery Giant is helping to give back to the local community with the sponsorship of Beaumont’s Children’s Hospital’s 2012 E-Clutter for Kids Recycle-A-Thon.
Rochester Hills, MI (PRWEB) April 19, 2012 - The Battery Giant location in Rochester Hills has always been a drop off point for local battery recycling. On Saturday April 21 and Sunday April 22nd, Battery Giant will expand its efforts to collect E-waste and donate the proceeds to raise scholarship funds for Beaumont Children’s Center for the treatment of Speech and Language Disorders.
The scholarship program aids children between the ages of 12 months to 14 years who have speech and language impairments due to such conditions as a cleft palate, autism, downs syndrome, or a traumatic brain injury...

April 17, 2012 // Franchising.com // Southbury, CT – Aspiring entrepreneurs are invited to participate in another exciting Start a Business Weekend Event and can do so either in-person or through “virtual technology.” “We’re changing the way people discover business ownership as a path to financial security,” says Terry Powell, CEO and founder of The Entrepreneur’s Source® (TES). “Technology is changing how we manage our everyday lives, but now it can help you change your long-term career.” Both events take place simultaneously beginning on May 3rd and runs through May 5th.
After a highly-successful initial “virtual” event in March, The Entrepreneur’s Source is once again playing host to this first-of-its-kind franchise industry “virtual exposition” where virtual visitors can spend a weekend interacting with many of the nation’s hottest business and franchise concepts – all in an effort to discover whether business ownership is their next career move...

National Computer Services Franchise Introduces New Growth Vehicle; Independent Owners Gain Access to 40 Years of Operational Expertise
April 17, 2012 // Franchising.com // MISSION VIEJO, Calif. – While the outsourced computer services market is expected to near $17 billion in the coming years, most independent computer service and support providers today would agree that maintaining current growth, while planning for the future, is an utmost challenge.
Recognizing this, TeamLogic IT—a leading national provider of comprehensive computer-based services for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs)—has created a Conversion Program for independent computer service and support providers who seek to establish their business for success by joining a burgeoning company within the technology sector...

New weather app gives Tulsa-based broadcaster fast, easy access to user-generated content.
Andover, MA (PRWEB) April 11, 2012 - WSI (Weather Services International) today announced that Fox23/KOKI-TV’s use of WSI Max Social during regional March storms and flooding enabled the station to create broadcasts that incorporated immediate, interactive content from viewers during the weather emergency.
To learn more about Max Social, come to the WSI Booth #SL6313, South Hall Lower, at the 2012 NAB Show, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, April 16-19.
“WSI Max Social is fantastic. I love it,” said Andrew Kozak, Fox23 Meteorologist. “The combination of its great functionality and easy, interactive usability makes for exceptional output and the best quality weather pictures...

Sign and Graphics Franchise to Co-Sponsor IFA’s Small Business Lending Summit
April 11, 2012 // Franchising.com // CARROLLTON, Texas – With the unemployment rate still hovering over eight percent and the country experiencing the lowest rate of new business creation in over 3 decades, lack of access to credit has remained a barrier to creating new businesses and jobs. As part of FASTSIGNS International’s ongoing initiative to find solutions to our nation’s lack of credit access for viable business start-ups, the company will be co-sponsoring the April 17, 2012 Small Business Lending Summit in Washington D.C. The Small Business Lending Summit is co-hosted by the International Franchise Association, the Consumer Banking Association, the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, and The Financial Services Roundtable...

Leading Child Technology Education Company Hires New President, Expands Scope
CYPRESS, TX--(Marketwire - Apr 4, 2012) - Computer Explorers, the leading technology education franchise in the US, is expanding services under the leadership of Carol Hadley, its new president.
Hadley is an experienced business leader with a history of producing growth results, most recently with Houston-based Graco Awards, a premier manufacturer of military medals such as the Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart. While at Graco, Hadley helped start a sister company and was responsible for tripling revenue within one year. Hadley brings the same passion for business development to Computer Explorers.
"Education technology is at its most pivotal point in the past twenty-five years," said Hadley...

Computer Services Franchise Makes Opening a Business Easier in 2012
MISSION VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Small business financing has been a continuing struggle for those looking to open a business; however, TeamLogic IT, a leading provider of comprehensive computer-based services for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), is changing all of that by offering to finance 50 percent of the initial franchise fee for qualified, prospective franchisees.
“The tight U.S. credit market has made it difficult for potential entrepreneurs to raise the funds they need to open a business”
The new financing option provides qualified prospective franchisees the option to finance half of the $40,000 franchise fee. As another advantage to new franchisees, TeamLogic IT will not require payment on the borrowed amount for the first 12 months...

CARROLLTON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FASTSIGNS International, Inc., the visual communications/sign and graphics franchisor of the more than 535 FASTSIGNS® centers worldwide, has unveiled a new branding platform with updated messaging: “More than fast. More than signs.™”
“We have always known that we are more than fast and more than signs, and this new brand platform is a way of better communicating what FASTSIGNS offers. We have capabilities and service offers beyond what many realize.”
“We want people to know that while we are fast, more importantly, we provide a wide variety of products, services and comprehensive visual communications solutions to help companies meet their business objectives,” said Catherine Monson, CEO of FASTSIGNS International, Inc...

SOUTHBURY, CT--(Marketwire - Mar 28, 2012) - As both large and small businesses begin to see a brighter light in this somewhat stagnant economy, Brian Miller, president and COO of Business Partner Marketing Coach, says, "We can all help each other if local companies look for local experts in the community to help grow their business. And in doing so, business owners will feed 'the circle of life' in their communities by continuously adding to the local economy."
Business Partner Marketing Coaches see the benefits first hand when partnering with business owners to bring more awareness of their products and services in their respective markets. "Many companies either don't have the expertise nor the budgets to have full time personnel handle many of the much needed functions like marketing to grow their businesses," says Miller...

March 29, 2012 // Franchising.com // Hartland, WI – Batteries Plus®, the nation’s first, largest and fastest growing battery and light bulb franchise, was recently ranked No. 19 on the Dun & Bradstreet AllBusiness AllStar Franchise rankings. This is a huge leap from its ranking of No. 31 last year. Different than in years past, the 2012 AllBusiness AllStar list now showcases the 100 “best of the best” franchises, down from its recognition of the top 300 franchises previously. This makes the 2012 rankings stronger than ever.Now in its fourth year, the AllBusiness AllStar Franchise rankings are based on a number of criteria analyzed by the AllBusiness.com team. The franchises are evaluated and ranked based on franchise unit growth rate, financial strength, system size, number of years in business, number of years franchising, and Web (brand) visibility...