Welcome to the Franchising.com Franchise Financing Guide. Financing a franchise can be a huge challenge for first-time franchisees. Since the recession took hold in 2008, finding capital for a start-up business has become harder than ever. This guide is intended to make it easier by providing informative, useful articles, guides, experts, and advice.
Tightened credit and stricter underwriting requirements from traditional franchise lenders and funding sources (banks, franchise finance companies, and private investors) have combined with a decrease in the financing sources franchisees have relied on for decades, such as personal savings, family and friends, home equity loans, and 401(k) plans. And with fewer franchise lenders in play today, competition for capital has increased and deals are taking more time than in previous years.
In this section you will find fresh, informative articles and guides to help you find the franchise financing information you need, including companies that can advise you on the best strategies to obtain the capital you need to finance your franchised business.
By Steve LeFever | Read Full Story
Seat-of-the-pants management styles may be fine themes for business magazine articles and their Hollywood adaptations, but responding to the symptoms of problems instead of preventing problems in the first place is like taking aspirin to cure pneumonia.
By Carol Clark | Read Full Story
Long ago, when I was a newly minted junior analyst at a local investment firm, a grizzled veteran noted that it was pointless to be in the investment business if you weren't a long-term optimist. To me, that time-worn piece of advice continues to ring true. Operating from this mantra, I've spent my entire career believing that whatever short-term morass the economy or the market found itself in could be fixed (eventually) by the drive and ingenuity of the American entrepreneurial spirit. I'm hopeful that this time will be no different--although I admittedly find my optimism being severely tested. In nearly 30 years in the business, I've never witnessed such a complex array of issues at play.
By Carol Clark | Read Full Story
As noted in the last issue, investing is not for the faint of heart. It takes time and an ability to integrate an expansive range of information--as well as a steady head and a strong stomach. This combination often means that seeking outside help makes the most sense. But how do you go about finding an investment manager that's the right "fit" for you?
