Franchise Industry General
Turn here for general news to keep current with developments in the ever-changing environment, economy, and marketplace. We choose the most important news and select from hundreds of press releases to keep you informed about the latest news likely to affect franchisors, franchisees, and suppliers. Check in frequently to stay abreast of the vital news and events influencing the world of franchising.
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On the heels of the completion of Chicago-based Ace Hardware's domestic business development website to attract more owners, Ace has named Aviatech its agency to create its international business development website. Robert Moschorak, President of Ace International Holdings says, "Aviatech is a clear marketing leader in the franchise industry for lead generation and website development. After seeing the excellent work Aviatech did on the Ace domestic site, we extended the scope of their work to our international site to leverage their expertise and industry leadership in driving more potential candidates to our international site in support of our international growth.
The Maids franchise which is based in Omaha, NE has also hired Aviatech to develop and launch a series of digital marketing projects, including the redevelopment of TheMaids...
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July 15, 2011 at 6:06AM PDT | Source: Mom Corps |
 Written by Natalie Ermann Russell
July 3, 2011
With the economy in a recession, it's not surprising that stay-at-home moms are having to re-enter the workforce in part-time and work-from-home positions. We asked Allison O'Kelly of Momcorps, a back-to-work website for mothers, to help us navigate the sometimes rough waters.
Be prepared.
"It may sound trite, but you need an updated résumé, a modern wardrobe and an explanation for why you have a gap in your work history," O'Kelly says. Employers
may question whether you're ready, so you need to show them you are.
Redefine your success.
Just because you reached a certain level before doesn't mean you have to return at the same level... |
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July 13, 2011 // Franchising.com // ATLANTA -- As the overall economy continues to struggle and with consumer confidence plunging to a seven year-low in June according to a recent article by the Associated Press, Maid Brigade Inc. continues to experience steady sales growth.
Coming off of encouraging sales increases in April, Maid Brigade's May sales report surpassed even April's numbers showing monthly, year over year, and year to date sales increases for the leading cleaning service franchise.
Total same store sales for May show an increase of 4.5 percent over the same period last year. Total system wide sales for May were up 6.31 percent over April with year to date (January to May) total system wide sales showing an improvement of 6... |
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MINNEAPOLIS, Jul 13, 2011 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Famous Dave's of America, Inc. (Nasdaq:DAVE) will announce its Second Quarter 2011 earnings after market close on July 27, 2011. The company is hosting a conference call, July 28, 2011 at 10:00 a.m., Central Time, to discuss its financial results. There will be a live web-cast of the discussion through the Investor Relations section of Famous Dave's web site at www.famousdaves.com.
A replay will be available for one week following the call by dialing (800) 642-1687, Conference ID "82283639".
Famous Dave's of America, Inc. (Nasdaq:DAVE) develops, owns, operates and franchises barbeque restaurants. As of July 13, 2011, the company owned 52 locations and franchised 130 additional units, in 37 states... |
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July 13, 2011 // Franchising.com // PARSIPPANY, N.J. -- Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC today announced that its recent interactive advertising campaign in The New York Times iPad application generated strong results, driving leads to its network of affiliates.
The ad click-through-rate, which measures those who opted to learn more about the featured properties by clicking the ad for more information, was 2.6 percent. According to Medialets, the most widely deployed rich media ad platform for mobile, typical results for mobile rich media like the iPad range from 1 percent to 3 percent, with online norms for websites around 0.1 percent.
The Sotheby's International Realty® campaign ran on the NYTimes iPad App from February through May, generating nearly 24 million impressions and featuring a custom-built interactive experience... |
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Combination of the Workforce Changing Dynamic, Culture of Connectivity and Impact of Business Social Networking Attracting the Next Generation of Agents
June 28, 2011 // Franchising.com // PARSIPPANY, N.J. -- Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate LLC held a national online career event on June 7 that attracted more than 300 real estate agents and prospective agents throughout the United States. The webinar served as a platform to demonstrate the career opportunities that exist in the real estate industry, and in particular at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.
"Now more than ever before, people want to chart their own course for their professional success," said Wendy Forsythe, senior vice president of network services for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate and host of the event... |
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Snap Fitness CEO Peter Taunton Launches 'Partner with Peter' Contest;
Set to Award One Deserving Contestant with Free Fitness Franchise
June 15, 2011 // Franchising.com // CHANHASSEN, Minn. - The entrepreneurial spirit around the country is about to 'warm-up' and hit the gym. Peter Taunton, Founder and CEO of Snap Fitness, the world's fastest-growing franchisor of 24/7 express fitness centers, announces the launch of his "Partner with Peter" contest that will award one aspiring entrepreneur a free fitness franchise.
Kicking-off June 15, 2011, contestants visiting www.petertaunton.com can enter to win by providing their contact information, along with a brief essay explaining why they would make an ideal owner of a Snap Fitness franchise... |
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MINNEAPOLIS, Jun 15, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BWLD), today announced that the Company will present at an upcoming consumer conference.
On Tuesday, June 28, 2011, the Company will present at the Oppenheimer 11th Annual Consumer Conference. The Company's investor presentation will be webcast live at 1:10 p.m. Central Daylight Time at www.buffalowildwings.com.
About the Company
Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc., founded in 1982 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a growing owner, operator and franchisor of Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar(TM) restaurants featuring a variety of boldly-flavored, made-to-order menu items including its namesake Buffalo, New York-style chicken wings... |
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Effort Includes Company's Inaugural Month-Long Global Volunteer Initiative
June 10, 2011 // Franchising.com // CHICAGO - Hyatt today announced Hyatt Thrive, the company's global corporate responsibility platform, designed to help make communities places where Hyatt associates are proud to work, where guests want to visit, where neighbors want to live and where hotel owners want to invest. Hyatt Thrive builds on Hyatt's rich history of community engagement and environmental stewardship by empowering over 85,000 Hyatt associates at more than 450 properties around the world to do one thing: Thrive.
Hyatt Thrive is grounded in four key pillars that Hyatt believes are crucial to foster thriving communities:
Environmental Sustainability: Reducing resource consumption, waste and emissions - and protecting the natural environment in local communities... |
June 10, 2011 at 7:17AM PDT | Source: Red Mango |
DALLAS, June 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Addressing a crowd of 700 aspiring small-business owners and entrepreneurs, Dan Kim, founder of Red Mango Yogurt and Smoothies, will share the business success strategies that have helped him establish the fastest-growing yogurt and smoothie chain in the nation as a speaker at The New York Times Small Business Summit on June 13th at the Grand Hyatt in New York City.
Now in its sixth year, The New York Times Small Business Summit will bring an audience face-to-face with the nation's most successful leaders in the small-business world.
Kim, who shepherds a national chain with more than 120 stores, can relate well to those with start-up dreams. Having opened the very first Red Mango store in 2007, Kim built his business from the ground up and one customer at a time... |
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Company's Innovative Service Center Offers the Business Community the Opportunity to Work on Their Business, Not in Their Business
June 06, 2011 // Franchising.com // VIENNA, Va. - It's the cry heard around the country every day: "There just isn't enough time to get everything done!"
Service Center to the rescue!
BookKeeping Express' (BKE) innovative back office solution, which has proven to put business owners and management in position to grow their businesses, is giving back the greatest resource of all - their time. With business owners spending up to 40 percent of their time on office paperwork (U.S. Small Business Association), BKE's Service Center serves an intense need.
"As a business owner, your day-to-day can become consumed by crunching numbers and/or managing staff, leaving you with little to no time to focus on your business' growth," said Greg Jones, CEO of BookKeeping Express... |
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 June 03, 2011 // Franchising.com // Minneapolis, MN - As drivers across the country prepare for their Memorial Day travels, NOVUS® Glass, the windshield repair experts, share the importance of inspecting a vehicle's windshield before getting on the road.
A windshield is a vital part of the car and its safety system. Jay Bickford, Director of Training and Development of NOVUS Glass states that the windshield does more than just keep out bugs, road debris and weather conditions from hitting our face, it is also critical to the safety of the vehicle's passengers. Many drivers assume that a crack or ding only affects the vehicle's aesthetics, but in actuality windshield breaks can compromise the windshield's ability to support the roof and structure of the vehicle... |
May 24, 2011 at 2:55PM PDT | Source: AdviCoach |
 Internet Marketing Is Your Best Lead Generator
SOUTHBURY, CT--(Marketwire - May 24, 2011) - There is no way around it. Technology is changing our lives whether we choose to embrace it or not -- both personally and professionally. According to AdviCoach®, business owners can benefit greatly when they understand how to take advantage of many of the internet technologies to grow their businesses.
Brian Miller, COO and president of AdviCoach, says, "This is an exciting time for business owners to explore new ways of bringing more targeted visibility to their business. Internet marketing, including social media marketing, is a more personal way to reach customers and prospects, and it can be more effective in lead generation than traditional forms of marketing... |
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Anticipates a Modest Increase in Its Company-wide Year-over-Year Average Sales Price for April and May
May 24, 2011 // Franchising.com // PARSIPPANY, N.J. -- Realogy Corporation reported that based on closed and open home sale contract information from its franchisees and company-owned brokerage operations, it expects that the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of existing home sales on a national basis should remain between 5.0 million to 5.2 million in each of April and May 2011. On that SAAR basis, existing home sales this year are tracking ahead of the full-year 2010 pace, even without the benefit of a Home Buyer Tax credit. Realogy also expects a modest increase in its average home sales price in April and May 2011 compared to the same period in 2010, which is consistent with the 2% increase the Company reported for the first quarter of 2011... |
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 Content Designed to Offer Basic Sales Tools to Help Small Businesses, Start-Ups Succeed
May 24, 2011 // Franchising.com // OWINGS MILLS, Md. - The latest census figures indicate that economic growth is fueled in part by small businesses, start-ups and non-profit organizations. Unfortunately, when companies first start out, or rely primarily on volunteers, they often don't have the capital to invest in outside sales training, when that might be one of their greatest needs and paramount to their future business growth.
That's why, Sandler Training, a world leader in sales and management training, has made available a free multi-media library that provides small businesses and start-ups with sales training tools to help them succeed... |
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Brinker International to host luau send-off party for 8-year-old Make-A-Wish Foundation® of North Texas recipient DALLAS, May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), parent company of Maggiano's Little Italy® will host a send-off party for Make-A-Wish Foundation North Texas recipient, Leslie at the company's second annual Make-A-Wish Day Friday, May 27 at their Dallas headquarters.
Sponsoring Leslie's wish to visit the sunny, tropical beaches of Hawaii, Brinker is surprising Leslie with the news that her wish will be granted. Tiki men and torches will transform Brinker's front lawn, as restaurant support center team members don grass skirts and leis to surprise Leslie during her wish granting ceremony... |
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iFranchise Group Discusses the Importance of High-Tech Information Storage and Delivery for Successful Franchise Systems
HOMEWOOD, IL – The iFranchise Group (www.ifranchisegroup.com), a leading franchise consulting firm based in the Chicago area, recently held a seminar for the franchise community that included information and guidance on how to use technology to help ensure quality control within franchise systems.
“Controlling quality and maintaining operational consistency is vitally important to the success of any franchise,” stated franchise consultant and iFranchise Group CEO, Mark Siebert. “It is the cornerstone of replicating any business model across a network of locations. That’s why franchisors continually need to find ways to provide easy access to current information to their franchisees... |
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Tacoma, WA. - After Forza Coffee Company's Director of Coffee, Phil Beattie, came back from his second Cup of Excellence (CoE) judging in May 2007, the fast growing Northwest coffee house franchise founder Brad Carpenter was introduced to CoE and given the opportunity to share this great coffee and story with customers in his 20 retail cafes.
Forza's roaster, Sumner, Washington based Dillanos Coffee Roasters followed the judging by purchasing 1,500 of CoE award winning coffee from the LaEsperanza Farm of Sataiel DeJesus Zavla Ferrufino in Nicaragua.
Brad was instantly taken with CoE and knew he could convince his customers to share his enthusiasm by reading and hearing the back-story about the winner, his family and his coffee... |
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Longtime Hooters President and CEO to Spearhead Rapid Expansion at Twin Peaks May 05, 2011 // Franchising.com // ADDISON, Texas – Twin Peaks Restaurants has hired Rick Akam, the man who led Hooters of America Inc. as it emerged as one of the most popular sports restaurants of its kind, as Chief Operating Officer of Twin Peaks Restaurants.
Akam will oversee the operations and expansion of Twin Peaks into a major national chain of high-caliber sports restaurants. Akam joins an executive team that includes Twin Peaks' co-founders, CEO Randy DeWitt and CFO Scott Gordon, and President Jack Gibbons. Akam will report to Gibbons.
"We're extremely excited to bring Rick into the Twin Peaks family," said DeWitt. "To execute our growth plans, it's critical for us to attract the right people for the right positions, and Rick's experience and pedigree make his addition to the team a no-brainer... |
April 11, 2011 at 7:15AM PDT | Source: H&R Block |
KANSAS CITY, MO, Apr 08, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- More than 35 million taxpayers wait until the last minute to file their tax returns. But a potential federal government shutdown won't give these last-minute filers a reprieve. The tax filing deadline of Monday, April 18 remains firm for e-filed and mailed tax returns.
If the federal budget isn't approved and a government shutdown begins at midnight, Friday, April 8, taxpayers who haven't filed, or those waiting for their tax refunds, should know these key points:
1. E-filers: Taxpayers who e-file their returns and request direct deposit will not experience a refund delay. This includes do-it-yourself filers who prepared and submitted their own returns.
2... |
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