Franchise Industry Media Coverage

February 09, 2012 // Franchising.com // The Metropolitan Lawn and Garden Show brings homeowners, business professionals and home improvement specialist all to one place to view this season's trendy new home products. This year's show, held at The American Royal Center February 10th through 12th, is packed with information, exhibits and speakers that will bring innovative concepts to every outdoor project. The event is drawing special attention to outdoor living areas and gardens. Along with one of the San Francisco Bay area's most sought-after landscape designers, Ahmed Hassan, the show will incorporate a 6,000 sq ft water garden feature.
Water Gardens are the latest trend in outdoor living. After they are completed showcasing the natural beauty of the features can be enhanced with a customized outdoor lighting system...

Preschool franchises invite families to discover how playful learning builds skills to help prevent bullying.
King of Prussia, PA (PRWEB) February 09, 2012 - For the second year, Goddard Schools® throughout the country are taking a proactive approach to bully prevention by offering a week-long celebration beginning that places key focus on its FLEXTM Learning Program, a curriculum focused on play-based learning, as well as friendship. The weeklong learning activities will also focus on teaching children about playing well with others and accepting each other's differences.
“Bullying happens every day—even right here in our own community. According to Stompoutbullying.org, one out of every four children is bullied...

San Clemente, CA, February 09, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Play N Trade Franchise Inc., a franchisor of video game retail stores, is excited to host an international Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 tournament at Play N Trade stores in the U.S. and Canada. Participates will be competing for over $25,000 in prizes.
Players will compete in local rounds starting February 18th at participating Play N Trade stores which lead up to regional and international rounds beginning February 25th.
The 1st Place Grand Prize package includes a 2012 Jeep Patriot, a trip to Oklahoma Invasion VII, an Airsoft event, and a Kastway Airsoft prize pack. The 2nd place winner wins a trip to Oklahoma Invasion VII, an Airsoft event, and a Kastway Airsoft prize pack. This allows both finalists to be eligible for the Oklahoma Invasion VII live event! Each of the final four winners will receive an ultimate gamer accessory pack by Subsonic...

Snap Fitness introduces $10,000 lose weight challenge, Offers motivation, support and prizes during eight-week competition.
CHANHASSEN, MN, February 09, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Every year, millions of Americans start a New Year's resolution with a goal to maintain or lose weight, eat healthier and work out more. Unfortunately, these are often left out in the cold by February.
Looking to keep those daunting promises on track, Snap Fitness, the world's leading franchisor of 24/7 express fitness centers, is looking to help people turn their resolutions into permanent lifestyle changes with its eight-week, $10,000 Lose Weight, Feel Great Challenge.
"Making resolutions is easy. Keeping them is the hard part," said Peter Taunton, Founder and CEO of Snap Fitness...

The metropolitan Chicago real estate market enjoyed a solid six months of home sales activity during the last half of 2011, according to an analysis of home-sales data by RE/MAX.
Chicago, IL, February 08, 2012 --(PR.com)-- The metropolitan Chicago real estate market enjoyed a solid six months of home sales activity during the last half of 2011, recovering from a lackluster performance during the January-June period to achieve a small increase in transactions for the year, according to an analysis of home-sales data by RE/MAX. A total of 70,137 detached and attached homes changed hands in the seven-county metro area last year, 1.2 percent more than in 2010.
Sales during the July-December period of 2011 were 13.2 percent higher in the metro area than during the first six months of the year...

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL--(Marketwire - Feb 8, 2012) - February may be Heart Health Month, but at Orangetheory Fitness, it's all about the heart 365 days a year.
This one-of-a-kind, group personal training interval workout is the first national fitness concept to leverage heart rate monitors for scientifically proven results. Each 60-minute Orangetheory Fitness (www.orangetheoryfitness.com) session is broken into intervals of cardiovascular and strength training. The difference is that each participant wears a heart rate monitor to track intensity, for maximum metabolic increase and calorie burn.
"Science proves that 12 to 20 minutes exercising in the specific zone of 84 to 92 percent of your maximum heart rate -- or what we call the Orange Zone -- produces a tremendous metabolic increase and calorie burn for up to 36 hours after your workout," said Chan Gannaway, Fitness Director at Orangetheory Fitness...

Owner of 24 Iowa Restaurants Embraces the Entrepreneurial Spirit
MILFORD, Conn., Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bob Thomson, a SUBWAY® franchisee with twenty-four restaurants in Iowa, will soon be celebrating his 86th birthday, and twenty-two years with the SUBWAY® chain.
At an age when most would consider retirement, Bob Thomson left his job running variety stores across Iowa to take on a bigger franchise- the SUBWAY® sandwich chain giant.
"The first Subway I saw was in Hawaii. I went in, grabbed a sandwich, and was immediately sold on the program. I knew I wanted to become a franchisee for this company that I knew would grow in the years to follow," said Bob, who has an office in Charles City with his business partner, George Slattery...

Franchise Continues to Support Veterans Seeking Employment
LOUISVILLE, KY--(Marketwire - Feb 7, 2012) - FranNet, an international network of franchise consultants, is donating money to the Wounded Warrior Project™ (WWP), a national nonprofit with a mission to honor and empower wounded warriors.
Several of FranNet's 100 franchise consultants are veterans themselves, and FranNet has been searching for the best way to help veterans of the war in Afghanistan and the just-concluded war in Iraq, said Jania Bailey, FranNet's president and chief operating officer.
"This is our way of recognizing their service to our country and the need for them to be brought back into society. We want to support that any way we can. It's something our group wholeheartedly embraced as the right thing to do," Bailey said...

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Feb. 7, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- Like many life events, beginning a married life brings many exciting changes. Perhaps not as exciting, but equally important, is your new tax filing status. For couples who tied the knot in 2011, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service® offers newlyweds several important tips on how to get the most out of their new tax filing status.
"Newlyweds and married taxpayers can choose to file jointly or separately based on their individual situation, but keep in mind that this filing status can change each year," said Mark Steber, chief tax officer, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. "Generally, using the 'married filing jointly' status provides the lowest tax liability and the highest standard deduction...

Time does not stand still and neither should your business. Keeping your company up to date is vital for its continued success.
OMAHA, Neb., Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Maids, a leading franchised residential cleaning service, stands apart from other companies because of its exclusive 22-Step Healthy Touch ® Deep Cleaning System. More than 150 franchise partners use environmentally preferable cleaning products, a methodical cleaning approach and state-of-the-art equipment to provide customers with consistent, quality service.
Experts from The Maids offer these five strategies to help your business move forward in 2012.
Technology – You don't have to understand everything about evolving technology; you just need to know how to use it to your advantage...

On February 17th at 11 am PST, Drs. Marc Gillinov and Steven Nissen, renowned Cleveland Clinic heart experts and authors of “Heart 411-The Only Guide to Heart Health You’ll Ever Need,” will discuss their new book.
Palo Alto, CA (PRWEB) February 06, 2012 - Home Care Assistance, North America’s leading provider of in-home care for seniors, is hosting a free webinar in honor of Heart Month, which spans the month of February. The webinar will be held on February 17th from 11:00 AM PST – 12:00 PM PST and will feature renowned heart experts Drs. Marc Gillinov and Steven Nissen. Drs. Nissen and Gillinov are authors of the new book "Heart 411-The Only Guide to Heart Health You'll Ever Need." The book has been described as the definitive guide to heart health from two of America's most respected doctors at the Cleveland Clinic, the leading hospital for heart health in America...

Innovative technology opens the door to home improvement industry for entrepreneurs.
SACRAMENTO, CA, February 05, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The easiest and most affordable solution to significantly improving a home's value literally stares U.S. homeowners in the face every day - door replacement. HomeStory, a new franchise concept backed by industry veterans, has keyed in on an untapped niche by providing entrepreneurs with industry-changing technology that allows new doors to be replaced within minutes and homes to be transformed in a few hours.
HomeStory's proprietary technology generates custom replacement doors by taking precise digital measurements and capturing the geometry of the existing doorframe. It eliminates the need for time-consuming manual techniques, turning what is traditionally a three day job into three hours...

Leading wholesale flooring and carpet experts certify industry professionals in flooring installation at ProSource.
Chicago, Illinois (PRWEB) February 05, 2012 - ProSource Wholesale Floorcoverings, a leader in wholesale flooring and carpet, held another Installer Day and CFI Certification at the 2012 Installer Day event in Elk Grove Village, Illinois on January 6th and 7th. The two day event took place with over 200 attendees learning from experts in Air Step Vinyl, Jet-Trac, as well as other advanced flooring systems becoming more popular in the flooring industry. This certification has become a staple giving professionals the ability to advance their knowledge and provide customers with guaranteed satisfaction of quality and workmanship...

Math Only Learning Center Invites All to Experience Its Unique Approach to Making Math Make Sense to Kids
Syosset, NY, February 05, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Mathnasium of Syosset-Jericho is hosting open houses on Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12 to introduce its services to the community, and show area residents they can “count” on Mathnasium to forge a positive attitude towards math among area students.
The open houses will take place from 2:00 to 5:00 Saturday and Sunday at Mathnasium of Syosset-Jericho, 110 Jackson Ave., Syosset, NY (just south of the Syosset LIRR station).
“This is a chance for parents and children to see how Mathnasium can help boost a student’s math skills and understanding of math concepts,” said Rupi Parmar, Owner/Director of Mathnasium of Syosset-Jericho...

America's ‘Heads' Call in Papa John's ‘Super Bowl XVLI Coin Toss Experience' Results in Free Large Pizza and 2-Liter Pepsi MAX to all Papa Rewards Members
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hey America, are you ready for some free Papa John's pizza — the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL and Super Bowl XVLI? In one of the most anticipated "flips" in history, the coin toss for Super Bowl XVLI landed on "heads" this evening, resulting in a free large one-topping Papa John's pizza and 2-liter Pepsi MAX for the millions of members of Papa John's Papa Rewards customer loyalty program.
Fans who were enrolled in Papa Rewards as of 6 p.m. ET today will receive an email Monday with instructions on how to get their large one-topping pizza and 2-liter Pepsi MAX...

Interstate Batteries® Offers Cold Weather Battery Care Tips
DALLAS (Jan. 11, 2012) — As Old Man Winter begins to grip the nation, Interstate Batteries encourages motorists to protect and care for that part of the vehicle a driver depends on most each day. Cold weather can influence a vehicle engine to put twice as much stress on the battery.
"Basic battery maintenance can prevent freezing and battery damage from severe winter weather," said Gale Kimbrough, Interstate Batteries technical service manager. "Preventative measures — such as keeping vehicles in garages, purchasing a battery heater and choosing the right type of battery for specific regions of the country — are always helpful in conserving your battery's life...

PARSIPPANY, NJ--(Marketwire - Feb 3, 2012) - Century 21 Real Estate LLC, the franchisor of the world's largest real estate sales organization, today unveiled its first ever Super Bowl commercial on century21.com.
CENTURY 21® has also made available three other commercials that will be played in 16 different time-slots throughout the day. These commercials and behind-the-scenes footage are now available on its website, as well as its customized application, "Big Game Ad" for Facebook, and its enhanced YouTube brand channel.
The in-game 30-second commercial will air during the third quarter of Super Bowl XLVI on February 5, 2012. In addition, CENTURY 21 is a broadcast sponsor of the 3:30 - 4:00 p.m. block of the pre-game show on NBC...

Hugh Stiel Brought Chain to the Region
80 More Outlets to Open in Next Three Years
February 03, 2012 // Franchising.com // Milford, Conn. -  SUBWAY(R) Development Agent, Hugh Stiel of Metairie, Louisiana, is celebrating 25 years of entrepreneurial success with the world’s largest restaurant chain during a team meeting this week at the Beau Rivage Resort in Biloxi, Mississippi.
A true pioneer, Stiel opened the SUBWAY(R) chain’s first restaurant in Louisiana in 1986.
“The economy along the Gulf Coast was going through a difficult time, I had just turned 30 and was looking for a career,” says Stiel. “I stopped in a Subway restaurant in Florida and really enjoyed the product. There were franchise opportunities in the New Orleans area and always wanting to be a business owner, I opened the first Subway in Metairie...

THE MAIDS offers 10 tips to tackle post-party cleanup.
OMAHA, Neb., Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- They are excited, they are rowdy and they are hungry. They're coming over to watch the big game, and they're leaving behind stains and crumbs for you to clear away. Keeps your home in working order before and after a game-day party using these simple and effective tips from The Maids. 

Make space for coats in a closet or in a bedroom. Put out an extra rug or two in the entryway in case of wet shoes.
If using paper products, put plenty of trash containers around the house with extra trash bags in the bottom. When you pull out a full trash bag, another bag is then within an arm's reach.
If you have a dishwasher, make sure it is cleaned out before guests arrive so you can stash dirty dishes inside to stay ahead of the game...

Arthur Murray started teaching dance in 1912. This year, the nation's second-oldest franchise organization celebrates 100 years of teaching the world to dance.
Coral Gables, Florida (PRWEB) February 02, 2012 - 2012 marks 100 years since a shy young man named Arthur Murray stepped onto the dance floor and into the history of American pop culture. Known best for the iconic Arthur Murray Dance Studios, Arthur Murray was a brilliant marketer and innovator, starting his dance teaching career in 1912.
“Most people remember Arthur as an older gentleman smiling in grainy dance photo poses from the 1950s, many times accompanied by his wife Kathryn, a television celebrity in her own right. But Arthur was a visionary,” said John Kimmins, President of Arthur Murray International...