http://www.franchising.com/?ref=rss Franchising.com provides detailed informative feature articles, franchising information, opportunities, and valuable resources for franchisees. en-us benjaminf@franchiseupdatemedia.com (Franchising.com) Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:36:35 PST Copyright 2008 Franchise Update Media Group. All rights reserved. http://www.franchising.com/images/franchising_xml.gif http://www.franchising.com/?ref=rss 135 40 http://www.franchising.com/articles/390/ Seventy-year-old Kelly White waited a long time before exploring the world of franchising. In fact, he came out of retirement at age 66 to open his HoneyBaked Ham store in Silverdale, Wash. "Retirement was just too boring for us," says White, referring to himself and his wife Sue. Together they manage the store and a staff of eight part-time and full-time employees. White's hands-on style and love of running the business have served him well. That's probably because he founded and operated his own construction company for 25 years, much of that while concurrently running an apple orchard. http://www.franchising.com/articles/390/?ref=rss Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:00:00 PST http://www.franchising.com/articles/642/ Tough economic times are not only upon us, they're likely to stick around for awhile. While the fundamentals of the U.S. and global economies are struggling as 2008 draws to a close, the election of a new U.S. President could have a powerful positive impact on the current crisis of confidence - and pry loose some of the financing from nervous lenders. http://www.franchising.com/articles/642/?ref=rss Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:00:00 PST http://www.franchising.com/articles/48/ It is a quiet Saturday morning. If you are the average American, the downturn in the economy has started you to think about how it will impact your career and the opportunities for your children as they enter the workforce. Articles about Enron and Tyco and Global Crossing and other corporate scandals abound and some of the most respected brand names internationally are talking about layoffs and bankruptcy. http://www.franchising.com/articles/48/?ref=rss Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:00:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/49/ You are an executive who is being displaced or who is dissatisfied with the way you are being treated by your company. Recently you have been thinking about putting your resume on the street, but more often than not you have found yourself thinking about going into business for yourself. http://www.franchising.com/articles/49/?ref=rss Wed, 01 Oct 2008 08:00:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/388/ It started with a desperate phone call from a distraught daughter at her wit's end. Patricia Maisano was on the receiving end of that call. The woman on the other end of the phone was searching for assistance in caring for her elderly mother. At the time, Maisano was running a health care consulting business in Philadelphia. She was a registered nurse and well-versed in case management. And the phone call had a significant impact on her. http://www.franchising.com/articles/388/?ref=rss Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/386/ When the economy is sagging it forces many people to tighten their financial belts. It's often a time when buying and selling a home becomes much less of an option - consider the recent housing market debacle - and as a result, more people choose to stay where they are and simply do a little minor home improvement or remodeling. http://www.franchising.com/articles/386/?ref=rss Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/385/ There has been a growing trend in the world of franchising to tell candidates more about their earnings potential. Item 19 in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) is the section that provides details on earnings, costs, and other factors likely to affect future financial performance after a candidate signs on to become a franchisee. http://www.franchising.com/articles/385/?ref=rss Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:30:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/383/ In June 2008, heavy rains caused flooding that filled the basement and rose two feet high on the first floor of Columbus Regional Hospital in Columbus, Indiana. The flooding closed the hospital, forcing the evacuation of 157 patients and causing an estimated $125 million in damages. Paul Davis National (PDN) was soon on the scene, part of the team brought in to mitigate the damage and allow the regional health care facility to reopen as quickly as possible. http://www.franchising.com/articles/383/?ref=rss Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/384/ Ask any small business owner in the country how important customer retention and loyalty are and they'll tell you they rank right up top of the list of business priorities. It's no different in franchising. http://www.franchising.com/articles/384/?ref=rss Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:30:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/381/ Beyond the unmistakable impact of the Internet and World Wide Web, advances in technologies used every day by franchisees are continuing to change the face of franchising -- and the way franchisees do business. http://www.franchising.com/articles/381/?ref=rss Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:00:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/382/ Think of it as hoses-to-go. A broken hose can spell disaster for many businesses. A machine breakdown at a job site or factory can cause work to grind to a halt. And sometimes it can take days or weeks until the proper replacement hose can be obtained and the machines repaired. In purely economic terms, a $20 broken hose can bring a $3 million crane to a standstill - not to mention the paid employees who are idly standing by. http://www.franchising.com/articles/382/?ref=rss Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:00:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/596/ For over a quarter of a century, I have been a critic of the United States' franchise sales regulation system. http://www.franchising.com/articles/596/?ref=rss Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:00:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/379/ Running a racquet and health club is a time-consuming business and one that Bruce Forsythe knew quite a bit about. He'd been running one with his partners in Long Island, N.Y. for about 14 years when the team decided to turn one of their former tennis court areas into a second -- and different -- business endeavor. http://www.franchising.com/articles/379/?ref=rss Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/374/ When Lino DeFeo bought a Sign-A-Rama franchise in West Palm Beach, Fla., he didn't know much about signs. That was about 15 years ago. DeFeo had sold his trucking business in Manhattan and moved to Florida with his wife Maria and their two young children to join a family business. But that didn't work out exactly as planned. "I got out before we totally killed each other," he says with a laugh. http://www.franchising.com/articles/374/?ref=rss Tue, 27 May 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/377/ Motherhood is one of the toughest jobs in the world - just ask any mom. It's often thankless, seems endless, and certainly lacks much worldly prestige. Life for mom can be even more challenging if she desires to work outside the home to boot. There are, after all, limited choices beyond the full-time job and requisite daycare for the kids. In a month where we stop for a day (May 11) to recognize all that mom does, it's interesting to note that more and more moms are finding a place at home and in franchising. Moms like Liz Norwood in Denver, Colo. http://www.franchising.com/articles/377/?ref=rss Fri, 09 May 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/376/ Elaine Stroman was making great money. She had spent the better part of two decades working as a mortgage banking consultant helping people buy and renovate brownstones in old New York City neighborhoods such as Harlem. She worked on 100 percent commission and was completely in charge of every penny she earned. http://www.franchising.com/articles/376/?ref=rss Thu, 01 May 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/375/ Mike Ghaida lives in a million-dollar house in a quiet suburb in New Jersey with his wife and three sons, and $300,000 worth of cars in his driveway. It wasn't always this way for the 41-year-old Ghaida, who came to the U.S. from Lebanon at 17 to study English and architecture at LSU. http://www.franchising.com/articles/375/?ref=rss Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:00:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/380/ According to the U.S. Administration on Aging, by 2030 the number of Americans aged 65 and older will more than double to 71 million, that's roughly 20 percent of the U.S. population. In some states, as much as a quarter of the population will be aged 65 and older. http://www.franchising.com/articles/380/?ref=rss Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/373/ Bill Dalton owned eight Grease Monkey franchises in the Seattle metro area. Today he owns one--a five-month-old, state-of-the-art facility in his home of Montgomery, Texas. http://www.franchising.com/articles/373/?ref=rss Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.franchising.com/articles/372/ The former Soviet Union was a frightening frontier for expanding businesses in the early- to mid-1990s. The former communist country was experiencing growing pains as it left behind decades of closed existence and began embracing a new economy built around more of a free market-based environment. And it was just this setting that Jake Weinstock and Paul Kuebler dived into headfirst. http://www.franchising.com/articles/372/?ref=rss Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:00:00 PST http://www.franchising.com/articles/371/ Even 10,000-unit gorillas have an Achilles' heel. For Curves, the number-one women's fitness and weight loss franchise, its own success is now biting it in the ankle. Competitors of all sizes and shapes have sprung up, offering women an ever-increasing array of options for losing weight and staying fit. http://www.franchising.com/articles/371/?ref=rss Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:00:00 PST http://www.franchising.com/articles/362/ Brian Wigutow had always dreamed of operating his own restaurant. But after more than a dozen years in the industry he realized that for him -- and his family, which includes three young daughters -- it was just not going to be the right career choice. That's when he turned to a franchise broker and discovered, to his surprise, one of the franchise matches that best suited him…Handyman Matters. http://www.franchising.com/articles/362/?ref=rss Fri, 25 Jan 2008 10:00:00 PST http://www.franchising.com/articles/344/ Financing is the lifeblood of expansion for franchisors and multiunit owners alike. Whether for advertising and marketing to sell additional franchises, or whether to remodel or build more company stores, without financing there is no growth and development. And, despite the rapid growth of new concepts and new units in the aftermath of the dot.com crash in 2000 and 2001, many forecasts of the economic climate and its effect on business growth in 2008 range from gloomy to dim--especially when it comes to credit and lending. http://www.franchising.com/articles/344/?ref=rss Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:00:00 PST http://www.franchising.com/articles/257/ Season's Greetings! As we all wind down the old year and ring in the new, franchising.com has a New Year's resolution of our own for 2008: to be your premier franchising resource. Not only for the analysis and profiles we've brought you over the years, but also for the timely news and events you need to keep informed of the most current, up-to-the-minute developments in the world of franchising. http://www.franchising.com/articles/257/?ref=rss Wed, 26 Dec 2007 11:00:00 PST http://www.franchising.com/articles/256/ Thereâ€TMs probably not a bigger franchise opportunity in America...literally. Weight loss franchises not only help individuals change their lives, live longer, and more healthfully, but also offer high earning potential for franchisees who are interested in a piece of the $46 billion weight loss franchise industry. http://www.franchising.com/articles/256/?ref=rss Wed, 12 Dec 2007 04:00:00 PST