New Year, New Us: Look for a new and improved Franchising.com in ’08

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.

Regular visitors have come to expect concise, useful reporting and insights on all aspects of franchising. We’ll continue to provide that, of course, and look forward to much, much more in the coming months: expanded franchise opportunity listings; franchise buyer advice; profiles of successful operators; and a significant expansion of our industry news coverage that includes financial news, new openings and deals, personnel, M&A action, and more -- all easily accessible and sortable by industry, company, and other useful categories to help you find what you’re looking for quickly. Take a look around. We’re certain you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Our veteran editorial team of Kerry Pipes and Eddy Goldberg will continue to provide franchising.com visitors with a perspective born over several decades of reporting on all facets of business: marketing, sales, management, finance, personnel, technology, real estate, law, and international.

Each has covered franchising for more than a decade, interviewing hundreds of franchisees and franchisors to learn what makes this business model (and the great people in it!) tick. They’ve listened, and learned what matters most to single-unit mom-and-pops, multii-unit/ multi-brand owners with hundreds of units, and the vast majority of franchisees in between.

They’ve also learned plenty from franchisors: emerging concepts preparing to sell their first unit, established brands with thousands of locations, and the growing number of franchisors that offer several brands under one roof.

Pipes, based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, has spent 15 years covering the retail automobile industry as a reporter and editor, as well as the past decade covering franchising. Goldberg, based in Western Massachusetts, has been involved in business publishing ventures for more than 30 years as a journalist, editor, market researcher, publicist, and consultant. You can expect them to deliver solid reporting, high-quality writing, and an informed point of view week after week on the subjects that matter most to you.

Franchising is constantly evolving, expanding, and growing in its economic importance worldwide--and so is our coverage. We plan to remain at the forefront, not only keeping you current on news, developments, and trends, but on what it means to you and your business.

So for now, we wish you a heartfelt Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year from the entire team at Franchise Update Media Group. Please take the time to enjoy this year-end interlude with your family and loved ones. And, as you gear back up for 2008, make the new and improved Franchising.com a part of your development team.