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Browse our selection of franchise articles and features to help further your knowledge in opening and operating a franchise business. Our exclusive features cover the , , , , , , and site of the franchise business. Written by the editorial team that produces Franchise Update Magazine and Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine, the franchise industries premier magazines.

At some level, there's a growing realization that the current economic "decline" is not just a speed bump. The assumption that a return to the "status quo" is sure to come--that it's merely a matter of time--also appears to be quickly fading. The emerging conclusion: Things typically don't come this unhinged only to revert to what existed before.
  • Carol Clark
  • 3,686 Reads 3 Shares
At the end of January, following the headlines of optimism and encouragement that came with the presidential inauguration, came the harsh reality of job layoffs and plant closings in one company after another across the country. Home Depot announced 7,000 layoffs, Pfizer trimmed 19,000 jobs, and Caterpillar 20,000. In total, nearly 60,000 wage earners became unemployed, and while many enjoyed reasonable severance packages others were most certainly caught unprepared for the income loss that will follow.
  • Rollie Trayte and Gary Widman
  • 4,129 Reads 50 Shares
Business cycles are the norm and while difficult to predict, peaks and valleys in our economy will always occur. However, the speed and magnitude of deterioration in worldwide business conditions and financial markets make the current recession especially severe. As everyone now knows, this is not a normal trough or business cycle; survival and success during these times will require extraordinary actions.
  • Dean Zuccarello
  • 4,140 Reads 1 Shares
It's hard to ignore the negative press about the economy, and it's almost impossible not to cringe at the mention of credit rates and loans. But (and there's always a but) the glass remains half full--or possibly even overflowing--for those lucky enough to be tenants in today's real estate market.
  • Dan Rowe
  • 4,783 Reads 107 Shares
In the 20th century (some of you might remember that more stable and predictable period), multi-unit franchising was not much of a factor. Sure, there were multi-unit operators, but by and large franchisors didn't really put much emphasis on them. Those that did generally focused on growing their own, not wanting to invite franchisees in from other systems, and certainly not wanting to share their own.
  • Darrell Johnson
  • 3,289 Reads 6 Shares
With 324 Subways in Oklahoma and Kansas, Don Rottinghaus knows his brand and his market. Must be time for something new. "I work those areas constantly," he says. He has to. Over the past 20 years, the multi-unit franchisee has built a huge chain of Subway locations in the region. And now he's taking on a new challenge, bringing a taste of Southern California sunshine to the Midwest. Over the next 5 years, Rottinghaus will develop 12 new LA Sunset Tan locations in Oklahoma and 25 in Kansas.
  • John Carroll
  • 8,542 Reads
As a student at Florida State University, the entrepreneurial spirit in Sam Osborne led him to own and operate a small personal training business. One of his clients was David Walker, who was soon to be a co-founder of Tropical Smoothie Café. Things have "worked out" well for both.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 6,414 Reads 212 Shares
Once you've examined yourself and considered the broker question, it's time to take the next step. Now you want to look at the various industries and sectors that are attractive and - hopefully - a good match for your skill set. Making a List make a short list of the kinds of industries you're interested in - food service, senior care, home repair, etc. Review the players, the competition, and any regional strengths and weaknesses for the industries you're considering. Older, more established brands may look safe and solid but could be less flexible to deal with. Likewise, newer brands may be big on innovation, but could be short of cash, or worse, struggling financially. Evaluate your risks carefully.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 15,856 Reads 1 Shares
Looking to expand your multi-unit operation and add some units fast? There's a way you can add locations--and immediate cash flow--quickly, without the long wait and usual headaches associated with building a unit from the ground up. It's called refranchising, and it's hot.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 7,213 Reads 383 Shares
Franchising can offer a great business opportunity, but there are many different kinds of franchising models and business structures, and so many different brands and concepts. How do you know what's right for you? Begin your research by conducting a thorough and honest internal audit of yourself. Look at how you like to operate. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses. Review the things that make you tick, and the things that tick you off. Do you like to be in charge and calling the shots, or do you like to delegate? Do you like to be behind a counter or desk all day, or do you prefer being out in the field working one on one with customers and potential customers? This is just the tip of the iceberg for the kinds of questions you should be asking yourself. Give this some serious thought. The worst thing you can do is prematurely choose a franchise concept you will be unhappy working in day after day.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 23,690 Reads 2 Shares
The air conditioner at one of your Phoenix units has failed. The manager calls you and says it's so hot inside the store that customers are turning around and walking out. Your first thought is to call your local A/C repair business for what will most likely be a costly service call.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 4,329 Reads 22 Shares
MSA Worldwide
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We called on our friends at FRANdata to "run the data" to help shed light on this growing trend. For a second year, they've provided us with a list of the top 50 multi-unit, multi-brand franchisees in the country. Restaurant operators continue to dominate, with some of the most popular brands including Burger King, Pizza Hut, Wendy's, Subway, Hardee's, A&W, Taco Bell, and Popeyes.
  • Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine
  • 11,338 Reads 6 Shares
Ella Avery-Smothers may have been a C-level student in high school, but she's far from average. This 63-year-old multi-unit owner, who operates seven Burger Kings in the Los Angeles area, pulled herself out of poverty as a child to become a player in the franchise restaurant industry. And she's just opened two El Pollo Locos, with two more under construction.
  • Amy Zuckerman
  • 6,165 Reads 1,021 Shares
We weren't surprised by our meeting with Art. We had seen it many times before. Art and his son had founded and built a very successful retail business. They had operations across the country which were consistently producing significant year-to-year net cash flow. Art had decided recently that he was ready to sell the Company and that he wanted to get this done right away. However, as we began to visit, it was obvious Art had some roadblocks in his path that would take some time to overcome. He and his son clearly had significant differences about the future which Art was finding at this late date were becoming more and more difficult to resolve.
  • Nicholas K. Niemann, Esq., Andrew Horowitz, CPhD
  • 9,019 Reads 12 Shares
When Jeff Innocenti was a teenager in the Bronx, he and his brother James pretty much lived at the Gold's Gym in nearby Yonkers. "Our mother bought us our first membership and we became gym rats," says Innocenti, now 40. "Working out with weights was pretty much all we did at the time. We may as well have lived there."
  • Amy Zuckerman
  • 13,995 Reads 3 Shares
Looking for deals in today's economy? Look no farther than the franchise agreement--but look carefully (and bring a lawyer). Written by franchisors to protect their brand and their interests, franchise agreements have historically favored franchisors, with little room for negotiation, especially among more established brands. That not only is changing, it already has--the result of fundamental shifts within franchising itself, accelerated by today's economic upheavals.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 4,339 Reads 35 Shares
Over the past several years, we have spoken with business owners around the country who had decided they had reached the point of being ready to leave their businesses. However, no one was stepping up to provide them the exit results they wanted. These owners had spent all of their time aggressively working in their business, but had spent little time aggressively working on how they would eventually exit their business. They found themselves late in the game with few options to achieve their exit objectives. Simply put, they were too late.
  • Andrew D. Horowitz, CPhD, and Nicholas K. Niemann, Esq.
  • 5,097 Reads 1,015 Shares
In my inaugural column as chair of the 2009 Multi-Unit Franchising Conference (right around the corner from April 15-17 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas), I wrote "I think it is important, more than ever, that multi-unit owners like ourselves have the opportunity to hear from others dealing with similar challenges, and to network with them in an open, informal setting. Because as hard as it might have been for some of us last year, the times are even more difficult as we head into 2009."
  • Gary Grace
  • 3,150 Reads
It's no surprise that multi-concept franchising continues to soar. So much so, that for a second consecutive year, we have devoted an issue of Multi-Unit Franchisee to covering it in detail. This high-flying approach to expansion is growing in popularity for a multitude of reasons. As a growth strategy it offers more units, brands, territory, and income--while spreading risk across the different concepts in a franchisee company's portfolio. Multi-concept operators typically have a solid infrastructure in place that, among other things, allows them to hire and retain talented individuals by providing growth paths within the organization. And of course there's the leverage of economies of scale in this type of operation.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 5,521 Reads 1 Shares
First, let's set the record straight on what's going on. This isn't just a credit crunch crisis. It may have been triggered by credit issues, but it is much bigger than that now and won't be solved by governments throwing money at it, although that is a necessary first step. This crisis will get solved when consumer income and debt levels can support a stable level of demand, not just in the U.S., but worldwide.
  • Darrell Johnson
  • 3,126 Reads 3 Shares
Everyone knows what the McDonald's logo looks like and what the "Golden Arches" represent. No matter where you go in the world, if you set foot inside a McDonald's you can order a Big Mac or Quarter Pounder and know exactly what it's going to taste like. Established brand awareness, reliability, and uniformity are part of the power of franchising.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 36,616 Reads 9 Shares
Jersey Mike's Subs
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There may be some lag time, but experts note that every recession since the 1950s--with its rising unemployment and weakened economy--has been tied to an increase in crime, most notably property crimes and robbery.
  • Rollie Trayte and Gary Widman
  • 4,556 Reads 22 Shares
When franchise sellers seek exit strategies, they most often look to strategic buyers, other franchisees, their franchisor, or financial investors such as private equity as potential buyers for their businesses.
  • Dean Zuccarello
  • 3,566 Reads 5 Shares
Franchise Update Media Group (FUMG), the leading industry resource for franchise development, is sponsoring the premier event in multi-unit franchising, the 8th Annual Multi-Unit Franchising Conference, April 15-17, 2009 at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. This is the only conference in the country with an exclusive focus on multi-unit franchising, the fastest-growing sector in the industry, where franchisors can meet and network with successful multi-unit franchisees looking for new opportunities.
  • Press Release
  • 3,247 Reads 1 Shares
Greg Hamer, Sr. grew up working in his father's Louisiana oilfield service business. But in 1982, he began to put time and money into growing a franchise business that has since grown to 50 locations.
  • John Carroll
  • 6,110 Reads 3 Shares
For over a year, the headlines have been rife with dire warnings that seem to indicate the demise of the world as we know it. For example, we learned that in June we experienced the worst percentage decline in the broad market averages since the Great Depression. We also discovered that home prices are declining faster than at any time in recorded history, and that debt levels (personal and governmental) have never been so high--nor have gas prices, even factoring in inflation. Gold is going through the roof and the dollar is falling through the floor. Corn, copper, steel, soybeans, etc. are shattering more records than Michael Phelps. And woe is us: flu season is right around the corner. Could this be the year of the "Great Pandemic"? It's no wonder that consumer confidence has dropped to multi-decade lows, and that stock markets around the world are misbehaving. But what could actually go right as a result of this upheaval?
  • Carol Clark
  • 4,102 Reads 73 Shares
German beer makers are often cited as the originators of franchising. Dating back to 1800s Europe, many beer makers granted pubs and taverns the rights to sell and use their name. In fact, the word "franchise" is a French derivative meaning privilege or freedom.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 35,845 Reads 3 Shares
As you may recall, in my last column I asked if the hiring managers in your organization know the answers to the 15 questions that make all the difference between success and failure in recruiting, selecting, and retaining the best employees. Here now are the answers.
  • Mel Kleiman
  • 4,358 Reads 1,014 Shares
Technology tools have become a mainstay for every multi-unit franchisee, used for planning, budgeting, forecasting, and many other daily activities. Today franchisees are embracing technology for demographic research and site selection.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 6,107 Reads 259 Shares
I have a suggestion that will raise your odds of winning--and it won't cost you any money. To clarify what I mean by improving your probability of winning, let me contrast that with an example of winning by chance.
  • Jack Mackey
  • 5,963 Reads 1,014 Shares
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