Franchise Articles
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 franchise growth, operations, legal, leadership, marketing, real estate, and technology 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.
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
- 4,155 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
- 36,163 Reads 9 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
- 4,400 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
- 6,141 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
- 6,019 Reads 1,014 Shares
The multi-unit operators highlighted in this issue of have gained both market dominance and respect for their achievements. Wouldn't it be nice to follow in their footsteps? How does one go about doing so? Bookstores are full of how-to books on every aspect of strategic and tactical business building. Yet, ultimately, it mostly comes down to trial and error because the single biggest factor is you and the people around you in your company.
- Darrell Johnson
- 3,848 Reads 23 Shares
I will never forget as we clustered around a single Quotron watching as market prices plunged more than 23 percent on that fateful day back in 1987. I was a rookie analyst in a trust department and distinctly remember the shock and horror that everyone, from newly minted analysts to gray-haired veterans, felt as we watched the seemingly impossible happen right before our eyes. Honestly, having survived one "500-year flood" event, I never imagined I'd still be in the business when another came along.
- Carol Clark
- 3,987 Reads 2 Shares
It was like a gut punch for Charlie Marshall. In less than a year's time, the Spring-Green Lawn Care multi-unit franchisee went from paying $12 per bag for lawn fertilizer to more than $25 per bag. "That will make you look for ways to streamline and cut costs," says Marshall. To add insult to injury, gasoline prices were skyrocketing, making it even more expensive to fire up his seven trucks and dispatch crews to care for his customers' lawns each day.
- Kerry Pipes
- 4,672 Reads 1 Shares
About 20 years ago, Greg Cutchall learned a crucial lesson. An investor group he worked with forced him out of a chain of KFC restaurants in Omaha, units he had operated and helped to build. That fired him up to make things happen for himself.
- John Carroll
- 5,272 Reads 1 Shares
When you have only one location, it's pretty easy to work both in your business as well as on it.
When you have two locations, most often it's still doable--you can manage it. Almost without exception, however, when you get to three or more locations, you'll find yourself stretched way past your limits. You will be so busy working in your business that you won't have any time to work on it, and that's a recipe for disaster. When the disasters start piling up, it's past time to recruit the unit-level managers (ULMs) you need to keep things running smoothly and help you grow your business.
- Mel Kleiman
- 4,395 Reads 22 Shares
Reciprocity Restaurant Group President Lyndon Johnson good-naturedly lets new acquaintances have a little fun with his name. That's because he's fine with his name. "I can think of a lot worse people to share a name with," says Johnson.
- Debbie Selinsky
- 7,534 Reads 251 Shares
"One day I had 1,000 people, the next day I had a hair salon with 5 stylists," says Richard Bielecki, Fantastic Sams regional owner for South Texas and New Mexico.
- Eddy Goldberg
- 4,127 Reads 18 Shares
As a marketing expert for a string of fast food chains, Bill Welter learned his craft under "three wonderful kingmakers" of the franchising world: Ray Kroc, Colonel Harland Sanders, and Dave Thomas. But it wasn't until Welter got inside the four walls of his own restaurant that he understood the true nature of the business and the keys to its success.
- John Carroll
- 6,950 Reads 1 Shares
In his earlier life as a CPA for a pharmaceutical company, Gary Vega traveled the world extensively. Spending so much time on the company's dime allowed him to stash away his own income until the right opportunity arrived to start his own restaurant business.
- John Carroll
- 6,671 Reads
For many of us this past year has been a giant proclamation of change. The franchise industry experienced some of the largest mergers and personnel changes in recent memory. This change comes as little surprise for many of us as the economic situation, and the unsettled feelings in the political world, leave us with little option but to adapt to this new marketplace and innovative new ideas.
Historically, times like these are often followed by great innovation, new businesses being formed, and a new era of technological advancement. Just as the 1980-1982 recession gave birth to the home computer market, the 1990-1991 recession gave birth to the innovation of the world wide web, the 2008 recession will bring forth a whole new wave of business. It is in our darkest hour that we have the most potential to do something remarkable. That being said we can expect 2009 to be a year for change and innovation. Before we look to the future, let's recap several key developments in the franchise industry.
- Benjamin Foley
- 2,071 Reads
What does one of the most successful Subway multi-unit operators, and now multi-unit operator and area developer for LA Sunset Tan, do for his next trick? Make a horror movie, of course.
- Kerry Pipes
- 9,160 Reads 1 Shares
Customer loyalty is never more important than in turbulent times. High levels of customer satisfaction are a must to win customer loyalty. That's one reason measuring customer satisfaction is a great idea--if the numbers are real! Unfortunately, many customer satisfaction scores are unreliable.
- Jack Mackey
- 5,605 Reads 1,014 Shares
In these tight economic times, many multi-unit franchisees and area developers are focusing less on continuing the remarkable unit growth they've enjoyed for the past five years, and more on improving performance at their existing units. As consumer spending drops, savvy franchisees see increased royalty streams as a more attractive prospect than spending long hours with struggling franchisees, or worse, shuttering failing ones as the U.S. economy continues to sputter.
- Eddy Goldberg
- 5,521 Reads 218 Shares
When your grandfather is one of the co-founders of a successful franchise concept and system, it might seem natural for subsequent generations to be involved. But that wasn't always the case for Justin and Sally Haddock.
"My grandfather, Jack Fulk, along with Richard Thomas, co-founded Bojangles'," says Justin. "My mother and father followed suit and they have been franchisees since 1980." In fact, his folks still operate 39 Bojangles' locations today.
- Kerry Pipes
- 3,329 Reads
You have several units--maybe even several brands--and you do a pretty good job of controlling your area. In fact, other franchisees in the chain often look to you for answers. And when the franchisor introduces a new product or advertising campaign your voice mail and e-mail overflow with peer requests for advice. You're a hot property for the suppliers, the franchisor, and your franchisee association or advisory council. Your franchisor spends more time with other franchisees because they see you don't need their help. You have dozens, even hundreds of employees and your share of G&A expenses. Your banker and the institutional lenders love you (for the time being), and you have more opportunities than you can evaluate.
- Bill Hall
- 3,359 Reads
As a potential seller seeking a liquidity event, will the current credit markets prevent me from finding a buyer/investor at an acceptable valuation multiple? Are potential buyers/investors unwilling to pursue transactions in the present financing and economic environment?
- Dean Zuccarello
- 4,114 Reads 8 Shares
In our previous column, we covered the first two elements of security and loss prevention when setting up a new business: site selection and employee screening. This issue we look at alarm systems.
- Rollie Trayte with Gary Widman
- 4,506 Reads 35 Shares
Anil Yadav knows what it's like to work his way to the top of the food chain. In 1984, he was a fry cook at a California Jack in the Box, a part-time job intended to help pay his expenses while attending college. Within 18 months he was manager, and after five years had bought his own restaurant. He never quite finished that engineering degree, but today he owns and operates 78 Jack in the Box locations, along with 16 Denny's restaurants.
- John Carroll
- 10,704 Reads 1 Shares
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.
- Kerry Pipes
- 3,437 Reads 11 Shares
"Franchising works by combining the drive and energy of the entrepreneur with the experience and expertise of the franchisor." This wonderfully concise description of franchising comes courtesy of a franchisor from Down Under: Jesters Franchising, purveyor of Jesters Jaffle Pies (all-natural meat, vegetable, and fruit pies) with 50 units in New Zealand and Australia.
- Eddy Goldberg
- 64,769 Reads 3 Shares
This article from 2008 could almost be written today. Learn how the more things change, the more they stay the same (except for Covid, of course).
- Eddy Goldberg
- 5,136 Reads 14 Shares
More and more multiunit operators are recognizing that customer experience management delivers the organic growth that drives:
- Jack Mackey
- 5,212 Reads 1,023 Shares
Too often, franchise owners lack the cash flow needed to act fast enough to capitalize on an opportunity. As a result, franchisees are forced to sit back and watch others take advantage of the situation.
- Thomas Epstein
- 4,026 Reads 5 Shares
David Ostrowe is a man on a mission--or 20. First, he says he's really working hard to be a great dad. "It's important to me to be the 'Jolly Green Giant' to my daughter, so I'm really working at it," he says.
- Debbie Selinsky
- 12,131 Reads 153 Shares
Salt Lake City businessman Paul Hitzelberger was one of the owners of Del Taco for about 16 years. He'd also been a senior officer with General Mills and other large companies before retiring from Del Taco corporate in 2001.
- Debbie Selinsky
- 7,109 Reads 204 Shares
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