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Last year, while many Canadians and Americans alike were considering a summer vacation to experience all that Canada's Atlantic Coast has to offer, legislators in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, two of Canada's maritime provinces, were setting their minds to franchising.
  • Lawrence Weinberg and Jayne Westlake
  • 5,926 Reads 5 Shares
Most people are not naturally suited to be wise investors. While traditional economic theory advocates making decisions in a calm, collected, and rational way, and only after carefully evaluating all viable alternatives (homo economicus) the day-to-day reality is usually much different.
  • Carol Clark
  • 3,116 Reads 3 Shares
In the $150 billion worldwide hair-care industry, Regis Corp. rules the roost. Regis has 55,000 corporate and 33,000 franchise employees in its more than 11,000 salons worldwide. Company brands in North America include Regis Salons, MasterCuts, Trade Secret, Supercuts, and Cost Cutters. (The company has about 60 brands gloally.) Regis owns a four percent domestic and two percent worldwide market share and predicts $2.4 billion in revenue in fiscal 2006.
  • 18,197 Reads 3,290 Shares
UPS Capital Business Credit, the financing arm of UPS, recently announced it is adding franchise finance capabilities to its portfolio of small business offering.
  • Joan Szabo
  • 3,625 Reads 15 Shares
They may not be the most visible, or even among the highest-paid executives in the company. But in the daily trenches of running a franchise system, chief operating officers, or COOs, are the go-to people for other executives, staff, and franchisees. Most come in early and stay late, taking only brief vacations and then doing so with cell phone in hand.
  • Debbie Selinsky
  • 6,582 Reads 1 Shares
Financing small-business growth is now moving into the field of franchising. Minneapolis-based Winmark Corp. is branching out from its portfolio of more than 800 franchised retail stores in the U.S. and Canada to a new brand allowing its franchisees to lease business equipment to small-business owners.
  • Joan Szabo
  • 4,714 Reads 1 Shares
In some parts of the country, Papa Murphy's is still unknown. The typical reaction, according to Senior Vice President of Development Kevin King is, "You've got a thousand stores?"
  • 11,759 Reads 1,015 Shares
No one can question the mammoth success that eBay has experienced over the past decade. It's the virtual place where one person's junk becomes another's treasure. Consider this: In 2003, nearly $24 billion worth of merchandise changed hands through eBay. That's more than $65 million in sales every day. In fact, it's estimated that eBay provides a marketing platform for more than half a million Internet entrepreneurs.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 2,317 Reads 3 Shares
One-third of the nation's population is "minority" (U.S. Census), but only about 10 percent of franchises are minority-owned (National Minority Franchise Initiative). Or, to look at it another way, 90 percent of franchises are not minority-owned.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 5,672 Reads 25 Shares
Panera, phenomenally successful today, had an uncertain start. In 1993, Boston-based Au Bon Pain acquired the Saint Louis Bread Company and its 20 stores. From 1993 to 1997, the company "re-staged" the Saint Louis brand, increasing unit volumes by 75 percent. Somewhere en route, with visions of national expansion dancing in their heads, managment changed the concept's name to Panera Bread.
  • 4,500 Reads 26 Shares
If someone had told Heidi Morrissey 20 years ago that she'd wind up as heir apparent to the family business, Kitchen Tune-Up, she would have probably rolled her eyes in that way that only a teenager can. And if her four siblings had dared to suggest that she, of them all, was most like their master-salesman father, she'd have repeated the eye roll and added an indignant snort.
  • Debbie Selinsky
  • 3,913 Reads 10 Shares
Doner Shack
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Doner Shack
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Doner Shack
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MaggieMoo's began in 1989 in Kansas City but didn't start franchising until 1996, when the company was purchased by its current ownership. Since then it's been steadily uphill for both franchisor and ice cream lovers alike. Today the brand has 190 units and continues its rapid expansion.
  • 4,681 Reads 135 Shares
On January 25, 2006, an amendment ("Amendment") to the Mexican Industrial Property Law ("IPL") was published in the Federal Official Gazette. The Amendment was published after a long discussion initiated by Congress in early 2005, and became effective on January 26, 2006. The Amendment's final provisions were the result of a very effective lobbying campaign by major players in the franchising sector and, fortunately for the industry, Congress eliminated many of the overly restrictive aspects of the initial bill that could have unnecessarily hampered the industry. In the end, Congress' objective of providing more protection to franchisees was well balanced with the legitimate rights of franchisors. For example, certain ultra-protectionist provisions for franchisees originally contained in the bill, such as certain rights of first refusal in franchisees' favor and the right to request cancellation of registration of franchisor's trademarks in certain cases, were not incorporated into the Amendment.
  • Alberto de la Peña
  • 4,317 Reads
"A hot dog at the ball park is better than steak at the Ritz." That's what Humphrey Bogart, American icon, said way back when. Today, the once-lowly hot dog has become an icon of its own, especially at sporting events around the world.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 5,505 Reads
Belgium's new franchise law (the "Law"), which was the subject of several legislative delays during 2005, has now been formally adopted. Originally, the Law was set to go into effect as of September 1, 2005; however, on January 23, 2006, a Decree published in the Belgian Official Gazette notified the public that the Law had been amended to establish an initial effective date of February 1, 2006.
  • Ryan Whitfill
  • 5,275 Reads 127 Shares
National franchise operations have marketed in the same ways for years and years. That is, the national budgets were applied to brand building and the local franchisees were charged with creating local lead flow.
  • John Federman
  • 3,090 Reads 6 Shares
Wouldn't it be great if you could call a home repair service, book an appointment, and be guaranteed they'd show up on time (and not within a four-hour window!), be courteous and respectful, and perform a reliable, professional job?
  • 3,387 Reads 11 Shares
Time for my annual "just got back from the IFA Convention" column. I saw lots of my lawyer friends while there-also met a lot of suppliers, franchise consultants, academicians, journalists, and franchisees. Occasionally, I even came a cross a franchisor. Didn't see too many psychologists, however. Why not?
  • Rupert M. Barkoff
  • 5,856 Reads 1 Shares
The legend is familiar: In 1950, Bill Rosenberg opens the first Dunkin' Donuts store in Quincy, Mass. In 1955, he licenses the first franchise. In 1960, his dream of franchisors and franchisees working together is realized in the founding of the International Franchise Association. In the coming years he would become involved in philanthropy and be called the "father of franchising as we know it today" by Nation's Restaurant News
  • 28,886 Reads 1 Shares
Starbucks may have blown the coffee market wide open to mass consumption, but its competitors are quickly redefining how coffee is served-especially the speed at which it's delivered.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 8,833 Reads 4 Shares
Unfortunately for those who take on the job of growing a franchise business, financial risk is always present. If you are like other franchisors who want to minimize risk and boost profits, you may want to take a serious look at using a more extensive corporate-ownership program than you now have in place.
  • 5,224 Reads 24 Shares
Dogtopia
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Dogtopia
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Dogtopia
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Fourth in the overall rankings on the this year's AD50 list is 1-800-Got-Junk? All of its franchisees are multi-unit owners (or potentially), says CEO Brian Scudamore. "It's a pretty simple strategy," he says. "Find the right people, and once they've been successful with one franchise, then offer another."
  • 4,052 Reads 48 Shares
Franchising could be described as the process of taking one success story and translating and multiplying it into many. Whether through genius or pure luck (usually a combination of both) someone created something that worked once. Naturally, the entrepreneurial thought is; if it worked once it can work again, and again, and again. There begins the seed of the franchising journey that can ultimately lead to great success or unfortunately sometimes great failure. The path to either ending is sometimes determined by the first step taken.
  • Jeffrey Davis
  • 11,202 Reads 307 Shares
Multi-unit franchising continues to expand in 2006. And the "Area Developer 50" continues to track the industry's transition from its early decades of single-unit owners to today's multi-unit owners and area developers. 2006 marks the third year of what might be called "The Shift": more franchising units controlled by multiple unit franchisees than by single-unit owners, according to statistics compiled by FRANdata, which puts the number at 52 percent.
  • 2,898 Reads 11 Shares
In the world of ice cream retailing, many believe that mix-ins and premium ice cream originated in 1973 when Steve Herrell opened the now-legendary Steve’s in Somerville, Massachusetts. Today’s brands make those days seem almost quaint, like Henry Ford’s Model T in a world of 200-mph Ferraris.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 2,418 Reads 17 Shares
When doing business in Mexico, it is essential to establish relationships with associates who are well connected. This requires checking their backgrounds and reputations to determine the depth and breadth of their personal and professional networks. Joining local social clubs and business organizations, participating in the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico, and visiting the nearest U.S. consulate and the Commercial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy are useful ways to obtain such information. Cultivating personal relationships with your Mexican banker and local executives of your joint venture partnership also provides access to this kind of business intelligence.
  • Richard Hill
  • 3,291 Reads 5 Shares
Americans love to have fun--and despite their bulging waistlines, they also like to keep fit--or spend money trying! Between these two trends there's a lot of room for franchise growth--whether for seniors, juniors, or in-betweens!
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 2,628 Reads 9 Shares
In 1963, women's advocate Betty Friedan wrote in her book, The Feminine Mystique, that women were preparing to break new barriers. Friedan lived to see her prophecies come true before her death earlier this year. And nowhere are the broken barriers more apparent than in multi-unit franchising.
  • Linda C. Ray
  • 4,092 Reads 1 Shares
There is no better way to appreciate the popularity and economic buoyancy of franchising south of the border than to have witnessed the phenomenon of the 29th International Franchise Fair, held from March 8 to 10 at Mexico City's World Trade Center. This three-day event rivals franchise trade expos in any other part of the globe. The event receives almost unprecedented press and TV media attention and typically delivers a high-profile exposure of both Mexican and non-Mexican franchise brands.
  • Charles Weeks
  • 3,749 Reads 11 Shares
Franchising can provide an opportunity for you to clean up. Whether it's inside your home or the clothes on your body, there are many choices. Busy Americans are driving explosive growth in the cleaning industry. With little time of their own to clean, U.S. consumers are spending more than $9 billion a year on residential cleaning-a figure expected to grow at a rate of more than 20 percent a year.
  • 2,526 Reads
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