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What was happening in the franchisor community? The Italian legislature had proposed that no franchisor be allowed to offer franchises in Italy unless it had a history of operating at least two units in the country before it began franchising. Ultimately, Italy adopted a more flexible experience standard. Then China adopted a two-unit, one year of experience standard as a precondition for franchising there in its 2004 Franchise Measures.
  • Carl E. Zwisler
  • 10,837 Reads 3 Shares
Out of the American West came a term that has changed meaning from its use by the vaqueros herding cattle 100 years ago, to that of today's slick marketers of products and services. That word (or buzzword) is branding. In a world of instant communication, in which images whirl by us daily through multiple media, branding is crucial to success for both individuals and corporations.
  • Carren Bersch
  • 3,244 Reads 5 Shares
Franchise companies can grow fast. But profitability is more elusive. Franchisors on a fast growth curve have long believed that it is a tradeoff against being profitable. They assume that once they hit that magic unit number certain economies of scale will kick in and guarantee profitability both corporately and within their franchise network.
  • 3,635 Reads 3 Shares
During the last few years, franchising has experienced an impressive growth in Spain, from 634 franchise systems in 2002 to almost 900 in January 2006, with over 54,000 franchised outlets now open. Accordingly, having access to accurate and relevant information regarding franchisors is very important for a growing number of prospective franchisees, consumers and future franchisors.
  • Laura Montoya Teran
  • 7,598 Reads 290 Shares
The Wall Street Journal has reported that 70 percent or more of the value of a brand is now based on intangibles. Shareholder value that used to be calculated on brick and mortar is increasingly driven by customer count, market share, prospects for growth, and reputation.
  • Jack Mackey
  • 2,886 Reads
Retail is huge. Franchising is huge. And, of course, holiday shopping is huge. Add all that up, and opportunities for retail franchises are tremendous--especially in the last four to six weeks of the year.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 2,475 Reads 1,014 Shares
Satisfying your customers is a misguided effort. Creating loyal customers should be your only goal. Loyal customers spread positive word of mouth for you: they come back frequently and they spend more on each visit. Plus, they're more likely to resist offers from your competition and they're usually easier to serve.
  • Jack Mackey
  • 3,782 Reads 13 Shares
When communicating with Spaniards face-to-face or by telephone and e-mail, it is important to show a great deal of sensitivity to the other person's feelings. Tact, diplomacy, cordiality, and warm graciousness are basic elements of social and business interactions in Spain. In fact by U.S. standards, the distinction between social and business communications is often blurred. The priority is not merely "face-saving," but positive "face-building" that results in good personal relationships. Therefore, criticism or negative feedback, however true or justified, should be avoided until a strong bond of mutual trust and confidence has been formed.
  • Gary M. Wederspahn
  • 5,287 Reads 8 Shares
Computer technology seems to follow a fairly regular path: first, it automates operations, gaining some time and savings for large operations. Then it becomes cheaper, widespread, and more capable of handling routine tasks. Then it begins to change business functions themselves by enabling tasks that could never be performed before.
  • Ripley Hotch
  • 3,612 Reads 1,014 Shares
I have written often on the subject of the complexity of franchise agreements, and the clear trend over the past four decades to make them even longer and more complex. Why has this trend developed?
  • Rupert M. Barkoff
  • 4,638 Reads 24 Shares
Franchise companies and area developers can grow rapidly while still making a profit, but the importance of proper site selection is a key factor for success.
  • Jeremy Behar
  • 3,098 Reads
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When Philip Nye came to the United States from Colombia 18 years ago, he carried a visa, spoke English, and had the necessary resources to buy his Sir Speedy franchise in Raleigh, N.C.
  • Linda C. Ray
  • 3,370 Reads 2 Shares
Care-giving for baby-boomers is a rapidly growing concern and quickly escalating need in this country. In the next two decades, there will be more than 70 million people over the age of 65. Furthermore, the average life expectancy has increased 15 years since the 1930's. Nearly one out of every four U.S. households provides care to a relative or friend aged 50 or older and about 15 percent of adults care for a seriously ill or disabled family member. In hard numbers, about 13 million people are spouses or adult children of disabled older people and have the potential responsibility for their care.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 5,935 Reads 535 Shares
Statistical information speaks volumes. Take the 2002 U.S. Census. It points out that the composition of the U.S. population will continue to change quickly, with minorities projected to become the majority by 2050. There is also rapid growth taking place in the number of minority-owned businesses. Their numbers exceed 4.1 million; they generate 4.8 million jobs and almost $700 billion in gross receipts.
  • Joan Szabo
  • 7,621 Reads 186 Shares
Franchise concepts continue to proliferate�"an important sign that the industry is healthy and poised for more growth.
  • Joan Szabo
  • 3,794 Reads
When Mike Willett was looking for creative ways to finance the growth of his franchise plans in the Houston area, he looked no further than his existing retirement plan. With a program known as a BORSA (Business Owner's Retirement Savings Account) Plan, he recently tapped his 401(k) holdings to launch the regional development of Synergy HomeCare. The BORSA program is structured so that retirement funds can be used for business development without distributions, taxes, penalties, or loans.
  • Joan Szabo
  • 4,789 Reads 82 Shares
According to most mavens (experts), bagels arrived in the U.S. in the 1880s, along with the wave of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe and Germany who settled in New York City. While bagels were swallowed up by most New Yorkers, they remained mostly a local phenomenon until the late 1920s. That's when Harry Lender, a Polish baker, set up his bagel factory in New Haven, Conn., putting bagels in supermarkets and introducing frozen bagels.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 6,201 Reads 1 Shares
Most small businesses, including franchises, are usually so busy concentrating on running their businesses that they don't realize the toll it is taking on their technology and environment. With limited staff and hours in the day, these businesses tend to grow organically without a specific design or technology plan. Yet these play an important role in how productive a business can be.
  • Jack Hamlett
  • 3,317 Reads 1 Shares
National marketing efforts on behalf of franchisees have always been one of the benefits of operating within a franchise system. Generally, you sign on, open a store, and you get brand support and marketing from the franchise system. That’s a great advantage, but some multi-unit operators like to take matters a step further... or even several steps further by taking local marketing into their own hands. There are many unique and creative ways for multi-unit operators to approach local marketing. Done right, it’s much more creative and involved than direct mail or coupons, and the results can be taken to the bank. Here are a few twists and tips we uncovered.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 3,592 Reads 12 Shares
Contrary to what the financial media would have us believe, a financial fortune is not made—or retained—by exploiting hot stock tips or by jumping from fund to fund based on the latest "Top 10" list. In fact, selection of individual securities doesn't even make the short list of the top few most important portfolio decisions you will make.
  • Carol Clark
  • 3,555 Reads 6 Shares
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
  • 6,012 Reads 5 Shares
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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
  • 3,196 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.
  • 18,352 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
  • 3,702 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
  • 6,725 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
  • 4,822 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?"
  • 11,876 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
  • 2,362 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
  • 5,820 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.
  • 4,651 Reads 26 Shares
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