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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.

Years ago, the Mayor of New York City became famous for asking the city's residents, "How'm I doing?" Your franchisees' comments and their feedback are some of the best measurements of how your system is doing. There are several third-party businesses that are skilled in interviewing your franchisees to determine their satisfaction level; and I do believe this exercise is helpful. In addition to this service, commit to a steady diet of keeping your ear to the ground, so to speak, by staying tuned in to what your franchisees are saying to candidates during validation. There are times when candidates will not share what they hear, but often they will.
  • Linda Burzynski
  • 4,024 Reads 1 Shares
"The world of franchise development has changed during the last year and will never be the same again," says Art Coley, vice president of global development for AlphaGraphics. "You can't just put up an ad, throw money at the portals, and sit back and wait for the leads to come in anymore." That's exactly why he has spent most of the last three years at AlphaGraphics assembling, training, inspiring, and leading his new sales development team toward system growth.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 9,046 Reads
What a difference a year makes! This year's Franchise Update Leadership & Development Conference was a welcome breath of fresh air. After all, it was just one September before that the financial and economic walls came tumbling down amid financial institution shakeouts, government bailouts, and an unending barrage of negative economic news chronicling this country's worst recession in decades. If you had been listening in or observing at this year's conference you wouldn't have known any of those catastrophic events had even happened. Optimism was in the air.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 5,875 Reads
Ready for 2010? Who isn't? The recession, lack of available funding, and shaky consumer confidence hit hard around the globe this year--and franchising was no exception. You don't need me to point out that is has been a tough year, but enough of that.
  • Linda Burzynski
  • 3,533 Reads
Franchise Update Media Group (FUMG), the leading industry resource for franchise development, today announced that it is now offering executive recruitment services. The company's first client is a major franchisor looking for a new president, in an exclusive, confidential search.
  • PRESS RELEASE
  • 3,800 Reads 7 Shares
The Human Genome project, a rapidly developing area of genetics, is the subject of much conversation today. In classical genetics, the genome of an organism is a complete genetic sequence on one set of chromosomes. The ability to understand these building blocks of life will lead to medical breakthroughs that will transform our lives in the future. Metaphorically speaking, a "Franchise Genome" could be viewed as a manifestation of how a franchisor's DNA can be sequenced, understood, and passed along to franchisees.
  • Marvin Storm
  • 4,609 Reads 1,023 Shares
First Watch Restaurants Inc., a daytime-only restaurant group based in Bradenton, Fla., has begun franchising. Founded in 1983, the chain has about 80 restaurants open with expectations for 110 by 2012. The restaurants are open 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and store sales average about $1.2 million. Same-store sales were expected to be up 3 to 5 percent in 2009 and total sales up about $2 million to $85 million (the company reports 25 consecutive years of same-store growth). First Watch is looking for franchisees to develop areas near its existing markets, including Kansas City, St. Louis, Cincinnati-Dayton, and Orlando-Tampa.
  • Franchise Update
  • 3,956 Reads 13 Shares
Will local marketers continue to spend money on "traditional media" (print, radio, TV) in 2010, or turn increasingly to online channels including social media? Will "old-fashioned" direct mail make a comeback, or will local marketers turn to mobile advertising using smart phone technology?
  • Franchise Update
  • 3,199 Reads 5 Shares
Franchise shows have experienced an exciting rebirth during the past few years. The annual International Franchise Expo in Washington, D.C., as well as regional shows in the U.S. and international expos, have provided a valuable recruiting venue for generating qualified buyers. But not everybody is jumping aboard. Some franchisors confess they aren't interested in trying this successful, revitalized lead source.
  • Steve Olson
  • 5,024 Reads 1 Shares
Tracking unit economic performance effectively can take some doing. Generally, it involves 1) defining what constitutes comparable data across individual units, and 2) finding the right technology for recording and reporting it. Making it work requires not only strategizing and goal-setting at corporate, but also involvement and buy-in from franchisees - all in the name of improving system-wide profitability, one unit at a time.
  • Franchise Update
  • 7,068 Reads 1 Shares
As savvy franchise companies continue to flourish in this challenging economy, FUSR will bring you Good News each month, highlighting brands that are adding units, increasing comp store sales, striking deals with investors, and continuing to grow despite the economy - maybe even because of it. And as the U.S. economy struggles through its "jobless recovery," growth-oriented franchisors continue to look overseas for expansion opportunities.
  • Franchise Update
  • 6,329 Reads 93 Shares
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The importance of the "Mission Possible" theme was not lost on attendees at the 2009 Franchise Update Leadership & Development Conference this past September 23-25 at the Drake Hotel in Chicago. Many had been at this same location, just one year before, when the simmering financial crisis came to a head and the federal government rushed in with billions in bailout funds.
  • Kerry Pipes and Eddy Goldberg
  • 6,872 Reads
Take two dozen franchise CEOs and presidents, add one expert facilitator, stir for a full day, and what do you get? The second annual CEO Summit, held in Chicago this past September as part of Franchise Update's Leadership & Development Conference. Behind closed doors and the promise of confidentiality, these franchise leaders rolled up their sleeves and spoke candidly with their peers about their common problems and concerns. We can, however, share some general observations, as well as highlights from the first-ever CEO Confidence Survey.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 4,986 Reads 32 Shares
Many of us in the franchise sales business have watched franchise brokerage companies (aka consultant groups, referral networks, etc.) grow in both presence and stature and become a commonly used source of franchise leads and sales. Although there are no reports that can tell us exactly how many deals are being produced through these groups, we can do some deductive reasoning to understand how and where these organizations fit into franchising today.
  • Marc Kiekenapp
  • 4,606 Reads 15 Shares
One of the most helpful services franchisors can provide to their franchisees is accounting direction and services. I am often astonished at how little guidance so many franchisors provide in this area. How will franchisees know if they are truly making money and operating effectively if they don't keep good books and receive information to help them run their businesses more effectively?
  • Rupert M. Barkoff
  • 27,349 Reads 4 Shares
Today's struggle for more qualified franchise candidates has ignited greater emphasis for companies to produce franchise leads within their systems. Last year, 38 percent of franchisors surveyed "incentivated" franchisees who referred prospects that bought their franchise. This year a whopping 65 percent do, according to the latest Annual Franchise Development Report (AFDR). The study also reveals that referral sales continue to produce the highest closing ratios and continue as the number-two sales producer after Internet portals. These powerful stats are cause for more aggressive referral selling.
  • Steve Olson
  • 4,461 Reads 19 Shares
Franchise Update Media Group (FUMG), the leading industry resource for franchise development, today announced the 2010 Annual Franchise Development Report (AFDR), the only sales and lead generation benchmark report available in the industry. One of the key findings from the in-depth report that features results from more than 140 franchise organizations that are successfully expanding their systems, is that over half of them have reduced start-up costs in the past 12 months.
  • Press Release
  • 3,162 Reads 2 Shares
This month I complete the discussion of Selling Skill #3. These three skills, essential for making new franchise sales, are part of my book, "Grow to Greatness: How to build a world-class franchise system faster" - and are appropriate for both new and emerging franchisors, as well as experienced sales pros seeking to brush up on their skills and/or improve the performance of their sales staff.
  • Steve Olson
  • 4,087 Reads 49 Shares
We asked two franchisors if they're seeing signs of economic recovery - and how what they see is affecting their plans for recruiting new franchisees in 2010. One is in the rapidly growing healthcare services field, the other in the highly competitive pizza sector. See if any of their perceptions or programs can help your plans for growth in the coming year!
  • Franchise Update
  • 3,730 Reads 3 Shares
As savvy franchise companies continue to flourish in this challenging economy, FUSR will bring you Good News each month, highlighting brands that are adding units, increasing comp store sales, striking deals with investors, and continuing to grow - despite the economy… maybe even because of it. And as the U.S. economy struggles through its "jobless recovery," growth-oriented franchisors continue to look overseas for expansion opportunities through master franchise deals.
  • Franchise Update
  • 6,884 Reads 93 Shares
Each year, as part of the Leadership & Development Conference, Franchise Update offers franchisor attendees the opportunity to have their sales operation mystery shopped. Our mystery shoppers pose as qualified prospects, phoning in to the franchise sales department, and submitting applications online. The results are presented at the conference in September, and made available in the Annual Franchise Development Report. Here's what we found.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 7,282 Reads
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One of the highlights each year at Franchise Update's Leadership & Development Conference is the presentation of the new Annual Franchise Development Report (AFDR). The 2010 AFDR gathered responses from 116 of the franchisors who attended this year's conference. Participants represented 38,800 units (28,300 franchised, 4,600 company-owned, and 5,900 international), and they plan to add 5,360 more franchised units this year through 3,400 franchisees.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 6,135 Reads 1 Shares
If there were a tool that could help you land more qualified leads and close more deals, wouldn't you want to know about it--and use it--yesterday? There is. And if you're not using Google Analytics, you should be, says Boris Bugarski CEO and president of mUrgent, a company that specializes in franchise websites.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 5,279 Reads 43 Shares
When the economy turns downward it's harder for most franchisors and franchisees to increase revenues. The cost to achieve an incremental dollar of revenue is higher in a down economy, which means that less of each new dollar reaches the bottom line. Not surprisingly in this environment, companies turn to the expense side of their income statement, where every dollar of expense reduction falls almost fully to the bottom line. It's a simple business strategy: if you can't increase revenues, reduce expenses.
  • Darrell Johnson
  • 4,213 Reads 3 Shares
When it comes to generating leads and identifying prospects, it's important to act effectively and efficiently. It's a competitive market, with quality leads difficult to come by. Franchisors with aggressive recruiting strategies and practices are more likely to find the best candidates and turn them into successful franchisees. They're also more likely to be recognized as winners of Franchise Update Media Group's Annual STAR (Speaking To And Responding) Awards.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 7,684 Reads 1 Shares
A Nov. 2 article in <i>The Boston Globe</i> puts numbers on what everyone in franchising and already knows: large national banks that received billions in bailout funds are not making SBA 7(a) loans to small businesses. Bank of America (more than $45 billion in bailout funds) reportedly made only eleven 7(a) loans in Massachusetts in the year (totaling $240,500) ending in September - down from 54 loans totaling $1.6 million the year before. While some smaller banks that received taxpayer funds were tarred with the same brush, the article also noted that "Some of the state's smallest - and most stable - banks have been filling part of the lending void."
  • Franchise Update
  • 4,688 Reads
Wingstop announced positive comps for the 25th consecutive quarter, dating back to July 2003. Wingstop ended its most recent quarter with a 1.6 percent increase and is up 3.8 percent for the year. The company predicts the positive trend to continue into the fourth quarter during the football and holiday seasons, when its sales are typically strongest. "This news is strong evidence that limited-service chains continue to deliver value during a difficult economic climate," said Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic, Inc., an industry research firm. Wingstop, founded in 1994 and franchising since 1997, has 425 restaurants open in 34 states.
  • Franchise Update
  • 4,399 Reads
The franchise registration states require an updating of your FDD annually. This requirement necessitates the filing of a renewal application (including the revised FDD, current audited financial statements, and supplemental documents) with each registration state in which you plan to continue selling franchises.
  • Brian Schnell
  • 9,999 Reads 1,021 Shares
When discussing franchise development best practices at events such as the recent Franchise Update Leadership & Development Conference, you heard franchise professionals throw around terms such as "franchise sales," "franchise development," and "franchisee recruitment." If you were to examine their core philosophy on how to best expand a franchise network, you would find professionals seem to fall into two separate and distinct camps: Franchise Sales and Franchisee Recruitment. Both parties maintain their philosophies are right.
  • Joe Mathews
  • 12,792 Reads 1 Shares
In the two previous newsletters, I discussed Selling Skill #1 ("Follow a successful sales process") and Selling Skill #2 ("Strong relationship-building skills").
  • Steve Olson
  • 2,999 Reads 5 Shares
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