2015 MVPs! And the winners are...

There are many misconceptions about how to go about valuing your business. In general, most business owners have a value in their mind that is usually several times more than the actual value a sophisticated, competent buyer ultimately pays.

Eric Holm may own 31 successful Golden Corral restaurants in Florida and Georgia and run a $150 million business, but his thoughts never stray far from the poverty in which he grew up.

When Farouk Diab walks into one of his 18 Wienerschnitzel restaurants wearing a uniform, same as the other workers there, he's making a statement.

John Judson and his partners have grown their Two Men and a Truck franchises in St. Louis, Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Boston into a 15-franchise operation that brought in $16 million in revenue last year.

As we enter summer each year, businesses with a seasonal sales cycle can change significantly. If you are lucky, this is your busy season with expanded revenue and, hopefully, expanded profits and cash flow.

When it comes to hiring, BrightStar Care franchisees Maureen and Peter Moore count on more than just credentials to get the job done.

During the 10 years Kevin Herman worked as a physical therapist providing home care in the Philadelphia area, he heard plenty of stories from patients about the kinds of assistance they needed--and their difficulty in finding those services.

Mary and Ferrel Freer often finish each other's sentences. That's most likely because the Flagstaff, Ariz., couple have been married 49 years--and for most of that time have worked together as franchisees for brands including Sizzler, Del Taco, and Hampton Inn & Suites.

This column looks into the use of employee handbooks by multi-unit franchisees, particularly those originally drafted by the franchisor or by a third party operating in a different state from the franchisee's territory.

Scott Richburg, a former U.S. Army National Guard officer and owner of an engineering consulting firm, smiles when he recalls the learning curve he faced when he bought his first Sport Clips franchise in 2003.

Franchising is full of creative entrepreneurs and marketers. With creativity, however, comes the desire to explain franchising in terminology that differentiates a brand from its peers.

Most markets around the globe have performed well following the lows reached during the financial crisis.