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For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past 10 years, I have a newsflash: Since 1995, The Federal Trade Commission has been involved in a rule- making process to amend the FTC Rule (the "Rule") to change certain disclosure requirements and to recognize certain changes to the franchise business sales model and use of technology in the franchise sales process. What we know is the likely substance of the changes; what we don't know is when they'll be implemented.
  • Lane Fisher
  • 3,562 Reads 2 Shares
In 1991, Jeff Johnson wife Carol were successful multi-unit franchisees for Schlotzky's deli. They had three units of their own in Lincoln, Neb., and area developer rights for a five-state region in the upper Midwest.
  • Ripley Hotch
  • 3,616 Reads 7 Shares
Imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery. If that's true, discount giants Wal-Mart and Target have paid a glowing compliment to small but booming dollar stores, including franchises such as My Dollar Store, Dollar Castle, Just-A-Buck and Dollar Discount. Wal-Mart is testing "Pennies-n-Cents" sections in 20 of their Supercenters, and Target has launched The I Spot in the front of about 125 of its stores.
  • Debbie Selinsky
  • 3,254 Reads 20 Shares
Franchise organizations cite these conventions as a vitally important part of their success. Traditionally, the meetings have provided an opportunity to bring franchisees together regularly to share system information and offer training. But these "family" get-togethers are continuing to evolve as franchisors look for new and refreshing ways to attract, motivate, and energize their franchise operators and send them back to their stores full of information and inspiration.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 3,921 Reads 1,023 Shares
Lending experts say if you haven't provided financing information on non-bank lenders to prospective franchisees, you may be missing an important opportunity. There are a number of advantages to using non-bank lenders for franchise development, and franchisees who need financing help will appreciate the information you provide.
  • Joan Szabo
  • 7,009 Reads 1,014 Shares
Quick lube shops may seem to be on every corner of most major American cities, but that's not true overseas in places like China and even north of the border in Canada.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 6,477 Reads 422 Shares
How do you measure the success of a web site? Many people claim that Alexa (http://www.alexa.com/), by Amazon.com is the definitive answer. For years, web developers and marketing experts have flooded the market with boasts of high Alexa ratings in hopes they will increase their client lists. But is Alexa really the gold standard or simply fools gold?
  • Benjamin Foley
  • 2,453 Reads 1 Shares
In 1996, a young London inventor asked British franchise veteran Victor Clewes whether he should franchise or sell the innovative machine he'd created for filtering used cooking oil. Clewes had never set foot in a commercial kitchen, but it didn't take him long to see that Jason Sayers was sitting on a franchising goldmine.
  • Deb Selinsky
  • 5,303 Reads 15 Shares
A family-oriented bar? Imagine children playing and laughing as football games are broadcast on big-screen TVs, while parents and patrons have a cold one. It's not as strange a concept as you might think.
  • 3,192 Reads
So, you signed your first international Master Franchise and received your first initial Master Franchisee Fee.
  • William (Bill) Edwards
  • 4,490 Reads 1 Shares
The franchising industry in Vietnam has been gradually developing over the past few years with the products and services of a number of well-known local and foreign brand names achieving higher market profile. However, this development has taken place in the absence of any regulations directly governing franchising activities. The current franchising industry in Vietnam has relied on regulations on related issues, such as those to do with licensing of intellectual property rights and technology transfer coupled with general contractual obligations.
  • Andrew Terry
  • 4,023 Reads 14 Shares
Jeff's Bagel Run
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Belgium's proposed franchise law (the "Proposed Law") seemed to be headed for final adoption on October 18, 2005; however, the Belgian Senate had other ideas. The Senate took up the bill for reconsideration prior to the October 18th deadline, so the bill is now back in a state of limbo while the Senate debates whether to make changes to the draft that was approved by the Belgian Chamber of Representatives on July 7, 2005. The Belgian Senate has 60 days to decide whether revisions need to be made to the Proposed Law. If the Senate revises the Proposed Law then the bill will be sent back to the Belgian Chamber of Representatives for further consideration.
  • Ryan Whitfill
  • 4,078 Reads 6 Shares
Ninety days after the effectiveness of China's new franchise regulations, foreign franchisors and their lawyers are trying to sort out whether they can comply with the law, and if so, how. The Measures for the Administration of Commercial Franchising ("Measures") were adopted as a part of China's commitment to the World Trade Organization to open the Chinese economy to foreign investment. Although rumors about the forthcoming regulations had been emanating from Beijing for nearly two years, in late November the world was given 12 days to comment on draft Measures which would apply to "Foreign Invested Enterprise" ("FIE") franchisors. By the end of December, the Ministry of Commerce ("MOC") had promulgated revised franchise regulations which apply to both domestic and foreign invested enterprises, but which failed to address whether foreign companies may franchise directly into China.
  • Carl E. Zwisler
  • 11,954 Reads 963 Shares
If adopted, the recently published Unfair Contract Terms Bill ("UCTB") will significantly change the way franchise agreements are viewed by English courts and could create headaches for franchisors with franchises in the United Kingdom ("UK"). The UCTB was published by the Law Commission in draft form earlier this year. The bill will not become effective unless it is formally adopted, but the draft reflects the views of the current government so it is likely that the bill will be adopted sometime in 2006.
  • Ryan Whitfill
  • 4,389 Reads 99 Shares
The Mexican Congress is reviewing a bill ("Bill") intended to amend the Mexican Industrial Property Law ("IPL") to regulate franchise agreements and to add new disclosure procedures. It is still uncertain whether the Congress will approve the Bill. Currently, the IPL franchise regulations are very limited, and do not regulate the content of franchise agreements. The Bill adopts a very different approach in order to protect franchisees from perceived franchisor abuses.
  • Alberto de la Peña
  • 3,926 Reads 6 Shares
When doing business in Australia, you may hear the expression "fair dinkum" as in "Mate, are you fair dinkum?" This is an old and popular bit of slang that Australians use to assure themselves that others are being honest, genuine, and reliable in their dealings with them. It challenges any real or suspected evidence of phoniness, deception or manipulation.
  • Franchise Update Magazine
  • 3,003 Reads 1 Shares
Can an elephant change its spots? Sometimes it feels easier to start a new brand than to change an old one-even if the old one seems ready for the bone yard. But how do franchisors who want to keep a valuable (but tired) nameplate breathe new life into it, attracting new customers while retaining the faithful--and convince its franchisees not only to have faith after years of malaise, but that change is what they need? Franchise UPDATE spoke with three franchisors who knew they had a good thing going-and figured out a way to make it fly once again.
  • Eddy Goldburg
  • 3,874 Reads 19 Shares
If you're over 20 years old, you probably think this is some crazy scifi phenomenon, or I've simply lost my mind. Don't fret; the vast majority of people don't know what a blog is all about�and more important, why it matters to them. In particular, why does it matter to your franchise company?
  • Dennis Schooley
  • 3,267 Reads 1 Shares
Franchisors are always looking for that magical ingredient to propel their business toward greater profitability. In 2005, many are finding magic in the Internet, as email, laptops, PDAs, SmartPhones, and other mobile communications devices become a regular part of both business and personal life.
  • 7,996 Reads 1 Shares
As a college dropout with a highly successful father (a transplant surgeon), Brian Scudamore had a mission. He had started 1-800-Got-Junk? as a way to pay for college and now was determined to put his business to the test. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.
  • Ripley Hotch
  • 5,927 Reads 136 Shares
Whether it's high-fat super-premium gourmet ice cream with mix-in candy, fudge, or fruit, or just plain vanilla low-fat frozen yogurt, for most Americans it's not if or when, but how often they'll indulge in a sweet, tasty, frozen dessert or treat. In the U.S. today, ice cream is a $20 billion-plus industry, with 90 percent market penetration. The industry is mature, meaning any gains from one competitor (Haagen-Dazs vs. Carvel) or segment (super premium vs. light) will be scooped from another.
  • 18,088 Reads 1 Shares
American Family Care
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Australian companies looking to expand beyond their borders are casting a hungry eye on the U.S. market. Physically Australia is over ¾ the size of the United States but there are only 19.9 million people in the country compared to a population of over 293 million in the U.S. What's more, high household and disposable incomes and the almost competitive desire to be the first on their block to try something new give American consumers both the means and the propensity to buy Australian products and services.
  • Kay Ainsley
  • 3,675 Reads
John F. Kennedy made a famous speech at the Berlin Wall, when he said, "Ich bin ein Berliner." Literally, this translates to "I am a jelly donut" because a "Berliner" is a type of jelly donut. To be correct, he should have said "Ich bin Berliner." So now a famous phrase echoes around the world, with millions of people declaring that they want to be a jelly donut. But several million of those would probably rephrase it, "Ich bin ein Krispy Kreme"-fanatical followings are not unusual for that brand.
  • 4,202 Reads 43 Shares
Domino's Pizza and Checker's Drive-In Restaurants are off to the races following the waving of the green flag. Both fast-food companies are capitalizing on NASCAR and other professional racing tie-ins that build awareness and increase sales.
  • 3,227 Reads 1 Shares
At February's Franchise UPDATE Multi-Unit Conference in Dallas, attendees dug into their pockets to help Rocco Fiorentino's Little Rock Foundation. Multi-unit operators are known for generosity to charities, but the record for amounts may well go to Batteries Plus. Batteries Plus Multi-Unit Franchisee Leonard Cyphers, who owns three Atlanta-area Batteries Plus stores, was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson's disease in 1997 at age 48. He is managing his disease with diet, medication, and exercise, and the help of a pioneer in Parkinson's research, Dr. Ray Watts.
  • 2,918 Reads 7 Shares
An Italian proverb says, "One attains fortune through knowledge. One attains knowledge through mentors." Many real estate franchise companies are taking that proverb to heart. Training and retention of the very best sales associates and staff is crucial to the success of any real estate brokerage. Subsequently, real estate franchising companies such as Century 21, RE/MAX, Coldwell Banker, and ERA have begun implementing coaching and mentoring initiatives for their franchisees. Typically, these programs involve coaches or mentors who have extensive experience and successful track records as top producers. The programs arm franchisees with proven scripts and dialogues that help them deal with obstacles. Franchisees can also gain access to marketing and advertising materials that have been successful.
  • 2,261 Reads 3 Shares
Nikki Sells has just been recognized as the 2005 recipient of the IFA's distinguished Bonnie Levine Award. The annual award honors individuals who further the cause of women in franchising. Sells, who is vice president of franchising for Express Personnel Services, in Oklahoma City, was presented the award during the recent IFA 45th annual franchise convention. "It's all about the journey," said Sells, a former school teacher, who has been vice president of franchising since January 2004 after being a longtime franchisee in the Express system. "To me, there's no such thing as a destination and this is where my journey has fortunately taken me. I've had a lot of wonderful opportunities and mentors along the way."
  • 2,861 Reads 3 Shares
Guess who the biggest rival to Starbucks is? Would you think Dunkin Donuts? You should, says Jett Mehta, a Dunkin Donuts multi-unit franchisee in New York. "Starbucks may own their experience, but Dunkin is nipping at their heels," he says. "Starbucks can't touch Dunkin in new England." In fact, Mehta says, it's not about the donuts: "Dunkin Donuts is a beverage business-it's all about coffee. In western New York, 50% of our sales are beverage-based, or premium things like bulk beans. Donuts are only about 25%."
  • 5,933 Reads 490 Shares
Do franchisors create more value and perform better financially than their non-franchise competitors? A resounding yes, according to a new study by The William Rosenberg International Center of Franchising at the University of New Hampshire.
  • 6,144 Reads 432 Shares
Area Developer, the only magazine dedicated exclusively to multi-unit franchising, will take an indepth look at the expanding multi-unit franchise landscape. This industry first drill-down will identify those franchise systems that have substantial numbers of multi unit franchisees and meet specific baseline standards.
  • 4,402 Reads 2 Shares
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