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Connecticut Feature Articles

Informative articles to support business buyers, franchisees, and franchisors in Connecticut.

As savvy franchise companies continue to flourish in a challenging economy, FUSR continues to bring you good news each month, highlighting brands that are adding units, increasing comp store sales, striking deals with investors, and continuing to grow. And, as the U.S. struggles through its "jobless recovery," growth-oriented franchisors continue to look overseas for expansion opportunities.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 7,914 Reads 93 Shares
Franchisors and franchisees who accept credit or debit cards as payment from consumers are familiar with--and likely disdainful of--the fees that card issuers and banks charge for those transactions. The largest component of these fees are called "interchange fees," which are fees that card-issuing banks charge to a merchant or retailer's bank in exchange for processing the transaction. Interchange fees (along with other small fees) are then passed along to the retailer or merchant. In this way, interchange fees affect the prices that many businesses charge to consumers for goods and services.
  • Michael Laidhold
  • 2,753 Reads 48 Shares
Top-performing employees exhibit a number of key characteristics critical to Dave Melton's franchise operations strategy. For example, as he has previously explained, they are not only happy and productive, but they also make fabulous team recruiters. But it doesn't stop there. He believes his top team members should even be involved in the interviewing process for new hires.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 2,697 Reads 1,023 Shares
In Dave Melton's Hire the American Dream, the Domino's Pizza multi-unit franchisee outlines much of his own personal journey and roadmap to discovering how to hire the best and most productive employees, and create a culture that leads to success for everyone in the company. It's a task that all franchisees encounter and Melton's tried and true methods have applications for many situations.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 3,530 Reads 90 Shares
In his book, <i>Hire the American Dream</i>, Domino's Pizza multi-unit franchisee Dave Melton outlines much of his own personal journey and roadmap to discovering how to hire the best and most productive employees, and create a culture that leads to success for everyone in the company. It's a task that all franchisees encounter and Melton's tried and true methods can be applied to almost any situation.
  • Multi-Unit Franchisee
  • 2,739 Reads 12 Shares
Franchisors seeking to grow in a tight credit environment and slow economy are turning to private equity to counter a slowdown in financing and cash flow. For struggling systems, capital "infusions" or outright acquisition by private equity firms can replace diminished royalties and franchise fees; for successful brands, this source of additional capital can be used to accelerate growth and provide a competitive advantage.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 4,154 Reads 58 Shares
Businesses spend an average of $28.87 per hour for each employee, according to recent figures from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. This figure includes salary plus benefits such as health insurance, vacation time, and workers' compensation. Overall, 69.7 percent ($20.13) goes toward salary and 30.3 percent ($8.74) to benefits, with 1.6 percent ($0.47) of that benefit percentage going to workers' comp.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 6,501 Reads 253 Shares
Dave Melton had heard Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" countless times before he opened his first Domino's Pizza restaurant in Manhattan. But it took a little time to really understand the truth in the song's line "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere..."
  • Debbie Selinsky
  • 7,207 Reads
Multi-unit and multi-brand operations are where the action is today in franchising. Whether the economy stalls, falls, or climbs, an increasing number of multi-unit franchisees are not content with just one unit--and many are not content with just one brand. Multi-concept franchising offers power in numbers--units, brands, territory, and income--as well as the security gained by spreading the risk across different brands in a franchisee company's portfolio.
  • Kerry Pipes and Eddy Goldberg
  • 5,075 Reads 1,023 Shares
The south-of-the-border spirit of great Mexican food and authentic art could soon spread throughout New England and beyond, thanks to a new franchising and area development agreement rolled out by Margaritas Mexican Restaurant.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 4,139 Reads 8 Shares
Florida-based businessman Peter Economys and New York entrepreneur Rob Tobias have a very special talent important to area developers: they're champion multi-taskers. But the concentration and mental agility necessary for the success of any area developer is doubly important for them--because each oversees multiple concepts.
  • Debbie Selinsky
  • 4,517 Reads 129 Shares
Red Roof Inn
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When we visited with Hank Huth last year, the franchising veteran was keeping busy overseeing his 23 Blockbuster Video locations and 7 Palm Beach Tan units. He had an eye on expanding his Palm Beach Tan portfolio and he did just that in 2007, adding 3 more and winning the company's 2007 Developer of the Year Award. But that's not all he's been busy developing.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 7,995 Reads 1 Shares
Five careers. That's how 65-year-old Charles Smithgall, III, categorizes his business life. And that's not even including his service in the military. Or rustling cattle on Canadian ranches as a young man in the late 1960s.
  • Area Developer Magazine
  • 5,038 Reads
In the chronicles of franchising history, some names come immediately to mind - Ray Kroc, S. Truett Cathy, Dave Thomas. The names conjure up images of independent-minded entrepreneurs with the savvy, know-how, and vision to create successful business models replicable anywhere. As part of the celebration of Franchise UPDATE's 20th anniversary, we look back at some of these colorful, inspiring, and sometimes controversial characters.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 4,085 Reads
Innovation has played a progressive role in franchising since the beginning. Over the years, there have been new spins and fresh angles on all kinds of products, services, and concepts. As if there were any doubt, consider the more than 300 new franchise concepts introduced last year alone, according to franchise research firm FRANdata.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 4,443 Reads 182 Shares
Hank Huth didn't set out to be in franchising. As a matter of fact, he was a banker. But in the mid-1980s, he was introduced to some executives at then-emerging Blockbuster Video and decided to "take a leap of faith" and give franchising a try. He called on his high school buddy Tim Nolan, who had managed some McDonald's franchises, to be his partner.
  • Eddy Goldberg and Kerry Pipes
  • 5,233 Reads 299 Shares
Edible Arrangements had three stores in 2002. By August 2006, there were 527, with locations in Canada, Puerto Rico, the U.K., and the Middle East. Currently adding stores at the rate of eight or more a week, the company predicts 1,000 units in early 2007. Staffing up for growth this steep requires some serious hiring: HR, meet ASAP.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 3,336 Reads 2 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
  • 2,781 Reads 12 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.
  • 3,750 Reads 26 Shares
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.
  • 3,847 Reads 135 Shares
March 30th marked another celebration of outstanding achievement in multi-unit franchising when the 2006 FAB Awards were presented to four franchisee winners who demonstrated a level of performance resulting in significant contributions to franchisor systems. At the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort, Spa & Golf, attendees got to see franchising at its best at the Fifth Annual Multi-Unit Franchising Development Conference & Expo.
  • Carren Bersch
  • 3,604 Reads 29 Shares
Angry Crab Shack
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Harry Loyle bought his first MotoPhoto store in 1985. Today he owns the company--well, three quarters of it anyway. But as president and CEO, he is, at last, in control. How he got there is a story of passion, persistence, disappointment, frustration, the achievement of a long-held dream, and a complex acquisition deal completed in February 2003.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 2,993 Reads 7 Shares
Are you equipped to provide prospective franchisees with information on how to finance a franchise? Even better, are you able to offer them financing assistance? Most financing experts say that the best source of financing information remains the franchisor.
  • 3,148 Reads 1,021 Shares

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