North Carolina Feature Articles

Looking for a franchise opportunity in North Carolina? Whether you're a first-time business owner or a seasoned entrepreneur, North Carolina offers exciting potential for franchise success. From food and beverage to retail and services, the diverse economic landscape in North Carolina is ripe for franchise opportunities. Explore the best franchise options today and take the next step toward business ownership in North Carolina.

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

The Winner's Column

As savvy franchise companies continue to flourish in this challenging economy, FUSR will continue 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 despite the economy - maybe even because of it. And, as the U.S. struggles through its "jobless recovery," growth-oriented franchisors continue to look overseas for expansion opportunities.

Eddy Goldberg
10,415 Reads 93 Shares

Family Matters: Bojangles' Franchisee Balances Business, Family, Community

When Columbus, Ohio, native Jeff Rigsby was a 16-year-old frying chicken for KFC, he couldn't have foreseen that one day he'd own 21 Bojangles' restaurants.

Debbie Selinsky
11,225 Reads 1 Shares

American Dream: His Journey Began at 19 with a Daring Escape From Iran

When 19-year-old Atour Eyvazian fled from his native Iran in the early 1980s to escape persecution for being a Christian, he embarked on an odyssey that led through Turkey all the way to Los Angeles.

John Carroll
4,653 Reads 23 Shares

The Winner's Column

Eddy Goldberg
10,178 Reads 93 Shares

The Winner's Column

Eddy Goldberg
11,320 Reads 93 Shares

Look Before You Lease: What Kind of Leasing Help Should You Expect from Franchisors?

Potential franchisees should take a lesson from cautious pedestrians who look both ways before crossing the street. Before paying a substantial franchisee fee, you must be aware and understand that the franchisor may not, or simply won't, be able to handle every related detail for you.

Dale Willerton
4,482 Reads

Food Courting Florida: Area Rep Brings Teriyaki Experience to the Sunshine State

In 1998, a young Canadian attorney named Fiorenzo Bresolin traveled to Florida to work on a large real estate transaction. It wasn't long before he fell in love with the state--and its booming real estate business. The outgoing corporate lawyer went on to develop, along with partners, a 500-acre corporate park in South Florida owned by the late Mel Simon of the Simon Property Group; today he's knocking on doors to place his restaurants in some of those malls.

John Carroll
8,957 Reads 569 Shares

Whose Side Are You On?

As "The Lease Coach," I am a magnet for leasing questions. In fact, I receive hundreds of questions from independent and franchisee tenants each year; I am approached after my seminars, e-mailed, and called. One telephone call that I received was from a woman who had recently purchased a franchise. She started by telling me that her franchisor had offered to do her site selection and real estate work for an extra $3,500. Not knowing much about commercial real estate, she had thought that was a great deal and had accepted the franchisor's proposal for help. According to the franchisee, she was to meet and spend the day with a local real estate agent looking at sites, which she did.

Dale Willerton
4,195 Reads 113 Shares

The Winner's Column

Eddy Goldberg
10,422 Reads 93 Shares

New Traditionalists: Give the People What They Want--where They Want It!

About two years ago, at the behest of a friend, Nick Vojnovic, president of Beef 'O' Brady's, made his first foray into a nontraditional franchise location, opening a restaurant at the TradeWinds, a resort in St. Petersburg, Fla., with 1 million annual visitors. It wasn't exactly on his radar, but Vojnovic decided to give it a go.

Eddy Goldberg
4,324 Reads 1,023 Shares

Multi-Unit Leadership: A Conversation with Jim Sullivan on Multi-Unit Leadership for the 21st Century

Jim Sullivan is the CEO and founder of Sullivision.com, a company that designs and delivers operations and leadership training programs for companies and franchisees worldwide. Clients include The Walt Disney Company, McDonald's, Panera Bread, Regis Corp., Jiffy Lube, Wal-Mart, American Express, Applebee's, Domino's, Dunkin' Brands, and Coca-Cola. Three years ago Sullivan's company began researching the best practices of high-performing multi-unit leaders.

Kerry Pipes
13,869 Reads 2 Shares

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Is Bigger Really Better?: Leasing the Right Square Footage and Shape Of Space For Multi-Unit Franchisees

So often, franchise tenants come to me stating that they are not profiting because their rent is too high. While this can be true, frequently the tenant has simply leased too many square feet.

Dale Willerton
4,244 Reads 1,015 Shares

The Winner's Column

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. struggles through its "jobless recovery," growth-oriented franchisors continue to look overseas for expansion opportunities.

Franchise Update
6,164 Reads 1 Shares

The Winner's Column

Franchise Update
6,639 Reads 93 Shares

Brand Loyalty: 18 Bojangles' In 18 Years And More On The Way For This Enterprising Pair

Kevin Archer has spent 18 years as a multi-unit franchisee with Bojangles' Restaurants in North Carolina. The Charlotte native knows how much Southerners love their chicken and biscuits. So does he: his favorite menu item is the Cajun fillet biscuit. Archer also believes "You are what you eat and drink." As a proponent of a healthy diet and lots of exercise, he sees no conflict between his philosophy and his business. Even in today's increasingly health-conscious culture, he still sees Bojangles' as relevant and popular.

Debbie Selinsky
14,559 Reads 5 Shares

The Winner's Column

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 - and this month, we report on an overseas franchisor set to open its first U.S. location, as well as several new entrants to franchising.

Franchise Update
7,026 Reads 93 Shares

Turnaround Player: Transforming Low Performers Into Franchise Leaders

Glen Helton's lifelong career in franchising began as a teen with his first job at a Burger King in Fayetteville, N.C. Today the Texas native is president and COO of Strategic Restaurants Acquisition Corp. (SRAC), which operates 271 Burger Kings and 17 T.G.I. Friday's across 9 states. Helton, along with SRAC's CEO, Jerry Comstock (former Bennigan's CEO), have become known for turning underperforming restaurants into profit generators. They did it for the 226 Burger Kings they acquired out of bankruptcy 5 years ago, and they also have added 45 new ones. Today they're applying their turnaround skills to the 16 T.G.I. Friday's in New York and Florida that they bought out of bankruptcy in August 2008.

Debbie Selinsky
10,744 Reads 1,189 Shares

How To Develop Capable Leadership Management Successors

Ben presented us with a situation common to many business owners who find out too late they are not in a position to exit on their terms. Ben had founded and built a very successful business supply business. He had customers across the country and was consistently earning solid profits under his management. He had decided he was ready to retire in the near term.

Nicholas K. Niemann and Andrew Horowitz
5,632 Reads

Southern Style: North Carolina-Based Multi-Concept Operator Capitalizes on Three Decades of Restaurant Experience

Thomas "Tab" Broome has spent most of his professional life in the restaurant and franchise business. He's seen it all - learned a lot - and is one franchisee who knows how to manage a chain of restaurants. His professional story begins with a restaurant group in Raleigh, N.C. At the time, the company ran a string of Darryl's restaurants - a place that looked a lot like Applebee's, only with a little more variety and flair - a group of 11 Pizza Inns, and the Angus Barn. General Mills swooped in and bought the pizza places and family restaurant business and Broome got a chance to work for a large restaurant corporation.

Multi-Unit Franchisee
3,897 Reads 32 Shares

The Winner's Column

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
6,648 Reads 93 Shares

Triple Combination: Business, Marketing, and Restaurants Drive This Franchisee

After graduating from the University of Maine, Michael Kern landed jobs at top advertising agencies including Young & Rubicam and McCann Erickson. He later held top marketing jobs for KFC and Long John Silver's, at one point serving as worldwide chief marketing officer for Long John Silver's.

Debbie Selinsky
4,186 Reads 10 Shares

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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
4,153 Reads

Franchise Law: State Of The States

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
9,752 Reads 1,021 Shares

How To Sustain Your Business Growth So You Can Exit Successfully

Robert came to us to help him develop a 5-year Transition Growth Plan so he could sell his company and retire. He had high expectations for what the sale would net him financially, based on his presumed growth rate. Unfortunately, his presumptions were well beyond business reality. He had never utilized a written strategic growth plan or a business model innovation program. And the stagnant state of affairs which made up his company were proof of this.

Nicholas K. Niemann and Andrew Horowitz
16,053 Reads 1 Shares

Should I Stay or Should I Go?: Developing a Successful Transition Strategy

You've worked hard to build your multi-unit franchise business, and now it's time to step back--not only from the day-to-day operations, but perhaps from the business itself. Is it time to let go? Can you? Will the business continue without you?

Eddy Goldberg
6,566 Reads 1,021 Shares

Winner's Circle

Cleveland-based USA Insulation has added new franchise locations in Indianapolis, Chicago, Omaha, Portland, Me., and central New Jersey. Company President Patrick J. Pitrone attributes the company's growth to forecasts of a cold winter, unpredictable energy prices, and the Federal Energy Tax Credit of 30 percent (up to $1,500) for homeowners who add insulation by year-end.

Franchise Update
4,265 Reads 24 Shares

Keeping Promotional Materials Legal - and Effective!

The constant theme of this column is Do It Effectively, Do It Legally, Make a Difference. How a franchisor addresses its sales promotional materials fits this theme. That is, a franchisor's sales promotional materials must effectively capture a candidate's attention and also must comply with the rules.

Brian Schnell
6,525 Reads 1,021 Shares

Managing Your Personal Wealth

Jake was visibly upset when he came to see us. He had been planning to retire in 3 years by age 55, based on the combined value of his personal investments and his company. This was now on hold for an indefinite period of time. Like many, he had suffered a significant hit in the 2008 through 2009 stock market declines. He wanted to visit about the benefits of a comprehensive wealth plan - something he hadn't taken the time to explore in the past.

Nicholas K. Niemann and Andrew Horowitz
6,442 Reads 1,014 Shares

The Winner's Column

Savvy franchise companies continue to flourish in this challenging economy. Each month FUSR will bring you good news, highlighting brands that are bucking the trend by adding units, increasing comp store sales, striking deals with investors, and continuing to grow despite the economy - maybe even because of it. And as you'll see below, U.S. franchisors continue to look overseas for expansion while the domestic economy remains slow.

Franchise Update
5,750 Reads 93 Shares

Avoiding Co-Owner Disputes So You Can Transition Successfully

Sam and Louie had been in business for about ten years, operating a chain of retail clothing stores. They were 50/50 owners in the corporation. When Sam approached us he had already been working for about 9 months to try to come up with a proposal which Louie would accept for dividing up their operations.