Virginia Feature Articles

Virginia Feature Articles

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

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

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.
  • Franchise Update
  • 7,336 Reads 1 Shares
Mike Pietrzyk's 37 years in the food business began auspiciously in 1972, when, as a newly promoted manager of a Burger Chef in Virginia, he was put in a store scheduled to close in 7 months. "The restaurant wasn't doing well, and they'd decided to close it," he recalls. "They just asked me to keep it together for a few more months." Pietrzyk worked seven days a week and did his own marketing, passing out local coupons and getting acquainted with the community.
  • Debbie Selinsky
  • 5,951 Reads 81 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. struggles through its "jobless recovery," growth-oriented franchisors continue to look overseas for expansion opportunities.
  • Franchise Update
  • 6,155 Reads 1 Shares
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
  • 5,878 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
  • 4,666 Reads 8 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. struggles through its "jobless recovery," growth-oriented franchisors continue to look overseas for expansion opportunities.
  • Franchise Update
  • 6,631 Reads 93 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 - 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
  • 7,013 Reads 93 Shares
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
  • 4,176 Reads 10 Shares
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
  • 9,746 Reads 1,021 Shares
To be the best at what you do. To be the best in your market, your industry, your niche. To take your passion and build a business that excels in every way. To build teams, train managers, and win the loyalty of customers. To gain recognition and win awards from your franchisors. And to provide for your family and build a life--and a business you can pass on to your children. All these goals and more are what drive multi-unit franchisees to dominate. In our annual "Dominators" issue, we feature six operators what drives them. Here's a "sneak preview."
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 5,540 Reads 9 Shares
What if there were a way to hire great, energetic franchisees who not only were excited about the brand, but also already knew it inside and out? Your next great franchise operators might be sitting right beside you at your next internal meeting.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 5,776 Reads 109 Shares
McAlister's Deli
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McAlister's Deli
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McAlister's Deli
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Ella Avery-Smothers may have been a C-level student in high school, but she's far from average. This 63-year-old multi-unit owner, who operates seven Burger Kings in the Los Angeles area, pulled herself out of poverty as a child to become a player in the franchise restaurant industry. And she's just opened two El Pollo Locos, with two more under construction.
  • Amy Zuckerman
  • 6,137 Reads 1,021 Shares
It was like a gut punch for Charlie Marshall. In less than a year's time, the Spring-Green Lawn Care multi-unit franchisee went from paying $12 per bag for lawn fertilizer to more than $25 per bag. "That will make you look for ways to streamline and cut costs," says Marshall. To add insult to injury, gasoline prices were skyrocketing, making it even more expensive to fire up his seven trucks and dispatch crews to care for his customers' lawns each day.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 4,583 Reads 57 Shares
The current economic climate remains high in the minds of both state Senate candidates for District 14. Democrat Bob Williams and Republican Gary Howell are both vying for the seat that would represent Barbour, Mineral, Preston, Taylor and Tucker counties as well as part of Grant and Monongalia counties.
  • Cumberland Times-News
  • 3,095 Reads 1 Shares
It started with a desperate phone call from a distraught daughter at her wit's end. Patricia Maisano was on the receiving end of that call. The woman on the other end of the phone was searching for assistance in caring for her elderly mother. At the time, Maisano was running a health care consulting business in Philadelphia. She was a registered nurse and well-versed in case management. And the phone call had a significant impact on her.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 2,795 Reads 1,021 Shares
Since 1653, when Izaak Walton published The Compleat Angler, "compleat" has come to mean many things beyond what Walton described as "a Discourse on Fish and Fishing." The dictionary tells us it means classic or quintessential. But compleat also implies mastery far beyond the basics, conjuring up words like visionary, leader, even master.
  • Debbie Selinsky
  • 3,950 Reads 7 Shares
Vaughn Hayes, the Virginia area developer for Salad Creations, had an early exposure to franchising - and it was a missed opportunity.
  • Ripley Hotch and Debbie Selinsky
  • 3,457 Reads 4 Shares
Financial experts agree it’s a good idea to help existing and future franchisees find the best financing methods to launch or expand a franchise. While you may not be able to offer franchisees a financing package, it makes good business sense to provide as much practical information as possible concerning where to apply for and successfully land business loans.
  • Joan Szabo
  • 3,666 Reads 24 Shares
Franchising is founded on the concept of replicating success at the unit level. But Mary Rogers is taking that premise one better: she's replicating success at the franchisor level.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 4,717 Reads 22 Shares
The news is hardly surprising: another new domain name has been introduced. Yet this time, the news is different.
  • Lee Plave
  • 6,970 Reads 1,023 Shares
Pets and pet-related businesses are among today's hottest franchise opportunities--especially in the U.S., where pet owners are notorious for pampering their dogs, cats, birds (and even their rodents, reptiles, amphibians, and fish).
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 3,085 Reads 17 Shares
American Family Care
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American Family Care
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American Family Care
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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
  • 3,459 Reads 12 Shares
UPS Capital Business Credit, the financing arm of UPS, recently announced it is adding franchise finance capabilities to its portfolio of small business offering.
  • Joan Szabo
  • 3,606 Reads 15 Shares
Americans love to have fun--and despite their bulging waistlines, they also like to keep fit--or spend money trying! Between these two trends there's a lot of room for franchise growth--whether for seniors, juniors, or in-betweens!
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 2,616 Reads 9 Shares
Franchising is attracting young entrepreneurs who see the field as full of opportunity. Some are working hard enough and have found the right niche to make their way to the top quickly. Take Gregg Majewski, who became chief financial officer of the Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich chain at the age of 22 after working only two months in what began as a summer internship position.
  • Joan Szabo
  • 4,662 Reads
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
  • 4,215 Reads 29 Shares
For many years--like the ancient bones of "Lucy" discovered by Donald Johanson in 1974 and long thought to be mankind's first ancestor--Albert Singer, who founded the Singer Sewing Machine Company in 1851, has been credited with being the first franchisor in the United States. The designation was likely given because his was the most recognized name of the early pioneers that people still remembered.
  • Michael Seid
  • 27,783 Reads 25 Shares
Family business teams in the franchise industry help prove the old adage that two good ideas are always better than one. That continues to be the case for Kelly Saxton and his family.
  • Joan Szabo
  • 2,934 Reads 7 Shares
Did you know that the average time a visitor spends on a single web advertisement is less than 2.4 minutes? You might ask, so what? What it means is that you have less than 2.4 minutes to explain a) who you are; b) what you do; c) why should they join you; and d) what the requirements are for becoming your franchisee--and still leave them time to fill out the application. Needless to say, your window of opportunity is rather small. This means that you must optimize your advertisement to be as efficient as possible. Let's examine the steps to maximize performance.
  • Benjamin Foley
  • 2,516 Reads 4 Shares
Building a franchising empire in the restaurant industry takes a good deal of planning, commitment, and expertise. Fortunately for the industry there still are leaders out there who can bring all those qualities to the table.
  • Joan Szabo
  • 4,205 Reads 39 Shares

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