Franchise Opportunity Informations

The 10 Best Opportunities For Starting A Home Business Today

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:12:00 +0000

The 10 Best Opportunities For Starting A Home Business Today Careers Center Guide will show you: * how to get started with little capital *how to start on a part-time basis *common problems and pitfalls to avoid *tips on using a home computer to your best advantage *often-overlooked opportunities you should investigate * the pros and cons of home business franchises.

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How To Become Prosperous And Stay That Way (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:18:00 +0000

By Dale Mazurek

This is part two in my prosperity articles. This series is making out to be a long one but if people are getting any good advice out of it then it is worth it. For the most part affiliate marketing is how I put these into practice but they can be used no matter how your financial marketing works. I hope you will come back frequently to look at my newly published articles and I would hope you would tell you friends about them.

1. Believe In Yourself Or Forget It

Believing in you in my opinion is the most important part in becoming and staying prosperous. Believing in your self is going to determine how well you do in life. I don’t care what it is if you truly believe that you can do it than you will succeed. It took me a long time to believe I could be successful at affiliate marketing. However now that I started believing in myself things have never looked better for me. Other people will make decisions about you on how confident you seem. If you are trying to sell something and you don’t really believe in yourself then trust me your potential customer is going to read that on you and they will be gone.

2. How Does Believing In Yourself Work
The first thing you’re going to notice is that you walk with pride in your stride. Your confidence levels are going to rise to heights that you didn’t even know existed. Your understanding of things is going to become much clearer therefore making you more capable of dealing with them. So the more you understand the more prosperous you will be.

So if you believe in yourself you will be able to go to someone and ask them for something in confidence. And if the belief is strong enough you will probably get what you are looking for.

It has always baffled me as to how not believing can affect people so negatively. My cousin showed me her poetry that she has been writing for about twenty years. To be honest it is some of the best work I have ever read and I read a lot. When I asked her why she isn’t getting it published she told me that she wasn’t good enough. This is a prime example of someone losing out on lots of income because she doesn’t believe in herself.
To make things worse the non believers always think they have to handle all aspects on their own. I know my cousin is a good enough poet to get published but she is so worried about all the other aspects of getting her poems published that it stands in her way. You have to know that there are other people out there to help you along the way. So as long as you believe in what you’re doing other people will help you keep those beliefs alive.

So don’t hold back on something that will succeed because you’re not sure of how to do it. There are people who are paid to put your business in place and make sure it works. So stop looking at the cup as half empty and start believing that you can become prosperous.

Okay this is the end of my second excerpt on how to become prosperous and stay that way. In the following weeks I will continue on with this series. It is important to follow the series. You can print each edition if you want because remember once it is done it won’t be available for long because as I submit these I am working on an eBook that will be going for sale.

Thanks,
Dale Mazurek

Dale is a professional affiliate marketer who has come from getting scammed throughout the years to becoming very successful at what he does. You can see his program at http://stcajo.netsalaries.com He has also started two interactive blogs that can be viewed at http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/ or http://fishingtutor.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dale_Mazurek

Keep Your Income Secure

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:16:00 +0000

By Randolph Wells

If your a newbie to internet marketing, you probably use PayPal© to process your sales. This is a smart and profitable move since PayPal© is one of the most secure and reliable payment processors. Even if you use someone else you can run into trouble and it's not the processor's fault.

Your Sales page and/or Order page will probably have your payment processors button or link to take your customer to their secure server. Once there they pay with their account or credit card. The secure server sends them back to your Thank You page. It works as smooth as silk. That is, if they get back to your page.

Browsers have the ability to allow you, or anyone for that matter, to "View Source" code on any given html page. You can even view php pages although they are a little more confusing.

What does that mean to you? It means that your Sales pages, with the "hidden" information regarding the payment process, are exposed. EXPOSED! So what, you say? Big problem, I say!

What's to keep your less that honorable customer from viewing your source and then looking up the path to your Thank You page? If they know the URL of your Thank You page, they can download your product for free. You've just been taken!

How do we protect ourselves? You can make sure you make the information as secure as possible on the payment processor's end. They can encrypt the process to a point. But, is that enough? It's not!

There are encryption services available. You can buy software to encrypt your payment processor buttons and links. None of it is free. But it can be reasonable.

I've found a site that will encrypt any information you want to put up on the web for a nominal one-time fee. I know, I'm into FREEBIES for you guys, but some things are worth paying for!

Go here: Encrypt you Site or Your Sensitive Information Take a look and see how it works. They explain the process very well. Once you pay the small fee, you can use the service as many times as you want. It's a lifetime subscription. Just don't forget your password. It's terribly long but very secure.

If you have problems keeping up with all your logins and passwords, I recommend Roboform or Pins. You can Google Roboform. I've used both. I'm currently using PINS. Its Open Source Freeware. You can find it at http://www.mirekw.com/winfreeware/pins.html. Password management programs really help, especially when sites don't allow you to pick your own passwords.

Just remember....Internet marketing is about closing the sale. You can market your tush off and lose income because your code wasn't secure. Don't let a thief pull an end run around your payment processor!

Randolph M. Wells Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator IT Training and Certification Consultant IT Project Management Specialist Visit the Profit Master Blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randolph_Wells

Making A Living From The Affiliate Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:16:00 +0000

By Clive Chung

Is it possible to make a living from the internet? Yes, you can earn a lot of money just selling other people's stuff online, which known as affiliate marketing. A canadian woman named Rosalind Gardner earned over $400,000 in one year just writing a dating review site. However, becoming a successful online marketer takes time and effort, and there is no way to 'get rich quick'. The basic steps to make money from affiliate are:

1. Buy a domain and web hosting online.

2. Design your website and write a few keyword-rich contents.

3. Looking for a good affiliate program which related to your keywords.

4. Submit your site into all major search engine like yahoo and google.

5. Working hard on the SEO stuff to improve your search engine ranking in order to drive more traffic to your website. Most people will do some link exchanges with some similar website or submit their 'own words article' into article directory.

6. Searching over the internet everyday to check if someone steals your content.

7. If you think your website is having a lot of good content and believe some people will buy what you are selling after reading your website, you could pay google to advertise for you(google adwords).

8. After a few months, some people should get some sales and start earning money. The bad news is, most people don't.

These are the brief summaries to tell you how to make money from affiliate market. However, if you want to be successful, you need to do more. Just like the real world market, you need to know your competition, find out the profit-making weapons, and make some good investment.

Nowadays, you could easily find many software on the internet that can help you to make money from affiliate market. BUT BE CAREFUL, 99% of the program are scam. Don't invest on any program that claims you can earn six digits in one day unless some of your real-life friends has tried it before. However, if you find a software that works, you can save a lot of time to research the skills by investing under $100. If the software really works, you could probably get your investment back in a few days. So, if you are interested in making a living from the internet, start searching a good program throughout the internet.

Check out Earn Money From Amazon Affiliate to get a free e-book “Craigslist Traffic” today and learn how to earn money from affiliate with zero cost.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clive_Chung

Affiliate Marketing Techniques

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:11:00 +0000

By Corinne Mech

Affiliate marketing, if done correctly, is a very lucrative business. This is why affiliate marketers are always searching for that “prize-winning product”… you know, the one that will earn h/him the biggest paycheck.

Well, I’m here to tell you that as an affiliate marketer, you do not need a product. In fact, you don’t even need a website. There are, however, strategies that need to be implemented in order to succeed as an affiliate marketer.

Affiliate marketing is a business and will require some investment of time and money, like in any other business. You will need to invest in the tools of the trade and keep up with new developments and trends of the internet marketing business.

Here are a few techniques you could use to help you succeed with your affiliate marketing business:

First, create a unique landing page for the promotion of each and every product you are marketing for an affiliate. Do not combine all of the products onto one landing page just to save some money on web hosting. It is best to have one landing page focusing on one individual product and make sure that your site adds value by providing relevant content. I know how much it frustrates me to visit a site only to find out that it is a web page advertising other websites.

Your landing page should have black type on a white background and there should be a lot of white space in your copy. This gives your page a clean and easy-to-read appearance. Make the pages attractive, compelling, and prompt customers to act on the product being offered. Your headlines should attract the readers and compel them to want to read more. Highlight text, add bullets, and use bold type for the special points. This will help your visitors to clearly understand what you are marketing and make them want to find out more about the product.

You might want to add a picture of yourself and a signature for a personal touch. This will gain trust from your visitors as you are now no longer some faceless, fly-by-night scammer.

Second, build a subscriber list by offering free articles, reports, or an e-Book to your visitors. Use an opt-in box to gather personal information from them, such as their name and e-mail address. If possible, position your opt-in box at the very top of your page so it simply cannot be missed. Create auto responder messages that will be automatically e-mailed to those who input their personal information.

According to research, it takes at least seven contacts before a sale is made. That is why it is imperative that you build a list with your opt-in box and keep in contact with those who have signed up to receive whatever it is that you’re offering (article, report, or an e-Book). This is how you will be able to generate income from backend sales. Remember . . . in the internet marketing world, your "list" is your "goldmine"!

One of two things will happen at your landing page: the visitor will move on to your affiliate’s site (which means a possible sale) or the prospect will leave the site never to return again. However, if they opted in for the freebie, you will be able to place useful information into their inbox at certain specified periods of time, inviting them back to your site. You can also remind them of the offer they missed and give them another opportunity to purchase the product. Be sure that the content and the product you are offering is for the same purpose that they visited your site to begin with. Do not make it sound like a sales pitch.

Include compelling subject lines in the e-mail, and for content, focus on how the product will benefit the customer (your landing page should reflect this point as well). Convince those who signed up for your free product that they will be missing out on something huge if they do not act now, today, this instant! (You get the point.)

Finally, drive only targeted traffic to your product. If the person who visited your website has no interest whatsoever in what you are offering, they will be among those who move on and never come back. Another way of getting free targeted traffic is to write articles for publication in e-zines and e-reports. This way you can submit your articles to publications that are targeting customers who would already be interested in your product.

Submit articles with at least 300-600 words in length. Do not submit articles that have been taken from the public domain or purchased as a private label rights package. In other words, the article should be an original copy written by you. The more articles you submit, the more free traffic you will be able to generate. If you consistently write articles, you can generate as much as 100 targeted visitors to your site in a day . . . free!

According to statistics, only 1 out of 100 people are likely to buy your product or service. Therefore, if you can generate as much as 1,000 targeted hits for your website in a day, you can make 10 sales per day.

The strategies above are not really difficult to follow, if you think about it. It just requires a little time, effort, and an action plan on your part. You can do this. . .

© 2007 Corinne Mech
http://www.ezautopilotsystem.com/
http://www.youreadminassistant.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Corinne_Mech

Why Affiliate Marketing Should Be Included In Most Traditional Business Models

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:06:00 +0000

By Brian D Anderson

I am a firm believer most entrepreneurs should engage in selling affiliate products, unless perhaps you are already making 6 to 7 figures. I have been involved in affiliate marketing for the last 6 months because I realized how lucrative it can be. I decided to focus my own business in that direction. The reasons are simple. Here are just 8 of them...

1) Affiliate marketing is truely downright cheap. No huge startup costs and can be done easily on a shoestring budget.

2) You have the ability to literally create cash on demand, whenever you need it. Pay off bills or meet unexpected expenses. Have the ablility to funnel extra cash flow into your primary business to build it faster. Increase your advertising budget, purchase needed office equipment, etc.

3) Affiliate products are easy to promote. All you need is an affiliate link.

4) Information products are in high demand. The market is endless and growing each day.

5) InfoProducts are digital and instantly downloadable to the customer and the commissions are credited to your account immediately.

6) Commissions can be as high as 75%. Info-product marketplaces, like ClickBank pays out a 50% to 75% commission.

7) You don't need to create your own products, deal with customer support, handle credit card orders, etc.

8) Did I mention it's quick and easy to get started right away? You can earn your first affiliate commissions in a little as 24 hours.

Of course affiliate marketing has it's ins and outs. But with a little training from super affiliates, a willing to take action, the possibilities are endless what you can earn without much experience, whatsoever.

I totally recommend anyone starting out and building their MLM business, consulting business, whatever business opportunity you're in, strongly consider affiliate marketing to create extra income streams. The benefits are well worth it and may just save your butt whenever you get into a financial jam.

Brian Anderson is an eBusiness cosultant and affiliate marketer. You will find his personal business profile at http://www.directmatches.com/profitexperts

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_D_Anderson

Create Your Own Life Using The Secret

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:05:00 +0000

By Martin Vidakovic

There is a power that has changed my life and I want to introduce you to the same power. That is the power of energy. Do you realise we can create our own life. What we thing about we bring about. To Learn more , read on!

I have educated myself in the property market, share trading, business ventures, how the mind works and what it takes to writing a book. Formal education will earn you a living but self education will make you a million. The Secret will show you that you can create your own life.

At the core of the movie is a central philosophy called "the Law of Attraction". In fact, the movie itself was inspired by this very same law when the producer read a book called "the Science of Getting Rich" by Wallace D. Wattles. This books was written in 1910!

This philosophy states that we create our reality, both good and bad! The message is delivered through 24 "teachers" which include prosperity preachers, chiropractic healers, relationship gurus, life coaches and motivational speakers — into one clear, cohesive voice. The movie is a "must watch" for anyone interested in taking charge of their life and in creating the life of their dreams.

Following on the success of the Secret, 3 of the core teachers - namely Bob Proctor, Jack Canfield and Michael Beckwith have collaborated to produce a wealth building program called "the Secret Science of Getting Rich Seminar". This program is based on the book that inspired the movie and is set to make history as the fastest selling personal development program in history.

What is the Science of Getting Rich about? Well in the words of Wallace D. Wattles, "The ownership of money and property comes as a result of doing things in a certain way. Those who do things in this certain way, whether on purpose or accidentally, get rich. Those who do not do things in this certain way, no matter how hard they work or how able they are, remain poor. It is a natural law that like causes always produce like effects. Therefore, any man or woman who learns to do things in this certain way will infallibly get rich." The Secret Science of Getting Rich is all about teaching how to do things in this "certain" way to create wealth.

The success of this program is built on several rock solid foundations. These factors include: the phenomenal success of "the Secret", the timeless concepts from the Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles, the credibility of 3 of the most successful personal improvement teachers and New Thought leaders of our time, and the Internet as the distribution medium.

Click here to learn more about the Secret Science of Getting Rich Seminar and how you can profit from the distribution of the program.

Martin Vidakovic is an entrepreneur and self made millionaire at the age of 34. Only 6 years ago Martin only had $10 in his account and needed to find direction. That's when he decided to start his on Mortgage Company and spent time personally educating himself on what were the attributes of successful people. Using the Secret and the Law Of Attraction plus vision and hard work Martin has achieved a great deal in a short space of time. He now hopes to share some of these secrets with fellow readers. Enjoy!

http://lifetimeachievements.theofficialsecretseminar.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_Vidakovic

4 Ways to Build a Website For Affiliate Marketing Easily

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:04:00 +0000

By Stephen Chua

If you are planning to do affiliate marketing online, it pays to have your own website. Having your own website allow you to control the content and advertisements you want to show your visitors as well as collect your visitors name and email address for future backend promotions.

Here are a few ways you can build your own website easily:

1. Hire a website designer

This is the best option if you have deep pockets. It is not cheap to hire a website designer. A plain, single page website can set you back at least fifty dollars. If you want more pages and professional looking graphics, you may have to fork out a few hundreds to over a thousand dollars.

While this option is expensive, its main advantage is that you can have a professional looking site up and running quickly without having to know all the technical details. And it is designed according to your specifications.

2. Do It Yourself

If you are technically inclined and have no problem using an HTML editor or graphical website building tool such as Dreamweaver or FrontPage, this option is for you. However, make sure you have considerable amount of free time available, as this option can be very time consuming, depending on how complicated your site is.

To get your site up quickly and easily, you should use a website template as a starting point. You can modify the template right within the tool itself. To help you with the design, you can check some successful online stores to get an idea on how you can make your site look better. Make sure you do not place too many banner ads since these could distract some site users. Instead of clicking your ad, they might just leave your site and go look for other interesting websites.

3. Use a page generation tool

A page generation tool is not quite the same as a website building tool. It provides you with a form where you fill in essential information such as website title, keywords, content and other fields. Once you are done and click the start button, the tool will use a built-in template and generate a website for you based on the information you provided.

This is a very quick way to build a no frill website. Some page generation tools allow you to import templates so that you can build website with different look and feel. If this feature is available, you should take full advantage of it and create new templates. You can create template yourself or buy pre-made templates that you can customize. Customization should be done before you start to import the templates into the page generation tool. Most of the time, these tools do not allow you to modify the source code from their interface.

4. Use a blog

In a nutshell, a blog is a website with content management capability. It is probably the easiest way to start a website. You can get a free account at blogger.com or wordpress.com. Your primary tasks are posting fresh content on your blog and drive traffic to it. You do not even need to have a web host or domain name to get started. Just remember to add the appropriate affiliate link in your post if you are promoting any product.

In the long run, it is a good idea to have the blog hosted in your own web host and link it to a domain name. This will build your credibility and make you look professional. Furthermore, you have total control over the look and feel of your blog layout. Most hosting service providers include a tool called Fantastico, which enable you to easily install a Wordpress blog at the click of a button.

Once you have your website or blog up and running, you need to provide good content on a regular basis. In addition, you should try to promote your website or blog in as many places as possible. Your content should be useful to your website visitors and not just blatant advertisements. With useful content, your website visitors will trust you and likely purchase products that you recommend on your website or blog.

Discover how one guy from India make $15,691 from AdSense using a free website building software Insider report revealed all. Get your free copy at http://adsenserevenuetips.com today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Chua

Use Your "About Us" Page for Extra Income

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:02:00 +0000

By Lisa Irby

You don't have to have a website on web design to earn extra income as a domain name reseller. If you own a website, there's absolutely no reason you shouldn't try this. This technique works especially well if you have a site that is already making some money because you can use your success as a case study or testimonial to inspire others.

Think about all the people who visit your site. Many of them want websites of their own, but they have no idea how to create one. Sure, these people didn't come to your site to learn about website building, but there's a clever way to get them interested, and you can earn a nice residual income by reselling domain names and web hosting.

Here's how to do it...

Start by building an "About Us" page (if you don't have one already). When your visitors click to this page, it's usually because they are curious about you. Maybe they like your site and they want to learn what inspired you to create it.

And if your site is really useful and informative, people will arrive at this page with feelings of respect and trust for you. This is important because that means they are more likely to buy products you recommend.

After you've told your audience about you, create a section on your "About Me" page that explains how you created your site. And if you're making money from it, give them a little background on how you've done it (Google AdSense, affiliate programs, etc.)

Next, encourage your visitors to build their own sites. And this is very important...

Make sure you do it within the context of your site's theme.

For example, let's say you have a site that reviews electronic products. On your "About Me" page, explain to people how they can create their own affiliate site on electronics or their favorite hobby. Give them some examples.

Tell them that they can create a website reviewing video games and earn money by referring their audience to the latest games and video game consoles. Notice how the example is relevant to their interests? All of a sudden, your audience is brainstorming for ways they can build their own website and make money.

Even though affiliate marketing is getting more popular, most people still don't understand that a simple information website can earn them money. Now here's your chance to show them. And here's where your affiliate revenue comes in...

Join a domain name / web hosting reseller program and send your audience to your reseller site so they can begin their websites. As a reseller, you'll be able to set your own prices and determine your own profit margins while the parent company handles all the transactions, customer support, etc. (They do all the hard stuff while you sit back and collect the commissions.)

I recommend domain reseller programs over affiliate programs because as a reseller you have more control over your profits. Most affiliate programs are free, but you don't earn any residual income. You'll just earn a commission for that first-time sale. Ultimate Domain Resellers is a great domain and web hosting reseller program where you can earn residuals.

When you're a reseller, as long as your customers keep their sites, you will get paid every time they pay their monthly hosting bill and renew their domain names. So just think... if you earn a $5 commission for each hosting plan and you sign up 10 people per month. By month 6, you will earn $300 just in residual commissions plus any new customers that begin their websites.

An About Us page can be extremely powerful. Not only can it help build your credibility, but it gives you a chance to help your audience do something many of them have always wanted to do...

Build their own website!

Now you may be wondering why I suggest promoting this on an "About Us" page, rather than just creating a page about website creation, or simply putting ads up on your site.

Think about it. If your site is not about web development then your audience would probably ignore such a page. After all, they didn't come to your site to learn how to build a website so a page like that may seem out of place or some kind of sales pitch.

However, if you tell your story on your "About Us" page, it comes off as an informational article rather than someone trying to hard sell domain names on a site that is totally unrelated. It provides you with a chance to let your audience know you are a real person with interests and a personality. That's so important on the Net since so many websites are authored by anonymous people.

So there you have it. Unlock the power of your About Me page and tell your visitors how to create a website of their own. Join a domain name / web hosting reseller program and experience the wonders of residual income when your audience begins creating their own websites.

Lisa Irby is the author of http://www.2createawebsite.com - a site that squashes many of the myths about making money with a website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Irby

Advantages of Purchasing a Franchise Business

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:33:00 +0000

By Budda Oliver

Purchasing a franchise business may be a good option to consider if you want to have your own business, but are not sure how to go about doing it. Purchasing and running a franchise is just like owning your own business, but it provides you with excellent tools, resources, and other advantages that do not come with starting a company from the ground up.

A franchise is basically a license to use an existing company's name, trademarks, products, services, and other resources in return for agreeing to use that company's existing business formats and provide a percentage of your franchise's income and earnings. For the parent company, or franchisor, selling privileges to a corporation provides a way to expand the market share quicker, and less expensively.

The most appealing aspect of purchasing a franchise is usually the fact that most of the pre-opening work is done for you. When you purchase a business format franchise, you gain the privilege of not only being able to sell the parent company's products or services, but also the right to use their established practices. These procedures may include training programs, marketing strategies, trade secrets, accounting systems, etc.

As opposed to starting your own enterprise from scratch, franchising allows you to take advantage of the parent company's already established reputation and recognizable assets. The main advantage of this is that you will be able to more easily be able to attract customers from the start, which is one of the biggest obstacles faced when starting a company from the ground up. For example, buying a McDonald's restaurant will no doubt provide you with a much larger instant customer base than you would have if you were to open an independent hamburger restaurant.

In addition, most of the financial aspects of running a venture will be more clear-cut. The franchisor will be able to provide you with details of both start-up costs and operational costs, taking most of the guess work out of running a corporation.

Besides name and product or service recognition, your franchisor will also be able to provide you with many other benefits, such as industry experience, group purchasing power, training programs, and ongoing support, just to name a few.

As with any business venture, there will be risks in opening a business. However, having a proven and reliable franchise system helps to minimize these risks. Good franchisors will be able to provide you with proven systems that are easily replicated in order to provide consistent results.

Purchasing a franchise business should be thought of as entering into a partnership. As long as you can be a good business partner to you franchisor, your franchisor should do everything possible to ensure that you have a successful, profitable venture. This kind of support is what makes running a franchise business so advantageous to aspiring entrepreneurs.

Mr. Oliver is a marketing agent of FRANNET. The franchise buying expert provides consultation services to walk clients through the process of purchasing a franchised business. For more information on their Franchise Experts please visit their website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Budda_Oliver

Will Your Franchise Sell for What You Think it is Worth?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:25:00 +0000

One of the common questions prospective franchisees ask during the discovery phase of their franchise opportunity centers on the ability to sell the franchise. Generally, the franchisee is informed that it can be sold just like any other business. That is only partially true. Unfortunately, for the inexperienced franchisee, they will not find that out until many years down the road. While many businesses are sold based upon a multiple of the earnings of the business, this does not always hold true for franchises. You see, in the sale of a franchise, there is another party which must be dealt with, and that is the franchisor.

Just because you want to sell your business does not mean that it can even be sold. Remember, every potential buyer must meet the requirements of the franchisor and the landlord, just as you had to. The next hurdle is the price. This is where things get a little tricky. For basic illustrative purposes, assume the business nets $100,000 and you want to sell it for a multiple of five, or $500,000. Obviously, there are many factors that go into determining worth, so this is just an extremely basic example.

How realistic is it that you can command that price? Well, you will need to consider several factors. First, how many years are left on the current agreement and how many renewal options are left? Does the franchisor have the ability to decline the options? If you do not have enough years left on your term to enable the prospective buyer to get a proper return on the investment, your sale price will be reduced. An independent business does not have to deal with this concern.

A second variable that plays a part is the cost to transfer ownership. Many franchise agreements require the buyer to pay a transfer fee. However, that is not usually the biggest stumbling block. Generally, the franchisor will require that the unit be brought up to the current specifications and will invoke the mandatory remodeling costs to bring it current. In most cases, that amount, plus the transfer fee, will come off of the sale price. If a broker is involved, there is also that fee to deal with.

Finally, depending on the chain, your location and footprint of your building may not fit the current model or look the franchisor is using. Therefore, upon sale, the buyer may be approved however the location may not. The buyer may be required to relocate the business. If that is the case, you really have very little to sell.

All of these factors, plus many more, will play a huge part in determining what you will get for your business, IF you can sell it.

A current successful entrepreneur and multi-unit franchisee for over 16 years as the initial franchisee of a restaurant concept, David Kajganich has continually sought lucrative opportunities that are in the early stages of success. His goal and purpose is to help and mentor others to achieve the success of their dreams.

Check out his latest ventures at http://www.myspace.com/everlastingwealth

http://www.NoFranchiseNeeded.com

Nobody cares how much you know until you show them how much you care.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Kajganich

The Joys of Being a Franchise Consultant

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:24:00 +0000

If you have been in an industry for 20 years and were at the top 5% level of productivity and knowledge and are now semi-retired perhaps you should be a consultant. Not everyone has what it takes to be a consultant, but if you do, you will find yourself in a nice place financially by taking advantage of your expertise and knowledge.

Today, I am a semi-retired consultant to industry and having been in the franchising industry for so long I find that those are the most rewarding coaching opportunities for me. Of course it is not all good. There are some real winners out there. Luckily you can choose who you wish to do business with. My advice is to be the best, work only for the best and expect the best; let's call it "all the best!"

Recently when discussing franchise consulting with a gentleman who wished to start a mobile franchise business making jewelry, we got to talking about past experiences and international business. No, not far off international business, just over the border in Mexico from Arizona and I mentioned the questionable ways business was done there and how some of Mexico ran like a third world country. He stated;

I was going from Phx to Mexican border town for scripts. I met this girl and found that her Father was Mayor (town w/300K), her Uncle was Chief of Police (I could do NO harm), and another Uncle,on her Mother's side was a State Rep. I married her after a long formal courtship and bought a strip club 5 blocks from the border.

So, far as a business consultant, no real problem here, only a red flag on the strip-club thing, but still there are always reasons why people do things. I no longer wanted the job of consulting this gentleman after hearing this, but did not dismiss him as an entrepreneur by any means. But then he stated something like this;

The kids came in droves from U of A, ASU and I rolled in the bucks, even sold coke right in the club. I got a chance to buy a cantina that had a 21 room "Casa de Pu-ta". I got the kids all pumped up at the strip club then loaded them on my jittney for the 4 mi. cross town trip to my Cantina so they could get drunk and laid. I made 3M in 4.5 years. Long story short I left my wife, three kids, mistress, and two kids 2M in trusts and took off for Tonapah, AZ where I sold land home packages until I went into an 18 day coma and almost died.

Now as a consultant and a straight arrow, you can imagine my dismay at this gentleman's lack of personal character. Indeed, there was no way at this point I was going to help a man who left his wife and kids to set up a whore house in Mexico just over the border, with a strip-club and then sell drugs and assist American Kids in getting STDs. He then stated how he preceeded to lose all his wealth and how he got a terrible disease.

Well, being a one man show, not even capable of getting out of bed for 6 mo., I lost all but 75K. Then I came down w/Buerger's Disease and wound up on SSD, living in Escanaba, MI. Oh well, I'm still going to try to make it again if you'll hang w/me and coach me!

Indeed the answer is "No Way" would you? And am I suppose to feel sorry for this gentleman now and help him regain his ill-gotten riches in an industry that I care about? Well, you see there are success stories in consulting and there are horror stories. And the moral of the story is "Know Your Customer" because your reputation is based on it.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

First to Market Theory Completely Out of Sync with Reality

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:23:00 +0000

Is being first to market really that important? I believe that the amount of energy and time purporting this myth is somewhat unnerving in that being first to market is not always so great. Indeed, I have been first to market many times and yes, no one can deny that often that is a total advantage. But it is also somewhat costly to chase hunches and the cost to build a prototype that crashes and burns is not so funny, especially when the future of your company hangs in the balance.

As a veteran of the high stakes game of entrepreneurship, I completely concur with the comments that First to Market should not be the primary goal. You see it costs money, lots of it, or lots of grass-roots hard work to do a test market roll-out and introduce a new product or in my case "a new service" and after refining your techniques someone else can come into the market without having to pay for all the mistakes and hard-knocks and not have to worry too much about getting kicked in the teeth from having to straddle between non-existent regulations, while competing with the old guard (industry association status quo) with all their little political connections.

Now if you have your act together and have done it a few times, being first to market can be a good thing, but all eyes are on you and if you screw it up (Zap Mail - FedEx example), well they will never let it down.

In 1997 I was in Las Vegas for the International Franchise Association (elite club meeting) and everyone who is anyone in the Industry was there and yes many household names. But one thing that I got the most out of was the "mini-round table" seminar only 20 people in the room, all founders of franchise companies and up to bat was the International Marketing Team from Dominoes Pizza, Tom Monahan appeared to be quite proud of them in fact.

Well to make a long story short they discussed why they did not desire and preferred not to be "first to market" because if you went into a country and put in a few outlets, example; Nairobi, Kenya for instance. No one knew what a Pizza was. What is this thing with cheese on top and all these food items melted in place? See the point. They indicated they wanted to be second or even third to market.

Why? Well after the first company (ies) spent all the money offering discounts, advertising and free-sample marketing, they simply came in competed head to head in the "Enterprise Rent-a-Car" style and took massive market share, since people already knew what a Pizza was and they knew who to market better and followed time-tested efficiency strategies refined from over 10,000 previous outlets. Yah!

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Franchise Help Wanted - In Need of Qualified Franchise Attorney

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:21:00 +0000

Introduction

Business ventures need to be complemented with excellent consultation. The more sources of information a business person has, the more efficiently they can undergo the process. Being part of a franchise is a wise decision, but many hours of research are needed for the appropriate acquisition of knowledge. Even after the process has commenced, a good business-minded person will realize that they constantly need to learn more through experience and through the consultation of others.

Why they are needed

Getting a qualified franchise attorney is a suggested component of the franchise process. Look for an attorney that specializes in franchise law and has spent some time working with the franchise industry. Not only should they know franchising very well, but they also need to know your particular state’s franchising rules, laws, and regulations. It is also suggested that the selected attorney is not affiliated with the franchisee’s franchisor.

Good law consultation is needed at every level of the franchise process. Franchisors may have a team of legal advisors and franchisees usually have at least one source of legal counsel.

What they can help with

Franchise attorneys will aid a person with understanding legal issues and documents and guard them from making costly mistakes. Documents (especially in the beginning of the venture) are filled with technical terms and may not be easily understood by all, so having someone to serve as an interpreter is a wise decision.

Franchising is associated with a series of involved and complex laws. The system also involves many different players on varied levels. The enterprise is much easier handled along with the help of a specialized counselor.

A prospective franchisee will need to analyze particular franchises to theorize what will be the best fit for them. A franchise attorney will be able to research each franchise according to their business record and reputation within the industry.

Specifics

As aforementioned, a franchise attorney will help you through the entire franchise process. The following is a list of some of the components they will help you with:

- Review of the Uniform Franchise Offering Circular
- Negotiation with the franchisor
- Preparation of shareholder agreement
- Negotiation of leases
- Help with dispute resolution
- Review of renewal agreements
- Transactions

Franchise attorneys can be found by:

- Referral from other attorneys
- Referral from the American Bar Association
- Referral from the International Franchise Association

Franchise Fetch delivers franchise opportunities to the public. We have businesses offering franchises in many industries. Check out our Web site to see all of the occasions we have to offer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Oscar_Twain

Get Free Fast Food Using an Austin Business Consultant

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 08:09:00 +0000

I want to share an interesting ad I saw in the paper the other day: Wealthy fast food addict in search of an Austin business consultant to guide him in the purchase of a fast food franchise so he can save money on burgers and fries.

Okay! I didn’t really see that ad, but I know Texas business strategists and business coaches all around your area that could help that person, or you, find and purchase a franchise by guiding you through the process if that’s what you want to do.

Just so happens that, even though I’m awful with an opening joke, I know a few things about buying a franchise myself that I learned from Austin business consultants. This time I’ll be serious, so please keep reading.

As with anything, common questions arise that you want answered before you begin to even consider buying a franchise. Before you consult with a Texas business consultant or business strategist, you must read the answers to those questions and save yourself some time and maybe money.

How does a franchisor make his money?

They consult a Texas business coach like you will! Then, they charge a hefty fee for a franchise. After that, they collect a percentage of the sales and also sell supplies and services to the franchise. Consult an Austin business consultant to find out the standard fees and percentages for the industry in which you want to buy a franchise.

What’s more important? The initial fee or the charges down the road from sales, etc?

Assuming you’re buying into a successful franchise, definitely concern yourself more with the charges you’ll incur down the road. Those charges come directly from a percentage of your sales, not profits. Too high of a percentage can deflate your profits.

Beware of any hefty fees required up front. Make sure the franchise is successful. Most importantly, consult with a Texas business consultant or seek the help of a Texas business coach before signing any contracts.

Well, is it worth it to pay a percentage of my sales?

I can’t decide that for you. Austin business consultants say that if you possess industry experience then, yes, it could be worth it for you. However, if you’re new to the industry you want to buy into and just want to try your hand, you might be best to work for someone else first.

Texas business strategists point out that you pay a percentage of sales. That means what you pay doesn’t take into account operating expenses and the like. If you don’t know the industry, you can’t plan ahead so that you can pay those fees and still make the profit you need.

What other costs can exist?

You might have to pay a percentage of advertising costs and not just for your area. This might include local, regional, or even national costs. Again, consult with an Austin business consultant. Take advantage of the help that Texas business coaches can give to you to help you make the smart choice.

What else should I watch out for?

Talk to other franchise owners and a Texas business consultant before proceeding with buying any franchise. I can’t say that enough! However, you should know if you could sell the franchise easily, if the franchise fees can be increased for any reason, and how your industry skills stack up against others who bought into that franchise. Again, talk to a Texas business strategist and other franchise owners. The time you take to do your research will pay off in gains instead of losses.

Ben Jordan is x-Fortune 500 Austin Business Consultant, who has consulted small business owners, up to $30 Billion dollar companies around the country. For a short time you gain access to his now infamous, "The No BS Video Newsletter" FREE for life, a $447 value by visiting http://www.whoisbenjordan.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_Jordan

Financing A Franchise - The BIG Error

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 08:08:00 +0000

So you fancy a franchise eh? You like the sound of the whole ‘in business for yourself, but not by yourself’ thing. You’ve done your research and you reckon you can see the way ahead. You reckon your future lies under the banner reading ‘Franchise’.

Then you come up against the $64,000 questions…

1) How much will it cost?

2) Can you afford it?

Now if you are at all human you will have done what every prospect on the path to making a purchase of any sort does. You will have pictured what it will be like to own that franchise. Which is perfectly understandable.

BUT

You are also laying yourself open to the biggest mistake that prospective franchisees can possibly make. You see you can be in danger of letting your judgement be affected by a fatal affliction that is the cause of huge misery in many walks of life, but especially in Franchising. That affliction is

OVEROPTIMISM

Even the most level-headed individual is prone to it from time to time. Most of the time you get away with it, but in franchising there are several things that make this a hugely dangerous problem. That’s because of the following points:

1) The prospective franchisee (You?) is often not experienced in the world of small business finance, so they are leaning heavily on others to provide that experience. The major supplier is frequently the franchisor. A person or company who has a different agenda to you. They want to grow their business and while they don’t want you to fail they are certainly more willing to risk your future they you might be.

2) You may not be experienced in finance and cannot pull together a cash flow forecast.

3) You may know exactly how much you’ve got to spend and believe that it ‘should be enough’.

4) Your optimistic assumptions are based on doing as well or better than others already in the field.

5) You haven’t factored in what you really need to live on. What will see you on the short road to bankruptcy is a failure to recognise that these problems have to be acknowledged and dealt with. Optimism will mask these unpalatable facts sometimes until it is too late.

So to avoid disaster:

1) Create several cash flow scenarios. Yes, be optimistic, but also be neutral and pessimistic too. Then look at the pessimistic forecast. Now be even more pessimistic. Can you afford to fund the franchise and yourself at that rate of profit?

2) When you think you’ve covered the options take your thoughts along to a friend or somebody who’s opinion you value and who you can trust to give you their real thoughts rather than what you want to hear. Tell them you need to check the reality of the deal.

3) Take your proposition along to a local accountant or book keeper. They will give you their advice for a fixed fee and it needn’t cost the earth. If you are worried about the cost, try to compare the cost with the amount of money you could lose. I suddenly looks a little better doesn’t it.

4) When you are lying in bed in the still of the night ask yourself if you are really sure that the numbers stack up. Are you really certain that you are being realistic rather than optimistic.

5) Take another look at the numbers that the franchisor is giving you as an example. Ask yourself exactly how you are going to replicate the numbers that they are quoting. If they are suggesting that you can make quarter of a million in the first year, ask yourself whether you can really make that money – where are the customers coming from in the real world rather than on paper.

6) Look again at the assumptions you are making and decide what would happen if the assumptions were slightly out? Would it be a disaster or would it be OK.

Finally make sure you do every bit of research you can think of, and get a really good guide to help you create the structure for your investigations. You may want to consider my book – www.realworldfranchising.com it covers all of these items in more depth and a lot more too.

Gareth Williams is an advisor on franchising from the franchise buyers perspective. A past franchise owner he has real experience of franchising 'from the trenches'. He has written what many consider to be the definitive guide to buying a franchise. This is available from http://www.realworldfranchising.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gareth_Williams

Why Franchising Needs Women

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 08:07:00 +0000

That there are differences between men and women should not come as a surprise to anyone. That those differences would be a consideration and even a key method in determining whether or not a person would have greater success in the franchise world seems to be more than shocking it's downright politically incorrect. That is until understanding that the determination is that the franchising world needs more women franchise owners. According to recent studies, and also to age old observances of the many differences in the way men and women think and operate, women tend to have a different style and approach to business thinking that allows them a significant edge in the franchising market.

Women and men are both capable workers in the business world, but studies have shown that women are the gender with a tendency to multi-task several different operations, while at the same time not allowing minor hindrances and details to bog them down and detract from a long term overall picture. The more simple and direct approach of focusing on one task or job until it is accomplished, studies have shown, is a natural approach for the male brain, but the female brain is more naturally adept at processing many different tasks before any one particular job or task has been completed. This type of multiple task approach is the exact type of mindset that a successful small business franchise owner needs in order to get their new business off the ground and making profits.

The different types of franchise opportunities are virtually limitless, and the "shotgun" thought pattern naturally prevalent in the female brain allows women an easier path to initial success in the franchise business world. An encouragement for the many women out there that are looking for a business opportunity but have felt that the small business franchise world is more suited for the corporate male mind. Don't believe either that the only successful female franchises are those that employ only females or provide "womanly" products and services.

While there are a variety of franchises that seem to cater to the operation and sales of a female population such as LittleAngels Children's photography, which is a fast growing franchise that prefers their all female ownership for the simple reason that their main business is photographing children in pre-school groups and nurseries who have shown a preference to women photographers.

Other options also include Rosemary Conley Diet & fitness Clubs. These fitness clubs are all women clubs that allow women the opportunity to enjoy exercise and fitness activities in a much less self conscious environment than a typical bi-gender health club. Rosemary Conley Franchises are the first and only franchises in the UK to offer both health and fitness programs along with diet advice in the same class.

Also looking for women franchisers in the UK is Auntie Anne's Pretzel. This franchise is a basic, simple to understand business plan that provides a great treat whose smell serves as one of it's best advertising components. Auntie Anne's pretzel franchises are typically places in areas with high pedestrian traffic and are a great business to watch flourish quickly.

There are many other franchises that are specifically seeking women owners and investors that may surprise you such as: MatchPoint Professional Consultants, Expense Reduction Analysts Franchise Consultancy Group, and Busby Web Solutions franchise.

If you are a woman seeking a business opportunity, then take a look at the world of franchising, because franchise providers are looking for you.

Learn more about UK franchises and find the best business opportunity for you at Franchise Gator UK.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Candice_Clem

Franchise Success vs Entrepreneurial Spirit in a Super Smackdown Event

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 08:07:00 +0000

You're all the things a good entrepreneur should be: driven, disciplined, confident and focused. Business problems that send others running for cover are simply the fuel that feeds your ambition. You prepare and prioritize like a paratrooper and you're as independent and steadfast as a bull taunted by fluttering scarlet silk. If you opt to buy a franchise, prepare for a smackdown.

Buying a franchise requires many of the same characteristics starting a business from scratch demands, but tempered in a way that allows the franchisee to integrate into a network. A successful franchise owner should be a good leader, but one who can listen to and take advice from peers and colleagues - and a franchisor.

Learning the franchise system means going back to school - as the student. Good franchisors must have the patience and tolerance to learn, understand and implement an already established system, leaving little room to do things their own way. Are you prepared to accept the franchisor's way of doing things - whether you like them or not, whether you agree with them or not? Your franchise agreement will require it.

Die-hard entrepreneurs are willing to take risks few people can stomach. But buying a franchise involves much less risk than building a business from the ground up, which is the very thing that attracts many franchisees in the first place. They like the idea of being a part of something that's already established. If this idea excites you, you're franchisee material. If, instead, you hear the faint hiss of your spirit deflating, perhaps you should consider another option.

Be honest: do you work well with others? Are you the kid who just couldn't follow the teacher's directions for your science project because you were convinced you knew a better way? Do you merge with traffic or would you prefer to direct it? Being a successful franchisee will require you to work together with the franchisor as well as other franchisees for optimal results. Some people live for collaboration, some prefer to do things their own way and own the results, good or bad. There's no doubt you'll own the results of your franchise endeavor. But any chance of success requires that you be the type of leader who is willing to follow an established course.

Committing to a business venture is like committing to a relationship. It requires plenty of consideration, honest self-assessment and ownership of your actions and the resulting consequences. Choose well, and you can look forward to many challenging yet blissful years of contentment. Choose poorly, and you're in for a major smackdown.

Lisa Hoffmann is chief copywriter for PRstore, a full-service retail marketing franchise with 41 stores in 18 states. PRstore makes professional marketing accessible to small- to medium-sized businesses by offering affordable marketing solutions and eliminating the pricey retainers often required by traditional marketing agencies. For more information about becoming a part of this dynamic franchise, visit PRstoreFranchise.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Hoffmann

4 Tips To Remember When Talking To Franchisors

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:34:00 +0000

Franchising research is a dangerous business for potential Franchisees. The Franchisor can hold all the cards….unless you see the relationship for what it is!

I’ve set out below 4 rules that I go into in more depth in my book. Ignore these at your peril, but take them into account and you and the Franchisor can have discussions with the deck not stacked against you.

1) The Franchisor is wishing to enter into a contract with you that will enable him to grow his business. The relationship that you develop is based around MUTUAL benefit. In the light of this, there is no need to feel that you have to impress the Franchisor or that when you meet with them you are applying for a job.

2) The purchase price of the Franchise should be in proportion to the rewards that are realistically on offer. Don’t forget, every penny spent in the purchase of the Franchise is one less going into the development of the Franchise after purchase.

3) Remind yourself that the person who is taking the biggest risk in this relationship is you. It’s true that the Franchisor wants to grow their Franchise with the right people. However don’t forget that if they don’t sell Franchises they don’t grow their business at all!

4) The Franchisor’s representative is well motivated to sell you a franchise. Remember, if this was a job interview you would be the salesman in the relationship. In fact you are the buyer and the Franchisor is the salesman. Tailor your approach in the light of this.

Don’t forget these rules when interviewing Franchisors.

NOTE YOU are interviewing THEM -- NOT vice versa!

Gareth Williams is an advisor on franchising from the franchise buyers perspective. A past franchise owner he has real experience of franchising 'from the trenches'. He has written what many consider to be the definitive guide to buying a franchise. This is available from http://www.realworldfranchising.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gareth_Williams

The Eight Best Franchise Opportunities Of 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:33:00 +0000

Wondering what franchises provide the best business opportunities? The results are in for 2006’s best franchise businesses. Check here to see if your favorite franchise made the list!

International. This company provides graphic design for signs large and small, as well as trade show displays, banners, electrical signs, and graphics for vehicles. The company has a great track record, with over twenty years of experience under its belt and consistently strong sales.

HomeVesters of America, Inc. You’ve probably seen those ads that say “we buy ugly houses!” Meet the company behind the ads: real estate experts who operate in a special niche market—undervalued property. Those who’ve bought into the franchise love the fact that the business provides group rates on vacant property insurance and strong support of its franchise owners through conventions, personal consultations, a detailed website, and more.

Haagen-Dazs Who doesn’t love ice cream? Franchise-owners find this company as hard to resist as its product. They’re a company with strong franchisor support, including a two-week onsite training course at their headquarters in Minneapolis, onsite training until your opening day, site selection assistance, and continued support for your marketing, business planning, and operations.

Jazzercise, Inc. A fitness phenomenon in the eighties, jazzercise is still going strong, and it’s easy to see why—it’s a fun, challenging fitness program that incorporates blood-pumping dance moves, upbeat music, and a solid cardio workout. Today, Jazzercise, Inc. is an international franchisor. It has over 5,000 instructors in over thirty countries, and teaches almost half a million students each year.

Budget Blinds, Inc. Budget Blinds is a company that invests heavily in its advertising—which is good news for the franchisee. The company runs a multi-million-dollar national ad campaign, and has a business model that’s proven to work. Franchisees love this company because of its financial growth, strong support from the franchisor, and its established brand name.

Heaven’s Best Carpet Cleaning 106 franchisees gave their opinion about this franchise—and the results were resoundingly positive. The franchise was consistently rated excellent for great franchisor relationships, strong training and support programs, and a great financial opportunity. It’s also a franchise with a low start-up cost: your total investment for this business is estimated at only between $24,000 and $60,000.

Hair Cuttery This business is a fast-growing, highly profitable chain that works hard to keep its employees satisfied. In fact, it has one of the highest employee retention rates in the industry. It also provides products to sell, site selection, décor advice, and thorough training—the company claims that even people with no salon experience can become successful franchise owners through their training program.

RE/MAX This real estate franchise was voted Inman News’ Innovator of the Year for 2006. It was also voted #8 in survey. It’s been in business for over thirty years, with a strong national ad campaign, a good sales record, and plenty of support for its franchisees.

Business is booming for many American franchise companies nowadays—in all industries. If you’re considering going into business for yourself, a franchise may be just the opportunity you’re looking for—and you can’t go wrong with any one of these successful brands.

FranchiseFetch.com brings you tremendous business opportunities. Buying into a franchise means that you can be your own boss, yet still have the experience and insight of an already successful business behind you. There are many different businesses to choose from on our site along with resourceful information and tips in reference to franchising.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sage_Dean

Buying a Franchise Business

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:32:00 +0000

Buying a franchise is often a good way for people to own a business, who might not have as much experience or confidence in running a business. Franchises offers a safer alternative, with less risk & more support than building a business from scratch.

The success of franchises' comes down to the fact you have a proven and working business model, with many other franchisees having already taken the (hopefully successful) step into owning the same franchise.

Benefits of owning a franchise:

- Established brand.

- Established marketing campaigns.

- Cumulative purchasing power.

- Proven successful business model.

- Support, assistance and training.

- Risk avoidance.

Before jumping headfirst into a franchise, you should tread carefully. It is likely you will be sinking a lot of money into non-recoverable costs - for example, franchise fees, legal costs and brand new equipment/store setups.

You should also be weary of new franchises promoting the 'best new thing' - no matter what the flashy brochures say. Be certain to speak to existing franchise holders to see if they are successful, and if not, why not.

With the added support of the franchise, they usually have a vested interest in you succeeding which has helped it to become a very popular way for less experienced people to become self employed. However it shouldn't stop you from going alone. The success of your business is only going to be as good as the franchise operator, if the marketing falls short - it could hit you badly as well.

A lot of people buy into franchises purely as a job, and it doesn't always live up to people's expectations. You should make sure you do the proper research and be realistic about the goals the business can achieve, before you hand over your cash.

Andy is a writer for CanadaBizMart - home to hundreds of business for sale and franchise listings in Canada.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_D

5 Marketing Tips - Franchises Benefit from Integrated Promotions and Mail Campaigns

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:27:00 +0000

If you are like most franchisors, you continually face the same challenge: how to grow your business in a competitive marketplace. The primary leverage points franchisors have to grow their companies are twofold: add more franchisees to their networks and ensure the ongoing success of those franchisees once they have been added. One key to achieving both is to plan and execute optimal promotions and direct mail campaigns.

In order for a given franchise network's promotions and direct mail campaign to be optimal, the campaign must meet four conditions: 1. must be cost-effective, 2. must accurately communicate the value proposition of the company, 3. must be easy for franchisees to participate in, and 4. must target the right customers and prospects.

With these conditions in mind, here are 5 marketing tips for franchises for designing and executing integrated campaigns:

Tip #1: Standardize your marketing materials:

One of the cornerstones of good branding is the ability to present an integrated brand image - the look-and-feel of your materials, the messaging you use to reach out to prospective customers, and your value proposition - at every point of customer contact. Regardless of which advertising media you leverage or which members of your organization are in daily contact with your customer base, it is important to present a "unified front" in terms of what your organization is all about. This is particularly important for franchise organizations. If you leave it up to individual franchisees to develop marketing and advertising materials, it is highly likely that your customers and prospects will be exposed to conflicting brand images about your organization. This should be avoided at all costs because it can damage the brand you are working so hard to build.

Tip #2: Allow for just the right degree of customization:

Franchisors need to set forth strict guidelines for the use of company-branded promotional materials. Franchisees are faced with a dilemma: they want to promote the company brand, but they also need to communicate to customers the relevant information about their specific locations. As a guideline, about 80% to 90% of each piece of direct mail, poster, door hanger, and promotional good your organization sends to customers should remain consistent from location to location. At the same time, it is important to give franchisees the freedom to add address, store locator and customized coupon or promotion-related information as per their local campaigns. Striking the right balance between standardization and customization is paramount.

Tip #3: Give franchisees the flexibility to place orders online, anytime:

Franchisees are busy running their businesses day-to-day. They need to be able to place orders for corporate-approved promotions and direct mail campaigns on their own terms - even if that means doing so in their pajamas at 10:00 p.m. on a Saturday night over a hot cup of coffee. Franchise networks that implement password-protected, secure online ordering systems benefit from the flexibility that comes from "at-anytime, from-anywhere" style ordering. Online ordering means that franchisors can avoid the hassle of receiving or fulfilling mail and promo goods orders from franchisees. And, franchisees gain the flexibility to place orders anytime they choose - on their own terms.

Tip #4: Allow for targeted mail campaigns by offering only the most relevant list filters:

Franchisees are interested in the day-to-day tactics and strategies of running a cost-effective operation - they are in most cases not marketing experts. On the other hand, franchisees do understand that targeting the prospects that are most likely to respond to their direct mail campaigns makes good financial sense. The trouble is, there are literally thousands of available ways to filter any given mailing list today; income, age, and gender are just the tip of the iceberg. The best way around this dilemma of simplicity-of-ordering vs. offering multiple list filtering options is to set up an ordering system that gives franchisees access to just a handful of the most important list filters (e.g., demographic selects). This allows your franchisees the freedom to select their own list filtering criteria but at the same time does not overwhelm them with hundreds of confusing options.

Tip #5: Set up pre-arranged fulfillment agreements on behalf of your franchisees:

Franchisees often work 12 to 16 hour days building their businesses, especially when they are opening new locations. They know that marketing and advertising are important, but they do not have the time to call vendors, compile mail lists, check drafts, negotiate pricing and place orders - let alone get corporate approvals. The solution: the franchisor can help franchisees by pre-selecting the right goods and mail items and then setting up business agreements with geographically-appropriate vendors to fulfill them. That way, the franchisee just needs to pick up the phone or go online and place the order after choosing from a list of pre-approved items. Thinking through these considerations ahead of time can free up franchisors to focus on growing their business rather than managing the day-to-day selection, approval and fulfillment of promotional items.

Finding intelligent, cost-effective ways to integrate promotions and direct mail campaigns across your franchise network can pay off huge dividends down the road. These dividends include fewer franchisor headaches, higher participation rates among franchisees, a more integrated brand image across all points of customer contact, and more cost-effective, targeted campaigns.

Visit http://www.VentureManagerSolution.com for a free demo video on how to implement an custom online ordering system for your franchise network that features real-time mailing list counts, five-minute order processing and pre-arranged mail and promo goods fulfillment.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gene_Adelson

PrideStaff

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:47:00 +0000

Franchise Description

About Us

PrideStaff is a national staffing franchise organization consistently delivering innovative solutions to the staffing challenges employers face. We do this through a network of high caliber franchisees that have developed significant businesses by embracing the PrideStaff system. Over our 25 plus year history, our franchise model has been highly successful. PrideStaff has consistently outpaced the growth of the staffing industry year after year.

Industry Growth

For the third decade in a row, the staffing industry has been one of the fastest growing industries. Following a decade of double-digit growth, the industry continues to be strong and the timing is good to open a franchise . According to the latest analysis by the Bureau of Statistics, the Staffing Industry will generate more new jobs over the next decade than any other industry.

Complimentary Strengths

The most successful staffing franchise owners are passionate self-starting business people who cherish their independence and success, and who wish to control their future. PrideStaff's franchising package has been developed specifically for this motivated, successful group. We have simplified the business management side of One of the Best Gross Margin Splits in the Industry - We offer one of the best splits in the staffing industry. You receive more. Find out how this is different.

1. Affordable Franchise Fee - With a low cost franchise fee, we have devised a plan that helps to conserve your working capital.

2. Inclusive Office Package - We require a high image, highly efficient office operation. A complete package of office furnishings, equipment and computer hardware and software has been designed to provide this strong physical presence with tremendous efficiency starting Day One.

3. Leadership Team for Regional and National Support - We have built the PrideStaff leadership team to offer franchise owners training and support at our Home Office resource center, in the field, regionally, and at the PrideStaff annual convention Our franchise owners and staff participate in both classroom and on the job training. We operate on a system for continuous improvement in the support arena - always looking for ways to improve.

4. Maximizing Productivity through Technology - We have an extensive Intranet system and are training and upgrading our web based skills testing on a regular basis. Our mission is to enable our franchise owners to work efficiently and productively with some of the latest technology.

5. Provides Full Back Office Support of Payroll/Billing - We also provide the funding of the weekly temporary payroll, thereby drastically reducing the investment required to fund a fast growing business and enabling you to expand your business more rapidly

Franchise opportunities are available in most major markets

Investment Requirements

Franchise Fee: $24,500
Required Cash liquidity: $135,000 to $170,000
Total Investment Range: $135,000 to $170,000

Spherion

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:41:00 +0000

Franchise Description

Spherion is a leading staffing and recruitment company with a nation wide network offices and $2 billion in annual revenues. As one of the nation's largest employers, we've placed millions of workers in temporary, temp-to-hire and full-time jobs. Our more than 8,000 clients include 85% of the Fortune 100 companies.

A high-growth industry
Over the next decade, the U.S. staffing industry will add more jobs than just about any other industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, spending on staffing is expected to reach $100 billion in 2007, according to Staffing Industry Analysts.

Align yourself with experience
Spherion, with 60 years of experience, understands the trends and nuances of staffing and is able to guide our franchise offices because we have been in the industry from its inception. Our company - and our industry - has stood the test of time.

We were awarded the prestigious World-Class FranchiseTM designation based on a thorough survey of our franchise community. Click Here: Check-out the results!

Franchise Training and Support

Spherion provides turn-key support for franchisees every step of the way, from pre-opening to ongoing operations. We bill clients, pay employees and provide access to cutting edge technology and software applications. As a result, the franchise owner eliminates many operating costs associated with running a business - reducing cash flow needs and letting our franchisees focus on growing their business.

Spherion empowers entrepreneurs to achieve their business potential.

Investment Requirements

Franchise Fee: $25,000
Required Cash liquidity: $97,700 to $163,200
Total Investment Range: $97,700 to $163,200

Personalized Management Associates

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:37:00 +0000

Franchise Description

Personalized Management Associates, founded in 1985, has pioneered an executive search system for management staffing in our niche markets of retail, restaurant and hospitality management. We have become one of the largest recruiting chains specializing in these niches in the United States. Few companies have the reputation of Personalized Management Associates in finding innovative employment solutions for both companies and candidates in today's workplace.

PMA Franchise Systems, Inc. began in 1999 to franchise our system of search and placement. A PMA Franchise allows you to be in business for yourself but not by yourself!

Entrepreneur Magazine has ranked PMA Franchise Systems, Inc. in the "Top 200 Low-Cost Franchise Opportunities." A USA Today article listed PMA Franchise Systems, Inc. as one of the top recruiting franchise opportunities in the United States.

Franchise Training and Support

PMA training, guidance and support is led by "Certified Personnel Consultants." Certified Personnel Consultants (CPC) is the highest professional designation in the recruiting industry. Approximately 4% of all recruiters in the USA are Certified Personnel Consultants. With PMA's CPC's, you have access to the continuous guidance and support from Certified Personnel Consultants and other company trainers to not just maintain, but to grow your business for the future. Their #1 priority is your success!

Operating Margins 40%-65%. Niche Markets are "Recession Resistant", Lowest Total Investment in Staffing Industry (Under $50,000), Prime "Real" Protected Territories, Multiple Revenue Streams, Fast Staff Up, Cash Flow in as soon as 60 days, "Live Action" Training Program, Proven Easy to Follow Efficient System, Continuous Support, Guidance and Mentoring by Certified Personnel Consultants, Office Set-up, equipment purchase, field visits, employee hiring, strategic planning, accounting, newsletters, Internet Links, conferences, inter-office networking.

Investment Requirements

Franchise Fee: $30,000
Required Cash liquidity: $250,000 to $350,000
Total Investment Range: $50,000 to $75,000