Paramus, NJ – (December 1, 2011) –The New York Attorney General’s Office has allowed franchise companies to apply for a 3 day exemption from registration to showcase their brand at the 2012 International Franchise Expo (IFE), which will take place June 15-17 at the Javits Center in New York City.

All U.S. and international franchisors can now apply for this “Trade Show Exemption” status to exhibit at the upcoming International Franchise Expo. The exemption form can be downloaded through the Attorney General’s Website here and requires a $450 fee.

The exemption clearly states that non-registered franchisors can participate in IFE and promote their franchise opportunity only during trade show hours and only on the trade show floor during these dates. The sale of a franchise is still prohibited until formal registration with the state takes place.

This exemption is specific to the IFE and covers U.S. franchisors that are not registered to offer their franchise in the State of New York, as well as international franchisors that do not have the required Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) to offer their franchise in the U.S. and/or to submit for state registrations.

The three-day event, which is moving to New York this summer after being held in Washington D.C. for more than 20 years, uniquely showcases hundreds of franchise companies offering a wide range of opportunities at virtually every investment level. Tens of thousands of prospective investors from across the country and overseas have attended the show

The franchise industry is a major contributor to the U.S. economy, employing more than 20 million people and contributing over $2 trillion in economic activity, according to the International Franchise Association, the show’s sponsor.

“We are thrilled that the opportunity is now extended to so many new businesses,” said Tom Portesy, President & CEO of MFV Expositions, producers of the show. “Not only will franchising be front and center in New York by moving the expo to Manhattan in 2012, but the Attorney General’s office has made it easier to get involved as an exhibitor.” In addition to the comprehensive local, regional, national and international promotion, IFE is supported by the U.S. Department of Commerce and promoted worldwide. “The response to the IFE moving to New York City has been overwhelming. The exhibit space available is nearly sold out, despite the expo being seven months away.”

Portesy also added, “We are extremely grateful to Shery Christopher of Shery Christopher Consulting for conceiving this three-day exemption and bringing it to fruition through her sustained efforts in collaboration with the Office of the New York State Attorney General.”

Learn more from Franchise Expo

Before you can become an effective business leader and gain the confidence you need, you will need to have a refined understanding of your business environment and structure. If you have oversight of multiple departments, then this point is even more critical to your success and confidence. No company can operate from only one aspects point of view. It’s imperative that you understand all of the functions as separate operations as well as a whole. If you are lacking in the area of confidence this is a role and function you can work on and improve greatly. Pep talks don’t work. The overall mindset you are in can have a negative effect on your “pep” talks. Your imagination is your gateway to a solution for this problem. Whatever you want to call it, play mental games with yourself to envision what you need to be like in order to effectively do your job. You will see just how important envisioning yourself an instant success can be.

Have patience with yourself as you work to develop your confidence. These aspects are the most important for keeping you on the right track. It simply takes a bit of time to work through confidence issues in order to overcome them. Along the way you can do some activities such as learning everything you can about your business. That can be the single most important activity you can do to boost your confidence.

Improving your confidence in business and the rest of your life takes some attention, but there are many ways to accomplish it. However, one solid approach to tackling the confidence issue is to read more and do your research. What you want to find is a particular technique or approach that you are totally comfortable with and that fits right for you.

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If you’re looking for a no-nonsense, cut-to-the-quick, show me how to evaluate franchises so that I can buy one that’s right for me . . . this is the symposium you need. And it’s the only one you’ll need! It’s taught by Fred Kriss, a 25-year franchise veteran who has developed and operated successful franchise systems at the officer and director level. Mr. Kriss has been an advisor to franchise purchasers and has helped launch more than 50 start-up companies. A sought-after consultant to regional and national franchisors, Mr. Kriss is now an investor in start-up franchise companies. Mr. Kriss has written extensively about the topic and is the master instructor at FranchiseRight, the country’s leading franchise educator and incubator. If you hope to become a successful franchisee, get started with confidence by participating in this symposium.
You will learn the basic information about franchising but glean an in-depth knowledge through the experiences of Mr. Kriss. He will help you understand how to interpret and use the Franchise Disclosure Document to discover reliable information about the performance and viability of any franchise, how to evaluate the franchisor’s operating system and determine if you and your intended market are compatible with the system, the pros and cons of franchising, the fees required by franchisors, the facts about territorial and product restrictions, how to raise money to invest in a franchise, and much, much more.
All symposium attendees receive admission to the exhibits on all three days.

Date

Saturday, January 15, 2011, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Rates

Advance: $95 includes exhibit hall admission and seminars On-Site: $145 includes exhibit hall admission and seminars

Who Should Attend

Anyone who’s thinking about buying a franchise will find this symposium to be invaluable. Where else will you have the opportunity to spend 3 hours with a seasoned professional who provides honest, accurate, timely information about franchising? Don’t worry, this symposium isn’t intended to sell you a franchise. It’s intended to educate you about the pros and cons of buying a franchise and help you understand why buying a franchise may be right for you. The subject matter is intended for people who want to buy a franchise in the United States, although the seminar also attracts many international candidates as well as prospective franchisors. Attend only if you want to be better educated about buying a franchise!

Here’s What You Receive

In addition to the comprehensive information covered in the symposium, you will receive a binder of all the information presented. You will utilize a self-evaluation tool to test your compatibility with franchising. The profile, valued at $125, will help you determine the type of franchise that makes sense for you to buy. Also, you will receive a handy guide that walks you through the process of evaluating and buying a franchise. You also get Fred’s exclusive list of 99 Questions To Ask Before You Buy A Franchise! – he’s done much of your homework for you! Finally, you get ongoing email access to Mr. Kriss and the FranchiseRight staff (a special code identifies you as a symposium attendee), so you’ll get answers to your franchise questions at no additional charge. Value: Priceless!

This Symposium Will Look At

Introduction To Franchising • What is franchising? • Pros & Cons of franchising • Franchising vs. Independent Start Ups • Is franchising for you? Self-Evaluation • More than 70 different industries in franchising • Selecting a franchise that’s right for you personally & financially • How to research franchise opportunities • Franchise financing – where to borrow money How To Investigate The “Ideal” Franchise System • What to expect from a franchisor • What a franchisor expects from franchisees • Evaluating the franchisor’s operating system • Understanding the fees involved in franchising • Key questions to ask both franchisor and franchisees • Sources of information that can help you evaluate opportunities • Seeking out the right legal and accounting advice Understanding the FDD and Franchise Agreement • What is the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) • How to read the items in the FDD • How to use the FDD to your advantage • Major topics covered by the FDD • Evaluating the franchisor’s performance using the FDD • Exploring options for negotiating the FDD with a franchisor • Understanding the Franchise Agreement

To become an effective business leader it’s important for you to gain a more refined understanding of your business environment and structure. It is significantly important if you manage several departments that this point be in the forefront of your mind for your success as well as your confidence. It is impossible for any organization to operate from the views of only one aspect. A good understanding of how the parts function is imperative to your success.

Allow yourself the luxury of being inspired by the success of another company or the people behind that company. Building your own confidence can be impacted by this, don’t dismiss it. As you read the various stories, you’ll see the obstacles that many other successful business people had to overcome in their own quest for success. You can gain a good feeling from many stories so don’t be afraid to branch out to sports, arts, entertainment etc. Success stories exist from hard fought wars that are inspiring. Just remember how they got to where they are today, by not giving up on what they dreamed of . You can learn to develop your own confidence just by merely not giving up, and just take things one step and one obstacle at a time.

You should embark upon confidence boosting on as many fronts as you’re able to. You may not believe it, but your exterior actually does matter – not only for yourself but also to other individuals surrounding you. This is a critical realization for you. So to put it simply, be sure that you look the part that you desire to be. Think about this, if individuals take note of you and can’t make out a business leader, or a person in a business leadership role, then they’ll have a tendency to act consequently. When look and actively “be” the part, then you will notice a difference in the way people react to you. At that moment, you will start to feel more secure about who and what you are.

If you want to become more confident in business and life in general, there are quite a few approaches you can take. You can find many more ways of working on your confidence by doing some investigating. You should stick with the techniques that are most suitable for your own nature and situation.

1. Funding- the #1 reason new businesses fail- insufficient funding
2. A (proven?) business plan
3. A Marketing plan- including demographics of business area.
4. Real Estate (Unless home based)
5. Products (Unless is service business)
6. Supplies (If service business)
7. Equipment Lease (Unless is service business)
8. Advertising Media (Print, web, video etc.)
9. Branding or Reputation. (Brand awareness)
10. Training for staff: sales, administrative, customer service, technology…as needed.

Ok next, put a price on each of the items in the list above. Be honest and you’ll see that the initial investment is considerable.
Now consider that in a start-up model you are “on your own”. Oh sure, you can pay advisers like attorneys, accountants and marketing consultants but who knows if they have expertise in your particular business?

Well now- this picture is looking a little bleak. If you were affected by the down turn in the economy (and who hasn’t!), you may be unemployed and you need income as fast as possible. How about Risk? Is your new business a proven model or a crap shoot?

Now consider buying a franchise. First you’ll need help to identify the concept that fits your needs, your investment level, your financial needs, your skill set and can provide the life style that you’re looking for. Simple and Free- contact a franchise business consultant. A “franchise coach” if you will, is an industry expert that through a series of assessments and consultations will identify the top franchise opportunities that match your requirements- all that at no cost to you!

Once you have that short list of franchise businesses to consider, together you will investigate each and you’ll learn that all of the items you’ll need for a successful business are available to you. The franchisor has a team of experts in place to help you be successful in your new business. You’re not alone anymore! You’re on your way to a better life and new career.

Buying a franchise business over a start-up business lowers your risk and shortens the amount of time to profitability. But be careful, every franchise concept is NOT a good one. There are lots of franchises that are poorly run and are bad investments. Ask your franchise coach for help finding a good one and you wouldn’t regret it!

The obvious answer is they want to expand their business. Let’s take a closer look at the advantages of franchise expansion versus chain expansion. Franchise expansion provides a competitive advantage because entrepreneurs implement unit expansion not company paid managers.

Since the entrepreneurs (unit franchise owners) have their own money at stake and therefore bear the risk, they will try harder to succeed. We all know that having skin in the game makes you more committed to the outcome. Franchise expansion also provides a financing vehicle for the franchise company by leveraging the franchisees ability to raise capital through their own resources including the Small Business Administration (SBA), family partnerships, savings and the like, sources that are not available directly to the franchisor. Another advantage of franchise expansion is that it lowers the risk. Franchisees provide the start up capital, not the franchisor and the franchisees pay a royalty based on gross sales not profits.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s all glory and no work for the franchisor. Certainly not the case. Franchisors are dependent on the flow of royalty fees to support their efforts and grow the network. It’s in everyone’s best interests to make money and be successful. Most quality franchise system owners are deeply committed to making positive changes in the lives of their franchisees. The job of the candidate is to weed out the good from the bad. Finding out whether a company is a good one or just opportunistic can be challenging. It pays dividends to use the services of a business consultant to help guide you through this investigation.

Let’s start with a few general guidelines. Good franchise owners have an ability to follow a system. This may be the number one consideration of franchisors. They are looking for “team players” who recognize that they are part of a system and are willing to follow it. If you are very independent and like to do things “your own way” then perhaps franchising is not for you. BTW- franchisors don’t seek out people with this trait because they want to dominate you, not at all. They need it beacuse they know their system works and that may franchise failures occur because owners don’t follow the system. Somehow these owners thought they were “smarter” than the franchisor and wanted to re-invent the system. Makes me wonder why they bought the franchise in the first place? Maybe they didn’t understand the scope of the business model to begin with.
So how much “following” do you have to do to be a franchise owner you ask? Well, it depends on the franchise concept. Some franchises are far more flexible than others. Here is where you need to take a close look at the FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document) and study the business model so you can choose a business that is in your personal comfort zone. If you’re not familiar with FDDs, then it’s a good time to enlist the help of an advisor. Franchise consultants are experts in the franchise industry and they can educate, advise and assist you in your investigation to find the business that fits your interests, skills, lifestyle and investment level. Remember that a franchise business is “awarded” not purchased. Franchisors want their owners to be successful so they choose who they allow into their systems very carefully. Franchisors interview candidates and vice versa. Only when both parties agree that there is a good synergy is a deal offered.
Next posting I’ll talk about emotional issues. Stay tuned!