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How do I know? Because I was in the car business for more than a decade. The emotions involved in a new car purchase are quite intense.
This question, asked by every automobile salesperson, sometimes brings out feelings that [...]
I am not a member of The International Franchise Association. (IFA)
That's full disclosure, folks.
One thing that I feel they do a stellar job with is lobbying. Matthew Shay, it's leader, knows how to work it over on Capitol Hill.
The IFA just made it's' [...]
It may be too late for that guy
(This is a post from a strategic partner of mine, Paul Segreto. Paul has been there and done that in franchising. and he wrote this a while back)
I can personally relate to the trials and tribulations of [...]
In a study just released, and brought to my attention via M Booth And Associates in New York City, there is clear evidence of the impact of this recession on the world entrepreneur community.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) wrote that;"Our
Small Business Loans Drop By $10 Billion
(From CNN.com, today)
"Some banks are unapologetic about their cutbacks. Small business
defaults are soaring, and banks are under pressure to shore up their
balance sheets and reduce their exposure to risky loans. Two key small
business lenders, CIT Group and Advanta, filed for bankruptcy this
month."
This [...]
On Veteran's Day, I was asked to join two rather energetic and engaging women on their weekly small business radio program, to discuss how military veterans fit into the scheme of things with regards to franchise ownership.
I'm from this school of thought;
Military veterans can [...]
Congratulations to Franchise Recruiters Ltd.® and Jerry Wilkerson, who just completed three decades of finding and placing superior franchise industry talent. That's a long time to be in a tough business...
This franchise executive management recruiting corporation, with offices in the U.S. and Canada, has' [...]
The current credit crunch is making it extremely difficult to get start-up franchise/business funding, and as much as the folks in Washington DC- including Karen Mills over at the SBA are pressing the banks to "open their vaults," I'm just not able to actually see inside them. This has me' [...]
A new look!
Once in awhile, every small business-franchise or not, needs a little makeover.
Tossed, the Fort Lauderdale-based upscale salad chain recently unveiled a new logo and look designed by Good Studio and JBI Interiors, respectively. The goal of the overall look and feel of the restaurant is to display [...]
********************* Press Release *******************************
PMD Furniture Direct™ (PMD) announced the launch of the company’s new franchise development Web site, PMDFranchise.com The site will serve as the online hub for general information and franchise news. It will also provide specific insight from current owners to assist those interested in becoming franchise owners as PMD [...]
Jim Blasingame (Holding A Cleveland Indians baseball bat)
As a small business owner, I love the fact that there are actually radio programs that discuss one of my favorite topics..small business.
Not only is Jim Blasingame celebrating his 12th year of [...]
1,500
That's the number of military veterans who have taken advantage of the discounts provided by the 400+ franchisors enrolled in this fantastic small business start-up endeavor.
"Meineke Car Care Centers is extremely proud to have our franchisee, Brian Gadson, recognized as the 1,500th veteran to purchase a franchise under the VetFran" [...]
This weeks suggestion is for franchise/small business owners and marketers;
I'm thinking it must be. Some franchisees are suing Burger King corporate because it's just not a good deal, according to them.
According to Yahoo Finance News;
The National Franchise Association, a group that represents more than 80 percent of Burger King's U.S. franchise owners, said the' [...]
I have discussed home-based franchises before, and for good reason. Did you know that successful home-based business owners provide at least 50% of their overall household income?
That means that some home-based business owners (Some of them franchise businesses) could be laughing all the way [...]
According to Rob Goggins, vice president of franchise development for Minnesota based Great Clips, they have experienced 20 straight quarters of same store sales growth. Quite an accomplishment in a rocky economy.
“When we promote our franchise brand as recession-resistant, we can back it [...]
Columbus, Ohio-based Real Living is a national award-winning brand known for its innovation, customer service and track record of attracting results-driven brokers and sales professionals, just announced a merger with GMAC Real Estate.
Real Living was founded [...]
In the first part of this story, I showed you how one particular business coaching franchisor went about finding new franchisees. I ended it by telling you that I have known about low-cost opportunities like business coaching for a long time. And that I [...]
Panchero's Mexican Grill, an Iowa-based franchise company, was recently honored with two awards - including first place in the new Social Media category - and was recognized for its excellence in lead generation, recruitment, and industry-wide best practices in franchising.
I remember running into Panchero's on Twitter last [...]
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As you sit at your table, laptop at ready-mode, enjoying your favorite hot beverage, beware;
The bitly url shortening police are within WiFi range...
TechCrunch is reporting that Panera Bread has blocked all bit.ly url shortening links from [...]
Just in time for Veterans Day....
We have a winner!
A few months ago, a great contest was announced here, as well on some other sites and blogs;
I met Paul Segreto either on Twitter or Facebook, I'm not quite sure. I saw that he was doing some fairly intelligent musings concerning social media in the franchise industry,' [...]
You're probably hearing that it's a little tough to get a commercial start-up loan these days. It may not be easy, but big banks are not the only sources of capital for your new business. Try a community bank, or even consider [...]
Once in awhile, we get kudos from people that we didn't know how much we helped, either professionally, or personally.
As someone who helps people change things around, career-wise, it's visually easy to see the impact I can make. I can attend the Grand-Opening's of their new businesses, and see' [...]
I keep hearing that the US economy is showing signs of improvement. But, where am I hearing that?
Cable news networks Some newspapers Some small business ownersI'm also hearing the opposite. I'm hearing some negative economic news from;
Local franchisees Sales managers Auto dealers Family friendsWho should I believe? Should I believe;
Millionaire [...]
If you are an executive, or even the owner of a franchise concept, don't worry about all the buzz around social media. Don't pressure yourself into doing social media, just because [...]
Canada has a thriving franchise industry, and a Canadian franchise attorney Tony Wilson points out 3 advantages of franchise ownership;
Reva has more all-electric vehicles on the road than any other company, but it still has a long haul before it can make the vehicles marketable for the masses.
However, last month, the company won a huge and important stamp of approval when GM said it would [...]
Small business loans have been fairly difficult to come by, to say the least. CIT, a huge small business lender, although not the only game in town, is in trouble, but has done a nice volume of loans for the franchise and small business [...]
Today, I'll be introducing to an honest to goodness automobile repair franchise that also happens to include my favorite color; Green.
The folks over at Honest-1® know a little something about timing;
They go beyond basic standards and expectations of auto care facilities and take additional measures' [...]
Vivamus massa tellus, tincidunt sed, imperdiet nec, venenatis non, ligula. Cras tempor metus vitae ante. Nulla luctus diam non nisi. Nam sit amet magna. Nulla aliquet suscipit nisl. Curabitur vestibulum orci sed libero. Vivamus scelerisque placerat lorem. Praesent rutrum commodo massa. Nulla ac nulla eget nulla nonummy mollis. Duis aliquet [...]
Spend $100 on personalized plates that are all about your brand. It's my version of Mobile Marketing.
[...]
Franchising has grown exponentially in Ireland over the past two decades and Franchise Direct is looking forward to helping Irish entrepreneurs discover perfect franchise opportunities.
Franchise Direct is one of the biggest players in international franchising. With offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Dublin, Ireland, Franchise Direct has a [...]
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80%
80% of mobile phone users are now using text messaging, according to Mobile Marketer.
80%! Does that sound like a large enough number of [...]
What's The Deal?
Maybe it's because of the debacle at Bank Of America.
Maybe it's because of the mortgage crisis last year.
Maybe some of the banks that are too big to fail are in bigger trouble than we think. Maybe Robert Reich is right.' [...]
The three McDonald's restaurants in Iceland are leaving because of the economic hardships that are plaguing that country.
From FT.com/Europe;
"The loss of the Golden Arches highlights the extent of Iceland’s economic demise since the pre-crisis boom years when its'" [...]
We use Guy Kawasaki's Alltop.com for our Franchise Today Show. Our radio program airs live every Thursday at 2:00 PM ET over at BlogTalk radio. Paul Segreto and I discuss franchise related topics that can benefit;
Future franchise owners Current franchise owners Franchise execs Franchise marketing personnelSometimes, bigger is not better....
As the credit crunch continues to hamper small business growth, a few alternatives are appearing. The big boys have some competition, and unless they start stepping up to the plate and loaning money out, they will lose their footing-especially [...]
This week, I am suggesting that you focus on this quote;
“Anybody can be a halfway man, but the one who rises above this class is the one who keeps everlastingly pushing.” J. Ogden Armour
Remember these 3 letters;
ABP
Always Be Pushing
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas made its long-awaited debut yesterday in Winchester, Va. This is the first Alamo location outside the state of Texas and offers a unique twist on "dinner and a movie," combining first-run films and specialty programming on eight big screens with a full-service [...]
When you've been out of a job for awhile, franchise investments of only $60k-$75k can be pretty darn enticing. Have you ever seen wonderful wording like this on job search sites?
"If you are interested in building significant income, wealth and equity and having a lifestyle where'" [...]
According to Caron Beesley, a fellow writer over at Business.Gov, Starting your own business may be one of the biggest risks you will take in your life - and the statistics confirm it. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), two-thirds of new [...]
I started to read this post during the Franchise Today Show, and due to circumstances beyond my control, couldn't finish it. So, as promised, here it is....
A lot of folks go into a franchise business of their own with unrealistic expectations. Here is' [...]
Make Money Online. Riiiight.
Let's stuff some envelopes, transcribe some medical information, become Google specialists, make money online, or assemble cheap jewelry. These can all be our own businesses. Awesome!
But exactly what types of businesses are they? Do any of these "opportunities" sound like they' [...]
This one's different...
From their website;
"LabXpress™ is a franchise opportunity in the high-margin, high growth medical laboratory testing industry."
It continues;
"The healthcare industry is changing, and in today’s market conditions consumers as well as medical professionals want more information than ever, along with faster results. LabXpress™ provides a safe, clean, customer'" [...]
Before I ruin your vision of a hot summer day, with some neighborhood kids hawking 50-cent lukewarm lemonade....via the franchise business model, let me say this;
I'm kidding. But Diane Helbig, sales coach, mom, author, and a friend of mine, just released' [...]
On July 4th, we helped announce a great franchise giveaway contest for military veterans, and now there are six fantastic finalists...
Maid Brigade has named six finalists in the First Maid Brigade Veterans Franchise Giveaway, a Veterans Day contest awarding businesses to [...]
For franchisees;
"Just for a week, stop wasting your energy on the stuff that you don't think the franchisor is doing right. This week, only focus on what you can do to get your own business to the next level."
The franchise marketplace is full of starry-eyed future small business owners, who can't wait to escape their current career (or lack of) situations. Some of these folks will be very successful, some won't. Here are four things [...]
This new government office is part of the Department Of Commerce. Can it help spur the growth we need as a country? Here is what this office will do;
Encouraging entrepreneurs through education, training, and mentoring Improving access to capital; Accelerating technology commercialization of [...]
