Coping with Franchise Changes
Another set of franchisees has decided to sue their franchisor. In this case, the franchisor has changed hands several times in the past years and the new owner — an equity holding company — has made a lot of changes. Here’s a sampling, from the point of view of the…
Franchise Turnover Rates
We’ve explained turnover rates before. However, a new article on the franchise industry asks whether the industry as a whole has a turnover rate problem… and suggests that there are some franchisors that are skewing the numbers. A franchise’s turnover rate is the percentage of franchise locations that close in…
Women In Franchising
Look at magazines about business that are directed toward men. You’ll see biographies of millionaires, tips for productivity, and information about new technology. Check out the magazines about business that are directed toward women. Lead articles focus on how to decorate an office or studio, how to overcome negative feelings,…
Senate Hearing on Franchise Industry
Last week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on the changes facing the franchise industry following the National Labor Relations Board’s decision that franchisors and franchisees can be “joint employers.” The “joint employer” idea says that the corporate office shares responsibility for employee working…
How Much Time Does It Take To Own A Franchise?
When you think about owning your franchise business, what are you imagining? You work the same 40 hours each week that you do now. Those hours include tasks like visioning, networking, taking people to lunch, and providing high-level empowerment for your staff. You set your own hours, opening and closing…
Planning for Innovation with Your Franchisor
Look ahead a couple of years… you’ve chosen the perfect franchise for you — let’s say a spa services franchise with automated mobile booking. It combines a luxurious boutique feel at check-in with automated services and a terrific automated email drip system that brings customers back frequently. Sure, you had…
Franchisees and the New Menu Rule
New national menu rules went into effect in December, so fast food and fast casual franchises have had a couple of months to figure out the new rules and how to apply them. That doesn’t mean everything is settled. Congress now requires restaurants and places serving “restaurant type” food to…
What Can You Learn about a Franchise from Its Reviews?
We’ve recommended before that you search for reviews, and especially negative reviews, when you’re evaluating a franchise. Sites where people review franchise business opportunities are often just gripe-fests, but seeing the kinds of complaints people make can be enlightening. If there are plenty of complaints about how the franchisor didn’t…
Accidental Franchises?
Any franchise you find listed here at America’s Best Franchises — and don’t miss the New Franchises page to see the latest listings — is a franchise opportunity available for investment. But there is something you might not have heard of before: an accidental franchise. The American Bar Association lists…
Franchising Rules!
You might have read that title as an exclamation – an elated cry of, “Franchising rules!” – summing up all of your feelings towards the franchise business model. There is no doubt that owning a franchise can be a great thing, but the goal of this article is to make…