Just One Franchise: NZone
Remember those long summer days spent running and playing outdoors? Many of today’s kids won’t have those memories. According to an article from the National Wildlife Federation, children today spend more than seven hours in front of a screen and less than 30 minutes outside playing. It may be one…
Are Franchise Owners Business Owners?
A Forbes article listed 13 mistakes new franchisees make, and one of them was investing in a franchise business in order to be your own boss. “Franchising is based on conformity and uniformity,” the author said, “not freedom.” One of the great advantages of a franchise business is that you…
How Does that Franchise Handle Upgrades?
You’ve chosen a franchise business opportunity, let’s say, and you can tell it will be a great fit for you. The business systems seem ideal, the offerings are just what your community needs, and you can easily see yourself doing exactly what the franchisor describes as the daily routine in…
What Do Franchise Turnover Rates In Business Mean?
Item #20 of the Franchise Disclosure Document gives the FTR percentage, or Franchise Turnover Rate. This item can really bring up the problem some statisticians call the Memorial Day issue: looking at a number out of context doesn’t tell you much. The problem is named for a tradition many local…
One Business Owner’s Story
In 2008, as the recession deepened, the store I had managed for 15 years went bankrupt. My husband and I had four kids to support, including two in college and a high school senior who had his heart set on attending a small liberal arts college (read “expensive”) just like…
Just One Franchise: Russo’s New York Pizzeria
Brand Keys 2014 Customer Loyalty Engagement Index (CLEI) results are in and Dominos rules the major pizza brands as the closet to always meeting customer expectations. With a 90% rating, it’s hard to beat. But Papa John’s is in at a close second with 87% and Pizza Hut is only…
Just One Franchise: Pop-A-Lock
People who are locked out of their cars already feel pretty vulnerable. Whether they’ve lost their key or locked it in the car — or perhaps they stepped out of the car for a moment and their toddler managed to lock them out with the key still in the ignition…
Franchisee Troubles
Hashim Syed once received an award from 7-Eleven for running “the best store in the country.” But now he’s under fire from the franchisor after speaking out against the company on WBEZ Chicago on April 8. One week later, inspectors from the franchisor came out to check up on the…
Lessons from UPS and The Hagan Brothers
A legal battle is heating up between UPS and two brothers who are UPS Store franchisees. The combatants are suing and countersuing and accusing each other of all kinds of illegal and breach-of-contract behavior. While it remains to be seen how this case will play out, there are a few…
Choosing a Franchise: Quality Control
McDonald’s is the quintessential franchise example for many reasons, but one of the most important has to be the concept of standardization. Travelers could be sure of what they were getting at McDonald’s, so the sight of the Golden Arches during a long road trip could be a relief. One…