The Franchise King Blog

Searching For A Franchise? Or Are You Just Collecting Brochures?

                                                   

                 Just Looking?

It's easy to tell inquiring minds that you are searching for that perfect franchise to buy, if all you are really doing is what I call, "collecting".

Collecting could be:

• Bookmarking franchise websites that you like
• Filling out "request for information" forms on franchise websites
• Buying Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500

Etc. Etc. Etc. But, when will you stop collecting, and start really digging in. You can do it slowly, but I know just how aggravating it is to be stuck in neutral.

There are over 3,000 franchise opportunities to choose from. Are you ready to look into what some of them are really about? Or are you going to remain in neutral?

Or just stop. 

If that's the case, why even start? Flipping through a couple of franchise brochures really is not the way to find out the details. Sometimes it is just a creative way to say that you looked at some franchises, and nothing excited you...

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Franchise Fears; Still Fearful About The Economy?

In this month's Poll Question, I asked :

"If you were thinking about becoming a franchise owner before the financial crisis, have you changed your mind?"

84.6% said Yes
15.4% said No

Here is what I have to say about that.....

What do you have to say???

What's The Matter? Don't You Like Your Franchise?

"Are you telling me that you invested $150,000 into a franchise of your own, it is a sales and marketing B2B franchise concept, you know how to sell, but you don't like the fact that what you are selling {Advertising} is not an easy sale?"

Did you really, way down deep, think that owning your own small business, would be a cakewalk? Who told you that????

Folks, being a small business owner has it's perks. You have the control. You can take the day off when you want. You have a chance to build some real equity, as opposed to working for someone else and helping them build their equity. But it is hard work! It is harder when you don't like what your doing.

I recently wrote an article about someone who is kind of stuck in a franchise that they don't like, for the award winning American Express OPEN Forum. Please read it.   

If you do the research right, you shouldn't have this problem. Read.

Do you have your business plan planned? Look.

If this person would've Subscribed to this blog.....{For Free!}

Franchise Caution; Choose Opportunities Wisely During Tough Times

            

It has been said that when times are tough, the opportunistic types seem to crawl out from under their rocks. The upcoming months will feature plenty of them, I am sure....

US Financial Problems Solved; Get Payday Loans!

Since there seem to be so many Payday Loan franchises out there, maybe we can visit them all at once, and bail ourselves out of this mess. I have heard no better ideas as of today.

Do You Want A Cutting Edge Slide Show Too? Here.

The International Franchise Association's Stance On The Proposed Bailout

The International Franchise Association {IFA} has decided to take a stance on the administration's proposed financial bailout of Wall Street, and it's close cousin's, the mortgage companies. Here is part of the letter that the IFA sent to every member of Congress:

"Congress must act quickly to remove bad debts off balance sheets and ensure that financial markets can be stabilized so that credit will continue to flow to U.S. consumers and small businesses,” IFA President & CEO Matthew Shay said. “Franchised businesses rely on stability in our financial markets to ensure that affordable financing is available, and many franchisees purchase their businesses using a combination of personal savings, investments and borrowing.  They will definitely face a more challenging future if Congress fails to act.”

I'll Buy A Franchise When....

With the general uneasiness about the economy, the elections, the weather, the stock market, the banking issues, etc. maybe you should just wait until everything lines up perfectly for you-before you have any crazy thoughts about going into business. Really. {Now of course, that will never happen.}  By "that" I mean the "perfectly" part............

The US Economy VS. The Franchise Industry

                                       

                                                       

The President of The International Franchise Association has some pretty darn positive things to say about how well the franchise industry has weathered the economy, in the past. He talks about those great 2001-2005 Franchise growth charts. Matthew Shay is supposed to say positive things about franchising, no matter what is happening. If I was the President of The IFA, I would probably do the same thing. Or, would I?

Keep reading, please.......

3 New Franchise Concepts Added As Sponsors!

    

According to a Press Release that went out yesterday, there are some new choices out there, if you are a franchisor, trying to make some noise online. {Oh Yeah. It is my Press Release!}

Anyway, I would like to showcase 3 obviously brilliant franchisors that have just come on board as website sponsors, and the new websites that they are helping to sponsor:

Maid Brigade- Green Cleaning!

J's Pizza Market-Take+Bake

Kitchen Tune-Up- Greening Kitchens!

Congratulations on a good decision...

Any other brilliant franchisors out there????????????

More stories related to marketing:

Read about a great franchise PR firm

Marketing Ghana Style

Those Darn Head Lice; A Future Franchise Opportunity?

Feeling a little itchy today? Scratching your head a little more? Are neighborhood mom's whispering about the "rash" of school nurse phone calls being received month to date? Have no fear! The head lice police are here!

I am not sure if this will be "franchise material" or not, but it seems that a fine lady in Missouri City, Texas {Or is that Texas City, Missouri}, has come up with a business model focused on head lice removal! I am serious here, folks. Fellow AllBusiness.com bloggers, and generally funny guys, Tim Devaney and Tom Stein, are reporting on this  much needed business, today.
Read More Here

More About Those Silly Meal Prep Franchises

In July of last year, I discussed the "Meal Prep" franchise model, and how I felt that it wasn't very well thought out. Here is part of what I said:

"Since I am part of the dual income we have no time to do anything crowd, I thought of these 2 problems with the concept, when I was introduced a couple of years ago:

1. If one has no time to cook on weeknights, how would one find the time to spend 2-3 hours cooking meals?  {Personally, there is no way I would spend a Saturday morning doing it!}

2. What if one has no large freezer? {We don't}"

I still stand by my assertion that this franchise model is not viable. It may become viable, if it is somehow reworked, but for now, it is just not there. My friend, Sean Kelly goes a tad farther than I in a story he recently published.
{Caution! Don't have cooked rice in your mouth while reading it. It will be sprayed about...}
Read It!

The JoelPost. March 20th, 08. Spring. And Cash Advance Franchises

I am so happy! I am a franchise consultant that does not have contracts with any number of the Payday Loan/Cash Advance franchise companies. {And I never placed one in NEO!} Some lucky franchise consultants or brokers that are located in Cincinnati or Dayton Ohio must be feeling pretty bad, right about now. {Maybe}

You see, if any of those brokers presented Payday Loan/Cash Advance franchise opportunities to folks that they worked with to find franchises for, they are probably getting nasty phone calls and e-mails from angry franchisees that invested in those attractive little stores-who had to wake up to this article in The  Dayton Daily News, this morning. Read!

Wanted: Your Suggestions For Getting Even With Comment Spammers

This stuff gives me a Bad Attitude!

Here is my list of what gets me angry:

1. Dishonesty
2. Manipulation
3. Excessive Whining
4. Stealing
5. Disloyalty
6. Being Used
7. Companies  that pay marketers to comment on blogs-in a fake value adding way, to try to get traffic to try to sell something.

Here is an example that has been all over the franchise blogoshere:

"I saw your posting and thought you would be interested in some advice from my client, Blank Franchise company.If you are thinking about starting a business or purchasing a franchise. “Make sure you select a business about which and about whose products you are truly passionate. Like any business you choose to run, it is a marriage. You’ll be living, breathing, nurturing and growing it for a long time and nothing is worse than a marriage without love,” advises Mr. Blankety Blank, president of finance and franchise development at Blank Franchise Company. Mr. Blankety Blank has been managing the expansion of its franchise network through the opening of # new stores in 2005 to a total of # locations. Learn more about how to choose a franchise or determine whether a franchise business is right for you by contacting Mr. Blankety Blank at ###-###-#### or email him at   Blank.com You may also visit  www.Blankety Blank Franchise.com  for more information.


This ploy to sell franchises has been reported as spam in the past. Does anyone have any other ideas? This is ridiculous...   

I Told You So..More EBay Drop Off's Dropping Off!

In a previous post, I discussed what not to do, when thinking about investing in a franchise of your own....