Why Invest in a White Label Call Tracking Service?

This enhanced white label call tracking allows for information to be viewed together with net site traffic for online & offline responses to marketing campaigns. Companies offering these services can track phone calls through net site metrics that track call period, caller's phone number, or the phone number the caller dialed.

What could be a more powerful & efficient solution than being able to track the calls of your clients & add value to your relationship with them? This is the power of call tracking &, now, a brand spanking new process for call tracking solutions has emerged. Known as White Label Call Tracking, this new solution does not require additional operational expense for commercial agencies or SEM firms, making it a great option for any company looking to enhance the worth of the ads you are already producing.

Online & offline results are a great way to monitor your services. Establishing services like call tracking will assure your clients of progressing business. Call tracking is simple to pitch to your clients because it ensures they would never miss a chance because they are unavailable. The tracking service allows calls to be forwarded to other numbers where they can be picked up. Call tracking companies let you buy local & toll-free numbers, give clients access to view their call activities, as well as manage their accounts real-time.

White label call tracking composes reports that show combined results of your services & the clients' promotion jobs. Other features for tracking & reporting include call information & web analytics. Tracking calls is often combined with advanced features like call recording, dynamic phone number replacement, click to call, & advanced caller ID. All these services enhance your business by adding metrics that show the traffic your work is driving for your clients, fundamentally backing up why their business needs your business.

 of the most important goals of a business is to increase the revenue of the company. Everyone knows this can be completed through hard work but it may even be attained if the company avoids spending additional overhead expenses. Call reporting helps a business basically identify which commercial is driving the most traffic so inefficient campaigns can be dissolved. Because of this, the call tracking services are much favored.

Private label call tracking services work best for SEO/SEM firms which are looking to demonstrate offline ROI to clients. This solution would also work well for marketing companies, firms, agencies, market researchers & professionals who purchase phone numbers for their clients' ads whether print, radio, online or TV. Net site hosting or building companies can also use this service to make distinctive phone numbers available to their clients.

A private label interface is a great option for a business of any size. To make it even more appealing to clients, it is customizable & offers fully branded service. It lets you setup & supervise customers, inspect usage reports, schedule branded reports for delivery to clients, provide access of information for clients in real-time, & draw out reports on this information, though there's lots of other ways to make use of these services & build value in your own business. Make sure you tie up with nice talent, nice process framework, & innovative know-how to get results you desire. A company with lots of experience in the call tracking business will be your best resource one time you start!

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Franchisees Need to Decide If They Are Going to Trust Their God or Their Franchisor

For somebody who is an agnostic working with the franchising organization, they may not understand this, but it is much in keeping with the psychology of religious folks. Indeed, plenty of types of companies such as; small business opportunities, multilevel promotion companies, & franchising companies in their sales departments target religious folks as potential buyers. Often, without knowing it, but I would submit to you the reason this happens naturally is because somebody who believes in a God with all their heart, & follows a religious organization may even be able to think strongly in a brand name, & a gigantic & strong company organization.

Indeed, I'd like to take this chance to speak about something that most franchisors do not speak about. In fact it is not something that is taught in CFE management courses with the International Franchise Association. Nevertheless it's been my experience as a franchisor founder that there's positive issues which ought to be addressed with regards to devout religious people in franchising. First, devout religious folks will usually pray to their God & look for a sign prior to purchasing a franchise.

In plenty of regards it is the same mindset, so it comes naturally, & it is unfortunate more people don't speak about it, but I can tell you in my plenty of years of franchising I have seen this play out over one time. Nevertheless franchisees must also follow the confidential operations manual & the franchisor's business model exactly. If the franchisee starts speaking to their God, & looking for signs, & then trying to fine-tune the franchise technique in any way because it doesn't fit with their religious motif, then issues can occur.

At some point a franchisee is going to must choose in the event that they are willing to trust their God, or religion, or the franchisor's business model, business plan, & confidential operations manual. The advantage of those who are followers in a flock or religion is that normally they do as they are told, & seek strength from the group, & their God. In a franchising organization, you could say that the franchisor becomes the God, & a franchising company becomes their support group or flock, which is filled with other franchisees like them.

Also, keep in mind that a franchisor cannot discriminate against highly religious devout individuals, & has to offer their franchising opportunities to somebody that qualifies on an equal basis. This is why franchisors need to manage the situation & think about all of this, & I do hope you will think on it.

If a franchisor, their area reps, their vendors, or neighboring franchisees appear to be less than ethical to a devout religious franchisee, then that franchisee will no longer see the franchisor as lovely, but think of them as another wicked in the world. Somebody that is that devout & righteous can basically become a rogue franchisee, if things are not explained to them properly. These are all serious issues, & they are part of the dynamics of our population, but they are also much a part of the franchising organization.

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How To Find A Real "Turnkey Home Business"

But by following some simple guidelines you can make it a lot simpler to quickly spot the home business opportunities that are definitely not as lovely as they claim. Before you pay any money to start a business, make sure the business ticks ALL of the following boxes.

The largest issue with trying to discover a legitimate turnkey home business is that the net is littered with hype & false promotion with bright lights. It is near impossible to separate the actual opportunities from all the noise.

The business must have video testimonials that are backed up with clear legal proof. This way you can assured that the testimonials are actual, & that there's examples of people making money.

Watch out for ridiculous claims that guarantee or promises you that you will make money quickly. If these were true no would work jobs, & the whole planet would join the business. Any business that is actual requires either hard work, or lots of investment, or in some cases both of these.

Lots of businesses claim to be turnkey home businesses, but in actual fact they are not. The turnkey business has every angle covered, & is fundamentally an online franchise.

Preferably you need to be looking for a turnkey home business. This fundamentally means that everything in the business is prepared for you to start immediately. A turn key business has clear & simple to follow systems for a that has got started.

An online business that is turnkey must provide a innovative web promotion process. The net promotion process ought to feature professionally designed pages that make up a sales funnel.

The sales funnel is designed to convert sizable percentages of visitors in to leads, & to then filter out the time wasters to provide the business owner with a list of well qualified prospects that have shown an interest in your products.

This process is all automated & is working for your round the clock, 7 days a week. Using an online sales funnel means that people come to you, in lieu of you having to pitch your business to somebody that can fog up a mirror.

& the last thing to look out for is companies that have stood the check of time & have been in existence for at least 3-5 years. Most new companies don't last long, & are all built up on hype & sizable promises.

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Basic Features of a Good Business Franchise

Whether the franchisee is a veteran or a neophyte in the field of entrepreneurship, still, choosing the right or appropriate franchise requires cautious consideration of its features.

While it is true that business franchising is regarded as of the most effective & reliable type of businesses towards financial prosperity in life, can not set aside the fact that deciding as to what kind of business franchise to venture in to is very vital. Any franchisee for that matter has the primary objective of ensuring business growth to the optimum level with maximized profitability.

Think about the company's ability to make profits. It is important to collect significant knowledge on the company's progressing status for a positive timeframe or if feasible for the past years of its operation. Sometimes, in order to come up with a fresher idea, the cost incurred is comparatively high, thereby placing the business in to a fifty-fifty situation in terms of profitability. Likewise, achieving profitability also requires a nice promotion strategy, that can expanding & strengthening its customer base.

Is the idea fresh & one-of-a-kind? Does it bear creativity deemed potential for expansion? As per observation made, clients always crave for something new, that finally suits their respective needs, desires or standards. For example, of the franchises selling the same product, that has a fresher & artistic presentation always looks appealing & inviting.

A functional & orderly operating technique. Any endeavor that does not apply or follow any set of procedures usually crumbles resulting to a backlog of works & varied issues. In short, success of the business also lies on the efficiency of its operating technique where everything runs smoothly & orderly, beats the deadline, & readily & quickly responds to the demands of its clientele.

Provision of training & schooling. A nice training & schooling package is that is basically understood & implemented. The moment it starts to sail on, everyone involved in the operation ought to have fully acquired & familiarized the needed know-how to ably deliver quality goods & services.

The last but not the least is the cost of the franchise. It must be affordable so that more aspiring entrepreneurs can avail of it. For any novice in this field, purchasing an pricey franchise is risk-taking.

Another important feature is an efficient profit margin incorporated in the idea. This is similar to an electric power company that has a standby generator to be used anytime, in case of a power failure by & large source or plant. This aspect guarantees the franchisee's profitable return of investment.

An elderly adage says, "The journey to a thousand miles starts with a single step". In like manner, the key to a successful business franchise starts with a well guided, carefully studied & wisely planned decision.

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Fresh Healthy Vending Review - Franchise Business Opportunity

Fresh Healthy Vending is a franchise opportunity based around organic and other healthy food products. The packages obtainable or either through a vending machine or, a mobile unit or both. The vending machines are about 72 inches high, 39 inches wide and 36 inches deep and a fashionable casing.

Fresh Healthy Vending is of the latest franchise business opportunities to hit the ever growing health and wellness industry. Here is a simple review of the vending franchise opportunity and what to look for when beginning a brand spanking new business.

The health and wellness industry is seeing a immense boom today as local and Federal governments are backing plenty of of the healthy initiatives parents and citizens are calling for. Some of the largest network promotion companies based in this industry are seeing some of the largest jumps in business start ups as well. While plenty of of the reports on obesity today are alarming, a simple business in the health and wellness industry can not only be a viable answer to making a solid income, but literally a help to those who are looking for ways to eat right.

 of the largest issues however of beginning a franchise is usually economics. Plenty of people today are finding it difficult to come up with such a high cost to start a franchise. Even worse, they see how much income they are passing up in such a demanding industry. There's options for those without the means to start a franchise...you require to look.

The cost of beginning a franchise with FHV depends on the amount of machines or mobile units you require to invest in. Each machine does include a preset territory for the individual investor. The investment for a single vending machine reaches up to and above $11,000, some of these can reach 120,000 depending on definite restrictions and guidelines set forth by Fresh Healthy Vending.

There's other aspects to having a successful franchise as well, and most of this has to do with promotion. LOCATION, LOCATION and LOCATION for a vending machine will be the most important factor for this to be a success. This might even be a expensive investment to you as well. With the FHV you will have the chance however to work with a location specialist to help you find and locate the best place to maximize your franchise business.

For those looking to take advantage of the health and wellness industry there is no better time than now. Today they see the likes of opportunities like Herbalife, Melaluca and even Fresh Healthy Vending growing at substantial rates and plenty of of the network promotion companies like Herbalife are helping individuals start nutrition clubs through little start up fees. As more pick that life if precious, they see increasingly taking better care by what they eat...

Fresh Healthy Vending is a nice franchise business opportunity that some could find success with. While plenty of do not have the ability to invest such a giant amount up front there's other options. Look for a payment plan within the franchise or, simple look at other options in the network marekting industry could be the thing.

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Franchisee Abandonment in Hard Economic Times

Of coursework, the more expensive the franchise & the more invested then usually the more sophisticated the franchisee, & therefore it is less common. The lower the cost to get in to the franchise, the less there is to lose for a franchisee who walks away. Perhaps, you should not be surprised because nowadays people walk away from their homes when they owe over they are worth & they are getting behind in payments. Sometimes they hand the keys back to the bank & say; "Hasta La Vista!"

It may not sound irrational to you, but franchising companies do have a controversy with franchisees that abandon their location, skip out of town, & are nowhere to be seen. It happens even with some of the top-rated franchisors in the country. The franchisee gets in to trouble together with his vendors & cannot pay for the supplies coming in, is late on his rent, fails to pay withholding taxes, & skips out without paying his most recent payroll. You'd be surprised how common this is, & it happens more often in the coursework of hard economic times.

Prior to retirement, I ran a franchising company, & it was in the automotive service sector. Our franchises were mobile operations, & every one time in some time they did have a franchisee disappear. For us, it was a tiny more serious because they took with them our proprietary equipment, confidential operations manuals, & perhaps moved to a different city, changed the sign on the side of the vehicle, & continued their business.

In fact, a couple of times they tracked these folks down, & they made all sorts of excuses to justify their actions, perhaps in an try to get us to look the other way & forget about it. Of coursework, they were using our business model, & operating the business in competition with us. As our company grew bigger & bigger it was harder & harder for these individuals not to be discovered by of our new franchisees, or existing team members.

In this case they didn't exactly abandon the business they stopped paying for it. Often they would owe funds to the lending companies, & on their automobile loan, not to mention back royalties. I can recall cases where they had sold our proprietary equipment to competitors, & given away our confidential operations manuals. But it was equally as bad when they abandon the franchise, stopped servicing customers, & left burned territory, as they had to go in & deliver those services they had promised to the customer until they could receive a new franchisee in to buy that territory, or get an existing franchisee to expand & cover it as well as whatever other territory they'd already been granted.

In the event you are franchisor, & this has not happened to you yet, I guarantee you it will sometime in the future. The way you handle this is important to your brand name, & the remainder of the franchisees in your franchising process will be watching to see the way you deal with this issue. Indeed I hope you will think about all this & think on it.

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If Your Franchise System Sells a Trendy Product, Can It Adapt Fast When the Fad Fades in the Future?

There definite is a lot of advice out there as to which franchised outlet you ought to buy. Often franchise buyers go to a store, and they see people waiting in line purchasing a product or service. If the line is long, it looks as if the franchisee is making lots of money, and all of a suddenly a light bulb goes off in their head, and they think that might be a nice franchise to buy. Of coursework, there is an issue in all of that, if the franchised outlet is selling some kind of product which is part of a fad.

All of us know that Fads and classy products come and go, however, they also know that the franchise relationship is a bit more permanent, and often the franchise term in the agreement is 10-years. What in case you bought a franchise and the fad faded, and you were stuck with a franchised outlet that wasn't making any money because people were no longer waiting in line to buy your products and services? It happens and it happens on a regular basis, and lots of franchisees have gone bankrupt due to such situations. You see, they thought they were getting in on the ground floor, and they got in at the height of the fad, and it was all downhill from there.

Still, what I'd like to speak to you about is not the franchisees-side of this equation. I'd like to speak about another topic. Yes, there's lots of articles, and lots of advice out there telling franchisees to stay away from stylish and fad type businesses. But there's not lots of articles and advice telling franchisors which categories and industries make sense for franchising, or don't. Lots of entrepreneurs think that they can alter quickly and alter, and if the fad ends they will merely jump on the bandwagon of the next newest thing.

Indeed, a small business person can do this in their original outlet, but one time a franchise organization gets sizable, it often cannot turn on a dime that quickly. Meanwhile the franchisees start having issues, start missing their royalty payments, and this hurts the franchisor's money flow. Meanwhile the franchisor cannot sell new franchises quickly to keep the game going, and a money flow crunch ensues. If your franchise technique sells a stylish product, you better make definite that it is agile and can alter quickly as that fad fades in to the future. Indeed I hope you will think about all this and think on it

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Should I Buy a Little Franchise to Run in My Retirement for Extra Money?

Last month, I was one time sitting in Starbucks, and shooting the breeze with a local here, and they got to speaking about our various careers before retirement. They told me it worked for the phone company all his life, and they was worried that his pension would not suffice if they have a round of inflammation in the next decade. They has done all right along with his actual estate, although things are choppy right now. They feared that they might must return to work someday so they could make ends meet, in the event that they cut Medicare, and they or his spouse have any health issues.

As I got to speaking to him I mentioned that formerly before retirement I was one time a franchisor founder. They mentioned that he'd always liked the idea of walking his own business, but never had a chance in the coursework of his career as they kept getting advanced at the phone company to higher positions. They asked me if it made sense for him to buy a small franchise of some type, a business they could run in his retirement to make additional funds.

There is much more leeway in freedom, and that might be a lovely thing in his case. Since they did indicate they desired to run the business only part-time, and only to make additional funds. You see, purchasing a franchise is not for everyone, it depends on what you require in the way of income, and not every franchise business model makes sense for you or your relatives. This is why it behooves franchise buyers, or business opportunity buyers to study the companies before they make a purchase, and fully understand what they are getting in to.

Indeed, I am not sure I would recommend that because franchises have strict franchise agreements, and they require that the franchisee work the business, as that helps the general brand name for the whole company. Perhaps he'd be better off to start his own small business, but they didn't have any business experience, or know much about that particular industry, perhaps they might look in to a business opportunity in lieu. Usually business opportunities don't cost as much, and there's not the same restrictions as there's with franchises.

Walking a small business is serious business, and it is not as simple as it seems. The failure rate for small businesses is high, and the economic times are uncertain right now. Therefore before you jump in to the water, it makes sense to stick your small toe in, and see what is available. The last thing you require to do is get in over your head. Indeed I hope you will think about all this and think on it.

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Should I Attend a Franchise Exhibition to Find the Right Franchise?

A couple of years ago, I was speaking to a couple in my travels, & they indicated they were in the market to buy a franchise. I have been retired some time, & I am no longer franchising, so I didn't offer them of our franchises. They appeared like lovely folks, & they got to speaking about how they were shopping around & trying to decide which sort of franchise to buy. They had finally limited their choices to different industries, & different companies.

But still, they weren't positive in the event that they needed to expand their horizon. They told me they had bought all of the franchise directories they could find, & all of the business opportunities & franchise opportunity magazines at the local bookstore. Yes, that makes sense to me, & then they asked if I thought it might be a lovely suggestion to attend a franchise expo. Yes, that is as well as a lovely suggestion, but I have some additional concerns about this, & I'd like to go over them with you.

It is simple to weed out the shysters, & the commission based salesman, from the legitimate franchisors which are looking for high quality future franchise owners. So yes, it is worth taking a trip to of these franchise expos, spending the day, collecting business cards, brochures, & doing some research on a number of the companies. Indeed, I would recommend doing this. You see, it is hard to know what is, & what is not a lovely investment merely by reading a small blurb not over the size of a classified advertisement listing with various business statistics about each company.

You see, often franchise expos & business opportunity shows are filled with speedy speaking sales people. It is nice to go in see what is available, but you need to take it all with a grain of salt. There is some fraud going on with plenty of of the verbal promises the salesperson on the sales floor of the business opportunity & franchise Expos make. In fact, a critical thinker as well as a skeptic can learn all the tricks of the trade, & actually benefit well from listening to all the sales techniques.

Sometimes it makes sense to go look at a number of these companies, & see what they are up to, so you can better understand the whole process. As a former franchisor, I had participated in a couple of franchise expos, & I was embarrassed by a number of the competitors at the expo, & their sales tactics. Nevertheless, there were other legitimate franchisors there like myself, & it is fascinating you have the lovely companies that care alongside the companies that are out to make a speedy buck. Indeed I hope you will think about all this & think on it.

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Should I Hire a Franchise Consultant Before Buying a Franchise? by Lance Winslow

There are plenty of individuals who are out of work, and they are walking out of their unemployment benefits. As that funds and income stops, they are going to need to discover a job. In the event that they have some funds saved up, or they still have nice credit, purchasing a franchise might be way out of that pickle. Now then, let's say you are going to buy a franchise you need to hire somebody to help you pick the right franchise? Ought to you hire a franchise consultant to help review your final choices before you actually sign a franchise agreement?

Yes, I do think that would be a nice suggestion and the reason is because purchasing a franchise is a complicated investment. Usually these franchise disclosure documents including the franchise agreement are well over 300 pages with attachments. Although they are written in plain simple English, and not legalese so they are simple to understand, there is an fabulous amount of information in there, and plenty of case law that goes with the franchising sector.

Additionally, there's sure red flags to look for, as well as a franchise attorney, as well as a franchising consultant will know what those are. They might also assist you in going to visit current franchisees, and checking to see if the franchisor's franchisees in your local region are actually making funds, and in the event that they are happy with the level of support. As a new franchise buyer, you may not know which questions to ask, but I guarantee you a clever franchise consultant who is been in the industry for some time knows exactly which questions to ask, to resolve all the issues.

Now then, how much ought to you pay for a franchise consultant to help you discover a franchise that is best for you and your relatives? Well, paying up to $4000 to $5000 would be reasonable, a immense investment which could be over a half-a-million dollars, for example setting up a restaurant. make sure that the franchise consultant is not making funds on the side, or splitting a commission with the franchisor. In the event that they are it is necessary by law that you are notified, and that has to be listed also in the franchise agreement, as that franchise consultant in that case is a paid salesperson, at least the way the law reads.

Additionally, you ought to take this seriously, because chances are you will be signing your name to obligations and loans, and also obligations which are listed in the franchise agreement which could be a 10-year term. It is not something you can start and walk away from in case you don't like it. More of a nice reason why you ought to hire a franchise consultant to check it out and be sure it is best for you, and the investment makes sense from a return on investment standpoint. think about all this and think on it.

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Do You Need to Hire a Franchise Consultant to Franchise Your Business?

Yes, I think that would be wise, but you need to make positive that you are compatible. Basically finding someone with executive management experience who has worked in a large franchised organization may not be appropriate for a balls-to-the-wall, kick-ass entrepreneur. Those are different character types, and they usually clash. Further, it may not make sense to hire someone with an MBA that doesn't have a whole lot of business experience, or has seldom been in the franchising industry. The franchising sector is different from all other types of businesses and corporations, there is  much difference, and you need someone who is done it before.

Well, as a former franchisor I am often asked by startup entrepreneurs various questions about entering the franchising industry. Often they run a tiny business, or have a tiny chain of stores that they would now like to Franchise, as they are working well, making funds, and plenty of of their customers have inquired about opening a similar business, with their identical business model in another city. Now then, here is another important question; is it important to hire a franchise consultant in case you are thinking of franchising your business?

When looking for a solid franchising consultant to franchise your business, you should not compare prices, you ought to look at their experience, and make positive they have experience in your general sector, as well as a decade or more of franchising experience. For example in case you are franchising a retail store, you need to discover a consultant who has worked with other franchisors which are also in the retail sector. And hopefully the franchise consultant has been a franchisor historically and offered franchise opportunities in the retail space.

All right so, what ought to you expect to pay for a franchising consultant to help you get your franchising business up and walking, and prepared to start offering your business model as a franchise business opportunity? Well, you ought to expect to pay a lovely chunk of alter, along with the services of a franchise lawyer, a manual writer, a trademark attorney, as well as a lovely franchise salesperson. If someone is charging less than $5000 to help you in the first three to 6 months as you get the ball rolling, chances are they are working cheap because they don't have the proper experience.

To reply to your question; do I need to hire a franchise consultant to franchise my business? The answer is definitely affirmative, make positive you get the right, otherwise you could be paying someone to give you advice. Indeed I hope you will think about all this and think on it.

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What Should Spark My Interest When Reading the Business History of a Franchisor?

All right so, as you are reading these franchise disclosure documents it makes sense to pay special attention to the experience, and business history of the franchisor. They will must list all kinds of important things in there, for example what they have been doing for the last five to ten years. A franchisor with plenty of experience in the industry, and which has built up the business model is preferable. The more experience they have in the industry, or even walking the franchise business model as a small business before they franchise, the better for you. Still, they are going to need franchise veteran executive team members .

Before you buy a franchise, the franchisor has to give you the franchise disclosure documents. You must sign for these documents, and you cannot buy the franchise for 15 days. This is to protect you as an investor, or a consumer, so that you don't jump in to a franchise that you don't need, and you are not pressured by the franchisor in some unethical way. Nevertheless, most franchisors are very cautious not to push unqualified franchisees in to their technique, because it causes issues down the road.

It is also lovely to see that they have a solid balance sheet, and are adequately capitalized, as well as have franchise executives on their staff that know the ins and outs of the franchising industry. This is because the franchising industry is different than other types of businesses, and surely it is different from walking a small business, which may or may not be a duplication of the franchised outlets they are now selling. The right franchising team can make amazing strides in the market, providing they sell franchises to only top qualified individuals.

Knowing the franchisor's business history, as well as a small bit about their executive team is a powerful tool when choosing which franchised buy. Obviously you will need to look at different franchise offerings, or even business opportunities in the same sector, and check out the competition. Often the franchise offerings look very similar, but having the right franchise executive team makes all the difference in that case. You ought to also look for red flags, and breaks in continuity in the franchisor's experience, and both successes and failures in their business history and resumes.

You ought to also use the information in the franchise disclosure documents as a beginning point to do your own research and look for other history even prior to what is listed. This is because only a definite number of years back are necessary by law to be listed. Sometimes franchisors go up and beyond that and list ten to twenty years of prior business experience, but they are only necessary to list recent business experience. Indeed I hope you will think about all this and think on it.

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Can Franchisees Ever Give Other Franchisees Bad Advice?

Still, even with this huge & speedy communication flow, I also noted the challenges, issue they had was franchisees giving less-than-good advice to other franchisees. Often they were trying to help but regrettably their advice was not that great. Worse, as our franchise operation spread to multiple states, & they were franchising mobile automobile washing & fleet washing trucks, they found a immense amount of regional variation. & those with challenges in Los angeles, were nothing similar to a franchisee in let's say Cleveland, OH for example.

As a Franchisor, prior to retirement, I had noted & often marveled at the wonderful speed at which information flew through our organization & mind you this was in the work of the beginnings of widespread public Net use. Most of the communication was done by phone, & not everyone had a mobile phone yet, as those were new. Yes, I guess there's folks in the workforce today who could not imagine such a thing, but it is true, & there were no social networks.

Finally, I noted that bad advice was permeating our organization, the advice was not bad from the originator's point of view however, it was less-than-stellar for the receiver in a different climate & market. Thus, I finally decided to send out newsletters to the franchisees & report in the articles such differences, & it made our team think, I called these newsletters; Letters from Lance - after I read Michael Dell's Book, a biography & history of how they built Dell Computers & his famous; "Messages from Mike" internal newsletter.

In fact, although the actual "business model" was the same, the operations were far from similar, & we'd learned to change to the climates, seasonality, & differences in customer perception in the different areas of our nation. Things got even more intriguing as they grew internationally with different rules, laws, & ways of doing things - wow, what a culture shock indeed. Anyone in Washington State giving advice by e-mail to anyone in Portugal on how to run their mobile automobile washing operation was laughable in hindsight, although the franchisees sure loved communicating with another, & yes, I obviously encouraged that, it was a giant morale booster.

All right so, franchisors require to be thinking here, as today communication is even speedier with social networks, & you require to keep the team focused & reality based for their individual markets. think about all this, think on it, & then act on this information in your organization.

That appeared to solve the issue, & then the franchisees better understood what I knew about regional variations, & the advice got better, & the team grew stronger & closer together, as franchisees learned what everyone else was doing - what worked, what didn't, & why. From then on when explaining operational advice to each other, they'd always throw in the caveats such as; "well, here is what I do, but keep in mind it gets chilled up here in the winter time, you might not have that issue," & our challenges were solved.

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Should I Buy the Hottest New Franchise on the Market?

In preparing this news story, I did a small analysis and I went and read all of the ads I could find for franchises on the market on the various sites, and in the franchise directories, as well as in the magazines you see on the journal rack. I read through classified ads, and I clicked on links to various franchisors sites. It seems nothing has changed in the last few decades. Prior to retirement I ran a franchise company, and naturally they were engaged in franchise sales.

Although I seldom participated in any flashy franchise sales ads or marketing material, I did note that numerous franchisors including some that most would think about very reputable, were engaging in borderline marketing hype. A solid franchisor ought to not must have an commercial in a journal that states; "this is the hottest new franchise on the market, get in on the ground floor, franchise territories filling up rapid."

Keep in mind, purchasing a franchise is a long-term business investment opportunity. When you sign a franchise agreement the terms will be five, ten, or even 15-years. You will be locked in one time you sign that franchise agreement, and you will be bound to all sorts of things. If the franchise you are purchasing is hot today, or if it is selling in to a fad, or a fashionable market, that could be short-lived, and you will be holding the bag for years to come when the market falls out for that product or service.

When I see stuff like that, I cringe. Those are the type of ads I would expect from multilevel marketers or sleazy business opportunities, not franchising organizations. Nevertheless, perhaps because it works, even some semi-legitimate franchisors place ads like this. Now then, to answer your question; ought to you buy the hottest new franchise on the market - probably not, and because something is hot today doesn't mean it will be the hottest franchise business model on the market tomorrow.

Perhaps this is akin to purchasing a fast-moving small-cap mutual fund. These little mutual money with the right manager can make lots of money in their first couple years, but as the fund grows in size, it becomes more bureaucratic, and they gets followed by other investors, and it tends to move slower, and thus, is unable to capitalize on the opportunities. The gigantic growth they experienced originally is no longer there, and the fund managers often quit and go find work elsewhere. In other words the brains of the organization leave which changes the whole dynamics.

The same thing can happen with a fast-moving hot new franchise. In fact, it happens on a regular basis. because a company is having a 500 or 600% growth rate for or years, doesn't mean it can continue that forever, in fact it is a rarity. And I would submit to you that when you see very quick growth rates like that, those franchisors can get themselves in to trouble. So what I am saying to you is be cautious in case you think you need to buy a hot new fashionable franchise. think about all this and think on it.

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Competing With Other Franchise Buyers for a Specific Franchise Territory

In a prior life, before my retirement I ran a franchising company. It was fabulous the calls they got from all over the country. Sometimes I would be in Florida, & anyone desired to buy a franchise in New york. They desired to meet me, & listen to about the business, but it didn't make sense for me to fly out there, so I would hire a contract franchise salesman to go out & meet the individual & describe the business to them. Indeed, I learned a lot about franchise sales, & a quantity of the tactics that franchise salesman used.

Over the years, I never like that part of the business, I much more preferred walking the business after the franchises were sold, & helping the franchisees expand in to the marketplace. It appeared to me that selling the franchises was a hassle, & it was a complicated process because the franchise disclosure documents, at least ours were well over 250 pages, & over time they were expanded to very 400 pages with all the attachments. Thank God for regulations I used to think, I see the rules & regulations in the franchising industry have only gotten worse & more burdensome today.

Now then, often when franchisors are selling franchises in a specific region or territory, the best thing that can happen is when they have or more franchise buyers who are competing for the same territory. It seems to light a fire under the buyers, & give them a sense of urgency. This is nice for the franchisor, because it moves the franchise buyers along quickly in the franchise sales process. However, as a franchise buyer you require to be cautious not to be pushed in to something which may not be nice for you.

In case you are competing with other franchise buyers for a specific franchise territory, then you ought to beware. Don't let your emotions get caught up & used by the franchise salesperson because usually they will take advantage of the situation, & use this scenario to get you to buy, & sign on the dotted line, without negotiating specific terms of the franchise agreement, or asking them more detailed questions. It is important to ask lots of questions, it is important to do your due diligence, & that would include meeting current franchisees, & going & visiting them for a day.

That is something you ought to definitely do, but in case you are in a rush to buy because you don't require to miss out on a positive territory, you are liable to be rushed in to making a mistake. This can be bad for your future, thinking about most of these franchise agreements have 10-year terms, & one time you are locked in, getting out can be a actual bear, & a legal nightmare. Indeed I hope you will think about all this & think on it.

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Relatives - A Legal Can of Worms for the Franchise Relationship

As a former franchisor, & having franchised my company for over ten years before I sold it, it seems to me that I'd experienced every feasible scenario. Most people think that franchising is cut & dry; you have a franchise agreement, people pay you a definite amount to buy their franchised outlet, & then they operate the business or store for a ten year term with automatic renewals. Yes, that sounds like a first rate business model, however nothing is ever as simple as it appears in the franchising industry. Let me explain.

Over the years, I don't think I ever had an ideal franchise sale where everything went exactly perfectly; where the franchisee qualified for the loans quickly, had an ideal resume, had an ideal location, didn't care to negotiate any terms of the franchise agreement, & everything went ideal in the coursework of the ten years they were in business prior to renewal. That doesn't happen in franchising, & although franchising is an successful business model for distributing goods, services, & products; it is not Disneyland. I doubt any business is.

Let me give you an example of a crazy thing that happened to us. They had a franchisee who lived on the border of Georgia & Alabama. They allowed them to have a joint territory in both states. Due to the type of industry they participated in there were different rules & regulations on each side of the border. day, I happened to fill in for of our area representatives in that region, & I went to visit the franchisee on the Georgia side. When I got there, I was one time speaking to his brother-in-law. Apparently they was now jogging the business, & our franchisee had transferred the business to him without authorization.

You see, in the franchise agreement there's stipulations before you transfer the business to someone else, the new franchisee has to then sign the latest franchise agreement, & they must be approved by the franchisor. It turned out the brother-in-law was not jogging the business as per our confidential operations manual, they had made a few changes. I explained to him that they had to run the business a definite way, & they said that I was one time wrong, because they didn't sign any agreement, & they was going to do it his way. Oh great I thought, now I have a rogue franchisee on my hands, & they are not keeping with the consistency of our brand name.

This is a serious issue, & it happens more often than people recognize. Franchisors need to demand that the proper procedures are followed, otherwise you run in to all sorts of situations. think about all this & think on.

Worse, they wasn't following the proper procedures which were part of a immense fleet account they had with a national company. Again because they didn't must follow are confidential operations manual, which they seldom read because as they said; "I seldom signed nothing." Nor did they ever go to our franchisor training, which is also necessary of new managers which are jogging our franchised business model, if the owner is not involved in the day-to-day operations.

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When Buying a Franchise Study All of the Competition, Not Just Other Franchisors

Now then, in the event you can show me a business with no competition, I will show you where the government as put forth rules & regulations stopping people from entering the market, a monopoly which is illegal, or a business which will soon have competition within the next few weeks. Further, in the event you are thinking about purchasing a franchise, I would recommend that you carefully study all the competition, & not the other franchisors in the marketplace.

One thing I always find fascinating is when I listen to business opportunity sales people, & sometimes, although to a lesser degree, franchise salesmen say that the business model they are selling has virtually no competition. That is usually not the case, because if there's a substantial number of buyers in the market willing to partake in a given product or service, surely there will be sellers in the market providing those services & products. That is how the free market works, that is the way it's always worked, & there is no such thing as a business without competition.

It is important to note this in the event you are preparing a business plan, & you are sizing up the competition; who has the market share, & how much is obtainable in that overall industry within the region or territory which you will be operating your franchised outlet. Before retirement I was a franchisor, & I franchised mobile carwash trucks. Although they didn't have any competition, or at least any organize competition when I first started, but there were other ways to wash people's cars of work.

Whereas, it is true that franchisors usually compete against business opportunities, & other types of business investments, the franchisees that run the franchised outlets have all sorts of competition, & they are not the same. For example, you might be selling a definite item, but there is another company which bundles that product or service in with their offerings in a different industry. They are still competition, although you might not think about them such, but you need to be thinking there .

There were fixed site carwashes, there were carwashes attached to gas stations, there were carwash fundraisers on the weekends with nonprofit groups, there were individuals who washed their own automobile, & then there was Sister Nature, which would rain heavily out in New york & wash all the cars at no cost. Despite what you might think they were all competitors, even if they didn't have plenty of mobile competitors at the time. Today, there has to be at least twenty to 50 mobile automobile washing & auto detailing companies in every city in The united states. Indeed, I hope you will think about this & by example & think on it.

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Beware of Your Potential Profit Perception Prior to Purchasing a Franchised Business

Most small businesses go out of business in the first years, and although franchisees usually have a slightly better percentage of success, that doesn't mean it cannot happen to you in the event you buy a franchise, you very well could lose all of your money, though out of business, and perhaps even file personal bankruptcy. Prior to retirement, I ran a franchising company, and for the first years I have met every franchise buyer personally, and did the franchise sales. It was important for me to meet each new franchisee, and I didn't trust someone else to do the sales.

There are lots of franchisors that do not give "earnings claims" when selling franchises. In other words, of the questions that most franchisees ask is; "how much money am I able to make if I buy this franchise?" And lots of franchisors basically won't say - all they will say is that; in the event you buy this franchise you are putting your capital and money in danger. Yes, well that goes without saying because anytime you start a new business, it is a dicy venture.

Often franchise buyers would come to me thinking they were going to make millions of dollars, and I had to set the record straight. Some franchisors and lots of salespeople which are working on commission, don't say anything, and they permit the franchise buyer to think that they are going to make boatloads of money than telling them that their estimates of profit potential are very unreasonable. The reason the salespeople don't require to say anything is perhaps they figure that will ruin the sale.

I can keep in mind laid-off corporate executives telling me that they were going to make a ton of money, often giving me a figure which was equal or higher than what they were making corporate America. That was impossible from what I knew about my own business, and the business model that I created in the first couple years of business while they were still building their reputation in that local region or territory. It is very simple for someone to get the wrong perception of the amount of profit they might make in the event that they buy a franchised outlet.

This can happen in numerous ways, perhaps they meet a franchisee, who looks like they are making money hand over fist, but perhaps they are not turning a profit at all. Perhaps the franchise buyer happened to cease in on of their busiest days of the week, and in the work of there'd busiest time period. Do you see that point? I hope you do, and I hope you will think about all this, and think on it.

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Do Not Assume That a Franchisor's Training Is Worth As Much As Proclaimed

Often franchise buyers think about purchasing a franchised outlet because they don't know much about the industry that they require to get in to, and they don't have ten years to take out of their lives to learn all about it. They also recognize that the franchisor has an ideal business model, that they have honed over the years and adapted to fit nicely in to a specific niche. That is all well and nice, but let me tell you there is more to this story. In the event you have a few moments I would like to report.

First, you ought to not assume that the franchisor's training is worth as much as they proclaim. You see, the first thing a franchise consultant will tell a new startup franchisor who wishes to franchise their business is that they must provide adequate training, and it should not be over or weeks. That is of the criteria to franchising a business, and that is usually accepted throughout the industry. Now then, it is  impossible to teach someone how to run a positive type of business in only or weeks.

Now then, how do know if the franchisor's training program is all that it is billed as? Well, the first thing you can do is go asked the franchisees who are currently in operation what they think. Ask them in the event that they learned all they needed to in the coursework of the franchise training period. I would submit to you that times out of you will get a slightly different story from current franchisees than you will from the franchisor's sales team.

Most franchisors in their franchise agreements say that you will go to the corporate training headquarters for or weeks, and then someone will shadow you after you open your outlet for or weeks to get you situated in to your new business. So you can learn all the ropes. Is that ? Sometimes it is and sometimes it is not, it depends on how comprehensive the franchisor's training program is. I would submit to you that lots of new franchisors don't have sophisticated training, and they are not that nice at the training part.

In the event you look at a franchisor's display commercial,  all of them have a bullet point in their adverts that says something like; Comprehensive Training Program. Positive, that makes sense, because as a franchise buyer that is important to you, but I ask; how comprehensive is this training program anyway? I hope you will ask that same query, and I hope you will think about all this and think on it.

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Is Ten Percent Unemployment the New Norm? If So, Is Franchising the Wave of the Future?

Now then, I'd like to discuss the franchising industry as a feasible way for you to become gainfully employed. In case you were to buy a franchise, then you would be your own boss, calling your own shots, and walking your own business - sounds simple doesn't it - well, it is not. Nevertheless, because of all of these factors some analysts think that franchising is the wave of the future. It may very well be, they will must wait and see. Of coursework, in case you do start a franchised outlet, it is possible for you to to hire other people, as well as yourself, and possibly relatives members , after all, charity starts at home right?

It is very feasible that the United States could be experiencing a national average of 10% unemployment prior to the 2012 general election. That sounds high doesn't it? But also they must think about how our demographics are changing, and the reality that plenty of of our elderly industries are no longer viable in the United States, and far of that production has moved offshore. It is feasible that 10% unemployment could be the new norm, and therefore you are going to must figure out another way for yourself and your relatives.

If corporate The united states is moving increasingly of their operations, manufacturing, and even headquarters of various business units to China and other nations, then it is feasible the corporate option of a career and long-term employment is no longer in the cards. Thus, you are going to need seek alternative solutions to this dilemma. Owning your own business is such solution, however in case you have no experience in a specific industry, or no experience walking a tiny business, you are probably safer to buy a franchise with a proven business model.

Indeed, the franchising industry is hoping that you and others will also see the light, and come and buy a franchise. Usually speaking, and from a historical point of view franchising has always completed well in the coursework of times of high unemployment, and adverse sector rotations in various industries as business cycles turns South. They are in such an economic situation currently, and there is lovely chance they will be for some time. This is lovely for the franchising industry, and probably not lovely for those who are seeking full-time employment.

Nevertheless, it is an option you may need to think about, make positive you do your due diligence before you go out and buy a franchise and bind yourself for ten more years. Indeed I hope you will think about all this and think on it.

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