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Franchise

Choosing a Franchise

busineesman-calling.jpgMore and more, women are discovering that franchising is a great way to become a business owner. Whether your background is banking or baking, marketing or mothering, you’ve probably developed a set of skills that will translate to any number of franchise opportunities. And, because a franchisor will provide you with the systems, operations and training, you can make a complete career change without starting at the bottom and working your way up!
But how do you find the franchise opportunity that is right for you? With several thousand franchised businesses in the U.S., your options are nearly limitless. But don’t despair – here’s a list of steps you can take to narrow the choices to a few that really match your needs, skills, personality and aspirations.
ONE
The first step to finding that perfect franchised business is to take a serious look at what you, the potential franchisee, will be able to offer.
1. What skills, experience and interests do you have?
2. How much money can you invest and how much would you like to make?
3. Are you comfortable managing others or would you prefer to work alone?
4. Where do you want to work? Are you willing to relocate?
5. What hours are you willing to work and what lifestyle expectations do you have after the business is established?
6. How do you feel about selling and the sales process?
7. What do you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses in business?
Make a list of your answers to all of these questions and then use this as a guide as you do your research. This will help you quickly eliminate those businesses that just don’t fit and help you stay focused on what is important to you.
TWO
Now you are ready to begin doing some serious searching. Start with item 1 on your list and think about your talents and interests. Do you love working with children? There are a plethora of wonderful franchises that enhance the lives of children and help their parents – everything from baby aerobics to teen tutoring. Is travel your passion? Why not consider a travel franchise?
Did you slurp a delightful fruit smoothie while on vacation but can’t find the same brand in your neighborhood? Maybe that’s the business you’ve been looking for. And don’t overlook service businesses – they can offer high profits for a low investment.
Another source to get you started is a franchise advertising website, such as Bison.com. These sites often have the franchise companies organized by category to help you narrow your search and usually list the basic financial requirements of the business and the type of franchisee they are looking for.
THREE
At this point you have found a number of franchise companies that look promising and you’ve compared the information available on their web sites against your list. Your next step is to contact these companies and request their UFOC (Uniform Franchise Offering Circular, a document every franchise in the United States is required to provide) and then to review it carefully.
The UFOC will tell you the history of the company, the training and marketing programs, and what costs, royalties and fees you will be required to pay. Some franchisors also provide earnings claims in the UFOC that will help you estimate the potential of the business.
Franchise companies are required to revise and file their UFOC yearly and whenever major changes are made so the information is usually very current. By paying attention to what you discover in a company’s UFOC, you can weed out franchises that just don’t measure up. Some warning signs of a franchise that is facing challenges are extensive litigation with franchisees or a closing rate of units greater than what’s being opened.
FOUR
CALL EXISTING FRANCHISEES! Step four is crucial to your understanding of how the franchisor works with its franchisees. This is not a step you can skip or do haphazardly. Contact information for existing franchisees is available in the UFOC and it’s a good idea to make a list of the questions you will be asking before you make the calls.
Existing franchisees are your best source of information for finding out what really happens in a business on a day-to-day basis. You can ask what they like and dislike about the business and if they are happy with corporate support. They may be able to give you ideas about what they’d do differently if they were starting their business again and even give you a feel for the type of earnings their franchise makes.
Gather a variety of opinions from franchisees in different areas of the country and particularly any franchisees in areas similar to the one you are in. These calls should give you a clear idea of how the franchisor helps a franchisee during the start-up phase, how the franchisee feels about the training and support provided and a better idea of the business culture of the franchisor.
FIVE
Hopefully you’ve now found one or several companies that will meet your needs.
When you’ve made it this far, it’s time to go to Discovery Day (an on-site meeting with a franchisor). At this meeting you will be introduced to the top people in the home office and you may make a visit to a local franchisee, allowing you to ask even more questions and maybe to get some hands-on experience with the business.
Discovery Days are very interesting and exciting. When you leave, you will have a good understanding of the franchise. Don’t forget that this is a two-way street. They’ll be evaluating you as thoroughly as you evaluate their business.
SIX
Your last step is both exciting and terrifying at the same time: you need to make a decision. If you have followed all the steps and have been very honest with your self-evaluation and research, you should have confidence that you are making the right decision. Be aware that fear is a normal reaction to new experiences – just don’t let it stop you from achieving your dreams.
Congratulations – you’re ready to be a franchisee!

KimberlyEllisPhoto.jpgKimberley Ellis is the President of Bison.com, a leading online resource for franchise and business opportunities. She has been quoted as an industry expert in USA Today, Wall Street Journal and a variety of local and regional publications regarding trends in business and franchising. Kim combines her entrepreneurial spirit with a diverse background in marketing and operation to help others succeed in franchising.

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Business Ideas Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurship Franchise How-To Guides Starting Up

How to Evaluate a Franchisor’s Training Program

Not long ago I took a trip to Tuscany and spent a week in a cooking class. Before the trip I spent time researching my options. I wanted to know who would be teaching the class, what courses and dishes would be covered, how hand-on the class was, if wine-pairings with the dishes would be addressed and if the class included trips to the local farmer’s markets to select fresh produce. Finding just the right cooking school was important to me because I would be spending a significant amount of money traveling to Italy and I wanted my experience to be well worth my time and effort.
For a woman interested in buying a franchise, evaluating the training a franchise business offers should involve even greater research – after all, this is about your future – not a vacation.
As part of your due diligence when researching a franchise opportunity, find out everything about the training a franchise system provides. A good training program should cover not only the product or service but also setting up the business, marketing, employee management, business procedures, reporting, etc.
The best way to find out about the scope of the training program is to ask existing franchisees. Find out what stood out about the training they received and what they feel could have been covered more completely. Ask them how prepared they felt when they opened their business and what ongoing training they have been provided.
Keep in mind that the franchisees you talk with may have been through various versions of the training program. Problems that existed at one time may have been fixed. Or, you may find that a training program that was fine in a company’s early days is now out-of-date. Be sure to include in your research franchisees who have had the same training you will receive to get an accurate assessment of its value.
Ask current franchisee if they received a training manual and if the information is updated periodically. Also ask if the franchisor offers other training resources such as conference calls, webinars or intranet sites. Ongoing training is important for many companies who adjust their business with changes in the marketplace. If this applies to the business you are reviewing, find out what they do to keep each franchisee up to speed.
An addition source of training may come from periodic conferences held by the franchisor. Besides providing additional education about the product or service, conferences offer franchisees an excellent opportunity to connect and network with other franchisees in the system. A network of peers is one of franchising’s invaluable resources so be sure to ask if this is an opportunity the franchisor provides.
Although this is less of a problem today than in the past, some industries may have an “old boy’s club” mentality among franchisees. You will be able to tell by reading the UFOC if there are other woman franchisees. Include some women in your due diligence calls so you can get an idea of the business culture and the prevailing attitude towards woman franchisees.
Many franchisors will have field support personnel who are available to be at your site during your grand opening and at periodic intervals during your first year in business or longer. Having someone right there to answer your questions may help calm your first-day jitters so find out if this a serviced provided by the franchisor.
If, after your franchise investigation process is completed, you don’t feel the offered training will adequately prepare you to run your new business, it’s time to step back and look at other opportunities. As reported in the August 2006 Franchising World magazine, a recent study by FRANdata found nearly 2500 franchise concepts in 18 different industries and almost 900 of these concepts were started over the past three years. You don’t have to compromise – if one company does not have the training you are looking for, there are sure to be many other companies who can meet your needs.
I’m happy to report that the cooking school in Tuscany exceeded my expectations and I left there able to prepare a number of authentic and delicious Italian dishes. Had I not researched the available schools so thoroughly, I might have been very disappointed with my choice.
To get full value for your investment in a franchise business, the training should answer all your questions and set you up as a confident and successful owner.
Franchisee training should include:
• Everything you need to know about the product or service
• Everything about using/protecting the brand
• How to find your business location
• How to negotiate a lease
• How you complete the permits and buildout
• How to find, hire and manage employees
• How to market your product or service
• How to keep books and records for the business
• The reporting requirements and processes
• Where to get the equipment needed for the business
• How or where to buy supplies and inventory
• How to get help when you have a problem
KimberlyEllisPhoto.jpgKimberley Ellis is the President of Bison.com, a leading online resource for franchise and business opportunities. She has been quoted as an industry expert in USA Today, Wall Street Journal and a variety of local and regional publications regarding trends in business and franchising. Kim combines her entrepreneurial spirit with a diverse background in marketing and operation to help others succeed in franchising.

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Franchise

Looking for a New Career? Franchisor Training Can Be Your Shortcut to Success!

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If you are like most women, you chose a career path at the tender age of 18 or 19 and have dutifully followed that path for many years. But let’s say you’ve grown tired of your career, or worse yet, never liked it to begin with. What are your choices?

-Stay where you are and make the best of it
-Change careers and start all over at the bottom
-Take advantage of the training offered by a franchisor and become your own boss in any industry you choose!

Let’s imagine a woman has been in public relations for ten or fifteen years but has a burning desire to spin pizzas instead of situations. What is she to do? As everyone knows, it isn’t easy for someone 40 or 50 to quit a career and start over, especially if she wants to try an entirely different field. She would have to give up a steady income and face months or years of reinventing herself. Perhaps she’d take a job at a pizza parlor and hope to learn enough to open her own shop someday. An alternative solution may be that she could buy a pizza franchise and take advantage of the training and support offered by the franchisor. Provided she has the financing, that would-be pizza chef could be managing a team of pizza spinners in just a few months.

Many or even most women will change careers at least several times their lifetime, whether because of changes in the economy or workforce, or because their careers don’t provide them with enough money/control/opportunities/ etc.

While it was once common for someone to keep the same job from college to retirement, this had changed dramatically, particularly in the past 10 or 20 years, and this trend is expected to continue. Studies suggest that teens today may have between six and 12 careers in their lifetime.

Besides – many people really enjoy the challenge of a taking on a new career. Corporate executives replace their suits with sweats and open fitness centers. Doctors become fried chicken moguls and teachers get remade as pet groomers.
How do they make the transition? Many times through the power of franchising and one of the bonuses you’ll discover about franchising is that they can train you to excel in a job you’ve never done before!

No Experience Necessary

If you are a woman who is ready for a career change via franchising, the training a provided is one of the most important benefits a franchise system will offer you. An education from the top online schools or graduate schools pales in comparison. The benefit of training goes both ways. It provides you with the tools you need to learn a new career and be successful in your new business. But it is also important to the franchise company. The franchise system depends on the integrity and stability of their brand from store to store and franchisee training is essential to this process.

You’ll find that a good franchise system will take pride in their training programs because, through the payment of royalties, your success becomes their success.
And guess what? Most franchises don’t require you to have experience in their field. In fact, many don’t even want a franchisee with previous industry experience. Because the systems of a franchise are structured for maximum success, previous industry experience often gets in the way when training a new franchisee.

Branding

Branding is another area where a franchise can offer you a shortcut. From California to Washington DC, you can buy a Häagen-Dazs ® Mayan chocolate cone and the quality and taste of the product will be exactly the same. If you own a Häagen-Dazs Shop, the public will know what you sell and that awareness will often make the difference between the success and failure of your business. Imagine how long it would take you to create a branded awareness of your new business if you started from scratch, not to mention the cost of hiring firms to create and advertise your brand.
Just as important to the quality of the product is the service the public expects from a franchised concept. You never know what to expect from the staff at “Jane’s Ice Cream Parlor” on the corner but you can trust that the people serving you at a Häagen-Dazs Shop will be friendly, clean and efficient. Why? Because the franchisor has set standards for employees and provided training and guidance in hiring practices. Everything that effects the perception of their brand is accounted for in the franchisor training.

Franchisors Care About Your Success

Your number one reason for choosing a franchise business over creating your own concept is that studies show your chances for success are exponentially greater. The franchisor has done many things before franchising the business that you, as a franchisee, you won’t need to, including establishing and building the brand, testing a variety of marketing concepts, finding the best way to deliver a quality service or product, and researching the best value in suppliers.

Most franchisors offer help to their franchisees in a combination of important areas, which may include: site assistance, initial training, operations systems, field support, grand opening assistance, national marketing programs, on-going training, and full-time encouragement for you to succeed. They become your business coaches and cheerleaders as you establish your new career.

The greatest merit of a franchise system is that you should be able to walk right into your new business after training and expect to have the tools needed to make it successful. It’s up to you, of course, to put in the hard work that will make that success a reality.

If you are thinking about a career change, don’t overlook the advantages of letting someone else do much of the work for you. A great franchise will offer you the training and tools you need to not only start a new career but to own your own business in any field you choose! Consider it a “shortcut to success.”

KimberlyEllisPhoto.jpgKimberley Ellis is the President of Bison.com, a leading online resource for franchise and business opportunities. She has been quoted as an industry expert in USA Today, Wall Street Journal and a variety of local and regional publications regarding trends in business and franchising. Kim combines her entrepreneurial spirit with a diverse background in marketing and operation to help others succeed in franchising.

Categories
Franchise

Why Franchising Attracts Women Entrepreneurs

busy-woman.jpgHave you ever wondered what it would take to leave the corporate world behind and own your own business? Are you tired of being the go-to girl, a small fish in a big sea, earning money for someone else? Is it time to take charge of your future and really be in control of your destiny?
If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, then you’ve thought about business ownership – but something has stopped you from moving forward. Was it lack of experience? Couldn’t think of a unique concept that would compete with established brands? Fear of the unknown? If so, you are not alone.
That’s why so many people have turned to franchising – and a record number of those franchise owners have been women. When you buy a franchise, you have help setting up and running your business. The concept and brand name are established and recognizable by the public. And there are experts to “hold your hand” and answer any questions along the way.
In the United States the number of women-owned businesses grew at twice the national rate for all privately held companies from the period of 1997 to 2002, according to census data. One reason may be that business ownership is a way for women to crack through that proverbial glass ceiling. Another reason is that it can give a woman more flexibility, something greatly desired by those with a home and children to manage.
For many women, owning a franchise can be the easiest way to achieve their dream of business ownership. No one claims that every franchisee is successful; however your comfort level will be greatly increased if you follow a tried-and-true system instead of building something from scratch.
Here are some of the ways a franchisor may help their franchisees:
• Build-out/Site Selection. From the look and layout of your store to the location to the signage, a franchisor knows what works to draw customers. Most franchisors will offer guidance in these areas and some even have employees who will work one-on-one with a franchisee to accomplish each of these tasks.
• Marketing. Most franchisors have a marketing strategy that takes into account the demographics of the franchisee’s territory and the best way to get business. Many also require the franchisee to contribute to a national marketing fund, which buys national advertising. A national TV ad, for example, will increase brand awareness and the buying power of many contributors will allow greater penetration into markets.
• Proprietary Software. If your business will rely on technology, many franchisors have specifically designed software to keep track of customer lists, inventory, accounting, or whatever is needed to keep the business running smoothly.
• Employees. When a business has many open locations, they have significant data to draw upon. This can be of great help when you need to hire, manage and retain employees. A franchisor can tell you what type of person to hire, where to advertise for employees and may even provide employee manuals and other resources.
• Buying Power. A major advantage of being a franchisee over being on your own is having the buying power of a large business. Whether your product consists of bread or batteries, or your service is house painting or dry cleaning, you will benefit from the greatly reduced prices you pay for supplies and inventory because of the quantity purchased by the franchisor.
• Training. Say you want to own a window tinting business but you don’t know a Cavalier from a Camry. No problem. A franchisor will train you in most everything you need to know to run your business – including how to hire the people who do know their way around cars. You will still need to have innate business skills and a great work ethic to succeed in your business but most specific parts of the business can be learned.
This is the safety net a franchise provides: a tried and proven concept with operations, marking, distribution, accounting, technical support, brand, etc. all in place, tested, retested and ready for a sharp, hard working entrepreneur to join the team. Growing a business through franchising obviously works. U.S. Department of Labor statistics show that franchising accounts for approximately one trillion dollars a year in sales and is increasing at a rate of about 8% per year. For a woman who is preparing to run her own business for the first time, it can be the best of both worlds. A franchise provides the help and guidance of a big company along with the control and flexibility of a small business.
If you’ve been thinking about owning your own business, buying a franchise may provide you with the security you need to make the commitment. A good franchisor will provide you with training, support and continuing help – after all, they don’t succeed until you do. With over 1,600 franchise concepts in the US today, there’s never been a better time or a better place to follow your dream of business ownership and you will find lots of company – women populate all areas and all sectors of franchising.
KimberlyEllisPhoto.jpgKim Ellis is the President of Bison.com, a leading online resource for franchise and business opportunities. She has been quoted as an industry expert in USA Today, Wall Street Journal and a variety of local and regional publications regarding trends in business and franchising. Kim combines her entrepreneurial spirit with a diverse background in marketing and operation to help others succeed in franchising.

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Franchise

What Do You Need to Pass a Franchisor’s Test?

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Buying a franchise is a lot like marriage. Two parties enter into a relationship with the expectation of mutual benefit, long-term support and common goals. When entering into marriage, both people spend a great deal of time learning about each other and making sure they are a good match before making the commitment. The same is true for franchising. Both the franchisor and the franchisee gather information about each other and evaluate whether there is a good match. Although it may not be immediately evident, a franchise company is under no obligation to award a franchise to just anyone who can afford the franchise fee. In many cases a franchisor has as much or more at risk when a franchisee fails.
A franchisee that fails loses money, but a franchisor must report every failed franchise unit in a document called a UFOC (Uniform Franchise Offering Circular). This document is provided to each and every person interested in buying the franchise. A company that shows significant franchise unit failures will have a more difficult time attracting new franchisees. A failed store can also tarnish the brand.
Like any good business, a franchise company will want to populate their system with great people. Since franchising is based on a strong, consistent brand, a franchisor looks for franchisees who will present the brand in the most positive light. In the same manner, they only want franchisees that are able and willing to learn the system and work within its specific parameters.
In many ways, this is actually an advantage for women entrepreneurs. Historically, women are seen as better listeners and more likely to follow the set of rules provided by a franchisor. Experience in a particular industry is not as important as general business knowledge. Marketing and sales experience are often required and these are also areas where women tend to be strong and have experienced success.
When researching a franchise company, you will find that they may have as many questions about you as you do about the company. A franchisor is putting their time, money and reputation on the line, so most have developed a “profile” of a successful franchisee which they use to determine if you are “right” for their business.
While this may sound exclusionary, franchisors have a very good reason to learn what works and to stick with it. Successful franchise companies want their franchisees to excel. They have refined their systems around a set of standards they have learned franchisees need to thrive.
Yes, it’s true. You can’t buy a franchise as easily as you can buy a condo or a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes. You must first pass the franchisor’s test. These are the most common items a franchisor looks for in a potential franchisee:
• Money may not buy happiness but you will need it to buy a franchise. Most franchisors have a minimum net worth and liquid capital requirement for their franchisees. While this may seem obvious, there are other demands on cash availability beyond the initial costs of the franchise – such as the length of time it will take your business to start making money and the living expenses you will have during that time. There are financing options available that may help you qualify if you are short of capital, however no good franchisor will want to see you start out your business heavily in debt.
• Personality is paramount to passing the “test.” Few businesses run themselves. They require hard work to get them up and running. There are some personality characteristics that seem to be common in all successful franchisees. Other characteristics are specific to individual businesses.
o Are you willing to follow a system or are you the type who wants to do everything your own way?
o Do you enjoy working with people?
o Can you lead a team of employees?
o Are you focused and decisive?
o Do you enjoy solving problems?
o Can you set and meet personal goals?
These are some of the questions a franchisor may have for you and your answers will determine not only if you can qualify for a particular franchise but also if you will be a successful franchisee.
• If the shoe fits, you’re a match. Fit is another area franchisors look for. Each company has its own culture and franchisors realize that a franchisee must be comfortable with the corporate staff as well as the other franchisees – and vise-versa.
• Does experience matter? Franchising is one area of business where your specific experience is less important than other factors. That’s because of the excellent training provided by most franchise companies. In truth, many franchisors prefer franchisees without industry experience because it is easier to train someone in a franchisor’s system than it is to “un-train” a franchisee who has ideas that may conflict with the way a franchise system works. Again, it is the overall business experience you’ve attained through life that will make you a “star” in a franchisor’s eyes. One attribute that is required by most franchisors is that you have business acumen and understand how the parts of a business contribute to the whole.
The goal for every franchisor is successful franchisees. As much as you may want to qualify for a franchise opportunity that interests you, remember that the franchisor has the background and experience to know what type of person makes a good franchisee in their system.
Those strappy sandals you want may look great but it they don’t fit, you’ll be unhappy in the long run. The same is true for buying a franchise. It really has to be just right for you to provide you with the opportunity for long-term success, so passing a franchisor’s test is just another way to be sure you’ve chosen the right business.
KimberlyEllisPhoto.jpgKim Ellis is the President of Bison.com, a leading online resource for franchise and business opportunities. She has been quoted as an industry expert in USA Today, Wall Street Journal and a variety of local and regional publications regarding trends in business and franchising. Kim combines her entrepreneurial spirit with a diverse background in marketing and operation to help others succeed in franchising.