Business Blogs: Trends, tips, and real-life anecdotes from industry experts.

Have you considered investing in a franchise and just can't decide which one is right for you? As you explore your options, one of the most important factors is evaluating the satisfaction of current franchisees … the small business owners that make it all happen.
Once again, our annual study of franchisee satisfaction has exceeded
all expectations. [...]

My uncle and small business owner, Mark Burris, could be your typical 21st century businessman. Let's take a look at his typical morning (pulled from his "IdeaBlog"):

Tuesday, July 31.

"It’s 5:50a as I write this, and I’m watching via iTunes last night’s
“NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams,” 23 minutes with no advertising,
only programming promotions from NBC [...]

An article in today's NY Times, Don't Go West Young Man … Buy Yourself a Franchise Instead,  
asks a very interesting question. Should recent college graduates without any real-world experience forgo corporate America and buy a franchise? Our research shows that less than 1% are currently doing that. But that doesn't mean it isn't a [...]

Last week I posted a short opinion discussing advertising funds and the benefits and drawbacks associated with them (as it relates to franchises, specifically). One of my responses asked about a start-up franchise vs. a more established brand and it sparked me to pull some information from our research.
We've polled over 40,000 franchisees from 320+ [...]

As part of many franchise agreements, franchisors require franchisees to contribute to an advertising fund. Sometimes these funds are national (i.e. McDonald's) and others are regional … the deciding factor 99% of the time is the number of units a franchise has and if it makes sense for a national reach vs. a more targeted [...]

I am often asked whether or not it is a good idea to invest in a “hot, new franchise concept” or to go with a “safe” established brand. Certainly, established franchise brands typically have a higher success rate as compared to younger franchise systems. Yet, while investing in a new franchise concept may come with [...]

It’s a common misunderstanding that businesses with many locations are all franchises. In fact, many of the places you frequent on a daily basis are NOT franchises at all, but corporate-owned and operated stores. For example, FedEx/Kinkos, The Gap, Red Lobster and yes, even Starbucks are NOT franchises. These are all large companies that operate [...]

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked by someone thinking about investing in a franchise “How much money can I make?” It’s far and away the number one question prospective franchisee want answered. And why not? Isn’t money the primary reason most people go into any business? I love my job and [...]

A few questions to start: What are the keys to franchising? How do you (or I) know if franchising is right for me? And the frequently asked, “What are the hot franchises right now?” Most of these questions will be covered in the articles and resources section in the upcoming Franchise Center and while I [...]

When it comes down to it, I believe there are really two different types of products you can sell on eBay.
1) Hot Commodities - DVDs, iPods, or maybe a Starbucks Espresso Machine
2) Unique Products - Custom jewelry, custom clothing or maybe a twist on a popular commodity, like bundling that espresso machine with 10 lbs. [...]