Many business owners will often take a look at their business and ask, "how can I grow?". Friends will look at them and say "Hey! You ought to franchise!". Sounds good - franchise your business! Easy, right?! Just find some people who want to do what you do, teach them to do it, and then sit back and collect all that royalty! Wow - So Easy!
Read MoreAs the Director of Franchising here at Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids, one of the first questions I usually get asked is, “How much money can I make?” My response is always muted because the FTC doesn't allow us to answer that question. However, for those of you reading this who are new to franchising, you can find the answer to that question in the Disclosure Documents in Item 19 that you receive from a prospective franchise. Also, some franchises may choose to disclose those numbers but have the right not to, so that really depends on the franchise you are looking at. But at the end of the day, my typical response is to answer a question with a question, which is, “How hard are you willing to work?”
Read MoreNew businesses are formed every day. And businesses close their doors every day as well! The chances of starting a blockbuster business on your own are small. This is why the whole idea of buying a franchise business is a popular one! Those businesses should have a track record of being successful, and should have systems in place that you can replicate.
Read MoreThere's an old adage on Wall Street, "The trend is your friend". The same can be said for franchises and the customers they are trying to attract. Wayne Huizenga, owner of the Miami Dolphins, is a brilliant business man worth billions of dollars. When building his Blockbuster video chain in the 1980s, he was unaware that the 1990s would usher in a new and deadly competitor called the internet. Services such as in-home and on-demand movie ordering services, along with Netflix, Redbox and others would soon spell doom for Blockbuster - which eventually took Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2010.
The Big Red Flag of Franchising!
Written by Jim Otto
People are requesting information about our franchise on a daily basis. The two most often asked questions I get are, “how much does it cost?” and “how much can I make?” These are questions that most interested franchise buyers have the right to know. If I may, I'd like to offer prospective buyers a question that would answer the other two and save everyone a lot of due diligence and research. You see, I think the most important question that franchise buyers should ask is, “How many of your locations have closed?”
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