Professionals who have spent numerous years working in the corporate world sometimes will find that they’re ready for a new challenge. After researching their options, many of these career shifters are choosing franchising. Why? Well, usually it boils down to people simply wanting to be their own boss, and being able to more capably utilize their unique skill-set to build wealth. They also realize that starting a business from the ground up is hard!  Investing in something that has most the kinks already worked out is a real advantage.  And even though running a franchise business offers many advantages over simply starting a business on your own, there’s still some unique challenges that potential franchisees might want to consider. Following is a list of some of those challenges an individual might want to think about before making the leap to owning their very own franchise business!

We live in a world where technology is all around us, and your customers are increasingly online. That's why the effective use of technology in a small business can help you attract customers and effectively compete in the marketplace. Following are some of our suggestions on how a small business can utilize technology to help promote growth and success!

Some of our readers may recall that the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids Salon Franchise in Albuquerque was voted Best of the City in 2014 (which you can read about here). We are excited to say that they've done it again, and have been voted by readers as Albuquerque The Magazine's Best of the City for 2015! This is quite an honor to be sure, as over 100,000 votes were cast in order to spotlight those businesses, organizations, restaurants, and people that help make Albuquerque such a great place to live!

Running your own small business can be a difficult, yet extremely rewarding time in your life. Not only does it take being able to understand market demands, but it also means having a small business plan (a process and product in place) that will support the business, as well as provide an income for the owner. While many potential small business owners may have a great idea for a business, business growth and long-term success requires being able to be focused, disciplined and at times - an out-of-the-box thinker! Below are some of the essentials that can help your small business build success.

In the world of business, it can sometimes be an innocent oversight for a manager or business owner to become so focused on finding ways to connect and meet the needs of their customers, that they forget to find ways to connect and meet the needs of their team.