Don Boroian Leads Francorp into Continued Growth

Francorp's Chairman, Don Boroian held a meeting three weeks ago with the entire staff of 60 people at Francorp. The meeting was focused on the economy and the direction of our business, country and global economy. Mr. Boroian is extremely well read, he goes through 6 papers every day and reads numerous publications focusing on the economy and economic news.

He voiced some of the concerns that every American is going through right now. Where is the light at the end of the tunnel here? What is tomorrow going to look like? When could I possibly retire with all these swings in the market? Don Boroian has not acheived all of the successes and accolades he has compiled in his 55 years of business by being one of the "flock". Mr. Boroian expressed an extreme displeasure with the media and their focus on the negative aspects of our economy. Mr. Boroian spoke of the negative effects. "When an average consumer hears a news report that talks of doom and gloom, they don't go on that vacation or buy that car they were thinking about getting." It is a vicious cycle, the consumer's behavior is driven by the information they have, right now it is all negative information about the economy.
We see many companies downsizing and shrinking their businesses as a result. We then have less employment and therefore less spending. Mr. Boroian pointed out that of course there are some deep underlying economic issues at hand here, but the fact is that we create our own destiny. If we succomb to the media and the swirl of negative publicity, then we ourselves will fall into that trap.
Don Boroian is a bold person. He throughout his life has made decisions and moves with his business and clients that others would not have the gumption to do. As a result, he is Chairman of the world's largest franchise consulting firm, Francorp. Prior to Francorp Mr. Boroian created an industry in the music business by franchising a chain of music operations. He also did the same in the restaurant industry. It is this temperment for tumultuous times where most business owners are "pulling in their horns" that Don Boroian makes aggressive moves.
It was announced at the Francorp meeting that we would be bringing on some new staff. Could this really be true? That when all the news and publicity is saying that every company in America is faltering and Francorp is hiring new people?
Mr. Boroian mentioned, that now, more than ever, Francorp clients need the resources and attention of Francorp staff. Look at the world's most successful investors, they make their moves when the market is down...not when it's up! Having been in business for almost 33 years, Francorp has seen several recessions and market downturns, this is nothing new to Don Boroian.
Francorp has recently hired Gail Doonan on full time as Regional Director Administrator. Ms. Doonan brings over 30 years of business experience to Francorp and Francorp clients. She has owned her own businesses and successfully managed client projects for some time. Ms. Doonan will be working closely with the Francorp Regional Directors, who are a nationwide network of franchise brokers and franchise sales people.
Francorp also recently brought on Tiffany Franco as a full time person. Ms. Franco works closely with Mr. Christopher J. Conner, Vice President of Francorp Consulting. Ms. Franco brings over 10 years of business experience to the consulting firm.
Francorp will also be adding some additional staff to support and manage client development. Mr. Boroian closed the meeting with Francorp Staff with a final thought. "As long as we can continue to develop successful clients who sell franchises, Francorp will continue to sit at the top of it's industry. Everything we do is to be of the highest quality workmanship and nothing leaves this building without every bit of our effort and attention. At Francorp, the client is king."
http://www.francorp.com/
http://www.francorpconnect.com/

1-800-DRYCLEAN Franchise Launches Contest To GO GREEN and Win FREE GAS

http://www.franchising.com/pressreleases/9278/

Top prize $500 to winner drawn January 5, 2009
October 22, 2008 // Franchising.com // Ann Arbor, MI., - Shannon Toler, president of 1-800-DryClean Franchise Company, announced details for 15 environmentally responsible customers to win FREE GAS."Now until December 31, 2008, each time customers use our free pick up and delivery drycleaning service, we'll enter their names in a drawing to win free gas," said Toler. "The more entries the better the odds with the winner ringing up $500 at the pump."1-800-DryClean franchise customers save themselves time and money, and help save the environment by car-pooling their clothes--reducing carbon emissions and cutting our dependency on foreign oil."We want to reward our customers for going GREEN. And when they do, we all win," said Toler.
About 1-800-DryClean:
1-800-DryClean is a quality dry-cleaning and laundry pick-up and delivery service franchise, and a member of the Service Brands International family of brands. 1-800-DryClean is the world's largest drycleaning delivery service franchise. It's ranked number one in its category, and a "Top Home-Based Business" among Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500Ò. The company has franchised since 2000, and currently has more than 130 franchise units across the United States.

Francorp, Francorp, Francorp

There are three important things to remember when choosing a company to work with as a franchise consulting group.

One: Make sure that the company has it's resources in house. The internet and evasive marketing can cloud the fact that many franchise consultants do not have an in-house consulting team. Why is this important? Because you don't want to play general contractor on your franchise development project. The business owner and entrepreneur should not have to be tracking people down throughout the development of their program. Francorp has an all in-house team that does not outsource any part of the franchise development. Francorp is the only franchise consulting firm that has an in-house legal staff. This is important because the franchise attorneys should be involved in all aspects of the franchise development process, the business planning, the operations development, the marketing materials, the website design and throughout the planning of the project.

Two: Depth and Resources. What happens if you hire an individual consultant or "Group" of consultants when the consultant working on your project decides to retire, take a vacation or has other work to attend to? The fact is that you need a team of experienced people who have depth and the resources to provide a complete consulting service. Francorp has been in operation for 33 years and worked with thousands of franchisors, the company is not going anywhere and will be here tomorrow. This is important because a new franchise company needs the guidance for years after they are introduced to the market.

Three: Experience and Diversity of Work. When developing a new franchise organization every company is unique and different, it is important that there is no magic pill for creating a successful franchise company. Each business and company has it's own philosophies, culture and business model. The franchise consulting company should have a broad range of clients and work that they have done in order to draw from that experience and impliment the appropriate strategies and structure for their franchise organization. Why is this important? There are many franchise consultants out there who associate themselves with franchise systems they worked on while with other companies, they played a part in the development but did not run the projects or oversee the implimentation of the programs. Even other consultants claim work on franchise projects that in reality they played little or no part in the development of the critical aspects of the franchise program. Francorp brings more experience and a more extensive client list than any other franchise consulting organization. The depth and extent to which Francorp has worked with franchise systems of all kinds is unmatched by anyone in the market.

Go to the Francorp site for more information on the firm, Francorp clients, Francorp processes, Francorp testimonials and Francorp's executive team. www.francorp.com

Francorp also lists many of its clients for marketing and franchise sales purposes on its web portal. Here Francorp clients can generate leads and create a market presence.www.francorpconnect.com

Francorp also has a strong international presence in 13 countries representing over 40 different countries around the world. Francorp is the only franchise consulting firm that has franchised it's own operations internationally.www.francorpinternational.com

Francorp also provides financing for many of its clients franchisees. This is critical in most markets and from a marketing and franchise sales perspective it is very important that Francorp clients can offer this to their franchisees.www.francorpcapital.com

Immigrants as Franchisees

A key target for a franchise owner is an immigrant. As this article from the Wall Street Journal points out, immigrants tend to be ideally suited for to be a franchise owner. For more information on how to franchise a business or franchise development, go to www.francorp.com.

OCTOBER 13, 2008FranchisingChain ReactionFor many immigrants, owning a franchise is the path to the American dream

By RICHARD GIBSONhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB122347728915015415.html?mod=djkeywordLike many immigrants, Lyudmila Khononov turned to a franchise to fulfill her American dream.When she was 10 years old, Mrs. Khononov's family left Odessa, Ukraine, for the U.S. in search of a better life. "There was a lot of discrimination against Jews," she recalls of their exodus 30 years ago.As they began anew in this country, "we had nothing except a dream," Mrs. Khononov says. "But our parents told us we could be anything we wanted to be."After marrying, Mrs. Khononov and her husband, Gregory, ran a diner in Queens, N.Y., for six years. But when it came time to think about expansion in 2001, they borrowed money from a bank and friends and turned to a franchise instead.Mrs. Khononov says she spotted "tremendous growth potential" for the Subway fast-food concept in neighboring Brooklyn, where there were only a handful of the outlets, primarily in gas stations.She says they considered it a fairly easy concept to operate since "you don't have to prepare all the food from scratch" and the franchiser's big marketing campaign would give their business instant recognition. Her husband, also an immigrant, adds that it would have been much harder for them to expand the diner on their own.The decision has paid off. The Khononovs now operate four Subway stores in Brooklyn. And this past summer, Subway, a unit of Doctor's Associates Inc., named Mrs. Khononov its top multistore franchisee in North America, among 12,200 competitors.Built-In HelpMany immigrants look to establish themselves by running their own business. And the chance to start afresh after enduring hardships and adversity in another country often stokes their resolve to succeed. But starting -- and successfully running -- a small business is hard enough without the language and cultural barriers that immigrants can encounter.So, many immigrants turn to a franchise concept. With its proven track record, name recognition and built-in marketing, a franchise can take out a lot of the uncertainty of running a business. And immigrant entrepreneurs often are able to tap their own immigrant community for customers, as well as use the franchise name to broaden that base.A 2006 study by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, which advocates entrepreneurship, found that immigrants are 30% more likely to become entrepreneurs than are native-born Americans.One reason so many immigrants gravitate toward running their own business may well be because of their experiences with risk, often starting from scratch, says Vivek Wadhwa, an executive in residence at Duke University in Durham, N.C., who has written several papers on immigrants for the foundation and who, after emigrating from India, founded two software companies in the U.S."They've learned what it's like to lose everything," Mr. Wadhwa says. "Once you've done that, you're less afraid of doing it again."Hospitality BusinessThe number of foreign-born franchisees operating in the U.S. businesses isn't known. The International Franchise Association, the sector's leading organization, and major franchisers say they don't keep count.What is known is that some franchised concepts are particularly attractive to immigrants. For example, nearly half of the hotel and motel units in the country -- most of which are franchised -- are run by first- or second-generation East Indians and Pakistanis, according to Fred Schwartz, president of the Asian-American Hotel Owners Association.Anil Chagan is one of them. Raised in South Africa by Indian parents, he immigrated to the U.S. in 1978 at age 24, in part because of the apartheid then embroiling South Africa, where he ran a men's clothing store.Mr. Chagan initially worked at a brother-in-law's motel in East Oakland, Calif. But after two years, he sought to acquire his own. "I couldn't see myself working for somebody else," he says.He purchased a motel in Visalia, Calif., that wasn't affiliated with any of the big national brands. After five years, he converted it to an EconoLodge, a unit of Choice Hotels International Inc., at the chain's invitation. Today, Mr. Chagan's company, Infinite Hospitality, operates two hotel-motels in central California and is building three more. All are franchised, but with various franchisers.Being a franchisee "has been a very significant part of my success," Mr. Chagan says, adding that the affiliation with a national brand helps in obtaining loans and various construction permits.Getting the Message OutOne of the biggest challenges immigrant business owners face -- especially those unfamiliar with local customs -- is understanding what the market wants and then effectively getting their message out."With a franchise," though, says Duke University's Mr. Wadhwa, "that's already done for you."It was RE/MAX International Inc.'s built-in Internet marketing that convinced Shawn Nam, a South Korea native, to sign on with the big real-estate franchiser. When looking up properties on a specific area on the franchiser's Web site, the local franchisee's address pops up. Mr. Nam figured that constructing his own site -- and the marketing to go with it -- would cost him thousands of dollars.Now 39 years old, Mr. Nam immigrated to the U.S. with his parents when he was in high school. "We were looking for a better life," which, he says, included freedom of speech. He worked for his father's janitorial company before enrolling in Rutgers University in New Jersey, dropping out after three years to help support his family. He then set out for a career in real estate.Helping HandThe Situation: Many immigrants look to franchises when opening a business.The Appeal: With its proven track record, name recognition and built-in marketing, a franchise can take out a lot of the uncertainty of running a business.No Guarantees: Cultural and language barriers can still be a challenge.He got a job as an agent at the Prudential Fox & Roach real-estate agency in Voorhees, N.J., and quickly became one the office's leading producers, focusing on the area's large South Korean community, says Paula Goldberg, the agency's vice president. After three years with the Prudential affiliate, Mr. Nam left to start his own agency under the RE/MAX banner, with the Korean community his primary customer target.Mr. Nam had a rough start, though. He believes that several of his agents quit because "they didn't want to work for a Korean. They didn't tell me," he says. "But I can feel it." Today, he counts Koreans, Chinese, Filipinos and East Indians among his agency's employees. Its president is a Palestinian.Making the CutShahin Urias was spurred by the opportunity to do something few women in her native Iran enjoy -- own her own business.Mrs. Urias, who survived bombings and, for a time, lived with her young children in a mud basement-shelter in Tehran during the Iraqi-Iran war in the 1980s, came to the U.S. as a refugee 16 years ago.Her early years here were hardscrabble. She worked in a Luby's cafeteria in Austin, Texas, where, after six months, a cafeteria manager encouraged her to pursue her desire to own a hair salon. At first, Mrs. Urias's poor English kept her out of beauty school, but with her children's help her linguistic skills improved. After 11 months of study, she earned a degree in cosmetology.She started working at a Sports Clips Inc. hair-care franchise in Austin as a part-time stylist. After moving her way up to manager, Mrs. Urias, by then remarried, moved to Tucson, Ariz., and purchased her own Sports Clips franchise -- the first one in that area. While she could have opened an independent shop, Mrs. Urias says she saw advantages in going with a proven concept with a solid market niche and "policies and procedures in place. All the hard work is done."Also, Sports Clips, she says, is a known national brand. So, people who either move to Tucson or are passing through are familiar and comfortable with the brand.Mrs. Urias acknowledges finding bookkeeping and some other aspects of running a business unfamiliar, but says help from Sports Clips is only a phone call away. "Without their support, I would be lost."Although she has had her shop only a few months, Mrs. Urias, 45 years old, has plans to open two more. "I think I'm doing great," she says. "My numbers may not be up there yet, but I'm definitely on the right path."—Mr. Gibson is a writer in Des Moines, Iowa.

Write to Richard Gibson at reports@wsj.com

Francorp Client - American Prosperity Group

American Prosperity Group, the First Retirement and Estate Planning Franchisor, Exceeds First-Year Franchise Goal
Last update: 11:19 p.m. EDT Oct. 9, 2008
WAYNE, N.J., Oct 09, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- American Prosperity Group (APG), headquartered in Wayne, NJ, is the first and only retirement and estate planning organization to be franchised. Nine APG franchises are now operating in cities in the eastern United States, two more than the company's 18-month objective. More are planned.
APG is the creation of Mark E. Charnet, a Certified Annuity Specialist. For over 26 years, he has been helping people solve their individual problems of successful retirement and estate planning. APG does this by implementing those parts of a total retirement and estate planning system needed to meet each client's needs.
The APG system has been so successful for over a decade that Mr. Charnet has turned his precepts and product offerings into the first-ever retirement and estate planning franchise. The current franchises are operated by:
-- Bill Romeo, Matthews, NC
-- Dawn Sarnoski, Closter, NJ
-- Shane Couturie, Bryn Mawr, PA
-- Peter Murphy, Santa Fe, NM*
-- Mark Timmick, Ellicott City, MD
-- Mike Linker, Totowa, NJ*
-- Kevin Lynch, Belle Mead, NJ
-- Ari Cohen, Bergenfield, NJ*
-- Holly Sikora, Sicklerville, NJ*
"Now, we are offering additional franchises," Mr. Charnet said. "The franchisees we seek are ideally situated in metro or suburban areas with average or higher senior populations. APG is a relatively low-overhead franchise, with an investment under $100,000. Our present franchisees are well on the way to paying off their franchise investment--and some have already done so within their first few months of operation.
"What we look for in a franchisee is entrepreneurial spirit. Financial know-how is not as important as the ability to be a good presenter, speaking to small and medium-sized groups. Empathy--the talent for caring about peoples' needs--is a must, as is a good sense of organization. This is an excellent opportunity for those with sales experience, but that experience need not include finance."
For franchisees, Mr. Charnet has fine-tuned APG's systems, products and operating procedures developed over his years of experience. Now, others can present his proven system to good effect. "It's all worked-out, step-by-step," he said. "Also, every franchisee receives complete coaching, supervision and assistance from me and my staff. The APG precepts are teachable, portable and repeatable--the keys to any successful franchise."
As for success, Mr. Charnet is a sterling example. During and after college, he built one very successful career in insurance sales, only to lose everything due to the insurance company's dramatic management change. Beginning again with virtually nothing, he developed the proven retirement & estate planning methods taught exclusively by APG. In aiding others in building and retaining income, he has built lasting success for himself.
Those interested in an APG franchise should contact APG at 1-973-831-4424. On the Web: www.apgfranchise.com
*(offices scheduled to open within 90 days)
SOURCE: American Prosperity Group Serpente & Co. Inc.
Joe Serpente, 856-275-6931

Francorp 12 Criteria of Franchisability for a Business

Don Boroian founded Francorp on the premise of working only with companies in a position to take the next step of expansion and growth through franchising. Francorp closely evaluates every business it meets with to determine whether or not that particular business has the viability needed to be a successful franchise organization. Francorp has put together the 12 steps of franchise criteria that the company uses as a benchmark for determining whether franchising could be a successful growth vehicle.

Francorp 12 Criteria of Franchisability for a Business
While it is impossible to determine the franchisability of a business concept without a significant amount of analysis, Francorp has identified a series of 12 criteria that assess the readiness of a company for franchising and the likelihood that it will achieve success as a franchisor.

1. Credibility – To sell franchises, a company must first be credible in the eyes of its prospective franchisees. Credibility can be reflected in a number of ways: organization size, number of units, years in operation, look of the prototype unit, publicity, consumer awareness of the brand, and strength of management, to name some of the most prominent factors.

2. Differentiation – In addition to credibility, a franchise organization must be adequately differentiated from its franchised competitors. This can come in the form of a differentiated product or service, a reduced investment cost, a unique marketing strategy, or different target markets.

3. Transferability of knowledge – The next criteria of franchisability is the ability to teach a system to others. To franchise, a business must generally be able to thoroughly educate a prospective franchisee in a relatively short period of time. Generally speaking, if a business is so complex that it cannot be taught to a franchisee in three months, a company will have difficulty franchising. Some more complex franchisors offset this handicap by targeting only franchise prospects that are already "educated" in their field (e.g., a medical franchise targeting only doctors).

4. Adaptability – Next, measure how well a concept can be adapted from one market to the next. Some concepts do not adapt well over large geographic areas because of regional variations in consumer tastes or preferences. Others (e.g., dental practices) are constrained by law. Still other concepts work only because they are in a very unique location. And some work because of the unique abilities or talents of the individual behind the concept. Finally, some concepts are only successful based on years of perseverance and relationship building.

5. Refined and successful prototype operations – A refined prototype is necessary to demonstrate that the system is proven, and is generally instrumental in the training of franchisees. The prototype also acts as a testing ground for new products, new services, marketing techniques, merchandising, and operational efficiencies.

6. Documented systems – All successful businesses have systems. But in order to be franchisable, these systems must be documented in a manner that communicates them effectively to franchisees. Generally speaking, a franchisor will need to document its policies, procedures, systems, forms, and business practices in a comprehensive and user-friendly operations manual and/or computer-based training module.

7. Affordability – Affordability merely reflects a prospective franchisee’s ability to pay for the franchise in question. This criterion is as much a reflection of the prospective franchisee as it is of the actual cost of opening a franchise.

8. Return on Investment – A franchised business must, of course, be profitable. But more than that, a franchised business must allow enough profit after a royalty for the franchisees to earn an adequate return on their investment of time and money. Profitability is always relative. It must be measured against investment to provide a meaningful number. In this way, the franchise investment can be measured against other investments of comparable risk that compete for the franchisee’s dollar. Typically, Francorp would like for the franchisee to achieve a ROI of at least 20 percent by the second to third year of operations.

9. Market trends and conditions – While not an indicator of franchisability as much as a general indicator of the success of any business, these trends are key to long-term planning. Is the market growing or consolidating? How will that affect your business in the future? What impact will the Internet have? Will the franchisee’s products and services remain relevant in the years ahead? What are other franchised and non-franchised competitors doing? And how will the competitive environment affect your franchisee’s likelihood of long-term success.

10. Capital – While franchising is a low-cost means of expanding a business, it is not a "no cost" means of expansion. A franchisor needs the capital and resources to implement a franchise program. The resources required to initially implement a franchise program will vary depending on the scope of the expansion plan. If a company is looking to sell one or two franchised units, the necessary legal documentation may be completed at costs as low as $15,000. For franchisors targeting aggressive expansion, however, start-up costs can run $100,000 or more. And once the costs of printing, audits, marketing, and personnel are added to the mix, a franchisor may require a budget of $250,000 or more to reach its expansion goals.

11. Commitment to relationships – Successful franchisors focus on building long-term relationships with their franchisees that are mutually rewarding. Unfortunately, not all franchise organizations understand the link that exists between relationships and profits. Strong franchisee relationships enable the franchisor to sell franchises more effectively, introduce needed changes into the system more easily, and motivate franchisees and their managers to provide a consistent level of products and services to their customers.

12. Strength of management – Finally, the single most important aspect contributing to the success of any franchise program is the strength of its management. Franchise Connect has found that the single most common contributor to the failure of start-up franchisors is understaffing or a lack of experience at the management level. Many times, new franchisors will try to take everything on themselves. In addition to absorbing several new jobs for which the franchisor has little to no time, the franchisor needs to exhibit expertise in fields in which he or she may have little or no experience: franchise marketing, lead handling, franchise sales, ad fund management, training, and multi-unit operations management.

For more information please visit the Francorp corporate site, www.francorp.com

Soul De Cuba to Expand Through Franchising

PRESS RELEASE

(Company Letterhead)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Cuba de Soul
(808) 521-0888


Soul de Cuba Cafe to Expand Through Franchising

(Honolulu, HI) – Soul de Cuba Cafe has announced they will be launching an aggressive expansion program through franchising.

Soul de Cuba Cafe brings traditional, authentic Cuban cuisine by embracing Afro Cuban culture and history. “The Soul de Cuba dining experience goes far beyond enjoying a plate of rice, beans and plantains,” explains founder Jesus Puerto. For most, it’s a first time emersion into a dwelling infused with Afro Cuban ambiance. In every Soul de Cuba Cafe, patrons dine to the sounds of Afro Cuban music and Jazz and each restaurant displays Afro Cuban art and memorabilia.Soul de Cuba Cafe has approached Francorp, the world’s leader in franchise consulting, to assist them in the development of their franchise program. “We never planned on franchising, but we investigated,” says Jesus. “After gathering the facts and dispelling the myths we felt it was unquestionably the right thing to do. After all, being one of the first Cuban restaurant franchise programs in the world is a rare lifetime opportunity.”

For more information about Soul de Cuba Cafe, call (808) 521-0888 or visit

www.franchise.souldecuba.com

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Francorp Goes Green - Step by Step

Employees taking public transportation, carpooling, working at home and staff members operating fuel efficient cars are just some of the things that the Francorp team is doing to be GREEN. Additionally, in our recently renovated office, we installed high efficiency lights, purchased bamboo furniture due to its renewable nature, and used paint free of VOC's.

Interestingly, our greatest impact on the GREEN movement in the world is in the work that we do. We have been helping many companies that are leaders in this organic / green movement with expansion via franchising. This is one small way that we can make a big impact. Through the initiatives of our environmentally responsible clients Francorp is helping them expand via a franchise model of distribution.

Franchising GREEN businessess during this current economic climate is a way to take advantage of the downturn in the economy and do something for mother earth at the same time. This not only has a large impact on the environment, but also allows people that are interested in getting into a business an opportunity to give back while they build a business for themselves and their family.

One of the clients which we are currently working with is Fisher Recycling. Founded by Chris Fisher out of his love for the great outdoors and his interest in preserving what was left, Fisher Recycling is a new age franchsie that will be offering green franchises soon. See http://www.fisherrecycling.com/ for more information.

Francorp has also been working with SynLawn, a company that has created a new way for people and businesses to enjoy green lawns without taxing the water system. Their website is http://www.synlawn.com/. They are the same company that has installed the high end artificial turf in the professional athletic facilities.

In addition, Francorp is working with a number of Solar companies on a franchise distribution strategy. One day, this may help lead us to energy independence.

Francorp Client Plains & Prints to Move into Asian Markets

Plains & Prints sets sights on Asian market
Plains & Prints was established in November 1994 by Roxanne and Erickson Farillas. Then known as Prints & Plaids, the first boutique opened in Shoppesville, Greenhills. The company’s first products were lace-edged towels and basic polo shirts.
Later on, the brand ventured into women’s apparel, carrying the concept of classic and stylish, which became a hit with teenagers and young professionals.
In 2002, Plains & Prints took on Gretchen Barretto as endorser and this move brought the brand to the national consumer’s consciousness.
Plains & Prints has strengthened its position as a major player in women’s apparel by providing stylish and classic apparel. The present product line includes shoes, handcrafted bags, belts, Bread and Butter (basic tees), Down Under (underwear), Eve (eau d toilette), and Intuitions (body spray).
In terms of brand recall and market share, Plains & Prints ranks among the top 5 local women’s apparel brands. The brand has become synonymous with quality clothing for women with style.
Plains & Prints offers franchise opportunities to entrepreneurs who wish to own and operate their own Plains & Prints boutique. Plains & Prints has been franchising since November 2002 and has franchised outlets in Cebu City, Bacolod, Iloilo, Davao City, Cagayan de Oro, Baguio, Dagupan, Cabanatuan, Marilao and Valenzuela.
Plains & Prints was awarded the Most Promising Filipino Franchise (retail category) in the 2004 Franchise Excellence Awards. The company’s franchise program was developed by Francorp, a leading international franchise consultancy firm with offices in the Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, United States and South America.
The brand now embarks on a bold expansion move that, hopefully, will introduce the Plains & Prints concept to the Asian market.
Leading the expansion plan is the introduction of new collections that highlight the creativity and ingenuity of local fashion designers. Plains & Prints has collaborated with designer Rajo Laurel for its high-end R.A.F. (Rich and Famous) line.
Roxanne explains that the new collection highlights Laurel’s avant-garde approach to fashion, featuring designs that incorporate architecture, romance and luxury.
Another major leap for Plains & Prints is its choice of Thai-British model Paula Taylor as its image model.
“With Paula as the model of our new campaign, we are confident that Plains & Prints will be given more exposure globally and hopefully, discovered as a brand that provides a new twist on classic fashion,” says Roxanne.
Next on the brand’s agenda is opening stores in key cities in Asia, starting with Thailand and Malaysia. The brand has 49 stores in the Philippines, including the newly opened branch at the fifth level of the Shangri-La Plaza Mall. Aside from its Asian expansion, Plains & Prints also wants to open more branches in prime locations in the country.
“Despite stiff competition from international brands, Plains & Prints still emerged as a top local brand which Filipino women prefer,” says Roxanne. “The next step is really to move forward and introduce Filipino fashion to the world. Now that we’ve been given an opportunity to do so, we have big plans to make our mark in the international fashion community.” Dinna Chan Vasquez

www.francorp.com

www.francorpconnect.com

What's Up Dog! To Expand Through Franchising

What’s Up Dog to Expand Through Franchising
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San Francisco, CA, October 01, 2008 --(PR.com)--

What’s Up Dog has announced they will be launching an aggressive expansion program through franchising.For over five years, What’s Up Dog has offered the hot dog enthusiast a variety of gourmet hot dogs and sausages within the San Francisco area. Their tantalizing menu consists of old carnival favorites like the corn dog, chili cheese nachos and garlic fries. But the eclectic selection of frankfurters and sausages (“Lemon Chicken”, Veggie Tofurky”, “Kielbasa”) has reinvented an American favorite.Americans eat an estimated 20 billion hot dogs a year, with 150 million consumed on Independence Day alone. We love hot dogs so much that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce actually dubbed July as National Hot Dog Month over 50 years ago.It was this shared love for hot dogs that inspired What’s Up Dog owner King Lei to open his own hot dog shop. To ensure that he only offered the best, he visited hundreds of hot dog stores from Los Angeles to New York. And his research resulted in rave reviews. “People love our name and products,” remarks King.This response has led What’s Up Dog to Francorp, the world’s leader in franchise consulting, to assist them in the development of their franchise program.

For more information about What’s Up Dog, call (415) 864-3707

or visit www.whatsupdogs.com

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Black Belt Investor Begins Franchise Sales

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OCTOBER 02, 2008

October 02, 2008 // Franchising.com // Black Belt Investor, a fast-growing coaching program in the area of real estate investing based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has begun selling franchises to accelerate growth.

Black Belt Investor provides for its clients a "Done For Them" local coaching program in the area of real estate investing. Products and services include basic and advanced on-going training, coaching, mastermind products, and services designed to help the investing student increase his/her wealth through the learning of creative real estate investing. It also allows the franchisee to focus on wholesaling of residential properties, and buying and holding commercial properties for long-term cash flow and equity.

"We have an excellent franchise opportunity…this is not the 'get rich quick in real estate' you see in TV infomercials." said President, Terry Bryan. Black Belt Investor offers 2 types of franchises, an Individual Franchise and a Regional Developer Franchise. Franchisees will benefit from established sources, extensive experience, financing sources and availability, financial services available from affiliate companies, knowledge of the financial services industry, advertising and marketing programs, and an established name. The Black Belt Investor Franchise is designed mainly to be operated out of a home office, a leased or owned facility initially, with the long-term goal of buying a commercial building for their operation within 12-18 months.

Black Belt Investor offers a golden opportunity to bring a "professionalizing revolution" to a huge but fragmented industry.

Please see www.blackbeltinvestor.com or call (719) 955-4280 for additional information.