Monday, July 6, 2009

Don Boroian - Francorp

Francorp has worked with 112 of the most recent Franchise 500 companies. This is important from the perspective that Francorp as a consulting firm has done work with these franchise systems, many of which Francorp developed from the ground up. Francorp is renowned as the world leader in franchise development and new franchise launches. The firm continues to develop successful franchise systems today after 34 years of franchise consulting work. Look over the Francorp corporate site for more information on the firm and the clients Francorp has developed.

www.Francorp.com

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Should I Franchise?

Should I Franchise?
Whether you have a totally new concept or an established business in need of faster growth that is lacking the capital, time and people to expand the question is, “Should I franchise?”
Today more Businesses and greater variety of businesses are implementing franchising to distribute their products and services. Virtually any business can be expanded through franchising. Franchising a business is often the only viable source of capital available for expansion especially in today’s tight credit markets. In most instances, the cost of franchising is often a smaller investment that the cost of establishing just one new location.

After paying the initial cost of developing your franchise program, the remaining cost of expansion along with most of the business risk is assumed by the franchisees. Because the franchisee pays an upfront franchisee fee the franchisor is often able to recoup the total cost of franchise program development rather quickly while establishing a monthly revenue stream from royalties paid by the franchisees.

Franchising can provide the capital for rapid growth when your business doesn’t have the capital, the people, or even the time to establish a company owned growth program. Franchising solves the problems of slow growth, the problems of finding outside capital and the problems of finding the right employees associated with company owned units. Franchising a business is the solution for the problems of money, time and people.

Money

Franchising transfers almost the entire cost of expansion to the franchisees. Franchisees build the building or pay the rent, buy the inventory, pay the employees, do the marketing and provide the working capital until sales make the business profitable. In reality, the growth of a franchise system is limited only by the number of people willing to buy the franchise and the number of locations that can be sold.

Time

If you’re anxious to move quickly before the competition catches on with a hot new concept franchising provides solution. Franchising is the one growth system that allows businesses to expand exponentially. A franchise can grow rapidly simply by selling individual units. Some franchises can grow even faster by selling multiple units or territories to sub franchises. Either way, it is almost always faster to open franchises than company-owned units.

People
Franchisees make excellent employees and managers. They have a vested interested in making the business successful. They own it. A franchisor not only gets a dedicated manager they are relieved from the daily problems associated with hiring, firing and managing employees.

In summary, if you are looking to expand your business and lack capital, time or people, franchising is a viable solution to all three problems. If this scenario applies to you and your business the answer to the question, “Should I franchise?” is definitely yes.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Francorp To Exhibit at the Atlanta Franchise Exposition

Francorp, the worlds oldest and most experienced franchise consulting and development firm will be exhibiting at the Atlanta Franchise and Financing Exposition on May 2nd and 3rd at the Cobb Galleria Center in Atlanta, GA.

Show Dates & Hours
Saturday, May 2, 2009
11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday, May 3, 2009
11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Location: Cobb Galleria Centre
Two Galleria Pkwy Atlanta, GA 30339
(770) 953-4099
www.cobbgalleria.com
Hall D
Booth # 215

Francorp has been developing successful franchise organizations for over 33 years and has a client list of over 2,000 franchise systems. Francorp is heavily involved with franchise exhibitions around the world including India, the Middle East and Latin America. Atlanta is a wonderful franchise market place and the Atlanta Franchise and Finance Exposition should be a great show.

Francorp has five clients exhibiting at the Atlanta show also including European Wax Centers, Monster Mini Golf, Patrice and Associates, Omega Learning Centers and Froots Fresh Smoothies. All of these companies are exciting brands that have continued to grow and work with new franchisees over the past year. European Wax Centers now has almost 100 locations in just under two years of franchising, Froots continues to set the trend for the smoothie industry with almost 100 locations as well and Monster Mini Golf has almost 30 locations in only a couple of years in the franchise business.

Froots
www.froots.com
Omega Learning Center
www.omegalearningcenter.com
Patrice And Associates
www.patriceandassociates.com
Monster Mini Golf
www.monsterminigolf.com
European Wax Centers
www.waxcenter.com

Here is a great excerpt from the Atlanta show's site that explains the value and opportunity that the show brings to its attendees.
http://www.localfranchiseshow.com/atlanta/indexatt.cfm

The Franchise and Financing Expo is the perfect event for exploring and investing in opportunities that put you in business for yourself – but not by yourself. Because when you purchase a franchise, you're purchasing a proven business concept designed to help ensure your financial success. The Atlanta Franchise & Financing Expo will give you the opportunity to meet face-to-face with representatives from many of the top franchise concepts, at every investment level – looking to expand throughout Atlanta. All in one place, and at one time, you'll be able to learn about franchises in virtually every industry. Sample products. Attend educational conference tracks. And get all the information you need to find the franchise that matches you skills, interests and budget. Lenders will be on hand to answer questions about financing your venture, or you can start the financial qualification process now when you pre-register for the event. For More Information request to be contacted by the Lender(s) of your choice after Pre-Registering. If you want more information or have questions before you arrive at the Atlanta Franchise & Financing Expo please contact Rick Brunsman.

Attend These Informative Conference Tracks The A to Z's of Buying a Franchise How to Franchise Your Business Financing Your Franchise Opportunities in Franchising for Minorities & Women

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

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

LPCW Offerring Franchises!

A Franchise that Celebrates Children and the Arts!

Filling the Gap
Early exposure to dance and theatre can have lasting benefits, including acquiring social and physical skills that will help children throughout their lives. Yet, dance professional Daune Pitman noticed two disturbing trends in dance classes for young children: either the little ones were being taught strict ballet, which was beyond their physical capabilities, or the classes were treated as playtime.
Seeking to establish a meaningful program, Daune developed Little People’s Creative Workshop (LPCW). LPCW classes are age-appropriate and taught by trained professionals. They are largely held in daycare centers and preschools, which puts them within reach of children who may not otherwise be able to take them.
Established in 1991, Little People’s Creative Workshop is now the largest organization teaching dance to children in the U.S. We’re augmenting our steady growth with expansion, via franchising. Our turnkey franchise program provides all you need to establish and grow a home-based business with multiple growth avenues!

Friday, March 6, 2009

How to Franchise a Sales Organization

How to Franchise a Sales Organization.
Franchising is a unique entity. It is regarded as an industry, but is defined as a method of distribution. Most of franchising is associated with food oriented businesses, you know, the ones that line every street corner and you probably bought lunch from the other day. But franchising as permeated all industries today, we now see franchise companies in all industries that are successfully duplicating themselves across the country and around the world. Franchising is a dynamic, aggressive way to grow a business, there is no question about that. But what is the process? How do you franchise a business that typically is not associated with franchising?
In this article I will discuss How to Franchise a Sales organization and the process involved. Francorp is the world’s largest and most experienced franchise development and consulting firm. The company has franchised over 2,000 different businesses in it’s 33 year history. So needless to say I hear from plenty of business owners, many of which have products or services that they wish to sell more of to a larger customer base. Franchising can be a way to do this effectively and control the quality and effectiveness of the sales team. When discussing How to Franchise a Sales Team it is important to understand that franchising is a controlled mode of growth. The franchisor can control the quality, consistency and overall brand image of the company if a franchise system is managed correctly.
So, How to Franchise a Sales Team begins with setting the system. As a sales oriented franchisor your most valued asset is the sales system. The process you use to sell the product or service. That needs to be clearly defined, documented and tested. Once that system is in place, the marketing process makes sense, scripts have been put together, sales call procedures have been mapped, technology has been identified and all of the above is on paper and ready to go, then the franchise is ready. A Franchise system is only as strong as the system that is replicated through it. So if you’ve ever heard of the saying, “Garbage in, Garbage out, or GIGO”, that would apply here when considering How to Franchise a sales territory.
An interesting misconception about franchising is that the success depends on the quality of the product or service more than the surrounding business model. In fact, most franchise systems don’t have overly astounding products to offer, but the good ones always have great business models and ways of doing business. The product obviously should be a good one, but what will make a Sales Oriented franchise successful is the process to market the offer and close the deal.
The key for How to Franchise a sales business to think about how to replicate the sale, the pitch, the marketing, the lead generation all the way to the payment. That is where the secret lies. Many great sales organizations have been built through franchise systems, it is worth investigating if you are looking to sell something across larger territories or areas.

The Power of Franchising

Unlike the exciting cliff hanger football game that is a Mecca for mass-marketers,
franchised businesses again dominated in advertising buys in 2009. During
Super Bowl XLIII, companies engaged in franchising outspent all other
combined enterprises by an estimated $14 million dollars.

These numbers are even more dramatic when 23 NBC network promotional spots
and 7.5 NFL spots are added to the mix. Both NBC and the NFL have
franchised affiliates, and if the value of these 30+ ads are factored in the
amount balloons to more than $100 million. In all, 64% (81.5 ads) of some
128 ads that aired during the 4 hour game broadcast came from businesses
engaged in franchising.

According to American Association of Franchisees and Dealers (AAFD) Chairman
Robert Purvin, who launched the organization?s Advertising Super Bowl survey
22 years ago, ?Super Bowl advertising continues to demonstrate the power of
franchising. How else can small business owners afford to share their
messages with almost 100 million households at one time??

Financial markets have been paying close attention to the willingness of
advertisers to embrace the high ticket cost of advertising on network
television?s grandest stage, with many concerned the Super Bowl advertising
would be yet one more victim of an economic meltdown. If anything,
franchisors have seemed to ratchet up marketing efforts to fight back
against slowing sales.

NBC reportedly charged a record average price of almost $3 million per
30-second spot ($100,000 per second). The higher cost didn't seem to impact
advertiser demand as NBC reported it sold out the available 69 national
network spots. (Each local network affiliate franchise sold about 30 local
spots). The total number of spots played during the game earned NBC an
estimated $270 million dollars.

Yet for a single 30 second spot of $1.5 million, the advertising cost for a
ubiquitous franchise such as McDonald's (who aired two ads this year) breaks
down to under $100 per store when divided among the approximate 15,000 US
restaurants in the chain. ?The collective marketing power among franchised
businesses is formidable,? adds Purvin.

Among companies that market through franchising, those companies that
manufacture products that are distributed through independent dealer
networks (called ?product franchisors? in the trade) easily dominated the ad
buys. A robust 37 ads were placed by companies who sell cars, beverages,
cosmetics and insurance through independent networks.

Business format franchisors -- those businesses that consumers traditionally
associate with franchising ? accounted for 21 commercials (double the number
from 2008), including spots from McDonald's, Taco Bell, Cars.com, and
regional entries (on the West Coast where the survey was conducted) from
Jack-in-the Box. The business format segment was even more active in the
pre and post-game markets.

Budweiser again led all advertisers with 4 minutes of air time (about 8
spots), earning it exclusive rights to broadcast during the game and
shutting out competitors Miller Brewing and Coors (both of which advertised
in the pre-game).

After Anheuser-Busch, only six advertisers ran more than one or two
commercial spots. Pepsi was second to Budweiser, buying several minutes of
ad time among its franchised soft drink brands and its non-franchised
Frito-Lay brands (primarily Doritos). Hyundai ran several spots during the
game as well during the Pre-game show. Honda and Toyota each ran multiple
spots for various brands.

American car manufacturers were missing from the prime time telecast. For
the first time in years, cooperative networks such as the California Cheese
Association, Ace Hardware and the Almond Growers Association all stayed
away.

Between 2:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Eastern time, consumers were ?treated? to
almost 2 hours and fifteen minutes of thirty-second ads (approximately 270),
64% of which were placed by companies engaged in franchising. This was
about the same ratio as 2007 and 2008.

Entertainment related ads, primarily motion picture promos, led the
non-franchised segment with 16 spots. Manufacturers slid to second place
with 13 ads, including electronics, food producers and pharmaceuticals.
Retailers fell off dramatically, with one ad each from Best Buy and Kay
Jewelers, as compared to 9 spots placed in 2008. On the flip side, on-line
retailers showed a dramatic increase, with multiple spots run by
Monster.com, GoDaddy.com and E-Trade, among several others.

During the game approximately 67 different companies advertised. In
addition there were two public service announcements.

This year?s crop of ads were less striking than past years, with no
candidate seemingly destined for the Super Bowl Ad Hall of Fame, although
E-Trade?s infant stock trader was quite clever. Three other memorable ads
were delivered by Budweiser (with a Clydesdale pursuing love and the
American Dream) and an office mate being thrown out of a third story
building for suggesting that his company save money by no longer providing
free Bud Light. Coca-Cola offered a clever ?reincarnation? of the famous
Mean Joe Green encounter with a young fan, with All Pro defensive back, Troy
Polamalu, tackling a Coca-Cola executive to avenge his young fan.

About the AAFD

The American Association of Franchisees and Dealers is the oldest and
largest direct member non-profit trade association representing the
interests of franchisees and independent dealer networks throughout the
United States. The AAFD was formed in 1992 with a mission to define and
promote collaborative franchise cultures that the AAFD describes as Total
Quality Franchising. Stressing market solutions and franchisee empowerment
through independent franchisee associations, the AAFD has grown to represent
more than 50,000 franchised businesses nationwide, with members in all 50
states.

The AAFD's Fair Franchising Standards, Fair Franchising Seal, Trademark
Chapters, and emphasis on marketplace solutions led to the Association's
recognition as a growing force in franchising. The AAFD?s Branded Partner
programs add a new dimension to the value of AAFD membership. The AAFD
provides a broad range of member services designed to help franchisees build
market power, create legislative support of interest to franchisees, provide
legal and financial support, and provide a wide range of general member
benefits.

For more information about the conference or the AAFD, please call toll free
? 610-209-3775 or visit www.AAFD.org.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Francorp Client DirectBuy

Bart Fesperman announced as DirectBuy's new executive vice president

DirectBuy, the home improvement and home furnishings club with direct insider prices, is pleased to name Bart Fesperman as its new executive vice president.

MERRILLVILLE, IN, February 26, 2009 /Franchise PR News/ -- Mr. Fesperman has been with DirectBuy since 2004 when he joined DirectBuy's executive team as vice president of sales & marketing. Fesperman has nearly doubled DirectBuy's annual membership enrollments each of the last two fiscal years.

Mr. Fesperman's career with DirectBuy dates back to February 1995 when he and his wife LeaAnn, along with partners Lynn and Tammy Corbin, opened their first franchise in Springfield, Missouri. In addition to being recognized as top performers in the network, the Fespermans and Corbins were the recipients of the prestigious Founder's Award in 1998 in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the company.

In July of 2002, the Springfield ownership team opened their second franchise in Johnson County, Kansas. In 2003, at DirectBuy's International Sales & Service Conference in San Diego, both franchises were recognized as Top 10 centers in the network for the conference year 2002-2003.

"We congratulate Bart and look forward to a prosperous future as he leads DirectBuy's sales organization to even greater levels of success," said DirectBuy President and CEO Scott Powell.

DirectBuy offers consumers thousands of items, including kitchen cabinets, flat-screen televisions and major appliances from more than a thousand top manufacturers and their authorized suppliers throughout North America. At more than 160 clubs throughout the United States and Canada, DirectBuy members enjoy a comfortable, welcoming setting and design center where they finally have the financial control of buying direct.

To assist members with their home renovation projects, DirectBuy also offers access to interior designers and product specialists who are specially trained in one of five areas of merchandise: Home Furnishings, Home Improvement, Flooring, Entertainment/Outdoor, and Accessories. Additionally, members benefit from the use of a children's play area, cafe and a member's lounge to relax while shopping.

DirectBuy members also have access to renowned designer Christopher Lowell. Lowell has designed twelve room settings - created exclusively with products available through DirectBuy - using his Seven Layers of Design. An innovative approach to home decor, The Seven Layers of Design keeps homeowners on budget and from feeling overwhelmed by their project.

DirectBuy Membership
Consumers who are interested in joining DirectBuy are encouraged to attend an exclusive Open House event, which is designed to educate families about DirectBuy's unique business model. The Open House also helps consumers better understand how DirectBuy members avoid traditional retail markup when purchasing brand-name merchandise.

To request a "Free Insider's Guide to Buying Direct" and a Visitor's Pass to learn more about the superior value and benefits of a DirectBuy membership, call 1-800-DIRECTBUY or visit www.directbuy.com.

About DirectBuy
For more than 37 years, DirectBuy has been showing thousands of consumers unparalleled ways to save as they shop for virtually everything for in and around their homes - from furnishings, home improvement and flooring, to entertainment and outdoor products, accessories and much, much more. With more than 160 locations in North America, DirectBuy offers its members access to approximately 700 brand-name manufacturers and their authorized suppliers in the US, and more than 500 brand-name manufacturers and authorized suppliers in Canada.

Consumers interested in seeing DirectBuy's savings, service and selection up close may obtain a Visitor's Pass to attend an Open House by visiting www.directbuy.com or www.directbuycares.com.