March 11, 2010
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Your Business Services Franchise News SourceFranchise News Watch brings you the latest in business services franchising news from around the web. As a news aggregator for the business services franchise industry, Franchise News Watch streams the latest ground breaking franchise articles, features, guides, blogs, news and more directly to your desktop.  Business Services Franchise News
Cartridge World Achieves Growth Milestones for 2009As most retailers were feeling the strain of the recession in 2009, Cartridge World, the world's largest dedicated retailer of refilled ink and toner printer cartridges, has experienced record-setting growth announcing incredible same store sales... Jackson Hewitt(R) Offers 25% Savings on Company's New Online Tax Preparation ServiceJackson Hewitt Tax Service(R) announces a 25% discount* off the cost of its new online tax preparation product, Jackson Hewitt(R) Online. The discount offer begins today and runs through April 15, 2010. The 25% discount applies to... CareersUSA(R) Princeton's Melissa Tenzer Named Vice Chair of the Princeton Regional Chamber of CommerceThe Princeton Regional Chamnber of Commerce has recognized CareersUSA Princeton's Melissa Tenzer, who is approaching her ninth year in business as the owner of her temporary and permanent staffing agency, as a key chamber member. Liberty Tax Urges Taxpayers to Act Now to File 2006 Tax Returns and Claim Refunds DueAre you one of approximately 1.4 million people to whom the IRS owes refund money from tax year 2006? There's more than $1.3 billion outstanding, with the median amount owed averaging about $600. Liberty Tax Service urges taxpayers who can claim...
Decor&You Offers an Affordable Way to Put Your Passion for Decorating to WorkDecor&You, the market leader and second largest interior design franchise in the country, is offering an exciting, low investment opportunity for people passionate about decorating. This unique and affordable entry into the growth industry of interior
Mars Venus Success Coaching Opens Germany; Now Represented in 17 CountriesMars Venus Coaching continues to expand throughout the world, now opening the first office in Germany, the largest economy in Europe and 4th largest GDP in the world with a population over 82 million. "We believe 2010 will be a pivotal year for Mars...
NiteLites of Jacksonville Outdoor Lights Teams Up with Florida Backyard Creations for Outdoor Living AreasNiteLites of Jacksonville will embark on a new business collaboration beginning March 2010, partnering with six top Jacksonville exterior home improvement companies to create Florida Backyard Creations. This collective effort will take outdoor living... Jackson Hewitt Tax Service(R) Cites Five Most Important Tax Law Changes for 2010Each year, taxpayers leave money on the table by failing to claim deductions and credits available to them when filing their annual tax returns. The Silver Spring, MD Jackson Hewitt Tax Service(R) office highlight the five most important tax law... Labor Finders Produces a New Video on Black Market Labor & Its Effect on the EconomyLabor Finders International wants the American public to know about the effect of undocumented laborers working in the United States. Black market workers do not pay taxes nor do they carry workers compensation insurance. In addition, Labor Finders... Print Three Franchising Corporation is Award-Winning Four Times OverPrint Three Franchising Corporation (PTFC); an award-winning national print franchise is the proud recipient of four National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL) Marketing Awards thanks to the creative and strategic marketing efforts of...
Tax Law Can Help Reduce Burden On Military SpousesThe Military Spouses Residency Relief Act of 2009 could potentially help thousands of active duty service persons and members of the National Guard reduce the complexity of state income tax and personal property tax issues when married, stated Jackson... Spherion Corporation Announces Name Change to SFN Group, Inc.Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN) today announced that the company has changed its name to SFN Group, Inc. The name change will become effective immediately and the company's common stock will continue to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange and...
UNITS Mobile Storage Sees Upturn in Business as Nation DownsizesThe weak economy has helped one company grow stronger as businesses and individuals search for creative ways to save money using mobile storage. UNITS Mobile Storage, a technologically advanced mobile storage company with 40 franchises nationwide...
Barb Kyes, President of Palm Harbor's ActionCOACH Firm, Nominated for Distinguished Business Woman of the YearBarb Kyes, president and managing partner at ActionCOACH Pinellas, has been nominated for the prestigious "Business Woman of the Year" award offered annually by the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce's "Women of Distinction Awards" program.
Jackson Hewitt(R) Weekly 'Tax Time Tip': Why Filing A 2009 Tax Return May Be Advantageous For Individuals Not Required To Do So By LawNot everyone is required to file an annual tax return. However, hundreds of changes to the tax code for 2009 present advantages for many individuals to file – even if they are not obligated to by law. With Form W-2's and other key tax documents now
Multi-Million Dollar Distributors Transition Business to Proforma Fine IncentivesProforma is excited to announce that multi-million dollar distributors, Stanley Fine and Michel Egnal have joined the Proforma Family as Co-Owners of Proforma Fine Incentives. With more than 25 years of combined industry experience, Fine and Egnal... DMA Atlanta Names AIS Media, Inc. CEO Thomas Harpointner, Chairman To Its 2010 Advisory BoardAIS Media, Inc., an award-winning Interactive marketing company, announces the appointment of CEO, Thomas Harpointner to the DMA Atlanta 2010 Advisory Board on Wednesday, February 17th.
Jackson Hewitt Alerts Taxpayers to Choose Wisely in Selecting Tax Return Filing StatusWith so many pro-taxpayer credits and deductions available this year, filers need to be especially careful in selecting the correct filing status on their tax returns, according to Jackson Hewitt Tax Service(R). Choosing an incorrect filing status can... Liberty Tax Service Honors Presidential Last Names with Free Preparation on Presidents DayPresidential savings are in order for new customers with last names of United States presidents at participating Liberty Tax Service offices on Monday, February 15, 2010. Liberty hails those with the names of past presidents by liberating them from tax...
Dawn of New Decade Signals Fresh Start for Franchise Lead GenerationThe Entrepreneur's Source is giving the franchise industry an innovative, trendsetting way to grow. Jackson Hewitt(R) Weekly 'Tax Time Tip': Joys of Child Rearing Include Child-Related Tax BenefitsHaving a child is one of the most important milestones in many people's lives, and while tax savings are not the first things that enter a parent's mind, it is during tax filing time that many parents realize that there are a substantial number of... ActionCOACH Pinellas Knows the Formula for Business Success in 2010ActionCOACH, a business coaching firm serving clients throughout greater Tampa, Fla., continues to help companies attain record-setting results, even in the down markets of 2008, 2009 and into 2010. Filta Group Helps The NFL & Denver Broncos Go Green For The Super Bowlannounces its partnership to offer green services to Mile High Stadium through franchisee and Denver Bronco's player Kenny Peterson. Filta Group offers a cooking oil filtration process called FiltaFry. The system not only helps the Denver Broncos... Jackson Hewitt to Report Fiscal 2010 Third Quarter Results on March 11, 2010Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. ("Jackson Hewitt") (NYSE: JTX) announced today that it will report its fiscal 2010 third quarter results prior to the opening of trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, March 11, 2010. ActionCOACH Ranks 16th on the 2010 FBR 50More than 300 franchise companies registered for the 2010 FBR 50 Awards, which represent a total of more than 65,000 franchisees. ActionCOACH, the world's number one business coaching firm, ranked 16 this year, up from last year's ranking of 17. Vanguard Cleaning Systems Achieves Highest Franchise 500 RankingVanguard Cleaning Systems, Inc. was ranked #30 in the 2010 Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 issue. The annual rankings are released each January, and are based on several factors including growth in the number of franchises, overall annual revenue... Brad Sugars' 'Business is Booming' Tour Starts in AprilThe business owner community needs help, and ActionCOACH founder and Chairman Brad Sugars wants to come to their rescue. How exactly can one man come to the aid of business owners all across North America, and do it for them for free? NiteLites of Ft. Myers and Naples honored with President's Club AwardInnovators within the Landscape Lighting Industry, NiteLites of Ft. Myers and Naples received the distinguished President's Club Award for 2009 at the NiteLites National Sales Conference. Winners of the President's Club Award have shown tremendous...
Liberty Tax Service Experiences Significant Early Season GrowthLiberty Tax Service reports an 18% increase in the number of returns filed through January 31, (compared to the same time period last year), and a robust 36% increase in revenue. Same store sales are also up over 25%. Liberty Tax grew its number of... Proforma Opens Eight New Offices in JanuaryProforma, a leading North American provider of graphic communications solutions, is pleased to welcome eight new Owners to our network. Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. Announces First Quarter Results Following Twenty-Fourth Distribution IncreaseSuburban Propane Partners, L.P. (NYSE: SPH), a nationwide distributor of propane, fuel oil and related products and services, as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity, today announced earnings for its first quarter ended December 26, 2009.
Newly Wed In 2009? Jackson Hewitt Reminds Couples About Options When Filing As 'Mr. & Mrs.' For The First TimeCouples who walked down the aisle in 2009 may still be in the "Honeymoon Phase," but during this time of the year, the decision on how to file their annual tax return is an important one that couples must make. This week's "Tax Time Tip" from Jackson...
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Features & Special ReportsIs it Time for an Operating Cost Audit?: Franchise Tenants Unite!When was the last time you challenged a landlord or property manager about the operating expenses or common area maintenance (CAM) charges? Probably not recently or never, right? To clarify, operating costs are the day-to-day management and maintenance expenses charged to the tenant; examples include asphalt repairs, snow removal, property insurance, and so on. Franchise tenants pay a proportionate share of these costs based on the space they occupy. Therefore, if a franchise tenant occupies 12 percent of a building, he or she will pay for 12 percent of the operating costs. Paying by this said ratio is the industry standard but, of course, there are deviations for special circumstances like free-standing buildings and so on. "Old School" Communication: Cell Phone Texting Builds Customer TrafficConsidering the wide-ranging abilities of today's smartphones, simple text messaging may seem passé, but it's a basic social media tool that's working wonders for Chris Kramolis' franchise operation. He's been using text messages to build business and compile a database of his customers--and he doesn't see any reason to deviate from something that's working. Discovering Oil: Multi-unit Operator Strikes it Rich with Oil Change FranchisesDarrell Lamb remembers toiling away in the heyday of the mid-90s stock market. He was always searching for new investors, and on the lookout for hot investments. One day some of his advisers told him about an opportunity - a chance to invest in the Express Oil Change franchise. He had reason to trust the advisers since they were his uncle, who was president of the company, and his dad, an Alabama optometrist who was always interested in investing in growing ventures. Capital AccessDustin Winkle was a victim of the dot-com crash a few years back. While pondering his next career move, he visited with family members who operated some dry cleaning stores. He liked what he heard and purchased his first Martinizing Dry Cleaners stores six hours away in Yakima, Wash. It was a long commute from his home in Boise, Idaho, but he loved the business. Three years later his family was ready to sell its dry cleaning stores and Winkle was more than happy to buy some units closer to home. Today he operates 10 Martinizing Dry Cleaning stores (and one non-Martinizing unit) in the Boise area. Multi-Tasking: What It Takes To Be A Successful Multi-Unit FranchiseeTwenty years ago, franchising meant buying the rights to and opening a single unit or business. But a changing trend has taken hold during the last two decades. Today, it's not uncommon for a single franchise operator to have 5, 6, or even dozens of units. FRANdata research notes the number of multi-unit operators now tops 34,000, and those operators control more than 155,000 franchised units in the U.S. It's a growth strategy that has proven effective but it should be approached with caution. Multi-unit operators are generally wired differently then their single-unit counterparts. Successful multi-unit operators are typically experienced, skilled, professional business executives who have chosen franchising as their business model. They possess the skills, training, capital, infrastructure, and vision to operate numerous units and have the ability to continue adding units to their portfolio--without stressing their organization or their stomach. Episode 006: The Benefits of a Franchise ModelFranchising provides benefits for both seller and buyer. For franchisors, the primary benefit is the ability to use other people's money to expand the brand more rapidly than they could either on their own or through investors or lenders. The initial franchise fee and ongoing royalties they collect allow franchisors to build their brand without sacrificing control to outsiders or the pressure of repaying lenders. Measure for Measure: Unit Economics Plays a Leading Role on Today's Economic StageThe most fundamental business strategy calls for black numbers on the bottom line. In simplest terms, it's proof the business is generating more cash than it is spending. All too often, though, entrepreneurs get involved in businesses without employing a proper system to help them keep a watchful eye on what they're earning and what they're spending. Managing day-to-day operations can be so time-consuming that it leaves little room for financial analysis. Or perhaps key individuals lack a basic understanding of how to read and interpret financial statements. Combine these factors with the down economy, and you'll likely wind up with a troubled business. Service Based Franchising: Where the Action IsLast week we ended our discussion of service concepts with the point that many of these businesses are based on customers making the choice to trade money (surplus) for time (deficit). The example we used was maid services, where time-starved customers spend money to buy time they can spend with their family and friends. Other examples of businesses built on services that customers could perform themselves but choose to pay someone else for include lawn and landscaping services, residential painting, oil change, and installation of home entertainment systems. Seven Steps to Fiscal Fitness: A "Fiscal Physical" Will Help Your Business Survive, Grow, and ProsperIn the few minutes it takes you to read this article, 40 businesses across the nation will fail--and that statistic was [i]before[/i] the economic downturn of the last 24 months. Tragic? Yes. Remarkable? Not at all. The road to business success is littered with the skeletons of companies whose owners--mostly brilliant and skilled individuals--failed to "take care of business" in the financial management of their enterprise. Service Based Franchising: What Franchisors WantWhen you first consider franchising as a business model, one of the choices that arises is which type of business, in which sector, suits you best. One basic choice is to make is goods or service; another is retail or home-based. In previous months, we've explored ways to find the sector, and the franchisor, most likely to give you the best chance of success. More recently, in the previous four weeks, we've discussed the attributes franchisors look for in franchise candidates in the retail sector and in the home-based sector. Here we apply the same lens to the services sector. Let's begin with the similarities. All franchisors want candidates who follow the system, pay royalties on time, possess marketing skills and savvy, know how to run a business, show leadership and growth potential, are good communicators, and are expansion-minded, community-oriented, and willing to give back to the system. Franchisors look for these skills whether you choose a service, retail, B2B, or other concept.
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