March 11, 2010
Topics:Industries:
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Your Health Franchise News SourceFranchise News Watch brings you the latest in health franchising news from around the web. As a news aggregator for the health franchise industry, Franchise News Watch streams the latest ground breaking franchise articles, features, guides, blogs, news and more directly to your desktop.  Health Franchise NewsStepping Up!Merely two years after launching its franchise program, Flip Flop Shops is continuing to expose its toes and "flip-ping out" about the signing of its 50th franchise agreement.
Nestlé launches Jenny Craig's weight management programme in FranceNestlé today announced the launch of its Jenny Craig weight management programme in France. Jenny Craig, the personalised programme for weight loss and long-term weight maintenance, combines its ready-made meals with individual consultation. General Nutrition Centers, Inc. to Present at the Goldman Sachs Consumer/Retail High Yield ConferenceGeneral Nutrition Centers, Inc. ("GNC" or the "Company"), a leading global specialty retailer of nutritional products, today announced that Joe Fortunato, the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Mike Nuzzo, the Company's Chief Financial Officer, will... Christian Companion Senior Care Named to 2010 Hot 100 ListOklahoma City-based Christian Companion Senior Care, the nation's first senior care franchise to combine practical and spiritual assistance, has been named to the 2010 Hot 100 Franchise List by the RedHotFranchises.com board of directors. GNC Adds Dream Water(R) to New York City LocationsSarpes Beverages today announced the availability of its innovative, first-of-its-kind sleep and relaxation water at New York City locations of GNC. GNC, a leading global specialty retailer of nutritional products, will carry the 2.5 oz.-size bottle of...
Gold's Gym And Us Weekly Proudly Announce Winners Of The First Ever Hollywood's Hottest Bodies AwardsAfter an intense week of voting and more than one million votes cast on UsMagazine.com, the polls are closed and the results are in! Gold's Gym and Us Weekly are pleased to announce the winners of the 1st Annual "Hollywood's Hottest Bodies" Awards, the... GNC Sponsors the 21st Annual Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, OhioAs the main sponsor of the 21st annual Arnold Sports Festival, the largest multi-sport event in the nation, the 170,000 sports and fitness fans expected at the four-day extravaganza will have a chance to see a lot of GNC -- from the GNC Pro Performance...
GNC Says 'Thank You' to Customers and Employees for Their $1.4 Million in Donations to the Sixth Annual St. Jude Children's Research Hospital(R) ThankGNC sells products to help health-conscious consumers Live Well, but its customers and employees have once again put their money on the table to help a very special group of consumers: children battling cancer and other catastrophic diseases at St. Jude C Homewatch CareGivers Releases New "Guide to Legal and Financial Planning Needs for Seniors" to Help Families Plan for Critical DecisionsAs part of its ongoing program of helping to provide families with information they need to make informed decisions, Homewatch CareGivers has released its latest resource, entitled "Guide to Legal and Financial Planning Needs...
GNC Announces Entry to China's Nutritional Products in Partnership with Bright FoodGeneral Nutrition Centers, Inc. (GNC), a leading global retailer of nutritional products, announced today that it, together with its parent company, has entered into a memorandum of understanding to form a strategic partnership with Bright Food (Group)... Homewatch CareGivers Now Serving Essex, Morris and Union CountiesSouth Orange's Larry Aronson, a former executive with Revlon, Warner Lambert, and Procter & Gamble, has teamed up with Homewatch CareGivers, the largest, most experienced international provider of full-service home care, to deliver vital, high-quality 5 Ways Therapeutic Massages can help Fight off the FluScheduling a regular massage can have more than just relaxation benefits. In fact, massage therapy has many physical and emotional health benefits as well. Studies have shown that including massage therapy in your daily wellness routine can have many... BrightStar Announces National Partnership with Mr. Handyman InternationalBrightStar, a full-service healthcare staffing agency that provides medical and non-medical home care, announces its national partnership with Mr. Handyman, the nation's largest full-service home repair and maintenance franchise and the number one... Snap-on Incorporated Declares Quarterly DividendThe Snap-on Incorporated (NYSE: SNA) board of directors declared today a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.30 per share payable March 10, 2010 to shareholders of record on February 25, 2010. Snap-on has paid consecutive quarterly cash dividends... YAS Fitness Founder Kimberly Fowler Buys YAS Silver Lake with Big Plans for Studio and CommunityKimberly Fowler, former professional triathlete, cancer survivor and founder/owner of YAS Fitness Centers, acquired the franchise's YAS Silver Lake location on February 1st, determined to see the unique fitness studio meets her high standards while... International Franchise Association Names Shelly Sun 'Entrepreneur of the Year'BrightStar Co-Founder and CEO Shelly Sun received one of the franchising industry's highest honors yesterday by the International Franchise Association as its Entrepreneur of the Year during its 50th Annual Convention in San Antonio, TX. Houston's Massage Heights Opens Its 12th Location in WeslayanWeslayan Massage Heights in Houston opens its doors in time for the most romantic day of the year -- Valentine's Day. Massage Heights Houston opened its 12th Houston massage spa location on Friday, February 5th, 2010 in the Weslayan area of Houston.
Fantastic Sams Completes Implementation of V12 Group Franchisee Acquisition ProgramV12 Group, a direct marketing services firm, and Fantastic Sams, a full-service hair care franchise, announce the successful completion of a turnkey franchise marketing acquisition program. V12 Group and Fantastic Sams began developing this program in... New Fantastic Sams Franchisees Are Seeing 20/20 in 2010!In this struggling economy and tight credit market, Fantastic Sams is making a radical change by offering some sizable incentives for new business owners located in the Rocky Mountain Region. For a limited time, new Fantastic Sams franchisees have the... Weight Watchers Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2009 Earnings Conference CallWeight Watchers International, Inc. (NYSE: WTW) will release its results for the fourth quarter and full year 2009 after the NYSE close on Thursday, February 25, 2010. Great Clips Opens Hair Salon Franchise in Hazard, KYRob Goggins, vice president of franchise development for Great Clips, Inc., announced the Grand Opening of the company's newest salon business in the Hazard Village Shopping Center in Hazard, KY.
Great Clips Opens Hair Salon Franchise in Cincinnati, OHRob Goggins, vice president of franchise development for Great Clips, Inc., announced the Grand Opening of the company's newest salon business in the Beechmont Center in Cincinnati, OH. Great Clips Opens Hair Salon Franchise in St. Louis, MORob Goggins, vice president of franchise development for Great Clips, Inc., announced the Grand Opening of the company's newest salon business in the Brentwood Plaza Shopping Center in St. Louis, MO.
Homewatch CareGivers Opens New International Office in Guatemala, Adding a Sixth Country to Its Global NetworkHomewatch CareGivers, the largest and most experienced international franchise provider of full-service home care, has opened its newest international location in Guatemala, the sixth country within the Homewatch CareGivers' network, joining the 180...
Great Clips Opens Hair Salon Franchise in Ft. Wayne, INRob Goggins, vice president of franchise development for Great Clips, Inc., announced the Grand Opening of the company's newest salon business in the Lima Road Shopping Center in Ft. Wayne, IN. Great Clips Opens Hair Salon Franchise in Flemington, NJRob Goggins, vice president of franchise development for Great Clips, Inc., announced the Grand Opening of the company's newest salon business in the Shoppes at Flemington in Flemington, NJ. Great Clips Opens Hair Salon Franchise in Olathe, KSRob Goggins, vice president of franchise development for Great Clips, Inc., announced the Grand Opening of the company's newest salon business in the K-7 Santa Fe Shopping Center in Olathe, Kansas. GNC Becomes a Presenting Sponsor for the Pittsburgh Health & Fitness Expo of the Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh MarathonGNC stores have long been a destination for serious athletes, and now the company is throwing its brand behind one of Pittsburgh's best-known events for fitness-conscious consumers who know how to push the limits: Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh... Weight Watchers(R) App Available on App StoreWeight Watchers (NYSE: WTW) today announced the availability of its newly-updated Weight Watchers App on the App Store. The app allows Weight Watchers Online and Weight Watchers eTools subscribers to use their iPhone or iPod touch to access a suite of... How to Talk to Young Athletes about Sports Scandals, National Youth Sports Franchise, i9 Sports, Offers Expert AdviceWith recent national news and tabloid gossip swirling around the scandals of Tiger Woods to Gilbert Arenas and Mark McGwire, young sports fans have become over-exposed to the misconduct of once idolized professional athletes. i9 Sports, the world's... Great Clips Opens Hair Salon Franchise in Sarasota, FloridaRob Goggins, vice president of franchise development for Great Clips, Inc., announced the Grand Opening of the company's newest salon business in the Centergate Plaza Shopping Center in Sarasota, Florida. Great Clips Opens Hair Salon Franchise in Holly Springs, NCRob Goggins, vice president of franchise development for Great Clips, Inc., announced the Grand Opening of the company's newest salon business in the South Park Village Shopping Center in Holly Springs, North Carolina. Great Clips Opens Hair Salon Franchise in Allentown, PARob Goggins, vice president of franchise development for Great Clips, Inc., announced the Grand Opening of the company's newest salon business in the Airport Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Salad Creations Hosts Franchise Ownership Seminar January 19, 2010Salad Creations, offering a fresh alternative to fast-food for today's healthy lifestyle, is hosting a Business Ownership Seminar for interested franchisees on Tuesday, January 19th at 7:00 PM at the Fort Lauderdale Sheraton Hotel located at... Snap Fitness Promotes Gary Findley To Chief Operating OfficerSnap Fitness, the world's fastest growing franchise featuring compact, state-of-the-art fitness centers, announces the promotion of Gary Findley to Chief Operating Officer. |
Features & Special ReportsMeasuring Performance: Multi-unit Franchisees Utilize Unit Economics to Help Run a Tighter ShipMulti-unit franchisee Todd Pulley knows all about measuring unit performance and profitability - even though he had no prior financial background before becoming a franchisee. Over the last 15 years though, he has developed and refined his own system for measuring his unit economics at his four PuroClean locations in New Jersey and Delaware. The effort is paying off. Is 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.
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