March 10, 2010
Topics:Industries:
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Your Pet Franchise Personnel News SourceFranchise News Watch brings you the latest in pet franchising personnel news from around the web. As a news aggregator for the pet franchise industry, Franchise News Watch streams the latest ground breaking franchise articles, features, guides, blogs, news and more directly to your desktop.  Pet Franchise Personnel NewsNew Staff Members Join the Team at Wild Birds Unlimited.The Franchise Support Center (FSC) for Wild Birds Unlimited is proud to have new team members, Mike Gillie and Christy Recio, join the staff. Wild Birds Unlimited, a retail franchise, is headquartered in the greater Indianapolis area. Pet Butler Appoints New OperationsPet Butler, the nation's leading pet waste cleanup service, has named Tim Leslie as operations and solutions manager. Pet Butler Appoints Finance ManagerPet Butler, the nation's leading pet waste cleanup service, has named Judy Esparza as finance department manager. Doodycalls Pet Waste Removal Service Appoints Chris Brown As Director Of Franchise SupportIn conjunction with the acceleration of its franchising program and plans to multiply its national presence to 275 territories, DoodyCalls has appointed Chris Brown as Director of Franchise Support. San Francisco-Area FETCH! Pet CareTM Locations Under New OwnershipFETCH! Pet Care, America's first, only and most sophisticated pet care franchise offering professional pet sitting and dog walking services, today announced two of its flagship Bay-area locations within its network of 144 franchises, which service more... DoodyCalls Pet Waste Removal Service AppointsPaul Martell as Director, RecruitmentIn conjunction with the acceleration of its franchising program and plans to multiply its national presence to 275 territories, DoodyCalls has recruited a franchising expert to bring the company's expansion to fruition, and announces the appointment of... Pet Butler Appoints New Call Center ManagerPet Butler, the nation's leading pet waste cleanup service, has named Brian Cooper Call Center Manager, to direct the activities of its nationwide customer contact and customer service center. |
Features & Special ReportsMulti-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. Margaritas Mix: Franchise Veterans get on Board for Franchise LaunchThe south-of-the-border spirit of great Mexican food and authentic art could soon spread throughout New England and beyond, thanks to a new franchising and area development agreement rolled out by Margaritas Mexican Restaurant. The Winner's ColumnAs savvy franchise companies continue to flourish in this challenging economy, FUSR will bring you good news each month, highlighting brands that are adding units, increasing comp store sales, striking deals with investors, and continuing to grow despite the economy - maybe even because of it. And, as the U.S. struggles through its "jobless recovery," growth-oriented franchisors continue to look overseas for expansion opportunities. How To Work Franchise Trade Shows, Part 3: Quick Tips For Greater Success - And What To Do After The ShowThis last installment of a three-part series provides quick tips for greater success at the show, and the final ingredient for making the most of your trade show spend: what to do after you get back to the office to increase your franchise sales. Franchisors: Spread the Word on Tax CreditsThere are three essential areas of focus in a successful business: operations, sales, and financials. For the purpose of this discussion, let's assume you have a well-run operation and are doing as good a job as possible to maintain or increase sales. For most businesses, the easiest and most fun parts of the business are running it and having lots of happy and repeat customers.
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