Gary King has owned the Management Recruiters of Tampa North franchise since 1989, leasing Class A office space.  In 2002, he and his wife, Gail, purchased land and built the 4,500-square-foot King Professional Center where MR is the primary occupant.  Just prior to closing the deal with conventional financing, the Kings discovered the U.S. Small Business Administration 504 loan program.  Their successful application reduced their equity contribution from 25 percent to 10 percent, saving them more than $50,000.

New and current franchisees should seriously factor this underutilized financing alternative into their business plans when expanding through buying commercial real estate and may be surprised at the cash that can flow from it.

Read the complete post at Franchise.org.

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Bob McQuillan runs a tight ship at his Hollywood Tans franchise in Arlington, Va. He knows precisely when workers clock in and out, who each of his daily customers are and which employees are selling what products, at regular price, or discount. But there’s a twist: He’s doing all this micromanaging from home — 133 miles away in Mullica Hill, N.J.

"We monitor the business remotely via the Internet," says Mr. McQuillan, who co-owns the store with his wife and another business partner.

While a manager handles the tanning salon’s day-to-day affairs, he pulls up data from afar by computer. A fingerprint scanner monitors workers’ arrivals and departures, while intricate software tallies sales data and pricing, almost in real time. "I’m down there once every three months," he says.

Read the complete post at StartupJournal.com.

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Fred Sischka, owner of FastFrame, a frame shop in downtown Los Altos, made a decision to take the road less traveled and he never looked back.

After spending 24 years in management positions in research and development working for Memorex, Tandy Corporation and Unisys Corporation, today he gets more satisfaction running his own retail business, he said.

His shop, which is one of more than 300 franchised FastFrame locations nationwide, offers specialty custom framing. Sischka specializes in fine art, mirrors, keepsakes and memorabilia, including preservation- and museum-grade framing.

Read the complete post at LosAltosTownCrier.com.

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As you conduct more and more research into buying a business franchise, you will learn the importance of preliminary research, relying on experts (accountants, attorneys, etc.) and even the value of having an exit strategy from the very beginning. Still, just as there are common traits shared by successful franchisees, there are also common mistakes that can cause perfectly good concepts to go under.  

Fortunately, the mistakes that became stumbling blocks for many other franchisees can act as stepping-stones as long as you are willing to learn from them.

1. Buying a business franchise in a bad location

Most entrepreneurs have heard the adage, “Location, location, location.” Of course, this is common knowledge for good reason. Though location determines success for some business franchises more than others, it should always be taken into consideration before the final decision is made to buy a business franchise.  

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Dublin, CA – Maui Wowi Hawaiian franchise operator Lloyd Barnes is hosting a grand opening celebration Friday, June 29th and Saturday, June 30th, to celebrate the opening of the first Maui Wowi Hawaiian Coffee and Smoothies retail location in Dublin, CA.

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Turns out, an entrepreneur’s personality can sometimes pack more punch than the pocketbook.
  
For companies shopping franchises to potential applicants, the necessary credentials have shifted from the bank account to intangible personal qualities - competitive drive, intuition and engaging personality. With personal quizzes, hours of face-to-face interviews and on-the-job evaluations, companies hope to whittle down the throng of potential franchisees, reaping richer returns in the process.

Read the complete post at Jacksonville.com.

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"(My son) Eric was always complaining about the politics and structure of corporate life," said Gary GrefRath, 66. So Gary, who taught a small business management course at the community college, decided that the two of them should start their own small business.

Because of Eric’s technical skills and Gary’s sales and marketing experience, they chose to open an AlphaGraphics franchise, which offers digital copying, printing, archiving and mail services to other small- and medium-sized businesses. 

Read the complete post along with other stories about doing business with dads at CNNMoney.com . 

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-feature story lauds company’s efforts to serve global SME market -

Toronto,…Industry leading business service publication, Success Magazine has featured WSI in their current story “Top Ten Franchises We Love”. The feature story lists the top 10 franchises across all categories that are “buzzing by the competition to become industry leaders”.

The article highlights the fact that “with so many big corporates serving other big corporates, it’s refreshing to see a company catering to the little guy.” It goes on to explain how WSI helps small and medium-sized companies develop and grow e-solutions through the use of leading-edge technologies. Capturing WSI’s value proposition and niche in the Internet consulting and services industry, the article says, “With its patented Modular Development Technology, WSI creates impressive-looking web sites on a small-business owner’s budget, and it’s able to deliver less expensively by pooling resources and spreading costs across a large global network of certified Internet Consulting professionals.”

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Nation’s largest cardio boxing and kickboxing franchise organization reaches 84 sold units coast-to-coast

Santa Ana, CA – Southern California-based LA BOXING Franchise Corporation continues its high-speed growth wave, taking the franchise company to 84 units in 16 states and Puerto Rico. 

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Hank Dewald | Daily Herald Manny & Olga’s will offer pizza delivery services around the Lake Gaston area.

HANK DEWALD HERALD STAFF WRITER LAKE GASTON - For many years, the dominant pizza franchises have turned away from Lake Gaston, saying the area was too seasonal or there were not enough customers to justify the investment of opening a restaurant.

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