Author Archives: Ben Baggett

BookKeeping Express, a U.S. bookkeeping services franchisor, has announced the opening of their first Ohio office in the Loveland area. The new location will help serve the Loveland area, in addition to those in the Northeast Cincinnati.

May 16th, 2013, By Ben Baggett  |  No Comments  |  Read More

Preschool Popularity Infographic by Kiddie Academy

Click here to see a higher-res photo

April 29th, 2013, By Ben Baggett  |  No Comments  |  Read More

CouponAudit.com recently featured Franchise Gator in their top 100 entrepreneur blogs to follow in 2013. The Franchise Gator blog was named #24 out of 100 blogs featured, all in different industries. The infographic below lists all 100 blogs, their web address, Twitter followers, and Facebook fans. 

April 26th, 2013, By Ben Baggett  |  No Comments  |  Read More

The International Franchise has released March numbers for the Franchise Business Index. The new report shows an increase of .3 percent in March, with improvements in credit availability and labor market indicators. The .3 percent increase in March is the third consecutive month of increases in the economic health of the franchise industry.

“Demand for franchise growth remains strong and with lending to franchise businesses reaching its highest level since the recession, the industry remains a driver of growth and job creation despite the uncertain economic and public policy environment,” said IFA President and CEO, Steve Caldeira.

Increases in the Franchise Business Index came from slight increases in credit availability and an increase in the self-employment rate of the economy.

April 22nd, 2013, By Ben Baggett  |  No Comments  |  Read More

Houston, Texas – “Franchise Today” radio show begins its fourth annual “Franchise Legal” series this Thursday, April 11 and culminates with the IFA Symposium (May 5-7) recap on May 30. The eight-week series – double the content since its debut in 2010 – will deliver compelling insight from the perspective of leading legal minds within the franchising world.

April 10th, 2013, By Ben Baggett  |  No Comments  |  Read More

The Zoom Room®, a dog training franchisor, has recently announced plans to bring their eco-friendly franchise to the Chicago area and all across the United States. The company has signed a new franchise agreement to bring three new locations to the Windy City; they are currently looking into locations near Lakeview, South Loop, and Lincoln Park.

“We are thrilled to introduce Chicago dog lovers to the Zoom Room and give them a fun new outlet to take their pups,” said Raul Murguira, Chicago franchisee. “With the cold weather during the winter and lack of dog parks during the summer, we know that dogs and owners alike will enjoy our unique concept.”

The Chicago locations will be owned and operated by husband and wife team Raul and Patricia Murguira. The couple has agreed to open three new locations over the next three years. The Murguiras are excited to offer an alternative to crowded dog parks and cold winter days. The first location is expected to open in the last half of 2013.

The pet services industry is continually growing and American spent more than $50 billion on their pets in 2011. The growth rate for this industry is more than 7.9% according to the American Pet Products Association, ripe for franchise business owners.

March 20th, 2013, By Ben Baggett  |  No Comments  |  Read More

IFA President and CEO Steve Caldeira, has announced his plans to appear on “Franchise Today”, a radio show hosted by Paul Segreto. Caldeira will be featured on a part of the show called “Voices of Franchising”, where he will talk about some of the industry’s hottest topics and the economic outlook for 2013.

“We are thrilled to have Steve Caldeira on the show,” stated Segreto. “As one of the most respected leaders in the industry, Steve’s insight into the economic future as it pertains to franchising and explanation of important policy issues is invaluable.”

Along with Caldeira, the Voices of Franchsing segment will also include other industry leaders, including Nancy Weingartner from Franchise Times and Therese Thilgen from Franchise Update. This will be the third time that Caldeira has been interviewed on “Francising Today”, the first being only nine months after taking over as CEO and President.

February 13th, 2013, By Ben Baggett  |  No Comments  |  Read More

Franchise Benchmark recently released their Industry Insight report for January and sitting at #1 is FranchiseGator.com. This ranking is in direct relation to an overhaul of the site in 2012, which included a complete redesign and more high-quality content.

“We’ve invested heavily in relevant content and attracting more qualified leads,” said Farrah Kennedy, General Manager at Franchise Gator.

With the new redesign, Franchise Gator visitors are staying 14% longer and with streamlined navigation, Gator made it easier to find resources and videos.

The Franchise Benchmark Industry Insight report evaluates 3 months of data from eMaximation franchise sales for the 400 fastest growing franchises in the market.

“We’ve seen more closes this year from Franchise Gator,” said Thomas Scott, lead generation specialist for Franchise Performance Group. “It doesn’t surprise us that they’re ranked number one because they’ve been more innovative in working with franchisors to give prospective franchisees relevant content.”

February 6th, 2013, By Ben Baggett  |  No Comments  |  Read More

Entrpreneur.com recently featured an article by Ekaterina Walter, “Lessons about Building a Team from Zuckerberg and Facebook”, that gives us a look into Facebook’s company culture and hiring process.  Reading through the excerpt, the basic premise is to hire smart, not based (just) on a resume of credentials.  Entrepreneurs should soak up this information: develop smarter hiring strategies to build and strengthen your business.

January 9th, 2013, By Ben Baggett  |  No Comments  |  Read More

Owning and operating a convenience store has never been an easy task for entrepreneurs. One of the biggest challenges is finding additional ways to make the store profitable besides what is already provided. One way franchisee Dave Deddens has conquered this issue is by adding a brand name restaurant option that offers customers another option while in the store.

December 18th, 2012, By Ben Baggett  |  No Comments  |  Read More