Yes. It definitely sounds like you should do one of these three things since it doesn't appear that you have the time to devote to both your three kids and the business. As to which of these... (more)

You've hit the nail on the head in terms of the choice you have to make--do you go with a very well-established brand with good support but with higher fees or a new brand with marginal support but... (more)

The main reason that people buy into a franchise system is risk reduction. A strong franchise with a proven track record of success that you can verify through your own investigation is a much... (more)

There are three basic strategies that can be used to finance a franchise business startup. The first is to use your own money, accumulated over your lifetime, as the investment capital you need. ... (more)

This is a great question and, like so many others, the answer is sort of "Yes and No." Most franchise agreements have a clause that specifically says that any new product or service... (more)

There are a few of them. The biggest show of the year is the International Franchise Expo in Washington, DC, held in spring. But there are also regional shows happening throughout the year.  You... (more)

There are no legal requirements related to how long you must be in business prior to starting a franchise; in fact, sometimes franchise companies start without any prior operating experience at... (more)

Determining the resale value of any franchise is part art and part science.  There are a number of standard valuation techniques that you can research and use, ranging from the book value of... (more)

There are any number of different strategies for expanding your company, one of which is franchising. Others might be to expand as a business opportunity. through more company-owned units or by... (more)

The franchise industry is all over the board when it comes to accepting payments from vendors and suppliers.�Many franchise companies do not accept any such payments (instead negotiating for... (more)

You can offer to buy your employer's business by making an offer to purchase it. The assets, the customer list, the lease--all will have a dollar value. However, as the business is failing, you... (more)

Yes.  It is quite common for a franchise to be operated under a legal entity of some form other than a sole proprietorship. This could be a corporation, LLC, partnership or whatever works best for... (more)

Almost all franchises charge an initial franchise fee to get involved.  This fee helps the franchisor offset some or all of the costs of recruiting and training new franchisees.  The... (more)

There are two ways to answer your question: #1. At incorporation, you will have decided much of this--or if you are like most people, you would have accepted a standard set of corporate... (more)

Ms. Swanson, You are in the largest demographic for starting a business! While statistics of cohorts may be comforting, the most important question is, do you love the business of the franchise... (more)

Congratulations on starting your business! The best place to get honest feedback about your new business is to join a few of the online mailing lists dedicated to your particular area of... (more)

Do a good web search for "angel investors" in your area, and talk to the chamber of commerce, the local small business development center, and the entrepreneurship professors at the... (more)

Let me start by giving you the same caveat that you've probably heard lots of times--for accurate tax advice you need to talk to your own professional tax advisor who is familiar with your own... (more)

I'd like to refer you to a post I wrote a few months ago on titled Economic Dark Clouds. The point I was trying to make is that small business usually depends a lot (more)

<P>Whether to use dealerships, franchises or some other strategy to expand your business is a very big question and the correct answer is that it depends. There are any number of factors to... (more)