The World Business

Archive for January, 2010

Franchise businesses such as Wendy’s, McDonald’s and Jack-In-The-Box are booming. The people setting up franchise ideas and businesses know a good thing, and are really promoting this idea. Franchises for just about every conceivable kind of business are being sold in ever increasing numbers.

Some franchises are  very good. They treat both the franchisor and the franchisee very well. Others are very one-sided. Still others are almost total rip-offs that trap one into paying ten to fifty times the actual value of the business idea, equipment, or whatever it is they are trying to get you to buy.

Before putting any money into a franchise, you should investigate  everything completely. We’ve prepared a list of questions you should be asking, and should get satisfactory answers to before investing.

1. Has your attorney studied the franchise contract, discussed it completely with you, and do you both approve it without reservations?

2. Does the franchise require you to take any steps which are either illegal or even border on illegal, or are otherwise questionable or unwise in your state, county or city?

3. Does the franchise give you an exclusive territory for the length of the franchise period, or can the franchisor sell a second franchise in your territory?

4. is the franchisor connected in any way with any other franchise company handling similar products or services?

5. If you answered yes to the above questions, what is your protection against the second franchising company?

6. Under what circumstances can you end the franchise contract, and at what cost to you?

If you sell your franchise, will you be compensated for your goodwill or will it be lost to you?

8. How many years has the firm been offering you the franchise been in operation?

9. Does the company offering you this franchise have a reputation for honesty and fair dealing among its franchisees?

10. Has the franchisor shown any certified figures indicating exact net profits of one or more of its members, and have you personally checked the figures with these people?

11. Will the franchisor assist you with:

a) A management training program;

b) An employee training program;

c) A public relations and advertising program;

d) Capital;

e) Credit;

f) Merchandising ideas?

12. If needed, will the franchisor assist you in finding a suitable location?

13. Is the franchising firm adequately financed so that it can carry out its sated plans?

14. Does the franchisor have experienced management, trained in depth?

15. Exactly what can the franchisor do for you that you cannot do for yourself?

16. Has the franchisor investigated you carefully enough to assure itself that you can successfully operate a profit to both of you?

17. Does your state have a law regulating the sale franchises, and has the franchisor complied with that law to your satisfaction?

18. How much equity capital will you need to purchase the franchise and operate it until your income equals your expenses?

If you can get the answers to each of these questions, and those answers satisfy you, then you’re probably thinking about buying a pretty good franchise deal. However, if you’re in doubt about any of these points, be sure to check it out and know the answers for certain before you invest or sign anything.

Buying a franchise can give you a measure of security, and in some cases, sure-fire profits. Business surveys show that fewer than 20 percent of all franchised businesses fail. This is in comparison to a 60 to 80 percent failure rate for ALL new businesses started in this country each year.

Information regarding specific franchising ideas can be found in the franchising directories, which are generally available at the local library. Often there will be a notice posted in franchise outlets themselves.

If you can afford the entry into this business, statistics are on your side. You are now armed with some CAUTION and STOP and GO signs!

Before you consider investing in any type of market, you should really take a long hard look at your current situation. Investing in the future is a good thing, but clearing up bad – or potentially bad – situations in the present is more important.

Pull your credit report. You should do this once each year. It is important to know what is on your report, and to clear up any negative items on your credit report as soon as possible. If you’ve set aside $25,000 to invest, but you have $25,000 worth of bad credit, you are better off cleaning up the credit first!

Next, look at what you are paying out each month, and get rid of expenses that are not necessary. For instance, high interest credit cards are not necessary. Pay them off and get rid of them. If you have high interest outstanding loans, pay them off as well.

If nothing else, exchange the high interest credit card for one with lower interest and refinance high interest loans with loans that are lower interest. You may have to use some of your investment funds to take care of these matters, but in the long run, you will see that this is the wisest course of action.

Get yourself into good financial shape – and then enhance your financial situation with sound investments.

It doesn’t make sense to start investing funds if your bank balance is always running low or if you are struggling to pay your monthly bills. Your investment dollars will be better spent to rectify adverse financial issues that affect you each day.

While you are in the process of clearing up your present financial situation, make it a point to educate yourself about the various types of investments.

This way, when you are in a financially sound situation, you will be armed with the knowledge that you need to make equally sound investments in your future.

There are so many imple, yet really sure-fire ways of acquiring wealth, it’s a wonder everybody with even the least bit of ambition isn’t already rich. When you come right down to it, the only things needed for anyone to make bundles of money are the long-range vision and the energy to put a money-making plan into force.

One of the easiest methods of building wealth, and the one most often used by the “smart” people, is to furnish the expertise, equipment or growth capital to promising beginning business. Basically, you buy in as either a part owner or limited partner; then, as the busines grows and propers with your help, you reap your share of rewards.

The beautiful part about this whole concept is that you can repeat this procedure over and over  again. You can start out with, say marketing and sales leadership for small, garage-type business; then with your holdings and earnings from that business, invest in another, and keep doing this until you own a part of twenty-five to an unlimited number of businesses. Looking at the idea from a dollar return point of view, if you were getting $200 per month from 25 different business, your monthly income would amount to no less than $5,000 and that’s not too bad for a fledgling millionaire.

Look around your own area. With just a little bit of business sense and perception, you’re sure to find hundreds of small businesses that could do better–perhaps even become giants in their–with your help.

Most small businesses need, and would welcome marketing, promotional, advertising, and sales help. If a quick survey of business turns you on with enthusiasm about the potential profits to be made with just a few changes that you can suggest, then you are on your way.

Basically, you set up an appointment to see and talk with business owners about some ideas and help that could double or triple their profits. When you approach them in that manner, their  almost certain to want to see you and hear want you have to say.

In prepartion for your meeting, set your ideas down on paper. Put them together in an impressive marketing or profit potential folio. Outline your ideas, the costs involvrd and the ultimate profit to be gained.

Then, when you arrive for the meeting, be sure to look nad act the part of a successful business person. A few pleasantries to break the ice, and begin with your presentation.

Through your proposal, you must instill confidence that you can do all you claim for him. Guide him through the presentation to the ultimate profits (all for a 10 or 20 percent limited partnership in the business), which really won’t cost him anything. Of course, if he is reluctant to give up any part of his ownership, you come back with the idea of being hired as a consultant.

Almost all small businesses need help of some kind. The owners get bogged down in a myraid of every day problems and things to do. They find there just are not enough hours in the day to handle everything that should be taken care of, and end up neglecting or putting off some of the things they should be doing to keep the business prosperous. As a result, the long struggle for business survival begins, with more than 60% of them selling out at a loss or just closing up hop.

The other way to ” cut yourself in” on a piece of someone else’s business is to supply needed money. If you can come up with 10 or 15 thousand dollars, you can easily “buy into” some small businesses. Be sure to look the business ( and its market potential) over; but once you spot one that can really be a winner with just a little bit of operating cash or money for expansion, then  tart figuring!

You can reach a never ending supply of such businesses to choose from, simply by running a  small advertisement in your daily newspaper in the .Classified section under the heading of Business Opportunities Wanted. Such an ad might read:

SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS EXECUTIVE

LOOKING FOR NEW BUSINESS VENTURES.

WILL CONSIDER BUY OUT OR PARTNERSHIP.

PO BOX 123, CITY

By the same token, make it a habit to look through the Business Opportunities Available on a regular basis. Mark a few each day and follow up. Check them out, And see what kind of a deal is being offered. Remember, proper management and planning are basically the ingredients to success in business; and most small businesses just do not have these ingredients in the proportions needed to attain their greatest profit potential.

Other people have done it, and more are starting up every day. There’s no reason why you can’t do it. In most cases little or no cash is needed. But with a little bit of action on your part, you
could quickly become a multi-business owner, and very wealthy as well.

When the first generation of women entered the workforce in earnest in the 1970s, they succeeded in the only way they could – by imitating men.  Authoritarian leadership and tight control was the hallmark of that day’s businessman, and women were not exactly welcomed into the ranks of management.  Well ladies, that was yesterday, and today is today!

Forget what your mama or your boss told you, because following the rules can be bad for your career.  Today’s CEO/entrepreneur can no longer tap his/her company’s full potential using a “command-and-control” style.  The 21^st century business woman needs to be able to build a vision based on the awareness of economic transformation, then help her partners and staff fulfill that vision.  She must draw on a wide range of skills to get to the top and stay there.  Following are 7 Key Characteristics that are essential:

1. Sell the Vision: A leader with a fresh, independent plan for her company’s growth and future has a distinct advantage in luring and keeping great talent and investors.  Vision is not some lofty ideal, but an obtainable concept that is easy to understand and will make the company grow to another level.
2. Reinvent the Rules:  While women have traditionally been socialized to please others, the 21^st century leader knows that good girls rarely post great returns.  The strong managers/owners today not only anticipate change, they create entirely new organizations that respond to shifts and search for innovation.
3. Achieve With A Laser Focus:  Go where others fear to tread! Being aggressive and ambitious has long been considered male traits, but they are key qualities for new leaders.  Today’s business woman has the ability to home in on opportunities that others may simply not see, and then excel in that uncharted territory.
4. Use High-Touch in a High-Tech Era:  When a number of leaders are conducting business by e-mail, voice mail, passwords, and PINs, the female entrepreneur succeeds because she guides with a strong, personal, bed-side manner. Today’s business woman is just as technologically savvy as her peers, but her skill with staff and customers is “high-touch” which gives her a critical edge and separation from the “pack”.
5. Challenge or Opportunity? – Women are great at turning a challenge into an opportunity instead of using the “slash-and-burn” approach.  They are able to make bold strokes, but they also win the cooperation of others in the organization in making any transformation a success.
6. A Customer Preference Obsession:  In this information age which makes it easier to shop around for the best “whatever”, businesses must work harder to give people what they want before their competitors do.  There is no substitute for spending time with clients to become expert at their businesses and learn their demands.  Female leaders are almost intuitively adept in doing just that, and without the client even suspecting.
7. Courage Under Fire:  Show me any career woman or female entrepreneur today that isn’t able to “stand-the-heat” in any tough-call situation.  Their decision-making skills are rooted in a high level of confidence, because they’ve had to weather and surpass any and all “corporate” storms they’ve encountered over time.

It takes a certain mind-set and bravado for anyone to start their own business and succeed, but it’s even more difficult for a female entrepreneur.  Let’s face it, ladies!  We’ve always had to be twice-as-smart and twice-as-confident as any male counterpart in the corporate world.  After all, if we can bear and raise the future generation, how can running a successful business scare us?