Business Tips Guides

What does owning your own business and owning a franchise have in common? Other than having to manage the business, there really is very little in common. With franchise opportunities, you don’t get to make any executive decisions, and you have to share your success with corporate America.

When you own your own business, there is less risk, believe it or not, than owning a franchise, so long as you know which niche to fill. If you go out and purchase a fast food franchise, you’ll be expected to invest a certain amount of money. If you were starting your own business, your risk would end there. However, with franchises, your beginning investment is not the total sum of your monetary risk.

With franchise opportunities, you can expect additional hidden costs, franchise fees, marketing fees, and you’ll have to hand over a significant portion of your monetary success. The main reason that people seek to own their own businesses is to enjoy the success of that business, without having to split it with someone who has done, comparatively speaking, very little work.

Those who are partial to franchising might say that you get your marketing done for you by corporate America. However, that is handled by marketing fees, usually calculated as a percentage of sales. Between franchising and marketing fees, you could expect to pay almost one fifth of your monthly sales, and you have no say over what you market, to whom and how.

Watch out for the fine print, because even though the initial investment may seem akin to that required to start your own business, there are bound to be other fees and costs in addition to that original investment amount. In some cases, additional costs can amount to a price equal to the original investment price.

Currently, saving for retirement is more important than ever before. With more people living longer, relying on social security payments is no longer wise. Imagine being told your investment into a franchise opportunity will amount to one hundred fifty thousand dollars. After all is said and done, extra fees and costs are added in, your total investment to get the franchise up and running is three hundred thousand dollars.

After the first three months you’ve earned that back in gross sales. Nearly twenty percent goes back to the corporation to cover your franchise and marketing fees, leaving you with two hundred forty thousand dollars. You have to order supplies, because after the first three months, you’ve gone through everything covered by your start up cost.

Suppose that leaves you with one hundred thousand dollars. Then you have to pay employees, taxes and benefits. If you have ten employees, each earning one thousand dollars a month, that’s another thirty thousand dollars, so you’re down to seventy thousand. After taxes and benefits, that leaves you with fifty thousand dollars. You have to still pay utility bills, and also cover any training for yourself or others, because the corporation will only cover training for a limited time. Let’s say that your net profit is thirty thousand dollars after three months, or ten thousand a month.

From that, you have to cover your own expenses, so suppose you take five thousand a month to pay for your mortgage and other living costs. Five years would go by before your business has earned your original investment, and then and only then could you start counting any money made as pure profit. Now, compare that to investing less than one hundred twenty thousand into your own business. In less than three years, based on the described example, your business would be earning a profit.

Andy West is a writer for ShipOnSite, a true turnkey business opportunity that features three revenue streams. Compare this type of business ownership with franchise opportunities to see the difference.

Thinking of starting a new booming business? if yes, then look in a direction that might not seem obvious. An example of this is insurance. The truth of the matter is that americans have more and more need for various kinds of insurances, so when it comes to a great business opportunity, insurance is really becoming the way to go. More and more domains of life are coming under insurances. There has been home insurance and life insurance for a long, long time but the growing business opportunity insurance world deals with some less frequently purchased insurances.

One such example is wedding insurance. Nobody wants to sink $25,000 into something that is not insured. Enter a new business opportunity insurance, insuring the wedding. While one is at it, he might as well throw in travel insurance for the honeymoon and liability insurance should someone decide to have one too many martinis at the reception and then choose to sue the newlyweds for damages.

The above might sound like a horror story, but unfortunately there are more and more similar cases popping up all over the nation. The fact of the matter is that the business opportunity insurance offers is a great one because more and more people are suing each other. This need to blame is one reason that insurance is such a big thing nowadays. Capitalizing on this trend is easily done through latching on to one of the business opportunity insurance franchises out there. Starting Up Insurance business is a field best left to the experts, so while one becomes an old pro at the insurance game, it is best to work with firms that know the game well.

Before starting up a brand new franchise, it is advisable to spend a period of time working with another firm who has already capitalized on the growing business opportunity insurance selling has to offer. Working with an existing firm gives one the chance to ease into the insurance world in a non overwhelming way. Once the insurance ropes are starting to become old hat, most people develop a feeling for what type of insurance they would like to work in.

If longstanding insurances seem most secure, go for auto or home insurance, if a new boom is more exciting, try travel insurance or wedding insurance. Once a realm is chosen, a heavy advertising campaign is the best way to ensure that a brand new firm gets a large client base right away. Getting a large client base is the best way to make insurance firms a monetarily and professionally successful business right from the start.

Keep overhead low and make sure to cover all of the loopholes so that hidden costs do not pop up and take away the profit margin. Act fast in advertising, sell an insurance that is bound to not get used often, and the recipe is one guaranteed for success. Target the audience most likely to be interested in the services of the new firm in order to maximize your advertising efforts and watch the business take off.

Obinna Heche. Los Angeles - California

Delivering the best home based business ideas and
opportunities so you can work at home successfully..
http://www.biggsmall.com

Are you thinking of starting a new booming business? if yes, then look in a direction that might not seem obvious. An example of this is insurance. The truth of the matter is that americans have more and more need for various kinds of insurances, so when it comes to a great business opportunity, insurance is really becoming the way to go. More and more domains of life are coming under insurances. There has been home insurance and life insurance for a long, long time but the growing business opportunity insurance world deals with some less frequently purchased insurances.

One such example is wedding insurance. Nobody wants to sink $25,000 into something that is not insured. Enter a new business opportunity insurance, insuring the wedding. While one is at it, he might as well throw in travel insurance for the honeymoon and liability insurance should someone decide to have one too many martinis at the reception and then choose to sue the newlyweds for damages.

The above might sound like a horror story, but unfortunately there are more and more similar cases popping up all over the nation. The fact of the matter is that the business opportunity insurance offers is a great one because more and more people are suing each other. This need to blame is one reason that insurance is such a big thing nowadays. Capitalizing on this trend is easily done through latching on to one of the business opportunity insurance franchises out there. Starting Up Insurance business is a field best left to the experts, so while one becomes an old pro at the insurance game, it is best to work with firms that know the game well.

Before starting up a brand new franchise, it is advisable to spend a period of time working with another firm who has already capitalized on the growing business opportunity insurance selling has to offer. Working with an existing firm gives one the chance to ease into the insurance world in a non overwhelming way. Once the insurance ropes are starting to become old hat, most people develop a feeling for what type of insurance they would like to work in.

If longstanding insurances seem most secure, go for auto or home insurance, if a new boom is more exciting, try travel insurance or wedding insurance. Once a realm is chosen, a heavy advertising campaign is the best way to ensure that a brand new firm gets a large client base right away. Getting a large client base is the best way to make insurance firms a monetarily and professionally successful business right from the start.

Keep overhead low and make sure to cover all of the loopholes so that hidden costs do not pop up and take away the profit margin. Act fast in advertising, sell an insurance that is bound to not get used often, and the recipe is one guaranteed for success. Target the audience most likely to be interested in the services of the new firm in order to maximize your advertising efforts and watch the business take off.

Obinna Heche. Los Angeles - California

Delivering the best home based business ideas and
opportunities so you can work at home successfully..
http://www.biggsmall.com

If you’ve always found yourself drawn to working with children, or are a parent yourself, you’ll be pleased to know that there are a wide variety of child related franchises. These children’s franchise opportunities can help you establish a popular business in your local community or online that helps parents with their children. Whether you’re looking for a retail opportunity that sells children’s clothing or a fun-filled franchise geared towards kid’s parties, you’ll be able to find it.

Owning a children’s franchise just makes good sense. Your target market will never go away. People will always have children and be willing to spend money on them. Some of the other benefits include:

* Regular hours — Most programs focus on after school hours, weekends and summer time.
* Steady interest — Even in hard economic times, parents spend money on their children. Child related activities are often the last to be cut in the family budget.
* Lots of networking opportunities — Since there are so many types of child-centered businesses, you could easily network with others in your area to grow more business for everyone.
* Fun opportunities — Working with children is rewarding and fun! If you want something that offers an alternative to the 9 to 5 corporate world, a children’s franchise is perfect for you.

Children’s franchises run the gamut from child care services to party centers. Since adults are working longer hours, and today’s parents see the benefit of regular extracurricular activities, franchise opportunities have grown by leaps and bounds. There’s everything from arts and crafts opportunities to tutoring facilities. Other popular types of children’s franchises include entertainment, health and fitness, photography and technology based businesses.

Starting a tutoring franchise is a smart move. Since public schools are underfunded and understaffed, good parents know that their children need outside help to make the grade. You can capitalize on this interest by starting a tutoring company with Kumon Math and Reading Centers. Established in 1958 this education service allows you to make a difference in the lives of students. Kumon has a nationwide presence and even national advertising to help you establish yourself in your local area.

If something a little more fun is your style, a children’s business like Monkey Joe’s may be right for you. This franchise helps you create a unique, fun-for-all environment. Kids can jump, slide, and climb; parents can check email, catch up on the latest news or watch sports; and younger brothers and sisters have their very own area where they’re safe and can act like the big kids. In business since 2004, Monkey Joe’s is starting to gain brand recognition for parents who want to treat their children (and themselves) to a good time.

Since childhood obesity has been such a major problem in recent years, a children’s health and fitness franchise is sure to be popular in your area. Companies like Kinderdance help you motivate children to stay active through play-like games and activities that don’t feel like exercise at all! Kinderdance was established in 1979 and offers basic movement and dance training for preschoolers and toddlers. There are also other franchise opportunities that cater to older children and teens to help them stay fit.

Children’s franchises are here to stay, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t capitalize on the interests of parents. There’s a wide variety of opportunities to choose from, so a children’s franchise offers something for everyone.

Find your perfect children’s franchise or children’s business at FranchiseGenius.com, where you’ll find 1,800+ franchise opportunities to evaluate and compare.

Fitness franchises are among the most popular type of franchise businesses. When you own your own fitness franchise, you’ll be tapping into a major need for the vast majority of the population. Each year more and more people want to lose weight and get in shape. As the nation looks at rising obesity rates, especially in children, fitness is going to become a bigger concern.

If your background is in the fitness industry, or you’ve been a lifelong athlete, owning a fitness business could be the opportunity you’ve been looking for. Consider the following fitness industry statistics:

* There are over 30,000 health clubs across the United States
* Over 42 million Americans belong to a type the fitness club
* Adults 55 years of age and older make up about a quarter of fitness club memberships

When you own a fitness business, people trust you with their health. Unlike other types of businesses, your fitness franchise can have a lasting impact on the quality of life of your customers. With this in mind, it takes a lot of trust in order to build a customer base. When you own a fitness franchise business you’ll be backed by the familiarity and high-level professionalism that comes from the fitness franchise. Instead of working hard to prove to the public that you’re running a legitimate fitness business, they’ll know instantly that yours is a gym that they can trust.

Fitness franchises come in many different shapes and sizes, no pun intended. There are fitness businesses that cater to women only. Women-only fitness franchise businesses are growing in popularity and there are many from which to choose. One of the most popular is Curves, but there are many other fitness franchises that have taken advantage of this popular trend. If you want to offer women a secure place to work out and lose weight you may want to consider one of these fitness franchises. While Curves focuses on low impact circuit training, others like Fit Zone for Women offer a wide variety of fitness classes.

Twist Sports Conditioning Centres have been offering athletic training in a gym environment since 1999. This fitness franchise offers personalized training that helps athletes achieve better performance on the court, the field or the ice. The professional trainers focus on challenging customers to push their bodies to new limits. If you’re coming from an amateur or professional sports background, Twist Sports Conditioning may be the perfect franchise for you.

Fitness businesses aren’t just for the young and fit; they are also for the young at heart. Nifty After Fifty is a fitness franchise that allows you to cater to the growing population of older Americans who want to stay fit. While this franchise business is just two years old, it will allow you to tap into a hungry market and offer a facility that will allow them to exercise in a non-judgmental environment. Nifty After 50 offers exercise classes, nutritional training and other services that help customers improve their health and overall quality of life.

These four fitness franchises are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fitness business opportunities. Find the perfect fitness franchise for you at http://www.franchisegenuis.com.

This article is Copyright 2008 by Franchise Genius LLC.

You may be surprised to find that many of your favorite brands are franchises. In fact, without realizing it, you most likely do some sort of business with a franchise every day. You’ve eaten at Baskin-Robbins, Cinnabon, Dunkin’ Donuts, KFC, Pizzeria Uno, and Carvel Ice Cream Bakery. You’ve relied at H&R Block, to ship packages at The UPS Store, and to repair your car at Midas Auto Service Experts. You’ve bought shoes at The Athlete’s Foot, stocked up on vitamin supplements at General Nutrition Centers, had your hair removed or skin rejuvenated at a Sona MedSpa. And you’ve no doubt purchased just about anything and everything at your nearest 7-Eleven. All of these corporations are built on franchises.

Many of these companies are not restricted by national borders. Just as the American economy is going global, so are franchises, which is why so many recognizable brands are found all over the world. For example, The Medicine Shoppe, a retail pharmacy chain, operates more than 200 stores outside of the United States. One Hour Martinizing, the world’s largest dry cleaning franchise, operates almost 200 franchises outside of North America. And World Gym International is living up to its name as it adds fitness centres around the world.

The brand name and its familiar and reliable service or product is what hooks people. For example, before selling Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE) to UPS, you could find Mail Boxes Etc. in any city you visited, and more likely more than one. You knew what services would be offered and had a good idea of the prices for those services. If you needed to mail a package, would you be more likely to look for Mail Boxes Etc., or stop by a local store that mailed packages with a name you didn’t know? Most people would go to a store with a name they knew because they trusted the service. That’s the power of brand identification and not just in the United States. MBE had a thousand stores in other countries.

A franchise’s brand is a very valuable asset. Franchisors know that customers will decide whether or not they want to walk into a store in the franchise system or use the services of a franchisee based on the reputation of the brand name. Unless you happen to be a personal friend of the person who owned Mail Boxes Etc., you probably had no idea who the owner was and probably didn’t care. You just wanted to go to a place that you knew could be trusted to mail a package for you and that you knew would be in there the next day or next week to help you track the package if it got lost.

Remember that although franchise establishments are independently owned and operated, they still maintain the high standards of the franchisor and the uniformity that contributes to brand recognition and reliability. That’s why a tasty treat at a Mrs. Field’s in Maine will be just as tasty at a Mrs. Field’s in Arizona - or in another part of the world.

A franchisor’s advertising and marketing efforts benefit the franchisee as well. After you choose your franchise and become part of a system, you should be able to depend on the franchisor to continue advertising and marketing that brand so that you won’t have to. That ongoing advertising and marketing will continue to bring new customers into your door.

Not all franchises have national name recognition, though. You may decide to get in on the ground floor of a franchise that still needs to build its brand. That’s especially true if you have only a small stash of cash to invest. The large, well-known franchises are usually bought only by a group of investors, or individuals who have a higher net worth, or someone who already owns and runs at least one other unit in the franchise.

If you find any franchise opportunities that interests you but is not name brands you recognize, there’s a good chance most people won’t recognize that brand names either. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a good franchise opportunity, but you do need to be sure you understand what the franchisor will do in your community to help you build the brand, as well as what the franchisor is already doing to build a national brand name and reputation.

Max helps people to understand The Keys to Success in Franchise Business. He shows them how to look for Best Franchise Opportunities.