Francorp Clients - Francorp Connect

Here is a great article that talks about buying a franchise in today's economy. If you want to buy a franchise go to www.francorpconnect.com and if you want to franchise your business go to www.francorp.com.

Posted date: 3/31/2008
Franchise Ownership Offers Comfort in Tough EconomyFranchising Has $1 Trillion Impact on Economy, Report Says
By LIZ WIEDEMANN
San Diego Business Journal Staffhttp://www.sdbj.com/industry_article.asp?aID=53045197.9287073.1605825.6295696.9942067.936&lid=&sid=&cid=&page=1A period of economic uncertainty is not the time to sink one’s life savings into a restaurant or shop, but it may be the perfect time to consider owning a service franchise, according to local franchise consultant Cheri Carroll.One factor in franchise choices is home equity — how many new franchisees financed their businesses in the past, she says.“Since equity loans aren’t as available or as generous as they once were, service businesses with their much lower entry costs offer a path that many are taking to beat the economic blues,” said Carroll.An 11-year volunteer with the San Diego chapter of Score, a nonprofit organization providing free consulting and inexpensive workshops for small businesses and new startups, Carroll was recruited by Score to provide franchise expertise.“While a franchised sandwich shop may cost $120,000 or more for the build-out and equipment, or $300,000 for a retail shop, a service business can cost as little as $20,000 to get started, with almost no overhead,” she said.Some growing service businesses among San Diegans are Gurnee, Ill.-based BrightStar Healthcare and Sandy, Utah-based Spectrum Home Services, which offer nonmedical services to seniors such as running errands and yard cleaning.Consulting businesses such as the Carlsbad-based Expense Reduction Analyst, along with executive training services such as the La Jolla-based Renaissance Executive Forums also offer popular franchising opportunities, says Blair Nicol, president of the Louisville, Ky.-based Franchise Network Group’s San Diego and Orange County operations.The NumbersWith a countywide unemployment rate of about 5 percent in the first two months of 2008, up from about 4 percent in early 2007, according to the Employment Development Department of California, franchising is bigger than ever in San Diego, says Nicol.Franchise businesses now make up $1 trillion in U.S. direct economic output, according to an International Franchise Association report sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration.More than 3,000 companies are franchising nationally, and franchise businesses account for more than 50 percent of total retail revenue, according to the report, which was released in March.“High-level executives are saying they don’t want to go through layoffs again, so, ready to leave the corporate world, they’re using severance packages to start a business,” Nicol said.He says that former business executives are ideal candidates for franchising because they can apply their existing skill sets in a white-collar environment, while investing between $80,000 and $100,000 in office-based types of franchises such as executive coaching, financial consulting and information technology businesses, as opposed to a storefront business that costs a minimum of twice the money.Ruben Garcia, district director of SBA’s San Diego office, says that he cautions potential business owners to be ready for the challenge.“Only a small percentage of business owners are franchisees,” he said.“The tried-and-true format and trademark you’ll use as a franchisee is certainly the benefit, but those same regulations are going to limit the leverage, the freedom that you may have considered a benefit to owning a business,” Garcia said.He says that some executives coming out of corporate America like the strategic action plan franchising offers because it mimics the business world with which they are familiar.“It’s not just about having the capital; it’s energy, skills, time and the capability to put up with all the nuances of starting a business,” he said.The No. 1 tip for budding franchisees is to know and love the product, according to Carroll. “If you’re considering a high sales business, but you hate sales, choose something else — no matter how much money other people are making in that business,” Carroll said.Because of the night-and-day effort required at the beginning of opening a franchise, Carroll says that passion for the mundane tasks at hand is the biggest factor in choosing the right business.In the wake of corporate downsizing, or perhaps chasing a dream of autonomy in the workplace, San Diegans might be surprised to find harbor in the franchising arena.

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