Once you own your own franchise or small business one of the first things you’ll learn is how big of a pain in the rump it is managing employees. There are a lot options like trying to keep up with it all in Excel or hiring an outside firm. One of the best HR software options is to use Abra.  Of course, you can keep trying to do things with a spreadsheet forever and hope you don’t go down due to some compliance issue. 

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McDonalds’ has been stirring up a lot of trouble lately with its menu of unhealthy food. There are even those out there that want to legislate ways to make McDonalds’ healthier, or to at least hurt their business with menus full of health facts. I’m not among that group. I think everyone knows that McDonalds isn’t the healthiest choice, but it is their choice and shouldn’t be regulated by government.

My biggest issue with the McDonald’s Franchise is not their food but their employees. When I was a kid I worked at McDonalds and took pride in my job. So did the other teenagers that worked with me. The training was excellent and the management was good. In the last decade teenagers have left McDonalds and the ranks have been filled with employees that appear to me to be illegal immigrants, ex-welfare recipients, and others who hate working - and show it.

Now when I visit a McDonalds – which is becoming more and more rare – I have to deal with employees that either don’t know English or know English but have such limited social skills that the best I can expect is a grunt. While the manager and a few employees work hard the rest are either standing around or don’t care enough to even get the order correct.

I have a theory that you can hire fewer employees in food service if you hire better employees. While your local McDonalds Franchise is paying minimum wage to workers that either don’t want to work or shouldn’t be working due to illegal status the Dominos Pizza Franchise next door is paying more drawing in better workers. This doesn’t cost Dominos more in wages because they have fewer employees that are actually doing their jobs, instead of goofing off while customers wait. It’s simple really.

McDonalds has a negative stigma and that also keeps better employees away, but with the right campaign, better working conditions, more opportunities, and better pay they could attract great people. Just look at Chik-fil-A for another reference. When’s the last time Chik-fil-A got your order wrong? When’s the last time McDonalds got it right?

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Rick Staley of Houston, Texas Honored with Quiznos 2007 Hall of Fame Award

Staley, Futch, Miller, Patel, White and Hamama Selected on Ability to Implement Company’s Go Forward Plan for Franchise Owner Profitability and Brand Success

DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Quiznos today announced the recipients of the newly launched 2007 Quiznos Brand Leadership Awards to Franchise Owners. Rick Staley of Houston, Texas was honored with the coveted Hall of Fame Award. Darryl Futch, Jerry Miller, Tushar Patel, Ron White and Basil Hamama were recognized with Quiznos 2007 Brand Leadership Awards. These Franchise Owners were chosen for their ability to implement the company’s Go Forward Plan for Franchise Owner profitability and brand success.

“When Franchise Owners win, we all win,” said Greg Brenneman, President and CEO of Quiznos. “We are honoring the hard work, passion and dedication of a selected few from across the nation who have witnessed next-level success through implementation of the Quiznos Go Forward Plan. As our Franchise Owners continue to focus on delivering outstanding customer experience to our guests, we will continue to see increasing sales and incremental successes across the chain. Congratulations to all of our award winners.”

A newly introduced annual recognition program for Franchise Owners, the Quiznos Brand Leadership Awards are based upon the business initiatives described in the company’s Go Forward Plan.

Introduced by Greg Brenneman, the plan outlines key areas to drive next-level strategic growth for Franchise Owner profitability, including: Grow Profitably, Fund the Future, Excite the Consumer and Working Together.

The winners of the 2007 Quiznos Brand Leadership Awards are:

“Congratulations to Rick, Darryl, Jerry, Tushar, Ron and Basil. They have done a great job building the Quiznos brand and we are proud to be on their team,” continued Mr. Brenneman. “Our Quiznos team, vendor partners, Franchise Owners and restaurant support center staff are all inspired by these Franchise Owner accomplishments.

“I also want to recognize our vendor partners who have participated in our recognition program; Pepsico Food Service, Simeus Foods, Stampede Meats, FreshPoint and Keystone Foods. Thank you for your service and dedication to Quiznos.”

ABOUT QUIZNOS

Celebrating its 26th year, Denver-based Quiznos is a national chain designed for today’s busy consumers who are looking for a tasty, fresher alternative to traditional fast food restaurants. Using only premium quality real ingredients, Quiznos restaurants offer creative, chef-inspired recipes for sandwiches, soups and salads. With more than 5,000 franchise restaurants, Quiznos is one of the fastest growing quick service restaurant chains.

In October 2007, Quiznos was named as leading the QSR industry in wait time performance by the Mystery Shopping Providers Association’s (MSPA) 2007 Wait Time Study. In May 2007, Zagat’s consumer surveys listed Quiznos in top 5 for Top Food, Top Facilities, Top Service and Top Overall, ahead of its direct competitors. In June 2006, Nation’s Restaurant News ranked Quiznos in its Top 100 Restaurant Chains as the #1 restaurant chain in growth in number of units–five years in a row. Entrepreneur magazine in January, 2006 ranked Quiznos in its annual Top Franchise 500 as the #2 Best Overall Franchise and QSR magazine ranked the chain in its Top 50 Chains in August, 2005 as #3 by change in system-wide sales.

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Wine franchises have been growing in popularity in the last few years but this makes sense as the popularity of wine has grown as well.  Tivoli Wines has announced a franchise based on their system. This isn’t a cheap franchise but it does have potential for high-end markets and areas that appreciate the finer things in life.  If you are an entrepreneur that is looking for a unique and upscale franchise opportunity Tivoli Wines should be on your list of franchises to learn more about.

Colleyville, TX, November 06, 2007 –(PR.com)– Since the beginning of civilization, wine has been a source of pleasure to people all over the world. Wine is one of the first things man created. It is woven throughout the tapestry of human history like few other products. It is part of our traditions, cultures and rituals.

Now available is an opportunity to cultivate from a passion and tradition such an enjoyable and profitable business concept. In the United States, wine sales have climbed to their highest levels in history. American tastes have driven sales of premium wines to record levels.

Today consumers seek better, more interesting wines which taste of quality but are reasonably priced. They understand that wine does not have to cost a lot to be good, but many consumers are not sure where to find good inexpensive wines. Tivoli Wines delivers great wines at reasonable prices.

Tivoli Wines now introduce this exciting business opportunity to the public. Tivoli Wines goal is to make the business of wine an enjoyable experience for store-owners and customers.

Tivoli promotes a higher caliber wine experience for its customers. The demand for quality wine boutiques around the country is booming. As a result of this demand, Tivoli is selling franchises. Single-unit and multi-unit franchises are currently available.

Exceptional business skills and operational experience, particularly in the casual dining industry, wine industry, or other service related industry.
Financial strength and stability to sustain a rapid development schedule;
Financial resources that meet their requirements.

Typically for single-unit development, a prospective franchisee should have a minimum net worth of $750,000 excluding personal residence, with $200,000 in liquid assets (i.e., cash or marketable securities only). For multi-unit development (for example, 3 or more restaurants), Tivoli requires a minimum net worth of $2.25 million with $800,000 in liquid assets. Tivoli does not offer any type of financial assistance.

Tivoli Wines is interested in attracting only the highest caliber franchisee. If you would like to receive a Franchise Information Package outlining their program in more detail, please contact them with your full name, mailing address, telephone number and the city and state you are interested in developing the Tivoli franchise.
Contact this Wine Franchise
Tivoli Wines
Mitzi Johnson
817-581-9463
tivoliwines@aol.com
www.tivoliwines.com

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Money Mailer Franchise is one of the most popular franchises and probably the most popular direct mail franchise available.  Money Mailer is a direct mail franchise business where you sell advertisements to local businesses and include their ads and coupons in direct mail pieces and mailings.  It’s a great business for anyone with a sales background or anyone that feels like they can “get out there” and close deals.  The advantage to this form of advertising over other print advertising is that it can be measured.  When a customer uses a coupon it can be tracked so that the advertiser can track the return on their advertising investment. 

With the millions of small businesses in the thousands of communities this is a great opportunity for the outgoing entrepreneur.  I wouldn’t recommend this franchise to anyone that has a shy or laid back personality because success will require hitting the pavement and talking to a lot of business owners.  The exception to this is if the potential franchisee has the capital to pay a salesperson or sales team. 

Money Mailer has been around since the late 1970s and longevity is a good sign for any franchise.  It also has good word of mouth and a solid reputation in the franchise community.  The Money Mailer Franchise is a franchise worth learning more about. 

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Dominos Pizza is now offering attractive incentives and benefits to veterans of the U.S. military.  You can get a large franchise fee discount as well as expert franchise assistance from this top pizza franchise.  This is a good move by Dominos because this will attract the best men and women America has to offer.  I’m an Army veteran and I’ve also worked with Dominos and I can attest to my fellow vets that Dominos is a first class operation.  If you are a veteran that wants to own a pizza franchise I highly recommend calling the Dominos Pizza franchise development office at: 877-921-8326.

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A popular franchise company, Money Mailer, is offering a series of Webinars. I think these are useful for anyone interested in buying a franchise, even if it isn’t a Money Mailer franchise. You can sit back at watch these franchise Webinars from the comfort of your own home and pick up some great tips. Below is the press release and Webinar date information.

Money Mailer Announces A Two-Part Series Of Online Webinars

Leading Direct Mail Company Hosts Free Franchising Webinars

October 25, 2007 // Franchising.com // Garden Grove, CA – Money Mailer, a quality leader in the $62 billion direct mail industry since 1979, is hosting two free webinars that educate would-be entrepreneurs on determining what kind of business opportunity is the correct choice and explore the Money Mailer business opportunity. Participants will be able to join two 30 minute presentations from their computer.

Dennis Jenkins, Vice President of Franchise Licensing with Money Mailer, will be personally hosting the two-part series.

The first part of the series, “Is a Franchise Right for You?” gives participants an inside look at the world of franchising, and Jenkins will offer insights gained from his years of experience in franchising. Some of the topics he will cover include: How to Evaluate a Franchise Opportunity and Franchise Financing.

The second of Jenkins’ webinars is “Hyphenate with Money Mailer.” This presentation will give participants an introduction to the power of being self-employed and success-oriented with Money Mailer. Topics include: What Money Mailer franchisees do, how Money Mailer supports its franchisees and the product line.

“Many times, when someone begins to research franchising, they can feel overwhelmed with the multiple opportunities available,” Jenkins said. “Often times people end up buying into a franchise system that doesn’t fit with their personality and strengths. What I’m trying accomplish with the ‘Is a Franchise Right for You?’ webinar is to educate people on the kinds of questions they need to be asking as they go through their discovery process.”

The “Hyphenate with Money Mailer” webinar offers insight into the Money Mailer franchise system and the programs that are in place to set owners up for success.

Money Mailer is targeting the US for growth with emphasis on Jacksonville, FL, Orlando, FL, Seattle, WA and Cleveland, OH.

The webinar schedule is the following:

Oct 30, 2007 4:00 pm (PST) Is a Franchise Right for You?

Oct 30, 2007 7:00 pm (PST) Is a Franchise Right for You?

Nov 6, 2007 1:00 pm (PST) Is a Franchise Right for You?

Nov 6, 2007 4:00 pm (PST) Is a Franchise Right for You?

Nov 6, 2007 7:00 pm (PST) Is a Franchise Right for You?

Nov 8, 2007 1:00 pm (PST) Hyphenate with Money Mailer

Nov 8, 2007 4:00 pm (PST) Hyphenate with Money Mailer

Nov 8, 2007 7:00 pm (PST) Hyphenate with Money Mailer

Nov 13, 2007 1:00 pm (PST) Is a Franchise Right for You?

Nov 13, 2007 4:00 pm (PST) Is a Franchise Right for You?

Nov 13, 2007 7:00 pm (PST) Is a Franchise Right for You?

Nov 15, 2007 1:00 pm (PST) Hyphenate with Money Mailer

Nov 15, 2007 4:00 pm (PST) Hyphenate with Money Mailer

Nov 15, 2007 7:00 pm (PST) Hyphenate with Money Mailer

To attend these free webinars, go to http://moneymailerevents.webex.com to register. Each webinar will last approximately 30 minutes, and you will have an opportunity to send questions directly to Mr. Jenkins. After the webinars, if participants would like to learn more about Money Mailer, a franchise licensing advisor will take you through the mutual qualification process to determine if Money Mailer might be a potential fit.

About Money Mailer

Money Mailer, Entrepreneur Magazine’s #1 advertising services franchise for 2007 is ranked one of Inc. Magazine’s 5,000 Fastest Growing Private Companies, and is a leader in the $62 billion direct mail industry. With over 300 franchises nationwide in 33 states, Money Mailer serves over 195 categories of local businesses, mails over 189 million envelopes to 21 million homes, and services over 30,000 advertisers with its core product each year. Established in 1979, Money Mailer accomplishes its goals by remaining committed to its mission: “To help businesses get and keep more customers and to help consumers save money every day.”™ To learn more about employing Money Mailer’s direct marketing services, please call 1.800.Mailer.1 (624-5371) or visit www.moneymailer.com.

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McDonalds opened in 1955 and started franchising almost immediately.  McDonalds is the world’s most-famous, and arguably most successful, franchise.  Owning a McDonalds franchise isn’t for everyone though as the McDonalds franchise is seeking those with substantial business and management experience.  Despite popular belief there are still a few opportunities to own a McDonalds in the U.S.  Check out the McDonalds Website for more information on buying a McDonalds franchise.

What are the Cost’s of Owning a McDonald’s Franchise?
The cost range depends on several factors including location.  You must consider several costs like the initial franchise fee, royalty fees, and renewal fees that are in the high range for a food franchise.  Of course, you do get what you pay for and this is a franchise that has proven to be successful.

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Franchise Opportunity Websites provide a great resource to the entrepreneur but like any advertising based source these sites must be navigated with caution.  The popular franchise portals that you find online are your best resource for franchises that are looking for new franchisees and they are a quick way to contact multiple franchises at once.

 The downside, however, is that these franchise portals rank franchises based on who pays the most.  Even AAA Sandwich Franchise is a better choice than ZZZ Sandwich Franchise the portal will list ZZZ Sandwich Franchise in a better location if they pay more.  This shouldn’t come as a surprise to any savvy entrepreneur, but it should remain on your mind as you navigate these portals. 

Don’t invest your money into a franchise based on one source alone.  You should research each potential franchise investment to find the perfect franchise for you. 

Share your comments with franchise portals so that other entrepreneurs can learn from your experiences.  Please don’t name any specific sites.

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People often ask me what the best type of franchise to own is.  I always tell them that a fast food franchise is the best.  People are getting busier and busier every day and they don’t have to the time to cook at home and they want something quick and easy thus making fast food franchising a winning choice.  From hamburger franchises to fried chicken you can find something that fits you.

I do caution that owning a fast food franchise takes a high level of dedication.  With some businesses you work Monday through Friday and are home at night, but when you own a fast food franchise your busiest hours are nights and weekends.  If you have a family you will either have to reorganize your family time or rethink buying a fast food restaurant.  If you haven’t worked in a restaurant before you should get a part time job at a fast food restaurant so that you can experience first hand what it takes to operate a successful restaurant business. 

Even with the cons of owning a fast food franchise I still think it’s the best bet.  The population is exploding and communities are growing providing you with thousands of opportunities.  

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