Open Anonymous Forum for Unbiased Discussion About Franchises
Posted by admin on October 10, 2009 under Articles | 
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Looks like even some bigger names are realizing that franchising is not all its been cracked up to be.
That its not the easy, never fail, cookie cutter works approach that franchisers are trying to sell you. Though franchisespeak.com has been saying it for quite a while now, its nice to see some validation.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/successstories/article203640.html
Posted by admin on February 2, 2008 under Articles | Be the First to Comment
Many franchisees begin looking for a franchise with the attitude and ambition to startup your own business. Are you really starting your own business though?
No, you really aren’t. You are beginning a relationship with a franchiser where you get to use and extend the business model that they own and control. In reality, it really comes closer to resembling the relationship between a branch manager and corporate. Meaning that many major decisions will be forced on you and may or may not involve any input from you at all. Your local market can be helped or hurt by those decisions, however corporate the franchisor is looking nationwide and has more care about the brand as a whole rather than your own local profits. The biggest difference is that you are paying to get that job.
Do you, as the person wanting to start your own business want that relationship? The answer to this could very well be… yes! Many people desire guidance, desire major decisions to be handled by someone else, want structure and more dictated to them.
A true entrepreneur though may find this system way too controlling. If you have the ambition to start your own business, but maybe you lack the idea or you think a franchise will keep you from failing… ( If you think a franchise will keep you from failing read this : http://www.franchisespeak.com/top-ten-reasons-for-franchising ) … or maybe you even think that you really are starting your own business by franchising.
Well, read that UFOC, and examine it well. You’ll see that there is probably wording that also allows the franchiser to terminate your agreement for very vague reasonings. Showing that you can be fired as well. Does that sound like your idea of owning your own business? When you truly own your own business the only people that could fire you are the customers… by not showing up.
Also beware: the franchise broker you talk to may even play into those feelings and the emotion that goes into a major purchase like that. There was excellent article on fool.com today regarding the brains behind investing. Check it out here.
The summary though is that the “anticipation” of making money, is actually more rewarding than the “act” of making money. Meaning that when you’re in the market to purchase a franchise, you’re high on emotion and the ambition to make big money. Please do yourself a big favor and examine your personality and emotions to see if you’re even the kind of person who can handle someone else controlling what you thought was “your business“.
Posted by admin on January 19, 2008 under Articles | 2 Comments to Read
Article By: Elevator Going Up!
Have you ever been at a social function or a networking event and had someone surprise you with a simple and direct question like, “So, what type of job are looking for?” – and then stumbled over your answer? We all have. Well, here’s a tip taken from the sales and entrepreneurial worlds – have an “elevator pitch” ready to whip out at a moment’s notice.
Most of you probably know the concept of an elevator pitch. It is a brief and concise overview that you could deliver in the time span of an elevator ride (say, thirty seconds or 100-150 words). The term is typically used in the context of an entrepreneur pitching an idea to a venture capitalist or a sales rep who finds him/herself face to face with a decision maker.
So, why can’t a job seeker use the same concept? It’s powerful (and confidence-building) to be prepared to deliver your own personal elevator pitch. How do you create one? First, write down the basics:
* Tell them what you want. Describe (as specifically as you can) what type of position you are looking for – and why.
* Emphasize what attributes make you unique. Think about your skill set, your experience, your education or training, personal characteristics, etc. Market yourself. Describe why you will be an asset to anyone you work for.
* Focus on the “take-away”. Hit the essentials. What is the key thing you want this person to take away from your conversation? If they had a position, would they be able to match you to it? Would they be able to accurately describe you to others?
* Ask for something. Do you want this person to consider you for a position? Do you want them to pass along your information to others? Don’t forget to offer them your contact information.
Next, (and this is the really hard part) boil it down to the key elements. If you’re like most of us, your first cut will probably be much longer than 60 seconds. Challenge yourself to get it down to under one minute. You will find that this exercise will force you to whittle your pitch down to the key essentials.
Finally, practice, practice, practice. Try it out on spouses or friends. Once you have the elevator pitch down cold you will be very confident in delivering it anytime, anywhere, and to anyone.
Go get ‘em!
http://blog.globalpitch.com
http://www.globalpitch.com
Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.
