Franchise Sizzle!
The Franchise and Biz Op Blog

A lot of people are looking for ways to get fit and in shape these days. The obesity epidemic is becoming well recognized now and it is finally stimulating people to do something to get healthy, which is why franchises that focus on fitness and sports are such a great investment.

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to fitness franchise opportunities. You could run a gym, a weight loss club or something a little more exciting. Why not check out what is available in your interest area?

For those not interested in your standard gym franchise, there are other options, including footwear franchises and children`s sports tournaments. It`s a good idea to check out what is available to you before making a decision one way or another.

Fitness and sports franchises are a good way to go with more and more consumers becoming aware of the importance of being fit.

Everyone wants the franchise they choose to be a success. Unfortunately, not all of them will be, so how do you ensure that you are in the winning group? There`s a little known strategy for choosing a good franchise that most people never use, even though it`s pretty much common sense.

Pick a business you would buy from.

Sounds pretty simple, right? And it is. The vast majority of franchisees approach a franchise opportunity with the “what can I get from this” mentality. Low fees, high income . . . these are things that the franchisee looks for. These are certainly important, but they aren`t the only thing you should be considering.

Would you actually buy the product or service that you will be selling? If you were the consumer, would you think this was a good quality for the price?

By asking yourself these questions, you can figure out pretty quick if the franchise is worth pursuing or not. The lowest franchise fees in the industry can`t make a poor product that is overpriced sell well. You need to think about the end user before you move into investments.

Keep the customer in mind and you`ll be on your way to a successful franchise.

Photos are still one of the best way to capture the memories of a time gone by. Looking at a sunlit picture has the power to take you back to that summer decades ago. Because of this, photo franchises are a good way to go if you`re looking for a sure thing.

One of the biggest hits is child photography. Who doesn`t want to hang beautiful photos of their children on their wall? Of course, offering this as your specialty with a franchise like Lil Angels Photography will draw more clients since people with kids tend to look specifically for things that cater to children.

Child photography can be challenging, but it`s also extremely rewarding. You`ll have a child friendly mobile photo studio that lets you shoot kids in their comfort zone, at home. There are a number of useful techniques to help kids feel comfortable and to get the best shots as fast as possible, avoiding tantrums.

A photography franchise could be just what you are looking for, it`s definitely worth considering if you enjoy working with children and want a nice flexible, mobile franchise opportunity.

When you are looking at a franchise, there are plenty of things you should do, but rarely does anyone mention the opposite . . . what you shouldn`t be doing. So, here we go:

• Don`t assume you need experience. Most franchises offer full training for their franchisees, so you will be better off going with what you are passionate about instead.
• Don`t ask everyone`s opinion. While your spouse or partner is a good person to share with, you will most certainly want to limit the people you ask for their opinion. You`ll end up with more conflicting views than anything else otherwise.
• Don`t rule out franchises outside your area. Just because your state doesn`t yet have a franchise you are interested in, doesn`t mean you can`t invest in one. Talk to the company. Chances are they will be more than happy to expand and you`ll have no competition.

These are some of the things you will definitely want to avoid while looking at franchise opportunities. Keep these in mind and don`t give up on finding the ideal franchise.

There are quite a few things that Canadians can`t enjoy, thanks to US-only offers, but franchises aren`t one of them. There are plenty of great franchises available to those north of the border and there is plenty of support and aid for these, as well.

Here are just a few of the great franchises that are available to Canadians right now:

DVD Now Kiosks: A self-serve DVD rental and sale kiosk that you can set and leave to earn you money while you are doing something else.

KidzArt: Turn kids and adults into true artists by teaching them the special KidzArt techniques to express themselves.

Beverage Plus: Offer drinks like MC2 and other popular beverages for distribution around your area.

These are just a handful of the great franchise opportunities that Canadians can partake in. There really is something for everyone, so no matter what your interests, there is bound to be a Canadian franchise to go with it.

Now is the time to start giving people advice on how to spend and invest their money, as well as save it. Even if you aren`t the financial guru you`d like to be, it`s completely possible with a franchise.

There are so many financial franchises available that you really have more than enough options to choose from. Whatever your preference, stock options, leasing, or any one of a myriad of helpful financial areas, you`ll find a franchise opportunity that suits you perfectly.

Like other franchises, these financial based opportunities offer training, so you won`t be left on your own to try and figure out what to do with your clients. Look for a financial franchise that offers full support and you can`t go wrong.

There are many areas that you can focus on and the best ones are areas that you are already interested in.

When you think concrete, you probably think of foundations, concrete slabs and driveways. While these are all things you can do with concrete, that certainly doesn`t meanthese are the only things you can do with the material, however and CTI is a franchise that offers quite a few variations on plain old gray concrete.

Concrete Technology Incorporated or CTI, is a franchise that specializes in doing quite elegant work with concrete. It`s not the average slab, these are nicely done floors, drives and just about anything else you can think of. What makes this different from other concretes is that you have the option of customizing the color and design, presenting the customer with a faux finish or simply a logo inset into their lobby.

As a franchise, CTI is a good way to go. Low startup fees and full support means you don`t have to worry about letting customers down and getting started is quite easy. There is plenty of training available as well.

If the popular franchise opportunities like restaurants and child care don`t interest you, then perhaps it`s time to look at something a little different . . . like concrete.

Not everyone ventures into a franchise opportunity on their own. If you plan to have a business partner, there are a few extra things you need to take into account.

First of all, since there will be two of you, it`s a good idea to evaluate your abilities. Most people will find that they have some skills that are the same, while others will be complimentary. Knowing what areas you will be strongest in will help you choose a franchise that suits both of you.

Interest is another thing to keep in mind when looking at the various franchise opportunities available to you. While one person might be fascinated by food franchises, the other might prefer pets. Look for a franchise opportunity that allows you to share your interests.

Having a partner in a franchise can be a huge plus. You won`t be shouldering all the responsibility and there is someone else to help out in emergencies. However, it`s important you work through the selection process together so that you will both be happy in the franchise you choose.

If you`ve ever had to live with a nasty stain on your carpet for very long, you understand why carpet franchises are so popular. It`s just not nice to have a big red wine stain or one made by your dog in the middle of the living room. For the first couple, you might be able to rearrange the furniture to hide it, but pretty soon, a good cleaning is necessary.

Carpet cleaning franchise opportunities are a great way to provide a very valuable service. Even if someone doesn`t usually hire another person to help them clean, carpet cleaning is one of those things that is often not doable on your own, so professional help is required.

Sure, there are options, but most people don`t have the time or inclination to get down and scrub the stains on their own, especially if it might not even work. And then there is the whole dust mite and flea business. Anyone with pets knows how fleas love to burrow into carpet, so a good, professional carpet steam cleaning franchise will be able to rid the home of these pests as well.

There`s nothing as great as a real clean carpet and most people really do appreciate this fact. If you choose to invest in a carpet cleaning franchise, be aware that it could be more successful than you expect!

Many people who are seriously considering investing in a franchise opportunity are wondering if they need to hire a lawyer. After all, this could be expensive and most of them are pretty sure they can understand the contract.

Even if you are pretty sure you understand everything, having a lawyer who specializes in franchise law can be a huge bonus. There are so many things that can slip in under the wire that it helps to have someone with experience go over all the documents you are given by the franchise company. This is just to ensure that everything is on the up and up.

If you don`t understand the contract fully when you sign it, you could be in for trouble down the road. There are simply too many conditions that need to be met in most franchise opportunitiesf to miss out on one and risk being in breach of contract. A franchise lawyer can help you understand everything that is required.

Whether you think you need a lawyer or not, it can be very beneficial to have one to ensure that your franchise experience is the best it can be.