I keep hearing that the US economy is showing signs of improvement. But, where am I hearing that? Cable news networks Some newspapers Some small business owners  I'm also hearing the opposite. I'm hearing some negative economic news from; Local franchisees Sales managers Auto dealers Family friends Who should I believe? Should I believe; Millionaire news anchors Millionaire business owners Politicians (Some millionaire's there too, by the way) Or should I believe folks that; May be on th... Read Full Story

              If you are an executive, or even the owner of a franchise concept, don't worry about all the buzz around social media. Don't pressure yourself into doing social media, just because a growing number of other franchisors have started getting their feet wet. Just keep doing what you're doing. I'm sure that you are totally euphoric about your current franchise marketing successes... Being the Community Promotions Director for a powerful and influential website like Small Busines... Read Full Story

Canada has a thriving franchise industry, and a Canadian franchise attorney Tony Wilson points out 3 advantages of franchise ownership; Training in the business model. "They're training you to use their system; training is a huge component in franchising," Wilson says.  Access to a trademark and brand advertising. "That's what franchisees should expect -- to get the benefit of the brand."  Joint purchasing power. "If you're in a buying group with 16 other restaurants, you're going to g... Read Full Story

A Reva Reva has more all-electric vehicles on the road than any other company, but it still has a long haul before it can make the vehicles marketable for the masses. However, last month, the company won a huge and important stamp of approval when GM said it would use Reva’s technology in the electric version of its Chevrolet Spark, a small car whose conventional petrol version GM sells here already. The electric version of the Spark is expected to go on sale in India by the end of next yea... Read Full Story

Charles Loflin, a local San Antonio entrepreneur with ownership in more than 28 eateries, celebrates the grand opening of his Einstein Bros. Bagels franchise location at 12730 IH-10 West in San Antonio, Texas. It is the brand's first franchise location in the area. "We are thrilled to offer a restaurant that will impress new and longtime Einstein Bros. fans with distinctive menu options and a vibrant dining environment, "said Loflin. "We want to offer the best in q... Read Full Story

Small business loans have been fairly difficult to come by, to say the least. CIT, a huge small business lender, although not the only game in town, is in trouble, but has done a nice volume of loans for the franchise and small business start-up community in years past. So now what?Now, it's time to start seriously thinking of creative financing arrangements. Although controversial, maybe tapping into your 401K's for some of your start-up funds, isn't a bad idea. I have noticed that most of... Read Full Story

Today, I'll be introducing to an honest to goodness automobile repair franchise that also happens to include my favorite color; Green. The folks over at Honest-1® know a little something about timing; They go beyond basic standards and expectations of auto care facilities and take additional measures to protect our environment now and into the future. While offering exceptional service programs for their customers to choose from, they also offer specialized, ECO-Friendly Auto Care™ service... Read Full Story

This week's suggestion is for franchisees, and other small business owners; Spend $100 on personalized plates that are all about your brand. It's my version of Mobile Marketing. Read Full Story

Franchising has grown exponentially in Ireland over the past two decades and Franchise Direct is looking forward to helping Irish entrepreneurs discover perfect franchise opportunities. Franchise Direct is one of the biggest players in international franchising. With offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Dublin, Ireland, Franchise Direct has a truly global grasp of the industry. Its Irish website will be its seventh national portal, sitting alongside websites focused on the American, Canadian, B... Read Full Story

http://www.flickr.com/photos/visualthinker/ / CC BY-SA 2.0                                                         80% 80% of mobile phone users are now using text messaging, according to Mobile Marketer. 80%! Does that sound like a large enough number of customers/clients for you to possibly target with your own unique message? Look at this new story from Reuters  (It tells us that consumers are ready for this type of marketing, now) A cool company that I am working with (I found them ov... Read Full Story