Franchising for Growth
Is franchising the right growth strategy for your company? Use this guide to dive into the pros and cons of franchising. Read some winning (and losing) franchise management strategies, and learn from the experiences of other franchisors.
Franchising: Cautionary Tales
- Juicer Squeezes Out Franchisees
- Given the choice of franchising or setting up company-owned stores, Jamba Juice opted for the stores. Here's why.
- An Ugly Expansion
- Licensing a business concept seems like an easy way to grow a business, but as many entrepreneurs discover, maintaining a brand's integrity through the process will determine the growth strategy's success or failure.
- If It Ain't Broke...
- Nordahl Brue, founder and CEO of Bruegger's Bagel Bakeries, discusses the ill effects of diverging from his game plan.
- Blockbuster Deal Goes Bust
- Tony Riviera hoped to take his pizza concept national in a joint venture with Blockbuster. But then the entertainment giant changed its mind.
- A Rocky Rollout
- The founder and CEO of Outback Steakhouse explains how he mishandled the rollout of a new restaurant concept.
- Neglect Zaps Laser Tag Franchisor
- Meteoric growth caused this franchisor to neglect the needs of its franchisees.
New Franchisor's Tool Kit
These franchise planning guidelines are written for hopeful franchisees, but they benefit new franchisors, too.
- The Complete Franchise Business Plan
- A franchise business plan is like a traditional business plan except that it has to combine components of both the franchisee and the franchisor.
- What Inquiring Franchisees Want to Know
- Be able to answer these important questions that prospective franchisees may ask you.
- Site Evaluation Form
- Use this cheat sheet to help you or your franchisees evaluate potential franchise locations.
- United We Stand
- Children's Orchard used an intranet to share company news with franchisees and bring them together.
- The Collectively Bargained Franchise Agreement
- To make its system more attractive to ambitious franchisees, Taco John's took a radical step: It brought them in on the development process.
- To Franchise, or Not To Franchise
- A restaurateur ponders taking the leap into franchising.
- Life Lessons from Auntie Anne
- Anne Beiler, founder of pretzel shop franchisor Auntie Anne's, discusses the importance of good service.
- (Re)born to Be Wild
- The roof leaked, the financials were sketchy, the employees were unmotivated, and the customers were disgruntled--so Mike Schwartz decided to buy the place. Now his Harley-Davidson business is a $53 million-a-year phenomenon.
- Zen and the Art of the Self-Managing Company
- The owners of Great Harvest Bread Co. are building a "learning organization" -- a company that fosters innovation and almost runs itself.
- Rude Awakenings May Await New Franchisees
- How much do you really know about that franchise you're planning to buy? These tales from the field show why you need to carefully investigate ownership and operational issues before signing a contract.
