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Anybody started a Franchise
Has anybody ever started one from scratch?
Not buying into one, making one.
Not buying into one, making one.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by KC on -
Hey Ed now that is a brilliant idea for beating the recession! Don't buy a franchise - start one.
We have an Italian coffee shop in my town, and I've always thought the owner, who spends many hours behind the counter, should write up all the details of how he set it up, and how he runs it, and put it all in a big lever-arch file and become a franchisor.
The decor is great, the coffee is the best, the sandwiches are divine, and the music is good.
This echoes the book "E-myth demystified" where he says as a business owner you should write down all the procedures so the business has no secrets that are only in your head, and can also usefully form the basis of a training manual for new staff.
Here in UK, people expect the price of a franchise to start at £20,000 - and of course you can force them to source their materials through you too, so you can take on-going, additional small percentage charges by being the intermediary between your suppliers and your franchisees.
A real cool idea.
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Permalink Reply by KC on
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Talking of franchisable ideas, some Brits have been to the States and seen a business and then just got on a plane and set the same thing up over here.
Business writers often cite this as an example of how simple making money can be - simply take an idea and implement it somewhere else.
Here's a small business idea that maybe might work the other way - from Europe to the US.
We have a market every day on our Market Square, and although there's a Starbucks not too far away, a man arrives at his market pitch in a little 750cc three-wheeler truck and opens up the back flap.
All the stuff for making coffee are set into the back of the little truck, so he sets up two collapsible metal tables and some chairs, lays out a table with sugar and muffins on it, and sells great tasting coffee, teas and bottled water at better prices than the multiples, and its great to be able to sit outside in the summer.
In the winter you're under the brightly-coloured tarpaulin cover, and although not too many stay when its raining, many of the office workers nearby step out to get quality coffee and take it back to their desks.
Small-scale stuff, I know, but I don't know if anybody in the States has seen anything like this.
And there's also the idea that you don't need to be a genius to setup a business - a business idea may exist in a nearby town, you just need to implement it in your town, or country.
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Permalink Reply by Debbie on -
In the states people do similar things.. I've driven by people selling flowers out of the back of their trucks... fruits and vegetables, pumpkins in October. Hot dog stands are popular...
where I live there is a very popular Barbeque business.. They set up an outdoor grilling station in busy traffic areas - and t ypically just in a parking lot of another business that allows them the room for cars to pull off and order. They do chicken BBQ's mainly, people can stop and make a take out container for dinner on the way home. The BBQ moves around, I've seen it in a variety of locations in about a 50 mile radius, but all they need to do is hang their "brooks bbq" sign out about a week before they set up at each spot with the day & time so people know when to expect it. Genius. I hear they do a smashing business.
Oh and Striper fishing is really popular here (forget what months but it's a specific time of year) and there are literally thousands of people who populate the Henry Hudson River banks and in boats to catch their striper fish... really is a big deal with contests for the biggest fish and everything. So I have seen, every year, 2 very pretty women in bikini's traveling the river selling coffee, snacks, and drinks (they had to stop selling beer...against some laws I think) to fisherman. Yep. They make a killing :)
KC said:Talking of franchisable ideas, some Brits have been to the States and seen a business and then just got on a plane and set the same thing up over here.
Business writers often cite this as an example of how simple making money can be - simply take an idea and implement it somewhere else.
Here's a small business idea that maybe might work the other way - from Europe to the US.
We have a market every day on our Market Square, and although there's a Starbucks not too far away, a man arrives at his market pitch in a little 750cc three-wheeler truck and opens up the back flap.
All the stuff for making coffee are set into the back of the little truck, so he sets up two collapsible metal tables and some chairs, lays out a table with sugar and muffins on it, and sells great tasting coffee, teas and bottled water at better prices than the multiples, and its great to be able to sit outside in the summer.
In the winter you're under the brightly-coloured tarpaulin cover, and although not too many stay when its raining, many of the office workers nearby step out to get quality coffee and take it back to their desks.
Small-scale stuff, I know, but I don't know if anybody in the States has seen anything like this.
And there's also the idea that you don't need to be a genius to setup a business - a business idea may exist in a nearby town, you just need to implement it in your town, or country.
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Permalink Reply by Diane on -
KC has the right idea tho about importing ideas. I think a lot of newer ideas in the US are from folks here who traveled overseas and brought something back, so now it's "new" AND from the newer immigrants to the US who bring their own "sabor" or "flavor" to something. I saw bracelets in Costa Rica that are made with elastic threads. Now you can find all the things to make your own - in Michael's - but not as many in the stores. I love the elastic because I don't like things bangling around on my wrists, especially when I am at work, and they are so much easier to put on and take off (with no clasp). I guess we just need to figure out how to put diamonds on them ;) and they'll move upscale from a teen audience to the country club.
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Permalink Reply by Andee Sellman, One Sherpa on
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KC,
One of the biggest issues when thinking through franchising is to understand what the real business model is.
Many franchisors forget that they are in the training , mentoring and development of business owners. They think they're in the business of whatever the franchisees are doing. Any one who has been a franchisor knows that you're only doing well when your franchisees are doing well. Most people looking to become a franchisee are looking to buy themselves a job and then wonder why it never works because they've no idea about being a real business person.
One of the reportedly successful franchises in Australia is Gloria Jeans Coffees. They've grown really quickly and been living on the capital payments from new franchsees. BUT there comes a time when non successful franchisees will weigh down the group and things become difficult. The key is to work out whether the system is sustainable IF YOU DON'T SELL ANY MORE FRANCHISES. If this is not the case then another way to think about it is whether this is negative gearing rearing its head in another format.
KC said:Talking of franchisable ideas, some Brits have been to the States and seen a business and then just got on a plane and set the same thing up over here.
Business writers often cite this as an example of how simple making money can be - simply take an idea and implement it somewhere else.
Here's a small business idea that maybe might work the other way - from Europe to the US.
We have a market every day on our Market Square, and although there's a Starbucks not too far away, a man arrives at his market pitch in a little 750cc three-wheeler truck and opens up the back flap.
All the stuff for making coffee are set into the back of the little truck, so he sets up two collapsible metal tables and some chairs, lays out a table with sugar and muffins on it, and sells great tasting coffee, teas and bottled water at better prices than the multiples, and its great to be able to sit outside in the summer.
In the winter you're under the brightly-coloured tarpaulin cover, and although not too many stay when its raining, many of the office workers nearby step out to get quality coffee and take it back to their desks.
Small-scale stuff, I know, but I don't know if anybody in the States has seen anything like this.
And there's also the idea that you don't need to be a genius to setup a business - a business idea may exist in a nearby town, you just need to implement it in your town, or country.
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