Franchise Blog

Over 600 guests came out to celebrate grand opening of new organic pizza restaurant.

Pizza Fusion, the leader in organic, quick-service food and a better quality of life, kicked off the opening of their first franchise in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this weekend with a highly successful launch party. 600 people showed up on Saturday to be the first to taste the new restaurant’s offerings, consuming more than 300 pizzas and an extensive list of organic beer and wine.

“The entire event was wonderful. We had an overwhelming turnout from the community who couldn’t get enough of our organic offerings,” Vaughan Lazar, co-founder of Pizza Fusion, explains. “Each time we brought a pizza out of the oven, it was gone in a matter of seconds. Everyone seemed to appreciate the healthy aspect of our food, but more than anything they raved over the taste of our pizza and the uniqueness of our specialty pies.”

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Tax time just got $45,000 sweeter for one lucky Chicago-area consumer.

A Des Plaines, IL, resident is the grand prize winner in the Valpakand Liberty Tax Service $100,000 Tax Day Sweepstakes.

This cash prize is coming at just the right time for our winner. It is a special honor for Valpak and Liberty Tax Service to be able to present a check to such a deserving individual on Monday.

The month-long promotion, featured on 45 million Valpak envelopes, gave consumers the chance to win $100,000 in cash prizes, including a grand prize of $45,000. Entries were collected through www.valpak.com and www.libertytax.com in addition to the entry forms in specially marked Valpak envelopes. Over 300,000 entries were collected from all across America.

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James and Tanja Malkovich were so impressed with how The Little Gym improved their daughter’s coordination that the couple decided to open their own franchise of the children’s gym.

They plan to open the gym April 9 in a Cooper Creek Boulevard building not far from their Lakewood Ranch home. The Little Gym’s core curriculum focuses on developing motor skills through noncompetitive gymnastics programs.

When 5-year-old Noelle was younger, her pediatrician suggested she be in a program that would help improve her motor skills, Tanja Malkovich said.

The Malkoviches enrolled her at The Little Gym and while Tanja hadn’t heard of the company and didn’t expect much, she was stunned when she saw how Noelle benefitted from the program. “They challenge the children on the right level so they can work themselves at their own pace,” she said. “I saw her doing things I never expected her to.”

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Comfort Keepers®, a franchised business providing a host of non-medical in-home services to a diverse and growing clientele, is kicking its franchise expansion into high gear in response to dramatic growth in consumer and investor demand. Comfort Keepers is the hands-down leader in their category, ranked #1 in Senior Care, and #68 Top Overall Franchise on the coveted Entrepreneur Franchise 500® list. Named Up & Comers; 100 Companies on the Verge in Franchise Times, this franchise network was also awarded the Franchise-50 Award for franchisee satisfaction by Franchise Business Review. And the accolades keep coming in….

A global franchise that is all about “giving back”

The Comfort Keepers’ story began in 1997 when Kris Clum, a registered nurse in home healthcare, experienced the need first hand. Her patients’ requests were often simple and from the heart – a helping hand with their housework and grocery shopping, and a few minutes of conversation to brighten their day. However, as a nurse, she was only allowed to tend to her patients’ “medical” needs. Kris and her entrepreneurial husband, Jerry Clum Jr., knew they could provide a solution. They created Comfort Keepers to provide supportive care to seniors in their own homes as a dignity-reinforcing alternative to being cloistered in a residential facility. Comfort Keepers began offering franchises in 1999. In just a few short years, Comfort Keepers has matured into a truly global franchise – offering a wide menu of short- and long-term in-home caring solutions in over 500 franchised offices throughout the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Peter Drutz, Chief Operating Officer of Comfort Keepers Canada states, “The appreciative smiles on the faces of customers who receive Comfort Keepers’ supportive services make franchisees almost forget that they are running a successful business…ours is a business that “gives back” to the community members we serve their autonomy, freedom and dignity.. How many business owners can say they do that?”

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Flicko’s Video Workshops, a franchise video and audio services company based in Louisville, KY, has awarded a franchise to Brian Smelter of Fredericksburg, VA. Projected opening of the new workshop is tentatively scheduled for the first part of May. The store will offer an array of drop off or do it yourself professional video services. This is Flicko’s sixth franchise and eighth overall store. The company has corporate locations in Kentucky and Indiana and franchises in Tennessee, Minnesota, Arizona, North Carolina, and Oklahoma.

Flicko’s, founded in 2003 in Louisville, KY, is a video workshop offering self-serve or professional services in editing, duplications, format transfers, slide transfers, and video rental equipment. The company specializes in helping individuals, businesses, and institutions preserve, edit, copy, transfer, and convert film, video, and other media. Flicko’s offers franchises through Flicko’s Franchise Corp. Inc.

Nation’s Leading Grilled Chicken Franchise is Only U.S. Chain to Receive Top Honor

El Pollo Loco, the nation’s leading grilled chicken franchise with 361 locations, announced today that it was selected as the nation’s sole recipient of the esteemed Leadership in Franchise Management Award, presented by Nation’s Restaurant News at the Franchise Excellence Awards reception on March 28th at the Restaurant Leadership Conference in Scottsdale, AZ.

The Franchise Excellence Awards, awarded by Nation’s Restaurant News and the Restaurant Leadership Conference, honor companies and individuals for superior leadership in franchise management. The Leadership in Franchise Management award honors a company that has led a group of franchisees to success while upholding and communicating the franchisor brand, concept, and experience. El Pollo Loco was the sole recipient of this award.

“To say that we are honored to receive this prestigious national award would be an understatement,” said Steve Carley, CEO of El Pollo Loco, who accepted the award on behalf of the company. “We are absolutely thrilled. Our management team works closely and collaboratively with the many talented franchise operators in our system to help provide the support they need to be successful in their communities and it’s great to be recognized for this outreach.”

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Dr. Keith Winfree, founder of Winfree Business Growth Advisors, recently announced the awarding of a franchise to Ken Cheo of Hanover, Massachusetts. Located across the United States, Winfree Business Growth Advisors franchises empower sales professionals and small business owners to achieve and exceed their expectations for growth and take their respective businesses to a higher level through cutting-edge sales coaching, training, and seminars.

“While we’re always thrilled to add franchise owners, bringing Ken in is particularly gratifying because he’ll be covering a major market in the northeast, the Boston metropolitan area,” said Dr. Winfree. “Simply put, the philosophies and systems we espouse for sales professionals and the small business owner work, which is why, unlike other sales training programs, we can guarantee results. It’s one of the big reasons why graduates of our programs, like Ken, have become franchise owners.”

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A franchise business is among the keenest opportunities for personnel exiting the military service in Central Texas. It offers the advantages of self-employment while receiving training, support and structure from people extensive experience, often on a national level.

Some business authorities recommend franchising as a training school for anyone intending to strike out in business independently. It’s an even more ideal business model for people with maturity, capital, good credit, and the ability and willingness to “go by the book.” Those qualifications are a good fit for military veterans, particularly retirees, who frequently possess those traits.

Consequently, both government agencies and business resource groups offer former military personnel incentives to start franchise businesses.

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LearningRx makes Franchise Times’ list of fastest-growing franchises in U.S.

Franchise Times has released its “Fast 55″ list of fastest-growing franchise systems for the year and LearningRx has made the list.

It’s hardly the first accolade for the growing franchise, which specializes in cognitive skills therapy or “brain training.” The Colorado-based company was also recently named to the top 100 new franchises by Franchise Marketing Magazine and given an Honorable Mention on the Franchise 50 list by Franchise Business Review. Perhaps most impressive, LearningRx’s recent exceptional franchisee Net Promoter Score of 69%.

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Successful Entrepreneur and Author Offers Tips on ”How to Wow Your Customers”

Yuvi Shmul, CEO of Play N Trade Franchise, Inc., one of the fastest-growing franchises worldwide, gave the keynote speech – “How to ‘Wow’ Your Customers” – at the Profit Boost, LLC annual retreat, recently held in Chandler, Ariz.

Small-business owners from across the U.S. and Canada attended the four-day event to learn fresh business strategies from the ProfitBoost team and industry experts. The keynote speech, which kicked off the conference, provided a wealth of ideas to produce leads, strengthen customer loyalty and generate repeat business.

“Executing innovative cross-promotional activities with surrounding small businesses is one of the most effective ways to ‘wow’ your customers and keep them coming back,” Shmul said. “In addition, the simple steps that some business owners take to gain customer loyalty are the same steps that make their business more successful than others. Often, top business owners don’t provide any different products or services; instead, they deliver superior customer service coupled with better customer follow-up.”

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Bark Busters, the world’s largest dog training company, is expanding into Southwest Florida. New franchise owner Patrick Logue, of Fort Myers, selected a Bark Busters franchise for this market because of its dog-loving culture and the strong demand for a gentle and natural approach that delivers results. The area is typical of a metropolitan area in that dogs are frequently kept in confined areas, which can easily lead to behavioral issues, such as barking, aggression, separation anxiety, hyperactivity and general unruliness.

“Most of the time I find that dogs are in complete control of the house because they’re confused about their role. Dogs instinctively follow a pack mentality,” Logue said. “By training owners to use voice control and body language to establish authority, I teach them how to gain control so their dogs can become obedient, enjoyable family members.”

Bark Busters therapists like Logue offer dog owners a variety of training services right in their homes to correct behavioral issues in dogs of all ages, including puppies. Bark Busters is the only international dog training company that offers a lifetime guarantee. Therapists will provide future sessions free of charge if problem behaviors recur.

“Often pet owners have tolerated bad behavior for years,” said Logue. “In a single visit, I can demonstrate to owners how they can control the situation immediately, saving some dogs from being unnecessarily euthanized. It’s extremely gratifying to help families enjoy their pets.”

Bark Busters is the only international dog training company that offers a written lifetime guarantee. Therapists will provide future sessions free of charge if problem behaviors recur, or if any new problems develop.

Sub Sandwich Franchise Focuses on Recruiting Franchisees for Nationwide Expansion

Lenny’s Franchisor, LLC, franchisor of Lenny’s Sub Shops, today announced that the Memphis-based franchise company will host its first Lenny’s Sub Shop Franchise Opportunity Day on April 21, 2007 in Memphis, Tennessee. As Lenny’s expands nationally, the company is pursuing qualified franchisees to take the restaurant concept to exciting markets across the country.

“We are looking for people who want to own their own business and be their own boss, as well as those who just want to be an investor in a franchisee group,” said George Alvord, Lenny’s chief executive officer. “With Lenny’s, you can be a part of a proven concept while choosing where you want to live.”

Lenny’s Sub Shop Franchise Opportunity Day will feature an overview of the concept, average start-up costs, market availability, and discussion on the high level of support that the corporate office provides. In addition, Len Moore, founder of Lenny’s Sub Shop and a current Lenny’s franchisee in Houston, will be a featured speaker on the business he started and the growth that Lenny’s has experienced.

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Local Family Own and Operate Dothan’s Radiator Distribution Hub

Mar 28, 2007 — Recently, Mike Gillespie opened Alabama’s third 1-800 Radiator outlet. The franchise is located in Dothan and will serve Dothan and other cities in the Wiregrass region of Alabama. Mike Gillespie, his wife, Andy, and their son Matt Lucas will manage the warehouse.

There are over 120 1-800 Radiator locations across the United States. Each of these outlets is a specialized distribution center for radiators and cooling components managed by a local owner. These local owners provide customers with radiators delivered directly to their doorsteps, at competitive pricing and within a couple of hours. In addition to low prices and a speedy delivery, customers have access to 1-800 Radiator’s lifetime parts and labor warranty. This warranty is backed by the individual franchisee and by 1-800 Radiator’s nationwide organization.

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Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurants, Inc. recently signed a letter of intent to grant franchise rights to operate Bubba Gump restaurants with Mubarak Al-Hassawi Restaurant Development Group, a Middle-East-based, globally-renowned business organization. The Letter provides that the franchisee would open a minimum of 12 restaurants over the next several years in key Middle East cities including Dubai, Kuwait City and in other Gulf countries. The franchise agreement is expected to generate $50-60 million in systemwide revenue.

“We are excited to be associated with Mubarak Al-Hassawi Restaurant Development Group. They are an important and strategic global partner with strong financial resources,” said Scott Barnett, President and CEO of Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

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It’s a challenge to our corporate peers,’ franchise owner says

A fast-food franchise owner says he’s gonna make good with the environment by re-using his vegetable oil — in his company’s vehicles.

Jason LeVecke owns 52 Carl’s Jr. franchises in Arizona, more than anyone else, and vows to run his entire fleet on a mix of diesel and waste vegetable oil by 2010. Carl’s Jr. specializes in hamburgers and fries.

“This is about more than our commitment to running a responsible and sustainable enterprise,” LeVecke, CEO of MJKL Enterprises, Inc., said in a statement. “It’s a challenge to our corporate peers to play an active role in lessening America’s dependence on foreign oil.”

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Hospitality International recently announced its brands’ placement on the (SBA) Franchise Registry, a national online listing of franchise systems whose franchisees receive expedited loan processing when applying for financial assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Two of Hospitality International’s brands, Red Carpet Inn and Scottish Inns, were recently placed on the notable Registry that lists franchise systems whose franchise agreement has been pre-approved by the SBA. This, thereby, shortens the loan process and ensures consistent eligibility decisions.

According to Tim D. Blalock, president & CEO of Hospitality International, the brand listing poises Hospitality International for continued growth.

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Long Island businesses will face more competition from franchises as some familiar names move to ramp up their numbers soon and new chains plan to open first locations here beginning next month.

Franchisers’ keen interest in Long Island in some respects mirrors strong franchise growth nationwide, but it also reflects the Island’s affluence and demographic appeal.

Among established companies on Long Island, Carvel and Nathan’s Famous intend to open more outlets in the next year. Newcomers include Fantastic Sams hair salons and Saladworks, which hope to open dozens of locations here.

Fatburger, which has a celebrity following in California, plans to open its first Long Island outlet next month, in Massapequa Park, not far from a well-known independent, All American Hamburger Drive In, which has a loyal following on Long Island. The beverage purveyor Juice It Up, another California-based franchise, also plans to open in May in Massapequa Park.

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Franchisee Response Earns Company Number Twelve Ranking, Best In Category Honor on Annual List

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Thanks to Adventures In Advertising (AIA), one chance is all you need. The company’s creative products and unique packaging ensure that your business stands out from the rest. This above-and-beyond philosophy has not gone unnoticed: AIA was just ranked number 12 in Franchise Business Review’s second-annual Franchise 50 Awards and received the Best In Category honor for Advertising and Sales.

The Franchise 50 Awards are an annual ranking of franchise companies by their level of franchisee satisfaction. The awards recognize the top 50 franchise companies with the highest levels of overall franchisee satisfaction, as well as Best in Category and Honorable Mention awards in 16 industry categories.

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