Andy Warhol may have died 20 years ago but his signature Pop Art of the 60’s lives on. In August our Navis Pack & Ship Franchise Operator in Jacksonville, Florida was awarded the packaging and shipping job to transport five signed lithographs created by renowned artist Andy Warhol. Each piece, worth thousands of dollars each was custom packaged and shipped to the home of an avid private art collector in New York City.

“This type of large, high value art that needs specialized packaging and expert shipping is our core business,” noted Ben Blakeley, CEO for Navis. “Our Franchise Operators are professionals and leading experts in preparing goods that are fragile, large, awkward, and valuable for consumers or businesses to withstand harsh shipping environment and arrive anywhere in the world safe and sound.”

Navis is a leading franchise operator in the shipping business that provides commercial, industrial and residential customers with specialized packaging, transportation, and logistics for items that are difficult to ship, such as large pieces of original artwork, high-value electronics, machinery, antiques, and equipment. Founded in 1980 as a single retail store, the company now operators more that 140 franchised warehouses and retail stores in the United States and Canada and has plans to open more than 200 additional units by 2012. Franchise Operators receive extensive training in packaging and the transportation environment and are the experts to handle anything fragile, large, awkward and valuable goods to ship almost anything, virtually anywhere in the world.

Garlic Jim’s Famous Gourmet Pizza®, the first and only “gourmet” carry-out and delivery pizza franchise, is taking the industry by storm, with further expansion into Arizona. On September 10, 2007, Surprise, Arizona franchisee Jason Goudie will open the doors to Arizona’s fourth Garlic Jim’s store, in the Mountain Side Fitness Shopping Center. And in celebration of his opening, throughout the month of September, Goudie will be offering free pizza tastings to every resident who walks through the doors!

After relocating to Arizona, Goudie began researching business opportunities and was immediately drawn to Garlic Jim’s. It was the business model and potential for growth that solidified his decision and the fact that Garlic Jim’s makes “the world’s best pizza crust” helped too. “I feel one must truly believe in their product to be successful in business. I know that soon after Surprise residents discover Garlic Jim’s, it will be their favorite pizza!” (more…)

There is a saying among investors that buying a franchise is buying a job. Many franchisees - those who own franchises - work long hours at unglamorous jobs for what equates to less than minimum wage while running their franchises.

Still, many investors are intrigued by the success rates in franchising.

“Franchises are typically in business five years after they start—I think the success rate is like 95 percent—whereas startup businesses don’t have anything close to that success rate. So you’re buying a track record,” Phil Brown, an area developer for Sport Clips, said. “The support mechanism…for franchisees is fabulous.” (more…)

Founded in Miami in 2006, Franktitude embarked on franchised expansion this summer with the sale of their first franchise near Miami. The company’s goal is to sign 24 more franchise agreements in the next 12 months in Florida and along the eastern seaboard.

Several factors are driving Franktitude’s success.

There’s the novelty of four frank flavors: chicken, tofu, beef and salmon, a unique introduction to the American marketplace. All of Franktitude’s franks are made entirely of protein – no fillers. Some are low in fat and high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Guests can customize their franks by adding any number of toppings. (more…)

NuWire Investor, an online financial news publication, recently released its 2007 rankings of the Top 15 Franchise Investments for potential franchisees who are looking for an investment rather than a job.

The list was compiled from franchise opportunities with investor friendly franchise models and initial investment requirements of less than $300,000. Rankings were based on interviews with various industry professionals, including franchisees, franchise consultants, business brokers and franchise attorneys, and research from various franchise publications.

Most franchisors require their franchisees to work full time in the day-to-day operations of the business. This can create a dilemma for investors who are looking for a franchise which allows management of multiple units and/or store managers.

Four such franchise industries dominate NuWire Investor’s 2007 rankings. Hair salons took four of the top 15 spots, including all of the top three. Supercuts, Great Clips and Fantastic Sams finished first through third, respectively, while Sport Clips came in seventh.

Home cleaning, dry cleaning and tanning salon franchises also did well. Each of these franchising industries finished with three franchises apiece in the top 15.

The Top 15 are:

1) Supercuts
2) Great Clips
3) Fantastic Sams
4) The Maids Home Services
5) Hollywood Tans
6) Merry Maids
7) Sport Clips
8) Molly Maid
9) Dry Cleaning Station
10) 1-800-Dry-Clean
11) Planet Beach
12) Valpak
13) Dryclean USA
14) Instant Imprints
15) Desert Sun

Art Travis was looking to get back the passion of entrepreneurship. His difficulty in finding a good business to buy at a reasonable price made him search for a better way. He found it when he met a Business Buyer Advocate at “Partner” On-Call Network LLC. He liked what he saw so much, in August 2007, Travis became his state’s first “Partner” On-Call Network franchisee.

Founded in June 2005, “Partner” On-Call Network is a franchising opportunity that enables people who have been successful in business to become a business consultant using their experience and founder Ted J. Leverette’s successful 30 year old business model. (more…)

More than $16.4 trillion is held in retirement plans nationwide, according to the Investment Company Institute's latest research. This is 55 percent higher than five years ago. Franchising also experienced monumental growth during this time period. In 2006, many franchisors and franchise consulting firms achieved record levels as interest in entrepreneurship continued to rise. The growth within both retirement assets and franchising may not be a coincidence.

Trend watchers speculate that the baby boomer generation is leaning increasingly toward self-employment. Nearing the age of retirement, many realize they’re not adequately prepared to live comfortably in their golden years. Since 1999, surveys conducted by the AARP have regularly shown that as many as 80 percent of baby boomers wish to work during their retirement years.

Starting a new business can be intimidating and complex. Because of this, many individuals find comfort in using a franchise system that has already proven successful and that provides practical as well as moral support. (more…)

Woof Gang Bakery, a Palm Beach Gardens-based company, is launching a new franchise and introducing an innovative concept in the multi-billion dollar U.S. pet industry.

With a slogan reading, 'gourmet dog treats made with love', Woof Gang Bakery takes the pet franchise to a whole new level by offering hand-made, wholesome dog treats baked on site, super premium pet foods, holistic supplements, vitamin-enhanced water especially for dogs, stylish boutique items and distinctive canine spa products in each of its up-market locations.

Woof Gang Bakery was founded on the principle that caring pet owners want to provide their pets with the happiest, healthiest quality of life possible. The company is committed to providing superior products that enhance the well-being of dogs. (more…)

With more businesses and homeowners looking to take advantage of digital surveillance technology, the demand for new locations from innovators in the digital video security market grows.

The number of people interested in purchasing smart cameras has given EYESthere, a high-quality provider of turn-key, customized digital video security, the impetus to open four new locations throughout Tampa Bay by 2010. Smart cameras not only increase safety but also act as a valuable tool for owners looking to increase efficiency and help them to manage their business more productively. The first franchised location will open in mid-October in Tampa under the watchful eyes of Doug and Vicki Dunbar. (more…)

'People are finally getting it!' says Mike Welch, Franchise Development Manager. 'We have quadrupled our growth rate in the last six months'. The franchise coaches, consultants, and the general public are excited about us now. We have a phenomenal product, excellent training, franchise support that is second to none, and national ad revenues that we share with our franchisees. Anyone looking at a home based business should definitely be looking our way.”

These expansions mark the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st franchised territory for AllOver Media respectively, with another 8 territories slated to open between now and the end of the year.

AllOver Media is a home based advertising franchise headquartered in Minneapolis, MN. AllOver Media currently consists of 41 franchise markets and 36 franchise owners throughout the United States. AllOver Media focuses on indoor print advertising in restrooms as well as gas pump advertising. We have relationships with thousands of gas stations and over 4,000 indoor print restaurants and health clubs across the country. AllOver Media has added 10 new franchise markets in the last 8 months.

The founder of AllOver Media is Tony Jacobson. Tony founded AllOver Media in 2002 as a national media franchising company after having 20+ years of experience in the non traditional advertising sector.

The Melbourne, FL. - based Kinderdance® International Inc. has been steadily expanding since its founding in 1979. Since then they have taught hundreds of thousands of children and now, each week, about 12,000 children participate in its programs.

The company just awarded its newest area development franchise – Heather Hardesty of Austin, Texas — and now has 111 franchises in 35 states and 5 other countries. Heather has continuously expressed dedicated commitment to Kinderdance. Since her training in July of 2004 she has dramatically increased the Kinderdance participation in her area. Heather received the honor of “Kinderdance Rookie of the Year” in 2005 and “Franchisee of the Month” for September 2006. Heather’s business sense coupled with her passion for teaching “children how to learn while they learn how to dance” proves that her upgrade from Silver to Gold Plus Area Developer will be an asset to the Kinderdance Franchise. (more…)

Coffee shop chain Dunkin' Donuts is courting bigger franchisees and moving away from the smaller entrepreneurs that were the cornerstone of its early growth as it seeks to fuel an aggressive US expansion plan.

The chain, which has 5,400 franchise US stores, wants to have 15,000 by 2020, in part by making inroads into the western United States. To get there, the privately held company that is ubiquitous throughout the Northeast is seeking out partners who can commit to opening dozens of stores at a time.

“We’ve gone through creating a new business model from a recruitment standpoint,” said Lynette McKee, Dunkin’ Donuts vice president of franchising, who was brought on two years ago to revamp the way the company recruits franchisees. (more…)

Castle Rock has waited a long time to have a Chipotle restaurant, and an hour-long wait at lunchtime for the new store’s free day proved it.

The first Chipotle franchise restaurant of Castle Rock opened its doors Aug. 24 after an Aug. 22 opening which offered free food to patrons. The following day, the store had a fundraiser for Douglas County and Castle View high schools.

Although the appearance of the new Chipotle is different in small ways, like all of its restaurants, some standards like the use of steel and wood countertops and a unique, ambient music selection are present.

And above all, the restaurant’s concept of food production and preparation, referred to by the company as “food with integrity,” remains a top priority for the Castle Rock store, the 64th in Colorado. (more…)

Todd S. Chusid, founder and CEO of Johnnie's Dog House, has announced plans to franchise the eatery in an effort to become a nationally recognized brand.

Johnnie's Dog House has locations in Wayne, Pa., and The Philadelphia International Airport. Additionally, there are prospective franchise agreements to open two locations in the New Jersey towns of Moorestown and Voorhees.

Starting August 2007, Johnnie's Dog House will begin taking franchise applications through its Web site.

A franchise operator known for owning lots of Hardee’s restaurants will now own and operate more than 135 Hardee’s in North Carolina.

Most of the restaurants affected are in the eastern half of the state. Boddie-Noell enterprises purchased 34 restaurants, including six in Raleigh. The group’s first franchise restaurant opened in Fayetteville.

Customers will not notice too many changes. The company plans to remodel and update the acquired restaurants at a later date.

Boddie-Noell’s president and chief executive officer Bill Boddie said the company will bring on the 750 employees who work at the acquired restaurants.

Obee's Franchise Systems, Inc. (OTC Pink Sheets: OBFM - News) today announced that it is launching a new marketing program intended to rapidly expand its national base of obee’s® soups salads & subs restaurants. The multi-dimensional lead generation and sales program is designed to drive inquires for new franchises directly to the company’s extensive network of area developers. Today’s news follows several recent announcements the company has made concerning franchise and area developer agreements in Texas, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Florida and Minnesota. (more…)

Billboard Connection, a full service media agency specializing in outdoor advertising, has a new franchise in Chesterton, under the ownership of local resident, Jeffrey T. Miller.

Before becoming a franchise owner, Miller was a Financial Analyst for three years. “Discovering Billboard Connection came at a perfect time in my life because I have developed a very strong background in marketing and finance. Additionally, I wanted to invest in a franchise that has years of experience, support and a business model that is helping businesses, nationally, to develop cost-effective and successful outdoor advertising campaigns,” says Miller.

Billboard Connection is an advertising franchise specializing exclusively in the sale of outdoor advertising such as billboards, bus shelters, cinema media, mall kiosks, mobile billboards, airport displays, sports stadiums, trains and subways. Billboard Connection works with all of the outdoor media companies to obtain the best value and exposure for its clients and provides them with everything necessary to run a successful outdoor advertising campaign, including the graphic design, layout and production of their advertisement. Every aspect of the client’s outdoor advertising campaign will be handled by an outdoor advertising specialist.

College Hunks Hauling Junk, the Washington, DC based junk removal company with franchises located in Orlando and Tampa, FL, recently sold its first West Coast franchise, an eight zone area development in San Francisco, CA.

“With the completion of our proprietary software and centralized call center for our national number ‘1-800-Junk-USA,’ having a West Coast operation positions College Hunks Hauling Junk for expansion into every major metropolitan market in the country,” states Nick Friedman, College Hunks Hauling Junk President.

College Hunks Hauling Junk recognizes the fact that they are not the first junk removal company to successfully franchise their concept. Vancouver based “Got Junk” has over 300 franchise locations. “If they are the McDonalds, Coke or Hertz of junk removal, we are the Burger King, Pepsi or Enterprise,” explains George Palmer, Director of Franchise Development for College Hunks Hauling Junk. “Being second in the game has its advantages, because we can be more creative and fun with our concept.” (more…)

Lynda Gavagan and Kelly Cantoni have gone from 'shampoo' to 'dog poo'. The two Bellevue hairdressers, along with Kelly's husband, Matt, have opened the first local franchise of Pet Butler, the nation’s leading pet waste cleanup service. The Kirkland franchise is the first Pet Butler operation in Washington and the 70th nationwide.

Pet Butler provides professional pet waste cleanup services for pet owners, as well as for multi-family communities and parks. Proudly billing itself as “#1 in the ‘#2’ business,” the company serves Seattle’s “Eastside” communities, including Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Mercer Island, Sammamish/Issaquah Plateau, Woodinville, Bothell, and Kenmore. (more…)

It's like a couple of kids went outside to play catch one day and 10 years later they owned a baseball league.

Rob Nash and Joe Luis were a couple of ballplayers knocking around in the minor leagues in the late 1980s. Released from their teams in the early ’90s, the North Shore natives started teaching baseball clinics to local kids and dabbling in sports merchandising.

That’s when they hit on an idea to combine the two.

In 1996, with less than $50,000 in seed money borrowed from friends and family, they opened Extra Innings on Route 1 in Danvers, which had batting cages for coaches, kids and teams, and a store with bats, balls and uniforms.

“After one year, we knew we had something,” Nash said.

They opened a 17,500-square-foot facility in Middleton in 1998 and over the next five years opened a number of company-owned sites. They had their first franchise agreement in 2004. (more…)