That got me to thinking.  You’re the Genius of your company.  I’m the Genius of my company.  Through franchising you are able to teach, share and grow your Genius through others.  No risk, no more employees, and no additional investment.

Helping others while growing your business and your bottom line.  All with a 10 year commitment, renewable, on their part. Now, that’s what I call sweet!

For the last 10+ years the Garden has been closed to the public while Jim has expanded it to it’s now 300 acres. And what a breathtaking expansion it is. I won’t try to describe it here, just go to the website, and take in the beauty.

You may wonder why I’m writing about the Garden in my business blog. For some time now I’ve believed that everything is a metaphor for something else. Let me explain. Jim, from the beginning has had a plan to have a world class Garden. Part of that plan has been a strategy to grow into what it is today. He knew what he wanted to do and he has done it.

I say the Garden is a metaphor for “How To Grow Your Business”. Jim is very proud of his Garden. You want to be proud of your business. Jim had a vision. You have a vision. He did his. You can, too.

These days we help companies do just that by helping them Franchise. We can help you do that with your company. Stay tuned for the next metaphor.

ENTERING A NEW BUSINESS -
The bad news is a company planning to franchise must realize it is entering a new business, offering an entirely different service (training & support) to entirely new customers (business owner-operators). This new business requires different skills, abilities and expertise. In the new business of franchising, it is critical to develop effective evaluation, documentation, mentoring, training and consulting skills.

THE FRANCHISE FEASIBILITY
An indispensable step before any franchise a business development program gets underway is an analysis of the concept and business model. Has the concept been sufficiently proven in the marketplace? How profitable are existing prototypes or company-owned outlets? Franchising will not solve existing problems, it will only intensify them. Franchising is not a way to raise capital, get rich quickly or expand a business with existing problems. There must be sufficient profitability in the business model so that royalty and other payments can be made and leave the franchise owner with a sufficient profit.

FRANCHISE STRATEGIC PLANNING
A successful franchise development program begins with a solid plan – a foundation for franchising. Often there is little or no strategic planning with new companies entering the franchise industry. T More important than a business plan is a strategic plan – a vision of the franchise program together with a limited number of concrete, achievable action steps.

FRANCHISE DOCUMENTATION
If your company made doing a good job at the planning stage its number one priority, franchise documentation goals will be apparent. Proprietary assets (like recipes, formulas, methods, branding, operating techniques and customer information) need to be identified and protected. A catchy and appropriate name, logo and tag lines are registered as trademarks or service marks.

A franchise operations manual and franchise training program are developed, often from scratch, to impart business day-to-day operating skills to franchise owners as well as ensure uniformity of products and services. The franchise operations manual and training program curriculum must be drafted or edited with a particular focus. Certain topics, chapters and policies used in manuals for company-owned locations, for example, are entirely inappropriate in a franchise environment, creating significant franchise liability issues.

Finally, and only after all of the above are underway, a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), similar to a securities prospectus

, is prepared by a competent franchise attorney. Doing it correctly and with a balanced, fair perspective can save going to the courtroom later. Using a boilerplate or online FDD template will almost certainly guarantee a visit to the courtroom down the road. Since these visits cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and up, they are not cheap and far out weigh the cost of doing it right to begin with.

Training the Franchise Management Team -
When the documentation phase is over, momentum gathers as the exciting implementation phase begins. This is where the sparks begin to fly as franchises are sold, new franchise owners are taught and trained, and opening assistance is provided. It’s also when most new franchise companies make serious mistakes that haunt them for years or even decades to come.

The reason: most new start-up franchise management teams have not been trained in how to properly operate their new business, nor can they afford to hire a six-figure, salaried person with franchise management experience. A more practical solution: provide new franchise companies with in-depth franchise training instructional workshops as well as on-going, as-needed advice based.
Tags: How to franchise, Franchise My Business, Starting a Franchise
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Deciding “is my business able to be franchised” is the first step. This is not an easy decision. Some questions that we will ask you in order to fully understand your business are simple and straight forward. Is your business profitable? Why is your business profitable? Does your business provide a regional niche that may or may not be successful in other markets? Is your business unique? Does your current business need you to operate it to be successful? Do you have the time to dedicate to handling all the start up functions to launch your concept? These are just a few of the questions; we may ask in helping you make this decision.

After carefully analyzing your business concept and plan, we will work with you as a consulting team helping you decide if you say those words “franchise my business”. Then we will take action on your behalf.

How to franchise your business is then the next part of our system after concluding that this is the right step for you. We then help you with all the necessary paperwork such as operation manuals and franchise disclosure documentations. Then we prepare the franchise agreement that you will need to begin franchising. This is a lot of work and we strive to make sure that when you are ready to launch you will have all the necessary paperwork to license your trademark.

We will also help you to understand how to make franchising both rewarding and financially viable. We will look at your royalties and franchise fee that you will be charging. We will help you understand what to charge for marketing and advertising and other fees associated with the franchise. We will also look at other alternative means of revenues, such as commissary.

We will help you decide how to geo-target your franchise development on a location basis and or territorial planning. This is crucial in franchise development. Some concepts are best served by having franchises reasonably close together for branding purposes. This is especially true in the early stages of the franchise. Some concepts, to be successful, may need large amounts of territories in which to grow.

One of our steps is also helping you, as the franchisor, understand where to turn to get good quality franchise leads as prospects to become franchisees. This is vital, especially during the growth period of the franchise. There are many avenues for lead development including, and not limited to, your own website marketing and using franchise portals. There are even tradeshows where franchisors can set up to demonstrate their concepts to entrepreneurs.

If you are asking, how to franchise your business we believe you have found the right partner with Franchise ASAP to get started on the pathway for franchise success. Let our years of franchise experience and know how guide you on the adventure of franchising your business model. So let’s get started on Franchising My Business.

To Learn more about how to franchise your business click here: http://howtofranchise.org .

I really want to expand my small business. But after opening my first Frozen Very Berry and Creams I saw a real promise in growing the business model. However I have very little capital in which to expand. I chatted with a SCORE volunteer helper who asked me if I have considered franchising.

Franchising he said is a great way to grow a small business such as mine. It lets you use other people’s capital to grow your brand. Plus it lets you get managers if you would in the franchisees that really care about the business. There usually are both financially and emotional invested into the business. This really helps a start up make it.

He also said franchising is a great way to lower lots of cost. Larger operation allows one to negotiate with vendors for reduce pricing on just about every product or service we use. This savings means more profit for all involved even the franchisees.

Franchising does take some work. He advised using a franchise consultant to help me navigate through the legal paperwork that states require. Also be careful of the large agency I learned that charge a arm, leg, and a next born. A franchise consultant like Tom here at howtofranchise.org charges a fair fee and his work is professional and timely.

So if you want to grow your business; may I suggest that you call Tom and say “would you franchise my business”?

Want to Franchise your business the right way? Check out http://www.howtofranchise.org for more info.

-Interested in How to Franchise Your Small Business?  Afraid that you may miss vital Franchising Documents and Franchising Agreements integral in broadening the scope of the single store you now own?  Take the fear out of Franchise Development with one click of the mouse or a single phone call.  By using an Innovative Franchising System you will have all the precise tools for making your transition easier from a single location to multiple storefronts.   Never underestimate the right company when becoming a Franchise Owner.

Choosing the best Franchise Startup Company to step in before this big decision should not be taken lightly.  There are many Franchise Consulting Firms out there but only a few can offer a Do-It-Yourself Franchising Kit a layman can quickly grasp.  From the inception of an idea to a practical operating chain of stores there shall inevitably be Franchise Attorneys to make sure all the proper channels are taken to keep your move above board.  An adept Franchising Advisor can help there too.  It is critical to any Startup Business to have the prime Franchising Service that knows the Best in the Business.  This is especially true for those who want to Franchise in Other States.

You may even be asking yourself, Why Franchise?  The answers are numerous, but whatever it is, a firm offering the Best in Franchising Services can convey information to Successfully Begin Franchising Your Business.  From the endless Franchising Paperwork, Franchise Agreements, and related Franchising Documents the task may seem larger-than-life.  Indeed this may appear to be the truth, but with the proper Franchise Development Director you shall see the task is not insurmountable.

Why Franchise? Be bold in your choice.  Be fearless.  Choose a Franchising Director you can trust with an impressive resume.  Open you Franchise with fewer snags, compose eye-catching Franchising Articles, and Turn Your Small Business into a Franchise with deft steps promoted by an authority in Small Business Franchising.  Before you know it you will be asking yourself why you did not franchise sooner.  Do not underestimate your choice in a Franchising Agency.

Would you like to speak for free to a professional Franchise Consultant? A brief phone Conversation will help you decide if franchising may be right for you. Just Click here to visit one of the top franchise coaches that offers great advice, help and fees.

The second barrier that hinders expansion is finding and retaining good managers. Very often, a business owner spends months looking for and training a new manager only to see that manager leave-or worse yet, get hired away by a competitor. Franchising helps to overcome many of these problems because it substitutes a motivated franchisee for a manager. Since the franchisee has both an investment in the unit and a stake in the profits, unit performance will often improve. And since a franchisor’s income is based on the franchisee’s gross sales-and not profitability, monitoring unit-level expenses becomes significantly less cumbersome.

Simply opening another location in comparison to franchising takes a lot of time and effort as you have to look for sites and negotiate leases, secure financing, arrange for design, and hire and train staff, plus purchase equipment and inventory. The end result is that the number of locations that you can open in any given period of time is limited by the amount of time it takes to do it properly. For companies with too little time, franchising is often the fastest way to grow. That’s because it’s the franchisee that performs most of these tasks. The franchisor provides the guidance, of course, but the franchisee does the physical work. So franchising not only allows the franchisor financial leverage, but it allows him to leverage his resources as well.

Maybe you have been considering franchising your business but don’t even know if that is a viable option. If your business meets some basic characteristics then it can be franchised. Does your company have experienced management with a track record that is proven over time? Is your business adequately different from its competitors and is it marketable as a business opportunity? Could someone learn to operate your business in three months or less? Are the systems in place and are operating procedures documented? Does your business provide an adequate return? If your business meets these criteria, then it may be a good candidate for franchising.

Every new franchisor quickly learns that once they start franchising they’ve entered a completely different business. Regardless of how you make money as a franchisor, you’ll have two roles: selling franchises and servicing franchisees. And of the two, ensuring the success of your franchisees is the most important. The key to success in franchising is successful franchisees. Without successful franchisees, no franchise system will last.