Each day we hear of companies entering the franchising industry. This is good news for America, right? Well, yes and know. Yes, because franchising is the closest thing to the spirit of free enterprise as any other method of doing business and because franchising offers small business people advantages that they would not normally have in pursuing their American Dream. However it is unfortunate but true that the average Franchisor failure rate is 5:1 in five years. Meaning they are gone out of business in that short amount of time. This is horrific news really. Why is this? Well most often it is due to over regulation, junk lawsuits, under capitalization or greed. Having played in the franchising industry I have seen it all.
Recently I had, had enough of the crap of beating my head against the wall, sure the money is excellent if you have a good concept and we certainly do; www.CarWashGuys.com ; but we found it was easier to make more money and keep more by not growing thru franchising. In franchising you can grow faster, in a 4-year period we went from 4 states to operations and franchised outlets in over 23 states. My point is that there are just too many lawyers and regulations for one to actually believe that anyone in government actually believes in free enterprise, to think they do is a bogus notion indeed.
In our company we are not currently offering franchises to the public. Our focus is to set up company owned units across the US and eventually the world and since I have retired the team will have to do it on their own, sure a few phone calls here and there for moral support or advice, but it just is not worth dealing with that level of bureaucracy and over lititigiousness. We may franchise in other countries but the United States being regulated by the Federal Trade Commission has their heads up their asses and it makes no sense in America anymore. Generally this business decision was made due to many following factors, some of which are listed below:
Sarbaines Oxley Law and Accounting Reporting Cost Increases,
Over Regulation in Franchising and Litigation,
Multiple State Franchise Registration Laws Out of Sync,
Disclosure Laws Hurting Company Proprietary Information,
Required Disclosures which Might Help International Terrorists,
Disclosure Laws, which Require the Giving Out of Personal Information About Franchisees.
Litigiousness of Franchising and Absence of Tort Reforms in the US and Canada,
Higher Profit Margins for the Company Running Our Own Units,
More Efficiency to Corral Our Competition,
More Latitude to Take on New National Account Business,
Better Service Standards for Current and Future Car Wash Customers,
More Control of Business Model and Less Red Tape
We have chosen a new strategy along the lines of a Starbucks, Home Depot, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Federal Express type scenario where we can exert more control and less red tape to insure higher standards and smoother business operations. Regretfully this does impact the small business community, franchise model and those who dream of owning their own franchise business. Over regulation usually does hurt the little guys and stifle competition and creates barriers to entry.
We are not the only franchisor who feels this way and if the failure rates for franchisors in our country are 5:1 it would behoove new entrants to the franchising industry to think long and hard before getting into the franchise game. If you do not have a million dollars going in, you should not go. If you have not proven your concept in many markets over various business cycles forget it. Additionally you may want to look at alternatives to franchising, because with all this over regulation you are not going to have any fun doing it. Think on this.
"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.worldthinktank.net/wttbbs
bathroom cleaning service Northbrook ..For really tough boat hull cleaning you will need to... Read More
I only have to point to the 555 plus failed... Read More
As you reflect on this year and prepare for next... Read More
Every business regardless of size needs a "Business Image Manual"... Read More
Early in my career, I wrote an article for a... Read More
Small businesses need Public Relations, possibly more than large corporations,... Read More
Sacred cows take a long time to die. We get... Read More
Here are some useful tips on how to select a... Read More
You've heard marketing and advertising gurus quip, "Sell the sizzle,... Read More
Aside from the fear of losing a spreadsheet or research... Read More
In my previous article, Step 1, your challenge for the... Read More
If you are the boss and you think your job... Read More
Time. As a small business owner, it's the commodity you... Read More
The Boston suburbs seem to be rich with possible locations... Read More
Doesn't it frustrate you when you've given good service, sometimes... Read More
How do you sponsor an event and get personal introductions... Read More
One of the major complaints in the QSR Quick Service-Fast... Read More
If you are a franchisee of a large franchise system;... Read More
Where would a business be without a business plan? A... Read More
Cash is King... That is what everyone tells us and... Read More
WHEN you are operating or planning a small business that... Read More
The difference between rates and wages is not always clear... Read More
Having their own business is something many millions of people... Read More
What would happen if you decided to take an extended... Read More
You've always liked flowers and you think the idea of... Read More
insured cleaning company Wilmette ..All cities have a purchasing office and/or a procurement officer.... Read More
In a perfect world, starting a small business would be... Read More
Sometimes when you run a business you feel as lonely... Read More
If you don't know what a Virtual Assistant (or VA)... Read More
Where would a business be without a business plan? A... Read More
If you really want to earn more money with your... Read More
Am I the only one that does not have an... Read More
Administrative and clerical tasks are the bane of every industry.... Read More
It has been discussed allowing Franchising companies to electronically disclose... Read More
When someone owes your small business money, you certainly feel... Read More
Your business is making profits, but where is the cash?... Read More
Do you sometimes find yourself just going "through the motions"... Read More
Sometimes the simple businesses are the ones, which make good... Read More
As a small business owner, outsourcing work to Virtual Assistants... Read More
I only have to point to the 555 plus failed... Read More
When do you need to get more involved with the... Read More
Back when I owned an inventory-based business, one of my... Read More
What is a guru?A guru is a teacher. A mentor.... Read More
I started working with another new client last week. He... Read More
Essentially there are 5 tremendously powerful methods to make money... Read More
You see it often in large shopping complexes. Customers seem... Read More
Where do you find more customers?How do you compete with... Read More
Commonly folks have asked me what the technical difference is... Read More
As long as you eat and breathe you will stay... Read More
Here are seven ways for owners of small businesses to... Read More
Small Business |