Thursday, September 18, 2008

Franchise Business Opportunity Might Be A Helpful Tool

Business.

Franchises...if it ain't broke... - if you have been searching for a franchise opportunity, undoubtedly you have run across many adjectives such as" unbeatable" , "unparalleled" , and" unsurpassed" . Or that their technology is" cutting edge" .


Everyone thinks that their" people make the difference" . - they advertise that they are" innovative" or the" industry leader" . Most franchisors have a business model that is very similar to others. In my opinion there are few new novel ideas. Very few are really very innovative. For example, how many different types of coffee shop franchises are there? They have a twist on a proven business model which was designed and proven by someone else.


Everybody sees the success that Starbucks has had( sorry, they are not a franchisor) . - another example is all of the pizza franchise opportunities available today( the only thing that is" cutting edge" about the pizza industry is the really cool knife that they use to cut the pizzas) . So, naturally it makes sense that there are many copycats. But even a copycat can have a successful business model. They will put a twist on it. Often times a franchisor will take a proven business model and add additional products or services.


For example, Maui Wowi is a Hawaiian coffee franchise that also serves smoothies. - while the two products may not seem to go hand in hand, it obviously works as maui wowi has 320 franchised units. While the coffee industry is very saturated with many players, the smoothie industry is largely untapped. An example of a really nice pizza franchise opportunity that I like is Villa Pizza. They have a high awareness of industry trends and they emphasize mall, outlet center, airport, and casino locations. They have over 40 years of operational knowledge and over 300 locations. Once again, this is not your typical Pizza Hut.


Is it a novel idea? - they have taken a proven business model and customized it to fit more unique locations. No, more like a twist on a proven idea. What I am trying to tell you is that" boring" can be a good thing. But it works. A proven business model is very important. Name brand recognition.


Of course a franchise that has many current locations gives you another advantage. - if you are seriously considering starting your own business, buy a franchise. Maui Wowi and Villa Pizza are great examples. And when you start looking at franchises, look for franchises that have a proven business model with many current locations. While a new franchise that really does have a new innovative idea can sound enticing, be wary until it is proven. If it" ain' t broke, don' t fix it" , right? Let someone else take the risk.


Resources. - consider researching franchise or restaurant franchise. Find the perfect business to buy or franchise opportunity. Franchise business opportunity might be a helpful tool

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