For over a decade, Filta has been the leader in environmentally friendly and cost reducing kitchen solutions with its revolutionary approach to waste oil and fryer management. Always looking to improve the quality and scope of Filta services, the Filta Group unveiled its FiltaCool cooler management service in 2008. This exciting service brings to commercial refrigeration all of the increased sustainability and cost effectiveness that has made FiltaFry such a marked success. With the installation of Filta’s compact and inexpensive filters you can revolutionize the way that your business handles its perishable food items.

Combat Gases and Bacteria

As produce and other food items natural degrade they begin to give of Ethylene, Pectin and other gases.  Though naturally occurring, in an enclosed area like your cooler these gases build to a concentration that actually accelerates the decomposition of your foodstuffs.  FiltaCool filters trap these gases, preventing the early onset of decay that destroys your valuable products.  These filters have also been shown to dramatically inhibit the growth and spread of bacteria, as well as reducing oxidation in your coolers.

Regulating Humidity

Humidity is another real concern in commercial coolers.  Too little and  your fruits and vegetables become dry and shrunken, too much and your produce begins to rot more quickly.  Furthermore, excess moisture freezes on cooling coils, causing them to work less effectively.  Moisture pooling on the floor creates hazardous conditions for your staff and gives bacteria a place to breed rampantly.  FiltaCool can help regulate the humidity in your walk in coolers, providing just the right amount of moisture in the air to keep your produce crisp, fresh and ready for use.

Stabilizing Temperatures

If your coolers aren’t running efficiently, they may not be doing an adequate job in keeping temperatures stabile.  The optimal temperature for most perishable goods is between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit.  Temperatures above that range allow bacteria to breed freely.  Temperatures below can result in freezing and damage to your produce.  FiltaCool has been shown to reduce overall temperatures by 2 to 5 degrees and improve the performance of your coolers so that they can maintain the optimal temperature range more easily.

Eliminating Odors

Unpleasant odors can easily build in an enclosed space like your walk-in cooler.  Even worse, many vegetables can actually absorb odors, making them less palatable.  Excessive odor can also create an unpleasant work experience for your staff and suppliers.  FiltaCool filters reduce odors, leaving your coolers smelling fresh.

Lowering Costs
When your equipment’s wear, tear and energy use is lessened and the inhospitable climate in your coolers has been eliminated you can expect another drastic reduction:  a reduction in spending.  FiltaCool filters will help to eliminate 10% of the energy usage of your coolers and keep your cooling systems operational 33%-44% beyond their expected lifetime.  You will see at least a 2% deduction in the amount of spoiled produce you have to discard.  In many cases that percentage is significantly higher.  All this adds up to big savings for your business when you choose to use FiltaCool.

As anyone who has ever worked in the food service industry can tell you, one of the least favorite task of any kitchen staff member is the changing out of fryer oil.  Not only is it an arduous and unpleasant task, but it can actually be dangerous.  Burns from fryers and hot cooking oil account for a large percentage of the workplace injuries reported by commercial kitchens.  FiltaFry can help you greatly reduce the chance of burn injuries in your kitchen.

Fryer maintenance is a crucial part of any commercial kitchen’s operational routine.  Unfortunately, all too often this task is left to inexperienced younger staff members who don’t understand the importance of proper fryer care and maintenance.  This lack of motivation results in fryers that are not adequately cleaned.  Employees that don’t care about the task at hand are also more likely to be careless and put themselves in harm’s way.  Why leave the task to an inadequately motivated employee when you can actually save money by putting your fryers into FiltaFry’s hands?

What Does FiltaFry Offer?

FiltaFry is not your typical waste oil removal service.  They will remove your used cooking oil, certainly, but that is just the start of the FiltaFry service.  What FiltaFry offers your kitchen is a total fryer and cooking oil managements service that will help your business reduce waste, increase safety and efficiency, improve the quality of your fried foods and save you money.  FiltaFry purifies and disposes of your oil and maintains your fryers in optimal condition for peak performance.

How Does it Work?

FiltaFry uses a revolutionary micro-filtration system to filter and purify the oil directly from your business’s fryers.  The FiltaFry filtration process is able to remove particles and contaminates over 100 times smaller than the factory installed filter on your fryer.  As a result of FiltaFry filtration your oil tastes better and fresher and lasts longer.  In fact, your oils life will be extended by so much that your business could see oil consumption drop by as much as half.
FiltaFry doesn’t stop at just purifying your oil and disposing of waste oil.  While you FiltaFry technician is purifying your oil he or she will also thoroughly clean your fryers.  Your technician will also check to ensure that your fryer is working optimally.

Helping You Save

Most customers claim that the money they save on cooking oil alone more than pays for the FiltaFry service.  FiltaFry helps customers save even more by keeping fryers running at their peak energy efficiency.   FiltaFry also helps you save money through increased safety.

When put your fryers in the capable hands of your local FiltaFry representative, you remove the risk of employee injuries related to fryer maintenance.  Restaurants that report low incidents of injury in the workplace can save up to 25% on insurance.  The average reduction in yearly insurance cost is around $1,400 annually.

When you use FiltaFry you can expect to see improved efficiency, decreased waste, greater safety in your kitchen and big savings.  Don’t ask, “Can I afford to use FiltaFry in my kitchen?”  Ask, “Can I afford not to?”

Victor Clewes, Filta CEO

The U.S. Commerce Association has honored FiltaFry creator Filta Group Inc. with the designation of the 2009 Best of Orlando Award in the green services category.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) January 18, 2010 – The Filta Group Inc., The creators of FiltaFry Mobile Oil Filtration and other green services has been selected for the 2009 Best of Orlando Award in the Green Services category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

Best Of Orlando 2009 Filta Group

While Filta is proud of its impact as the green movement, environmental responsibility is merely a byproduct of good business for FiltaFry.

The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

“While Filta is proud of its impact as the green movement, environmental responsibility is merely a byproduct of good business for FiltaFry,” says Filta Group CEO Victor Clewes. Filta Group was chosen for their relentless pursuit of business opportunities that promote green initiatives. The company has a long track record of providing services to business owners that allow them to run more efficient restaurants and commercial kitchens. Their original offering FiltaFry offers cooking oil recycling and fryer management. The service allows clients to eliminate the burn incidents that are common in most commercial kitchens related to filtering or disposing of waste cooking oil. It also allows them to increase the usable length of their cooking oil, and improve the taste of fried foods because of higher quality cooking oil and better understanding of the frying process. Using their highly advanced micro-filtration technology, Filta has purified enough cooking oil to fill even the largest football stadium. This recycled oil drastically reduces the need to produce, transport, and dispose of additional oil for cooking.

As of recently, Filta Group has expanded their initiative past just FiltaFry. They recently rolled out a multinational effort to introduce FiltaCool, a humidity control system for refrigeration units such as commercial refrigerators that conserves energy, prolongs air-condition equipment life, and reduces spoilage. Each of their two offerings focuses on helping restaurants and commercial kitchens control costs, liability, spoilage, and waste.

Victor Clewes remarked on the achievements saying that Filta was grateful for being recognized for its efforts. He also remarked on the expansion in the early part of 2010 of Filta’s additional green services such as waste oil pickup and recycling under the name of FiltaBio.

More than half of small businesses never last through the first five years of business. This is an incredible number, even more so when you stop to think that most of these businesses represent a huge investment of capital. For many, failure means walking away with nothing, having lost everything.

However, of that 50% that fail, it is worth noting that franchises have a much lower rate of failure than independent businesses. The reasons for this disparagement in the numbers are several, but it is undeniable that franchisor support plays a major role. The support offered to new franchisees give new franchises an edge in the market.

The Mutual Benefit of Support

. Effective franchisor support helps both the franchisee and the franchisor. For a franchising organization to do well, it must ensure the success and profitability of as many of its franchises as possible. Franchise success brings in revenue for the franchisor, and makes the franchise brand more attractive to future investors.

Means of Support

Franchisors offer direct support of their franchisees in a number of ways. The most visible means of support lies in the area of marketing. Franchisors run large scale marketing campaigns on behalf of their franchisees to maximize their ability to reach customers. Franchisors also often assist franchisees with developing local marketing strategies and tactics.

Many franchisors also offer a greater degree of support during the initial stages of franchise start-up. Many are very active in the critical aspects of start-up such as site selection. Again, this is because it is mutually beneficial to ensure that the new franchise starts out on the best footing.

A number of franchising organizations offer support in the form to training, and training assistance. Franchisors will train new franchisees in-depth regarding franchise management and even in general business tactics, to help them succeed. Most franchisors will also provide training material to assist in training staff members to meet brand standards.

Indirect Support

Not all franchise support comes directly from the franchisor, though the franchisor may act to facilitate and encourage it. Peer support also plays a major role in the success of new franchises. As a franchising organization become better established, the scope of peer support greatly increases.

A franchisee’s peer network consists of all other franchisees operating under the same franchising organization. Again, the older and more established the brand is, the greater the support. For a franchising organization that has been around for many years there are an increasing number of franchise owners who have been in the business for years and who know the ins-and-outs of running an individual franchise even better than those at the brand’s corporate office do. These owners have experiential knowledge, where those employed directly by the brand may not.

It is this great wealth of experientially derived practical knowledge that makes the peer network invaluable. There are very few problems that a new owner will encounter that have not already been dealt with by his or her peers. It is in these times that turning toward peers for guidance can provide a practical solution based on proven strategy. Being able to draw on the experience of peers gives the new franchisee a significant edge.

Franchising has become a marked institution in the United States and, indeed, across the globe. The number of franchising organizations continues to steadily increase as does the percentage of businesses operating under franchising agreements as opposed to independent ownership. This shouldn’t come as any surprise when one considers the decided advantages that franchisees have over independent owners, especially during those risky first 5 years of trying to establish a new business within any community.

One of the most noticeable differences between the independent business and the franchise lies in the area of marketing. There are several marketing factors that contribute to providing an overall edge for the franchise owner. In fact, the aspect of marketing is what provides what is perhaps the single greatest benefit of franchise ownership: brand recognition.

It may seem to almost go without saying, but it does bear consideration – the independent business owner simply cannot ever hope to market on the level that franchising organizations market their franchises. It’s a simple matter of resources and practicality.

Franchisors make their money via royalties and franchising fees collected from their numerous franchisees. To increase their profits, they need to a) insure that every one of their franchises has the best chance of profiting at its greatest capacity and b) that they are bringing in a steady stream of new franchisees. The franchisor cannot hope to accomplish the latter without having accomplished the former. The brand is only appealing to new investors if the existing franchises, on the whole, are doing well.

In order to insure that the individual franchises are doing well, the franchisor has to market broadly and market aggressively. When we say broadly, we do not mean necessarily in the scope of demographic appeal (in fact, many of the more successful brands have become so by narrowing their target demographics significantly). What we mean by broadly is that they market through every available media, be it television, radio, newsprint, magazines, billboards, etc.

Off hand, you can probably think of two dozen advertisements you have seen just today that were representing major franchised brands. These multi-million dollar blitzkrieg campaigns are well beyond the scope of any independent business owner. In truth, such far reaching marketing campaigns would be of little benefit to the independent owner who relies predominately on local business.

However, the massive marketing campaigns of franchisors provide two major benefits to their franchisees. The first being, obviously, that these advertisements are more thoroughly researched and tested to appeal to the target demographics. Consumers want to be dazzled and they tend to be more influenced by ads that pull out all the stops, bells and whistles. The independent owner just can’t hope to gain the celebrity endorsements and high dollar budgeting for such ads.

The ability of franchisors to market broadly and effectively provides the second benefit to franchisees – brand recognition. This benefits the franchisee because they are able to start their business with an already established and accepting customer base. The franchisee also benefits from being able to bring in customers who may not be local, but who, when passing through an area are more likely to visit an establishment with a name they recognize and trust instead of using the goods and services of an unknown independent merchant.

One of the biggest concerns seen in new franchisees is employees. Many people are intimidated by medium to larger franchises because of this- everything from dealing with payroll to just handling employee conflicts can seem very intimidating to the first time potential business owner. However, it does not have to be this way and there are a number of ways that you can make sure that things go much more smoothly. Bear in mind, also that as you expand and grow- regardless of how small your franchise begins, you may end up wanting to hire on new employees and as your experience with the franchise also grows, you may feel more comfortable with this aspect.

You can begin this by making sure prior to signing a franchise agreement that you feel comfortable with the number of employees you may have to hire. As you do your research on various companies, check into the way they prefer to do business and see if they seem like they may need a large number of employees- if you don’t feel comfortable with that, move on to another. Pare down your options until you have a number that feels workable to you. Often, you can speak to existing franchisees, or visit their locations to see if this is something you feel like you can do. Talking to existing franchisees will also give you a greater insight into how trends worked, and how they began- you never know, you may just find a franchisee that felt just like you do, starting out, but changed their minds as time went on.

Another way to mitigate this area is to look into franchises that require a higher level of skill or training- the higher level of skill, the less headache you may have later on. Typically, employees that are paid higher than minimum wage are less numerous, and those that have the skills needed to draw a higher wage easier to filter through the hiring process and more stable. This is usually due to the number of years they have invested in time and training to learn their particular trades. Often, if you do go into a franchise that requires education and skill, you will find that the hiring pool may be narrower, but you are able to move through the process a little more quickly.

Once you do have a reliable team on board, another thing to consider is the cost and impact of hiring within- this is a great way to reward loyal and hardworking employees, and not deal with the hassle of hiring outside help when promoting. If you feel you have a position that requires a higher level of skill, it is often highly worth it for a number of reasons to hire on someone that you already have on staff, rather than bringing in someone new. These are just a few of the ways that you can work with employee staffing for a franchise- or put yourself into a position where you may not have to deal with some of the more common problems there.

If you are thinking about opening a restaurant, chances are good that you are very passionate about food- and this is the key element to being a success. However, there are a few other things that can enable you to get off on the right foot.

The very first thing to think about is your business plan- you have to be able to do the numbers down to the cent. Making sure that your food is costed appropriately, that you know how much you will need to ensure a profit versus cost and breaking it down into the projected amount of customers that you anticipate having. Generally speaking, planning for a variety of scenarios and outcomes is the best way to ensure that your business plan covers everything that it should. Be prepared for anything, and document that, as well as the numbers associated with it.

Many new restaurant owners find it to be extremely beneficial to hire on a consultant the first year or so of new restaurant ownership. This not only enables you to better find your target market but also, help you to better refine your marketing plans, work out cost verses profit, and generally ensures a much smoother start up. Some owners also bring on the consultant to reassess their business throughout the course of the business life, in order to make sure that they remain on track and profitable.

Initially, also, bearing in mind a flexible menu will help. Being adaptable and noting trends that begin to emerge during the first year will enable you to better refine your menu according to the needs of your customers. Most people who are regulars at any given restaurant are because they know that they can find the consistent quality of service, but also, the foods they enjoy most prepared the way they want each and every time- and you find out what those are through careful attention to the trends as they develop. Also consider your suppliers- there are several benefits to buying your produce locally. First of all, there is a better quality of freshness and usually it is more cost effective, but also there is a marketing angle to buying locally- supporting your local economy and agriculture is a recent trend that many have cashed in on. There are many of these small tweaks to your marketing and business plan that will pay off in big ways, so they are certainly worth considering right from the outset and before you open your doors.

Consider also your training methods and map those out ahead of time. The different responsibilities and aspects of running your restaurant and whom will be handling what are key factors and being able to start up and get running smoothly may depend on how well your staff are trained. Having all of these things set in motion before you begin the business of opening yours will enable you to have everything moving forward more efficiently and get your restaurant turning a much better profit, much faster.

You know that you need to have a stable marketing plan in place when it comes to the success of your business. There are a variety of ways that restaurant owners promote themselves- from coupons, discounts, family and theme nights to other means, it is vital that marketing is seen as an important facet of your business. There are different terms in restaurant marketing, that do not appear in other businesses. The lingo is quite different and there are many differences between marketing another type of business as opposed to a restaurant.

The first term we will look at is “bounceback coupon”- you have probably already seen this and never really realized what it was. When a customer leaves the restaurant and is given a coupon, or sometimes with their check receipt- this is a bounceback coupon. This usually offers discount on a subsequent visit, or free items if the customer returns. These are usually very effective for newer restaurants looking to build a stable and reliable customer base.

Another marketing tactic that is not so much exclusive to restaurants but is really showing signs of potential is a mobile marketing strategy- the use of mobile coupons. These are sent to a mobile device or cell phone, and usually do not have to be printed out. Showing the coupon to the server when ordering, or when arriving at the restaurant, the server takes the appropriate amount off the bill. This is particularly effective as it brings convenience and a sort of instant gratification factor. Going on that trend, another thing that many restaurants now employ is the use of websites. Either offering the convenience of online ordering, or just promoting their menu and promotions, websites are a powerful marketing tool for restaurants.

One more facet of restaurant marketing that can be a little different from regular business is in consulting and analysis. Restaurant consulting when you apply it to food service marketing is allowing an outside company to work on the marketing and advertising. This is usually done very in depth, everything from customer thoughts on food and service to the sorts of foods and pricing is taken into account. Often, these consultants will make use of focus groups to gather opinions and will likely go through trends to find what has worked in the past. In analysis, they will go into not only the restaurant itself, but its competitors and more to discover the very best ways to market that particular restaurant and improvements that may be needed.

Marketing for restaurants has many areas that sort of mirror other businesses, however, there are vast differences that need to be taken into account. Once those factors are in place and a restaurant owner has a pretty good idea of the best ways to promote his or her business, marketing usually is reassessed on a quarterly or sometimes bi annual basis to make sure that it continues to work out for the restaurant itself.

Anyone in business knows that for the past few years, the economy has been seeming to grow more and more unsure- and that can make many people feel a bit leery of investing, or starting up a new business. In tandem with these stories, there are also signs that point to franchising still going strong and in some cases, really becoming more profitable. In recent years, that International Franchise Association, or the IFA has actually reported some surprising trends in growth and profit amongst franchisers, and there may be some good reasons for this. However, one thing is very sure, across the board- in a down economy, franchising is probably a more stable investment than an independent business.

There have been a few reasons that some people believe that franchising may be booming where other businesses are finding it either hard to stay open, or closing their doors all together. For one thing, franchises really cross a wide terrain of financial income levels for start up. From a small home based business franchise which may only take a couple of hundred dollars to start up, to a mega million dollar earner like McDonald’s, there is a franchise out there with a start up that most people can afford. In addition to that, there is a franchise out there for every interest or passion. Not only that, most of these bring about their own training and start up can generally be very quick, making it a much faster road to seeing a profit than other investments. Sometimes, because franchising is based on brand recognition it is easier to obtain start up financing- often this is because the banks and lenders already have a relationship with the franchiser, but sometimes it is based on name.

Also, another benefit of franchising is, it’s pretty easy to take a look around and see if you could be successful in a chosen business venture. Through different research methods, or even just talking to other franchisees- projections on profits and the like are easier to obtain. This makes franchising a more stable option as it is less risky- knowing that you are investing in something that is already successful versus hoping for that success makes it a much less intimidating investment. Many people want to strike out on their own and they want to become self employed- but it’s rightfully so, an intimidating thing- with franchising, there is that knowledge of a proven system of business, coupled with a parent company and other franchisees. The template is already there, so to speak and that often makes people feel much more at ease with franchising, and it can help a great deal. It doesn’t hurt that with most franchises, the business, down to the buildings in some cases- is usually up, running and already turning a profit in the start up days.

Franchising tends to hold its own in a down economy because it does afford a certain level of stability that independent business can’t- it’s not all that different from investing in independent business, the same hard work is needed, however, franchising offers a bit more support and guidance.

You will definitely have to think about how you will finance your franchise, before you even sign anything- more often than not, it’s much better to already have a good handle on your credit and finances before you even begin. You have to be fairly financially prepared, franchises, like any business, are investments and should be looked at in that light. Being very sure of your income, your savings and other assets before you go into it, is key because lenders usually want to know everything. If you are going through some rougher times, understand that lenders may be a bit more tight with the money than they would be, were things more fluid. Also know that no lender will grant you a 100% loan- you’ll need to have some capital built up and lenders want to see you investing some of your own money, as well as a strong business plan.

If you have come to a place financially where you feel that the investment is a sound one that you can manage, then you will need your finance information in order. Put together a folder of all of your tax returns, debts, account balances and other financially pertinent information. Lenders can obtain most things through your credit report, however, not all, and it is still best to be forthcoming. Also bear in mind the sort of franchise that you are looking to invest in, as well as its implications on the lender- more often than not, a bank will be more keen to invest in a better established franchise.

Many franchisers have begin to offer some kind of financing, but this can vary, in both being an alternative to other lenders and in the amount they may offer you. Be aware that this does not always mean that it will be easier to obtain financing or that you’ll have less to worry about with your credit history and other factors. Often times, franchisers are just as stringent about the details as banks are- after all, they do run businesses themselves and they want to ensure their own investments are sound. If you find that you are struggling a little for funding, there are a few options out there, though, there are programs for certain groups of people, and you may be able to obtain the needed loans from friends or family.

However, before you invest in a franchise, you should think about a few things. For instance, consider if you can personally afford to lose the money if the investment goes south, or if you have enough money to support yourself as you go into start up. Also, consider how much you can personally invest and go from there. Finding funding for a franchise should not be looked at differently from any other business, but, there are some benefits, and you should ask the franchiser what options they have seen work out best. More often than not, the biggest benefit is again, having a brand name behind you that already has a stable and profitable business plan that the bank can depend upon.

Deciding to go into business is a major decision and not one to be made lightly.  Starting a business is a daunting task even for the seasoned entrepreneur.  For the first time owner it can be downright overwhelming.  However, it can also be richly rewarding.

Business ownership is a major commitment of money, energy and time.  Many first time owners take the risk and invest much of their life savings into the chance of business ownership.  When making that big of a commitment, it is important to set yourself out on the best footing with the greatest chance of success.

Franchising offers the greatest degree of benefit for both the first time owner and the experienced business investor.  Aligning yourself with a successful franchisor takes much of the guesswork out of business start-up and ownership.  There are also many other benefits to franchise ownership and these many benefits are what have seen franchising become an increasingly large institution in the U.S. and across the world.

One of the biggest benefits inherent in franchising is brand recognition.  An independent business owner, starting a business from scratch, has a tough road ahead in gaining acceptance and establishing a rapport with the business’s target demographics.  The franchise owner, on the other hand, starts his or her business with a pre-established degree of acceptance and a customer base that is already aware of and eager to purchase the business’s goods or services.

Almost half of small businesses fail within the first five years of operation.  The bulk of these floundering businesses are those that operate independently.  The independent business owner simply has a much more difficult time establishing his or her business than the franchisee does.  Franchising takes much of the worry and work of building the business’s name and reputation out of those difficult first few years.

Franchising also offers benefits to franchise owners in the area of marketing.  A business cannot hope to succeed on word of mouth alone.  Every businessman understands the need to market aggressively and expansively.  However, the independent business owner is limited in his or her resources for marketing and in the outlets available for marketing.  Running a national marketing campaign is not only unrealistic for the independent owner, it simply wouldn’t be beneficial for supporting a single location.

For franchisors, though, large scale marketing is not only realistic, but it is almost necessary for success.  For the brand to succeed, as many franchisees as possible must succeed.  Large franchising organizations are able to promote their franchises in ways that the independent owner could never hope to do.  Franchisees, then, benefit from massive multi-media ad campaigns, designed to reach the greatest number of potential customers for all franchisees and equally benefiting all franchises.

By entering into a franchising agreement with a reputable franchisor, the business investor puts him or herself into a much better position to succeed from the onset.  The franchisee, of course, sacrifices a degree of freedom and input into his or her business in exchange.  However, for most, what is given up is very slight in comparison to what is gained by buying into a respectable brand.

When looking into franchising, the options, as far as available franchisors, are almost overwhelming.  Any business that you may have dreamed about going into exists, with multiple brands and business models already established and proving profitable.  Having so many available options can make it difficult during the initial “narrowing down” process of selecting a franchisor.  There are so many questions you have to ask yourself along the way, such as “Do I want to start big, or start small and work my way up?”

The Big Start

If you have a lot of capital and want to start big, there are certainly plenty of options available.  Granted, the larger the franchise, the greater the investment and the greater the risk.  This is why big franchise operations like major motel chains mainly appeal to those who have already established themselves within the industry.  These franchises are very expensive, but can also provide the highest return on investment if handled properly.

Large franchises are intended to be able to reach the greatest amount of customers within a region starting from the moment the doors open for the first time.  However, there is very little room for growth within the individual franchise.  What you start with is generally what you continue on with, with only minimal modification.  The potential for profit is certainly there in a big way, but the potential for growth is minimal.

Building Up

When you go into business as a motel franchisee, or a fast-food chain owner then you start big and, more or less, retain your size with only minimal growth in the franchise and in profits.  On the other hand, if you enter into a franchising agreement with one of the many franchisors that offer small business plans with the potential for almost unrestricted growth, then you are only limited by your own initiative.

When you start small, obviously, you don’t see as much profit as the big guys.  However, you’ve also invested less and you have more control of how your business grows.  There are a number of small franchise, such as waste oil management operations, that can be run from home and whose growth is only limited by the ability and drive of the owner.

This degree of flexibility, freedom and unrestricted potential makes small franchise ownership very appealing.  This small scale model of franchising is especially well suited to first time owners who don’t have a lot to invest and to those who want a hands-on owner operated business.  The owner-operated franchises provide a level of control that bigger franchises cannot.

The Perfect Fit

Small franchises are almost all intended to have a broad potential for growth.  By starting small you are often affording yourself the ability to expand far beyond the scope of what you would have been able to do by purchasing a larger, but more static, franchise.  Over time a small business can become something that rivals big franchises for profitability while retaining the relatively small initial investment and risk.  This makes small franchises not only promising for first time owners, but also the safer investment in many cases.

There are few things in life more satisfying than going into business for yourself.  Of course, the financial benefits are what most of us focus on, but there are great personal benefits as well.  Watching your business grow and flourish is a feeling like no other.

We all want our businesses to succeed, but it takes more than simple desire to succeed in business.  This is especially true in the tumultuous first 5 years.  Purchasing a franchise rather than going into business independently offers a greater chance of weathering those first 5 years, but, of course, nothing is ever guaranteed.  A lot depends on being smart about the franchise you select and basing your decision on solid research.

Utilizing Your Skills

Though many franchises are set up so that a new owner has an excellent chance of success even if he or she has never worked within the industry before.  However, your chances of success are markedly greater if you go with something that you do know and have experience with.  Being aware, at least in a rudimentary way, of the intricacies of the business you will be going into prior to entering into a franchising agreement will give you a definite edge.

This is to say, if you have experience in the fast-food industry, than you will probably do better as an fast-food franchise owner than if you went into the motel business.  Your chances are even better if you buy into a franchising organization that you have already worked under.  There is simply no substitutions for real life knowledge and experience.

Check Out Available Training

Whether you have worked in the industry you hope to go into business in already or not, when selecting a franchisor look at what training they offer.  The fundamental benefit of franchise ownership lies in the maxim “in business for yourself, not by yourself”.  A good franchisor will equip their franchisees with every possible tool for success, including intensive training.

If the franchisor you are looking at does not offer a wide degree of franchisee training and support, then they probably aren’t a wise investment.  If they can’t offer a certain level of business training, then they really don’t offer much more than a name over going into independent business.  This is why it is important to thoroughly research your franchisor candidates before making your final selection.

Do What You Love

Probably the single most important thing to consider when thinking about going into business is what you will enjoy doing.  Going into business is major investment and chances are, at least for the first few years, you will be in complete control and very involved in your business.  Many owners retain that level of hands-on involvement over the entire course of their ownership.

Because business ownership is such a major investment of money, time and energy, it is vital that you pick a franchise that you can really see yourself working at and enjoying long-term.  Again, there is a lot of satisfaction to be gotten from seeing your business boom.  Doing what you love insures that you will be able to continue to give the level of hands-on commitment needed to see that happen.