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?”

If you are like millions of other Americans, you probably wake up grudgingly each morning, rush through your morning routine and plod off to a job that you don’t find satisfying, personally or financially.  If you are one of the many stuck in a rut and living for the weekend, then maybe it is time for a change.  Wouldn’t you like to break away from the routine and become your own boss?

Small business ownership is not a just a pipedream.  With the Filta Group, business ownership can be a reality.  Owning your own business can be easier than you may have ever dared to hope.

The Filta Brand

Filta operates as small, mobile business that provide kitchen management services within the food-service and other industries in your area.  Most Filta franchisees run their business as owner-operated, home based ventures.  Filta franchises are inexpensive to start up and run at a very low overhead.

The Filta business offers two services, FiltaFry and FiltaCool.  FiltaFry is a full service fryer and waste oil management package.  FiltaFry helps business reduce the amount of oil they use in their fryers and helps to maintain fryers.  FiltaCool provides customers with multi-function filters for commercial coolers.  The FiltaCool filters regulate cooler conditions, helping coolers run more efficiently and keeping stored products fresh for longer.

Filta Franchising

Because Filta franchises are small operations that can be run from anywhere, the cost of starting up a Filta franchise is significantly less than most other franchising options.  For a single unit (one van operating within one territory), a franchise can be purchased and completely set up for less than $80,000.  That price includes more than just franchising fees and the equipment needed to run the franchise.  Filta also provides intensive training, both in class and in the field.

Larger multi-unit franchises are also available for those who wish to invest more and start bigger.  For just $195,000 you can get on the Premier Track plan.  The Premier Track package provides you with everything you need to run two units out in the field.  Your Premier Track Filta franchise will be assigned 4 territories to do business in, so you can truly maximize your business’s potential right from the start.  Filta will even assign a sales assistant to you for the first 90 days of your business to help you promote your new business and gain repeat customer accounts.

Filta and You

When you join the Filta family you join up with one of the fastest growing franchises in the country.  You get the backing and support of the Filta Group’s dedicated staff, as well as the knowledge and experience of hundred of successful Filta franchisees.  These experienced professionals are available anytime through the FiltaNet to help answer your questions and give you valuable tips and advice based on years of experience in the field.

Filta stands behind its product and services.  Even more importantly, Filta stands behind it’s family, the Filta franchisees.  When you’re with Filta your truly are “in business for yourself, but not by yourself.”

Here’s some good news for franchisees and business-owners going into the holiday break. Congress has extended some critical SBA loans that were set to expire by the New Year.

The Wall Street Journal has done some excellent reporting on the story. These loans may only be extended until February for now, but in reality, this will be a big help for businesses struggling to make it to 2010. These were loans created under last February’s Recovery Act and essentially they raised the government’s guarantee on SBA loans from 90% to 75%.

In a press release, Mary Landrieu (D-La.) said: “Small businesses have been left in limbo since the funding ran out. [The legislation] will provide a lifeline to small businesses in need of credit.”

There was a lot of lobbying done in Washington to get these loans extended, so while the timespan is somewhat short, ultimately, it shows that people on Capitol Hill are still taking the needs of small businesses into account.

On this positive note, we wish all a happy and safe holiday season and look forward to another happy year of franchising in 2010.

Last week’s franchise Outlook 2010 provided a very concise forecast for the franchise market for the coming year. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but we still have a journey in front of us before we return to the headier days of 2005 and 2006.

What will the franchise community do to bring about the conditions for its next successful era? The IFA specifically called for the franchising community to come together and pool its know-how for the betterment of the whole industry in its outlook for the next year. The 2010 IFA Convention will offer the first opportunity of the year to do so.

Online registration has opened for the 50th IFA Convention. It will be held in the Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. The IFA Convention is one of the biggest franchising events on the calendar, and it should be an even bigger occasion this year, given the landmark anniversary. We will provide more info on discussions, speakers and roundtable meetings as they are released.

It’s an outstanding occassion to get to know your fellow franchisors and franchisees and we recommend you do everything you can to get to San Antonio in the first week of February.

2009 has been a big year for international franchising. If anything, it’s a sign that the world is getting smaller by the day. But it doesn’t mean that relocating your franchise to a new country will lead to overnight success. As franchises reach more and more exotic locales, you’ll have to bring a brand new culture around to a new way of doing business.

Food franchises have been the most bullish about international expansion, but in many ways, they face the greatest challenges in cracking the developing world. There might be billions of people living in India and China, but beyond the novelty value, how interested are locals in eating fried chicken or double-cheeseburgers on a regular basis? Not only do these cultures have their national foods but they have their own eating habits. Food franchises must lay the ground for a new alternative.

It is no coincidence that the rise of franchising in America coincided directly with the rise of the American middle class. Franchising is perfectly suited to the needs of middle class life. We now see America’s biggest franchises trying to fully establish themselves in a host of developing economies with a growing entrepreneurial class. These are interesting times.

Russia, the world’s biggest country, is one of the countries that McDonald’s and Burger King are specifically eyeing. Their challenges, as Reuters recently outlined, are quite obvious: 70% of people Russians don’t eat outside the home. Now if you’re a ‘glass half-empty’ international franchisor, maybe you stay away from Russia, figuring that these eating traditions are fixed and rooted in time. But McDonald’s and Burger King are “glass half-full” franchisors. They look at this population of 141million and see a massive chunk of the population ready to trade in gulash for Whoppers. It’s the kind of ambition that franchises need to thrive abroad. Remember, restaurants were a novelty during the Communist years. BK are so bullish on Russia they’re opening 40 units in 2010.

And Russia isn’t the only market appetizing QSR franchises. Yum Foods, owner of Taco Bell and KFC, are planning to open 1000 units in India in the next few years, the Wall Street Journal reports. It’s a big leap and even greater proof that America’s food giants think that the world wants “American” food. And as the global economy creates a new middle class in countries like Russia, India and China, I’m tempted to believe them.

If you are a restaurant owner or if you manage any type of commercial kitchen, chances are you have run across, or at least heard of, FiltaFry.  You have probably heard claims of how FiltaFry reduces waste and saves businesses a substantial amount of money in their operations.  Just how true are these claims and how does FiltaFry save its customers money?
Oil Savings

FiltaFry is primarily known for its amazing ability to drastically reduce the amount of oil used in fryer operation.  In fact, the average FiltaFry customer sees their oil consumption drop to half of its previous level.  When you consider that the average restaurant uses approximately 10,000 pounds of cooking oil each year, that’s a huge difference.

FiltaFry is able to reduce oil waste by half thanks to its unique micro-filtration process.  This filtration process eliminates 99 percent of contaminants that break down cooking oil, thereby doubling the longevity of the oil.

A Look at the Numbers

A kitchen that uses three 50 pound fryers in their kitchen would use, on average, 9 boxes of oil each week.  That could be $315 a week in oil cost alone.  If you figure in labor costs at $10 an hour for two hours of employee time the cost of running the three fryers for one week comes out to $335.

If that business used FiltaFry just once a week at $67.50 per service call, they could see their oil use dropped in half, down to $157.50 per week.  Their fryers would be maintained by a competent professional with no need to use their own employee labor.  That comes out to a total of $225 each week.  That’s a savings of $110 on just oil alone, with the added benefit of having the fryers professionally maintained.

Further Savings

The savings with FiltaFry doesn’t stop at just a few less boxes of oil each week.  When your fryers are professionally maintained by FiltaFry, your employees are not put at risk by doing the hazardous job of oil and fryer maintenance.  Because FiltaFry representatives are trained to establish optimal usage protocols for your fryers the chances of boil outs and other dangerous occurrences are greatly reduces as well.  This means an overall decrease in the amount of work related injuries in your kitchen, which can lead to savings of up to 25% on your insurance.  The average savings for restaurants that report low numbers of injuries is around $1,400 per year.

You will also save money on your energy usage.  FiltaFry maintained fryers run more efficiently and use less energy.  FiltaFry will also work with your staff on establishing better fryer practices that will help your staff run your fryers better while reducing energy waste.

The Filta Difference

FiltaFry is committed to helping your business run more efficiently and cost effectively.  The FiltaFry service is also 100% environmentally friendly.  There’s never been a better way to “go green”.  Waste less and save more with FiltaFry.

Every day millions of Americans wake up and trundle off to thankless and unfulfilling jobs.  Many dream of someday breaking away and becoming their own bosses with their own successful businesses.  Most will never realize that dream because they lack the education, experience, financial backing, or the actual drive to really go after it.  However, for those truly sincere in their desire for business ownership, Filta can help make that dream a reality.

What is Filta?

Filta is the industry leader in the business of environmentally friendly, cost effective business solutions for commercial kitchens.  Filta franchises offer two outstanding services, directly to commercial kitchens (i.e. restaurants, hospitals, airports, etc.), that help their customers operate more efficiently and save big money.  The FiltaFry service provides a comprehensive fryer and oil management service that reduces waste, promotes workplace safety, cuts energy use and improves food quality.  The FiltaCool service offers businesses that use cold storage a means of reducing spoilage, improving the taste of perishable goods, conserving energy and extending the life of their equipment.

Both of the Filta services are 100% environmentally friendly.  These services have been proven over time to save their users big money in the operation of their kitchen and to provide a better, safer work environment for their staffs.  Filta owners can rest assured that their services are in demand in the food-service industry.

Filta Education

It does not matter what your level of education or your level of experience is;  if you have the drive to step out and take control of your career, then Filta can help put you in the driver’s seat.  You don’t have to have a degree in business management.  Filta provides all new franchisees with in-depth training on the business administration tools needed to succeed with Filta.

Even if you have never operated a commercial fryer, Filta’s comprehensive training will transform you into a knowledgeable professional.  Franchisees are thoroughly trained in all aspects of fryer maintenance and care, as well as in the realm of commercial cooling units.  Filta provides its franchise owners with expansive classroom training and also hands-on training in the field, under the supervision of a successful Filta franchisee mentor.

Filta Affordability

With Filta, your finances don’t have to exclude you from the dream of business ownership.  Many franchises can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Because Filta franchises are small, mobile, owner-operated business they can be established for much, much less.  Single unit Filta franchises cost less than $80,000 to start.  This includes all of the equipment and stock needed to run a Filta franchise, plus all of the training needed to make your franchise a success.  Even better, Filta can even help you get financing for your franchise.  You don’t have to already be rich to meet your goal of business ownership.

Filta makes business ownership easier than ever before.  It is for this reason that Filta has been listed in the Franchise Times list of top 55 fastest growing franchisors on three consecutive years.  With Filta, you really can take charge of your life and your financial future by become a business owner.

You may have already heard about how Filta has made business ownership more accessible than ever before.  You may already be aware of how Filta makes owning a business a practical reality even if you have no prior business experience.  In fact, Filta has already helped hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs across the world achieve their goals of successful business ownership.  But just what are the realities of Filta franchise ownership?

Single Unit Filta Ownership

One of the reasons that Filta franchises are such a practical business move for people who are just starting out in the world of business ownership is because they are small operations that can be run from home and operated entirely by the owner.  For this reason, single unit franchise ownership is often the most practical way to get into the Filta business.  Single unit franchise ownership is extremely affordable and Filta can even help with financing in many cases.

The one time franchising fee to establish yourself as a Filta franchisee is an amazingly low $31,000.  This fee also covers establishing the territory in which your franchise will operate, free from competition by any other Filta franchise owner.  There is an additional $5000 Franchise Development Fund fee that helps in the promotion of your franchise to bring you more business.  Once you’re ready to get started with your franchise, everything you need to get your Filta business going is available in the Opening Package for $43,000.  This includes all your equipment, stock and Filta’s comprehensive training course to equip you with all of the tools you need to succeed with your business.  The total price tag to get you started with your own business?  $79,000.  That’s right, you could own your own business for less than the cost of a small home.

The Multi-Unit Option

Those looking to start big with their business are not limited to single unit Filta franchise ownership.  The Filta Group also offers a multi-unit, Premier Track Filta franchising package to meet the needs of those who want to start with an expanded Filta business.  Premier Track Filta franchise package includes two Opening Packages, with everything needed to operate two mobile Filta services and twice the initial stock of supplies.  The multi-unit package also includes, not 2, but 4 full territories to operate your franchise in!

To help get your multi-unit franchise off on the best possible footing, for the first 90 days of your new Filta business, you will also be provided with the support of a full-time sales support staff member.  Your sales support will help to establish a strong customer base throughout your 4 territories so that your business begins to grow and thrive right from the start.  The cost of multi-unit Premier Track Filta ownership is only $195,000.  That is, essentially, 4 times the franchise for only twice the cost of a single unit franchise.

Whatever your business needs, Filta can help you realize your dream of franchise ownership.  Why settle for slaving away at your dead-end job another day?  Call Filta and find out how easy it is to take control and go into business for yourself.

Way back in 1985, John Naisbitt, the author of Megatrends, wrote the text “The Future of Franchising: Looking 25 Years Ahead to the Year 2010 for the IFA. Naisbitt stated that franchising was certain to grow, and, as the IFA have acknowledged, he was right. But where does franchising go from here? That was the subject of yesterday’s 2010 Economic Outlook.

There’s loads of material in the PriceWaterhouseCoopers Outlook and we’ll hope to touch on some of the key findings here. The forecast for the next year calls for “slow growth”. I don’t think this will shock anyone who’s been following the industry closely. The recession may be behind us, but the lending market is still harsh, and political issues, such as the environment and coming health care legislation, don’t make things easier.

The feeling is that the franchising sector will mirror the small gains the domestic economy as a whole is slated to make.

The sectors that are predicted to experience the highest growth are Personal Services, Quick Service Restaurants and Business Services. Job losses are predicted in the lodging sector, while real estate industry should see some new jobs added.

There’s also a poll of franchise owners on the state of the industry. A small majority expects the economy to improve in 2010 and there has been a 15% hike in the number of business owners that feel that the economy’s performance will be “somewhat good” in the next 12 months.

As far as strategies for the future go, the IFA have a four part plan that reads like this:

• To shape the legislative, regulatory and public policy decisions that impact franchising.
• To enhance and promote the unique image, attributes, and benefits of franchising and of the association among key audiences.
• To provide programs and services that provides value to members
• To increase membership across all franchise sectors.

These are all pretty interesting and hopefully, if delivered can ensure the future growth of franchising. As you’d expect, there’s plenty of reaction in the media. CNBC did an interesting interview with Matthew Shay about the Outlook, and also spoke to a UPS Store franchisee. Meanwhile, over on the Uptake Travel Industry blog, Julie Sturgeon bemoans the problems with lodging sector, while providing an overview on the report. Thankfully, the IFA have provided a fact sheet for anyone looking for specific figures on the report.

In recent years, one name has been consistently making a splash within the food-service industry by helping businesses run more efficiently, improve the quality of their products and save a lot of money.  Even more impressive is the fact that this much talked about business offers not one, but two outstanding services to help improve businesses.  So who is this incredible business that has so many people talking?  It is the industry leader in environmental kitchen solutions, Filta.

Who is Filta?

The Filta Group originated in the U.K. in 1996.  What started as a small fryer and waste oil management service, called FiltaFry, quickly grew and spread across the U.K. and, eventually across the globe.  Filta has quickly made a name for itself in the United States for helping businesses “go green” in their kitchens while saving a lot of money.  Now with the addition of FiltaCool filters for commercial refrigeration units, there are even more ways to save money, streamline operations, reduce waste and improve quality.

A Look at FiltaFry

FiltaFry, Filta’s premier service, takes the concept of waste oil removal to a whole new level.  While traditional waste oilremoval services simply charge you to come by and empty out your oil bin, FiltaFry revolutionizes the very way that you use your fryers.  FiltaFry is a complete fryer and oil management service.  When you use FiltaFry in your restaurant or other commercial kitchen, you can expect to see a dramatic drop in the amount of shortening you use in your fryers.  Many customers report that, with FiltaFry, their oil costs are cut in half!

Filta helps reduce oil usage by 50% by its highly efficient micro-filtration process.  Most commercial fryer filters only catch large particles in the 200-300 micron range.  Smaller particles, like carbon fibers, remain to degrade oil and render it unfit for frying.  FiltaFry filtration removes particles as small as 2-3 microns in size.  As a result your oil lasts longer and tastes better.  The FiltaFry service also includes fryer cleaning and maintenance, taking the burden and risk off of your staff.

The New FiltaCool

Even if you don’t use fryers in your business, if you use a walk-in cooler or any other type of commercial refrigeration unit, then Filta can help your business run better and more cost effectively.  FiltaCool filters are specifically designed to meet the needs of commercial cooler.  FiltaCool filters are inexpensive to get and take up virtually no space inside your cooling unit.

FiltaCool filters work in several ways to modify the environment inside of you cooler.  They trap gases that accelerate decomposition, regulate humidity, trap odors, and discourage bacterial growth.  Coolers that use FiltaCool filters run much more energy efficiently.  Because they don’t have to work as hard to maintain a stable temperature, units with FiltaCool filters installed need less maintenance and last longer, too.

No matter what your business needs, Filta can help you get your business running more efficiently, more cost effectively and more environmentally friendly.  Filta comes to you on your schedule to provide you the services you need to optimize your business.  With Filta you can “go green” while saving some green.

The Filta Group was already establishing itself as an international powerhouse, being named in Franchise Times top 55 fastest growing franchises for 3 consecutive years, when it introduced the FiltaCool service to compliment its acclaimed FiltaFry service.  FiltaCool means more ways to save big money for Filta customers, but what does FiltaCool mean for Filta’s hundreds of successful franchisees?

Expanded Customer Base

The addition of FiltaCool filters in 2008 opened up a whole new arena of potential customers for Filta owners.  No longer limited to offering services to establishments that use commercial fryers in their business, Filta franchisees are now able to provide amazing, cost saving benefits to any business that uses commercial refrigeration units too.  From grocery stores to florists, anywhere that business depends on keeping products cool can see drastic improvements in longevity of their products and increased efficiency in their coolers with FiltaCool filters.

Of course, most of the establishments that benefit from the FiltaFry fryer and waste oil management service  also use walk-in coolers or other forms of commercial refrigeration to store their produce and other perishables.  Now Filta owners are able to provide these customers with two great services in one visit.  With more potential customers, Filta franchisees are growing faster than ever before.

The Simplicity of FiltaCool

One of the most exiting aspects of the FiltaCool service, from a franchisee standpoint, is the fact that it is that the service is so incredibly easy to perform.  Installing the filter brackets into the cooler takes about 10 minutes to do.  After the initial installation, filter only need to be changed out every 3 months.  The process of swapping out filters takes only a minute or two.  It’s so quick and simple.

Added Revenue

Even though the FiltaCool filters take almost no time to install and maintain, they provide Filta owners with a constant source of revenue.  Customers rent FiltaCool filters at an average price of $12 per month.  Since the filters only need to be switched out every 3 months, that is $36 for just a few minutes of time.  When you consider that the average FiltaCool customer uses 6 filters in their establishment, a Filta franchisee could potentially make $216 from providing FiltaCool filters to a single customer in each 3 month cycle.  Multiply that by the number of customer and the number grows to incredible proportions, all for just a few minutes of time.

Even better for the Filta franchise owner, the filters are entirely reusable, too.  All the franchisee needs to do is take them back to their home base of operations and degas them.  Then the FiltaCool filters are ready to be rented out for another 3 months.  What a business!

Future Growth

The Filta Group has stayed at the front line of the kitchen services industry by keeping at the forefront of improving their services and developing new and innovative kitchen solutions.  As such, Filta franchisees can certainly expect to be able to offer even more exciting and highly marketable services in the future.  As Filta continues to grow, Filta franchisees will continue to reap the rewards.

As the year winds down, it’s a relevant time to start to analyze the trends that will shape franchising for years to come. Especially as we stand on the verge of the next decade, one wonders exactly how the meta-factors that are changing the world-at-large will trickle down to effect the neighborhood franchise.

Take climate change. Over in Copenhagen, delegates from the around the world are meeting to (hopefully) iron out an agreement that will seek to control international carbon dioxide emissions for the next generation. Climate change is a contentious subject, and while it’s something I notice every now and again, I can’t say it has a real impact on my life. But that could soon be changing.

As a regular reader of the web magazine Slate, I was fascinated to read an article on the history of the fast food drive-thru and its potentially troubled future. To summarize from the article, the popularity of the drive-thru is directly linked the growth and popularity of US car culture, marrying as it does “mobility” and “consumption”. But with talk of oncoming carbon taxes and the specter of Peak Oil, what will a world fewer cars mean for QSRs with drive-thru facilities?

The answer could be quite damaging for QSRs. The Slate article states that 65% of McDonald’s sales come from drive-thru’s. The success of American fast food restaurants is built upon their ability to provide a top product in a short enough time to fulfill a consumer’s expectation for convenience. It remains to be seen if Americans will line up in a store itself with the same gusto.

As for the future, one would think that the day of the ‘walk-through’ or ‘cycle-through’ restaurant is not too far off, but the Slate article also profiles many of the teething problems with this trend. So while it’s a bit early to write the obituary of the drive-thru, those food franchises that can deliver a convenient model for the on-coming green age may be mostly likely to prosper.

Most of us could never hope to afford starting up a large, big name franchise like a McDonalds or a Super 8 motel.  These business ventures require a substantial amount of capital to start-up and a lot of know-how and experience to run successfully.  Those of us with limited access to financing and perhaps not a lot of management experience are not without option, though.  Small franchises, such as Filta, offer affordable, easy to run business that can be profitable and rewarding.

Start-Up

Part of what makes starting a small franchise, like a mobile Filta franchise, a realistic option for people with limited financial means is the fact that the start-up cost is so much less than with many other large-name franchises.  A big name fast-food chain can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to establish.  If you look into motels, that figure can easily jump into the several millions.

Small franchises can be purchased and set up for just a fraction of those costs.  In fact, a single unit Filta franchise can be purchase for less than $80,000.  In many cases, as with Filta, the franchisor can even assist with financing.  This makes business ownership accessible to a much broader range of people.  Small franchises, such as Filta, offer a solid return on investment for less money.

Total Control

Another great aspect of small franchising is that it puts the owner in complete control of the business.  Many Filta franchises are completely owner operated, in fact.  This means that the owner is also the sole employee providing all of the Filta services within his or her territory.  The owner doesn’t have to worry about paying employees or insuring them, nor does he or she have to worry about his or her standards of quality being met.  The owner has absolute say over every aspect of how the business is run and performed.

Home Office Benefits

Many small franchise can even be run right out of the home.  Some, like Filta franchises, are entirely mobile and can easily be administrated from a home office.  There are several benefits to running a business from home.  Obviously, it significantly lowers the overhead of the business.  The owner needn’t worry about paying rent for a business location, extra insurance, bills, etc.  On the contrary, running a business from home can actually save the owner money on taxes.  When a business, like a Filta franchise, is run from home a percentage of rent, utilities and other expenses become eligible to be claimed as deductions on the owner’s taxes.  This can be a substantial boon to the small business owner, increasing profits by lowering overhead.

The Big Picture

The fact is, small business can be as profitable as the owner is willing to make them.  Since most, like Filta franchises, are owner-operated it is up to the owner to put in the hours providing and promoting the service.  If the owner is willing to do the work then it can be quite lucrative.  For the individual who is used to putting in long hours for someone else’s profit, small franchise ownership can provide away to truly benefit from their own strong work ethic.

This day next week, the International franchise Association will publish its franchise Outlook 2010. The projections that Matt Shay will outline for the coming year of franchising will provide an essential insight into the how the industry is faring at the moment, not to mention a weather vane for how the short-term of franchising is shaping up.

In a preview of what is to come that appeared on About.com’s franchising blog, Shay is specifically targeting a $3.4billion “windfall in lending”. The downside to this windfall is 134,000 jobs that aren’t created and $13.9billion in economic activity that is not thrust into the economy.

Shay’s solution is pretty simple in one sense: to get banks lending again ASAP. He calls on Congress to immediately pass on pending legislation. “Immediately passing enhancements to government lending programs can shore up the $3.4 billion shortfall in lending. New franchise businesses can create much needed jobs – which will speed the U.S. economic recovery.

Shay will further detail the Small Business Lending Matrix and Analysis next week. From these preliminary statements, it seems the pressure has never been greater on America’s legislators to get these laws passed so that the business of franchising can help inspire the return of the US economy.

Keep an eye on this blog for more info on franchise Outlook 2010. The IFA will be presenting it via a webinar that will feature Shay, Dina Dwyer-Owens and Dr Drew Lyon of PriceWaterhouse Coppers (pre-registration is required)

Whether or not you’re a franchisor working in a skyscraper in Manhattan or a Subway franchisee managing a small team in Tacoma, Washington, you will need to be a leader in order for your business to succeed. But where does that capacity for leadership come from? We have some free insight.

Ugo Ginatta, CEO of Paciugo Franchising, has made his niche franchising coffee and gelato, two specifically Italian delicacies. With many years of business under his belt, Ugo has a pretty spot-on idea of how business leaders are made and he shared them with Small Business magazine recently.

Ugo offered the following 3 tips to wannabe business leaders:

• Involve people for the start
• Build a wide-angle view
• Know when to take a back-seat

Also, Ugo offers this specific advice:
“I like to be informal as a leader and like to be peer to peer when possible. I have a completely open door because I am here for long hours. I’m normally the first one in the door and almost the last to leave in the evening.”

He’s always accessible, but he’s also an example to those around him. Perhaps it’s true that business leaders are born and not made, but you can learn a lot from Ugo’s career trajectory and the success he has enjoyed.

We’re firm believers that you can’t get enough good advice when you’re making the decision to buy a franchise. Many people have different perspectives on the best way to do it, and we’re happy to pass on the soundest wisdom so that you can take it all on board before making that big investment.

Don Saszkowski does a credible job keep on top of the most important issues in franchising over at About.com, and recently he invited Richard Parker, president of the Diomo Center to write a franchises.about.com/od/buyingafranchise/a/buy-an-existing-franchise.htm”>guest post with questions every entrepreneur should ask themselves before buying a franchise.

Here are some of the questions that we thought were the most illuminating:

On the franchise:

• Is your territory protected and for how long and what area?
• Are you required to meet certain annual sales figures and what happens if you don’t?
• Are there any family members working in the business? If so, how much are they paid (usually below market)? What additional expenses will you now incur to replace them?
• What is the failure rate in the system?

On the franchisor:

• Are they willing to finance the purchase?
• If you have to sign a new contract, you need to carefully analyze any issues that could impact your sales and/or profitability. If for example the royalty rate and marketing fund has increased, then you will make less profit. You have to then adjust the numbers the seller has given you to accommodates these ratios.
• Find out which are the best franchises in the system and call/visit with the owners. Ask them what they do best, the advice they would give you, and discuss the store you are considering but never disclose which one it is.

Ask yourself all of these questions. You’ll find more advice in franchise Direct’s ‘ franchise buying franchisedirect.com/information/guidetobuyingafranchise/29/”>guide.

Consider all of this before investing in a franchise and it’s likely you’ll be buying into a business you can trust.

“As McDonald’s goes, so to does franchising.” This might be an extreme overstatement, but nonetheless, the Golden Arches has had such a defining role in the evolution of franchising that many entrepreneurs and analysts will use it as a bellwether for how the industry is faring as a whole.

Those insiders will be have taken positive news from the McDonald’s recent gathering for analysts and journalists at its corporate headquarters in Illinois last week. According to the Wall Street Journal, the attitude of the McDonald’s corporate executive was typically bullish, with the company extremely optimistic about the way it has positioned itself for the time beyond the recession.

“This is also as much about changing the perception of our brand in the consumer’s mind that allows us to stretch both the price and products you can serve in a re-imaged restaurant,” McDonald’s Chief Financial Officer Peter Bensen said.

The confidence is a direct result of the investment in new stores and technology, as well as the unveiling of popular new products.

Restaurant profits are down in the last year across the industry, but McDonald’s market share has remained steady. The WSJ reports that some of the products coming down the pipeline are new wraps, smoothies and frappes and possibly a $1 breakfast menu. Clearly the challenge for McDonald’s, and indeed everyone in the QSR sector, is balancing the surge in consumer frugality brought on by the recession with the constant demand for a high-quality product.

As the year goes on, McDonald’s seem like they’re in a great position to retain the top ranking in franchise Direct second franchisedirect.com/top100globalfranchises/”>Top 100 Global franchises.