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.

Food service is a very resilient industry, and no matter how bad the economy gets, it is usually one of the few areas that make it through. This usually depends by and large on the abilities of the management to make sound choices, control loss, and be able to make sure that the restaurant is still moving forward, even when many businesses are falling behind. There are a number of strategies that smart restaurant management uses in order to continue moving in a positive and profitable direction, and these things are generally a key ingredient in surviving rough economic times.

Marketing is still a major factor, even when the economy is down. With the boom in internet use, many food service establishments have Myspace pages, Facebook and even use Twitter as a way of continuing to promote sales, specials and deals in a cost effective manner. The trend continues to move upward, which does show businesses that utilize this as being with the times and keeping up with their customers- so that is an added benefit.  Other means of advertising and promotions abound- everything from themes to adding karaoke has been used by restaurants in order to continue promoting, and continue to make sales.

Controlling loss is a way to make it through, even with profits are not surging upward. Staffing is one area where loss can be controlled by paying attention to market trends and making sure that you are scheduling accordingly. You have to be absolutely certain that you have the right number of staff during the busy times- but not over staffing during the slow. Balancing your schedule in this way helps to cut the cost of labor, which is a great way to make sure that loss stays at bay. Paying careful attention to the staff that is working hard and giving their full effort is key, so that in the event you do have to cut some of your crew, you know who will provide the very best customer experience.

Another area, is in employee theft. Everything from theft of tips, to even recognizing patterns of behavior can help- because during a down economy, the sad truth is that theft tends to occur more frequently. Understanding how to appropriately address these situations as they arise is important, yes, but loss prevention measures can not only enable restaurant management to avoid loss, but rarely have to deal with this problem, as well. This problem can impact all aspects, from loss of inventory to fudged time cards, and is something that can cause a great deal of loss.

Preventing loss and making sure that you are still working towards a better bottom line is more important than ever when things seem uncertain. More often than not, food service industry professionals are keenly aware of the trends in their profits and using that information will enable you to be able to better schedule, prevent loss and be able to continue to make it through. Intelligent business owners are the ones that make it through the rough patches and still succeed.

Payroll is a record that restaurant owners keep to record all employee salaries, hourly wages, and deductions for a given pay period. The choices that a restaurant owner has to make are involved, when it comes to payroll. Questions like when employees will be paid and on what schedule, if overtime will be made available, and how it will be paid out, how employees will keep track of their time, and which employees will be salaried and which will be hourly are important. But also, there are other factors to consider such as the sort of paid off time you will, if you decide to provide.

In addition to that, there are certain liabilities that you will need to be accountable for. Making sure that with holdings, medicare and social security are taken care of, as well as accounting for federal and state unemployment tax payable, and state worker’s compensation tax payable. The payroll tax reports that a restaurant owner has to file are a quarterly report, or a Form 941, Federal Unemployment Tax Report, or Form 940,  State Worker’s Compensation and there may be forms for your local taxing authority on a local level, as well.

In addition, a restaurant owner may have to decide the fiscal set up- for instance, asking the question of “Are my staff to be hourly or salaried?” Hourly employees have to receive time and a half for overtime work and are paid hourly, where as salaried employees receive a yearly wage- divided over pay terms, usually monthly and do not receive overtime. Couple this with the choice as to how often employees will be paid- the consideration here is that in order to prepare payroll, it costs money, so, employers generally try to keep paydays to a minimum. Thinking about over time, the consideration is usually if it will ever be available, and if not, how to maintain adequate coverage at all times. Overtime is paid at time and a half and can be very hard on the budget, so most avoid allowing staff to work it.

Common set ups are twice a month, or every other week. Another consideration is full time verses part time employees. There are reasons apart from availability that this is something that has to be thought about- full time employees generally receive benefits, whereas part time do not. An employee is usually considered full time working thirty hours or more during a work week.

These are a few of the considerations with payroll that most restaurant owners and managers face when dealing with payroll. It is often a great deal of paperwork and effort, and can be something that is at some point, passed off to the restaurant owner’s accountant on a tax level. More often than not, the paperwork is dealt with by someone on a managerial level, and the owners do not handle it- however, when it comes to taxes and general payroll set up, this is one area where owners are typically more hands on.

Owning a restaurant is a great deal of work, and there are many responsibilities that come with it. From set up to hiring on proper management staff- there is much work to do. One major responsibility of a restaurant owner is making sure you are well acquainted with state and federal employee laws. Whether that is your state’s minimum wage, over time or tips, there are some basic laws across the board that usually come into play. Understanding and making sure that you are in compliance with these laws will prevent you from having to deal with some major fines in most cases.

Employment of minors always carries some risk, however, it is usually a cost effective way to make sure that you are adequately staffed. The hours and job position that most states allow minors to work are pretty similar, however, they do vary from state to state in some ways. For instance, in Maine, a minor employee can work at fifteen, however, they cannot use or even pick up knives or serve liquor until they are seventeen. It is also usually imperative to adhere to a minimum hours guideline- and understand those may change through out the year in respect to school hours. You have to always ensure a minors age, as well- make sure that you have not only drivers license, social security card, but a birth certificate as well to verify age. Another example of workers that you will have to verify eligibility are alien workers. Immigrants also have restrictions on employment and require more documentation to prove that they are able to work- you verify this through checking a visa or work permit.

Minimum wage usually varies by state, but you as a restaurant owner have probably already checked with your local government to find out what that is- in some states, though, you do have to change the way servers are paid, as they collect tips. As far as tips go, those always belong to the employee themselves. Though in some restaurants there are tip pools where the employees put all of their tips together and divide them equally- this is actually a practice that is to be voluntary and is not enforceable. Employers cannot make their employees use this, and that is something that not many people are actually aware of.

As far as overtime goes- this is any hours worked above the usual forty hour work week. If an employee works those hours- they are to get time and a half. It’s always best to limit overtime because this is one way you will have a great deal of loss through payroll- even if an employee volunteers to work overtime at normal wage- it’s still the law that employers pay the time and a half.

These are just a few of the legal areas that restaurant owners have to be able to be very clear and adhere to given standards in practice. Making sure that you are not only aware of them but keeping practice will help your business to run more smoothly.

Of course there are some routine things that a potential business owner will want to look into, however, potential franchisees should take particular care to make sure that they are contacting other franchisees before they invest in a franchise. Making sure that you have the uniform offering circular with the details you need about the way the franchise is set up- the financial, legal and personal history is also important before you sign a franchise agreement.

Before you sign, it’s reasonable to expect that you have the franchise’s backing- that is use of the name, trademark and also their know how in advertising, marketing, facility design and layout, as well as any fixtures and displays. You also need to be sure that you are going to get the benefit of the training and management assistance, and the ability to do business in an area exclusive to you and protected from other franchisees. There are a number of things that you will want to be sure that you are completely clear on, and these are just a few of them. If there is any aspect that you aren’t comfortable with, never be afraid to ask.

In certain situations, franchisees may be able to negotiate with the franchisor in order to purchase of lease equipment, signs and other different supplies, or obtain building permits and remodel the business buildings and premises. Usually, franchisers have a set way of doing things, and because of this, will often enable the franchisee to utilize their resources, or at least offer guidance in obtaining the needed items for start up and other structural needs from training employees and management to sometimes hiring practices.

While it is true that a contract usually benefits the franchisor more than it will the franchisee, the benefits to the franchisee of entering into such an agreement are numerous. Yes, the franchisee will probably need to meet certain sales quotas and may have to purchase the supplies, equipment and inventory needed- but more often than not the franchisor can help in this case, if it is not already a requirement. Adhering to guidelines set under a franchise agreement will be important and not doing so can result in the franchiser, under their rights, terminating the contract and the franchise if it isn’t going with that agreement, or if it violates other contract obligations.

It is usually best before entering into a franchise agreement that you make sure that you have a good support system- like any business. You will need to enlist the help of not only an attorney with franchising experience, but also, an accountant. There are certain tax issues that are specific to franchising, and things that are better addressed by a professional with quite a bit of experience in dealing with the key elements of franchising as it pertains to tax law. Having an attorney go over your franchising agreement before you sign will ensure that your rights are being protected, and that everything is being done as it should be.

Many people are considering Bio Diesel as an alternative fuel, and for good reason- biodiesel is typically cleaner burning, smells better and also better on the environment. While some savvy restaurant owners have come to the conclusion that it is better to recycle and reuse the oil- either by way of filtering better to eliminate loss through waste, or by giving their waste oil to local bio diesel users to convert- the problem remains the same. You cannot simply dump waste vegetable oil, so disposal is often a concern of restaurant owners.

When not disposed of properly, waste vegetable oil is not good for the environment, ironically. It can cause serious damage to local water supply and also, can be problematic for wildlife. Dumping waste vegetable oil in your own parking lot can also cause damage to your sewer and septic systems, and cause a great deal of repair to have to be made- costly repair.

Dumped vegetable oil actually causes a large number of issues with sewer and septic systems because as vegetable oil cools and settles it congeals, which can clog up pipes and cause corrosion of certain materials.

There are a number of kits available on the market now for do it yourself bio diesel afficianados- and the popularity of alternative fuel is taking the world by storm, particularly in the US. So, now, restaurant owners find themselves with a new alternative to paying fees for disposal or having to deal with local ordinances. However, there is also an issue of some bio diesel users not being careful when removing the waste oil- so how do you bring these two things together to benefit both? Some intelligent business owners have simply started to place ads in the paper for the removal of their waste oil, coming together and giving the grease using populace an easy way to obtain their fuel, but also, a great and cost effective way to dispose of the grease.

The FiltaBio service, offered by Filta Franchisees, takes the old oil away and ensures that all the oil goes to biodiesel.  Others still yet simply take the waste vegetable oil to rendering companies. Usually, in these cases it doesn’t even matter how nasty the oil has gotten, not only do the rendering plants need that extra grime in the vegetable oil- they usually will pay to take it. These plants typically make alternatives to fire starters or animal foods from the vegetable oils, and restaurant owners never have to deal with it again. As you can see, there are many other alternatives to simply dumping waste vegetable oil out there- and all have better outcomes than simply tossing it. So, there are a variety of really great ways to take the waste oil issues you may have, and turn them around- not only either benefiting your bottom line, but benefiting the environment as well. Waste vegetable oil does not have to be a headache- as a matter of fact, with a little bit of negotiation, your “trash” can become someone else’s “treasure”.

The Franchise Disclosure Document is a legal document that you usually will get in the course of looking into a franchise. By law, franchisors must furnish this document to prospective franchisees, and  this generally contains materiel information that will be important to the franchisee in assessing the franchise as a business opportunity. This document is usually packed very full of information, and each piece is a vital part of the overall picture that you need to make a more informed choice. Having this document and being aware of the parts of it is important. Here, we will go into the different parts of the Franchise Disclosure Document and what different changes are in this format for franchisees.

Franchise Disclosure Documents all follow the same format: The franchisor and any predecessors, litigation history, bankruptcies, the franchising fee and any other opening payments, any other fees involved, a statement of the investors initial cost, obligations to the franchisee to purchase from specific sources, obligations to purchase in accordance to standards, financing, obligations of the franchiser itself, designation of territory, trade marks, trade names, logo types, service marks and other commercial symbols, copyrights and patents, obligations of the franchisee to participate in actual operations, restrictions on goods and services,  Renewal, termination, repurchase, modification and assignment of the Franchise Agreement and related information, arrangements with public figures, actual, average, projected or foretasted sales, profits and earnings, information regarding the franchisers’ franchises, financial statements, contracts and lastly, an acknowledgment of receipt.

The FTC rules for franchises changed in 2007- and many people question the differences between the Uniform Franchise Offering Circular, or UFOC and the  FTC Franchise Disclosure Document, or FDD. It is important to bear in mind that the FTC does not require these documents to be filed, but that twenty six states require business opportunity disclosure filings, and thirteen states keep these on file. It’s generally advised that a franchiser give you this document at least fourteen days before you sign a franchise agreement- though the better advice is to be sure you are clear on it well before then.

As of  July 1, 2008 the new format became mandatory. Most people have discovered that franchise closings do go a great deal more smoothly since the change, and it certainly does make delivering the document via electronic means a great deal easier. However, the same rules apply as to this document as did the old- make sure that you have a qualified franchise attorney look it over, and if you have any questions about any part of the document, or anything said in it, always ask for clarification. It is vital that you are absolutely clear on the franchise agreement, and the FDD, more importantly, before you proceed so that you are completely understanding about what you are engaging in.

The kitchen is the most important place in any restaurant. This is where food is prepped, delivered, made, and plated in a presentation that will be most appealing to the customers. Being able to maintain a neat, orderly and above all safe kitchen is paramount to any restaurant manager. Most restaurant kitchens are made up of several stations. From Prep, saute, pizza, salad and more, depending on the size of the restaurant there may be only a couple, or there may be many. When you’re thinking about your kitchen, consider the menu that you offer. If you have many salads on the menu, having an adequately stocked salad station is key, grilled food requires a larger grill to make sure that food gets prepped, prepared and delivered faster. Being able to maintain good space requirements, and understanding the space limits you have will help, also.

How you stock your kitchen will be very important, too. You have to make sure that all of the equipment you have is appropriate and efficient. However, it is usually beneficial to get much of the equipment used- this is a cost effective way to stock your kitchen and serving utensils, dishes, and other small items can really be obtained much more cheaply this way. For larger pieces, such as grills and ovens, you need to be a bit more careful to ensure that they have more life left in them. You may also want to think about leasing your equipment, particularly in respect to things like ice makers, which typically have a very short span of use.

Safety should be in your mind at all times. Always ensure that there is plenty of space for movement around things like the grill, ovens, and fryers. There needs to be enough room for your staff to be able to do their jobs and in such a way that does not compromise safety. Being sure that all areas where hot things are served, prepared or otherwise handled have appropriate safety measures is key, and making sure that your staff is well trained in how to handle certain situations will also be beneficial. As a routine part of your maintenance routine- make sure you have lists available on the way that you want each and every process done. This may be anything from how to clean the grills and ovens, to how to clean, filter and maintain the fryer- but make sure that everyone is very clear on what it is that needs to be done and in what fashion.

Keeping your kitchen safe is a major part of running a good restaurant. Your staff deserve and have the right to a safe and well organized work space that is as free of risk factors for injury as possible. Being aware of the space requirements from the outset and planning accordingly can help you to create a safe workplace before staff even enter the door. These are a few small ways to make sure that you’re not only running an efficient, but safe kitchen.

On the whole, if you asked the staff of ten restaurants what they hated the most about their line of work, the kitchen staffs from each of these restaurants would tell you- the commercial deep fryer is a dreaded machine, lurking there, waiting to be cleaned. From filtering the oil, to actually changing the oil and dealing with the vents- what a mess! Most staff do not relish the idea of waiting for the temperature to drop, dealing with the downtime, the potential burns, grease splatters and often slipper floors after. Training new employees to clean the fryer can be problematic- some employees are too young to even be allowed to touch it, let alone clean it. However, there are some things you can do to train employees to deal with the dreaded deep fryer in a better way.

First you have to get the fryer ready to be cleaned, and this involves letting the oil cool. Beginning with this, you have to realize that the fryer is kept at a constant heat- usually right around 350F, and that takes a long time to cool properly. Turning the fryer off, unplugging it, and allowing the oil to get down to a workable temperature is important. The highest the temperature should be when cleaning is roughly 150F. Once it has reached this temperature or lower, you can then begin the cleaning process.
Once the fryer oil has cooled, then comes draining it of the oil. As you allow the oil to drain from the vat, you will want to take any baskets or utensils used and wash them separately. After all of the oil is removed from the fryer, then you have to scrape it clean. Particle build up is a big problem for fryers- and if the scraping is not done properly, not only will the new oil be compromised and make it so the food does not taste the best that it could, but, it can also cause mechanical problems and safety issues with the fryer itself. Using a metal spatula, scraping down the sides and being sure to get into the corners is usually best.

For every type of fryer, there may be a different way of cleaning- and this is the actual deep cleaning that is so vital to the continued maintenance of the machine. Fill the fryer with water and a soap solution made for cleaning deep fryers, and plug the fryer back in- turn it on and allow the water to come to a boil. Once it has reached a good, rolling boil, then unplug the fryer again, and allow the water to cool, draining the soap solution just as you did with the oil. Rinse with a rinsing agent, and then, rinse it again with water.

Generally, a decent solvent will take care of the outside of the fryer. Sometimes you may find that you have to allow the solvent to sit to make sure that you have removed any caked on grease. Wiping the fryer down, making sure to give it a good once over with dry towels or cloth can help your fryer to not only look better, but smell better also. Once this is all done, you have to make sure that the area around the fryer itself isn’t still greasy. Often, throughout the normal course of a day, the area in front of a fryer gets a thin layer of grease which can cause slip and fall accidents. As this is the last step, the fryer, and the area around it should be ready to run again with the next shift.

The alternative… get a Filta technician in to manage your fryers.

Knowing the ropes, and knowing what it takes to succeed in franchise ownership is sometimes hard- from the outset, it may seem complicated, but honestly as with any business it boils down to attitude. With almost any franchise opportunity you can look into, you will see that there are people who have had good experiences with it and bad- and depending on the person, they may have had good reasons for either. But one thing is sure, it does take a certain sort of person to become a success in any business, and franchising is definitely no different. When you make the decision to buy any franchise, before you really consider it, take a little time to speak to those who have been successful with it. Those who are still involved with the franchise itself will be able to shed a better light on how to succeed and what sort of pit falls you may encounter.

One of the greatest aspects of franchising is making sure that you are very organized when it comes to accounting. If you don’t have an accountant that manages things- you may need to be a great deal more fastidious about your numbers than one who does. But even if you do have an accountant, there are day to day operations to consider, and a great deal of thought that has to go into those. If you decide, even prior to start up that every bit of the numbers, the money and statistics that you use need to be organized properly, you’ll be off to a better start. Also, the very best way to really get into that habit is to begin with your start up funding and carefully budgeting it down to the last cent and sticking to that budget as best you can. You may find that this helps you keep a mindset of organization, but also, it makes you very aware of your finances, and what is going where and why. This comes into play later on when it comes time to cut losses and balance things further, if need be.

Another aspect of franchising that does differ from your typical independent business is that you do have to really remain communicable with your franchisor. There will be a number of marketing strategies that are usually used, the business itself, and the way that you run things that may depend on this, yes, but there is more to it than that. Keeping an open and clear line of communication with your franchisor keeps you abreast of any changes to system, any innovations that may be in the works, and also maintains a good working relationship as well. Being flexible and adaptable is a great trait to have, and one that will definitely benefit a new franchisee. Though there are great benefits that go along with franchising, looking into it as any other business can help. Successful people understand that in any business, franchising or no, riding the ups and downs in an intelligent way and being able to stick it out is always a key factor in making it work for them.

The duties of a restaurant manager are varied and this career requires a great deal of multitasking and quick thinking. Depending on where you work, you will find that each and every restaurant manager has different duties in each food establishment worked in. In most, the restaurant manager is assisted in duties by sub managers, or assistant managers and crew leads. On occasion you will have larger restaurants who do have an executive chef that handles most of the kitchen management duties and takes care of the back of the line. However, for a general restaurant manager, there is a great deal of hard work and time put into the job that makes this a very broad range description.

For the most part, the restaurant manager’s duties begin with a heart of customer service. Yes, at times the restaurant manager will be the one that takes care of customer complaints, resolves issues and often, you will see the manager of any establishment out amongst the customers, helping the staff. A real hands on approach is always a benefit to being a great manager, and being able to be cautious and set a good example for the rest of your staff will enable you to do the work that is needed. There is also a great deal of organizational skill needed in this, as managers are more often than not responsible for taking care of inventory, stock, and doing everything from making schedules to analyzing trends in various sales to make sure that protocols are followed.

Being able to have a keen eye for detail is another area where managers must excel. Being able to keep accurate records of foods served, costs, losses, profits and sometimes making sure that a tip pool is accurately distributed is key. Also, being able to ensure that there are enough staff on at all times, and not an over staffing is very important to making sure that losses are kept under control and that customers are kept happy. A big part of this means being able to hire quality staff, from kitchen help to wait staff, to make sure that the employees on crew are reliable, friendly and helpful and that they can do the jobs that they are hired on to do. In keeping with high standards of quality, sometimes a manager may have to conduct certain interviews and disciplinary practices, and this can be something that requires a great deal of strength. Being able to discern when it is most appropriate to take action, and what those actions may be is another area where many managers have to take care to pay attention to detail.

On the whole, the role of a manager in a restaurant is a critical one, and a career path that is very carefully considered and worth working towards. Being able to be self motivated, hard working and committed to the continuing excellence of your restaurant are traits that all effective, efficient and forward moving managers posses.

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.

There are many different types of oil you can use in your commercial fryer that will make a difference in not only the taste of the oil, but the longevity of it, and the cost, as well. Filtering is an important factor of regular deep fryer maintenance because of the nature of the foods cooked in the oil. Preventing food particles from building up and causing problems for your fryer is very important, but this can also impact other areas of the fryer and the food you serve, as well.

The typical commercial fryer holds about twenty gallons of oil. One gallon of vegetable oil usually runs roughly $4.96 dollars a gallon. So, each refill of a twenty gallon commercial fryer costs around $99.20. If you’re a busy restaurant, that can mean going through quite a lot of vegetable oil- and filtering is important because it prolongs the life of that oil. Generally, though, for most commercial fryers, the stable oil lasts about 100 hours. However, factoring in the actual cooking, you’ll lose about 1/5th of your oil- that’s about four gallons. In an improperly filtered fryer- that number can increase pretty dramatically. But, we’ll say in a fifty batch of food day in a restaurant, you’ve lost $19.84, just in running the fryer as normal. Different types of oil don’t really make much difference in this- the differences in the oils are health and flavor related, for the most part. Though, considering the sort of oil you use in your fryer may be an important and wise marketing tactic, as health conscious as people are these days.

The reasons that you’d want to filtered that oil are numerous, but looking at the above paragraph, you realize that anything that would prolong the life of that oil- and 100 hours at a 50 batch of food a day run is going to end up costing you about $175.00 every four days without a filter- assuming you only do 50 batches. More than that, the cost shoots up further. With a filter, you prevent the breakdown of the oil itself. So, filtration is very important for economic reasons alone. Each and every little food particle that builds up further and faster breaks down that oil. Having a good filter system or having the oil regularly filtered can actually cut that cost in half, sometimes even more than that, but there are other benefits. Consider your fryer and how much it costs. Now consider that while yes, all that particle build up is causing issues with the oil- but what about that large, complex and expensive piece of machinery it is frying in?
That’s right. Filtration can also save you on maintenance and even having to replace your fryer itself. So, to recap, not only does filtration of the oil save you money in oil costs, but it makes your food taste better longer, gets rid of those yucky little extras that people sometimes find in their fried foods, but also prolongs the overall life of your commercial fryers themselves.

For more on filtafry visit filta.com.

Kitchen workers, especially fry cooks may have a greater risk for injuries like burns and carbon monoxide poisoning. Though commercial fryers are relatively easy to use, injuries can and often do occur in the routine course of using them and especially in maintenance. Consider that frying oil is generally kept at a temperature of about 350 degrees, anyone who works around them is at risk for injuries due to splashing oil. As to carbon monoxide poisoning, most commercial fryers come with a specialized vent for diverting the gas into a vent hood. However, when that vent hood is compromised or the exhaust is not properly maintained, the entire kitchen can very quickly fill with the gas.

Protective measures are best. Restaurant managers need to be absolutely on top of their employees safety at all times. While it is true that it is the responsibility of the manager to provide a safe work environment, there are a number of things that employees themselves can be doing to ensure that they are safely handling the fryer systems. Management has to take care to make sure that there are nonslip pads on the floor near the fryer, that all employees handling the fryer are well trained and always cautious, that the vent hoods are regularly inspected and in working order, and that there is a class K fire extinguisher nearby in the event of an emergency. Inadequate or training that has not been taken seriously when using fryers is a big cause of injury amongst food service workers. Always take roughhousing and other hazardous behaviors very seriously and discipline accordingly to not only prevent injury, but insurance premium costs that can come of even minor injuries as a result.
Here are a few tips for employees so that they can protect themselves from injury when working around the fryer.

• Always be sure to wear slip resistant shoes and the proper safety equipment. Pot holders and oven mitts should be used when lifting baskets and always wear steam gloves when changing or filtering the oil.
• Only add the oil to the fill line. An overfull fryer vat is an accident waiting to happen, as the oil can boil over very easily if it is too full.
• If you experience symptoms like dizziness, weakness or nausea, check with coworkers to find out if they are also experiencing them. If so, report this to the management immediately and be sure that the vent hood is in full working order.
• Never have drinks around the fryer- this can cause ice or liquid to go into the hot oil, which can cause splattering and splash overs that can cause injury.
• Always allow the oil plenty of time to cool before removal of vent filters and cleaning.
• Keep the floor around the fryer clean and dry at all times. An oily or slippery floor can lead to slips which will cause a burn.
• Never drop baskets abruptly into the oil. Always lower slowly, with care not to splash or move too quickly.

You may have thought that waste oil was done with its usefulness when you disposed of it, but recently, many people have been finding an interesting and very beneficial use to used vegetable oil that is becoming a growing trend in fuel. Environmentally friendly, better smelling and completely renewable, it is very little wonder why bio diesel is beginning to take the world by storm as a viable option over traditional petroleum fuels.

Bio Diesel and other recycled vegetable oils, when used in place of petroleum diesel bring a great many different environmental, fuel security, health and economic benefits. When burned as fuel, vegetable oil doesn’t emit any SO2, which is the main compound in diesel that causes acid rain. Also, recycled vegetable oil fuel produces less carbon dioxide- up to seventy eight percent less, in fact and forty eight percent less carbon monoxide, as well as less asthma causing particulate, and up to eighty percent less polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons when compared to petroleum diesel.

Apart from great reductions in pollutants, vegetable oil fuel also could give a greater amount of fuel security in the United States. Some have said this would enable the US to then curb the reliance on imported oil- which currently stands at about sixty percent of all the fuel that the US needs. This leaves our nation susceptible to higher oil prices, higher defense costs, and all of the political implications of having to secure that imported oil.

Produced in the US domestically, vegetable oil is grown by farmers, and in a recent US Department of Agriculture study, it was found that if demand were increased for vegetable oil by only 200 million gallons, this could increase the average farm income by roughly 300 million dollars per year.
Fryer waste oil from the food industry, animal fats, and fresh pressed vegetable oils can be used as fuel. Displacing the need for fossil fuels and reducing air pollutants are just two of the benefits.

There are two different ways that most people use vegetable oil as fuel. The first is just using straight vegetable oil- that is, taking fryer waste oil or just fresh oil and using an extra fuel tank and a specialized system to heat and filter the oil first. Once it reaches the engine, the oil has to be heated and filtered because vegetable oil is too thick on its own to run through an engine. The other way, however, is converting it to bio diesel and this can generally be used in engines with no modifications whatsoever.

How efficient this fuel is depends on quite a few things. Sometimes the quality of the vegetable oil used, or the type can make a difference, or the different ways that people will filter and heat it. Often, maintenance and care as well as proper use of the systems also play a role. However, with a bit of education and know how, bio diesel is widely accepted as being a good alternative to traditional petroleum diesel.

For more on filtafry visit filta.com.

YouTube Hungary

The video attached shows the FiltaFry service video for the service in Hungarian.

A Look at FiltaNet
As you may have already heard, The Filta Group offers a vast and strong support network for all Filta franchises to help assist them in operating and growing their Filta franchises.

This expansive support base includes complete in-field training in the operation and administration of a Filta mobile business, as well as intensive instruction in marketing and promotion. Filta franchisees are also privy to ongoing support whenever it is needed via the toll-free Filta support line. As of June 2004 Filta franchisees have access to an even easier and more comprehensive means of 24 hour support through the innovative FiltaNet online support venue.

What is FiltaNet
FiltaNet is the online Filta Franchisee Support Intranet exclusively available to U.S. and Canadian franchise owners. The Intranet offers franchisees the tools and resources necessary to stay up to date on all of the latest exciting developments within the Filta Group. Franchisees can also participate in group discussions, contributing concepts about how they would like to see the brand grow and getting useful knowledge and support from other experienced and successful Filta franchisees.

The Filta Group views its independent owners as a part of their ever growing and rapidly expanding family, and wants its franchisees to feel the same. The FiltaNet helps to achieve this goal, making it possible for franchisees from across the North American continent to come together to exchange hints, tips and general support. Through the use of the Intranet it is easier than ever for franchisees to access one of the greatest benefits of franchising: the experience and knowledge of a strong network of peers.

How Does FiltaNet Work?
FiltaNet offers a valuable researching tool for franchisees working to grow their businesses. For instance, let us say that a franchisee has booked a free demonstration with a Brand X Restaurant location on Friday. The franchisee would be able to access the Intranet and do his homework well before the scheduled appointment ever takes place. FiltaNet will be able to supply the franchisee with information as to how many Brand X Restaurants are being serviced by Filta, what those locations are being charged for services and which franchisees are providing the services to those locations.
The franchisee is then able to post messages and confer with other franchisees about their successes and failures with Brand X Restaurants and get valuable advice. The franchisee can even ask around to see whether an existing Brand X Restaurant manager would be willing to give a verbal recommendation to the manager of the location the franchisee is going to be offering the demonstration to. Once the franchisee has landed the Brand X account, he can then seek advice on the Intranet as to how best to provide service for specifically tailored to Brand X Restaurants’ needs.

Other Features
FiltaNet also provides Filta franchisees with a number of other valuable tools. Franchise owners can access a secure internal e-mail system, a comprehensive topic-oriented discussion forum, a helpful Q&A section, regular news updates, polls and surveys. There is also an extensive online library for franchisees, complete with all documents relating to the Filta business. FiltaNet also provides a number of useful business links, a method of simple online monthly reporting, as well as complete and up-to-date lists of all chains being serviced around the country.

The day after Gordon Finlay flew back from holiday he made a life-changing decision. Looking round the Franchise Show, he came upon the FiltaFry stand. By June 2002 he was running his own FiltaFry business.

Before the Show, Gordon had been looking to set up a business in Lincoln, but he saw that FiltaFry could give him the opportunity to return to his hometown of Newcastle upon Tyne. Luckily for him his wife, Joanne, and young kids Lydia and Harry, supported his decision – and he’s never looked back.

Gordon is familiar with the problems of owning and managing a business. He had run a general store and, before that, had been manager of an estate agency. So he has plenty of experience to call on in commenting on the FiltaFry set-up. “I found no hidden problems, no uncertainties,” says Gordon. “The market for the service is there – I get most of my new customers by word of mouth. Once chefs see how good the service is, they tell their friends and managers. And Filta helps with securing bigger customers, for example my Business Development Manager is happy to phone or meet key management in National Accounts to back my pitch.

“The Filta support package is excellent, and the training is first class, too. Within a few months of start-up I was earning a steady £800 a week, working around 30 to 35 hours. Like the man says, FiltaFry does exactly what it says on the can!”

The FiltaFry service looks after oil used for frying in commercial catering kitchens. ‘Oil-management’ is a huge task for most caterers, and one that all kitchen staff hate. An on-site micro-filtration and oil purification service, the FiltaFry programme takes over much of the routine tasks (and problems) of both oil management and fryer equipment cleaning.

“The actual process is easy,” says Gordon. “The FiltaFry system is designed to be simple to operate and efficient. Basically, if you follow the procedures in the FiltaFry manual, you can’t go wrong.”

Given the number of catering sites in every part of the country, almost all of them with a deep fat fryer, the market is huge. Just as importantly, in terms of selling the service, the programme of protecting and managing cooking oil can result in significant savings in oil costs and preservation of cooking quality.

So, FiltaFry franchisees do a job that their customers hate. In doing it, they save their customers money and help improve their food. It’s hardly surprising, then, that Gordon and his fellow FiltaFry franchisees are creating profitable businesses across the UK.

What makes a good franchisee? Again, Gordon can speak with some authority. “Reliability is what the customers want. Obviously being friendly with customers is important, and taking pride in your appearance, including the van: it’s a great advert for the business.

“Going that extra yard at a job is the way to keep your customers happy. I’ll not only do the job I’m there for, I’ll also maybe spend an extra five minutes to ensure everything is perfect. When the chef sees the improved quality of their fried food, they’re delighted.”

Of course, running your own business is not just about money, there are other rewards, too. Gordon is a life-long Newcastle United fan, and now he’s looking after the fryers in the Magpies’ stadium!

There are a number of commonly asked questions when it comes to franchising. Some wonder, if you are using someone else’s business model, and you have to answer to a franchisor, are you still your own boss? Others still yet wonder if other franchisees in the same franchise are competition, or are they colleagues. Going further still yet, many wonder if perhaps you need special skills or if franchising is something that anyone can do. Here, we’ll touch on a few of the basics and sort of explain how franchising is one way to open a business and become self employed.

What is Franchising? To put it very simply, franchising is paying someone else to use their business model, marketing and operations techniques, and the use of their brand name. You buy into an already successful business, and benefit from its brand and experience. In some ways you are not your own boss, in others you are- there is still yet a certain level of flexibility that one gets from franchising. However, in the aspects where you aren’t your own boss, generally the benefits outweigh that. Being able to have that backing and support can be a big benefit and many who have gone into independent business can tell you- support is very important. Not only that, with franchising, you tend to get a much quicker return on your investment, and reduction of risk is a big factor as well.

The fact that franchises are usually more quickly up and running is easy to explain- if you look down the street in any given town, and think about the franchises you see, such as McDonalds- they are all the same. The same basic build, same basic operating procedure, same training, same products, and the same marketing. This makes it very easy to set up, and done quite quickly which in turn makes it a faster road to turning a profit.

There are however a few things with franchising that you don’t have with independent business. In order to purchase a franchise, you’ll first need to pay a franchising fee. This is the amount agreed upon and paid at the time of signing a franchise agreement. Usually this fee only covers the right to use the name and the system, but in some cases may include other things. There are also ongoing fees known as royalty fees- and these are generally a percentage of sales, the terms of which will be drawn up and outlined in your franchising agreement. Still, general running costs for franchises are typically a little less than independent businesses.

This is just a simple run down of franchising, itself. There is much more to it than just the fees and brand recognition, but on the whole, franchising affords people another option for business ownership. This option is usually well laid out and more organized that independent business, and as such, is generally a good option to narrow the risk margin and for faster start ups.

For more on filtafry visit filta.com.

Franchising has one big benefit and this is one that is expressed a number of ways but it boils down to lower risk. Any time you begin a new business, it carries with it a high level of risk that can be very intimidating. As a matter of fact, we’ve seen, studies show that 90 percent of all businesses will fail within three years and that the failure rate is high because owners have to adapt- and can’t. Failure to move through that learning curve and learn to operate a business is rough, but quite common. Franchising takes away a great deal of that risk because it is an already proven formula in most cases. Franchises are usually an already defined, proven business format, whereas often, independent business requires a great deal of trial and error- and unfortunately, in business, it’s those errors that cause failure.

Another great benefit is that franchise is an investment and like most businesses, that carries a certain element of risk, yes, however, unlike an independent business- you can research a franchise. Sure, you can project potential income for a business, but you cannot accurately assess what it will make based on example- but with a franchise, usually you can. There is also usually a great deal of information about any given franchise out there ready for anyone to look at, and read through making it a very informed investment on the part of the franchisee. Additionally, with that proven plan comes proven names. Brand recognition is easily one of the biggest advantages to a franchise operation.

Supply costs are typically lower with a franchise as well. There is usually some form of group purchasing power through the franchiser itself that makes this much more organized and sold at the best possible price. There is almost always a uniform system of operation, so that consumers end up getting the same, consistent quality from location to location. This is also one of the tie ins to mass purchasing power and brand identification as well as customer loyalty.

The franchiser will also often offer a better format for training and marketing. Not only that, using that proven system, there are often protocols in place for everything from accounting to the technical basics of maintaining the equipment involved. This usually makes the advantage definitely franchise over independent business when in start up because it is almost instant business- with training formats outlined, ways of doing business already clearly defined, all that is left is training employees in the given format.

As you can see, there are a number of ways that a franchise really has a great deal of benefit over an independent business. While this is true, understanding that this is still yet a business of its own, with the same sorts of responsibilities can help. Identifying your own traits and lifestyle needs and weighing them against your franchising options can definitely help you to make the right choice for you.

For more on filtafry visit filta.com.

In recent years, working at home has become a big boom. The draw to telecommute is a big one- not only can you be your own boss, but you see all the time, “work in your pajamas!” and other perks listed. While not all home based franchises are going to afford you the luxury of working in your pajamas, a few do. There are a number of home based franchises that can really make a big difference in not only your way of life, but your wallet as well. There is a reason that home based franchises are some of the most sought after positions around- they bring a greater flexibility, assume less risk than independent business, and bring in a source of stable income. What could be better?
There are all sorts, but each will carry a small element of sales. Even if your franchise is simply one of those massage chair franchises that we see in all of the malls and shopping outlets- you’ll still have to be able to sell yourself to the location in order to be successful. However, for every type of person, there is definitely an at home franchise that can be well suited to them.
Everything from housekeeping to painting, tutoring and beyond. Whatever interest you have, you can be sure that you will find a home based franchise that not only suits your goals, but likely can be integrated into your lifestyle with ease.

Having an office in your home does also mean less overhead, little commute costs, and you have a greater flexibility in setting your own hours and working at your own pace. There are also a number of tax benefits having your home office set up- especially if you are franchising, and according to the tax laws, you can claim portions of your house or garage for use as a home office. Using that area on a regular or exclusive basis means that you use it for work and not just occasionally. Exclusive means that it is only an office and nothing else and you will not be able to run the administrative aspects of your business anywhere else if you claim your home office. One of the best things you can do if you do decide to buy a home based franchise is to be sure you have an excellent accountant who can help you to make sound business decisions in this regard.

Other benefits of at home franchises is, relatively speaking they do tend to have much less in the way of start up as opposed to brick and mortar franchise. Considering you don’t have to set up a building, you don’t have to hire on staff most of the time, and you usually do not need a huge amount of inventory, it’s really no wonder. The convenience is also a big draw, as it makes balancing work and home life a bit easier for many people who perhaps have reasons for not wanting to work outside of the home.

For more on filtafry visit filta.com.

For entrepreneurs and those fascinated by the small business world, the explosion of internet financial journalism can be both a blessing and a curse. Everyone has an opinion these days on the state of the business world, and everyone with an opinion has a blog and a Twitter feed. But every now and again, some wisdom is passed on that is so important, we must pass it on.

The Wall Street-Journal has provided 5 small business indicators that are essential for forecasting the direction of the US economy. They are listed below.

1. Real Personal Consumption Expenditures: this will “shed light on whether consumers are spending and how much”
2. Consumer Confidence
3. Producer Price Index: important to monitor because it can reveal inflationary pressures
4. U.S. Dollar
5. Unemployment Rate

The big issue, underlying most of this is consumer confidence. There will be a day, either this year or the next, when people decide it is safe to go out and spend again. This will have something of a domino-effect on the economy at large. All of these indicators will give you a great sign of where consumer confidence lies.

If you are a franchisee considering taking on extra staff or considering expansion or a prospective franchisee trying to perfectly time your entry into the market, our advice is this: monitor these indicators very closely throughout the year.

Many people have concern about keeping it local. Everyone wants to support their local economy and make sure that the money stays within the community. However, there are a few facts about franchising that you should know before you assume that a franchise is “big business” and that it is purely about taking money away from your community. It is not really the case, usually- for the most part, franchises are almost always owned by someone who has lived in the territory for some time, or at least close to it.

In any given franchise, particularly the smaller ones, there is a local person- usually someone who is actually native to the area, behind everything. Franchises are bought by people who want to be self employed, want to run their own business, but are seeking out a proven business model and perhaps brand backing to help them succeed. So the first thing to really understand about a franchising operation is this- behind it, it is likely one of your own neighbors. The bulk of the money that was going to go out of the community already did- when this person bought the franchise. Yes, there are fees and royalties, but for the most part, consider that the person who owns that franchise is probably one of your own neighbors. More often than not, franchises are not big, faceless corporations at all, but locally owned and run businesses, just like their smaller, independent counterparts.

Secondly, franchising brings jobs- even the smallest of businesses, the more successful they become, has to hire on help. The most cost effective way to handle hiring of employees is to do so from the existing pool of the population around. So, the jobs are not being taken away, either, and on the whole, franchises may be employing a great number of people in your very own community. Also, smart franchise owners usually bring in supplies and contractors from the community itself- this is intelligent business sense, as it is usually not nearly as expensive to bring in local work. So, in these ways, franchising does in fact benefit local economies in a better way. Many people find that their first job as a teen, in fact, ends up being in a food service franchise of some sort, and again- this benefits the local economy.

Behind each and every franchise operation that you may see in your community, there is an owner, a manager, sometimes sub managers and usually employees. Each and every one of those people come from your communities. As they work, they bring in money to support their own families- and, in turn, your community as well. The economic wheel moves as it does, and the local work that comes from franchising is actually a very stable and good thing- unlike independent businesses which can face economic crunches and not make it out, franchises usually already have a proven set up that has been working for them for some time. This keeps your neighbors, family and friends in jobs that support both themselves, but also, your community on the whole.

For more on filtafry visit filta.com.

As restaurants and companies dealing in food production struggle to survive, a small industry is capitalizing on opportunity. Cost reduction services are thriving off the needs of business owners to reduce overhead anyway they can. One company in particular has positioned itself to profit from the increased demand for cost reduction, as well as capture the attention of sustainability managers looking to push corporate green initiatives.See how this business is paving the way for inevitable changes in the way businesses deal with green initiatives in the coming years.

As struggling businesses look to cut costs, the small but growing industry of cost reduction services is flourishing in the current economic environment. In times like these, anything that helps a business lower its operation costs is going to be a welcomed service. Several companies are taking such needs all the way to the bank, but an oil filtration company known as The Filta Group found a particularly unique niche that combines the benefits of cost reduction with the social capital of going green for restaurants and commercial kitchens.

Win-win situations are rare when environmental initiatives work in tandem with profit strategies, but the company based out of Orlando, Florida is succeeding by doing just that. Called Filta, this green franchise focuses on environmental and efficiency solutions for restaurants and commercial kitchens. The company’s largest product is an oil microfiltration service, which allows cooking oil to be used effectively for a much longer period of time, thus improving food quality and the life of the frying systems. It is a service that most restaurants had never heard of until Filta Group started franchising their FiltaFry service in the 90’s. Oil filtration is exactly what it sounds like. The company uses a proprietary technology to filter impurities out of used cooking oil to extend its use life. The company says it can extend oil life by up to 50%, reducing costs for restaurants (far more than the cost of the service) while lowering their impact on the environment. According to Filta’s president Jason Sayers, the company has filtered over 250 million pounds of oil since it’s inception, or enough to fill an entire football stadium. That’s a tremendous positive impact on the environment, as well as the profits of thousands of restaurants and commercial kitchens. The word is beginning to spread.

Starwood Hotel Brands, which includes the likes of Sheraton, Aloft, Westing, St. Regis, and other hotel leaders, entered a deal with the company recently to offer Filta’s services to the hundreds of hotel-managed restaurants and commercial kitchens in its management portfolio. A national agreement was reached with the hotel giant after a pilot program yielded an impressive 37% reduction in costs associated with frying oil processes or roughly $570,000 in savings.

Other major corporations are soon to follow suit as the attraction of cost reduction, and the added social capital of going green, grabs the attention of upper financial management and sustainability managers alike. The only downside is that oil filtration services are not yet available nationwide to fill the ever-increasing demand for such a service. Analysts expect the demand for oil filtration to increase 25% annually for the next several years, as going green and cost reduction becomes the motto of every Fortune 500 company and small restaurant chain alike. Filta Group president Jason Sayers put it best, “fried food isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Fryer’s are an essential part of almost any commercial kitchen. We just found a way to make them more efficient and profitable for restaurants. If we can make a profit making their business more profitable, then we have done our job.”

Staying true to its food service cost-reduction core, Filta has also just released a new service known as FiltaCool. This unique system utilizes passive moisture-controlling technology to increase refrigeration efficiency in restaurant coolers. The move is paying off for Filta and clients alike. Studies have shown the system’s ability to significantly increase the efficiency of refrigeration systems to control humidity and temperature, two major factors that help decrease energy costs in cold-storage. This passive and relaltively inexpensive service allows commercial kitchens, and restaurants to reduce operations costs even further than FiltaFry alone.

If you have not yet seen a Filta mobile service van in your area, expect to see it soon. The company is barely keeping pace with the number of new requests for franchise information. In times like these, it is good to see any company thriving. Especially one that combines green initiatives with profitability. Companies like Filta are the next evolution in the new economy. They are proof that social responsibility and profit can be achieved at the same time.

The Small Business Administration has just released its newest list of failure rates by franchise brand from October 1, 2000 until September 31, 2008. This is a list of general SBA 7(a) and real estate and equipment 504 loans to franchise owners. It gives a sense to lenders and buyers on how well franchisees in a chain are financially able to perform. This is the list that the agency provides to loan officers of its most trusted lenders and banks throughout the country.

Loan officers and franchise buyers realize that there are thousands of franchise opportunities to buy from, so why mess with the riskiest?

This Report, in spreadsheet form, is the unedited data from the US Small Business Administration (SBA) reporting on franchise loan performance on the brand level during the time period of 10/1/2000 and 9/30/2008.

The table of data includes listings for all identified franchises by franchise code for loans guaranteed through the 7(a) and 504 programs. The table includes the number of disbursements, the amount disbursed, the failure percentage and the charge-off percentage. Individual loan data is not included in this report.

FiltaFry’s failure rate is only 6%. There are more than 300 brands with much higher failure rates (as high as 85%!) including:

Athlete’s Foot – 46% failure rate
Dollar Discount Stores – 44% failure rate
Carvel Ice Cream – 41% failure rate
Blimpie – 40% failure rate
Golf Etc – 40% failure rate
Wing Zone – 38% failure rate
Kwik Kopy – 33% failure rate
Mr. Electric – 33% failure rate
Back Yard Burgers – 32% failure rate
Fast Frame – 27% failure rate
TCBY – 25% failure rate
Budget Blinds – 24% failure rate
Godfather’s Pizza – 23% failure rate
Wetzel’s Pretzels – 23% failure rate
Minuteman Press – 22% failure rate
Meineke Discount Muffler – 21% failure rate
Petland – 20% failure rate
Quiznos – 19% failure rate
Lawn Doctor – 18% failure rate
AAMCO – 17% failure rate
Chem-Dry – 16% failure rate
Long John Silvers – 16% failure rate
Mr Handyman – 13% failure rate
Exxon – 13% failure rate

For more information visit www.filta.com

See what this TGI Manager says about the FiltaFry service (which is provided to many TGI stores).

Business ownership can be one of the most financially rewarding investments you make.  It can also be one of the riskiest.  By choosing to invest into franchise ownership, rather than starting up a private, independent business, you significantly increase your chances of success.

However, franchise ownership can be notably more costly than independent ownership.  Though the cost is certainly worth it both in terms of security and potential return on investment, financing a franchise can be an ordeal in and of itself.  Where does a hopeful investor turn to raise the capital need to start his entrepreneurial endeavor?

Personal Assets

Obviously, you want to raise as much of the capital as you can on your own.  The more you put up yourself, the less beholden you are and the more positive the start of your business.  So before you get started, take stock of what you have to offer.

If you haven’t already hired an accountant, now is the time to do so.  A good accountant can advise you of options you may have not considered.  If you have equity in your home that you can borrow against, then you are off to a good start.  Look into your other assets as well.  It is possible to create a C corporation from your 401k or other retirement funds.

Co-Investors

If you feel comfortable with the idea, then you might want to consider soliciting for investors within your business and social networks.  Friends, family and associates can often be surprised in the level of support they are willing to give to someone who has a history of good business sense and the drive to succeed in business.  Don’t let shyness stop you from achieving your dream of business ownership.

Funding Through the Franchisor

As lending has tightened, due to the economic crisis, more and more franchising companies are beginning to offer incentives and financial backing for those looking to invest in franchise ownership.  Though this additional financial dependence on the franchisor is far from ideal for most owners, it may provide a means of ownership for those who simply cannot raise capital through other methods.  As such, make sure you are aware of what options your intended franchisor options for those looking to become owners.

Other Loan Resources

Just because lending has become more restricted doesn’t mean that a traditional business loan is unobtainable.  Banks are lending less, but are still lending.  In addition to the traditional lenders, an increasing number of alternative lenders have also begun to make loans available in the gap created by the banking industry.

If your business is backed by the Small Business Association and their loan backing guarantee, then you stand a much higher chance of getting a traditional loan.  If you haven’t settled on a franchisor yet, but know that you will need a loan once you do, you might wish to narrow your search to those on the SBA Franchise Registry.  Having a SBA backed franchisor will put you in a much better position when it comes time to apply for that loan.

For more on filtafry visit filta.com.

Effective Restaurant Management: Secret’s In the Sauce

One area that many restaurant managers do not get as involved in their management as they should is food prep. This sounds a bit far fetched, but bear in mind that some of the largest fast food and other restaurant franchises have one thing in common: all have a very consistent menu. The way that they do things, is the way that they have always done things- and the public likes that. If you want to see an increase in your profits, whether you’re managing a local mom and pop diner, to a territory in a bigger franchise- consistency is key. Sure, there is a great deal to be said for bringing new product, but, keep your recipes the same. There are a number of reasons why controlling your food prep is a great idea in being an effective manager, and we’ll go into those now.

First of all, as mentioned above, people like knowing they can get what they like. Basically, they enjoy knowing what to expect. National Restaurant Association surveys show that an average sit down restaurant gets about sixty percent of its business from repeat customers, but the average fast food or casual restaurant may get up to eighty percent of all business from repeats. This means that customers are looking to have the familiar and that is what you have to provide.

Secondly, consider the cost implication. If you have a clear cut standard of doing things and a method behind all of the food that is prepared, you can control loss in a big way. You do this by being able to ensure that expensive ingredients are not used where they are not needed, exact portions are enforced and knowing exactly how much of a product you are making. Everyone’s experienced the line cooks that don’t use a formula and how either recipes go very wrong, aren’t enough for all of the portions needed, or had to deal with employees feeling that they could simply have a taste or lunch break at the expense of the restaurant. If you use a set model for every recipe and menu item that your provide, the risk of loss in these ways is much less.

Thirdly, managing portions is easier with a set recipe for each dish you offer. Once you have that set recipe, you can also provide the tools that your staff needs to ensure that each portion is precise and accurate. Making sure that every product that goes on your line is already measured out into the exact need based on trends is a very useful way to also cut your costs, controlling food usage and also, time spent in prep before it goes out to the customer.

These are just a few small ways that having a set standard can enable you to be a more effective restaurant manager. A quick glance around your kitchen and you may just find that the more organized you are- down to the smallest condiment, the better your cost to profit ratios will be.

For more on filtafry visit filta.com.

We’d like to take this opportunity to pass on our condolences to the family of Arthur Bartlett who passed away on New Year’s Eve. Mr Bartlett was a true giant of franchising.

Born in 1933 in New York state, Bartlett is one of the people most responsible for the spread of the real estate franchise. The company he co-founded with Marshall Fisher, Century 21, may be the most recognizable real estate franchise in the country. Bartlett had worked as a salesman before getting into real estate, and was turned onto franchising by Fisher. They opened their first Century 21 in Santa Ana, California way back in 1971 and Bartlett was quickly converted into one of the most prominent believers in the power of franchising.

“Franchising has been the savior of free enterprise in this country. It has given the small businessman a way to survive,” Bartlett told the LA Times back in 1982. Those are words that will inspire anyone involved in franchising in the slightest.

According to the LA Times obituary, what made Bartlett unique was his ability to convince thousands of independent real estate companies to believe that their greater interest rested in being part of a national franchise organization.

When you think of it, Century 21 is everything is a franchise should be. Those yellow-y jackets, that iconic logo: Century 21 business owners embodied all of the principles of the larger business they represened and they became America’s most visible real estate company. It’s a global organization now with over 7,700 offices around the world.

We’d like to salute Arthur Bartlett for his life work and remember everything he has done for franchising.

As everyone working in the franchising sector knows, even though the calendar has changed, the economic challenges haven’t gone away. Luckily, this fact hasn’t escaped the eyes of President Obama, who has spent some of the first week of the year lobbying America’s banks to accelerate their small business lending.

According to Entrepreneur magazine’s Diane Ransom, President Obama has asked that bankers give small businesses that had loan applications rejected this year “a third and fourth look” this year. They are strong words from the President and now the ball is firmly in the court of America’s big banks to do something about it.

Will they, though? The CEOs of Bancorp and PNC Bank, after meeting with the President, subsequently made pledges to reconsider rejected loans. And according to outgoing Bank of America president Ken Lewis: “Small and medium sized businesses are the lifeblood of the U.S. economy. Our improved financial condition and our optimism about the economy will allow us to step up lending to support these clients.” That statement is backed up by pledges of up to $5billion to small banks, so at least Bank of America are putting their money where their mouth is.

But still the lending market remains stalled. We welcome the President’s lobbying on behalf of small business owners, but it is time for these hugely profitable banks to start to push some of their earnings back into the real economy and into the pockets of America’s franchisees and small business owners.

The IFA has announced its keynote speaker for its annual convention in San Antonio next month. It’s an interesting choice, and certainly a marquee name.

George W Bush, native Texan and the 43rd President of the United States, will deliver the keynote address at the IFA Convention on February 6th. Bush has enjoyed his life outside of the Oval Office and it marks the second convention in a row that a former US president has attended. Bush’s predecessor, Bill Clinton, addressed the assembled franchise community in San Diego one year ago.

By Abraham Aboraya

SEMINOLE COUNTY - When Gov. Charlie Crist signed an executive order in July to make the state government a more environmentally friendly employer, part of the provision was that agencies should use “green lodging” for conferences when it’s available.

Tom Rovison, the owner of franchise company Filtafry, hopes his company’s business of reducing waste in restaurants will get a boost from the order as the New Year comes around and the bulk of the order comes into effect.

“A lot of these companies are in a rush right now to get involved with the Florida Restaurant [and Lodging] Association and the green theme lodging so they’re still allowed to host these functions,” Rovison said. “What happens at that point is people have to follow certain waste guidelines – reduction to a certain level – a

nd we help them get to that level and it’s a cost effective way of doing it.”

Rovison’s company uses a vacuum and pressurized filter system, an imported system from Europe, to clean the frying oil and double the life of the oil. Rovison said that one of his goals for 2008 is to expand his business in Seminole County.

“No one likes to clean the fryers, but we’ve got it down to a science,” Rovison said. “We’ve got all the tools that are needed to do it fast, safely and cost effectively.”

Filtafry has a sister company that works with restaurants and cafeterias to secure the used oil and convert it to bio-diesel fuel. ABC Research Corporation in Gainesville, a company that does lab work for Burger King, said the recycled oil may be lower in coal tar and even trans fat, the Orlando Business Journal reported.

The company is also expanding and offering a filter service for freezers, which Rovison said can both lower the temperature of the freezer and equalize the humidity, which means less time with the compressor running.

“You save on electricity which means less fossil fuels which means more environmentally friendly,” Rovison said.

Rovison services a variety of clients, from the cafeteria at Central Florida Regional Hospital in Sanford to all three Papa Joe’s in Seminole County. For many of his clients, Rovison said, it’s not the environmental and health benefits that lure clients to his business as much as it is the release of liability.

According to a 1999 study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, there was an estimated 44,800 injuries suffered by restaurant workers – and nearly half of those injuries were from burns. Numbers for burns in Seminole County aren’t kept by state’s worker’s compensation department, the state Department of Health or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Florida office.

When Danna McGowen arrives at a business in the bright yellow Fitafry van, he’s wearing what look like welding gloves – thick gloves that go to the elbow made from bulletproof kevlar – and he’s armed with four years of experience changing out the 360-degree oil.

Both McGowen and Rovison said people often show them the scars they’ve gotten changing or cleaning the oil.

“They’ll roll their arms up and show you the scars,” Rovison said. “We take that liability away from them and give them a better product.”

“We can handle pretty much anything coming our way,” Rovison said. Currently, he estimates that he filters about 10,000 pounds of oil in a week. “The more (clients) the merrier.”