Cheap Franchises » Franchise

Avoid Falling Into Dept While Purchasing a Franchise – Franchise For Less Than $2,000

Michael Sanofsky — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:14:42 +0000

So you want to buy a franchise but you don’t have $20,000 – $500,000 to spend and you don’t want to take out a loan. What can you do? People seem to think that in order to have a successful business you’ve got to invest a lot of money; this is far from the truth. This article will help you see that you don’t have to fall into dept just to start your business.

With the economy in the state that it’s in right now and not showing any signs of improving in the immediate future people just don’t have the type of money that is needed to start a franchise; and if they do have the money they don’t want to risk losing it.

What if I was to tell you that you could buy into a franchise for less than $2,000 and still have the potential to make a six figure income? There are a number of online companies that a person can buy into for around $2,000 and make a lot of money while working from home.

Working online could be one of the smartest decisions that you’ll ever make. You don’t have to invest a lot of money to buy into a company, you get to work from home, and you have the potential to make more money than you’d have in a traditional business. The internet will only continue to grow and get more popular. There is a lot of money to be made here in the future.

I would defiantly recommend that you look for an online franchise, especially if this is your first business venture. Find an online company that will provide you with the necessary training and mentoring that you’ll need to achieve success.

If you’re looking for an excellent franchise that won’t cost you more than $2,000 than click on my website http://www.todaysbiz.org You’ll be able to learn everything that you need to create success within the internet and you’ll have a great mentor and coach. I would love to help you make a change in your life, and help you learn how to make money online. Take a look at http://www.todaysbiz.org and make a change in your life today!

Author: Michael Sanofsky
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
News of Solar Power and Alternative Engery

Franchise That Won’t Cost Me a Fortune – Franchise Under $2,000

Michael Sanofsky — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 01:12:11 +0000

So is there such thing as a franchise that won’t cost anywhere from $10,000 to $500,000? Why are franchises so expensive? One of the most popular ways of starting your own business is by buying a franchise. Franchises will provide you with a great well recognized product, proven system to follow, and a lot of times marketing and advertising. All of these things that I just mentioned make buying into a franchise a safe investment.

The problem that most of us face is that we don’t have $10,000 dollars let alone $500,000 to invest within a franchise. Due to the economy it’s extremely difficult to get a loan so unless you’ve got the kind of money that I just mentioned lying around the house you won’t be starting a franchise anytime soon.

Luckily there is a way of buying a franchise for under $2,000 that still provides you with an opportunity to make a six figure income. There are a lot of different internet businesses that people can buy into less than $2,000 and manage out of their homes.

The internet is growing rapidly by the day. There are average people like you and I make large sums of money working right out of their homes. Working online is great because you don’t have to invest a lot of money on office space or a building like you would if you were to invest in a traditional franchise. All you need is a computer and access to the internet.

If you’re looking for a low cost franchise then I would look no further than the internet. Find a company that has a proven team and that will place you in a successful team with a great coach and mentor. Finding a great franchise online shouldn’t cost you more $2,000.

If you’d like to learn more about me and a online franchise that won’t cost more than $2,000 please visit http://www.todaysbiz.org and let us help you find success!

Author: Michael Sanofsky
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
US Dollar credit card

How Does a Franchise Work?

Jeff Klingworth — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 00:29:17 +0000

Have you ever dreamed about owning your own business? Many people have; however, they have no idea where to start. If this is the case with you then perhaps a franchise could be the answer to your dilemma. Franchises are available in nearly every industry. There are three main steps to purchasing a franchise. They are the interview, the actual purchase, and the training. Take each step individually and the confusing process of buying a franchise can be simplified greatly.

Nearly all franchises will have an interview process to determine if you are a candidate to be a franchisee. Most franchises would prefer someone with a business background, but many franchises are very lenient and are confident they can train the right individual. Along with the interview process, the franchisor will help determine the viability of their franchise in your area. In this step they will help you determine population and location details.

The next step in the purchase of the franchise is the actual buying process. Some franchises will finance a portion of the purchase price with a down payment. The purchase price of the franchise will include equipment costs, the franchise fee, and ongoing royalties. The franchise fee is charged to cover expenses related to training in the use of the brand name. Nearly all franchises will also charge an ongoing royalty fee that will either be a set price or a percentage of revenue. Again, this is charged to use the brand name and the franchises business practices.

Finally, once the purchase is complete a training date will be set. Most franchises have comprehensive training programs that will span 1 to 2 weeks. During this training the new franchisee will learn the franchisor’s specific business methods. In addition, most franchises will briefly cover the management of the location. Finally, nearly all franchisees will receive some type of marketing training. Different industries will have specific marketing campaigns that work better than others. The franchisor will have a vast amount of knowledge in this field and can convey what works best.

There you have it. As you can see the mysteries of a franchise can be solved relatively easily. A franchise can be a great choice to increase your chances of success. Franchises have a much higher success rate than an individual business start up. This has to do with the proven business practices performed by the franchise.

If you are short on cash there are a number industries that can be entered into with a cheap franchise. Commercial cleaning, carpet cleaning, and cheap food franchises are just a few industries that are ideal for low cost investments.

Author: Jeff Klingworth
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Creditcard Currency Conversion Fee

Is a Low Investment Business Franchise Opportunity For You?

Raymond Lawrence — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 23:17:05 +0000

Many times it’s easy to find yourself un-satisfied with your current job situation. Frustration or seemingly mindless activity at a desk job can be rather dull and even boring at times. If you find yourself wondering if there is something that could be a little more exciting, a little more meaningful and a little more profitable in your life, than perhaps you should consider a small business franchise opportunity.

Initially the proposition of going into business for yourself might seem appealing but also a little overwhelming. There are a lot of questions to answer: Can I afford to start my own business? Do I really want to quit my job? What if my business fails? How could I even start a business? These are all very important questions to answer, but there is an option out there to help get you started in the franchise world, and that is a handful of low investment and easy to start franchises that can be run in addition to whatever job you currently have. If you have 10-20 spare hours in a week, and a relatively small investment, you could be on your way to being in business for yourself.

There are several categories in which low cost franchises fall into. A very common one would be the internet franchise category. There are many home-based businesses that operate exclusively online. These franchises cater to a specific group of individuals who are seeking a product or service on the internet. If you own an internet franchise, typically your responsibilities are to generate publicity and manage information in a local area. Many internet business franchises have very low costs to start up and require a minimal amount of time to run. For Example: Xfactor Online Dating is a website that offers local owners a change to promote and connect an exclusive postcode in the UK. It’s the role of the franchise owner to promote local Online Dating services in the agreed territory and you can work as little as 1 hour a week, for an investment of only £7,995. Similarly the ORCA websites are a franchise group that sells tailor made websites to small and medium sized businesses. You are not responsible for creating and managing the websites, only selling the service and gathering the specific information your customers desire to be on their custom ORCA webpage. This franchise also has relatively low ownership costs requiring a minimum investment of £10,950+VAT.

If internet franchising isn’t exactly the type of business you had in mind there are several other low cost franchise options including a variety of home service businesses. These franchises can be run from your home with as many or few clients who are in need of the service you can provide. Some of the more well known home service franchises would include Maid 2 Clean which is a franchise business where you would offer domestic house cleaning and ironing services. Maid 2 Clean helps out those busy households who just can’t seem to stay ahead of the day-to-day chores. The beauty of a Maid 2 Clean is that 90% of customers become repeat customers. Maid 2 Clean can be purchased and operated starting at £8,246. For the exterior of the home you should consider Myhome Lawn Cutting and Care. For the many people who’s most valuable possession is their home the care and beauty of that home is of the utmost importance. Myhome professionals are certified specialists in all areas of lawn and garden care and maintenance. Much more than merely mowing lawns the Myhome franchise also offers a Window Cleaning franchise as well. With Myhome Lawn Cutting and Care available at £6,000-£25,000 and Myhome Window Cleaning from £10,000-£29,500 these are two excellent low cost franchise options that again can be run as whatever level of commitment you as the owner desire. Hire a staff and build a full time business, or provide the services personally and manage a neighborhood to generate a little extra income; it’s your decision.

Finally there is the more traditional product based franchise. These classic franchises are small businesses that make a product for their customers. Many such franchises are larger in scale and require a greater investment, cost to carry inventory, lease office and retail space, but there are a few exceptions that would fall into the low cost franchise category.

The Little Angels Children’s Photography franchise specifically targets women franchise owners because the nature of the business is taking pictures in children’s classrooms and homes and studies have shown that young children respond better and are more comfortable around women. This product driven franchise provides a regular need for picture days at school and big events in children’s lives. Pictures will always be a part of families to preserve their memories, so what better franchise to own and be a part of? Little Angels requires an investment of £6,750. Also in the product franchise market is Cardgroup Greetings. This company is the best and most widely sold greeting card and gift distribution business in the world, existing in over 30 countries. Everyday is someone’s birthday and our traditions made those days into card giving days. What better way to run a small business than to help people express themselves in this fun and meaningful way? Cardgroup Greetings Franchises can be purchased starting as low as £12,973

If you are looking for something more in your life, you want to succeed at something that will give you a sense of pride and ownership. The small business franchise market could be perfect for you with such a wide variety of low investment franchise opportunities. For such small investments you could be the owner of your part-time or even full-time business that will provide you with the income, ownership, drive, and fulfillment that you have been seeking in your career.

Find a UK business for sale and browse home based business franchises at Franchise Gator UK.

Author: Raymond Lawrence
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Anti-angiogenic Food

Can You Buy a Franchise Without Spending Thousands of Dollars? $2,000 Franchise

Michael Sanofsky — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 23:12:43 +0000

So you want to buy a franchise but you don’t have thousands of dollars to invest and you don’t want to take out a loan. Franchises are great because you’ll have a well known quality product to sell and a program or system to follow. The problem is that these businesses aren’t cheap; is it possible to find a franchise that won’t cost that much but still give you high earning potential?

The reason that I’m writing this article is to inform people that they can buy into a successful franchise that has high earning potential for under $2,000. Where you might ask? The internet is full of business that people can buy into and manage from their homes.

The internet is the fastest growing industries in the world. If you think about the internet’s growth just over the last ten years it’s amazing to think about, imagine what it will be like in next ten years. Working online is great because it’s easy to do, very inexpensive, and it provides endless earning potential.

If you don’t want to spend thousands of dollars in a franchise then I would look to the internet. If you’re new to internet I would suggest that you look for a company that will teach you everything that you need to know about online business and marketing. You should have to spend more than $2,000 to find a great business opportunity that has the potential to make you a lot of money.

Author: Michael Sanofsky
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Anti-angiogenic Food

Top 5 Franchise Opportunities For Moonlighters

Raymond Lawrence — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 22:19:45 +0000

In today’s economy, dual income families are becoming more and common and necessary, but for many people, the answer to money woes in the slumping economy is getting a second job to make ends meet, or “moonlighting.” Now, you could go get a second job where you make next to nothing doing manual labor or retail work or you could take on a second job that’s not only exciting but could also flourish and grow to the point where you make enough money to quit your day job and focus on your second one. With a home based franchise, you’ll not only be able to set your own hours and run your business as a second job, but you’ll also be able to scale and grow your business as you go so that one day, sooner than you man think, you’ll achieve the financial freedom you’ve been dreaming about and be able to go from working two jobs to running one business that’s rewarding personally and financially. If you’re interested in taking on a new gig with the potential to free you financially, consider the Top 5 Franchise Opportunities For Moonlighters.

5. Entech USA Vending

Forget coffee, today’s consumer is proving that there’s more than one way to catch a caffeinated buzz and they’ve turned the once humble energy drink market into a whopping $100 billion/year industry with more growth every month. Vending machines make great low cost franchise opportunities because they require very little startup money and they make great business opportunities for moonlighters because after you setup the machine, the only work left to do is to stock your machines every week or two and collect your cash. Energy drinks represent a high profit industry because a 20oz energy drink will sell for between $2-$3 where the average soda will sell for half the price, sometimes less. If you’ve every considered a vending franchise, choose an energy drink franchise that’s all but guaranteed to outperform a comparable snack or soda machine.

4. DVDNow Kiosk

DVDNow video rental kiosks provide an automated DVD rental service that can be deployed in grocery, convenience stores, gas stations, office building or any other high traffic area. By focusing on the highest demand titles (mainly new releases) DVDNow kiosks allow you to provide consumers with instant, automated movie rentals of the titles that people actually want to see. Imagine coming home to your condo or apartment complex after work and picking up the latest New Release in the lobby of your building. The perfect second job, all that’s required of you is to setup the machines, keep them in working order and collect your money.

3. The Drug Test Consultant

Anyone who’s worked a few jobs knows the value of a drug test. These tests not only help the employer to hire mature and responsible candidates but also serve to protect coworkers from drug abusers who can be very dangerous to work around in a variety of jobs. The Drug Test Consultant is among a handful of cheap franchises that can be bought and up and running for less than $10,000. As a Drug Test Consultant franchisee, you’ll help employers screen candidates for drug use, perform background checks and even hair follicle testing. This is a great job for the moonlighter as the testing can be done on your own schedule and can pay very well with little time needed each week.

2. Caddy Card

When you’re working two jobs, you may find it hard to find time to get onto the golf course, luckily with a Caddy Card franchise, you can hang out at the course all day, not playing hooky, but working. Caddy Card’s product is an attractive golf course guide book complete with scorecard, training aids, course information and advertisements. Your job as a Caddy Card franchisee is simply to sell the advertising space on the caddy card and then literally give them away to local golf courses. Golfers love Caddy Cards because it provides all the detailed information they need about the course and lets them track all of their important information throughout the day. Golf courses love Caddy Card because it’s free for them and it attracts new players by providing more information about the course and making the golf course look more professional and attractive. You’ll love Caddy Card because of its low initial investment ($11,800) and its fast return and high income potential.

1. HomeTask.com

Handyman Services Many moonlighters need to be jacks of all trades, being able to do whatever work is needed for the job at hand. HomeTask.com shares your handyman’s spirit by deploying handymen to jobs all over your area and building lasting customer relationships, which are sure to earn you valuable referral business. As a franchisee, you’ll be supported by a world-class team designed to assist you with training, initial startup and ongoing support with your business to make sure that you never feel like you have to figure it all out on your own. If you’re ready to capitalize on this exciting small business opportunity, don’t delay and make the crossover from moonlighter to full-fledged handyman.

Working multiple jobs is tough, but business opportunities available at such low startup costs and with such high potential for profit, getting to financial freedom by working less for more money is closer than you think. These franchise opportunities are all designed to benefit not only the seasoned entrepreneur but also the first time investor/business professional by guiding you each step of the way and helping you to build on the triumphs and successes of the franchiser. Take advantage of what’s available and with a small business franchise, start working smarter, not just working harder.

Find more franchise opportunities and information for moonlighters at Franchise Gator.

Author: Raymond Lawrence
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Benefits of electric pressure cooker

Hottest Low-Investment Franchise Opportunities Available

Raymond Lawrence — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:18:51 +0000

Like any big step in life, taking advantage of a franchise opportunity can be a daunting thought, and part of what is so challenging about it is the inevitable price tag that comes with it. The average car in America costs roughly $28,000, and the average home runs at about $212,000, but starting a business, even a franchise, can sometimes reach prices of $1mil or more, and that is enough to startle even the most intrepid entrepreneur, but it doesn’t necessarily have to. In truth, only the highest echelons of franchise business reach prices that high, and many actually stay in a range closer to that of the average American car. If you’re just starting out or don’t currently have the financial strength to take on a multi-million-dollar business, the following are excellent low-cost alternatives.

The Back Rubber

One of the most interesting of all vending franchises, this business is built on an automated service instead of a product. For only a couple dollars, patrons can use automated leather massage chairs conveniently placed in malls and shopping centers, and in most cases, they love the brief relaxing break from the day of errand-running. The success of this home based business is determined almost solely by the franchisee, who decides where, when, and how often he works; fulltime or part-time, 4 chairs or 20: it’s all the owner’s decision.

Caring Hearts In-Home Care

One of the cheapest business opportunities available, Caring Hearts In-Home Care provides in-home care to elderly clients. Whether that takes the form of personal care assistance (like bathing and clothing the client) or simply keeping people company and playing cards with them, franchisees with this company provide such services with an open heart and a smile. And because 75% of the baby-boomer generation is quickly approaching retirement age, the demand for such services is about to skyrocket. If you’re a caring person who wants to get in on a vastly expanding market, there is no better opportunity.

The Drug Test Consultants

Drug abuse has become a major issue in our society: one that ruins lives on a daily basis. It’s a problem that few franchises address, but The Drug Test Consultants is one of the few that does. Franchisees begin by training in the field to receive The Drug Test Consultants associate certification, which dubs them ready to administer a full battery of workplace drug tests, hair follicle tests, home drug tests, steroid tests, and personal background checks for their clients. Executive associates then get to participate in the “Summit” Marketing System and “Platinum Hot Lead Program,” which stir up public attention without any cold calling. And all along, franchisees receive ongoing mentoring and personal support, making the system helpful for both clients and franchisees.

Creation Carpets & Flooring of America

Unlike most carpeting and flooring businesses, Creation Carpets & Flooring of America has no storefront to purchase or overly bulky stock to amass and keep track of. Doing things in a completely unorthodox and effective way, work from home franchisees keep large sample books that house hundreds of carpet and floor swatches for their customers to look through and choose from, reducing the headache of walking through a massive warehouse for everyone involved. Because 41 dealers are already active across the country, and the business has proven itself a worthy partner for numerous distributors around the nation, franchisees get the lowest possible direct pricing on their orders. Simplicity and functionality come together beautifully in this franchise business.

Made In The Shade Blinds And More

Similar to Custom Carpets, Made In The Shade Blinds And More brings the value of warehouse prices to the convenience of in-home selection and purchasing. This business has built such a strong relationship with distributors that franchisees receive products for clients at prices that can’t be beaten, which translates into savings for customers and higher profit margins for business owners. Though it may not seem likely to the average Joe, blinds and window coverings are part of a $5.3bil US industry, making this work at home franchise a serious business opportunity for any serious entrepreneur.

FranchiseMart

Imagine walking into a store with no expectation of buying an item or service, but rather a business for sale; that is exactly what customers of FranchiseMart do, because this business is a seller of franchise businesses and nothing more. Sort of a permanent tradeshow, this business was begun by United Franchise Group, a team of people with a total of 30 years of franchising experience under their belts. Receiving full training from some of the greatest franchise minds in the industry and a fully turnkey business, franchisees with FranchiseMart find themselves with a great outlook for franchise-brokering success.

Buying a franchise business will always be a little unnerving, but that doesn’t have to be based on the price of the purchase itself. Though it may seem that buying a cheap franchise would be limiting future financial gains, that simply isn’t the case; all that matters is the functionality of the business model and the personal investment of the franchisee. With any one of these low-cost franchises, you’ll quickly find out that it doesn’t necessarily take money to make money.

Find more low cost franchises including home service franchises and vending machine franchises at Franchise Gator.

Author: Raymond Lawrence
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Low-volume PCB maker

Franchise Opportunities With Little Cash – What to Look Out For

Katrina Cole — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:19:01 +0000

For some of us, we crave to be our own boss and have a little piece of something that is ours. For most of us, we can not obtain the capital needed to finance a great business venture. That is why a lot of us are searching for franchise opportunities with little cash. They do exist; the hard part is finding one that is worth the time and money. Here are a few points to research and help you determine if a low cost franchise is right for you.

What To Look Out For When Searching For Low Cost Franchises

1. Hidden Costs: Make sure that there are going to be no hidden costs. A lot of the time the cost you see associated with a franchise only covers the right to use the name and processes of that particular franchise. Leasing a location, buying the equipment and getting the stock or materials needed are usually all extra. You will want to find out if some or all of these extra costs are included (sometimes they are). You also want to know about any other necessities you may need to purchase to start your business.

2. Support: What kind of support is offered to you? Sometimes franchises are sold cheap because they are very inefficient in certain areas, such as training and support. When looking at franchise opportunities with little cash, you will want to know what is available to you before you start. This way you can asses in what areas you will be on your own.

3. The Target Market: Never forget to analyze the market around you. Will there be any demand for what you offer? Will you be able to compete with the other businesses in the area? Can you meet their prices? These are all important things to consider. Franchise opportunities with little cash can be hard to market against the same types of businesses that have higher start up costs. This is because the higher investment usually means that the franchisee has better processes, support and training to work with. You will need to have a marketing tool to use as arsenal, such as lower prices.

One Last Piece of Advice When Considering A Franchise

If you are considering franchise opportunities with little cash, you should examine your options very carefully to make sure that you are still getting a proven business model and good value for your money. And don’t forget about the Internet. There are many online businesses that you can start for a fraction of the cost that even a cheap franchise would run you. If you do your research, you could start a legitimate, profitable online home business before you could finish the paperwork involved in purchasing a franchise.

To see what a Legitimate, Profitable Home Based Online Business can offer you and to team up with one of the Largest Online Marketing and Mentoring Programs on the Internet go to http://www.ImagineYourselfFree.com Fill out the form on the first page and then watch the video in step #3 on the second page.

Katrina Cole is an Internet Marketer and member of one of the Largest Internet Marketing & Mentoring programs. She is dedicated to coaching those who want to experience a Legitimate Internet Opportunity that will teach Top Online Marketing Techniques. For more information on how to create a successful Online Home Business or transform your existing one into a more profitable opportunity, please visit http://www.KatrinaCole.com

Author: Katrina Cole
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Pressure cooker

Selecting a Low Cost Franchise – How to Find the Perfect Franchise

Michael Sanofsky — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:17:26 +0000

Franchising is becoming more and more popular each day; in fact 40% of all sales revenue comes from franchises. People love the idea of selling products that are already well known and loved, not to mention the ability they have to follow a proven business system. The only problem that a lot of people run into is the overall cost of getting into a franchise.

Generally a franchise can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $500,000; not too many people have this type of money lying around their house not to mention how hard it is to take out a loan these days. So is it possible to find a cheap franchise? What are the steps that you should follow when making your decision?

Well just to quickly answer the question on whether it’s possible to find a cheap franchise the answer is yes! There are a number of franchises available these days that cost anywhere from $6,000 – $15,000. For a lot of people this is still too much money. If you want to find a franchise for under $2,000 I suggest searching online for a multi level marketing company; most of these online opportunities will still give you the ability to create a six figure income.

So here are the steps that you should take before buying into a company:

1. Evaluate your background and skills. Find a business that you’d feel comfortable in.

2. Is this something you’re going to do alone? Part time or full time? From home or an office?

3. How much capital do you have to invest?

4. Talk to an expert.

5. Don’t hesitate, if you want you start your own business just do it!

These steps will really help you find the best opportunity for you. There are a lot of low cost franchises available; if you’re looking for something really cheap that gives you the ability to market to the world then I would suggest looking into an online business.

If you’d like to learn more about me and buying into a cheap online franchise that has six figure earning potentia please visit http://www.todaysbiz.org and let us help you find success!

Author: Michael Sanofsky
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Pressure cooker

Cheap Franchises – The Cleaning Franchise

Christine Sutherland — Fri, 28 May 2010 20:17:08 +0000

Many people would like to start their own business but only have a small amount of money to invest, and often have no cash reserves to tide them over until profits start flowing. This is why so many investors are drawn to the lower end of the franchise market with some cleaning franchises.

You pay a fee to purchase the franchise, then an ongoing monthly fee which is meant to cover advertising and other support services from the franchisor. Sometimes this includes finding new customers for you, and sometimes you must do that yourself.

As with any business purchase, be very aware that not every franchise will be successful, and that you have no guarantees whatsoever that you will make a profit. It is also possible that you will make a significant loss from the start, and may never move into profit.

How Cleaning Franchises Work

Typically you would pay the franchisor for a client base worth a certain amount of annual fees. For instance you may be given 10 clients, with an expected annual spend of $20,000. The price you would pay for that would generally be about 50%, or $10,000. In most cases you would pay ongoing monthly management fees for support from your franchisor. Often these fees are around 10% of your monthly revenue.

Some franchisors even offer you credit to finance your purchase. As you might imagine this can seem very attractive to someone who is struggling financially but very much wants to start their own business. However if things go wrong this can land you in even more debt.

Your income can also disappear very suddenly because if you decide that a customer is too damaging to your business and you need to dump them, or if a customer lives too far away for you to be able to service the account, or if you lose a customer because they decide they don’t want your services any more.

Other Potential Problems with Cleaning Franchises

Cleaning franchises often appeal to people who have limited education, or whose English language skills aren’t adequate. In both cases these people may struggle with the convoluted and complex language of the franchise agreement and it is very easy to get into a contract which disadvantages them. Always get professional advice from an objective, qualified 3rd party such as an accountant and/or a solicitor.

Verbal agreements are worthless. The franchisor or his/her representative may be overly-optimistic in their descriptions of what’s being provided. Never pay attention to verbal agreements, only to the information contained within the contract.

Although you may have purchased a group of accounts, it may be that the franchisor doesn’t immediately make those available to you, and your cash flow can be severely compromised if you’ve based your business plan on having work from the start. You may need a backup plan including a second job in order to survive the first year.

Monthly management fees can prove to be an impossible burden because they usually consists of a fixed amount which you must pay whether you are earning money or not, as well as a percentage of your revenue. Also you will pay those fees even on customers that you’ve found by yourself, without any help from your franchisor.

Any accounts you have sourced yourself, from your own efforts and expense, may still belong to the franchisor. This means that if your agreement ends, you lose everything.

Most franchisors offer training but this may be poor quality or leave out the strategies and support that are essential for guaranteed success. Make sure that you’re assigned a skilled mentor who has a solid track record of success.

Where the franchisor is finding new accounts for you, it is the franchisor who sets the hourly rate that you may charge. In some cases this rate may be insufficient to cover costs of staff and equipment, meaning that you’re operating these accounts at a loss.

Very few customers of cleaning services retain their cleaner for more than a year. This means that you have very little reliability or continuity and must always be seeking new accounts. Some franchisors take advantage of this by charging you for new accounts that they provide, even though they are merely replacing what you already bought in the first place.

You can lose your franchise and your franchise fee, and be left with nothing but debt if you don’t meet your service or performance targets. Some customers are slow payers or end up not paying at all. If your franchisor sues for payment, you might still have to pay the legal costs, even though you get nothing from that.

These days it’s common for a franchisor to demand your personal guarantee of any debts or liabilities that arise. This means that your personal assets, such as your home, car, furniture and electrical equipment are immediately put at risk because they are totally exposed to potential debt.

Your contract may state that no-one in your family can join or own another cleaning business, not just while you own the franchise, but even afterwards! Some of these cases have failed in court, but do be aware of the risk.

How to Stay Safe

No matter how cheap the franchise, there is still risk. You can minimize that risk by:

Giving the disclosure document and contract to both your accountant and your solicitor. Pay attention to issues such as legal cases and failure rates, and have them explain both documents, including your rights and obligations, comprehensively.

Talking to existing and ex-franchisees. Typically the franchisor will only refer you to businesses that are successful. You need to speak with the failures also to determine whether the franchisor has faults that should be warning signs for you.

Contacting the appropriate government department (wherever you are in the world there will be a government department that administers franchise agreements) and discover what information they have for you.

Getting any verbal statement or agreement in writing. Verbal statements or agreements are totally worthless and it is madness to do any deal on a handshake. No matter how seemingly minor, get it in writing! If they won’t do that, don’t just walk away – run! Honest people are not afraid to put their claims in writing.

Precisely understanding your obligations so you can plan cash flow around fees and expenses.

Getting the truth about earnings claims and ensuring that you’ve spoken to other franchisees who have made that money from the start.

Being incredibly cautious if you’re considering getting credit to finance the deal, or to carry you through the early days before the cash starts to flow. Think carefully before exposing yourself or your family to disastrous loss.

A Safe, Easy Alternative to a Cleaning Franchise

What would you think of a business which:

You could purchase for less than $2000
Would give you 90% of that back if you decided to stop within 12 months
Had maximum monthly operating costs of less than $500
Had no membership fees, management fees, royalties or other costs
No complex contract
You were under no liability to perform and no danger of being dumped
Training and mentoring for success (with highly-qualified mentors) was completely free
Audited and published earnings were excellent
You could simply walk away from any time you wished, without liability or cost
You could develop an income stream that could continue long after retirement, and even be willed to your children to create generational wealth?

It’s well worth a look at other, better options before exposing yourself to the expense, risk and uncertainty of a franchise

You can see a fabulous alternative to a franchise here and avoid franchise fees altogether!

Author: Christine Sutherland
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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