The Franchise Handbook : A Complete Guide to All Aspects of Buying, Selling or Investing in a Franchise

CHAPTER 1 CHOOSING THE RIGHT FRANCHISE 17(14) Franchises Are Not Independent Businesses 17(2) Becoming a Franchisee 19(7) Buying an Existing Franchise 26(1) Starting New 27(4) CHAPTER 2 DOING YOUR RESEARCH 31(6) Internet Research 31(1) Separate the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 32(2) Starting Points 34(1) Staying Organized 34(3) CHAPTER 3 SIGNING ON THE DOTTED LINE: LEGAL ISSUES 37(20) Understanding the UFOC 38(8) Hiring a Franchise Lawyer 46(1) Hiring a Financial and Business Advisor 47(1) What Is the Best Way to Own and Operate My Particular Business? 47(1) Partnerships: The Pros and Cons 48(6) Forming a Business Entity 54(3) CHAPTER 4 ESTIMATING START-UP COSTS 57(22) Start-Up Costs 59(3) Raising the Money to Start 62(2) Business Plans 64(1) Major Elements of a Business Plan 65(4) A Business Plan Template 69(9) Business Plan Resources 78(1) CHAPTER 5 GETTING FINANCING 79(10) Steps to Take Before Applying for a Loan 80(2) Start-Up Costs 82(1) Operating Costs 83(1) Personal Living Costs 83(1) Applying for That Loan 84(1) Federal Government 85(1) State Government 86(1) Local Government 86(1) Commercial and Private Sector Sources 87(1) Friends and Relatives 87(1) Equity Investors 88(1) CHAPTER 6 CONDUCTING A MARKET ANALYSIS 89(10) Market Research 90(3) Conducting an Industry Analysis 93(3) Conducting a Market Analysis 96(3) CHAPTER 7 CREATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 99(16) Projected Income Statements 99(3) Estimating Income and Cash Flow 102(1) Sales Forecasts 103(1) Starting the Investigation 104(1) Quizzing the Current Franchises 105(1) Calculating Potential Sales, Cash Flow, and Profit 105(3) Calculating Average Gross Sales 108(2) Projecting Cash Flow 110(2) Profit and Loss Statement 112(1) Final Words 113(2) CHAPTER 8 LOCATING YOUR FRANCHISE 115(8) Finding the Best Location For Your Franchise 115(1) How to Evaluate Your Location 116(1) Financial Considerations 117(1) Constructing a Location 118(1) Negotiating a Lease 119(1) Things to Consider When Leasing Within a Shopping Center 120(1) Things to Consider When Subletting From Your Franchiser 121(2) CHAPTER 9 MARKETING YOUR FRANCHISE 123(6) Finding Your Customers 124(2) Effective Advertising 126(1) Some Notes on Customer Service 127(2) CHAPTER 10 MANAGING EMPLOYEES 129(10) Where to Find New Hires 130(1) What to Look For 131(2) Interviewing and Hiring 133(3) Being a Good Boss 136(3) CHAPTER 11 BUYING AND MANAGING SUPPLIES 139(8) Group Purchasing 140(1) Locating Your Own Suppliers 141(1) Managing Your Supplies 142(2) Organizing Your Stockroom 144(3) CHAPTER 12 MANAGING SUPPLIER AND FRANCHISER RELATIONSHIPS 147(14) Communication 147(3) Making Your Contribution to the Success of the Franchise 150(3) Improving Efficiency 153(1) Vendor and Consultant Relationships 154(2) Outside Resources 156(1) Employee Relations 157(1) Handling Stress and Making Complaints 158(3) CHAPTER 13 COST CONTROL 161(2) CHAPTER 14 TERRITORIAL STRATEGIES 163(6) Multi-Unit Franchising 163(3) Territory Divisions 166(1) Right to Expand 167(2) CHAPTER 15 EXPANDING YOUR OPERATIONS 169(16) Checking Your Franchise Agreement: Can You Buy Another Franchise? 169(1) Understanding Your Purchase Options 170(3) Retro-Franchising 173(1) Converting a Competitor's Location 174(1) Starting From Scratch 175(1) Buying Multiple Units 176(2) Reviewing Your Personal and Business Resources 178(3) The Pros and Cons of Multiple Ownership 181(4) CHAPTER 16 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE FRANCHISE MODEL 185(10) Advantages 186(3) Disadvantages 189(6) CHAPTER 17 FRANCHISING YOUR BUSINESS 195(26) Leap of Faith, From Small Business to Franchiser: Ready, Set, Go! 195(4) My Fee Structure Can Make or Break Me 199(1) Who Is My Ideal Franchisee? 200(1) What a Franchisee Really Wants 201(2) How Do I Narrow the Field? 203(1) I Have Some New Franchisees...Now What? 204(2) Going To Market: Smart Expansion 206(1) Wave of the Future: Tactical Execution 207(1) Corporate Culture: The Ties That Bind 208(1) Knowledge Is Power 208(1) Like It or Not, You Need an Attorney 209(1) Self-Service Not Recommended 209(1) Beware the "Franchise Packagers" 210(1) Look Out World, Here I Come: Global Expansion 211(6) Importing a Foreign Franchise to U.S. Soil 217(4) CHAPTER 18 FRANCHISING AND THE LAW 221(8) Federal Law 221(2) State Law 223(1) Registration States 224(1) Relationship States 225(2) Franchiser Certification 227(2) CHAPTER 19 FRANCHISING RESOURCES 229(44) Companies Offering Franchising 229(37) Franchise Attorneys and Service Providers 266(7) GLOSSARY 273(14) INDEX 287