I recently attended a webinar about the power of influence hosted by Joseph Grenny, author of Influencer, The Power to Change Anything. Grenny suggests that the ability to influence people is the most powerful skill not only for business but for life. This got me thinking: How do I influence people? Every time you interact with another person you influence that individual. Your actions can influence people positively or negatively. You can make a small difference to people or change their life. If you knew how, what would you influence? This reminded of the struggle I had getting my employees to say... Continue Reading »

Winston Churchill said, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." During these difficult economic times, have you found your opportunity? Recessions give birth to business. A recent report from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation found more than half of the companies on the 2009 Fortune 500 list started during a recession. Many people who have been laid off from their corporate careers are looking for their next opportunity. I think we all realize there is no security in big business, and many people are excited about controlling their own income by opening their... Continue Reading »

I don't know about you, but a few years ago I was getting a dozen credit card offers each week and letters from banks begging me to borrow money. Now it is almost impossible to get a business loan or even open a new credit card account. Where is the access to capital for small business? There are thousands of people ready to open their own business. The biggest obstacle keeping entrepreneurs from opening their doors is the lack of capital. Didn't we, the taxpayers, give billions of our money to banks? As the banks tighten their lending guidelines, I wonder how we can... Continue Reading »

As interest rates on credit cards continue to rise, homes values sink and the unemployment rate increases, aren't you ready to take a break from all the negativity that surrounds us and hear something positive? I thought so. I had the opportunity to speak with Julie Clark, founder of Baby Einstein (educational videos for babies), and I wanted to share her amazing story. It's a story of a little startup that made it big. Her story motivates me, and I hope it will motivate you as well. Clark was a former grade-school teacher and stay-at-home mom who had a simple idea.... Continue Reading »

The West Coast Franchise Expo just swept through Los Angeles, showcasing hundreds of franchise opportunities. Because of the increasing number of people laid off recently and the growing uncertainty in corporate America, self-employment is becoming very popular. More and more people are deciding to take their employment and their futures in their own hands through franchising. The expo is a great place to discover a concept that sparks your interest and to speak one-on-one with different franchisers. The expo makes it easy to compare cost, concepts and companies all in one location. From franchises that offer a $10,000 initial investment to companies that... Continue Reading »

I just read an article that claimed franchisers are targeting college graduates to be the next generation of franchisees. The article claims college graduates are attracted to opening their own businesses because they cannot get jobs in this economy. Last week I read another article that claims veterans make the best franchisees because they possess the ability to listen and follow directions. and they are usually very dedicated. An article before that claimed laid-off executives made the best franchisees. They have business skills, are career-driven and do well following a system. Young, old, military or corporate background, it matters who you are more than your background in determining... Continue Reading »

Let's take a break from talking about franchising and talk to people who make franchising work. Welcome to my first blog for the "Whom to Know in Franchising" series. I hope to introduce you to some interesting people in the franchise industry and share with you their insight and experience. For my first blog of the series, I interviewed Lisa Druxman, creator of Stroller Strides. Stroller Strides is the country's largest and fastest growing fitness program for moms. Druxman has more than 300 franchise units, has published a book, Lean Mommy, developed a weight-loss video series for women,... Continue Reading »

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In honor of Labor Day, I would like to take a break from writing about franchising and write this blog about how we work. We have all heard people say there just isn't enough time in the day. The good news is that each of us has 24 hours every day to get things done. You have the same amount of time to run your business every day as President Obama has to fix this country. It's how you use your day that helps you be productive or not. So what can you do to organize your work day? Just... Continue Reading »

Like every other business, the franchise industry has changed due to the limitless access to knowledge on the internet. Before the World Wide Web, people usually researched a few concepts that they knew, liked and trusted. They would request information on four to five concepts, make a decision and open their business. The industry average has been that for every hundred leads franchisers received, they would award one to three franchises. But now it takes more leads to sell one franchise because the internet makes it easier for people to discover different franchise opportunities and request information. Just type "franchise"... Continue Reading »