The Educated Franchisee Insider Newsletter

The Educated Franchisee
The How-To Book for Choosing a Winning FranchiseJune 2011
Author ImageGreetings!

Last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to reread Who Moved My Cheese with my daughter.  She is 8 years old and has become quite a good reader.  At the same time she is always interested in learning new things and discovering 'lessons'.   

 

When she found the book in my office it led to a lot of questions.  The questions started with "why do you (Dad) have pictures of mice on your 'business' books?"  Eventually it led to us reading the entire book together.   

 

What a great experience.  I had honestly forgotten what a great book this is.  My daughter's favorite lesson from the book is - Ask 'What would you do if you were not afraid?'.  Good question don't you think?

 

Other lessons from Who Moved My Cheese 


Change Happens - They keep moving the Cheese

Anticipate Change - Get Ready for the Cheese to move.

 

Monitor Change - Smell the Cheese often so you know when it is getting old

 

Adapt to Change Quickly - The quicker you let go of old Cheese, the sooner you can enjoy new Cheese.

 

Change - Move with the Cheese

 

Enjoy Change - Savor the adventure and the taste of new Cheese

 

Be Ready to Quickly Change Again and Again - The keep moving the Cheese.

 

If you have not read Who Moved My Cheese lately, I would highly recommend it.  It is hard not to learn something from this exceptional parable.


Respectfully,
Apple Image
Rick Bisio
Apple ImageSBA Lending Spikes Upward on Incentives.

A little more than halfway through fiscal year 2011, local Small Business Administration lending programs are already close to exceeding 2010 levels. But much of that volume came in the first fiscal quarter, from October through December, when incentives offered by the federal government as part of its economic stimulus program made SBA lending more attractive for lenders and borrowers.

But there is another reason for the increase in the total dollar amount: The maximum size for SBA loans has increased from $2 million to $5 million. Poehlmann said for lenders like him, who focus on a lower volume of larger deals, this development has created more work with middle-market clientele.


"For us, activity continues to be robust," Poehlmann said. "There is still a demand to get financing because access to capital is not there.  


Go to Philadelphia Business Journal.com, Click Here
Apple ImageProblems with Business Credit Cards  

 

Each month, Americans get more than 10 million business credit card pitches in their home mailboxes. The cards are aimed at small businesses and sole proprietors, but they generally lack the new protections that apply to consumer cards, a new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts says.

 

That means holders of the cards are subject to a host of potentially harmful terms, like high-interest penalty rates imposed without warning. The Card Act of 2009 banned such practices for cards marketed primarily as consumer accounts, but it doesn't apply to those labeled for "business" use - even though the holders are individually liable for the account balances, just as "ordinary" consumers are. The impact of higher rates can be significant with a business card because the small business owner usually is responsible for charges on any card linked to the account.

 

Go to the New York Times, Click Here
Apple Image Franchises Are Force For Economic Recovery 

 

Snooty cities and landlords take note: Franchises can be dependable bets when it comes to job creation and reliable tenants.

Franchise development executives from some of the country's biggest brands say franchising is the economic force in the recovery.

Franchises accounted for three-quarters of a million establishments in the United States, 7.6 million jobs and $706 billion in economic impact in 2010, said Aziz Hashim, the panel's moderator.

The number of establishments is expected to grow by 2.5 percent nationally this year, while franchise jobs are also projected to increase by 2.5 percent this year, said Hashim, the chief development officer for Washington, D.C.-based National Restaurant Development.

Go to The Las Vegas Business Press.com, Click Here  

Apple Image 11 Cost-Cutting Ideas You Might Not Have Thought Of

Small-business owners have always tried to pinch pennies-but now keeping costs down is a bigger priority than ever. To find the best money-saving tips around, we turned to the Entrepreneurs' Organization, a nonprofit that aims to help business owners around the world learn from one another. Here's what some of the group's members had to say....

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There is a reality in life.  Greater knowledge drives better decisions and better decisions reduce business risk.  Franchising is all about risk reduction but not all franchises are low risk.  The Educated Franchisee is designed to empower you.  By following the advice and guidance presented in this book you will recognize high quality franchises and confidently pass over those that are not.

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Author - Rick Bisio
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