April 1, 2015 - In This Issue:

Master Your Encore Career in Entrepreneurship
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Featured Franchise Concept


Here's a fantastic lifestyle concept, only open daylight hours 5-1/2 days! Lots of fun for customers, employees and owner.

  • Amazing customer in-store experience is the key, and our stores generate high repeat and referral business.

  • Networking with local businesses, schools and charities bring in lots of sales.

  • 1,000-1,200 sq foot retail store WITHOUT THE USUAL HASSLES OF RETAIL.

  • One of the fastest-growing, most award-winning concepts in the franchise industry!

  • High-tech, light manufacturing retail store provides custom apparel in a $60 B/year industry

  • Utilizes a unique, ecologically-safe high quality inkjet printing process for a breathable image that won't peel, crack or fade.

 

Retail selling proposition:  
24-hour turnaround on in-stock garments, No minimum quantity (1-100 our specialty!), No setup fees,
No art charges (Free design services while you wait!), No kidding!

 


To learn more, contact Anna Wilds today at (706) 736-0579.

 
Success Story
Goodbye Corporate America, Hello Business Ownership
At 42 years of age,Tom Finley was fed up.

 

He wasn't approaching retirement, nor had he been laid off. But after decades of working in corporate America, Finley was ready to take his career in a new direction.

 

"I was tired of working for somebody else," Finley said. "I was sick of the bureaucracy. When a problem came up with a client, I wanted to be able to handle it, not go through the corporate process. I was ready to go into business for myself."

 

Rather than go it alone, he got in touch with Anna Wilds of Franchise Locators.

 

Like many of Wilds' prospects, Finley wasn't very familiar with franchising. After their initial meeting, Finley explained, "I felt more confident since I understood what we were doing and why. Although I was still skeptical, I wanted it to work, and we were able to move forward."

 

After Wilds and Finley discussed his goals and preferences as a business owner, Wilds went to work researching franchises for him to consider. Although he spent most of his adult life working in real estate management, Wilds knew that his abilities were more important than experience when it came to franchising.

 

"Tom connects well with people and is terrific at building and managing teams," Wilds said, "He wanted to control the outcomes for his customers. He is self-motivated, and has natural initiative, leadership and follow through. All of those things make him well suited to the franchises he evaluated."

 

At the end of the franchise discovery process, Finley happily accepted the award of a commercial cleaning franchise. Good-bye corporate America, hello business ownership!

 

"We opened our doors in January of 2013 and did everything the franchisor told us to do. That was one of the things we loved about franchising. We didn't have to figure it out. We had a proven model to follow," he said, "This year we are ahead of where we were expected to be."

 

As Finley continues to settle into life as a successful entrepreneur, he remains grateful to Wilds for the guidance she provided that led him to the life he always wanted.

 

"Were it not for Anna, I'd probably still be working for someone else doing property development management and not really liking it," he said, "I grew to trust Anna, and I'm glad I did. She took a genuine interest and made sure I found what was right for me. "

 

"Throughout this process, she educated us, helped us find a franchise that matched not only my abilities but also our lifestyle. She put us on the path to success. I have no regrets making the change from employee to entrepreneur."

Motivational Quotes

In honor of the Masters Tournament next week, here are some golf-centric quotes to keep you motivated this month!

 

"Of all the hazards, fear is the worst." - Sam Snead

 

"Stay true to yourself and listen to your inner voice. It will lead you to your dream." - James Ross

 

"Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots - but you have to play the ball where it lies." - Bobby Jones

 

"As you walk down the fairway of life, you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round." - Ben Hogan

Who wants to make the change from employee to entrepreneur in 2015?
You already know someone who has thought about owning a business, or who has questions about franchising. Do a good turn and share my contact information with them: anna@franlocators.com or phone at 762-233-7227.
Master Your Encore Career
 
  

It's April in Augusta, and there is a tangible vibration people feel from all the excitement anticipating the Masters Golf Tournament. Whether you play golf or not, you have heard of this revered tournament. Sports writers agree that it is the most prestigious sporting event in the world. 

 

After talking with my brother,  Bernard Doris, yesterday about the upcoming tournament, it occurred to me that I am a caddy when it comes to helping people invest in a franchised business, either as a second career or as an investment diversification strategy.

 

As you watch the Masters or any professional golfing event, do you notice how the player and caddy consult with each other? The players carefully handpick their caddies for these weighty career performances. The relationship between caddy and player is of tremendous importance in how the team performs. The role of the caddy is to do four main things.

 

First, the caddy is to know the course expertly. Second, the caddy gives advice on shots and club selection based on how the golfer plays the game and how the course is laid out. Third, a caddy helps the golfer do what is typically the hardest thing to do - read the greens accurately. An experienced caddy is invaluable at giving advice on line and speed when it's time to putt. Fourth, good caddies are mental coaches. Like all sports, golf is a mental game and keeping a positive attitude is just as important, if not more so, than any other crucial factor affecting the final score.

 

When playing a golf course for the first time, an experienced caddy is quite valuable. Don't you want to  avoid the hazards, stay on course and play better overall than you would have on your own? The same analogy applies for newcomers to franchising. At Franchise Locators, our sweet spot is guiding professionals from the corporate world and the sports world into franchise business ownership.

 

Whether you desire a second career or another revenue stream, take charge and master your destiny. You, too, can ace entrepreneurship. Are you ready to tee up? Contact us today at (706) 736-0579.

 

Reporting from Augusta, 

 

Anna Wilds 

Certified Franchise Executive

Entrepreneurship Consultant
Athlete Business Advisor  

Honor Roll Franchise Consultant

anna@franlocators.com 

www.franlocators.com

(706) 736-0579 

Associate - Career Thought Leaders Consortium

 

     

Financing Corner

Is a self-directed 401k an option for you?
 
By Bill Seagraves, CatchFire Funding

When investigating whether or not a self-directed 401k, or, funding your business with your retirement money, is an option for you, there are a few things you'll need to consider.

First, do you qualify?


There are three things you must have to be qualified for a self-directed 401k plan:

  1. Money in the right type of retirement account(s).

  2. Money the current plan administrator will allow to be rolled over into a different account.

  3. Enough money for a self-directed 401k program to make sense, tax-wise.

Do you have the right type of account?


To fund your new franchise, you'll need to roll your money over from the account, or accounts, you currently hold it in. The types of plans that you can roll your money from are: 401k's, 403b's, 457's, Annuity Plans, Cash Balance Plans, Defined Benefit Plans, Employee Benefit Plans, IRA's, Money Purchase Plans, Profit Sharing Plans, Rollover Plans, SEP's, and SIMPLE Plans.


The types of plans that are not allowed are: Roth 401ks, Roth IRAs and IRAs inherited by anyone other than the spouse of the deceased.


Permission to Roll Over Your Retirement Funds


If your money is in the right type of account(s) and is either:

  • In an individual retirement account (IRA) you have contributed to on your own or

  • Held by a previous employer

Then you always have the right to roll over your funds to a new account at any time.

But what if you're currently employed?


If you are currently employed and want to roll over funds from your employer's retirement plan, the plan may allow for an "in-service distribution." (A good tip is to consult your summary plan description or your HR representative to see if you can move a portion, or all, of your retirement funds to another qualified retirement plan or IRA.)


If your employer's plan does not allow for an in-service distribution, then you will have to wait. Once you've terminated your employment, you can then roll over your funds. We can start to work with you to set up a self-directed 401k about two weeks before you leave your job.


Minimum Amount of Retirement Funds


At CatchFire Funding, we would like you to have a minimum of $20,000 in your (combined) retirement funds to consider a self-directed 401k. The reason is that $20,000 is the point where the cost of the self-directed plan versus the cost of taking a distribution with taxes and penalties are about equal. That is, after subtracting costs either way, you'll have about the same amount of money left to invest in your new franchise.


If you have $50,000 or more, we absolutely believe you should consider using a self-directed 401k. Just for the tax benefits alone. (My lawyer insists I say for tax advice for your unique situation, you should always consult your qualified tax professional.)


If you do not believe your funds are in the right type of accounts, or that you have permission to roll over your funds, or that you don't have enough to set up a self-directed 401k, we can still help. CatchFire Funding is an affiliate of Diamond Financial, the largest SBA loan brokerage in the country. We can assist you with SBA business loans and business signature loans.


To learn more about a self-directed 401k and all of your franchise funding options, simply reach out and ask. I'm here, and happy to help.

 

Bill Seagraves

President & Founder

CatchFire Funding 
bill@catchfirefunding.com 

(877) 702-2040

Franchise Locators, Inc.
762.233.7227
www.franlocators.com
anna@franlocators.com


Finding the right business for you!