Franchisor Leadership
Effective leadership is the single most important factor in the long-term success of a franchise network read more

Announcing Europe's Top 500 Franchises in 2005
Top franchise list reflects global diversity, European strength. read more

Training Vital to Franchising Success
The growing popularity of franchising in South Africa has made it increasingly important that new or existing franchisees are given the confidence to manage their businesses successfully. From a financier's perspective, the importance of franchisee and staff training cannot be stressed enough. read more

Finding & Keeping Good Franchisees
Using the Seven Laws of Loyalty to build a more successful franchise system. read more

33 Common Mistakes When Organizing Franchisee Conferences
Ideas and suggestions for improving your franchise events. read more

New Country Entry: Maximizing Success And Profits
In taking various licensed concepts to some 70 countries, we have seen numerous approaches to how licensors evaluate new countries. These approaches can be classified into three basic categories: the reactive approach, the shotgun approach and the predictive approach. read more

How to Grow a Chain That's Already Everywhere
It took McDonald's 25 years to open 6,000 outlets; Gary Heavin, founder and CEO of the no-frills, for-women-only fitness chain Curves, achieved that milestone in less than eight years, making Curves the fastest-growing franchise operation in history. Last August the privately owned company -- which targets overweight women who shun mainstream gyms -- surpassed 8,000 locations, and Heavin says it posted an $80 million profit on franchisee revenues of more than $1 billion in 2004. Which poses the same conundrum faced by explosive-growth chains from Starbucks to Krispy Kreme: How do you boost revenue once you've saturated the market? The answer is getting people to spend more at existing stores. Here's how Heavin plans to do that with the millions of exercise-phobic women he has already persuaded to work out. read more

Two Multi-Unit Owners Branch Out
Brad Bruckman owned 15 Krispy Kreme franchises in the Northern California/Sacramento area when he felt a desire to reexamine his career direction. "I didn't necessarily foresee any of the problems that were soon to begin affecting that franchise, but I did begin to wonder about other opportunities, and, ultimately, I feel like I got out at just the right time," says the 42-year-old entrepreneur. read more

To Grow Your Business, Grow The Organization
It's one thing to have a dream and a want; it's another thing to have an organization to support that dream and want. I've always said that growing the organization is a full-time job for those who want to grow multi-units. read more

Will Outsourcing Your Real Estate Reduce Your New Store Opening Times?
Many area developers are under tight time pressure to open new units. Often, area developers will agree to growth provisions in their franchise agreements that can be unrealistic to all but the most sophisticated operators. read more

Destination Australia and New Zealand
Callum Floyd explains why Australia and New Zealand should not be overlooked as international franchise markets. read more

Back to the Future: Why DVD Training is Next
Ray Belanger discusses the application of DVDs for franchise system training in the current Information Technology landscape. read more

Opportunities for Restaurant Franchising in China
China: While many international franchisors are lured by 1.3 billion and a growing middle class, size alone doesn't dictate opportunity. Dr Ilan Alon explores the marketing mix and need for adaptation in the restaurant sector. read more

Economic Potential of International Franchising in Emerging Markets
How do franchisors evaluate and prioritize foriegn markets for international expansion? Dr. Ilan Alon outlines three useful factors to assist in these decisions. read more

The Importance of Training in a Franchised Network
Brian Duckett, Managing Director of Howarth Franchising UK, explains the importance of training for not only franchisees, but franchisor personnel as well. read more