isn’t selling like hotcakes as you expected? Here are a few tips to pave the way to a successful home business:

Get On Those Social Networks Now

Social networking sites are the new advertising medium and are a must nowadays for a successful home business. They can even be a great supplement to your website. Facebook, for example, offers a Fan Page application where businesses can open and share updates with their customers and potential customers. People want the illusion of movement in online stores, so updating constantly is a must. A social network organizing site, Hootsuite, will help you by organizing constant updates so there will always be pre-prepared posts to input even when you’re not around. Twitter, Multiply, LinkedIn and

Tumblr are other great sites for finding potential customers for your internet home business.

Back Links

To add up to your home business ideas, it never hurts to check out competition. See what they’re doing, how they’re marketing their product and which customers they’re raking in. You can even comment on some of their activities. Just make sure you put a back link going to your internet home business website, so that the next time a potential customer is looking for options or a similar product, yours can be easily seen, at your competitor’s website!

Set up a Blog

Remember that this is the age of voyeurism. Everybody wants to be entertained. That said, for a successful home business, blogging is an effective tool for helping your target market find your internet home business website. Make keyword rich entries. You can research your keywords through tools like Digital Point Keyword Suggestion or Free Research Term. After all, your home business ideas won’t be much use if the search engines don’t pick it up.

Submit Articles to Directories

Whatever it is you are selling, whether it’s a product or service, articles are the best way to gain credibility not to mention visibility to your home business ideas. It can also be used to push your internet home business higher up the web traffic ladder. To oversimplify, just write a series of articles in relation to your own product. A subtler method is recommended. Nobody wants to read promotional collaterals endlessly. You may submit it to article directories like Ezine, Article Snatch or Article Base. Make sure you insert a link going to your own website.

There are still plenty of marketing tools you can use to build a successful home business. Trends are changing everyday so make sure you’re up to date with the latest online tools to support your home business ideas.Everyone should know by now that the key to a successful home business is a successful marketing plan. Because the World Wide Web is so large, good home business ideas have to be paired with effective online tools. Traffic has to be driven to your site everyday in order to gain more potential customers. So you’ve seem to have built a great platform for an internet home business. You have a great product. Your website is attractive and easy to navigate. Your virtual staff is ready. So why is it that your product

isn’t selling like hotcakes as you expected? Here are a few tips to pave the way to a successful home business:

Get On Those Social Networks Now

Social networking sites are the new advertising medium and are a must nowadays for a successful home business. They can even be a great supplement to your website. Facebook, for example, offers a Fan Page application where businesses can open and share updates with their customers and potential customers. People want the illusion of movement in online stores, so updating constantly is a must. A social network organizing site, Hootsuite, will help you by organizing constant updates so there will always be pre-prepared posts to input even when you’re not around. Twitter, Multiply, LinkedIn and

Tumblr are other great sites for finding potential customers for your internet home business.

Back Links

To add up to your home business ideas, it never hurts to check out competition. See what they’re doing, how they’re marketing their product and which customers they’re raking in. You can even comment on some of their activities. Just make sure you put a back link going to your internet home business website, so that the next time a potential customer is looking for options or a similar product, yours can be easily seen, at your competitor’s website!

Set up a Blog

Remember that this is the age of voyeurism. Everybody wants to be entertained. That said, for a successful home business, blogging is an effective tool for helping your target market find your internet home business website. Make keyword rich entries. You can research your keywords through tools like Digital Point Keyword Suggestion or Free Research Term. After all, your home business ideas won’t be much use if the search engines don’t pick it up.

Submit Articles to Directories

Whatever it is you are selling, whether it’s a product or service, articles are the best way to gain credibility not to mention visibility to your home business ideas. It can also be used to push your internet home business higher up the web traffic ladder. To oversimplify, just write a series of articles in relation to your own product. A subtler method is recommended. Nobody wants to read promotional collaterals endlessly. You may submit it to article directories like Ezine, Article Snatch or Article Base. Make sure you insert a link going to your own website.

There are still plenty of marketing tools you can use to build a successful home business. Trends are changing everyday so make sure you’re up to date with the latest online tools to support your home business ideas.

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I’m certain that you ought to hold heard of currency trading. But do you really understand what it is all about? Currency trading is additionally labeled overseas exchange, Forex, or FX trading. It is a form of trading so deals amidst the earth currencies on the international exchange market. Currency Trading Tips

Through cash trading, an investor buys and gives such currencies with the aspiration of making a profit. The currency market is the largest market in the world with a yearly trading volume of some 1.4 trillion dollars, much larger than the typical stock exchange. Since the spreads for trading currency are fairly low, the risk and cost of doing a currency trade is also low. Currency Trading Tips

The currency market is a highly volatile market. That allows more opportunities for a currency trader to achieve huge returns on any given exchange. The currency trading market was once closed to individual or retail investors. The primary players on the market were national central banks, other major banks and financial institutions, and multinational corporations. Even today, individual and retail investors account for a tiny percentage of the overall currency trading volume. This is good for regular people who want a piece of the action in this trillion dollar exchange market. Currency Trading Tips

The thing you need to remember in currency trading is that you want to buy a currency that will appreciate in value against another so you can make a profit. For example, if you think the Euro will go up against the US Dollar, then you can buy Euros and sell them when their value goes up for a profit. But how do you know if a currency will rise in value? Currency Trading Tips

You need to have information on the market, such as knowledge of trends. You can get this kind of information from currency market websites that provide monitoring services on the foreign exchange market activity. To avail of the services, you have to pay a membership fee to join the website, but in most cases you can take advantage of a free trial period. You will also need to have a broker that can carry out currency trades as you instruct. Currency Trading Tips

There are a number of online brokers available, so it is not hard to find one. Currency trading offers a good opportunity for people with extra cash to make a little extra profit in addition to their regular income. Stop what you are doing RIGHT NOW and get your Life Changing Currency Trading Tips Program. It’ll change your Life Forever!

Buying a franchise represents a different approach to starting a business.  For an upfront franchise fee plus ongoing royalty payments, the parent company teaches its business model and methods to the franchised-operator who shoulders all operating and financial responsibilities of the outlet. Some statistics are impressive: it is said over 40% of all U.S. retail sales are through franchised establishments. While franchise giants like McDonalds, KFC, H&R Block and Radio Shack are familiar, household names, franchises are available in a wide range of industries. The list of 3,000-plus companies selling franchises span over 100 different industry categories.

American Dream … Or Nightmare?
But just as franchising represents a chance to get rich, it’s also a chance to get stung. An alarming number of franchised operators make less than the minimum wage, working seven days, sixty to eighty hours a week, pursuing an expensive and elusive American Dream that turns into a nightmare. Since the ongoing franchise royalty payment comes right off the top, as a percentage of gross sales or a fixed minimum amount, the franchise company gets an assured revenue stream, even if its franchised units are operating unprofitably and are sold over and over again to new, unsuspecting buyers. The internet is filled with comments of the many people who lost 0,000 and more on concepts like eBay Drop off stores (iSold It), 30 Minute Fitness concepts (Curves), The UPS Store, etc. Yet many of these companies continue to sell and resell franchises over and over again. How do they accomplish that? Because there are enough people who think they can “believe” their way to success, even with a concept or business that’s not working in the marketplace. As discussed below, in many cases franchise investment decisions are incredibly based on emotionalism, not on business logic or even common sense.

Ownership And Being Your Own Boss?
Pride of ownership and being your own boss are highly touted phrases in franchise recruitment ads. But these are more fantasy than reality. Although you get all the financial exposure, headaches and stress of business ownership, what do you really own? A franchise owner is merely licensing a trademark (or service mark) from a company that dictates every detail of business operations. So the real boss isn’t you, but the company that sells you their franchise rights . . . and sea of franchise obligations.

Equity Build up?
But at least you’re building up equity, the ownership value of the business as a going concern beyond your investment of money, to compensate for all those years of hard work and long hours – right? Wrong – at least in the world of franchising. The franchise company reserves rights to acquire your entire business at below wholesale prices if their contract is not followed precisely. The acquisition rights provide for predetermined asset-based valuations, like book or liquidation value. These valuation methods provide bare minimum compensation (the used value of some file cabinets, office furniture, equipment, etc.) and are not generally used to determine the selling price of any business.

Absolutely no compensation is paid for established goodwill, the value of a business that is generating $ X in profit or cash flow every month after years of effort, investment and expense – thus eliminating the most valuable ownership asset. Of course, you may be able to sell your franchise to a third party for a sales price that includes an earnings-based valuation. But that’s possible only if:
(a) you can find a buyer who is willing to live within the complexities of a franchise relationship, and
(b) you happen to own a franchise that’s showing healthy profits.

What follows is a bottom-line franchise checklist and tips compiled by franchise attorney and franchise expert, Mr. Franchise, based on reviewing over 500 franchise offering circulars and twenty-eight plus years of experience in the franchise industry – including ownership of a very successful franchise. These factors to consider in making a franchise investment will help you eliminate 95% of the companies you are considering. Then, you can concentrate your efforts on the 5% “cream” of the crop” companies that may deserve consideration. This franchise checklist assumes you’re suitable for and willing to live within the confines of a franchise relationship. It also assumes the franchise company:

(1) has itself successfully operated the concept being franchised for at least five years at multiple locations;
(2) is not plagued by franchise litigation and franchise lawsuits from disgruntled franchise owners;
(3) does not have unusually high franchise attrition rates (owners who have “left the system”); and
(4) has a balanced, fair franchise contract.

SOLD It – An American Dream That Turned Into A Nightmare
An example of a franchise company in trouble that failed to meet basic threshold standards is iSOLD It, an eBay drop-off store franchise. The company started its one and only company-owned store in November of 2003. Just weeks later, on December 10, 2003 they filed an application to sell franchises. The California Department of Corporations didn’t say “What are you thinking? You’ve only been in business a couple weeks, how can you even consider selling franchises?” Nor did they require this be disclosed as a risk factor on the cover page of the Franchise Offering Circular, as it should have. Disclosure responsibilities ultimately rest with the company (and its attorneys), and this will become one of many issues in future franchise litigation.

Instead, the Department simply collected its 5 filing fee and issued an order declaring the franchise registration effective the next day – on December 11, 2003. Then the magic of franchise marketing  took over. By 2006 the company had nearly 200 franchised drop off stores in operation and was touted by Entrepreneur Magazine as #1 in their list of “Top New Franchises for 2007” and #17 on their “Hotter Than Hot” franchise list. Entrepreneur Magazine, which requires franchise companies to submit their FOC’s (Franchise Offering Circulars) for supposed review each year before they’re listed, didn’t consider the high attrition rate (franchise owners leaving the system) or the fact that the audited financials in their FOC showed the company hadn’t operated profitably since 2004 as serious negatives and awarded iSold It the #1 listing for Top New Franchises of 2007. How did all of this happen? It’s yet another bizarre reality in the world of franchising.

The franchise company’s audited financial statements for the year ended 12-31-05 showed an operating loss of .1 million. Nine months later, in September of 2006, the net operating loss mushroomed to over million.

In its November 3, 2006 Franchise Offering Circular, the table in Item 20 disclosed a total of 10 franchise owners leaving the system, yet a hand count of Exhibit D-3’s “Former Franchisees” revealed a significantly different number – 44. A similar “discrepancy” exists about franchise transfers. Item 20 says 12 transfers whereas Exhibit D-3 discloses 27.

In a long overdue letter distributed to franchise owners on April 5, 2007, CEO Ken Sully painted a dire picture of an American Dream that had turned into a nightmare. Mr. Sully’s letter admitted the company has not been profitable since 2004 (according to the audited financials, the company showed its one and only operating profit of 6,286 in 2004 before the precipitous downward spiral of 2005 and 2006). Over 60 franchised stores have closed and many more are struggling for survival. Mr. Sully observed “Tragically, many individuals who believed passionately in the potential for the category have lost sizable investments, including homes and retirement savings.”

Lost homes and retirement savings? How could such a travesty happen? I counseled a number of persons considering an iSold It franchise and warned all of them against the investment. Fortunately, they followed my advice. The concept was never proven in the marketplace before franchise efforts began, violating the most basic Franchise 101 precept. I also felt the management team lacked strong franchise credentials and the five-day training program was woefully inadequate. Finally, the franchise company was operating increasingly in the red and had a high attrition rate (owners leaving the system). It didn’t take a lot of brain power to see this was an accident waiting to happen. I predicted the bubble would burst and, sadly, it did.

Common sense could and should have prevented so many people from losing so much. Unfortunately franchise sales persons appeal to emotions (passions and potential, to use Mr. Sully’s terms) and strive to keep common sense and business logic out of the buying equation. If a franchise company is able to obtain a ranking on a media list, the sale is even easier. Reprints of high rankings on lists, like Entrepreneur Magazine, are included in the package given to franchise buyers, who are lulled into a false sense of security and begin to stumble over each other in a rush to sign up before someone else takes their desired territory (another favorite closing technique used to sell franchises).

iSold It! amended its FOC at the end of May, 2007 to add some long overdue risk factor language to the cover page of its Franchise Offering Circular. Hmmmm… maybe they read my comments above and did a little research. The new FOC cover page risk factor language says their “franchise system is still new and unproven.” That’s very interesting. How can they say a franchise system, that’s approaching its fourth anniversary, is “still new?” Maybe they’re looking at things from a ‘how old is our universe’ perspective? The word “unproven” is another play on words. The system is most certainly proven in the sense that many people, to quote Mr. Sully, “have lost sizable investments, including homes and retirement savings.” So why not use this quote directly in their Franchise Offering Circular? Answer: can’t sell any franchises that way.

In an August 31, 2007 Business Week article, CEO Sully claimed it wasn’t necessary to disclose these risk factors in the FOC. His reasoning: “We told everybody that this is sort of like the wild, wild West” he says. “It’s a brand-new concept and nobody knew for sure where it was going.” Disclosure was added to the UFOC recently, he says, “because of the number of stores that weren’t understanding the complexity of the business.” Hello? You don’t tell your franchise investors after the fact what you were required to disclose in the FOC before they bought so they could make an informed investment decision. That’s the purpose of franchise disclosure laws. And claiming written disclosure of risk factors in the FOC is not necessary if a prospective buyer hears a salesman’s verbal wild, wild West story ignores franchise disclosure responsibilities and is really an admission the company failed in this regard. With its amended FOC, the company incredibly continues marching forward with franchise marketing efforts.

Now, let’s consider the franchise checklist and factors to consider before any leap into franchising.

INDUSTRY TREND
Is the franchise in a cutting-edge industry that is doing well currently and is projected to do well in the future despite any economic slowdown? Education and home-improvement services are stable categories. Food is over-saturated generally and, except in exceptional circumstances, is not worth the high investment, long hours, headaches and marginal income.

TOTAL INITIAL FRANCHISE INVESTMENT
In general, don’t expect a franchise that requires a five-figure initial franchise investment to produce a six-figure income. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. On the other hand, don’t assume a six-figure investment will lead to a six-figure income level. Be realistic and conservative. Is the total initial franchise investment range (including working capital) 5,00 or less; and the maximum investment less than 0,000? You can find solid companies in this investment range if you’re willing to look around.

Don’t forget to consider long-term financial commitments, particularly the real property lease (see discussion below under “LEASING AND LOCATION”). Also, the working capital estimate (called “additional funds” in Item 7 of the company’s franchise offering circular) does NOT cover operations up to the break-even point. It only covers a short initial phase (usually only three-months) of operating costs As the break-even point (where revenues cover all operating costs) may not happen for one, two or more years, knowing only what it’s going to take to get you through the first 90 days is not helpful – in fact it may set you up for financial suicide. In many cases, reaching the break-even point can require more reserve funds than the total initial capital investment. Don’t ever forget the name of Item 7 in the Franchise Offering Circular: “Initial Investment.” If you don’t have enough reserve capital to reach the critical break-even point, your entire investment will go down the drain and franchise failure occurs.

One franchise owner in a relatively low investment and low operating cost window cleaning franchise said his biggest surprise was how long it actually took his franchise to be profitable. Going in, he thought it would take 12 to 15 months. It ended up taking twice that time. Fortunately, he had enough reserve capital to make it there, but declined to say what his actual franchise profits or income level were once he reached “franchise profitability.” If you’re operating just above the break even point and making less than minimum wage, is that anyone’s definition of success?

REAL BUSINESS
Is this a legitimate retail business, as opposed to a “work out of your home” operation? The vast majority of work out of your home concepts produce marginal income at best.

FRANCHISE MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE
Does the management team of the franchisor (the company selling you the franchise) have executives with demonstrated past achievement and experience in operating a franchise company (not just persons who have sold franchises)? If not, this is a big RED FLAG. Many companies enter franchising and fail to realize they are in a brand new business – one requiring entirely different management skills and abilities to navigate franchise relationships. A seasoned franchise management infrastructure must be in place. If the franchise management team lacks strong franchise credentials, or does not receive ongoing advice from qualified individuals, you might as well take a trip to Las Vegas with the money you’re intending to invest. Your chances of making vs. loosing money are roughly equal.

NORMAL WORKING HOURS AND DAYS; SUFFICIENT FRANCHISE INCOME LEVEL
Will the nature of the business allow you to work a normal five-day, forty-hour workweek? Life is too short for the seven-day, sixty to eighty hours a week, workaholic lifestyle that destroys health, family and pocketbook. Financially, we’ve calculated the true hourly rate for franchise owners who work these workaholic hours and discovered many are making far less than the minimum wage. One couple who operated a 0,000 fancy pizza franchise in an upscale mall were shocked to discover they were making fifty cents an hour each. Hardly an income level to recoup or justify the franchise investment. Many more fast-food franchise operators make even less, or operate at a loss until their funds, retirement savings, homes, etc. are exhausted. Buying a franchise in a non-food industry doesn’t necessarily improve the franchise profit picture. In a 2006 article “Mail Boxes Etc. Owners Fighting UPS Conversion,” a Mail Boxes, Etc. franchise owner who operated his franchise since 1993 reported profits for a typical MBE store like his were ,000 per year after paying royalty and advertising fees to the franchise company. That calculates out to about .33 per hour for a forty-hour work week, approximately the wage of an entry fast-food worker.

Another major shortcoming of disclosures in the Franchise Offering Circular is not telling you how much money the franchises in the network are making. Instead of answering what is the most important question in a franchise investment decision, the franchise disclosure laws make this “optional” for the franchise company to answer or not. If they do answer this critical question, it will be found in Item 19. But don’t hold your breath – more than 90% of franchise companies “decide” not to answer this question. It’s another bizarre reality in the world of franchising. Although they collect complete monthly (and in many cases, weekly) financial profit and loss statements from their franchise owners, and know exactly how much their franchises are making (or losing), more than 90% decide not to share this information before you buy one of their franchises. A number of franchise salespersons have told persons asking this question: “the franchise laws don’t allow us to answer that question.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

And just because you’re a business executive making a 6-figure income now, don’t assume this income level will be duplicated in a franchise investment just because the company “approves” your application. One such executive, despite a plethora of negative feedback from current and past franchise owners who’d lost everything, marched forward with her franchise investment in a 30-minute fitness concept. Despite her 6-figure income, she didn’t invest a dime in professional franchise evaluation advice and stated she was taking a leap of faith, hoping to build her wings on the way down. Build her wings on the way down? Sound’s (and is) crazy, but this happens all the time. Due to the ploys of the franchise salesperson, too many franchise investment decisions are based on emotionalism. Prior business skills, business sense (and even common sense) are short-circuited. Needless to say, if this business executive made a similar investment decision for her corporate employer paying the 6-figure salary, she would be promptly fired.

MINIMUM NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
Can you operate the franchise business with 6 or fewer employees? Managing dozens (or in the case of some fast-food operations – hundreds) of minimum-wage teenagers who are constantly quitting or simply not showing up for work is a royal pain in the ….. Well, you know what we mean.

LEASING AND LOCATION
For most retail franchises, the triple net lease of the location is the biggest financial commitment, larger than the total franchise investment. Yet, the typical real estate lease and its ramifications are not required disclosure in any Franchise Offering Circular (FOC). For example, an estimate that you’ll need 2,000 sq. feet of space with expected rental of to a foot per month is normally disclosed in the Franchise Offering Circular’s initial investment table as Leased Real Estate ,000 to ,000. A footnote to the investment table may say “assumes 2,000 sq. ft. at to a foot.”

But, that’s only the beginning of a much longer story. The lease is normally a 5 to 10 year triple-net lease. So, the financial commitment made when the lease is signed is at least 0,000 (at /foot for 5 years) to ,400,000 (at /foot for 10 years). And this doesn’t include substantial, additional obligations to pay all of the landlord’s yearly property taxes, insurance, common area operating expenses, etc. With hundreds of thousands (or even millions) of dollars in financial obligations at stake, personal guarantees and other risks, more than just a warm, fuzzy feeling that everything will work out is necessary.

Key questions to ask here:

(a) is the franchise you’re considering one that can be operated in a low rent commercial business zone? Avoid franchises requiring the costly expenses and triple-net leases of a visible retail storefront and the extravagant rent associated with areas of high foot traffic, like shopping malls. You’ll sleep much better at night.

(b) What’s your total financial commitment under the lease?

(c) Do you have sufficient liquid assets (or a willing, sufficiently liquid third party guarantor) to meet the landlord’s lease qualification standards?

If you don’t, you might as well forget about investing in the franchise. Or even worse, getting involved in a questionable franchise and business model, then realizing you’ve made a big mistake – and discovering you’re on the hook personally for a 0,000+ lease obligation.

A related real estate variant is securing a lease with a sufficient term (with renewal options) to recoup your investment and make a profit. In July, 2005, an attorney in her mid-forties purchased an existing ice cream store franchise for 5,000 believing it to be a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Trading her briefcase for an ice cream scoop, she attended the company’s 11-day Ice Cream University and assumed operations of the ice cream store. Turned out it was an opportunity – but only to inherit a store with numerous problems. These problems included (but were not limited to) a lease that would expire the following summer and a landlord who’d previously announced the lease would not be renewed. Rather than pay the 0,000-plus in relocation costs, the attorney returned to the practice of law, but is still paying off 0,000 remaining on the loan taken out to buy the once-in-a-lifetime franchise opportunity. Although there’s a franchise lawsuit pending, it’s yet another case of “franchise fever” – this time attacking a professional no less. Who would ever commit to paying 5,000 for an existing retail franchise without checking out the l-e-a-s-e? Sound’s like another bad attorney joke, but I can guarantee she’s not laughing. Business fundamentals were ignored or forgotten in the rush to acquire the opportunity of a lifetime. And I’m willing to bet not a dollar was spent on competent, pre-investment franchise advice.

IMAGE AND LIFESTYLE
How does flipping burgers, scooping ice cream and cleaning restrooms fit the image of what you want to do for a living? Investing in a franchise will be the most important financial and psychological decision you ever make. Many prospective franchise owners fail to realize they’ll be wearing virtually every hat at some point, from salesperson to bad-debt collector, from firing employees to bathroom janitor. The franchise owner is usually the first one to arrive in the morning – and the last one to turn out the lights late at night. And you’ll need to forget about corporate perks like paid vacations, paid holidays and sick pay. In their place, substitute financial pressures, unexpected events and money draining out of your savings and retirement accounts. Does the typical working day and responsibilities of the franchise you are considering fit your personal image and desired lifestyle? You can experience some of this BEFORE you invest by working for a couple weeks in an outlet owned by one of the existing franchise owners.

TRUE FRANCHISE VALUE
Buying a franchise from a “blue chip” franchise company that has spent decades and hundreds of millions on advertising to develop their brand can make a lot of sense. These companies have “true franchise value” that compensates for the long-term disadvantages of ongoing royalty and advertising fund payments. Often these additional payments literally mean the difference between earning a profit and operating at a loss. In unknown franchise chains with little or no brand recognition, you the franchise buyer are building their brand from scratch, and are saddled with severe, long-term competitive disadvantages.

In these unknown franchise chains, you have to ask yourself a simple, common sense question. What value is the company giving you that you couldn’t learn on your own by working at one of their locations as an employee for a couple months? Franchise truth be told, what most unknown franchise companies are selling is just a business opportunity – teaching you how to get into a new business venture. But unlike a business opportunity seller that charges a one-time fee to help get you into business, they call it a “franchise” and charge ongoing royalty and advertising fees like they’re a McDonalds or other blue chip franchise company.

The reality is they’re not a McDonalds type franchise – not even close to one. In the majority of these lesser-known franchise chains, you’d be much better off starting an independent business on your own. You can learn most or all of their so-called “secrets” in the franchise interviewing process and by talking to (and possibly working a short time for) existing franchise owners.

FRANCHISE PROFITABILITY & “SUCCESS”
Dr. Timothy Bates’ study released in 1993 by the Entrepreneurial Growth and Investment Institute in Washington, DC (and another study published in 1996) was the first to compare start-up costs, franchise profitability and franchise failure rates for franchised vs. nonfranchised firms. In his analysis of some 7,270 firms over the test period, Dr. Bates found that startup capital for a franchised business averaged ,293 compared with average startup capital for nonfranchised firms of ,156. In 1987 nonfranchised firms reported average pre-tax net income of ,744 as compared to a loss of (-,548) for franchised firms. Dr. Bates concluded “Despite their larger revenues, much better capitalization, and their supposed advantages of affiliation with a franchisor parent firm, the franchisees lag behind cohort young firms in profitability and rates of survival.”

The franchise companies ignore both studies by Dr. Bates, pretending they never happened. Instead, other techniques are employed. For example, some franchise companies use misleading success statistics to sell their franchises. Their promotional materials say franchises generally enjoy a 90% success rate, compared to less than 20% for independent firms. These figures are based on unverified information supplied thirty years ago by a select, non-representative group of franchise companies. A full third of the companies receiving “questionnaires “ elected not to participate. There was no verification of any of the information supplied by the franchise companies, not even random, spot checking. Nor was any effort made to identify franchise companies who, along with the franchise owners in their chain, had gone out of business.

Even more recent “studies” saying nine out of ten franchise owners (90%) consider their franchise to be somewhat or very successful also suffer from serious methodological flaws. These were simply telephone surveys of franchise owners who were still in business and asked to say (with absolutely no definition of the term “successful”) whether they felt their business was “very unsuccessful,” “somewhat unsuccessful,” somewhat successful” or “very successful.” Franchise owners who had gone out of business or bankrupt were not included in the survey.

Even if terms are defined and a representative sample obtained, franchise owners can be a quirky group. Hence the need, as in Dr. Bates’ studies, for review of financial data. I remember evaluating an existing franchise for a client. I asked the current owner of the franchise if his business was successful. He said it was very successful. But his financial statements revealed a different picture. He’d never taken a dollar out of the business for himself, never made a profit in two years of operation, and was on the verge of bankruptcy. Another owner of a bakery franchise, interviewed by Business Week, says being successful in franchising means “adjusting your definition of success.” He says he makes a profit, but declined to say what it is, or if he’s ever recouped his 0,000-plus initial franchise investment. Incredibly, he insists he’s in business “for lifestyle reasons, not profit reasons.” Huh? Probably a quote from the company’s franchise recruitment materials. In the world of franchising “success” and “profitability” are very subjective terms.

FRANCHISE BROKERS WHO FIND YOUR PERFECT MATCH?
Does the franchise you are considering have its own in-house marketing department, or does it utilize outside franchise brokers? The use of franchise brokers is a definite red flag. First, it indicates the franchise company is not very serious about who it lets into the franchise network, or even worse, they’re desperate to sell franchises. Second, franchise brokers receive a substantial commission up to 50% or more of the franchise fee you’re paying the franchise company. Franchise Broker Realities: (1) Their service is definitely not “free” despite these and other similar misrepresentations. It’s really common sense – how could anyone offer a “free” service and survive in business? Unfortunately, the common sense part of the brain tends to short circuit when the franchise brainwashing process begins. The simple truth is if you buy one of the franchises they’re hawking, your money goes to the franchise company, then into the broker’s pocket. If anyone ever calculated how much time they spend to collect their ,000 or ,000 commission, it’s probably a lot more than a brain surgeon earns. (2) Franchise brokers definitely do NOT have your best interests in mind. They will do or say whatever they have to in order to close a deal and earn their commission.

Many franchise brokers claim they will help you find a franchise company that is the perfect match for you. In the beginning it sounds good. There’s some personality testing and review of your personal finances. At the end of the day, it turns out they only represent (and steer you towards) a handful of small franchise companies you’ve never heard of before. A detailed analysis often reveals these highly touted franchises produce mediocre or even below minimum wage financial performance. Yet franchise brokers don’t mention this, and individuals continue to rely on their recommendations, believing the broker represents them. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Also, many franchise brokers call themselves franchise consultants. A franchise consultant is usually an independent adviser who offers advice to others (usually franchise companies or firms that want to franchise their business) for a fee. This makes their advice more impartial in theory as long as they are not compensated by third parties. Because they are not legally required to disclose actual or potential conflicts of interest, it’s important ask questions. For example, if you’re using a franchise consultant who is recommending the “best franchises,” are they paid anything by the companies on their list? This could be a commission, kick-back or consulting fee. As mentioned, many franchise brokers call themselves “franchise consultants” to hide their true identity. So, make sure if you’re dealing with a franchise consultant, he or she is not really just a franchise broker in disguise.

FRANCHISE DISCLOSURE LAWS
The franchise disclosure laws, while requiring franchise companies to give you certain, limited information, don’t come close to protecting your interests. For example, as discussed above, Item 7 of the Franchise Offering Circular only requires an estimate of additional funds for 90 days as part of the investment information. But economic reality is you need to know the additional funds you’ll need to reach the break-even point, which can be years away, or your entire “initial” investment will go down the drain. You’d think this type of information would be required by franchise disclosure laws, but it’s not.

FRANCHISE REGISTRATION LAWS
Don’t ever assume that because a company has registered its Franchise Offering Circular in your state, someone at the state has approved or reviewed the document in your favor. Franchise registration is obtained by simply forwarding documents and paying a filing fee – period. In most cases, franchise offering circulars are given an extremely limited review to ensure state-specific disclaimers are present.

I remember filing a registration application for a new franchise company in a state with a reputation for being one of the “toughest” franchise registration law states in the country. After the three-week review period set forth in the statute had gone by, and not hearing anything, I called the examiner assigned to the application. After looking through his files, he finally found my client’s offering circular and application. He apologized for entirely misplacing the file and promised to immediately review the application and call me back. Ten minutes later, he called to say he’d finished and was making the registration effective that day. Ten minutes of review and the franchise company was given the state’s green light. This is not an isolated case – it happens all the time.

WHAT STANDARDS MUST A FRANCHISE COMPANY MEET TO SELL FRANCHISES; ARE THERE ANY REQUIREMENTS TO FRANCHISE A BUSINESS?
Incredibly, the answer is – none. There are no minimum standards or requirements to franchise a business except preparing a Franchise Offering Circular. It’s yet another bizarre reality in the world of franchising.

You and I could have no background in any business, form a new corporation or LLC, capitalize it with only , put together a Franchise Disclosure Document and file it with any franchise registration state. While the offering may be subject to an impound or escrow requirement because of the low capitalization (), we’d still get “registered” and be able to sell as many franchisees as we want.

In these 14 franchise registration states, we may not be able to receive any money until each franchise actually opened, but simply posting a bond would alleviate this difficulty in the franchise registration states. And in the vast majority of states there are no franchise registration laws, so we’d be able to sell franchises and collect fees with impunity once we compiled our Franchise Offering Circular. The federal FTC Franchise Rule doesn’t protect against this risk either – it only requires disclosure (i.e. provide a Franchise Disclosure Document) and has no registration component or minimum standards for franchise companies.

Basic investor protections and requirements found in both federal and state securities laws for over 50 years were never carried over to franchise investments. While most non-blue chip franchise companies could never even qualify to sell you a single share of stock in their company, they are entirely free to collect unlimited franchise fees, ongoing royalties, equipment and other purchases, as well as cause you to incur financial obligations totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even millions in some cases. This isn’t information you’re likely to find in the glowing articles about franchising and franchise companies prevalent in the media.

CLOSING REMARKS
Remember, you are the only guardian when it comes to your franchise investment. It’s definitely an environment where the phrase “Buyer Beware” applies. So, before you sign on the line and make what will undoubtedly be the most serious financial and emotional commitment of your life, get all the facts and figures.

One couple I counseled after-the-fact, invested million in a new franchise company. The contract they signed gave them no right to terminate, no matter what the franchise company did or didn’t do. Of course, the contract gave the franchise company unlimited termination ability, a right it had exercised. The franchise company’s management team had no one with experience in running a franchise company. Incredibly, the couple had not spent a dime on legal or business advice before investing million. The once friendly franchise company had transformed into a formidable foe and was poised to take over their franchise. Sadly, this happens too frequently in franchise investments. Decisions are made on fuzzy feelings and emotionalism. In an effort to save a couple thousand dollars, franchise investors risk homes, retirement savings, everything they have. Then they scratch their heads in amazement later on after inevitable and often horrific problems develop, wondering how they could have been so nearsighted.

Another indispensable level of inquiry is whether you’re getting true franchise value and whether you’d be better off doing the business on your own. In the overwhelming majority of franchises touted by unknown companies, franchise value isn’t there and doing the same thing independently makes better economic sense and actually decreases the risk of failure.

Finally, and this applies to franchise investments as well as investing in any business venture, develop a plan to succeed but also plan a franchise exit strategy that minimizes financial risk in case things don’t work out. Both plans need to be thought through before the investment is made. Don’t wait until problems develop to start thinking about a franchise exit strategy – by then it’s usually too little, too late.

For more information, visit the Franchise Foundations Website.

© 1990-2008, Kevin B. Murphy, B.S., M.B.A., J.D. – all rights reserved

Social Media Marketing (SMM) has become a popular alternative for online business branding. Companies don’t think of social sites (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Linkedin) as “websites for kids”. They are valuable Internet marketing and networking resources for business. On the other hand, there are 4 major issues involved with diving into SMM without the proper knowledge and strategies. These can “make” or “break” your success in social media marketing:

GETTING STARTED IN SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Make wise choices from the beginning and move forward with a “plan of action”!

Prior to getting started in social media marketing, you need to nip the urge to join every single social site on Google. It does not hurt to have a presence everywhere on the Internet, though there is no advantage in wasting time setting up a social account that is not used. The site owner may delete it – OR – it will get outdated and look unprofessional. Plus, there is no way that you can “work” them all unless you have a team to help you. You will still want to be discerning and make a “plan of action”. You need this to properly brand your business through social media marketing. You also need this “plan of action” in order to “position” your company correctly from the beginning. This concept holds true in Internet marketing in general. 

PROPER SET UP

Meet your social market where they work and play on the Internet!

You need to learn how to “set up” and “position” your company with the “best” social networks and websites. Some initial positioning details to consider: (a) determining which are the “best social sites” for your niche and interests, (d) choosing the right user name for your individual profile links, (c) choosing the most attractive profile information and media to share, (d) developing a knack for filtering activity according to what is appropriate at a particular social site, (e) establishing a time schedule that permits working as many networks as possible, (f) choosing the best initial connections … and so on. 

Keep in mind that “Account Settings”, network protocol, niche and viral marketing all go hand in hand throughout time. 

Additionally, some social sites have a more playful environment than others; even those with a professional focus. You need to select websites that not only fit your company’s focus, but also the personal interests of the individual(s) that will “work” the social media marketing process for you. Note: Don’t let the “playful” networks defer you. One of the goals of social media marketing is to reach your target markets where they work and “play” on the Internet. 

IMPLEMENTATION: WHAT TO DO & WHAT NOT TO DO

Don’t just “wing it”; move prepared to market effectively for your business.

Your activity should include a predefined social media optimization (SMO) strategy. This SMO is a combination of search engine optimization (SEO) and social media marketing (SMM). It expedites the professional results that you require for your business. It is easy to assume that SMM is simply setting up social networks and marketing. Although this is part of the process, social networking is not all that is involved in social media marketing. It is suggested that you have a website and a blog. You need to search engine optimize any personal resources prior to SMM. You need a second set of keywords that do not conflict with your personal virtual properties, though compliment your efforts. 
Content is key to this offsite marketing process, therefore blogs, articles, comments, discussions, images, videos, link … everything SMM needs to correspond with the SEO. 

There is a fine line to what is considered advertising and marketing; spam or valid content. Some social sites are flexible and others are not. You need to move into a virtual realm with a professional plan of action and work the network according to the infrastructure provided, though with intent to produce rapid conversions.

TESTING, TRACKING & REFINING

You will need to test, tread, track and refine before you can run with a strategy.

As with an offline business plan, your online branding strategy will need “tweaked” and updated for the following reasons:

(a) The Internet is constantly changing, you will need to update accordingly.

(b) Search engine rankings, blog / website traffic and subscribers mean absolutely nothing if you are not able to convert this activity into sales.

You cannot move forward if your plan of action is not working for you. 

PRIORITIZING TASKS: MONEY & TIME MANAGEMENT

As the old saying goes, “time is money” …

If you get one major point from this article, prioritizing “time” and “money” is what you should remember. Internet marketing is not easy for most; especially when you are merging into unfamiliar arenas. Time and money are the “double edge sword”. Handling your own online branding is only time and cost effective if it is making you money. The reality is that you will not drive conversions nor make money at first because it takes time to learn Internet Marketing. This is time that busy professionals do not have, therefore you either have to put in the extra hours or hire an expert to do the work for you. If you choose to do your own search engine optimization and social media marketing, then you need to prioritize whether the bulk of your activity is on the Learning, Researching or the Implementation (Content, SEO, SMM) at any given time. The advantage is that you can adjust this as needed. 
Regardless, a proper online branding strategy will include both the technical and social, therefore they are all one in the same, time consuming, process.

Online business branding and social networking appear to be easy, on the surface, though not a simple process. There are defined strategies that should include both search engine optimization (SEO) and social media marketing (SMM) in order to create a process called social media optimization (SMO). This SMO is actually the online marketing that you want to do for your business. When done correctly, the SMO will produce immediate responses that are easy to track, increase sales and creates a popularity that contributes to fast branding success. You can change the sales / marketing conversions for your business within a few days or gradually “divide and conquer” your competitive online business arena. In other words, your business can market as aggressively or conservatively as needed. This is based on how your company is equipped to handle growth.

In this generation of Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Optimization, it is to your benefit to learn how to properly brand your business online or find someone that knows how to do this for you.

First, focus on only one or two currency pairs. When you’re new to forex trading, it’s tempting to see opportunities in every pair, even ones you’re unfamiliar with.

When I first started trading, I tried some of the more unusual currencies, like the NZD, AUD, and CAD.  I didn’t know anything about the currencies, so I found myself watching news events for a dozen countries, analyzing all manner of charts, and losing my shirt in new and exotic ways. I got into trades after they’d already passed and got hit by news events I never heard of. I managed my money very poorly.  In short, my concentration, capital, and time were spread too thin.

Now I watch only a few pairs at a time, and they are usually overlapping pairs, such as the euro/yen and the euro/dollar. I see trades developing much sooner, and I’m better prepared to take advantage of them, as well as manage them once I’m in the trade.

As a beginner to forex trading, I believe that you should stick to one or two currency pairs. Which ones? I would advise you to go with the currencies that other beginning forex traders have traded most successfully.

2. Pick a Currency Pair that’s a Winner

A couple years ago, I reviewed success rates for the 18 pairs with significant volume, and these were the most – and least — successful for FXCM mini forex traders.

Let’s look at the worst first. The Seven Deadly Pairs all have one thing in common: high volatility. That means opportunities for big profits – but also large losses.  One of the seven deadlies, pound-yen is actually the fourth most popular currency among our mini traders.  Its very volatility – and its popularity as a carry trade – makes it very tempting. But it can be brutal.

In the past three years, it has moved as much as 1,000 pips in a single day several times. Whoever bet right realized a very big profit. Whoever bet wrong probably got a margin call. Approach the Seven Deadly Pairs with extreme caution, and only after you’ve learned with other slower moving pairs.

Now for the Friendly Five currency pairs. Notice they’re almost all Euro pairs.  They also have one thing in common, with the exception of GBP/AUD, — low volatility.  But which ones do you start with? The GBP/AUD has shown good results, but I still don’t recommend you begin with it. It is not highly traded, not very well known, and it has rather wide spreads. Actually, it seems to be the preserve of our best and most experienced clients – probably the reason it has shown good results.

The remaining 4 pairs are better known and, excepting the EUR/JPY, tend to be nicely range-bound.

Since these pairs have had strong support and resistance lines, they tend to create a lot of high-probability, low-risk trades. And, since they are very liquid, they have tight bid/ask spreads, making them inexpensive to trade, with spreads as low as 1 or 2 pips. As always in forex trading, you need to appropriately manage your risk as there is never a guarantee that profits will be made.

3. It’s Your Choice What to Trade

Of course, you might have a good reason for trading a currency pair not in the Friendly Five. For instance, when I started trading forex, I went with USD/JPY.

Why?  Simply because I had lived in Japan for two years.  I followed a lot of Japanese news and became familiar with their major economic indicators and events. So I thought I had a good head start on understanding the yen pairs.

As I began trading the yen, I got to know some of its price patterns. First of all was the patterns formed by the carry trade, the major factor in most yen movements in the decade before the financial crisis hit. Speculators around the world had been carry trading for years, borrowing low interest rate yen to buy high interest rate Australian dollars or British pounds and earning the interest differential. This trading seems to move the yen pairs in an almost predictable pattern.

You can see the gradual build-up, as speculators buy and create long positions, earning large amounts of interest. Then *THUD* the speculators get spooked all at once and cash out, and the price falls off a cliff.  I got to be familiar with this pattern, as well as the events that can trigger the price drop.

All that changed with the onset of the financial crisis in 2007.  Since then, I’ve learned the new patterns of risk aversion in the yen.  Since I watch the same currency all the time, I am familiar with its characteristics, even as they change over the years.

4. Forex Trading Research Is Vital

That much I learned by simply watching the price charts and actually trading.  But trading experience takes you only so far. To improve my trading I had to know a lot more about yen behavior and the Japanese economy. The importance of sales reports for Japanese convenience stores, for instance.  Or how during my evening hours, when it is daytime in Tokyo, an unusually large amount of volume comes from individual forex traders in Japan, and that they tend to be yen sellers.

To really learn forex I started to seriously research the pairs I wanted to trade. It was time well spent. And it was free. There are several forex information sites online, and while I might be prejudiced, I would recommend our own free FXCM research site — DailyFX.com, not only because it is so comprehensive but because it provides clear guidelines for forex trading.

When you use DailyFX, you discover not only a trading chart of any currency, but when a particular economic event happens, how important it is and its expected outcome.

5. Don’t Trade During the News

That brings me to one more vital point that might seem to contradict what I just said. You must monitor news events. And analyze news events. But you shouldn’t trade during news events – especially the ones that rattle the market, like GDP and employment releases.

The fact is that during news events, forex trading can be as capricious as rolling dice. In the run-up to the event or release, currency analysts will have published estimates of the outcome or the number. If the estimates prove to be wildly wrong, traders caught by surprise will often panic and take the market in an unpredictable direction – or no direction at all, “whipsawing” up and down, knocking out traders left and right with big losses.

Instead, wait until the market has settled a bit before picking a trade. That way, you’ll be with the large and responsible traders. They’ll wait for the mayhem to subside before risking their money, and so should you.

Another reason to avoid forex trading during news events is that liquidity often dries up and spreads widen, which means that getting in and out of trades can be very difficult. It’s much better to wait, since liquidity returns and spreads tighten again pretty quickly after the event.

6. Trade in Small Lot Sizes

My final tip for today. Realize that you will make bad trades, and plan accordingly.  Trading is a constant learning experience, and you want to make sure your early education as inexpensive as possible. So trade small and keep your leverage small until you’ve got the hang of it. Then make your bigger trades.  A Forex account that offers 1,000 unit “micro” lots is a good way to start.

7. Ready for a Forex Trading Account, Where Do You Start?

The best way to start trading is to open a micro account. It lets you begin with as little as .00 – and when you open any account with FXCM, you get a free interactive course that will take you through the basics of forex trading step-by-step.

8. Summary:
Start with only 1 or 2 pairs, until you get good at them
Choose good, low volatility, low spread pairs to start
Make sure you choose a pair you’re comfortable with
Do plenty of research to learn your pair
Do not trade during news events
Start small

Trading foreign exchange on margin carries a high level of risk, and may not be suitable for all investors. Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices, or other information contained on this website is provided as general market commentary, and does not constitute investment advice. DailyFX will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation to, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance on such information.

1. An idea bank
This is made up of ideas that have been archived over a period of time,awaiting use in the future. An idea bank could contain recordings of potential business ideas,newspaper cuttings, copies of pages of books, magazines, articles,pictures and the like.They could also be a collection of potential business ideas one is considering to venture into.The idea bank could be in the form of a diary, organizer, or even a voice or data recorder you keep close by to note down the ideas that come up at any time.

2. Imagination
The archetypal entrepreneur is a very imaginative person.Ideas evolve in our imagination in an incalculable number of ways.They could come through a dream an abrupt brain wave. Sometimes, it is in less dramatic fashion like when one is chatting with friends, driving a car or just strolling about.The typical entrepreneur keeps tossing an idea several times in his or her head until it takes shape and is ready for use.The originality of your idea must rest in its application.That means that you can do what all other people are doing but with a different terrain and tang.

3. Brainstorming
Brainstorming is closely related to the idea bank principle. It is a formal idea-generation mechanism, which involves more than one person, often a small group of people, gathering to reach a consensus.A good brainstorming session does not discriminate against ideas but allows each person to put forward their idea, no matter how inappropriate it may initially sound.

4. Needs or inconveniences
The twinge you feel will often motivate you to mitigate your ideas. Most at times, people get their ideas when they see needs they feel they can do something about. Entrepreneurs often look at problems in the light of what they can do to solve them, and at an advantages.Always be on the guard for an opportunity to be harnessed. In so doing,you process information differently from everyone else.

5. Dissatisfaction with alternatives on offer
Dissatisfaction is the greatest impetus for all change. Entrepreneurs often initiate business in response to the poor service quality, unwarranted shortages or high prices on offer in the market. Monopolists and pioneer service providers in any industry sometimes take advantage of their position to develop arrogant attitudes and give excuses for long delays or falling quality in service delivery, until an entrepreneur moves in and attracts dissatisfied customers with better prices or superior service.Is there something you are good at that others are doing lackadaisically? That could be your signal to move in.

6. Personal adversity
Sometimes, difficulties are another strong motivation for the inception of businesses. Many have latched on to a business idea because they were dismissed from their job, victimized, discriminated against or denied access to services they were otherwise qualified. For example, Bill Gates is reputed to have started Microsoft after he was thrown out of Harvard University for not making the grade.

7. Changes in policies
There are times when a change in government policy or in the economic environment suddenly makes a particular sector or industry jolly attractive. As a natural corollary, people come up with ideas about various types of businesses to take advantage of the opportunity created.

8. Family or community tradition
In certain cases, some families have built an enviable reputation in a particular business or industry. A child growing up in such a family is easily motivated by the achievements and experiences of her parents or the number of uncles and aunties who are making an impact in that field. Also, growing up in a community that is dominated by a particular trade could easily have a similar effect.

9. Demand for one’s gift or talent
Some people use their natural gifts and talents as hobbies without any commercial consideration. But as this demand grows, it becomes increasingly obvious that it is impossible to continue offering the service for free.The idea of commercialization then comes up and soon a business is born.

10. Inspirational moments
Many ideas are sometimes generated when one feels inspired by what they see or hear. Such people find their minds filled with lots of innovative ideas whenever, for example, they listen to great speech or sermon,whilst listening to an inspirational message.

For more on how to enjoy a successful financial independent life, please CLICK HERE.

You must take extensive financial history of your business to the lender. This should be done keeping the main aim of providing all the information which a lender may require for taking a timely decision on the loan. Go to the lender with a business plan that includes three years of financial statements. This will help the lender in assessing your repaying ability.

It is advisable that before approaching a lender for small business finance, you must check your credit rating. Take the copy of your credit report and ensure that it is free of any errors as any misrepresentation of your payment facts, may have wrong impression on the lender.

Then decide whether you need finance for long or shorter term. If you require greater funds then the lender will ask for collateral that consists of any residential or commercial property. Such a secured loan has the advantage of lower interest rate also. In case you need smaller finance for day to day running of the business, then the lenders should be asked for unsecured loans which come without collateral clause. Interest rate however will be higher and repayment duration shorter.

Business people with bad credit history should first make efforts to improve credit rating. But even if they have multiple problems like arrears, defaults, late payments, CCJs etc, still finding a lender is not difficult if your business has the capability to repay the loan in timely manner.

There are many online lenders in the field of small business finance. These lenders have competitive rate offers. Take their rate quotes for finding out a suitable deal for your business.