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Why RedBox Rocks

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How DVD Kiosks Are Changing The Video Rental Business

 

DVD kiosks from Blockbuster, RedBox and DVDNow seem to be popping up everywhere these days. Within 50 miles of where I’m sitting there are over 80 DVD kiosks—and for good reason—the small DVD rental locations are more convenient and less expensive than their traditional movie rental store counterparts and movie theater tickets.

Like I said, it’s cheap. The cost to rent a DVD from a kiosk is usually between $1 to $3 dollars for 24 hours. Subsequent rental days are usually around $0.99. Most DVDs available are new releases. For the average price of a movie ticket, $7.89 according to the National Association of Theater Owners, you can rent one new release for a week. For the owner of the kiosk it’s less expensive, too. No employees and no brick and mortar location means less overhead and more revenue.

 

Secondly, it’s convenient. DVD kiosks are everywhere: airports, fast food franchises, supermarkets, gas stations, drug stores, and famous places like the Empire State Building.

 

DVD kiosk-adjacent businesses also benefit from the concept’s popularity. For example, a number of RedBox locations are located near a McDonald’s. You can pick up dinner and a movie for less than what you’d pay to walk into a movie theater. Some DVD kiosks, like those from DVDNow, have advertising options further cushioning an owner’s income stream, and the financial benefits don’t stop there.

 

According to thestreet.com, Coinstar, the company behind RedBox, boasted substantial first quarter earnings in 2011 which are projected to continue. The only problem? RedBox (and Blockbuster for that matter) aren’t franchises. Unless you work for RedBox (i.e. Coinstar) or Blockbuster you can’t have a piece of the million-dollar DVD kiosk revenue pie.

 

That is unless you own a DVDNow kiosk.

Enter DVDNow, a DVD rental kiosk that’s fast, convenient, inexpensive and most importantly, a viable source of income for a franchisee. In addition to renting movies, DVDNow users can also purchase DVDs and rent video games, too. DVDNow’s design allows for businesses to advertise their services using an integrated HD television and signage on the front of the kiosk providing franchise owners with additional income opportunities.

 

Relentless Marketing: Online Marketing & Lead Generation

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The world is flat.

We are linked, irrefutably, via the Internet, and you cannot afford to not be using the World Wide Web to your lead generation and marketing advantage.

Lead generation is important. No matter how successful your business, finding new customers is an every day objective. About a month ago, we briefly discussed the different methods that firms use to generate leads. Today, we delve a little deeper.

 

Online marketing is the most effective and the most widely recognized lead generation method. Online marketing involves generating leads using organic search engine results, paid search engine results, webinars, online newsletters, banners, portals and online directories to produce leads. Your choice of implementation should reflect your lead generation needs, the culture of your business and the demographic base of your customers.The key to online marketing’s success is its chosen operating medium: the Internet.

50 years ago, most people worked a standard 9 to 5 schedule. Today, this is not always the case. Though traditional work schedules remain, many people work from home, work multiple jobs or simply have schedules that don’t fit within your business’ hours of operation. To that end, the Internet’s around the clock availability makes it a perfect platform for lead generation; if you’re online, you’re available whenever the lead is available.

 

Another benefit of online marketing and its close ties with the Internet is its enhanced visibility. “Between the dawn of civilization though 2003 5 exabytes of information was created,” said Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google. “Now that much information is created every 2 days.” We are inundated with online content. Many of us check our email first thing in the morning and right before we go to sleep. With so much of our attention online, you cannot afford to exclude online marketing from your lead generation strategy.

The Internet's around the clock availability makes it a perfect platform for lead generation.

 

 

Tune back in for part two next week; we’ll go over each online marketing technique and how to use it effectively.

 

Dunkin’ Donuts: A Tasty Franchise

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HI, MY NAME IS ANNABEL, AND I AM A CAFFEINE ADDICT…

Every morning it’s the same routine: I drowsily silence my alarm clock and roll out to the edge of my bed, depending on gravity to literally get me out of bed. What can I say? I am not a morning person. I shuffle, half awake, to the kitchen and make a pot of coffee. My workday hasn’t officially started until my first sip of piping hot java.

 

YOU KNOW WHAT GOES WELL WITH COFFEE, RIGHT?

A staple of early morning staff meetings, the doughnut is an important part of Americana (even though its cultural origins are disputed). You cannot mention doughnuts (or coffee) without a nod to Dunkin’ Donuts.

 

In 1946, William Rosenberg founded Industrial Luncheon Services, a company that delivered meals, snacks and coffee to Boston factory workers. Industrial Luncheon Services’ success led Rosenberg to open his first coffee and doughnut shop, Open Kettle, which later became Dunkin’ Donuts in 1950. Today, Rosenberg’s franchise has more than 9,700 locations in 31 countries worldwide. Of course, the majority of Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants are in the U.S.

 

Though the original Dunkin’ Donuts location in Quincy, Massachusetts focused on coffee and doughnuts, modern day locations serve much more than the ubiquitous breakfast food. Today, you’ll find apple pie, bagels, breakfast sandwiches, cookies, danishes, and even tuna sandwiches on the menu.

 

Did I mention they serve coffee? While “donuts” might be part of its name, Dunkin’ Donuts’ coffee comprises almost 50 percent of its profits. For the past five years, the company has held the number one spot for customer loyalty in Brand Keys’ coffee category. I’m not surprised, I drink at least one cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee every day. After all, American runs on Dunkin’. Or so they say.

 

FUN DUNKIN’ FACTS

  • Dunkin’ Donuts makes over 1,000 different kinds of doughnuts. My favorite? The French Crueller, feel free to send me a dozen.
  • In 2009 and in 2010 Dunkin’ Donuts held a campaign for the general public to create the next Dunkin’ Donut. Each winner won $12,000 respectively and had their doughnuts offered for a limited time in Dunkin’ Donuts locations. Did you try one: Monkey See Monkey Donut and Toffee For Your Coffee?

 

WHY COFFEE & DOUGHNUT RETAIL FRANCHISES ARE GOOD INVESTMENTS


As a country, 50 percent of Americans drink coffee drink an average of 3.2 cups of coffee every day. At 9 ounces a cup, we’re consuming almost 29 ounces per person per day. It should come as no surprise the U.S. dominates the world in coffee consumption. It’s predicted that by the end of 2011 there will be over 50,000 coffee shops in the United States. There’s an undeniable demand for coffee and its accompanying sweet treats, making coffee and doughnut retail franchises good investments.

SIMILAR COFFEE & DOUGHNUT BUSINESSES AND FRANCHISES

  • Caribou Coffee
  • Café2U
  • Honey Dew Donuts (New England)
  • Big Apple Donuts and Coffee (Asia)
  • J. CO Donuts & Coffee (Indonesia)
  • Krispy Kreme
  • Happy Haus
  • Mister Donut
  • New England Coffee
  • Starbucks
  • The Whole Donut (New England)
  • Tim Hortons
  • Country Style
  • The Coffee Beanery

 

Should You Take Your Franchise International?

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The value of the U.S. dollar is languishing near levels not seen this low since July of 2008.As of today, the value of one U.S. dollar is 0.6999 Euro or, conversely, one euro buys roughly one and a half U.S. dollars. If you’re wondering why you’re taking fewer vacations and there are more tourists around, this is why. They can buy more here now and you can’t afford to leave.

In case you haven’t heard (and if you’re in the franchise world I’m sure you have), the Subway sandwich has served up some major competition to the hamburger giant, McDonald’s. Worldwide, Subway had 33,749 restaurants at the end of 2010. McDonald’s trailed 12 units behind with 33,737. A great deal of each of the franchise giants’ growth is due to their expanding appetite for the Far East.

 

It’s no secret that for years U.S. manufacturers have outsourced jobs to places like China, India and Vietnam. It simply costs U.S. businesses less to pay Chinese or Indian workers to do the same amount of work as an American, at least for now. Over the past 25 years, considerable global economic growth has been the product of manufacturing growth. As a result, Asian countries (as well as basically everyone else) have benefitted. Quite frankly, more manufacturing jobs have resulted in increased productivity and profits for businesses. Since 2005, the value of the Chinese yuan (pronounced yen) has increased by over 20 percent versus the U.S. dollar.

U.S. franchise brands are already doing well in China, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia. The franchise industry has a window of opportunity to take advantage of Asia’s growing economies and subsequently their growing purchasing power while the value of the U.S. dollar is roughly six and a half times more than the yuan.

 

In case you needed more convincing as to the validity of international franchising, here are a few more facts you should know:

  • Over 95 percent of the world’s potential consumers are outside of the United States.
  • India’s franchising sector is growing at an approximate rate of 30 percent annually.
  • Vietnam’s franchise market has experienced an average growth rate of 30 percent in recent years.
  • According to William Edwards, CFE, the key international markets that are expected to have strong franchise growth in 2011 include China and Vietnam.

 

Related reading:

1. Wall Street Journal: Subway Runs Past McDonald’s Chain: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703386704576186432177464052.html

2. Weak Dollar Boosting Quarterly Earnings – Wall Street Journal

 

 

 

Business Lessons From the NFL Draft

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The NFL draft is arguably the second most important night of any NFL season, the most important night being, of course, Super Bowl Sunday.

 

Unsurprisingly, the caliber of your team (and often it’s ability to win) is proportionate to the quality of your players. Although it is a very important one, this isn’t the only lesson that football or the draft teaches us about running a business.

 

Winners Are Losers

 

The rules of the draft stipulate that, in essence, the winning teams pick last. This is to ensure that the same team doesn’t win the Super Bowl every single year. This isn’t how the real world operates, just look at Harvard Business School. HBS graduates run the world. They make up the creative and managing teams of Yahoo, Google, Goldman Sachs and the Blackstone Group, among others. Quite simply, the best work for the best. Each of the aforementioned powerhouses utilizes new hires as part of their business strategy. Why shouldn’t you? Be thankful the rules of the real world differ from the rules of the draft; you can still recruit top performers. Remember to keep in mind that everything you do will attract future employees or push them into the arms of your competitors.

 

When You Wish Upon a Star

 

The Carolina Panthers had first pick on Thursday night. Beforehand I wondered if they would pick Auburn’s Cam Newton. Undoubtedly talented, Cam Newton’s a star of a quarterback. To that end, regardless of the talent of a new hire, you can’t use all of your money on your star recruit and think they’re going to save your business or make your more money. You hired them to do a specific job. The Panthers scored a good football player, but Cam Newton alone can’t make them champions.

Cam Newton

Preparing Your New Talent

 

One of the biggest discussions before the draft started on Thursday was whether or not Auburn’s Cam Newton deserved to be the number one draft pick of 2011. Regardless of what he deserves, there’s a big mental transition that needs to take place for Newton. Can Cam adjust his playing mentality when he steps onto an NFL field? The rules might be (basically) the same, but it’s a whole different ball game. Winning championships at the college level is not the same as winning championships in the NFL.

 

Like coaches and players, managers and coworkers need to be prepared for the role they’re going to play in the development and transition of a new team member. This is especially true for new hires that are young and accustomed to a collegiate lifestyle.

 

Taking a Risk

Mark Ingram

Previously injured or “troublemaker” players aren’t always a risk, and sometimes they are. Though not in the draft this year, the University of Florida’s Janoris Jenkins was recently dismissed from his position as cornerback due to his repeated arrests for marijuana possession. Will Muschamp, Florida’s new head coach, is implementing “the Florida way,” and Jenkins frankly knew better: this is his fourth arrest. This is the type of risk that you shouldn’t take. When a potential new hire has disregard for the rules or authority it’s a good idea to thank them for their interest and send them on their way. Once the plague of disrespect is caught in a team environment it’s difficult to eradicate.

 

Prior to the draft, James Andrews, MD, sent a letter to all 32 teams in the draft giving Mark Ingram, running back for the Alabama Crimson Tide, a clean bill of health after his knee injury. In the two weeks leading up to Thursday’s draft at least two teams removed Ingram from their draft boards due to concerns about the long-term health of his knee. Ingrams is the type of risk you should take. The Alabama running back plays with his whole heart. Regardless of his personal pain or discomfort he’s known for giving his whole self in every game. Despite his past knee problems, he’s been given a clean bill of health. When you’re looking at the resume or background of a potential new hire it’s so important to recognize that everyone makes mistakes or has things happen to them outside of their control. If they turn that adversity into fuel for personal improvement, that’s a winning pick.

 

Be a Better Salesman

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Justin Gardy is a seven-days-a-week sales representative. During the business week, he’s on the phone at least 6 and a half hours each day. During the weekend, Gardy is responding to sales queries and connecting with prospects via email.

Justin has five tips for making the third quarter the best of the 2011 fiscal year:

 

  1. Be persistent. “Don’t be afraid to be persistent,” says Gardy. “A large part of sales is keeping your company, your product, your service in the forefront of your prospective client’s mind. Don’t let them forget about you.”
  2. Adjust your focus. “Relationships with prospects are just as important as making the sale. If you’re always pitching and pushing to make the sale you’ll undoubtedly come across as annoying. Balance your pitching with light conversation,” says Gardy. There are times when Justin has a simple conversation with prospects and doesn’t pitch at all.
  3. Manage their expectations.  “It is always better to undersell and over deliver. There is nothing worse than promising the moon and making that call you can’t deliver.”
  4. Deliver on your promises. “Once you’ve made the sale, you must deliver on your promises. This is key to earning repeat business.
  5. Two ears, one mouth. “When your prospective client is on the phone, let them do most of the talking. They are sure to tune you out if you talk their ear off,” suggest Gardy. “Remember to listen, respond and stop pushing your agenda.”

 

Lead Generation 101

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In between unpacking boxes and putting away belongings my home telephone rang. I reached to answer it thinking it was probably my mother. I kicked myself as I realized even she didn’t have my new number yet.

“No thank you,” I said, “I’m really not interested.” The call was, of course, from a solicitor. Despite her encouragement to support a worthwhile charity by purchasing magazine subscriptions, I refrained. I was more concerned with how this woman got my telephone number.

Cold calling is a (very annoying) marketing tool that often yields poor results for one simple reason: you’re calling an uninterested prospect.

Lead generation is a marketing term that refers to the process of generating prospective consumer interest or inquiry into products or services of a business. Quite simply, lead generation identifies the people who want to talk to you.

Used by companies large and small for a variety of reasons, lead generation is a solid and effective marketing tool. The goal of lead generation is to generate quality leads. Quality leads are determined by a prospect’s inclination to take their inquiry or interest to the next level. A quality lead expresses interest and then, due to your excellent sales technique, turns that interest into an investment or a purchase in your product, business or service.

Lead generation methods and techniques are numerous and most businesses use a combination of several methods as part of their marketing strategy. The most important lead generation methods are those that work (i.e. generate quality leads). While no best methodology or technique exists there are best practices for each method. Keep your end goal in mind when choosing lead generation techniques for your marketing campaign.

When the term lead generation is mentioned, it often brings to mind online marketing and advertising – a very commonly used method. Franchise Clique’s expertise falls under this category. Due to the fact that the Internet is like a storefront that is always open, online advertising is a cost-effective approach to lead generation. Through search engine optimization, organic search engine results, paid search engine results and a laundry list of other ways, you are able to generate leads literally in your sleep.

Common Lead Generation Methods

1. Branding – Involves the use of sponsorships, advertising, associations, newsletters and events to produce leads.

2. Public Relations – Involves the use of editorials, news releases, public speaking engagements, news coverage (radio, broadcast, print and online), article placement, and content generation to produce leads.

3. Website – Involves search engine optimization (SEO), podcasts, blogging, RSS feeds and unique URL landing pages to produce leads.

4. Phone Calls – Involves developing relationships, gaining internal referrals, identifying business shortcomings and needs, opt-in for content notification, re-engaging with previously missed opportunities, identifying and/or verifying contacts and inviting contacts to events in order to produce leads. *Please note the difference between this marketing approach and cold calling. This is about developing and not establishing relationships.

5. Email – Involves using one-to-one messages or one-to-many messages to produce leads.

6. Online Marketing – This is probably the most popular and widely known lead generation method. It involves using organic search engine results, paid search engine results, webinars, newsletter sponsorships, banners, portals and online directories to produce leads.

7. Direct Mail – Involves using postcards, personal letters, dimensional mail (this is exactly what you would imagine it to be—something other than a normally shaped piece of mail), and self-mailers to produce leads.

8. Events – Involves going to and/or hosting one or more of the following: seminars, workshops, webinars, conferences, executive briefings, and tradeshows.

9. Referrals – One of my favorite methods. Referrals work because of how much we believe the opinions and experiences of those we trust. Using referrals as a lead generation technique involves using vendors, consultants, customers and partners and their trusted experiences.

For more information, I suggest you read The B2B Refinery by Green and Saylor, Lead Generation for the Complex Sale by Carroll and Marketing for Dummies.

3 Key Things You Need to Know About Advertising and Lead Generation

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Since the recession of the late-2000s there has been a distinct change in the nature of the businessperson: the Great Recession has made us distrusting worriers with unmanageable expectations. As the chief executive officer of Franchise Clique, I am familiar with the anxiety associated with starting a successful business. I started Franchise Clique a few years ago during the Great Recession. Keeping this in consideration, I have a three key pieces of advice for all of you who are about to start an online advertising campaign.

First and foremost, don’t be a servant to your checkbook! I am not advising you to be financially irresponsible (wasn’t that a culprit of the Great Recession?) I am encouraging you to adjust your focus. It is a very common (daily) occurrence for clients to be nervous about the amount of money and time they commit to lead generation and an online advertising campaign. Clients should view money spent on lead generation as an investment. Ask yourself how much time and money you are willing to invest in selling your franchise or business opportunity. From that point on, be committed to your commitment. If you have committed to six months (a very reasonable amount of time) do not be tempted to pull the plug on your investment prematurely.

My second key piece of advice is to trust your online lead source and think of him or her as your lead generation expert. Your success is a direct correlation to your online lead source’s strategy. The better your lead generator’s strategy and budget, the better your results will be. However, it is not your lead generator’s responsibility to close the deal for you. We have the skills, technology and experience to do wonders with your investment. Trust us to connect you with great prospects. You come to us for lead generation because this is our trade and we know what we’re doing. To that end, it’s your responsibility to turn that prospect into something profitable.

The final and most important thing you need to know about lead generation and online advertising is to manage your expectations. In the March 2011 issue of Inc. magazine columnist and senior editor Norm Brodsky made an excellent point about the nature of business today, “…the Internet has robbed us of the capacity for patience.” If an advertising effort does not experience instantaneous phenomenal success do not call it a failure. Good things come with time. A colleague in the diabetic supplies industry (historically a very tough lead generation niche) spends millions of dollars and canvasses thousands of leads every year. He is consistently committed to his lead generator, accepting of the nature of the lead generation and online advertising industry and all the more successful for it.

Restoration 1 Experiences Franchise Closure within First Month of Advertisement with Franchise Clique

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January 28, 2011 – CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Franchise Clique today announced its client, Restoration 1, has experienced franchise closure within the first month as a direct result of the franchisor’s partnership with the internet-based pay-for-performance franchise marketing service.
Restoration 1 first began listing its franchise opportunity on www.franchiseclique.com in December of 2010.
“After testing several other companies we gave Franchise Clique a go,” explained Andor Kovacs President of Restoration 1. “It has been a great resource so far. Clique gets the job done. They deliver real people…real leads.”
“We are excited to have Restoration 1 on board with Clique and thrilled to hear of their immediate success with our program,” said David Schwartz, CEO of Franchise Clique. “We look forward to continuing our partnership and delivering more qualified prospects for their concept in the future.”
About Restoration 1
Restoration 1 Water damage restoration and water extraction services are our specialties. We perform restoration for both residential and commercial properties.
About Franchise Clique
Franchise Clique (www.franchiseclique.com), links real people with real franchise and business opportunities providing franchisors with a quality, yet cost-effective, mode of franchise marketing. Now in its second year of operation, Franchise Clique and its network of sites offers information on hundreds of business opportunities available in 100+ industries in one convenient location on the web.

Despite a down economy, Franchise Clique is assisting more clients every day.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – Jan 26, 2011 – Charleston, SC – If you believed everything that you read in the news today, it would be hard to consider anything other than “doom and gloom” in the American business world. Indeed, the economy has taken its toll on many businesses. However, studies show that during an economic downturn, entrepreneurial activity typically takes off and provides ample opportunity for those individuals and organizations who are willing to “take a chance” on their own. Charleston-based lead generation company, Franchise Clique, has decided to corner the market, finding success both as an entrepreneurial organization and helping other potential business owners find their footing.

Franchise Clique, founded by company CEO David Schwartz in 2009, entered the market at the height of the recession. However, Schwartz was confident in his ability to take the knowledge and expertise that he had acquired working at a current lead generation competitor, as well as his understanding of the publishing industry, which he obtained during his work at several national magazines, and combine it with the implementation of technology that contributed to the success of the online education industry. Franchise Clique was born.

Franchise Clique works to connect franchise and business opportunities to entrepreneurs and investors who are interested in starting their own companies. The organization develops the highest quality lead generation efforts through proprietary technology and industry expertise.

“I spent the better half of the last decade working for some of my current competitors,” stated Schwartz. “Ultimately, through my prior lead generation experience and the technology that I bought, I decided that I could take what I learned and not only create a company with it, but also help other entrepreneurs attain their dreams of being in business for themselves. The mere fact that this all happened to hit during an economic recession is secondary. To the business owner who truly wants to succeed, nothing is going to stand in their way. That is the belief that I bring to the office everyday and thankfully, I have a staff who subscribes to that mantra, too.”

Franchise Clique, since its inception, has quickly become the premier provider for the best leads in the franchise industry. The company offers an unparalleled advertising opportunity to clients and gives potential business owners the access to search a unique technology platform for the franchise or business opportunity they might be interested in pursuing. It is this multi-faceted platform that makes the company so distinctive as it appeals both to the franchise industry and the franchisees who are looking to buy-in to a business opportunity.

“Franchises are a very popular opportunity amongst entrepreneurs as they come with a readymade business plan and product. You are not recreating the wheel, you are getting to work with a proven product, but you still have the benefit of being in business for yourself and calling the shots,” stated Schwartz. “I believe that model is one of the reasons that we have been successful in such a short amount of time. People who are sick of putting up with corporate red tape are looking for a different direction, and it is this group who are incredibly interested in the opportunity a franchise presents. Franchise Clique puts these people in touch with the best franchise opportunities available today.”

Franchise Clique advertises for hundreds of franchise opportunities in a variety of industries. The company allows for nation-wide searching and offers entrepreneurs the ability to find franchise businesses based on how much they are willing to invest. The organization has projected a seven figure budget for their advertising efforts in 2011 and employs some of the most sought after and expert lead generation professionals in the industry today. The company can be found online at www.franchiseclique.com.

“What surprises people most about our service is the fact that Franchise Clique has over 400 advertisers, is the most heavily trafficked site in the space and that our organization goes above and beyond traditional franchise lead generation advertising,” commented Schwartz. “Instead, we take marketing efforts several steps further and advertise not only on the site, but off the site as well. We do this through expert search engine optimization, ad networks and social and affiliate networks. This is what makes Franchise Clique unique.”

ABOUT:
Franchise Clique is a highly successful lead generation company working within the franchise industry and based in Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 2009 by professionals who have spent the last decade working within the lead generation industry, this directory utilizes the most advanced and effective lead generation technology available on the market today. Franchise Clique is the only Google AdWords certified company in the space.

The use of this technology by advertising and online lead generation gurus is what sets Franchise Clique apart from the other companies in the industry. Franchise Clique has found creative ways to implement this groundbreaking technology and has brought the opportunities realized by this creative new way to generate leads to the attention of the public at www.franchiseclique.com.

Now the leading source for reliable franchise leads, Franchise Clique can be contacted at 877-252-2340 or info@franchiseclique.com. For more information or a sample copy, contact Franchise Clique at 877-252-2340 or info@franchiseclique.com. Franchise Clique can be found online at www.franchiseclique.com.

October National Sales Meeting

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On Tuesday, October 25, FranchiseClique held a national sales meeting at our headquarters in Charleston, SC. Department heads and regional managers from around the country gathered together to discuss ideas and some exciting new features that will be rolling out soon. Dave Schwartz, CEO, was quoted as saying, “It was a wonderful opportunity for the whole team to come together and collaborate.” Another national sales meeting is scheduled for November.