Category Archives: Franchise Interviews and Profiles

Franchise concept overviews, franchisee interviews and interviews with franchise concept top management members.

Franchise Profile: The Grout Medic

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The Grout Medic, in response to exploding customer demand, was founded under the commitment that their company could provide customers a viable, long term, cost effective, alternative to replacing tile and grout.

 

The Grout Medic is the leading grout & tile restoration franchise with over 40 locations across the US. Their franchise owners come from all walks of life, but they all have the same common goals; to gain control over their future and provide a better lifestyle and opportunity for themselves and their families.

 

At The Grout Medic™ their goal is simple – To create an opportunity to allow motivated, hardworking, business-minded individuals a low cost, high margin path to success. In doing so, The Grout Medic™ has become a leading grout and tile repair service with a cost effective, highly profitable, operating system offering a valuable service to their customers with very little competition. The Company’s foundation is based on solid business principles, extensive training and post operating support and, most of all, their experienced and dedicated people.

 

 

The Grout Medic Difference:
The Grout Medic has an industry leading approach to grout and tile restoration which has been one of the major factors in its success. They use exclusive equipment including their vapor machine and electric grout removal tools, as well as techniques and exclusive product lines to position The Grout Medic as the leader in the industry. The Grout Medic also employs a number of “green” practices in line with the current consumer demand.

 

To find out more about this amazing franchise opportunity, please visit the following link: http://www.franchiseclique.com/franchise/The-Grout-Medic. An online form may also be submitted for more detailed information.

Franchise Profile: French Fry Heaven

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The world is a better place with French fries– in fact, they might be the best fried foods ever created. At least that’s what the founder of French Fry Heaven believes, and why the restaurant franchise singularly celebrates hamburger’s best friend and ketchup’s soulmate.

 

French Fry Heaven, the franchise industry’s first French gourmet fry-only franchise, sells two types of heavenly fried potatoes, Angels and Saints. Angels are classic, Belgian-style* French fries that can be topped with just about anything, like ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, gravy and cheese, or blue cheese dust. Saints are sweet potato fries that can be savory, served with salt, or sweet, dusted with cinnamon and brown sugar, maple syrup or other saccharine smothers. French Fry Heaven customers may also sprinkles their fries with Ethereal Sea Salts in flavors like ghost pepper, vanilla and lime fresco.

Each French Fry Heaven franchise unit operates out of a small stand alone location with a specially designed ventless enclosed fryer. Targeted locations include college campuses, stadiums, airports, military bases and malls.

 

Beyond frying up gourmet French fries, French Fry Heaven strives to be unprofessional. (You read that right.) By focusing on making one stand-out product, the food franchise is able to provide its customers with great customer service and a fun, outrageous experience.

 

A cornerstone of French Fry Heaven’s business is its commitment to charitable service and, as such, all who become a part of the restaurant franchise must be committed to giving back to their communities, too.

 

When it comes to finding new franchisees and establishing new French Fry Heaven locations, the restaurant franchise looks for candidates who are dedicated to make customers smile. A history with management, sales and a strong connection with one’s community are also important.

 

 

*Belgian-style French fries are freshly cut, irregularly shaped fries that usually include the potato’s skin. Fried twice, Belgian-style frites are known for their crispy exterior and fluffy, potatoey interior. Served in a paper cone, Belgian-style fries aren’t tiny shoestrings, they’re at least 10 millimeters in width.

TapSnap, the digital photo booth franchise

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Most often, candid photographs become the favorite images from an event. From corporate parties to weddings and birthday bashes, unposed pictures always possess the most earnest smiles. Professional photographers often fail to capture these impromptu moments; they can’t be everywhere at once.

 

TapSnap, a portable photo booth franchise, has changed how photographs are taken, shared, printed and edited  during life’s major moments. TapSnap has made it easier, faster and smarter.

 

Attendees of corporate events, weddings and other festive events can take photographs and record videos with TapSnap and instantly share them via social media. Before sharing, guests can edit photos, draw on them digitally and even instantly print hard copies of their favorite snapshots without needing to order prints.


For TapSnap franchisees, business is a breeze. Each TapSnap “booth” is portable and easy to setup within 15 minutes. Once a TapSnap photo booth is fully functional at an event or party, little help or intervention is required on the part of the franchisee.

tapsnap franchise

The franchise’s self-serve kiosk business model makes TapSnap an ideal business opportunity for entrepreneurs seeking a second income stream. Most events are on the weekends or in the evenings, making it even easier for an entrepreneur to keep his or her full-time job when starting their TapSnap franchise. Some franchisees generate enough business that they are able to work part-time while earning full-time income.

 

Currently, TapSnap is expanding but only licensing franchises in a limited number of territories. To learn more about becoming a TapSnap franchisee and what it’s like to own a TapSnap photo booth, please visit http://www.franchiseclique.com/franchise/Tap-Snap-Portable-Photo-Booth?gclid=COWCuZn98LYCFdRa4AodEX8AdQ.

 

 

Thriving in Franchising After Leaving Corporate America

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Franchisee Profile of Fred and Lorraine Pierson
Showhomes Franchisees, Raleigh NC

Fred Pierson’s path to entrepreneurship was anything but linear. Before becoming a Showhomes Home Staging franchise owner in Raleigh, N.C., Fred Pierson had two different corporate careers.

 

In college, Pierson earned a degree in aviation management and went on to manage corporate jet facilities across the United States. Due to the nature of his work, he and his wife, Lorraine, moved frequently. After years of packing and unpacking, Fred, Lorraine and their young children settled in North Carolina and Fred left the aviation industry and his first corporate career.

 

Fred then joined Starwood Hotels and Resorts. He felt that “hospitality was similar in nature” to his aviation work. For the next decade, Pierson worked his way up the corporate ladder, eventually earning the title of General Manager. As the economy contracted during the Great Recession, Fred returned to work for a competitor at half the compensation of what he had been making.

 

“After doing corporate work for 25 years, my wife and I felt it was time to start working for ourselves,” says Pierson. “In life, opportunities present themselves occasionally, but what really made Showhomes the right opportunity for us was the timing,” he explains.

 

As luck would have it, a good friend of Fred’s was starting her own mortgage brokerage firm around the same time as his departure from the hospitality industry. Due to her encouragement, Fred became a national and state licensed mortgage loan officer — passing both tests on his first try.

 

“Old dogs can learn new tricks!” he says.

 

Working as a mortgage officer was very interesting to Pierson, though he soon realized it could put a strain on his relationships with friends.

 

“I refused to sacrifice my relationships with people to originate loans,” Pierson explains, “As such, my wife and I looked at opportunities that would provide me with a pipeline of loans without pushing me to use my personal contacts.”

 

A good friend led the Pierson’s to Showhomes, a business model they felt they would use as an “ancillary feeder” to his mortgage business that catered to those relocating to the Raleigh area.  “We quickly saw that the opportunities with Showhomes were far greater than within the mortgage business,” says Fred. “In a short period of time we saw impressive results that allowed us to walk away from the mortgage side of things and focus on Showhomes.”

 

The Pierson’s ultimately chose Showhomes over other franchise opportunities because it played to the couples’ talents. Lorraine enjoyed interior design and, as a byproduct of Fred’s aviation management days, was adept at staging houses and making them feel like homes. Fred, a self-described “turnaround specialist for companies,” easily brought in new business.

“Technically no one does what we do on a national level with the level of support and national branding that Showhomes offers,” Pierson says.

 

On what to expect when becoming a Showhomes franchisee Fred says, “You’re buying the right to a territory and what you do with that territory and how you manage it effectively is up to you.

 

As franchisees, Fred and Lorraine have learned a considerable amount about real estate and the effect staging has on the buying and selling process. The number one challenge to Showhomes as a business model, according to Fred, is demonstrating the value of a staged home to both the seller and to the realtor.  “Showhomes is here to stage, maintain, manage and protect your home. My job is to make someone fall in love with your home; it’s the Realtor’s job to find a buyer”.

 

With experiencing close to a 70-percent success rate of having homes sell within 90 days of being staged, the Pierson’s feel that the human elements—leaving slippers by the bed, The Wall Street Journal near the coffee maker– clearly make a difference and bring a human touch.

 

“To be successful it helps to be well-rounded and most people, because of their corporate careers, are specialists in a particular area, like sales, operations, or administrative. For this reason, it works best with a great team, similar to myself and my wife Lorraine.”

 

“I take great satisfaction in explaining Showhomes to business principals,” says Fred, “Smart people right away say, ‘That’s an amazing business model!’”

Snips Its Franchise: From Terrifying to Terrific

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The snip-snip of scissors and buzz of hair trimmers are not music to the ears of children– unless they’re headed to Snip Its. Started in 1995 by a mother who couldn’t find a hair salon that catered to children, Snip Its has transformed haircuts into a fun experience for kids of all ages.

children's franchise

Most salons and barber shops are uninterested in dealing with wiggling, squirming kids and, even when they are willing, most lack originality in keeping children entertained. At Snip-Its, you won’t find just a box of crayons or a single tattered book to distract kids from the unpleasantness of a haircut; you’ll find an interactive, entertaining environment designed to capture a child’s attention and associate haircuts with fun. A cast of haircut-related characters, like Jean Luc Le Spritz, keeps the atmosphere light and children smiling.

 

Snip Its dedication to children extends outside of its colorful interior. Last year, the children’s haircut franchise teamed up with Autism Speaks to create a DVD for stylists and parents, preparing each to work with children with autism. Each April, Snip Its also participates in National Autism Awareness Month. The franchise also has raised funds through Cookies For Cancer, a not-for-profit that funds major pediatric cancer research.  Pediatric cancer is the top cause of death in children in the U.S.

children's franchise

Each franchisee is thoroughly trained and prepared for owning a business that not only caters to kids, but to parents as well. That, of course, begins with franchisees who are passionate, ambitious, positive and care about children. Snip Its is currently looking for franchisees with prior business experience and are able to inspire and to develop an enthusiastic team.

 

For more information on Snip Its or other children’s franchises, visit Franchise Clique.com.

 

Flip Flop Shop Franchise Learns About the Meaning of Health

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Brian Curin had heard it before: “Health is wealth,” and, “You’re nothing without your health.” Like most humans, Curin ignored those old axioms and, instead, pushed himself and his franchise, Flip Flop Shops, forward– until his 38-year old heart couldn’t push anymore.

 

When we hear about heart disease and the artery blockages our minds rarely conjure images of fit, fast-moving entrepreneurs. Though an active lifestyle enthusiast who surfs, paddle-boards and engages in motor cross sports, Brian’s family history of heart-related problems caught up to him after beginning a particularly intense home workout program. Unusually fatigued, Curin blamed his symptoms on his hectic schedule until a few weeks later a “strange feeling” in his chest prompted an immediate doctor’s visit.

 

Blood tests and a standard EKG came back normal, but a failed exercise stress test caused Curin’s doctors to recommend an angiogram. The diagnosis: 100 percent blockage in his heart’s main artery– aptly called “the widow maker”– and near complete blockage in three other arteries. Doctors warned Curin he could suffer a fatal heart attack at any moment so, at 38, Brian Curin had immediate, emergency open-heart surgery.

 

Months after his shocking, scary surgery, Curin is concerned about the effects of stress on us all. Before embracing the “flip flops lifestyle” Brian was busy building a name for himself– too busy that he missed the warning signs. Now, just months after his surgery, Curin and his franchise, Flip Flop Shops, have launched the “Heart to Sole: Creating a Stress-Free America” campaign to support the American Heart Association’s My Heart, My Life healthy living initiative as well as the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

 

The focus of the campaign is on how to reduce stress, which contributes to a long list of maladies, including heart disease risks like high blood pressure and cholesterol.

 

The Heart to Sole campaign will really “kick off” in May and June, the most prominent month for flip flops, to celebrate Flip Flop Shop’s newly minted “Stress Free America Month.” Activities will include:

 

 

Flip Flop Fridays – Companies will be encouraged to abandon the old “casual Fridays” in favor of encouraging their employees to wear flip flops every Friday in June. Starting in May, companies can sign an online pledge committing to Flip Flop Fridays via the Flip Flop Shops Facebook Page, and donate $2 to the AHA for every employee pledged to wear flip flops. In addition, Flip Flop Shops has commissioned the research firm of Alexander Babbage to complete a study that will measure the stress levels of those who wear flip flops to work, compared to closed-toe footwear. The study will be released in April.

 

Instagram Contest – Flip Flop Shops will tie in a weekly contest through Instagram, giving away a pair of flip flops each week to one Instagram user who shares their “Flip Flop Friday” photos from work.

 

Global Search to Find “Chill Ambassadors” – Flip Flop Shops will launch a Facebook contest in May to find its two Facebook fans that are the ultimate Chill Ambassadors. Winners will receive one free pair of flip flops each month for a year. Chill Ambassadors duties include sharing tips for living a care-free, laid-back lifestyle, along with photos and video reviews each month of their new flip flops.

 

Life’s Too Short To Wear Shoes Protests – Throughout “Stress-Free America Month” in June, Flip Flop Shops is partnering with SANÜK to set-up flip flop sit-in protests against our culture of all work and no play, encouraging people to take off their shoes and put on flip flops. Protests will be held in Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Vancouver.

 

SkyRun Makes Vacation Out of Work

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skyrun vacation rental

In a famous commencement speech to Stanford’s class of 2005, Steve Jobs spoke about the importance of loving what you do. After all, if you spend at least 40 hours a week of your life doing it shouldn’t it be fun? Imagine if work went one step further and felt like vacation.

 

Most vacation properties– homes, condominiums, townhouses and villas– are second homes used less than 30 days a year. For the remaining 11 months of the year, many owners lease their properties in order to generate secondary income. As a SkyRun Vacation Rental franchisee, you’ll manage a network of vacation properties and, as a result, live in some of the most picturesque locations in the world.

skyrun vacation rental franchise

As a SkyRun Vacation Rental franchisee, you’ll have the freedom to develop your own luxury vacation rental market. It’s possible to establish a SkyRun Vacation Rental franchise anywhere as long as there is a supply of luxury vacation homes and an active hospitality and tourism market.

 

Once a luxury market as been identified, SkyRun franchisees can set to work recruiting homeowners to use SkyRun as a luxury rental management service. After all, most vacation homes go unused for much of the year.

 

SkyRun Vacation Rental franchisees are given an arsenal of tools to help them be successful as business owners:

 

  • Each Skyrun franchisee will be given their own optimized, hosted website connected to SkyRun’s main website. Each franchisee’s properties can be displayed on this website.
  • Back-end system that tracks all reservations, merchant accounts, cleaning and management reports.
  • Portal for vacation homeowners to track and make their own reservations, view past statements and tax information.
  • Network of vacation wholesalers, third parties that help with additional vacation bookings.
  • Full use of SkyRun marketing materials
  • Marketing campaign development

 

 

SkyRun is currently seeking franchisees and looking forward to helping entrepreneurs establish their own luxury vacation rental businesses in new markets.

skyrun

Sushi Freak Rolls in New Restaurant Concept

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From rice, fish and occasionally vegetables, the Japanese created sushi: a food that’s become so ubiquitous in American culture it can be found just about anywhere– including gas stations.

 

While gas station sushi might not be the best choice, a new franchise concept, Sushi Freak, is offering its customers as much choice as possible.

 

The permutations are endless at a Sushi Freak franchise. You’re only limited by your imagination. Even if you aren’t a fan of “the raw stuff”, Sushi Freak’s list of available sushi filling ingredients — 51– include many cooked and seafood alternatives.

 sushi franchise

Customers follow a basic four step ordering process to create their own 8-piece sushi rolls: select your wrapper (soy or seaweed), pick your protein, choose your fillings and top it off with the sauce, raw fish or other topping of your choice. In addition, Sushi Freak offers vegetarian, gluten-free soy sauce and rice-free options, too.

 

This dedication to customization stems from Sushi Freak co-founders Michael Broder and Jenifer Duarte, whose previous food and beverage experience “got them rolling.”

 

Before Sushi Freak opened its first location in San Diego, Calif., the dynamic, sushi-loving duo worked for The Pacific Rim Asian Bistro in Albuquerque, New Mexico that boasted a 160 piece sushi menu. Guests of the bistro would often request for certain exclusions or additions to their sushi orders. After the one-millionth, “Can I substitute…” request Michael and Jenifer saw the need for a customizable sushi restaurant franchise.

 

Why It Works

 

A mixture of tighter budgets and greater food knowledge (thanks to the Food Network and television shows Top Chef, Chopped and The Taste) has produced a more discerning consumer: one that knows what they like to eat and how they want it made.

 

The beauty of Sushi Freak is that it allows customers to order exactly what they want without sacrificing the traditional sushi experience. Jenifer and Michael made sure to consult one of the best master sushi chefs they knew (the kind that isn’t allowed to touch rice until after a one-year apprenticeship) to refine the sushi making process at Sushi Freak.

 

The Nitty Gritty

 

While a definitive initial investment can’t be given for legal reasons, the estimated initial investment for a Sushi Freak franchise is $179,900 – $297,000.

 

Franchise term is 20 years with an option to renew for another 20 years.

 

Typical Sushi Freak restaurant franchise is 1200-1500 square feet.

 

100,000 minimum cash required.

 

An ideal Sushi Freak franchisee has a strong background in business management with a passion for serving people and very intrinsically motivated.

 

Sushi Freak is seeking franchisees in all 50 states and international locations.

 

One owner or designated manager must be involved in the Sushi Freak franchise on a full-time basis and be held responsible for the daily operations and management of said Sushi Freak location.

 

Owning and operating a Sushi freak includes: use of Sushi Freak’s brand name, trademarks, recipes, operational systems, methods and décor. Support is provided in:

 

  • Facility planning
  • Fixture, equipment and leasehold improvements
  • Lease negotiation
  • Site selection
  • Corporate training for owner/operator and general managers
  • Kitchen workflow design
  • Ongoing support from training/operations team
  • Ongoing updates for increasing profitability
  • Products
  • System efficiency
  • Favorable national contracts with suppliers of goods and services

Vending Machine Franchise Full of Options and Opportunity– and All of Them Healthy!

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Grabbing something from the vending machine in your office building is usually a last resort when your stomach is grumbling around 4:00 p.m. Each option is a dietician’s nightmare– full of trans fats, sugar, empty calories and processed ingredients. Unless you’re grabbing something from a Healthy U Snacks vending machine.

Before T. Hephner, the owner of the Healthy U Snacks franchise, was replacing candy bars with granola bars, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry in business development. A hectic work and travel schedule kept him away from his family, so he decided to try his hand at being an entrepreneur. It wasn’t long before he latched onto the healthy vending machine concept– and almost bought a healthy vending machine franchise from a competitor.

 

“Vending is a tough business and when you nickel and dime your franchisees they’re not going to make money.” Which is why, of course, Hephner decided to start his own healthy vending franchise as opposed to buying into another concept.

 

What separates Healthy U Snacks from it’s competitors — both other healthy vending machine concepts and the traditional kind — is the concept’s cost structure and its products.

The cost structure of a Healthy U Snacks vending franchise is different– and better– for the franchisee. Hephner is interested in making sure his franchisees’ vending machines are placed in the best high traffic areas possible.

 

“We’re looking for high volume locations. Daily transactions mean money,” says Hephner.

 

Healthy U Snacks franchisees are also able to stock their machines with over 5,000 different products– from well-known to obscure health brands– because the franchise isn’t contracted to stock only a particular purveyor’s goods. The only caveat? Everything must be all-natural. While this doesn’t always mean every item is low in calories it does mean those who buy snacks from Healthy U Snacks are eating real food.

 

While Healthy U Snacks’ concept is decidedly on-trend as major efforts are made to halt America’s rising obesity rates, the franchise does face opposition.

 

“The biggest obstacle we see are in areas that are more traditional; the concept of a healthy vending machine is scary,” explains Hephner. “Times have changed. Healthy food doesn’t taste like styrofoam.”

 

Surprisingly, the least amount of resistance comes from the younger generations.

 

“When I bring in vending machines into high schools they’re empty by the end of the day,” says Hephner.

 

 

To become involved with Healthy U Snacks as a franchisee Hephner and his team really look for those who are equally excited and passionate about healthy eating and encouraging awareness of healthy eating habits. There are also two main kinds of Healthy U Snacks franchisees: those who are supplementing current income and those who want to supply vending machines for an entire territory.

 

“It’s very easy to run this business as a second source of income,” explains Hephner.

 

There are also those who want Healthy U Snacks to become their primary source of revenue and choose to invest in 20 machines spread across an entire territory. These are the rarest franchisees that Hephner has; most use vending machines to supplement their current source of income.

 

For more information on Healthy U Franchising and how to become a franchisee visit http://www.franchiseclique.com/franchise/Healthy-U-Snacks.

 

 

Yummy Cupcakes: One Sweet Franchise Opportunity

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There’s no denying the allure of a cupcake: sweet, creamy frosting (preferably vanilla) and moist, delicate cake (preferably chocolate) is a winning combination. But, can you be successful owning a cupcake bakery? Can it really make you money?

 

The short answer? Yes — and Yummy Cupcakes has proven it’s possible.

In 2004, Executive Chef Tiffini Soforenko opened the now award-winning Yummy Cupcakes in Los Angeles, California. Since then, she’s served gourmet cupcakes and other treats to customers and celebrities the world over. As of September 2012, Yummy Cupcakes is sharing its secrets to sweet success as it expands as a fresh new franchise concept.

 

Yummy Cupcakes’ hub and spoke business model positions each franchisee at the center of multiple incoming revenue streams. At the center of the business model is Yummy Cupcakes’ bakehouse, a location that both sells and bakes cupcakes. A bakehouse is capable of baking up to 12,000 cupcakes a day– enough to sustain sales at 2-4 satellite Yummy Cupcakes locations, which don’t perform any onsite baking. In addition to cupcake sells (the average ticket is $14), half of Yummy Cupcakes’ business comes from catering sales.

 

“Taste is very subjective, but our Los Angeles locations win ‘Best in Show’ each time in one of the most competitive markets,” says Dennis Mulgannon, Yummy Cupcakes’ director of franchising.

 

Part of Yummy Cupcakes’ success lies in its proprietary icing and cupcake recipes. The franchise doesn’t use a single pre-made mix for any of its 430 flavors– some of which are vegan and sugar-free– and include interesting combinations like Apple Blue Cheese and Tomato Soup in addition to more traditional, sweet offerings.

 

Currently, Yummy Cupcakes operates three locations in California and two international locations in the Middle East. Since it began franchising in early September of 2012, Yummy Cupcakes already has locations in Boston, France, Italy, the U.K., NYC, Texas, Nevada, Colorado, Oman, Japan and Abu Dhabi.

 

So, who are they looking for when it comes to potential franchisees?

 

“We’re looking for candidates with business experience– be it former small business owners or former corporate executives,” explains Mulgannon. “A passion for baking is great, but we’re not looking for someone who likes to make cupcakes– we’re looking for someone who understands basic business skills, knows what a P&L is, and how to manage a growing business.”

 

For those who are interested in starting a Yummy Cupcakes franchise or simply want more information, visit http://www.franchiseclique.com/franchise/Yummy-Cupcakes.

View the sizzle reel:

 

 

 

Could a Sports Franchise Have the Answer to Funding After School Sports?

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A franchise might just have the solution as to how America can put its youth back on the global playing field– literally.

 

The education system has seen its share of cutbacks thanks to the Great Recession. A report released last year indicates that cuts to education funding has led to:

 

  • reduction in early childhood education programs
  • increases in class size
  • termination of art, music, physical education, and other elective classes
  • elimination of Advanced Placement courses, extracurricular activities, special science, foreign language, and technology programs

To some, sports might not be a “subject” but that’s not to say that sports don’t have their place in the education system. The disintegration of organized sports in America’s school systems is a major problem, as a recent study of 317 middle school students commissioned by the American College of Sports Medicine found that:

 

  • The fittest group of students scored almost 30% higher on standardized tests than the least fit group;
  • The least fit group had grades in four core classes that were 13-20% lower than the fittest group.

 

So, what do we do? As it turns out, the franchise Sports Image might just have an answer.

As a marketing consulting agency for grassroots sports teams that are in need, Sports Image solicits sponsorships from various businesses– large and small– for teams that need everything from new uniforms to a new scoreboard.

 

As President and CEO Eric Hortsman puts it, “Sports Image is a booster club on steroids.”

 

To date, Sports Image has given over $10 million in equipment and $1 million in cash to elementary school, middle school, high school, public recreation department, religious organization, Division II college, and Division III college teams.

 

Unsurprisingly, Sports Image has watched the need for its services rise considerably since the Great Recession. Then again, the public and not for profit sectors always need financial help, something that the franchisees of Sports Image are happy to give.

 

“A lot of companies do good and charitable work. Sports Image, at its core, is helping others,” says Hortsman.

 

Tom Carmichael, a Sports Image franchisee in Virginia, loves what Sports Image does for communities, as he’s “really been taken aback by how schools are hurting.”

 

“Being a Sports Image franchisee means having your own business but also being able to understand the wants and needs of a school, and then being able to go out and get it for them,” he says.

 

As for the sponsors, “They love it,” he says. “They get good advertising from it.”

 

Prior to becoming a Sports Image franchisee, Tom spent 33 years working his way up the corporate ladder at the same company, which he admits was a wonderful opportunity. He noticed that fewer and fewer new hires had a “team mentality”, something that had been instilled in him as a youth sports player.

 

During his college years, Tom played baseball and basketball despite being legally blind in one eye. He credits his coaches with giving him confidence in his abilities despite his handicap. In addition, he’s still best friends with his teammates from his college years.

 

“It’s like putting on an old jacket; it just fits me really well.”

 

For more information on becoming a Sports Image franchisee visit the Franchise Clique website.

Is Temporary Work the New Permanent?

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The Paradigm Shift to Temporary Staffing

 

In the two years since the Great Recession ended in 2009, staffing firms have created more jobs than any other industry. As Jason Deverant, vice president of sales for @Work Personnel Services says, “Private sector temporary staffing is a leader in job creation.”

Despite the economy’s sluggish recovery, if you own a staffing franchise business has been good. According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, the temporary help services industry put nearly half a million Americans back to work and accounted for 91 percent of non-farm job growth from June 2009 – June 2011. For @Work, this has meant a 30 percent increase in profits over just last year.

 

“We’re looking for similar growth numbers this year,” Deverant adds.

As an industry, temporary staffing and recruiting are hyper-cyclical, fluctuating with the contraction and expansion of the economy. A study from the American Staffing Association suggests that temporary staffing firms lose jobs first during an economic contraction and create jobs first during an economic recovery. In essence, the temporary staffing and recruiting industry is a litmus test for the rest of the economy.

 

For a variety of reasons, there hasn’t been a significant shift back to permanent hiring since the recovery began. Firms are, according to Deverant “a little gun shy” about returning to the old business model of hiring employees permanently.

 

“Awareness of staffing companies has increased and attitudes have changed,” explains Deverant. The Great Recession has issued a new staffing paradigm: temporary might just be the new permanent.

 

For the employer, staffing provides an obvious value. Shielded from workers compensation litigations, unemployment, and the need to offer benefits, firms are able to mitigate the inherent risks of hiring a permanent employee while still getting a project done on time. Staffing takes into account the seasonality of certain industries, too. In addition, using a staffing agency is an enormous time saver for the employer.

 

“Very often we hear, ‘It’s hard for us to find a new candidate, I don’t have the time.’,” says Deverant.

But what about the employee? Is staffing good for the temp, too? According to Jason Deverant, it is. Instead of being tied down to one particular job every day, a temporary hire can pick and choose which projects he or she wishes to be a part of. There’s an increase in modality that’s coveted many full-time employees. In addition, work is often accomplished in a more project-oriented manner. The temporary staffer is treated more like a contractor than just a “filler” employee.

How staffing benefits both employer and employee.

The need for staffing reaches into multiple industries extending beyond the traditional administrative work, which is why @Work’s franchising model includes four distinct staffing lines: personnel, medical services, search group, and helping hands.

“Our model is more cost effective,” says Deverant, “There’s about a 30 percent savings to comparable business models.”

 

In addition to providing staffing for multiple industries, @Work prides itself on its screening process. Finding quality temporary staffers is a huge part of what has made @Work a major competitor in the world of staffing. When a firm approaches you to fill a position, they’re trusting you to do the same kind of thorough recruitment and background check they’d do– if they had the time.

Of course, @Work’s dedication to finding franchisees is equally strong.

 

“An ideal @Work franchisee candidate is, of course, someone with staffing experience,” jokes Deverant, “But most of all we’re looking for someone with relationship development skills.”

 

Many of @Works’ franchisees are former human resources professionals who have made the switch to staffing. Those who aren’t skilled in sales (or might be a little rusty) need not worry. As part of the franchise’s standard fees, @Work dedicates a substantial amount of time preparing new franchisees for their new business ownership role.

 

“Our model is fairly inexpensive when you break the costs down,” says Deverant. Of course, a lot depends on the market in which a franchisee chooses to establish his or her location, but an @Work franchise usually costs between $77,000 and $120,000. According to Deverant, this includes the franchise fee, training fees, estimation of start-up costs, equipment purchases, client development cash, and additional overhead. As Deverant notes, franchisees can make frugal choices and bring this cost down even more.

 

For more information on @Work or how to become an @Work franchisee, please visit http://www.franchiseclique.com/franchise/@-Work-HelpingHands-Services.