Category Archives: Franchise Interviews and Profiles

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

Q&A With Mimi Zeller of LivHOME Senior Care Franchises

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We sat down with Senior Vice President of Franchising Mimi Zeller to discuss LivHOME franchisees and what makes this senior care franchise so special.

How did you become involved with LivHOME? What does your job entail? I became involved with LivHOME because I believe in the LivHOME business model and at-home senior care is something I strongly believe in. As Senior Vice President of Franchising, it’s my job to oversee franchise development and the franchise operations for the entire company. It’s a unique and rewarding opportunity to offer a franchisee.

 

What makes it a unique at-home senior care franchise? What about the business model attracted you? LivHOME’s home care model gives clients a better quality of life in their own homes. The model also provides franchisees the opportunity to compete on quality, not prices, and deliver a differentiated, higher quality home care service to their community. I’m delighted to be part of a team that can do this for families and business owners.

 

Have you ever been a franchisee? What’s your business background? I’ve never been a franchisee, but I have worked with more than 5,000 franchise operators in my 25 years in the franchising industry. I began my career in franchising while working with Domino’s Pizza, Inc. in their world headquarters. While at their west coast regional office, I oversaw 725 franchise locations in 8 western states as the Franchise Operations Director. Later, I was the Senior Vice President of Operations for Mail Boxes, Etc., now The UPS Store, for 3,400 domestic franchises. To round it all out, I was also the CEO of a regional fast-casual food franchise.

 

Wow, that’s quite a bit of franchise industry experience. What’s been the most rewarding part of being a part of a franchise? The most rewarding part of working in a franchise is seeing individuals realize their dreams of owning their own business. LivHOME also offers the opportunity to do something good on a daily basis and help seniors in need.

 

Could you quickly describe for me the franchisee selection process to me? What do you look for in a potential franchisee? Do you have a profile in mind? We look for franchisees who are passionate, driven, can follow LivHOME’s process and standards, and are interested in working full-time in the business.

 

How extensive is the training for your new franchisees? Do you try and develop personal relationships with them? LivHOME has five training stages: pre-training, training in Los Angeles, post-training, on-site opening training and ongoing training.

 

Tell me more about the ongoing training and support you provide. Ongoing support is one of the key components of our overall franchise support process. We believe in effective communication with our franchisees and offer face-to-face support as well as extensive online programs a franchise intranet, and sharing of best practices.

 

What do your franchisees cite as the most rewarding part of their jobs? LivHOME franchisees experience a rewarding and personally fulfilling life by providing much needed services on a daily basis to those in need. And making a great living doing it.

 

What can we expect from LivHOME in the years to come? You can expect national expansion of a professionally led home care franchise.

 

How’s business? Is LivHOME growing? Yes! Our model has a very reasonable initial investment as compared to other franchises.

Mathnasium Children’s Franchise Interview

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For some, math is really as easy as 1-2-3. For others, it’s about as painful as a trip to the dentist. Mathnasium, the rapidly growing children’s education franchise, aims to change that.

 

Mathnasium has been franchising since 2004, but long before the concept was growing above 2% a year educator Larry Martinek was making a difference in the lives of his math students. Larry noticed that his students were developing mathematical shortcuts: ways of solving problems not taught in his or other teachers’ classrooms. Other teachers saw these shortcuts as cheating. Larry saw it as a confirmation that children don’t learn the same way that educators necessarily teach them. With the help of his son, Nick, Larry created Mathnasium’s teaching curriculum in the same verbiage as his students. Directions are written in the vocabulary of a fourth grader as opposed to a fourth grade teacher’s.

 

The curriculum is focused on developing what Joe describes as “number sense”– the building blocks of math– to build confidence in Mathnasium’s students. As it turns out, that’s a big part of why kids don’t like math in the first place.

 

Today, Mathnasium has over 270 centers in operation, with plans for more. It’s no wonder, considering the amount of support and success of Mathnasium’s curriculum.

 

When it comes to its franchisees, Joe Novak, Senior VP of Franchise Marketing and Development, is dedicated to figuring out who’s best for Mathnasium. “I’ve spent many hours thinking about this,” he says, “I’ve looked at over 70 variables.” Though he’s yet to narrow down a tried-and-true franchisee profile, he’s identified several indicators of a franchisee’s future success.

 

“Mathnasium is a very good opportunity for those who to be involved in their communities and who love kids,” Joe says. Joe mentions that Mathnasium looks for people who are go-getters. It’s vital for a Mathnasium franchisee to become part of the local community by going to PTA meetings, sponsoring little league teams and do everything within his or her grasp to take advantage of local opportunities.

 

Another great thing about this children’s franchise is that, “you don’t have to be a millionaire to start this concept,” says Joe.

 

In the past, Mathnasium franchisees have been lawyers, accountants, those with an IT background and, yes, former educators. “Don’t get me wrong,” says Joe, “you have to love math.”

“**Due to the date this article was published, store count and financials may be inaccurate. Please refer to Mathnasium Learning Centers page for the most current information.”

Recipe For Franchise Success: Amsterdam’s Falafel Shop

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Amsterdam Falafel Shop logo

For those in the restaurant industry, “franchise” is a four letter word. You’d be hard pressed to find James Beard award-winning chefs behind the counter of a chain restaurant.

 

Or would you?

 

Scott Bennett, formerly of award-winning Cashion’s Eat Place in Washington, D.C. and his wife, Arianne, started franchise Amsterdam Falafel Shop seven years ago for one reason: because they, “never found good falafel in the U.S.,” says Arianne.

 

These days, Amsterdam Falafel Shop’s original Adams Morgan location in D.C. has earned its fair share of positive press, from Yelp to the Washington Post, heralding the franchise location as one of the best places for tasty late night food.  In all honesty, Amsterdam Falafel Shop is much, much more than that.

 

“What is lacking in fast food and franchising is fresh, nutritious food,” says Arianne Bennett, President and CEO. Her husband, Scott, serves as Chairman.

 

The franchise sells only two major items: falafel balls and French fries. Specializing in these two menu offerings allows Scott, Arianne and the franchise’s other employees to focus on making things fresh, homemade and to order.

 

“Balls take three minutes,” says Arianne of the falafel balls which are “all fresh ground, fried right in front of you,” Arianne adds. From there, the falafel balls are served in a split open pita, which is baked right around the corner from a local bakery. Then it’s up to the customer what happens next.

 

“In a lot of places you point through a glass at what you want and they swipe it on,” says Arianne of her competitors. Such is not the case at Amsterdam Falafel Shop. The 22 toppings bar is completely self-serve and full of pickly, garlicky, and yummy items that are all made in-house (except for two traditional items imported from the Middle East). Tiny tasting forks allow customers to try out dips, spreads and other toppings before adding it to their pita. Arianne likes that her customers have complete control of what and how much goes into their falafel creations.

 

Foodies, vegans, vegetarians and people who just like good food frequent the Amsterdam Falafel Shop. It’s no wonder the same types of people with a passion for fresh food, flavors and falafel are interested in becoming franchise owners, too.

 

Though Scott and Arianne have never been franchisees before, they’re certainly on the right track to becoming excellent franchisors. “We don’t ask our franchisees to do anything we haven’t done ourselves,” she says.

 

Ideal Amsterdam Falafel Shop franchisees have restaurant experience, “so they know what it’s like to be an active participant,” she explains, referring to franchisees who are hands-off managers or owners.

 

“We want people who will have a sense of pride in their business,” Arianne says. Employees can’t help but be affected by their franchisee bosses, and the Bennetts want that to be in a good way. Admittedly, employees aren’t making a six-figure salary, but if they really enjoy coming to work, that’s the next best thing. Plus, happy employees stick around longer, lending to the franchise’s non-chain vibe.

 

“We’re also looking for people who are always asking, ‘Can we do this better?’” Unlike so many franchises where franchisees are told what to do instead of invited into the boardroom, Amsterdam Falafel Shop wants forward-thinking dynamos. “We want your restaurant like an individual entrepreneur’s, not a franchise.”

 

Contact Franchise Clique if you’re interested in becoming an Amsterdam Falafel Shop franchisee.

Pinot’s Palette: A Fun Franchise That Will Make You Fear No Easel

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Pinot’s Palette wants you to fear no easel. Instead, the company’s three co-founders just want you to have a good time painting a canvas while enjoying a glass of wine.

 

The idea for Pinot’s Palette was actually a golf course collaboration between co-founders Craig and Charles. “Craig and I were bouncing ideas back and forth,” says Charles Willis, “and Craig had the idea to bring entertainment value to an art class.”

 

Charles and Craig, who both have major corporate business experience, put the idea on hold for awhile, until Charles’ wife, Beth, pushed the three of them into business in 2009. The first Pinot’s Palette, formerly Pinot and Picasso, opened in the Houston area in 2010. Now, the franchise is looking to expand everywhere.

 

Pinot’s Palette, as a concept, is fairly simple. Customers arrive at the studio with their own wine and snacks, Pinot’s Palette provides ice buckets, wine glasses, paints, brushes and everything else you need to become your own Picasso, Van Gogh or Matisse. One of Pinot’s Palette’s artists will walk you through the creation of your very own, guiding your every brush stroke so you’ll proud enough to hang it on your own wall.

 

For those behind the scenes, it’s equally important to Pinot’s Palette that their franchisees have a good time, too. Part of that involves a great deal of extensive training. Charles, Craig and Beth go over all marketing, operations and technological aspects of the business during a franchisee’s training period.  In addition, Pinot’s Palette has a proprietary software system that helps each franchisee manage daily to-do’s, giving them more time on the more important things like growing their customer base.

 

If you’re interested in becoming a Pinot’s Palette franchisee, you of course need the concept’s required amount of investment capital and a go-getter attitude, but Charles, Craig and Beth are looking for someone who loves being around people and will make sure customers have a great time every time. If you think that could be you, well, they’d love to hear from you

ATC At Home offers a senior care business opportunity without headache of administrative tasks

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For those who’ve chosen a career in providing healthcare to seniors, the headache of accounting is one ailment many are unprepared to handle. As the first of the baby boomers begin to retire, it’s one aspect of the industry senior care professionals can’t afford to ignore– unless they work for ATC At Home.

 

ATC At Home is the only business opportunity (soon-to-be franchise) in the senior care sector that provides complete and total administrative support to its business opportunity owners. ATC assumes all payroll, accounting, and workers compensation responsibilities. Instead of worrying about balance sheets, payroll taxes and administrative concerns, employees concentrate on growing their ATC At Home business.

 

“We’re in a very competitive and crowded sector because of growing demand,” explains Oliver Harlow, Vice President of Franchise Development for ATC At Home. He predicts the demand for senior care healthcare services to not only continue but to also expand over the next several decades.

 

At the expense of additional franchise developments, ATC will offer the largest protected territories in the senior care industry. While the industry norm is 200,000 – 250,000 total population per territory, ATC’s will be 500,000 total population per territory.

 

Harlow has been involved with senior care franchises for over 9 years and with ATC since the beginning of 2011. Over the past year, Harlow has helped the business opportunity prepare for its soon-to-be franchise status, which the company is expected to officially have within the first few months of 2012. For now, Harlow and ATC are perfecting company structure systems, and finalizing manuals.

 

Oliver Harlow’s dedication to ATC and senior care is personal. When Oliver was 22 years old his father was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. He, his mother and his younger sister cared for  him until his death 10 months later. A few years later, Harlow’s grandmother suffered a stroke during her visit to his family over Thanksgiving. His grandmother suffered partial paralysis. Following her rehabilitation, Oliver cared for his grandmother until she sadly passed away a year later.

 

“This is a rewarding industry,” Oliver reminds me. Once ATC is officially a franchise, he’s eager to recruit franchisees who share his enthusiasm for helping others. “Natural-born networkers, relationship builders, outgoing and people-oriented types who come from a selling and people management background,” are ideal for ATC’s business model he says. Of course, the ideal future franchisee will also have the capital to start the franchise and also the means to support themselves as the business is on its first legs. “You can’t throw your last dollar into it,” says Harlow.

 

When speaking about the future, Harlow is excited. Though he’s never been a franchisee, he’s always been, “attracted to the opportunity of building from scratch” but feels his “strengths are better suited to a corporate environment.” Oliver’s past positions with senior care franchises have been rewarding and he’s looking forward to helping more people “find and realize their goal of business ownership.”

 

If you’re interested in senior care franchises and business opportunities or learning more about ATC At Home Healthcare, visit http://www.franchiseclique.com.

Bach to Rock: A Prodigy Amongst Children’s Franchises

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A prodigy amongst its competitors, Bach to Rock is an innovative and fun children’s musical franchise concept that’s on the road to major success. I spoke to Ralph Rillion, Bach to Rock’s VP of Development & Sales about the franchise’s history, its future, what it’s like to be a franchisee and what makes it such a rockin’ concept. Article first published as Bach to Rock: A Prodigy Amongst Children’s Franchises on Technorati.
Bach to Rock

In the two months that Bach to Rock has been franchising, it’s earned awards and attention that even the most established of franchise concepts would covet. Inc magazine named Bach to Rock one of the Top 10 Franchises of 2010 and the Washington Business Journal named it one of the Fastest Growing Companies to Watch for 2012. It’s clear that the children’s franchise is rockin’ its way to the top.

History of the Concept

The origins of Bach to Rock lie, as with most things, in the recognition of something missing. A Juilliard-trained middle school music teacher realized the music curriculum was, frankly, lacking in his Washington D.C. classroom. So, he created his own.

Instead of just playing scales by themselves, he put his students in groups so they could ‘jam’ together and socialize. Instead of strictly classical music, he integrated popular music to make lessons more fun. Instead of teaching students just one way, he identified each students’ preferred learning method (audio, visual or kinesthetic) and customized his teaching approach accordingly. As a result, he created more engaged, happy young musicians and his curriculum spread to other public and private schools.

Better Test Scores For Kids, Jobs for Teachers and Musicians

 

 

The Juilliard-trained teacher eventually sold his method and curriculum to the creators of Bach to Rock, who have taken the concept to new heights. While the concept has been hailed as a roaring success, Bach to Rock is much more than just a career opportunity for franchisees.

As we’ve all heard, playing music has been linked with higher test scores and greater aptitude for science, math and reading subjects. We’ve also all heard that education budget constraints are leading to job cuts for many teachers and budget cuts for fine arts projects like band classes and school musicals. Opportunities for children and young adults to play music are less and less available in schools.

Bach 2 Rock offers a solution. Obviously, the children’s franchise offers music lessons, but it also provides jobs. Bach to Rock not only teaches music, but provides a place for music teachers– often the very same that the school system couldn’t afford to keep.

It’s no wonder Ralph Rillion, Bach to Rock’s vice president of development and sales and a “lifelong musician,” “fell in love with the concept.” According to Rillion, the teachers at each of Bach to Rock’s franchise locations are “musicians by trade at some point or another, hobbyists or music teachers.”

Bring Me a Beat! Kids, Parents and Bach to Rock

 

 

As a parent (Rillion has a 13-year old son who’s a stand up bass player), Rillion says kids will let you know they have an interest in music. “They’ll be beating everything around the house,” says Rillion, a percussionist himself for 40 years. You can bet Rillion’s son will be a Bach to Rocker as soon as there’s a location near their home.

“There’s only so much a school can do, parents or private lessons can do,” says Rillion. While personal one-on-one attention is definitely part of Bach to Rock’s curriculum, it’s the emphasis on “group jam sessions” amongst similarly skilled young musicians that parents and students love. Kids enjoy their music lessons, which means they learn more, something parents are quick to applaud.

In addition, young musicians learn to become comfortable in a performance setting– something that builds confidence now and will be important in the board room later.

“Twice a year our Bach to Rock bands perform at the 930 Club [in Washington D.C.],” says Ralph Rillion. “Parents get to see their kids perform on a national and regional stage.”

 

Rillion adds that, “Not everyone is comfortable going on stage. It’s different under the lights.” Bach to Rock students can experience the stage without the fright next to their cohorts and with their teachers and parents in the the audience.

Behind the Music– Being a Franchisee

Bach to Rock franchisees aren’t called franchisees– they’re fittingly called directors. Directors are responsible for the hiring of music teachers, the day-to-day business management and scheduling of lessons and special events. Rillion says an ideal Bach to Rock director “has a business background, can run a business and, of course, loves music.”

Retail space in shopping centers are coveted for Bach to Rockers as the best locations to create a comfortable environment to accommodate 6-to-18 year olds. “We’re currently  expanding from New Jersey to North Carolina,” says Rillion, “though if the right candidate came along we’d consider a different area.”

The children’s music franchise currently has 9 locations, 6 of which are company-owned. “The business is growing and its franchisees are successful,” says Rillion. “We provide ongoing training to our franchisees on everything: sales, operations and curriculum, our three key components for success.”

 

 

 

The biggest reward for Rillion, along with the Bach to Rock franchisees is “watching kids learn and enjoying learning to play music,” he says.

 

Interested in becoming a Bach to Rock franchisee? Franchise Clique can help!

 


Interview with Bob Wright, COO of Charley’s Grilled Subs

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Article first published as A Heart For Service: Interview with Bob Wright, COO of Charley’s Grilled Subs on Technorati.


In September, Charley’s Grilled Subs opened their 100th restaurant on a military installation on Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Seattle, W.A. It was Charley Shin, Charley’s CEO and Founder, who, “was smiling the widest when the first soldier came through the lunch line,” says Bob Wright, chief operating officer of Charley’s.

A self-described “incurable patriot” despite having not served in the military, Wright shares a heart for service with both Shin and the international Philly Steak sandwich franchise’s employees, which he says, “makes the franchise’s relationship with the military so special.”

 

It’s this heart for service that Wright loves about Charley’s Grilled Subs and what attracted him to franchising in the first place.

 

“My grandfather always said everyone needs a job where they work for tips,” says Wright, who got his start in franchising as ‘the pizza delivery guy’ in college for Domino’s. Eventually, Wright became a Domino’s franchisee for about a year. “I’ve been there, too,” Wright says. “Nothing replaces that experience of being the business owner, of being responsible for every customer’s experience.”

 

Though his time as a Domino’s franchisee was short, it was his time as ‘the pizza delivery guy’ that was so influential in Wright’s franchising career. “I didn’t start out wanting to be in the food service industry,” he says, “but I loved it.”

 

Over the course of his career, Wright has had the chance to work with big-name franchises like Checkers, Wendy’s, Café Express and, of course, Charley’s. Though Wright’s original plan was to practice law. Today, he practices management. To him, serving as chief operating officer of Charley’s means he gets to develop, train and lead other to success. “For a quarter of a century, I’ve had the opportunity to serve others; whether it’s my team or franchisees. It brings out the best in a person.”

 

With Wright, his words express a continuous theme of service in the name of others, which is why he fits in so perfectly at Charley’s Grilled Subs. Charley’s makes its food to order. While this might sound obvious, it’s not—most food court establishments “assemble to order” as Wright likes to say. “We don’t put anything on the grill until you order it,” he explains.

 

This is because, like Wright, the people at Charlie’s believe “a good quality meal can make a difference in someone’s day,” he says proudly.

 

For those interested in becoming a Charley’s franchisee, the selection process is straightforward. Financial liquidity and wherewithal are necessary. Above all? “A heart of service,” says Wright. It’s important for potential franchisees to have adequate experience running a business in a managerial role. It’s not easy balancing the business side of the franchise and pleasing customers.

 

With all that said, “Charley’s has experience same-store growth throughout the recession,” says Wright. “Restaurant units have seen 13% growth this year and expect a 20% unit growth through to 2013,” he adds. Charley’s Grilled Subs has a growth model in place that still includes the bread and butter food court locations but specifically internationally, which are traditionally underserved.

Visit Franchise Clique’s website if you’re interested in more food franchises or sandwich franchises.

Exclusive Interview with Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant President

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What began as a way to earn some extra cash in college turned into a career for Hugo Marin. After working part-time in a small, family-owned Mexican restaurant, he realized nothing would keep him on his toes like the food and beverage industry. He changed his major to business administration, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, thirty years later, Hugo Marin is the President of Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant. Marin’s résumé is impressive. Since leaving engineering behind, Marin rose through the ranks at the small, family-owned restaurant where he got his start, eventually becoming a manager. From there, it was on to more management positions at The Cheesecake Factory and Romano’s Macaroni Grill. Hugo served as vice president of operations at Ted’s Montana Grill and, later, as chief operating officer of Al Copeland Investments.

 

Homecoming

 

It was during Hugo’s time at Al Copeland Investments, the parent company of Copeland’s, Cheesecake Bistro and Copeland’s Express, that the opportunity to work for Margarita’s came his way. He had been approached by headhunters before looking for candidates with his years of experience, but hadn’t been interested until now.

“My stars aligned,” says Hugo of the job opportunity. Marin’s wife is originally from New England and the two of them had been patrons of Margarita’s for years before moving to Louisiana so Marin could work for Copeland’s. “It was like coming back home,” he explains.

 

Getting Down to Business

 

Nine weeks ago, when Hugo Marin became president of Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant, he was charged with expanding the Margarita’s brand both as a franchise and as a corporation.

For 2012, he’ll put the majority of his effort into supporting new and prospective franchisees. “Knowing how to manage relationships with franchisees,” is something Marin says he’ll bring with him courtesy of his years with Ted’s Montana Grill and Copeland’s. As of the first of June, Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant’s welcomed its first franchisees wand their new location in Livingston, N.J. The newest members of the Margarita’s family are in the process of opening four additional locations.

As far as the Mexican restaurant’s corporate growth is concerned, Marin says he’ll focus on that component of his strategy in 2013. He hopes to perfect Margarita’s franchising model and have a strong infrastructure in place so the company “can grow sustainably.”

 

This disciplined approach to franchising stems from co-founders John and Dave Pelletier. The brother duo staunchly believes that being successful franchisors means viewing things in terms of “our business” as opposed to “their business” when it comes to the franchisee-franchisor relationship. Rapid-fire franchising doesn’t allow for Hugo, John or Dave to provide the type of support they feel their franchisee partners deserve.

 

Being a Margarita’s Franchisee is Like Being a New Family Member

“The perfect Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant franchisee is experienced in quick serve restaurants, quick casual restaurants and multi-unit franchises,” says Hugo. Of course, access to financial resources is also important. Franchisee hopefuls need access to capital to grow and sustain their franchise location for 5-6 years. The initial investment to open a Margarita’s franchise unit is between $1.5 million to $2.5 million.

 

“We’ve been lucky,” says Hugo of the financial fortitude of Margarita’s. Their franchisees haven’t experienced any problems securing loans, SBA or otherwise. The franchise is pre-approved by the SBA for loans.

 

In addition to financial backing, “It’s important that the franchisee has local knowledge of consumers, laws and regulations,” says Marin. Part of the Margarita’s culture is its commitment to the local community. Those who want to become a part of the Margarita’s family must be capable of duplicating Margarita’s brand and culture. Margarita’s Mexican Restaurants are, above all, a family.

 

“The family feel that the owners have created is like no other,” says Hugo of founders John and Dave. There are a number of employees, from servers to corporate employees, who have been with the company between 15 and 20 years. One such employee in the Boston area has been a server for 22 years. She’s otherwise employed, but picks up a shift or two during the week because she loves the work environment so much.

 

All franchisees have Hugo, John and Dave’s personal cell phone numbers and are met with on a monthly basis to receive support and guidance from the executive team. According to Hugo, the secret to the franchise’s family feel is that John and Dave understand that, “it’s not about them. They take into consideration how people are going to react. People work hard for them without being asked.”

 

That’s the kind of love and dedication Hugo himself has for the company. “Right now my number one goal and challenge is immersing myself in the culture inside-out,” Hugo explains. “I’m learning the Margarita lingo.” Marin feels it’s important to run a company as if you own it—just another way he’s committed to making himself a true member of the Margarita’s family.

 

“We’ve been around for 25 years; if you want to be a part of a family that celebrates your successes on both the corporate and franchising sides, this is a great company to work for,” concludes Hugo.

 

Interview with CEO of British Swim School

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If you’re a British Swim School franchisee chances are you don’t own your own pool.

 

“We don’t build pools,” says Chris Simnick, founder of Synergy Franchise Group, LLC.  While that might sound counterintuitive, it’s actually just one of the many important details Chris and British Swim School CEO Rita Goldberg have nailed down in the process of making British Swim School a successful franchise. As it turns out, owning your own pool increases your overhead costs due to maintenance, repairs and general upkeep.

 

 

The Beginning of The British Swim School

 

Rita Goldberg has always been a swimmer. Born in Manchester, England, the British Swim School’s chief executive officer was a national swimmer in Britain and later worked in England’s education system as a swimming instructor. She began giving swimming lessons independently and soon a light bulb went off—this was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

 

Rita opened her first swimming instructional facility in 1981, after installing a swimming pool in the basement of a Victorian house, which according to Rita was “no small feat.” Within two months she had over 450 students and was operating at capacity. It was here that Rita took painstaking measures to develop standardized procedures to make swimming lessons both effective and fun for her students.

 

Growing, Growing, Growing

 

Ten years later, Goldberg moved to the United States. In 1993, she opened her first indoor swimming school in Coral Springs, Fla. and began implementing programs at other pool facilities in Marriot hotels and health clubs.

 

As the success of her swimming instruction classes grew, Rita turned to franchising to expand her business. “I knew I couldn’t do it all myself,” she said. Goldberg recognized in order to expand her business in a way that upheld the standards she had created she would need others that had a passion for swimming, children and teaching.

 

Rita enlisted the help of Chris Simnick, whom she’s aptly nicknamed “Guru,” to help her with the process. Simnick has over 30 years working with franchises; he’s been a franchisee, a franchisor, and an independent business owner.

 

Being a Franchisee

 

“We should prepare our franchisees to hear, “My child learned more today than a full summer of lessons!” from parents because we hear it so often,” says Goldberg.

 

Goldberg has done more than create a service that parents love; she’s developed a method of teaching children that appeals to them. “Children learn so much better when they’re having fun,” says Goldberg. It appears the British Swim School has found a way to integrate what both parents and children want. Today, there are 3,000 students taught at a British Swim School location in the U.S. in one week.

 

Though the franchise is fairly new, that hasn’t stopped British Swim School franchisees from experiencing tremendous success. One franchisee, located in Maryland, doubled in size in one summer; increasing the number of students she teaches from 250 to 500.

 

But it’s not all fun and games—there’s a tremendous amount of hard work that comes with the territory. The training process for a new British Swim School franchisee is rigorous. Hours are spent in the pool and also learning about the business model itself. “If the franchisee isn’t ready things don’t move forward,” says Rita.

 

That’s not to say the British Swim School’s management team isn’t supportive. “Unless we are good franchisors we won’t have good franchisees,” says Rita. That applies to more than just the training process. Whenever a franchisee is experiencing difficulty of one type or another or simply needs advice Rita herself and her team are more than happy to help.

 

The Business Model

 

“Rita’s successful track record validates her business model,” says Chris Simnick.

 

The possibility for a British Swim School franchisee to do well and “make a great wage,” as Rita says, is very high. First and foremost, franchisees don’t need to own a pool to become involved. Pool construction, as Rita knows, can be an expensive undertaking. Pool maintenance, upkeep and adherence to health codes are added concerns a franchisee doesn’t need to worry about with British Swim School.

 

All franchisees rent pool time from hotels, health clubs and similar organizations with the help of the British Swim School’s management team. Pools are selected with particular demographics in mind.

 

The beauty of the British Swim School’s model, aside from minimum costs to the franchisee, is the capability to move and follow clientele as neighborhoods change, students move, and pools undergo maintenance. Also, because of this fluidity, franchisees are able to generate income from multiple locations.

 

For Rita, it’s rewarding, “getting others to do equally well and watching others experience the same joy,” that she experiences from the success of the British Swim School.

 

It’s clear, however, that for Rita Goldberg, the success of her students remains the most rewarding aspect. “When you have a little one come in terrified one day and swimming laps the next, it’s a particular type of joy.”

 

If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a British Swim School franchisee we can help!  

Christian Brothers Automotive: Interview with Top Management

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One of the fastest growing automotive franchises isn’t looking for franchisees with past automotive experience. It’s why Automotive Repair For Dummies is required reading for a new Christian Brothers Automotive franchisee. Christian Brothers Automotive isn’t in the car business; it’s in the customer care business.

 

One of the most anxiety-ridden processes is dealing with car trouble. So often we’re told stories of product-pushing mechanics and cumulative costs high enough to make you faint. It’s rare to hear about a place that puts the comfort of the customer first, except at Christian Brothers Automotive.

 

The successful concept began as one garage owned and operated by chief executive officer Mark Carr. Carr is a self-made businessman who fell into the car business accidentally when a member of his Bible study group mentioned he wanted help opening up a garage.

 

Now, 19 years later, Christian Brothers Automotive has 85 locations already serving customers across the U.S. and plenty more locations coming own the pipeline.

 

We interviewed Vice President of Franchise Development Josh F. Wall about Christian Brothers Automotive, what it looks for in new franchisees, how their franchising process works and finally, what we can expect from the franchise in the future.

Interview with Christian Brothers Automotive VP of Development Josh Wall

You can follow Christian Brothers Automotive via Twitter and find the location nearest you on Facebook.

 

Batteries Plus Franchisee Interview

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Listening to Bates Kennedy’s smooth southern accent you begin to understand why he’s experienced success as a Batteries Plus franchisee. Since 2001, Kennedy has opened eight of the battery and light bulb retail stores in his home state of South Carolina as well as one in Savannah, Ga.

 

It’s not uncommon for franchisees to leave one industry and enter into another when becoming franchise owners. Kennedy couldn’t have told you a thing about batteries or light bulbs 11 years ago. In 2001 Kennedy was driving down the interstate listening to the radio when PBS aired a story on Batteries Plus.

 

“I remembered they mentioned it was 50 percent commercial and 50 percent retail sales. I knew I could handle the commercial,” said Kennedy, recently unemployed at the time. Before Batteries Plus he was a textile manufacturing sales representative. As the climate of the textile industry changed so did Bates’ employment opportunities. He liked what the radio had to say about Batteries Plus and later in the year, on September 11, 2001, he purchased his first location in North Charleston.

 

Today, almost 11 years later, Kennedy is a franchise veteran. As he speaks about his experience with Batteries Plus, he remarks on both the best and the worst parts about being a franchisee:

 

“These days dealing with banks is the worst part,” says Kennedy, referring to the anxiety shared by small business owners and entrepreneurs alike over finding capital and securing bank loans in today’s economy. Opening any business “takes a lot of capital. You’re going to live without and it’s going to be a time commitment.” Bates adds that being a Batteries Plus franchisee was more than he expected, in a good way. His decade-long partnership with Batteries Plus has been filled with “evolving support” and he feels the franchise has a “good model.”

 

“In the beginning there were a lot of moving pieces,” he continued. “It takes a few months to get the retail location ready. When you’re finally open for business you’re looking at all your brand new inventory and you’re excited. Then you wonder, where are all the customers? Once I had someone walk in, look around, turn to me and say, ‘Batteries. Good luck!’ and walk out the door.”

 

It’s in these beginning moments franchisees begin to realize the financial implications of their franchise agreement. “They’re going to take their cut,” says Kennedy of franchisors, “Whether you write a check or they draft your account.” Bates isn’t bothered by what he pays to Batteries Plus. It pays for all the things he couldn’t or doesn’t have time to handle himself but needs in order to be successful, like marketing. He’s thankful for it.

 

Bates admits franchising “is not for everyone” and he understands why the relationship between franchisee and franchisor can become strained, especially in the beginning and especially when it comes to money. That being said, he’s very happy to be a Batteries Plus franchisee.

 

In the end, “A lot depends on you,” he concludes.

Revive Energy Vending

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Remember exam time during college? Twice a year we subsisted on caffeine, Red Bull and whatever snacks we could smuggle into the library. As the clock moved past midnight eyelids at every table began to droop. Soon, there’d be a cacophony of opening energy drink cans, a burst of energy and a crash into more tiredness.

 

The problem with energy drinks, aside from their taste and high price, is they only provide a short burst of energy. When you’re cramming for finals, helping someone move or trying to stay awake on a long drive the last thing you want is to end up more tired.

 

Revive Healthy Energy has somehow managed to make mints that slowly release caffeine and antioxidants for sustained energy. Instead of a burst of energy followed by fatigue, Revive’s mints keep its users happy and energized longer.

Video: The Science Behind Revive