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Debra O'Reilly
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FranNet To Help Disabled Veterans Through Wounded Warrior Project

Franchise continues to support veterans seeking employment
If you’re a veteran injured in the Iraq or Afghanistan wars and looking for job opportunities, FranNet is prepared to help you out. FranNet, an international network of franchise consultants, is joining forces with a veterans’ organization to donate money to disabled veterans in need of career opportunities. How? Starting this month, FranNet will donate money to the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit with locations in eight cities and a mission to help veterans injured in combat adjust to civilian life. FranNet also has arranged to help injured veterans needing work in cities with FranNet offices find local franchise opportunities or franchises that are committed to hiring returning veterans.
... Read more

Families turn to franchises to start their own family business legacy

FranNet has helped thousands of families start their own business

Families start their own business legacies through FranNet

Family-owned businesses are part of America’s fabric, and FranNet is happy to help make them a reality. Many entrepreneurs who set out to launch their own careers hope to eventually bring their children into the business. Of the tens of thousands of franchisees that FranNet has helped get started, about one in four have involved people who wanted to run a family business or hire their children. We help about 100 family businesses get off the ground every year. “Are there four better words than ‘family owned and operated?’” says FranNet President and COO Jania Bailey. “It’s wonderful for people to be able to work alongside their family members and share in one another’s success.” ... Read more

FranNet’s Gary Prenevost Featured in Financial Post

Gary Prenevost, president of FranNet of Southern Ontario, gives his insight on successful franchises. “Franchising a business model successfully really comes down to systems, systems, systems,” says Prenevost. Owners and operators of Massage Addict, Lori MacKenzie and Chris Harker explain the reasoning behind the success of their recession-proof business model.

Massaging the deal to build a franchise by Mary Teresa Bitti  Jan 23, 2012 – 12:53 PM ET

The pitch: Accessible, affordable massage therapy. That is the concept behind Halifax-based Massage Addict, the latest venture for Lori MacKenzie, owner and president of the company. ... Read more

FranNet’s Todd Bingham Featured in Entrepreneur

These days, only the strong survive in the world of franchising. Some franchises that were promised to be successes have now shut their doors and some surprising ones are still thriving. When getting into the business of franchises, how do you know which direction to take? People like Todd Bingham at FranNet have watched the trends and have a good read on where certain companies are heading. Bingham recently offered his expertise in the Entrepreneur. Read more in the article below.

How to Avoid a Franchise Fad

BY Nearly a decade ago,
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New Bill Offers Steep Tax Breaks for Veterans to Open a Franchise

Tax rebate would make franchise ownership possible for a larger number of returning veterans

“The AGREE Act is a meaningful step to find common ground and create a better environment for job creators to start businesses or expand existing ones,” Rubio said in announcing the legislation.The American Growth, Recovery, Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Act is cosponsored by Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla, and Chris Coons, D-Del., who introduced the legislation in November. The bill proposes to give veterans a 25 percent tax rebate on the cost of franchise fees, up to $100,000. ... Read more

Are U.S. Workers Ditching Jobs For Franchise Opportunities?

Number of people voluntarily leaving jobs steeply up

With national unemployment still hovering around 9 percent and “job creation” the term on every politician’s lips, you’d think employed North Americans would be happy to just have jobs — and you’d be wrong.

Arecentsurvey by Right Management, a Philadelphia talent and career management firm, yielded some astonishing results: For the second year in a row, 84 percent of more than 1,000 employees surveyed said they plan to look for other jobs in 2012. The percentage of workers who said they intended to stay in their jobs remained steady, too — at a shocking 5 percent. ... Read more

As Franchise Opportunities Grow, 84 Percent of Workers Say They’ll Switch Jobs

Number of people voluntarily leaving jobs steeply up

 

FranNet President and COO Jania Bailey. From FranNet.

With national unemployment still hovering around 9 percent and “job creation” the term on every politician’s lips, you’d think employed North Americans would be happy to just have jobs — and you’d be wrong. A recent survey by Right Management, a Philadelphia talent and career management firm, yielded some astonishing results: For the second year in a row, 84 percent of more than 1,000 employees surveyed said they plan to look for other jobs in 2012. The percentage of workers who said they intended to stay in their jobs remained steady, too — at a shocking 5 percent. Those data take on even more meaning when you consider that huge numbers of Americans, even with the economy in the shape it’s in, are actually quitting their jobs. Nearly 2 million voluntarily quit in May 2011, up 35 percent from January 2010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Voluntarily quit, often without another job lined up. So what’s going on?
... Read more

FranNet Contributes To Hopeful 2012 Franchising Forecast

IFA Economic Outlook report forecasts signs of recovery for franchise industry — even in recession

The American franchise industry expects to add nearly 14,000 establishments and 168,000 new jobs in 2012 — the latest indication that American franchising is healthy and growing, even in a sluggish economy. The news comes from a recent report from IHS Global Insight for the International Franchise Association that predicts growth across the franchise industry in number of establishments, employment, economic output and contributions to U.S. gross domestic product. The 2012 Franchise Business Economic Outlook projects that the franchise industry will add nearly 14,000 establishments in 2012, an increase of 1.9 percent; and 168,000 jobs, an increase of 2.1 percent. The report also projects 5 percent growth in economic output, from $745 billion to $782 billion; and a 5 percent increase in growth of GDP originating in the franchise sector, from $439 billion to $460 billion. So why is franchising growing when the rest of the economy remains stagnant?   ... Read more

Palo Alto Online Reports on Franchise Growth

A recent article found in Pala Alto Online features the story of three people who made the move out of the corporate world and into business with themselves. But this isn’t the normal “work for yourself” story – these people found their independence through franchising. Read the full article below:

Franchise owners weather turbulent economic times

by Carol Blitzer Palo Alto Weekly Staff

Lisa Anter, owner of the Curves franchise in Menlo Park, talks to a customer in early December. Photo by Veronica Weber/Palo Alto Online.

While other girls were playing with their Barbies, at 6, Lisa Anter was charging 10 cents a cup at her lemonade stand at a lake near her Montreal, Canada, home. The following year she upped it to 15 cents. It would be another 20 years or so before her entrepreneurial instincts kicked in and she left the corporate world to ... Read more

FranNet 2012 Trend Predictions: Franchise Industry Will Continue to Grow

Job market failure to rebound in 2012 will push corporate workers into franchising

Jania Bailey, COO of FranNet, talks about her franchise industry predictions for 2012

The nation’s job market will continue to struggle in 2012, opening more opportunities for former corporate executives and managers to reinvent their careers through self-employment in franchising, say the franchise experts at FranNet. ... Read more