Buying a Business Articles For Entrepreneurs & Small Business Owners

The Franchise Agreement: What is a Franchise Agreement?

Buying a Franchise By choosing to buy a franchise, you become the owner of a small piece of a very large corporation, whose buying power and well-recognized brand name can contribute significantly to your financial success as a small-business operator.  One of the key elements to the relationship between franchisor (the parent company) and franchisee […]

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The History of Franchising

In the Beginning… The franchise business we know today is a far cry from its historical beginnings.  Taken from the French, the term refers to the ability to hold a particular right or privilege.  During the Middle Ages, with the feudal system at its height, most of the population consisted of lords and vassals.  The […]

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What is the International Franchise Association (IFA)?

The 411 on Trade Associations Trade associations are generally formed by businesses that operate within a single industry, or one aspect of an industry. By some estimates there are more than 7,500 national trade associations in the United States, encompassing every imaginable industry – from booksellers to chiropractors, and from travel agents to casino owners. […]

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How to Buy a Franchise

What is a Franchise? Owning your own business is a dream many of us possess.  One of the most common ways to achieve it is through the purchase of a franchise.  The concept of franchising involves the selling of an established method of doing business to someone else.  Many retail and mobile-based businesses these days […]

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Why Your Business Must Have a Buy-Sell Agreement

Multiple Owners Could Mean Multiple Headaches Some business owners have the privilege of controlling 100 percent of their enterprise.  These companies are sole-owner entities.  You have no one to answer to but yourself in the event of business challenges, but all the success you achieve is yours and yours alone.  For everyone else – caution […]

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Work-At-Home Scams – Beware!

Working from Home is Desirable If you have ever dreamed of working from home, you’re not alone.  You could be a stay-at-home mom (or dad), a retiree, or simply someone who wants to ditch the corporate rat race once and for all.  There is something about that short commute every morning – from bedroom to […]

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How to Buy a Locksmith Business

No matter where you live or even how populated the community, there will always be a need for a locksmith.  People by nature are forgetful and this is no exception when it comes to locking your keys in your car or locking yourself out of your home.  Owing a locksmith business can be very lucrative. […]

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10 Tips on How to Research a Franchise

Buying a franchise is a great way to start your own business.  You enjoy instant name recognition by providing customers access to well-known regional or national brands.  You have the backing of a major corporation and the ability to put into practice a variety of tried-and-true business methods.  Finally, any difficulties you encounter are likely […]

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Recession-Proof Franchises?

In these times of job layoffs, corporate bankruptcies, offshore outsourcing and general business malaise, more people than ever are turning to thoughts of starting and running their own business.  But why risk your personal financial future – not to mention your sanity – if the path you choose for self-employment ends up suffering from the […]

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Franchise Opportunities vs. Business Opportunities – Pros and Cons

Congratulations! So you’ve decided to be your own boss rather than work for someone else the rest of your life.  Good for you!  Many decisions will crop up before you make that first deposit or paste that first dollar bill on the wall next to your cash register.  Choosing what sort of business you wish […]

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What is a Franchise Broker?

What is a Broker? In general terms, the role of a broker is to bring together a buyer and a seller, help each party work out its differences, and then collect a commission for closing the sale.  The two best-known examples are stockbrokers and real estate brokers.  In each case, the broker is licensed to […]

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Is Now a Good Time to Start a Business?

Times Are Tough – Or Are They? The Dow is down, unemployment is up, the dollar remains weak against various foreign currencies, exports have declined, and the value of your 401(k) has dropped so precipitously that you don’t even bother to open your bank statement when it comes in the mail.  Meanwhile, experts argue continuously […]

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How to Avoid Making a Bad Business Investment

Caveat Entrepreneur Emptor – Let the Business Owner Beware Whether you are buying an existing business, purchasing a franchise, or starting your own enterprise from scratch, it pays to go into the situation with both eyes open and one hand on your wallet.  Perhaps you’re interested in building a legacy for your children by leaving […]

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Laid-Off Employees Are Buying Franchises

Bigger Booms – Deeper Busts The U.S. economy has always been in flux, vacillating between boom and bust times ever since the country was founded.  Just in the last 120 years there was the Silver Crisis of the 1890s, the great stock market crash of 1929, and the dot-com bust in the first few years […]

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How Much Does a Krispy Kreme Franchise Cost?

Sweet Treats There are some big names in doughnut franchising across the United States, but few have the status of Krispy Kreme – a business with such tremendous appeal that store grand openings have often attracted long lines and serious local media attention.  Each store even comes equipped with neon “Hot Donuts Now” signage to […]

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Master Franchising – What Is a Master Franchise and a Master Franchisee?

Franchising – A Great Business Model Many of the businesses you come across in your day-to-day life, especially those with well-known brand names, are actually franchise operations.  The fast-food restaurant on the corner, the oil-and-lube shop down the street, the maid service that comes to your house in the blue-and-pink van, or the daycare center […]

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How Much Does a Domino’s Pizza Franchise Cost?

Pizza – Only a Call or E-Mail Away From its beginnings in 1960, when two brothers borrowed $500 to buy an existing pizza place in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Domino’s Pizza has exploded into the world’s most recognizable brand in its class.  Although the company did not invent the concept of pizza delivery, it has perfected it […]

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How Much Does a Pinkberry Franchise Cost?

Frozen Yogurt is Back, Baby! In the late 1980s, you could hardly walk two blocks in any direction in a major U.S. city without encountering a place selling frozen yogurt.  Touted as the healthy alternative to ice cream – all of the flavor, far fewer calories, and lower fat content – the industry began its […]

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How Much Does a Liberty Tax Service Franchise Cost?

Nothing Is Certain Except Death and Taxes April 15 is a dark day for many Americans, as it represents a time when income tax forms and payments are due to state and federal authorities.  As tax forms have become more complex – it seems that Congress rewrites various portions of the nation’s tax code every […]

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Business Buyers Be Aware and Beware

I routinely read articles offering advice to potential business buyers on things to consider when embarking on the process of purchasing a business – as kind of a do-it-yourself guideline.  But I’m amazed at the lack of advice given to these buyers to use experienced professionals where applicable in the process instead of ‘going it […]

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