Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/Why-Franchising-Attracts-Women-Entrepreneurs.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/Why-Franchising-Attracts-Women-Entrepreneurs.html Have you ever wondered what it would take to leave the corporate world behind and own your own business? Are you tired of being the go-to girl, a small fish in a big sea, earning money for someone else? Is it time to take charge of your future and really be in control of your destiny? http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/The-Uniform-Franchise-Offering-Circular.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/The-Uniform-Franchise-Offering-Circular.html Just How Important is the UFOC? I started playing golf about 10 years ago and over time have come to love the game. Although technique is a large part of what drives many golfers back to the greens, golf also has a very specific set of rules that define the game and create an equal playing field. The rules spell out how to play, how to keep score and how to determine a winner. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/The-Franchise-Timeline.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/The-Franchise-Timeline.html Guidelines for how long it should take to open a new franchise. Susan, a bright, energetic and make believe person, has decided to become a business owner by buying a franchise. She understands that there are many steps to the process and asks me how long it will take before she will be able to open the doors to her business. Figuring she wouldn’t be satisfied if I told her that it could take anywhere from several months to a year or longer, more or less, I came up with the following timeline. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/Taking-it-Step-by-Step--What-to-do-BEFORE-you-begin-searching-for-a-franchise.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/Taking-it-Step-by-Step--What-to-do-BEFORE-you-begin-searching-for-a-franchise.html The lure of franchise ownership can be a heady experience. You imagine the thrill of being your own boss, creating wealth for yourself instead of someone else. But you don’t want to enter the search process unprepared, susceptible to mistakes. You have so many questions: Will you be happy as a franchisee? Can you make the money you need to provide for yourself and your future? Where do you even start, with thousands of franchise opportunities available? Before you even begin looking at franchises, you need to do an introspective self-evaluation of your own strengths and challenges. Sit down, get out paper and pen, and as objectively as possible answer these questions. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/How-to-Buy-a-Franchise--Step-1.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/How-to-Buy-a-Franchise--Step-1.html What to do before you begin searching for a franchise. You’ve thought about it for years and you’re finally ready to make the leap into business ownership. It’s time to be your own boss, to be the one in charge of your financial future – your destiny. Because you are a smart woman, you want to avoid making mistakes along the way. You have so many questions: Will you be happy as a franchisee? Can you make the money you need to provide for yourself and your future? What kind of franchise would be best? Where do you even start, with thousands of franchise opportunities available? http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/Does-Size-Truly-Matter.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/Does-Size-Truly-Matter.html Evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of large vs. small franchise systems. Sometimes size does matter. When talking about a piece of chocolate cake – bigger is always better. When evaluating new cell phones – smaller gets the nod. In franchising, there are some advantages to being part of a large franchise system and other advantages to joining a small system. The question is not, “Which is better?” but “Which is better for you?” http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/What-Do-You-Need-to-Pass-a-Franchisors-Test.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/What-Do-You-Need-to-Pass-a-Franchisors-Test.html Buying a franchise is a lot like marriage. Two parties enter into a relationship with the expectation of mutual benefit, long-term support and common goals. When entering into marriage, both people spend a great deal of time learning about each other and making sure they are a good match before making the commitment. The same is true for franchising. Both the franchisor and the franchisee gather information about each other and evaluate whether there is a good match. Although it may not be immediately evident, a franchise company is under no obligation to award a franchise to just anyone who can afford the franchise fee. In many cases a franchisor has as much or more at risk when a franchisee fails. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/Why-You-Should-Keep-Mum-to-Mom.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/Why-You-Should-Keep-Mum-to-Mom.html Carefully consider who to listen to when considering a franchise purchase. For years you’ve listened to your mom’s sage advice: “Turn off the lights,” and “Save your money” Most of the time that advice was pretty good and many times you even followed it. Now don’t tell your mom I said so, but there’s one time when your mother’s advice may not help you and that’s when you are about to invest in a franchise opportunity. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/Whats-Your-Franchising-Aptitude-Learn-what-it-takes-to-be-a-successful-franchisee.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/Whats-Your-Franchising-Aptitude-Learn-what-it-takes-to-be-a-successful-franchisee.html The thought of being your own boss can sound pretty wonderful to someone tired of working 50 to 60 hours a week to make money for some impersonal corporation. And there is probably no better way to be self-employed than by buying a franchise and taking advantage of all that franchising has to offer: a tried and proven business model, initial and continuing training, an operations manual, a recognizable brand identity, corporate buying power, a national marketing program and often much more. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/What-type-of-franchise-suits-YOU-Taking-it-step-by-step.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Franchises/2563/What-type-of-franchise-suits-YOU-Taking-it-step-by-step.html The lure of franchise ownership can be a heady experience. You imagine the thrill of being your own boss, creating wealth for yourself instead of someone else. But you don’t want to enter the search process unprepared, susceptible to mistakes.