msnbc.com:

For startup companies with small budgets, gaining an advantage for your new business or a new product through advertising is both a challenging and risky venture. Once the initial budget is gone, there are seldom second chances.

A good public relations strategy is an alternative to advertising. Effective PR is a cost-effective way to gain editorial exposure for your product, get more leads, generate more sales and build a great brand.

What makes PR so powerful?

In a word: credibility.

People often see through advertising, but a product mentioned in the context of a news report or print feature story gives it a passive endorsement and third-party credibility advertising just cant buy.

A news report is actually far more likely to move people to action than conventional advertising, and a good public relations strategy is the way to get the media to seek you out.

How can you make the PR process work for you? Let me walk you through 10 rules you need to create an effective PR plan to give your product competitive advantages in your market:

1. Know your market. The more specific you can get about which community should use your product, the easier it will be to identify which media you need to work with. Be very narrow in your target, realizing that no product ever commands 100 percent market share, nor does it need to in order to be successful.

2. Identify the product benefits relevant to your market. Features arent as important as what your product does for your potential clientele. Remember, at this stage youre trying to sell your product or service to the media so your story will get published. Let them know the benefits and show them the numbers to prove that your product saves users time and money–or makes money.

Continue reading this post.

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Sydney Morning Herald:

A franchise might promise a safe entry into business but things can pan out differently. John Kavanagh reports.

A conversation that is taking place around lots of Australian dining tables at the moment goes like this: one of the family’s breadwinners has lost his or her job and is wondering what to do with the redundancy payout. On the list of options are paying off a chunk of the mortgage and other debts, putting money into super, taking a holiday or buying into a franchise and becoming a small-business owner.

As the economy moves through a serious downturn and more people contemplate the prospect of unemployment, the franchise industry is gearing up for a period of growth.

The executive director of the Franchise Council of Australia, Steve Wright, says if the pattern of previous downturns is repeated, a lot of money is going to be invested in franchise licences over the next couple of years.

“Owning a small business is one of those dreams that many people have,” he says. “A redundancy is a time to assess where you are going in your career and if you have a payout, you have the means to invest in a business.”

Read full article.

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Chain Leader:

Here’s a way to make sure employees don’t leave you: Make like a payday lender.

Steve Jackson is thinking about introducing a micro-loan program at the Bailey Co. The 40-year-old Golden, Colo., business, which franchises 58 Arby’s restaurants, has a history of showing concern for employees. There’s an annual scholarship fund for employees and their dependents, meal discounts and paid time off. Both hourlies and managers qualify.

Yet Jackson, a district leader, believes there’s a need to offer workers $200 to $500 loan. He got the idea from reading Steve Bigari’s book, The Box You Got.

A former McDonald’s franchisee in Colorado Springs, Bigari came up with the McFamily Benefits package, an innovative offering that gave employees access to transportation, child care, health care and other benefits. Bigari now runs America’s Family, an employee-benefits consultancy, and owns several family entertainment venues in Colorado.

Jackson doesn’t want employees, especially hourlies, borrowing money from payday lenders, whose annual percentage rates on small loans can run from 390 percent to 780 percent. He estimates company interest rates will be considerably lower, from 10 to 20 percent.

The company will automatically deduct payments from borrowers’ paychecks. Fees from interest rates will help fund other employee programs, Jackson says.

Continue reading this post.

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FOXBusiness:

Most security firms have not kept up with the available technology. Many still use obsolete procedures. One example is using paper reports to maintain accountability with clients. This outdated system can be easily defeated and time is often abused.

To provide a more secure environment, some security firms utilize real-time reporting software and tools that “time and date” stamp each patrol performed.

“All of our patrol officers use Telenav GPS tracking,” said Reed Nyffeler, President of Signal 88 Security Group www.signal88security.com/. “This system identifies where an officer has been within three feet in any given shift.”

According to Nyffeler, true and accurate details of the officer’s records in each report validate the actions taken the previous night. In the event an officer does not clock in or out at a specified time, leaves a job site without authorization or deviates from assigned orders and company policies, a manager receives immediate notification.

“Implementing technologically advanced tools allows a security firm to streamline the logistics of managing their personnel and assists them in holding their officers accountable,” Nyffeler said. “It’s also critical to recruit higher-quality personnel and train them in dealing with the most crucial security issues facing clients today.”

Firms such as Signal 88 are establishing a higher standard of professionalism in the security industry. This is accomplished by utilizing the latest technology along with a management process of inherent efficiencies and capabilities powered by the technology.

Signal 88 is duplicating its success throughout the United States by franchising. The company currently has 13 locations and plans to have 80 franchises by the end of 2010.

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Franchise-net.com:

Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, the US-based parent company of the Thrifty and Dollar Rent A Car brands, is expanding operations in the Middle East and North Africa.

The car rental major plans to enter the Saudi market shortly. DTG will launch a pre-paid product for travellers enabling them to use it globally.

The expansion plan follows its latest restructuring exercise that saw 35 per cent of job cuts at senior management level and 15 per cent at mid level, taking the total count to 7,500.

“We are bullish on the region. At present, the Mena region contributes more than seven per cent to our total revenues. We hope to enter the Saudi market soon and for this we are actively considering franchisee model, while the UAE market continues to be strong and bullish,” Tom Kelley, Executive Director for global franchise operations at DTG, told Emirates Business.

The company is exploring business potential in emerging markets. “When business is shrinking, profitability is more important. To sustain profitability, we are exploring emerging markets and Dubai is growing much faster than its peers. We find franchising model sustainable and attractive for activities during the present market conditions. We are developing a new pre-paid product, which will enable travellers to use our services at regional rates across several countries,” said Kelley.

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Franchising.com:

Ever wonder what type of restaurant a physician would choose to own? Something healthy, of course! FROOTS, a rapidly growing quick service food and smoothies franchise, announces the opening of its newest restaurant in Cedar Park, Texas. The owners are mother-daughter team Reyna Lippincott and Roxanne Klepper, along with their husbands. Reyna and husband David own Harmony Dental Lab in Austin, which David manages. He will help in the restaurant as needed.

Roxanne’s husband, Mark, is a pulmonologist and critical care physician in Austin. While a silent partner in the enterprise, Mark heartily approved of his family’s immersion into the FROOTS business because of the healthy and fresh foods served.

The Cedar Park FROOTS restaurant opened May 4th and is located at 1335 E. Whitestone Boulevard. “Our location in the 1890 Ranch Shopping Center,” said Reyna, “is next to Gold’s Gym and across from Seton Hospital. We expect to attract people who will enjoy our selection of delicious and fresh foods because what we offer is a real change from most quick service restaurants.”

“Every since I’ve had my own children,” added Roxanne, mother of Carter (8) and Coco (18 months), “I’ve really struggled with combining convenience and nutrition. It’s difficult for a busy parent to find quick service food children will like that is also good for them. FROOTS solves this dilemma and I’m so pleased to be able to offer this to my neighbors in Cedar Park.”

The FROOTS restaurant franchise was created by David Lopez and has been franchising since 2004. Lopez discovered the popularity of fresh fruit smoothies while in college and turned his part-time job into a full-time passion.

Read full story.

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Franchise Wire:

Jon’Ric International is the pioneer of the upscale franchise “Specialty Spa” and offers co-branding. They hold a strong position in the Beauty and Wellness Industry, with high quality of services and products. Jon’Ric International selectively distributes salon & day spa franchises and license agreements after careful due diligence of applicants for national and international development. And now, Jon’Ric International is reshaping the $50 billion recession-proof Spa Industry.

Jon’Ric offers unique advantages and benefits that are rarely found in the industry anywhere else. They are a premier worldwide franchisor of upscale full-service spas & salons, day spas, dental spas, medical spas and other specialized spas.

Marty McDermott and Don Johnson will interview Jon’Ric top executives to find out what make Jon’Ric so successful and learn more about their 25-year history.

You can hear the live and recorded shows by going to FranchiseInterviews.com or BlogTalkRadio.com/Franchise-Interviews. For the very first time, listeners can also hear the live show from their cell phones! Just call 347-838-8238.

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Business Wire:

While it may seem risky to open a business in the midst of a recession, one particular industry – franchising – is proving that the self-owned business model is still alive and well. And, for those entrepreneurs ready to experience the excitement of business ownership, opportunities exist in segments where the recession is actually fueling franchise growth.

“No industry is completely recession proof, but we are finding that there are several franchise sectors that are prospering due, in part, to the current state of the economy,” said Jania Bailey, president and COO of FranNet. “When financial change occurs, so do consumers’ needs and purchasing habits.

As a result, a distinct group of businesses are now in higher demand.”

Bailey says the following business categories would make particularly wise investments:

* Senior Care Services: According to the Administration on Aging, 37.9 million Americans are currently age 65 or older, and the population is expected to double over the next 30 years. Therefore, Bailey says that the need for elderly caregivers and assisted living businesses will not only remain high but will grow and prosper.

* Technology Solution Services: The influx of people using gadgets to navigate through personal and business affairs will come to depend on tech-savvy individuals for necessary repairs. Accordingly, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that an increase of more than 800,000 jobs in the Information Technology (IT) sector is expected over the 2006-2016 projections decade.

* Tutoring Services: According to Bailey, educationally-focused franchises are tough to deflate, as people have shown that they will spend on their children – in good times or bad. In addition to tutoring and supplemental educational opportunities, enrichment classes for art, music and sports are likely to continue to be in high demand.

* Home Repair Services: In lieu of purchasing a newer, bigger home, many people are investing in home repairs and renovations. Home repair services also have high value to sellers, who may be looking to revamp their properties before placing them on the market.

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Bizjournals.com:

Convenience store retailer 7-Eleven Inc. is offering discounted franchise fees to retired or separated veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The chain plans to open 200 new stores this year, said store spokesman Margaret Chabris. All new stores will be franchised, she said. Nationally, there are 1,300 stores available for franchising. In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, 70 existing stores also are available for franchisees.

Veterans who have been honorably discharged from the services and are first-time 7-Eleven franchisees will receive a 10 percent discount on the initial franchise fee. This can translate to a savings of $1,000 up to $35,000, according to a release from the company.

7-Eleven said a franchise costs $50,000 to $300,000, depending on the store type, size and location.

There are locations available for franchising in 30 U.S. states, including Texas.

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ABS CBN News:

Homegrown coffee shop chain Mocha Blends Corp. is banking on a new franchising strategy to continue expanding amid the economic downturn, and remains optimistic that the business would still grow this year.

The new business concept brings down the initial investment for franchisees to just around P500,000, compared to kiosks that cost at least P2 million and a full store that requires an initial P4 million, an official said.

This is because of a new technology eliminating the need for pricey espresso machines that eat up much of the franchise cost involved in setting up full stores and kiosks, said Ryle M. Nepomuceno, Mocha Blends brand manager.

The “espresso in a bottle” concept will be introduced for the first time in Mocha Blends “lounges,” the chain’s new franchising package, which is essentially a take-out store featuring selected hot espresso and blended beverages from the full menu.

The quality of the beverages will remain the same as in full stores and kiosks despite the simplified work flow and product preparation, Ms. Nepomuceno said in an interview.

The initial investment of P500,000 covers the stall, with franchisees providing other equipment such as refrigerators, blenders, and cash registers. The espresso in a bottle technique no longer requires espresso machines which cost up to P1 million.

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