September 2014

In this issue

Deals for Brass Tap, Juice it Up!

No doubt there are lots of attractive things about Rockwall, Texas. But for a person about to open a small business, the city’s median household income has to be high on the list.

Back to first principles

Beyond the state level, the Federal Trade Commission’s Franchise Rule has from the outset had its “fractional franchise rule”, and a minimal investment exemption.

The truth behind ACA job cut claims

Obamacare will lead franchisees to skip growth opportunities in favor of keeping their employee count below the magic 50. Is that really what’s happening? We sort it out.

Executive Ladder

Franchise executives moving up the corporate ladder.

Wireless Zone owners act their ages to operate stores wisely

How to run a mobile technology retailer well? For four franchisees, ranging in age from 24 to 67, the answer varies depending upon their decade.

The Philippines

The Philippines has the second largest number of Certified Franchise Executives (CFEs), a designation by the International Franchise Association.

Franchise Times’ trip to Philippines is whirlwind couple of days

Leads were plentiful and the environment proved franchise friendly. What’s not to like about the latest franchise trade mission to the Philippines?

BK’s healthy experiment proves un-Satisfrying

Restaurants are routinely taken to task for the health of their offerings. Yet consumers have never been quick to latch onto their efforts to court the calorie-conscious.

Tropical Smoothie lending directly

Tropical Smoothie performs well in the restaurant but not with the loan officer, so its owner started a $20 million program to lend directly to franchisees.

Ticket to U.S. from LCR Capital

LCR Capital Partners uses funds from immigrant investors to loan money to franchisees who build new units.

Hot finance market raises red flags

Plenty of capital and lots of demand are fueling a boom in financing, some say at pre-recession levels.

Pre-fab construction speeds ahead

Pre-fabricated panels, constructed in the factory rather than on site, are in demand. That’s because ‘they take time out of a project'.

Repair shops fight for new business

The good news for auto repair chains is a new ‘right-to-repair’ agreement that helps them compete with dealerships.

Retailers target female customers

Apricot Lane is banking on a new e-commerce platform to boost sales, while Mainstream Boutique rolls out a private-label clothing line.

Operator Q&A

The daughter of hippies, urged to ‘get a job that pays money,’ Dana Spinola searched her soul and returned to her love of fashion.

BoeFly aims to finance the masses

BoeFly’s mission to match every borrower with lenders willing to make a loan, and that’s the core service they’ve offered since starting four years ago.

Marijuana trade is full of high-jinx

“This is about to be the largest industry our country has ever seen, to emerge over the next several years,”

Family Business

Divide and conquer doesn’t work in real life, husband-and-wife business owners say, despite the common advice.

You can’t choose family, but you can hire them

Here’s how one 34-year-old male survives being surrounded at work by all the women he’s related to.

Where are they now: Recycling kings at it again

Ron Olson, a serial entrepreneur, is playing it again—but not in used sports equipment this time.

Where phone photos go to get a hardcopy life

Around the world an estimated 1.5 billion digital images are taken every day inspiring Warren Struhl to team with Polaroid and create Polaroid Fotobar.

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The Magazine

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From the Magazine

Publisher's Column

Boefly's story fits nicely into our finance focus this month. You won’t want to miss financial reporter Jonathan Maze’s story on the state of financing, and our own Finance and Real Estate Directory that updates you on all the players in this sector.