It’s always nice when people say great things about you but I am particularly humbled by a recent post from What About Clients? WAC? is one of the great blogs (and I do mean great as evidenced by their award as the Best All Business Blog for 2007 by the ABA). I respect
Assembling the Right Team Critical to Your Business Success
I often tell clients it is important to establish relationships with at least four individuals when they start a business:
- Lawyer
- Accountant
- Banker
- Insurance Agent
But in order to have a starting five we need to add a fifth professional. Who would I add? How about a marketer?
But the real reason I
Prospective Franchisees: Help us, Help You
When searching my feed reader last night I ran into this distressful thread on BlueMauMau.org, a pro-franchisee Web site. In the comments below the initial post, franchise lawyer Richard Solomon says he is giving up on trying to help franchisees. Richard says,
I’m about ready to climb down off the due diligence cross and
Franchises: Four Things to Make You Go ‘Hmm
If you are looking at a franchise opportunity perhaps you should beware if your prospective 
franchisor says the following:
- You don’t need a lawyer to review the agreement.
- I would prefer you don’t talk with the other franchisees. You should only talk with me.
- We won’t negotiate any terms.
- Trust us, we can’t (and won’t) change
Iowa Caucus Issue: What about Small Business?
The Iowa Caucus is approaching quickly. If you attend campaign rallies for the candidates or listen to TV ads you will almost never hear anything about small business.
But in reality, America’s small businesses are the driver of our economy. Consider these facts from the Small Business Administration (SBA) as outlined in February 2006:
10.
Edwards Campaigns with Most Famous Client Before Iowa Caucus
Abe Lincoln, Freedom Fighter (1978)
Abe: I don’t know about this politician business.
Judge: What do you mean by that?
Abe: If I have to sacrifice my integrity for politics, I guess I’ll just have to stay a lawyer!
Up to this point I have avoided blogging on politics and the Iowa caucus. It’s
Iowa Franchisors Picking Up Steam?
Iowa has never been the hot bed for franchisors but it seems as though some Iowa franchisors are really picking up steam. According to the Des Moines Register this morning Chocolaterie Stam stores have expanded to Ames, Chapel Hill N.C., and Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Upcoming stores including Minneapolis and Steamboat Springs (that would be my personal
Franchising in the Iowa Small Business Zone
Doug Mitchell interviews Steve Reese who is the owner of Fitness Together franchise in Clive, Iowa in his first podcast of the Iowa Small Business Zone. Listen and you will find that Steve is an enthusiastic proponent of franchising. I was also impressed with Steve’s impression of the potential benefits of blogging from someone who is new
Should You Hire a Franchise Broker?
I ran across this informative article on whether you should hire a franchise broker to purchase a franchise via the Indiana Civil & Business Lawyer Blog.
The article discusses how the Internet has changed the way people find a franchise. With all the information available on the Internet it has produced "information overload" for prospective franchisees.
Looking for a Franchise? Be Sure to “Pick” the Right Resources
As regular readers of this blog know, I am engaged in a never ending search for blogs that present franchise opportunities in a fair and objective manner. All too often franchise related sites are merely promotional pieces.
FranchisePick is a site worth checking out. Yes, there are some promotional pieces on the site. But franchise marketing veteran, Sean