Buying a Used Franchise

If you’re thinking of buying a franchise as a way to secure your future, you’re not alone. The job market is still pretty tough and the competition for high-paying jobs is quite intense. Is it any wonder that people are looking at some career alternatives? Could becoming a franchise owner be a good one?

Existing franchise opportunities are available. Buying someone else’s franchise can be a great way to get into franchising. There are certainly some positive aspects to buying a used franchise:

  • Immediate cash flow
  • An existing base of customers/clients
  • A built-in mentor
  • Lower cost

Of course buying a franchise, or in this case, an existing franchise business has many other advantages – participating in community involvement or having a desire for more freedom.

Almost everybody looking to buy an existing franchise thinks that it will lower their risk if they buy a business that already has money coming in. Sometimes it can, but it really depends on a few aspects, such as the area it covers.

When purchasing an existing franchise there are certain steps that you’ll have to take. Business.gov has mentioned a few of them:

  • Thoroughly research the business and look for legal red flags.
  • Learn as much as you can about how the business’s operations from the current owner, including details about existing contracts, insurance policies, licenses, employee agreements, and commercial leases.

The franchise industry is exploding with growth. Now is a great time to buy a new or existing franchise. Which one is right for you? For any questions regarding Five Star Painting franchising, please call 1-866-965-STAR or visit our website.

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Five Star’s Motto

CNN Money came out with an article regarding a survey about the most common biggest complaints by consumers in 2009. It was interesting to see that the number three complaint is ‘Home Improvement/Construction: failure to start or complete the job’. Fortunately, Five Star Painting’s consumers don’t need to worry about a thing.

Five Star stands by its motto which is to be clean, on time, and on budget.

CLEANLINESS

Five Star excels in keeping the job site clean with end-of-the-day site clean ups, and a major clean up at the end of the job. All of our franchisees are trained to give your home the “Five Star Touch”. This ensures that the only thing that’s noticed in your home are your beautiful new walls.

TIMELINESS

Five Star recognizes the importance of completing a project on time. At Five Star we are committed to completing the job on time. We pride ourselves on treating every customer with the utmost respect and value.

ON BUDGET

When you set out on a paint project, budget is a key aspect. With our customer influenced estimate sheet, you see exactly where your money is going. All the prices are broken down so you may choose exactly what you want painted while knowing exactly what you are going to pay.

We would love your feedback on the work we’ve completed. Please call us at 1-866-965-STAR. Thanks.

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Self-Help Books

The most basic question everyone faces in life is what is my purpose in life? Self-help books are a great way to help you understand a little better. People should really look more into these books because they are not only uplifting, but inspiring as well. They can help you with your life skills, as well as your business skills.

Self-help can be defined as often utilizing publicly available information or support groups where people in similar situations join together. It is often applied particularly to education, business, psychology and psychotherapy, and of course through the popular genre of self-help books.

A couple books to read to help you through these hard times in the business world:

Crucial Conversation is a wonderful self-help book that touches base with how critical conversation is to our success. To read more about this, click here.

Good to Great addresses a single question: Can a good company become a great company, and if so, how? This is great because it hits points about the small techniques and strategies that businesses need to have in order to make the leap from being a good company to a great, well-known and respected company.


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Franchise before Start-Up

Despite the misfortune that the business world has experienced this past year, many are finding opportunities to build their business in this downward economy. Franchising is one of them.

Perhaps the most important thing you can take from franchise ownership is simply the title of “owner”. If you are a new entrepreneur and want to be your own boss, then this is the chance to try it out. Keep in mind that often time’s people who are investing or backing a business will push you to go all the way. Many will fail, a select few won’t. It’s the few that pay off all of their other failures. If you want to do what is best for you, then get some experience – real experience – in a franchise business before you run out and try and do a start-up. My bet is you will learn a lot, make some money and put yourself in a position to succeed.

The process of selling a business – any business – is one that can only be learned by doing. You can also learn a lot about buying a business as well (even though you are the seller) because the process has an innate transparency in that at the end of it, you know exactly what the buyer and seller were thinking and doing. If you don’t sell your franchise and instead keep it open as you move on, you learn a lot as well. Namely, how to pick great people, how to delegate and how to incentivize others to perform at the level you are accustomed to doing yourself.

Buying a franchise is really forming a partnership. It is a two-way relationship where both parties bring important tools and skill sets to the table. Make sure that the partner you are going to work with is able to provide you with some of the important skill sets and tools that you need to improve your ability to take advantage of what will likely be one of the biggest opportunities in our lifetime.

At Five Star we work hard with our franchisees to help them bootstrap their operations and keep costs under control. Critical to this success is the use of technology to help owners zero in on the most cost effective spend for their marketing dollars.

For more information on franchising with us, please call Five Star Painting at 1-866-965-STAR.

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“Real” Painting Techniques

Five Star Painting takes its business very seriously. Our commitment to Five Star quality and customer service is the cornerstone of our business. Innovation in delivering on our commitment is encouraged, to the point of creating a training facility for painters to assure their skills are up to our standards. We also like to have fun so when someone suggested we try painting a room with a paintball gun we chuckled, and then decided to video tape it. We hope you send in some suggestions on how to “properly“ paint a room. We will be filming the best ideas and posting them here for your entertainment.

Just remember, will your technique paint a wall? Be sure to submit your suggestion here and check out the videos. For any questions, call Five Star Painting at 1-866-965-STAR.

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5 Reasons to go with FIVE STAR

  1. 2 out of 10 painters answer their phone on the first call. With Five Star you have a call center working for you 24/7 ensuring your calls are answered every time.
  2. The painting industry averages 35% gross margins, whereas Five Star Painting’s software prices your jobs at an approximate 50% margin.
  3. The Five Star Painting software reduces your estimating time and offers your foremen and customers detailed estimates and work orders that save you time and money.
  4. Five Star Painting marketing materials have been proven to out perform competitors by as much 4 to 1.
  5. Five Star Painting offers unprecedented training materials and resources. With its Operations Manual, Training DVD, and ongoing management support, Five Star Painting remains committed to your success and ours. The proof is in the paint!

For more information on starting a franchise with Five Star, click here or call 1-866-965-STAR.

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Franchise With Five Star

Five Star franchisees are taking advantage of custom systems developed to maximize their success through proprietary software, marketing materials, call center support, partnerships, training and a continual flow of new and innovative approaches. In addition, due to our size, we can offer some of the best pricing on supplies in the industry. We are growing rapidly with franchisees from Florida to California and Canada to Mexico.

We would love to talk to you about joining this international community of great franchisees. The painting industry is a $100 billion dollar industry and we want to help you use technology, marketing, training, and specialized support to get your piece of it.

In order to familiarize yourself with the Five Star opportunity, we have created a special video for your review. Also, you can call one of our development representatives directly to get more details about the Five Star Painting Franchise opportunity. In the meantime, please watch this video.

We look forward to working with you to explore what Five Star has to offer. Again, you can call one of our franchise development representatives at any time to answer your initial questions. In the meantime, please visit the link to the video and then if you want to learn more, fill out the online application. Of course you can call anytime at 1-866-965-STAR.

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Why Should I Consider Franchising?

In franchising, the symbiotic relationship between the franchisee and franchisor thrives on the willingness to prepare for success. Through consistent training, they strive to improve and to increase the system’s value. But each must be willing to invest in the other. Successful franchisees must be captivated by the business in which they plan to invest and build a future. They should be infatuated with the force that goes into a thriving development, expansion, and basic commerce.

What makes franchising so successful are the franchisors tested methods of business. Franchisors are looking for someone who wishes to borrow as much as the other is willing to lend and who, at the same time, remains focused on the common progress of the system.

Why should I consider franchising?

There are many individuals who want to be their own boss. They see no long range security in working for someone else, and feel that their potential income will always be limited as an employee. Franchising offers these individuals an opportunity to break free and own their own business. They also minimize the risk of failing when opening an entirely new business from scratch. Franchising allows you to follow a tried and tested business system which will greatly improve your chances of success.

When starting a business as a self employed person you will make mistakes which can be costly. An established franchise will have ironed out those problems. They will have a written system contained within the franchise manuals as to how operate the business so as to achieve maximum sales and profitability from day one. It is effectively the name awareness and the system that you are paying for.

One of the most important aspects of becoming a franchisee is that help is on hand at every stage. The Franchisor will provide initial training, launch and marketing support and day to day help. The fact that as a franchisee, you are in business with yourself and that is a major factor in the improved success rate that is associated with franchising.

If you decide to buy a franchise, check out Five Star Painting. At Five Star we take great pride in meeting the needs of the ever-changing painting world. We offer an exceptional franchise opportunity to advance your career and spend time doing things you might not have been able to do otherwise. We strive to provide our franchisees with the right knowledge, tools, and business know-how so they may enjoy success not only in their business, but also have the freedom to enjoy success in their personal lives. To read a testimonial from one of our current franchisees, click here.

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Benefits of Using a Painting Contractor vs. DIY

Painting is one of the most commonly due to renovation or restore. It gives your home a new look without making any changes to its structure. Although many people like to upgrade their own home, it is advisable to hire a Painting Contractor for the task. They will give you the perfect completion and also good professional services.

If you’re considering the do-it-yourself route, be sure to compare the two. There’s cost and time involved with each. Personally I’d rather hire an expert if possible and use that time to work or with my family.

If you’re really concerned about hiring a Painting Contractor, ask for referrals and references. There is nothing like a good referral – the process become much easier for you.

A team of expert painters, such as Five Star Painting, cover the insurance and liability for the work they tackle. They quote competitive prices for the job that aren’t too high or too low, which reflects a compromise on the attribute of work. A Painting Contractor is well aware of weather conditions in your area, has a great expert opinion on color and design, and also can finish the job perfectly and in a quick manner. If you were to perform this huge task on your own, it might not be worth it in the end.

One ending tip – a Painting Contractor will save you time and hassle. Please visit our website and call us at 1-866-965-STAR for a FREE estimate. If interested in starting your own painting franchise, click here.

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High Temperatures Can Affect Your Painting

What exactly are exterior house painting ideal conditions? Professional painters have a bit more room to maneuver in different conditions because they have the experience and special equipment to handle sudden changes. Your best bet is to call a painting company to give you an estimate. Five Star Painting offers free estimates and can come to your home that day.

Weather is probably the biggest factor when deciding the right time to begin an exterior painting project. When the temperature is too cold (below 35°F) paint will not flow and go on smoothly, and it will not dry or be absorbed properly into the surface. You will not get the best results if the temperature is too hot (over 100°) because the paint can end up “baking” rather than drying. To prevent temperature blisters, avoid painting surfaces that will soon be heated. If you must paint in hot weather, plan your work so that you paint in shaded areas rather than in direct sunlight – this procedure is called “follow the sun around the house.” Preferably, paint earlier in the day when the heat isn’t so drastic.

High humidity will impact drying time. Water cannot evaporate and the solvents may evaporate first, causing the paint to cure while still in a water-filled state. This can cause streaks, fading, or poor adhesion to the surface. You cannot recover from this type of disaster. High humidity can also decrease drying time on interior projects that don’t have air conditioning. Oil-based paints will also fail if conditions are too humid.

It is important to drink lots of water prior and when you are painting outside. If you are in the sun, watch the paint as it may dry quicker than normal and you will have less time to work with it. Be aware that you’re sweat can fall into the area you are working on – this can mess up your finish.

Understand that painting in high temperatures requires professional help. If you plan on DIY, prepare for the heat and be aware of your conditions. For more questions, call Five Star Painting 1-866-965-STAR and schedule for a FREE estimate.

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