Franchising Is A Great Way To Start As An Entrepreneur

I recently read a quote from a judge in a local entrepreneurship contest (Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year - Utah) that mentioned how he was looking at contestants based on not necessarily how much money their business made, or how high their sales were, but rather how innovative their idea was. If it was at least moderately successful in both sales and profits, and it was a new idea, then that was the entrepreneur that would get the quoted judges vote. I thought about his viewpoint for a minute and realized that I will probably never win the entrepreneur of the year award………….and I am okay with that. At least I won’t win one where his criteria are used.

Why?

Because the vast majority of my experience and ownership is and has been in businesses that are franchise concepts. They aren’t new and exciting compared to say some new web 2.0 software startup in Silicon Valley with 13 ex-Microsoft engineers and a bunch of VC money backing the business.  Of course you could also sell bean-bags that are cool looking and expensive - as long as you sell a lot of them, and fast- and win a bunch of awards (including entrepreneur of the year) just prior to going bankrupt. I am not interested in winning awards; I am interested in making money. I don’t really care if what I do isn’t new - in fact, I kind of like the old proven stuff (thus increasing my chances for success). I think most entrepreneurs who are getting started would do themselves quite a service if they owned and operated a franchise before going out and starting their internet based web 2.0 buzzword of the moment business. Why? Because whether or not you are running a Taco Bell or Bell Labs, there are some common business principles that apply to all companies - old and new.  I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to walk and then jog and then run - particularly if you are a younger entrepreneur and don’t have a ton of work experience. If you haven’t seen it done before, why not learn it yourself in a structured environment with a much higher degree of success? I am most certainly not saying that franchise businesses are what you should base your entrepreneurial career around. In fact, I am saying you shouldn’t. Go out there and start a company that really is new and different………..but consider owning and operating a franchise business first. There are a lot of great skills and concepts you can take into your new startup from day one if you do. Namely:

  • Learn how to hire, fire and deal with employees. What, you haven’t had employees before and you want to start Yahoo! in your dorm room? Hey, go for it. I am telling you though, even if you only had two kids working at your auction-Ebay-stuff-for-other-people-in-a-strip-mall business before it went under (and all of those places eventually will), you will learn a lot about employee management. Payroll taxes, insurance, workers comp, schedules, vacation tracking, bonuses and pay rates - these things are not unique to franchise employee management. You will use them in the billion dollar technology start-up that you take public in a few years! Just don’t forget to give me some pre-IPO shares.

  • Customers are another unifying trait amongst all things business. Although customers come in all shapes and sizes, dealing with them can be very similar despite their idiosyncrasies. They all want to get your product on time, for a fair price, and have it work the way it is supposed to. Pizza, software, bicycles, consulting hours - you name it, customers use the measurements I just described to value your product or service. Learning how to deal with customer complaints is a unique skill in its own that is universally valuable.
  • Money management, regardless of how big or small the numbers get, is always easier to get a handle on when you are doing it yourself. Receivables, payables, and learning QuickBooks are all skills that will help any startup. How does the money move in and out of your business? It is easy to play spreadsheet bingo when you are doing your startup business plan stuff, but having some real world experience with actual dollars will help your financial projections get more accurate in a hurry. It will also make you more frugal. Running a franchise business can often be about nickels and dimes. Your startup probably doesn’t have a lot of nickels and dimes in excel forecasts you created.  It is important that you acquaint yourself with these smaller denominations because they can be great contributors (or detractors) to net income!
  • Negotiation is another universal tactic that you cannot learn in a classroom or as some grunt in a giant corporation. Negotiation is learned on the front lines. It is a battle tested skill and you have to have some wounds before you can be good at it. Why not get into a fight with some gloves first instead of going straight to bare knuckle? A small franchise business will allow you to work with Landlord’s and vendors. You can make a few mistakes - i.e. get taken to the cleaners - and not have your company go down in flames. Also, you can learn a thing or two from your franchisor and how they negotiate their “national” deals that you will piggy back off of. Take these skills learned in the trenches with you as you start to talk to lawyers, venture capitalists and potential partners. Although the negotiations are at a higher level and use larger numbers, the tactics and styles of negotiations you learned in your small franchise business will help!
  • You can develop relationships with accountants and lawyers (both worthwhile investments of money when given to the right professionals) in advance of your big money raise for company XYZ. My bet is that you will hire and fire a few different accountants and lawyers for different reasons as you wade thru your franchise business. Why not have this process done and your team of professional service providers ready and tested for when the time comes to really utilize their skills? Nothing is worse than spending a bunch of time and money on lawyers and accountants and then being less then pleased with their work product. Let their interview take place on a smaller scale and using smaller dollar amounts.
  • When you decide to move on to another company, maybe your super-startup, you will inevitably learn how to sell a business or at least learn how to turn over the management of it to someone else. While you will need the skills of your accountants and lawyers in this area (as well as your negotiation skills), 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.

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. While investors and VC types want the huge home runs, you really only need a solid double your first time out. Don’t get caught trying to swing for the fences the first time out. The chance that you can hit a major league fastball after having skipped the minor leagues is slim. Keep in mind that often time’s people who are investing or backing a business will push you to go for the fence early. They are out very little if you fail, but they get a huge return if you don’t. They are playing the numbers - 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 and not THEM 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 when you move onto your Entrepreneur of the Year award acceptance speech.

Are You Afraid of Risk or Just Smart - How to Know the Difference

Most of the people I know think that I am a heavy risk taker. My friends who don’t really know exactly what it is that I do for a living think I am a HUGE risk taker. My business associates and fellow entrepreneurs have a better understanding of what I do, so the risk associated with my work is not as foreign to them. With that being said, I think that generally speaking I am not a big risk taker. The vast majority of the decisions I make that have a reasonable to large downside have some serious thought and homework put into them. I also rely heavily on my “gut instinct” which has been right more than it has been wrong during my career. Having said that, at the end of the day, how do you know if you are afraid of risk or if you are just smart and good at avoiding bad risks? The answer is simple and doesn’t require a long post.  If you haven’t taken a reasonable to serious financial risk on behalf of a business or investment idea before the age of 40 years old, then you probably don’t have what it takes to be an entrepreneur as your full-time career.

Yeah, that’s right - I just called out any of you that read this that are older than 40. Prove me wrong and post it! I am not saying you have to be some wildly successful entrepreneur before your 40th birthday. I am not even saying you have to invest your life savings in a start-up prior to the big four-oh. I am saying that if you haven’t bought a rental property or put $20K into a Subway sandwich shop by now (or better yet, bought a Five Star franchise) that you probably won’t ever do anything terribly entrepreneurial. There are always exceptions to the rule of course. But as I love to say, if you are reading this blog, you are probably Joe or Jane Normal like me and that means you are likely not the exception I am referring to.

So am I right or wrong? I would love to hear your impressions of my stance on risk. Let me know what you have experienced and seen in others. I want to know if my view of the world is the same as yours - what have you noticed, read or been through that would agree or disagree with my assertion?

Five Star Painting, a leading painting franchise system, announces a new franchise opening in San Antonio, Texas

MEDIA CONTACTS:Scott Abbott, Five Star Painting, 801.804.6677  info@fivestar-painting.com 

For Immediate Release —  

Five Star Painting, a leading painting franchise system, announces a new franchise opening in San Antonio, Texas

 

Five Star Painting now provides service in 50 major Markets in North America, with operations in 19 states and provinces  

SPRINGVILLE, Utah – April 16, 2008– Five Star Painting Inc, a leading painting franchise system today announced that Richard Ripke has purchased a new location in the San Antonio, Texas market. 

Richard Ripke of Seguin, Texas has been an entrepreneur since the age of 18 when he took over the family seafood business after the passing of his grandfather. He has owned two previous franchises including The Athlete’s Foot and Subway.  Richard currently owns a window coverings business which he feels the Five Star painting concept will work quite well with and drive additional business. Richard noted “I’m quite excited to be serving the Guadalupe, Comal, and Hays county areas with a quality painting service.  My goal is to provide a quality product, fair pricing, and above all a superior service. My goal is to grow the business rapidly and make this a real family oriented, highly regarding painting operation.” After researching the painting business franchisees Richard said his decision to go with Five Star Painting was quite easy.  Richard stated “Alex, Scott, Conrad, and the rest of the Five Star team are super people that make you feel right at home from the very beginning.  Unlike some franchises they are willing to listen to your needs while not being too restrictive.  Their marketing plans shine above all others.  Follow their program and one should have tremendous success. I’m really looking forward to a long lasting successful relationship with the entire team at Five Star. I envision Five Star as being a nationally recognized brand due to rapid growth within a couple years and a sound investment.” 

Scott Abbott, CEO of Five Star Painting commented on Richard and his new franchise purchase.  “We are excited about having someone like Richard help expand the Five Star brand further into Texas.  He is an experienced franchisee and just a great guy.  His background and his knowledge of franchising and the service industry will be a real advantage for him.  Richard has some significant experience in business and entrepreneurship and we are pleased and honored that he chose us over others.  We look forward to helping him have a very successful business with our other franchisees in Texas.” 

Five Star Painting is now one of the fastest growing, and second largest, painting franchise in North America with operations from California to Florida, and from Canada to

Mexico.  Five Star Painting is seeing phenomenal expansion from current and new franchisees in order to meet the growing demand of its clients across

North America. 
 

About Five Star Painting Inc. 

Formed in 2000, Utah-based Five Star Painting Inc has grown to 50 franchises in North America, with operations in the USA, Canada and Mexico.  Five Star Painting offers its Franchisees access to software, a 24/7call center, marketing, training and management support. Customers of a Five Star Painting Franchise receive a Five Star job without a five star price. As one of the fastest growing franchises in the service industry Five Star Painting works with industry leaders to deliver business opportunities to entrepreneurs committed to a high level of customer service. To learn more, please visit: www.fivestarpaintingfranchise.com.

Five Star Painting, a leading painting franchise system, announces a new franchise opening in San Antonio, Texas

MEDIA CONTACTS:Scott Abbott, Five Star Painting, 801.804.6677  info@fivestar-painting.com 

For Immediate Release —  

Five Star Painting, a leading painting franchise system, announces a new franchise opening in San Antonio, Texas

 

Five Star Painting now provides service in 50 major Markets in North America, with operations in 19 states and provinces  

SPRINGVILLE, Utah – April 16, 2008– Five Star Painting Inc, a leading painting franchise system today announced that Richard Ripke has purchased a new location in the San Antonio, Texas market. 

Richard Ripke of Seguin, Texas has been an entrepreneur since the age of 18 when he took over the family seafood business after the passing of his grandfather. He has owned two previous franchises including The Athlete’s Foot and Subway.  Richard currently owns a window coverings business which he feels the Five Star painting concept will work quite well with and drive additional business. Richard noted “I’m quite excited to be serving the Guadalupe, Comal, and Hays county areas with a quality painting service.  My goal is to provide a quality product, fair pricing, and above all a superior service. My goal is to grow the business rapidly and make this a real family oriented, highly regarding painting operation.” After researching the painting business franchisees Richard said his decision to go with Five Star Painting was quite easy.  Richard stated “Alex, Scott, Conrad, and the rest of the Five Star team are super people that make you feel right at home from the very beginning.  Unlike some franchises they are willing to listen to your needs while not being too restrictive.  Their marketing plans shine above all others.  Follow their program and one should have tremendous success. I’m really looking forward to a long lasting successful relationship with the entire team at Five Star. I envision Five Star as being a nationally recognized brand due to rapid growth within a couple years and a sound investment.” 

Scott Abbott, CEO of Five Star Painting commented on Richard and his new franchise purchase.  “We are excited about having someone like Richard help expand the Five Star brand further into Texas.  He is an experienced franchisee and just a great guy.  His background and his knowledge of franchising and the service industry will be a real advantage for him.  Richard has some significant experience in business and entrepreneurship and we are pleased and honored that he chose us over others.  We look forward to helping him have a very successful business with our other franchisees in Texas.” 

Five Star Painting is now one of the fastest growing, and second largest, painting franchise in North America with operations from California to Florida, and from Canada to

Mexico.  Five Star Painting is seeing phenomenal expansion from current and new franchisees in order to meet the growing demand of its clients across

North America. 
 

About Five Star Painting Inc. 

Formed in 2000, Utah-based Five Star Painting Inc has grown to 50 franchises in North America, with operations in the USA, Canada and Mexico.  Five Star Painting offers its Franchisees access to software, a 24/7call center, marketing, training and management support. Customers of a Five Star Painting Franchise receive a Five Star job without a five star price. As one of the fastest growing franchises in the service industry Five Star Painting works with industry leaders to deliver business opportunities to entrepreneurs committed to a high level of customer service. To learn more, please visit: www.fivestarpaintingfranchise.com.

Five Star Painting, a leading painting franchise system, announces a new franchise opening in Atlanta, Georgia

MEDIA CONTACTS:Scott Abbott, Five Star Painting, 801.804.6677  info@fivestar-painting.com 

For Immediate Release —  

Five Star Painting, a leading painting franchise system, announces a new franchise opening in Atlanta, Georgia

 

Five Star Painting now provides service in 50 major Markets in North America, with operations in 19 states and provinces  

SPRINGVILLE, Utah – April 16, 2008– Five Star Painting Inc, a leading painting franchise system today announced that Al and Terri Pearce have purchased a new location in the Atlanta, Georgia market. 

Al has spent almost 30 years in the Transportation industry. He has had numerous positions in this industry and for the 5 past years, as District Manager, he has run an 8 + million dollar transportation franchise in the Atlanta area.  Terri brings an Office/Customer Service background to this dynamic team. She has experience heading up the daily operations of a sign-a-rama franchise as well.  Al has enjoyed his involvement in Rotary International and both have been involved with the Lions Club of America. Al is a member of the Moose club and Terri is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary. Both have experience running a franchise type business and look forward to joining the Five Star team. Al and Terri noted “We looked at several franchises and selected Five Star Painting because they offered the best opportunity for future success.  We went to discovery days of other concepts and looked heavily and many options, but it was clear to us that Five Star offered the best opportunity for the buck.” 

Scott Abbott, CEO of Five Star Painting commented on Al and Terri and their new franchise purchase.  “Al and Terri make a great combination.  They have significant combined business operations experience and they both have run successful franchises.  Together, they are a great franchisee for us to have.  We feel very fortunate that they chose us over competing franchises, because they are a very desirable franchisee with all of their experience and connections in their area.  We are really excited to see them take off and really expand the Five Star brand into Georgia with our other surrounding franchisees.” 

Five Star Painting is now one of the fastest growing, and second largest, painting franchise in North America with operations from California to Florida, and from Canada to

Mexico.  Five Star Painting is seeing phenomenal expansion from current and new franchisees in order to meet the growing demand of its clients across

North America.   

About Five Star Painting Inc. 

Formed in 2000, Utah-based Five Star Painting Inc has grown to 50 franchises in North America, with operations in the USA, Canada and Mexico.  Five Star Painting offers its Franchisees access to software, a 24/7call center, marketing, training and management support. Customers of a Five Star Painting Franchise receive a Five Star job without a five star price. As one of the fastest growing franchises in the service industry Five Star Painting works with industry leaders to deliver business opportunities to entrepreneurs committed to a high level of customer service. To learn more, please visit: www.fivestarpaintingfranchise.com. 

You Are Never Standing Still…

I enjoyed a lunch a few weeks ago with some successful entrepreneur and business owner friends of mine. These guys are all “movers and shakers”. The grass doesn’t grow under their feet and they have the track record to prove it. One is a serial entrepreneur with successes in multiple areas, the other has a vast financial background in NY and is now a real estate developer and the third is a very highly educated individual who is also a real estate developer. The luncheon made me ponder the subject of what makes these different types of entrepreneurs successful. I think part of the reason they are successful is because they share a common trait. They don’t sit still well, they make educated decisions quickly and they embrace the theory of risk = reward.  I rarely hear people who will admit they hope that things stay the same for them forever. People always seem to aspire to be and do more. When was the last time your co-worker or partner said “hey, this is good right now - let’s just ride it out and stay where we are at”? Probably not too often. Most people talk about growing, achieving and building. Very few talk about settling, average and rigidity. Although few talk about it, many are secretly hoping that things stay as-is since their salary, sales, and/or profit margins seem to be enough for them to manage the life they like. I believe that most people have an inner goal that differs from their outward one. Most people are content and happy with a certain level of performance and if they achieve it, would be more than happy to stay at that level forever.

Unfortunately, the exact opposite happens to those that simply stand still and watch the world go by. You are either moving forward or backward. It may be inches, feet or miles, but you are moving in one direction or the other. The scariest movement is the smallest one. If we only move an inch backwards, it may be months or years before we realize just how far behind we have gotten. By then it may be too late. While I don’t suggest leaping off a cliff or running blindly thru a dark forest, I do think that it is critical to react quickly and jump on good opportunities. Those that I know that have done this have found varying degrees of success - meaning they all are generally successful entrepreneurs. Some are better at assessing opportunity then others, thus the higher degree of success, but generally speaking those that act quickly, keep in motion, make educated decisions and are willing to take calculated risk are going to be in motion enough to keep ahead of the game.

Are you stuck in the mud doing the same-old, same-old? Is your salary and benefits enough? Or do you want more, do you keep moving - sometimes backward, but then further forward - so that you end up getting somewhere? You are never standing still - other entrepreneurs and businesses are going past you slowly, and in time, they will move across the horizon and out of sight.  Choose to be the one who is moving away in the distance, not the one watching it. Trust me; the view is better out front.

Five Star Painting, a leading painting franchise system, announces a new franchise opening in Phoenix, Arizona

MEDIA CONTACTS:LaRee Hathcock, Five Star Painting, 801.805.6953(wk) lhathcock@fivestar-painting.com

For Immediate Release —  

Five Star Painting, a leading painting franchise system, announces a new franchise opening in Phoenix, Arizona

Five Star Painting now provides service in 48 major Markets in North America, with operations in 21 states and provinces  

SPRINGVILLE, Utah – March 26, 2008 – Five Star Painting Inc, a leading painting franchise system today announced that Sonny Tesch and Mike Scanlon have purchased and a new location in the Phoenix, Arizona market. Five Star Painting is now one of the fastest growing, and second largest, painting franchises in North America with operations from California to Florida, and from Canada to Mexico.  Five Star Painting is seeing phenomenal expansion from current and new franchisees in order to meet the growing demand of its clients across North America.  Sonny Tesch and Mike Scanlon are an experienced team with strong professional ties to the area.  Sonny has been in Phoenix for 9 years and has owned and operated a successful financial services business during that time.  Prior to operating his company in Phoenix, Sonny was in the bay area where he worked in the real estate and mortgage industry.  Mike Scanlon is a bay area native and has been friends and partners with Sonny for over 17 years.  Mike has a strong construction background and has owned and operated a successful construction industry business for 11 years.  Together, they make a strong team with marketing, business, sales and industry operations backgrounds and an extensive knowledge of their area.  Phoenix continues to be a very high growth area in commercial and residential construction, as well as population increases, and will be a great market for Five Star and Sonny and Mike.  Five Star Painting has pending plans to add additional franchisees to the area in the coming months as well.  

Scott Abbott, CEO of Five Star Painting commented on Sonny and Mike and their new franchise purchase “Sonny and Mike are great guys, we are really happy they decided to go with Five Star Painting over the other options they were looking it.  They are a great fit for our first entry into the Arizona market.  They have a lot of connections in the area and will be well received as dependable, known and reliable business people.  They really are a superb team with complimenting business, marketing and operations experience.”  Sonny Tesch, Five Star Painting Franchisee in Phoenix, Arizona had this to say about the new franchise they purchased.  “Mike and I are really excited to add this business to our Phoenix presence.  With the tools that Five Star has to offer, we feel like we are really set up well to succeed.  I took a lot of time looking at other opportunities in the Phoenix area and by far Five Star is the best and we are excited to get rolling.” Mike Scanlon had this to say about their new franchise.  “I love the Five Star team and when I saw the overall system they had, I was ready to go for it!  With the knowledge we have in the construction industry and the area business knowledge we have, I think Five Star will be a great business for us in Phoenix.  We cannot wait to get started!” About Five Star Painting Inc. 

Formed in 2000, Utah-based Five Star Painting Inc has grown to 48 franchises in North America, with operations in the USA, Canada and Mexico.  Five Star Painting offers its Franchisees access to software, a 24/7call center, marketing, training and management support. Customers of a Five Star Painting Franchise receive a Five Star job without a five star price. As one of the fastest growing franchises in the service industry Five Star Painting works with industry leaders to deliver business opportunities to entrepreneurs committed to a high level of customer service. To learn more, please visit: www.fivestarpaintingfranchise.com.

Bill Gates Is Sending Me A Check…

I realize this is completely off topic, but please bear with me as I have to get it off my chest.

I have a pet peeve. I wonder if I am alone in my pet peeve, as it is somewhat unique. I understand that what bothers me probably bothers others. However, to truly qualify as a “pet peeve” it has to be something that really drives you mad. Care to join the bandwagon? Then tell me, when someone emails you anything, and I mean anything, that is an obvious email forwarding hoax, what do you do? I hit “reply all” and commence with the linkage to the various websites that explain email hoaxes. I know, I am a jerk, but I just cannot help myself. I don’t want to embarrass anyone. I am certainly not trying to take an elitist stance; I simply cannot stand by and watch the IQ of my friends and family drop before my very eyes.

This is what prompted this post. Within the last week, two of my very best friends (if you read this, I am not sorry because you should have known better then to send me those emails) sent me two of the oldest email chain letter hoaxes in the world. The first one was about how Touched By An Angel was kicked off TV for being too spiritual and how they were now trying to remove the word “God” from TV altogether. “If you are a Christian or of any faith, save us from the madness that TV execs are trying to rain down on society!”. Seriously folks, do you really think a chain email would get God back on TV anyway? The second email I received just tonight is an oldy but a goody. “Bill Gates is giving away his money! Just forward this email and you will get $240 for every email you send out. He and Intel and AOL have joined forces as Kings of the Internet to bring large checks to you and your family.” The first clue that this email is a hoax is the fact that they still include AOL as a big player in the payoff. At least update your hoax with Google, Yahoo or something more believable. An additional clue the email is a hoax is the somewhat obligatory “my cousin is a lawyer and she showed me her check stamped PAID IN FULL”. Who stamps checks that say “paid in full”? I can’t remember seeing one in awhile (or ever). I have seen bills with that stamp on them, but not checks.

I am sorry I sound like a know-it-all. I realize that there are a lot of great email chain letter hoaxes that probably save lives and more. In spite of those, a word to the wise about any email you get that asks you to forward it to anyone you know:

1 - Go to Google, type in the main subject of your email that you received and add “hoax” to it and see what comes up.

2 - If it is about saving something so sad (like someone’s life, or a basic religious right), then don’t waste your time on #1. It is a fake.

3 - Don’t forward it to anyone. In fact, join the club and hit “reply all” and type away as the elitist jerk who just has to speak up. It is kind of fun.

4 - If it involves making money by any means of mass communication, it is a fake.

Join me in stomping out email hoaxes, embarrass others and hit “reply all” when you see the chance!  ***UPDATE***  Just since starting typing this blog I received a mass email from a friend listing the companies that buy and sell oil that isn’t from the Middle East and to PLEASE forward it on so that we all could buy gas from the companies that didn’t support the Middle Eastern oil Monopoly.  AHHHHHH!!!!!

Five Star Painting, a leading painting franchise system, announces a new franchise opening in Cincinnati, Ohio

MEDIA CONTACTS:LaRee Hathcock, Five Star Painting, 801.805.6953(wk) lhathcock@fivestar-painting.com 

For Immediate Release —  

Five Star Painting, a leading painting franchise system, announces a new franchise opening in Cincinnati, Ohio

 

Five Star Painting now provides service in 48 major Markets in North America, with operations in 21 states and provinces  

SPRINGVILLE, Utah – March 27, 2008 – Five Star Painting Inc, a leading painting franchise system today announced that Kirk Black has purchased a new location in the Cincinnati, Ohio market. 

Five Star Painting is one of the fastest growing service franchises in North America with operations from California to Florida and Maine, and all thru Canada and down to Mexico.  Five Star Painting is seeing phenomenal expansion from current and new franchisees in order to meet the growing demand of its clients across North America.  Kirk Black is venturing out into the business world as a dynamic, experienced and hard working new franchisee.  His background is as an advertising and marketing executive, with an educational background in marketing communications from Brigham Young University.  Kirk has helped develop marketing strategies and advertising campaigns for a variety of international brands such as Starbucks, Nestle, Mission Tortilla, Tracker Boats, Ameritrade and the National Pork Board.  Kirk had this to say about the new franchise that he purchased:   

“I’m just excited to be part of the Five Star franchise family,” said Black. “And while I realize there’s never a guarantee of success, I feel like this comes pretty close. The system, the training, the support and the corporate team are just a few of the reasons why I decided to go with Five Star. I’m ready to paint the town red…or whatever color people want.” 
Scott Abbott, CEO of Five Star Painting commented on Kirk and his new franchise purchase:
 

 “We are excited about having someone like Kirk continue to grow the Five Star brand into Ohio.   Kirk has some great marketing and advertising experience that gives him a unique perspective on how to attract, and of course keep, great new customers in Ohio and northern Kentucky.  We are really excited that Kirk decided to invest in the Five Star system.  We look forward to watching him take over the painting market in Ohio and continuing to grow our brand throughout the area.” 

About Five Star Painting Inc. 

Formed in 2000, Utah-based Five Star Painting Inc has grown to 48 franchises in North America, with operations in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Five Star Painting offers its Franchisees access to software, a 24/7call center, marketing, training and management support. Customers of a Five Star Painting Franchise receive a Five Star job without a five star price. As one of the fastest growing franchises in the service industry Five Star Painting works with industry leaders to deliver business opportunities to entrepreneurs committed to a high level of customer service. To learn more, please visit: www.fivestarpaintingfranchise.com. 

10 Signs of Great Franchise

I saw this short list on a franchise rating website and I thought it was right on the money in terms of the 10 things to look for in a potential franchise. I personally think some of the things on the list are in the wrong order, but all ten items are great ones. The only other I can think of that is missing is the use/availability of technology since I believe that all franchise businesses should be leveraging the advantages technology provides. Without further adieu, here are their top 10 things to look for in a potential franchise:

1. Responsiveness during the investigation process

2. Direct operational training

3. Other training

4. Marketing programs

5. Real estate and construction assistance (if applicable)

6. Financing assistance

7. Litigation history

8. Financial strength of the franchise company

9. Financial strength of the unit operations

10. The attitude of the existing franchisees