This post continues in a series of posts I am writing on franchise investing. The series of posts initiated with an article I read outlining what private equity investors like about franchising. Today, I want to touch on the second “ingredient” of the Secret Sauce which is whether the product or service is “on trend.” So what does it mean for the product or service to be sustainably “on trend?” According to the private…

I recently posted on the Secret Sauce for Franchise Investing. The post features an article outlining what private equity investors like about franchises. Today, I want to touch on the first “ingredient” which is whether the franchise’s product is straight-forward and consistently replicated. This is much harder than you may think for franchise operations to attain but it is often the difference between a successful or unsuccessful franchise. Think about McDonald’s for a…

For over twenty-five years now I have been reviewing franchise opportunities in one form or another. Unlike a lot of franchise lawyers, I represent both sides of the fence. I have helped business people start franchises and I have helped hundreds of franchisees review FDDs before buying franchise opportunities. Many years ago it seemed as though franchisors were afraid of Iowa. Those franchisors thought the Iowa franchise act was too restrictive and too franchisee friendly.…

I read an excellent article from the Franchise King, Joel Libava, that he wrote for the SBA website on what it takes to franchise your business. His article highlights various points including: Validating the idea Duplication Creating a system Legalities Marketing and sales We also had some Twitter discussion regarding the fees and royalties that are paid to franchises. It really goes without saying, for a franchise concept to work you need to have profit…

For the last 40 years, Entrepreneur Magazine has released its Franchise 500 List, ranking the “best” Franchises in America. They rank them based on Five Pillars: Costs & Fees, Size & Growth, Support, Brand Strength, and Financial Strength & Stability. The giants at the top aren’t much of a surprise, with McDonald’s, Dunkin’, and Taco Bell all in the top 5. Many other big names are also scattered on the list. The Franchise 500 gives…

This blog post is written by Quinn Mahoney. Quinn is working as a summer clerk this year. He is an Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics Major at Notre Dame with a minor in Actuarial Science. In other words, he knows numbers.…

The Nyemaster Goode On Brief Appellate Blog has a recent article on the Iowa Supreme Court setting a new standard in employment law cases. The court’s decision should help provide employers with an additional defense in discrimination cases.…