Guide to Today's Top Franchises - 2016

SPECIAL REPORT: Top Franchises
To help narrow down
your choices, look at your
skills, likes, background,
training, and qualifications
and build these factors
into your choice.
As a Wild Birds Unlimited franchisee, Ellen Davis shares her passion for birds with residents of Franklin, MA
and surrounding areas.
Advantages of Franchising vs.
Starting a Business from Scratch
Franchising has been proven to typically be a less risky way to have your own business than
starting one on your own. Reasons for this include:
1. Your business will have a recognizable brand name that has a positive reputation.
2. The franchisor will provide ongoing training for you and your staff in a variety of
areas such as manufacturing, accounting, business controls, marketing, promotion,
and merchandising.
3. You will own your own business with the benefit of continuous support from
the franchisor and other franchisees who have knowledge and experience you need
to succeed.
4. You may need less capital to get the franchise going than you would if you were starting
your own business since the business model has already been proven and comes with a
detailed blueprint to get it off the ground.
5. You’ll benefit from shared marketing costs.
6. Savings from the franchisor being able to conduct bulk purchasing will be passed on
to you.
7. You’ll benefit from the franchisor’s continuous research and development programs,
which keep the business current and competitive.
8. Defined territories of operation can help protect you from competition.
9. You may have greater access to financing because banks tend to look more favorably
on franchises than new startups.
we invest in innovation regarding every aspect
of our business, which keeps it fresh for our
guests, our employees, and our franchisees.
Our menu is continuously evolving, we are
constantly innovating in operations, and we
harness new technology and systems. As a
result of these and other efforts, we have
achieved four consecutive years of same store
sales growth system wide.” Silva’s advice to
new franchisees is to ensure you have the right
structure and support to handle all aspects of
the business. He says it’s common for new
franchisees to underestimate the time and
expertise necessary to be successful.
When asked why she entered into franchising,
Amazing Athletes franchisee Sue
Anne Bigelow says, “You are part of a bigger
community that has the same goals in mind,
yet you have all the power and control to run
your business independently and successfully.”
FINDING THE PERFECT MATCH
“Go wisely and slowly.
Those who rush, stumble and fall.”
(Romeo and Juliet)
There are hundreds of franchises within
multiple sectors to select from as you can see
from this year’s Best of the Best List (p. 10).
Each one has a different vision, ideas, direction,
and success track record. To help narrow
down your choices, look at your skills, likes,
background, training, and qualifications and
build these factors into your choice.
“My husband and I spent almost a year
researching franchises. We were looking
for one that had the perfect combination of
product offerings, investment cost, growth
potential, and time commitment,” says Happy
8 | For more information on this report, visit: www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com