0816_TOEFL-Test-and-Score-Manual-1997

Money Matters ● 59
“I had 3,000 employees in the restaurant business, but no one working for
us wanted to be doing what they were doing,” said Harwood. “Now, I’m surrounded
by people who love what they do and really want to work with kids.”
Opening new locations has not been without challenges, including a
revolution in Egypt and where to park the fleet of strollers at every Kidville
location. “We had to use part of the café to park strollers, which makes it
by far the most expensive parking area per square foot in New York City.”
Harwood said his favorite thing is teaching new franchisees how to
run the business. He is totally hands-on, helping create 19 training manuals,
all available online. He said a secret of running a franchise is to make
everything “idiot-proof.” That’s why Kidville spends millions of dollars on
its information systems.
Instead of struggling with complicated forms and software, Harwood
said, “I want them (the owner) to focus on knowing little Johnny’s name
and giving him a high five when he comes through the door.”
So why should you buy a franchise rather than start a business from
scratch?
“It works if you want to be an entrepreneur but you don’t have the guts
to do it on your own,” said Harwood.
GREAT
Barter for Goods and Services
Jason Greis, co-owner of Greis Jewelry in Farmington
IDEA
Hills, Michigan, admits he was reluctant to accept
“trade dollars” for his high-end merchandise when a new customer asked
him about it. “He wanted to make a purchase using trade dollars, but I
was a little bit worried,” said Greis. “If I took $10,000 in trade dollars, what
would I do with them?”
Well, Greis has used those trade dollars and more for advertising, printing,
and painting. And, best of all, everyone who has used trade dollars to
buy jewelry has been a new customer at the store he opened in 1974.
“My fear was that current customers would switch from cash to trade
dollars, but that has not happened,” said Greis.