Franchisee resource center

With the still simmering public debate over the benefits and detriments of Obamacare - and over its possible reversal - it gets easy to let our eyes glaze over and wait for the smoke to clear. But hiding behind the controversy are health-care industry trends that offer tremendous business opportunities for entrepreneurs - no matter which way the political winds blow.

The Business Services industry encompasses a wide range of services. Many of these services can be purchased cheaper and/or with higher quality through outsourcing. Some examples of these services include staffing, direct mail, shipping and printing.

So what exactly is a business opportunity and how does it differ from a franchise opportunity? In this report we explain the differences between a franchise and a business opportunity and help you determine what your options are if you decide entrepreneurship is for you.

The real estate industry is a big business generating billions of dollars in revenue annually, and there are ample opportunities for entrepreneurs to turn a profit. Last year there were approximately 210,000 companies operating in the residential brokerage and management field, which generated $200 billion in revenue; there were 35,000 companies operating in the commercial brokerage and management field, generating $35 billion in revenue.

Automobiles are complex machines that increasingly include sophisticated computers. They are absolutely essential to the majority of the working population, and are frequently a point of pride for their owners. They require both regular and emergency service, replacement parts, paint, cleaning, stereo system installations and a whole lot more.

You likely know more about the fast food industry than you realize. If you live in the United States - or pretty much anywhere else - it’s everywhere. Off of every exit on the highway, and at every rest stop. In the food court at the mall, and on the commercial strips on the outskirts of town. In cities and at airports.

It is every product and service dedicated to helping us look - and smell - the way we want, or the way we believe we should for professional reasons. And our definition of beauty is malleable and ever changing - providing never ending opportunities for the industry to innovate.

In the early 1200s, the Mongol army placed slabs of lamb and mutton under their horse saddles as they rode into battle. After the meat was tenderized by the saddle and the back of the horse, they would consume it raw, as if it were an uncooked beef patty. This strange but practical method eventually developed into the creation of modern ground beef. Now that you’ve got ground beef, you know what has to come next: the hamburger.

When I was growing up, frozen yogurt was somewhat considered ice cream’s younger, less popular, kind of weird kid brother. It looked the same, it was served the same…just a little less delicious. If you couldn’t get ice cream, frozen yogurt was okay.