Franchisee resource center

Doug Howard: Today’s school systems are overloaded with standard testing requirements and are significantly underfunded in the creative arts. And yet many national studies from educational agencies consistently show that drama participation builds creativity, critical thinking, and collaborative skills that are necessary in college and for successful careers. Drama Kids fulfills a need by bringing its after school classes and summer camp programs into schools and community locations.

Should you really go west, young man (or woman)? Several news sources claim that they have found the best states for business development by constructing clever point value ranking systems. We analyzed them and figured out the top five states that are truly the best of the best to start a new business in.

Secondly, our model uses a small staff of full-time workers, instead of a larger number of part-time workers. We believe that leads to longer-term employees who are better trained and able to provide a better overall experience to the customer.

When Motel 6 conceived of the idea for a campaign in the mid-1980s, Bodett worked on NPR’s All Things Considered program. The Richards Group, a Dallas- based advertising agency, was hired by Motel 6 in 1985 and thought Bodett would be an excellent spokesman for the chain because of his warm and friendly vocal style. Hired in 1986, Bodett ad-libbed the line, “We’ll leave the light on for you”while in the recording studio for the first time and the slogan was both an instant and lasting success, staying with the chain for over 25 years and counting.

In the Cold Stone case, the franchisees are also seeking information relating the pricing of the supplies on which the franchisor is receiving the vendor rebates. If it turns out that the prices that vendors charge franchisees are artificially inflated in order to allow for payment of these “kickbacks” to the franchisor, then the franchisees no doubt will assert additional claims in their lawsuit against Kahala. Such claims may include fraud for inadequate or misleading disclosures in the Cold Stone FDD (if in fact information was withheld – at this point, we don’t know who is right or wrong).

With a second lease on life and control of the franchisor squarely in the hands of private equity professionals, will Quiznos be able to navigate a still-shaky economy, challenge Subway for supremacy, and win back the trust of its surviving franchisees?

Several other big-name corporations have been in the news recently for raising similar issues. Nike recently sent a letter to someone selling “Just Jesu It” t-shirts. Best Buy sent a letter to Geek On. Hell’s Angels sent a letter to a designer in California.

In addition to new franchises, in the next 12 months SailTime is launching various membership types offering boaters preferred access: to a fleet and/or a specific boat; locally and/or nationally; for power-boats and/or for sail- boats.