MY ARTICLES
IN-DEPTH
ARTICLES
- WHAT IS COLD CALLING?
- TURN YOUR VEHICLE INTO A BILLBOARD
- HOW TO INCREASE OUR PRICES?
- WHAT IS A BRAND EXTENSION?
- WHAT IS THE BRAND IMAGE?
- WHAT IS CAUSE MARKETING?
- WHY DO YOU NEED A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY?
- WHY HAVE A CMS?
- HOW TO RESTART OUR ADVERTISING ACTIVITIES?
- THINGS TO REVIEW DURING THE CURRENT CRISIS!
- REMOTE WORK AND ITS IMPACT ON OUR OPERATIONS
- MARKETING IS A BATTLE
- WHY DON'T I TAKE COMMISSION ONLY MANDATES?
- HOW TO MARKET TEST A NEW PRODUCT OR IDEA?
- EXECUTION - WHY DO GOOD STRATEGIES SOMETIMES MISS THE TARGET?
- AN ENTREPRENEURIAL EVENING AND EXCELLENT BUSINESS IDEAS
- HOW TO NETWORK THE RIGHT WAY?
- IS NEGATIVE PUBLICITY ALWAYS NEGATIVE?
- WHAT IS THE SUCCESS RATE FOR START-UPS?
- WHAT SHOULD YOUR MARKETING BUDGET BE?
- PRICING STRATEGY: PRICE SKIMMING!
- PRICING STRATEGY: GIVING YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE FOR FREE
- SHOULD WE COMPARE OURSELVES?
- WHAT SHOULD WE MEASURE WHEN WE EVALUATE OUR MARKETING EFFORTS?
- WHAT IS THE VALUE OF A CUSTOMER?
- DOES CONTENT MARKETING WORK?
- WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BRAND, BRANDING, A PERSONAL BRAND AND A COMPANY/PRODUCT NAME?
- WHAT IS GROWTH HACKING?
- HOW MANY « P » CAN BE FOUND IN THE MARKETING MIX?
- THE CUSTOMER VALUE CHAIN
- HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOUR UNIQUE PRODUCT OR SERVICE?
- CONFERENCE ON FINANCING - MAY 2, 2017
- WHAT IS DRIP PRICING?
- WHICH AMOUNT SHOULD YOU CHOOSE FOR YOUR PRICES?
- DETERMINING YOUR HOURLY RATE BASED ON THE VALUE YOU THINK YOU HAVE
- IS LOWERING YOUR PRICES A GOOD IDEA?
- TO OFFER OR NOT TO OFFER FINANCING?
- HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST EXCHANGE RATE RISKS
- WHEN IS A GOOD TIME TO INCREASE YOUR PRICES?
- DEMAND BASED PRICING
- WHAT IS A LOSS LEADER?
- HOW TO ORGANIZE A DRAW THE RIGHT WAY?
- HOW TO HAVE REMOTE EMPLOYEES
- IS IT GOOD TO BE FIRST IN A MARKET?
- THE THREE TYPES OF CUSTOMERS
- EXPORTING TO MEXICO - QUERETARO REGION
- DEFINING BUSINESS SUCCESS
- ARE YOU USING REBATES? WATCH OUT FOR THESE
- IS THE CUSTOMER ALWAYS RIGHT?
- EXPORTS AND QUEBEC COMPANIES
- COWORKING SPACES
- YOUR PLACE OF BUSINESS AND INTERNET
- WHY IS SOCIAL MEDIA IMPORTANT FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
- HOW TO USE FREEBIES
- WHAT IS THE MAGICAL FORMULA FOR HAVING SUCCESS IN BUSINESS?
- DO YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE IN MY FIELD?
- WHEN CAN WE STOP OUR MARKETING?
- WHAT IS A CALL TO ACTION?
- WE ARE ALL SALESPEOPLE; HERE'S HOW TO GET THERE
- HOW CAN MARKETING AND SALES COLLABORATE?
- HOW TO SELL MORE TO YOUR EXISTING CLIENTS
- WHAT IS CROSS-MARKETING?
- WHY SHOULD I SEGMENT?
- WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING YOUR COMPANY'S IMAGE?
- HOW TO CHARGE FOR YOUR PRODUCTS / SERVICES?
- HOW TO DEFINE YOUR PRICING STRATEGY: PRICE POSITIONING
- HOW TO DEFINE YOUR PRICING STRATEGY: MARKET PRICING
- WHAT PRICE SHOULD YOU SELL AT? - COST-BASED PRICING
- WHAT IS A PRODUCT?
- HOW TO MARKET YOUR NEW BUSINESS?
- IS BUYING A FRANCHISE A GOOD WAY TO START A BUSINESS?
- HOW SOCIAL MEDIA HAS CHANGED WORD-OF-MOUTH
- HOW SOCIAL MEDIA HAS CHANGED PUBLIC RELATIONS
- WHAT IS BRANDING?
- WHY INCREASING SALES IS NOT THE SOLUTION
- HOW TO SELECT YOUR COMPANY NAME?
- WHY HAVING A WEBSITE IS ONLY THE BEGINNING?
- WHAT IS MARKETING?
- HOW TO MAXIMIZE THE VALUE OF YOUR SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP BUSINESS
- WHY SELLING IN MEXICO?
- LOW COST MARKETING INITIATIVES
- WHY IS PRODUCT DIFFERENCIATION IMPORTANT?
- hOW TO PRESENT OUR COMPANY
- WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MARKETING AND PUBLICITY?
- 50% OF YOUR ADVERTISING BUDGET DOES NOT PRODUCE AS MUCH AS THE REST
- RIGHT SELL AND OVER DELIVER
IS BUYING A FRANCHISE A GOOD WAY TO START A BUSINESS?
For many, the dream of starting a business is in direct conflict with the fear of the risk inherent to that venture. But there is a tempting option; franchise.
You are on your own but you benefit from a structure and a knowhow that reduce uncertainty.
But is it really such a good option?
Depending on the franchise considered, initial investments can be astronomical, royalties and purchasing agreements are very restrictive. In addition, franchise contracts are largely in favor of the franchisor, which means that if things do not go well for your business, the head office has many options to limit their losses - mostly at your expense.
Finally, for many, starting a business is also about having the freedom to do what you want. With a franchise, you become very limited; schedules and what you can offer are pre-determined, and so is how you deal with customers. In short, the franchisor tries to limit the gray areas as much as possible.
For some, buying a franchise is still an interesting choice because of the security it offers. That said, for many who are starting out and have a large sum to invest (initial down payment you would have for the franchise), you would do well to consider investing in your own business, rather than someone else’s. Furthermore, nothing is stopping you from taking a look at how the franchise system operates and then applying the aspects that impress you to your own business - without having to pay royalty fees every month.
Of course, you might have to compete with a giant and a marketing expert. But remember that all additional charges push the breaking even point that much further out of reach. To be profitable as a franchisee, your revenue will have to be much higher than that of an independent business. Higher sales also implies heavier infrastructure and more employees, and that means that you will be managing personnel. So if your initial idea was to be hands-on in the kitchen, rather than a manager, think twice about that franchise.
Stéphane Elmaleh-Riel, B.Ed, MBA
Marketing consultant