they are confused and overwhelmed. “What we offer is kind of a matching service and matching qualified candidates to the company that they best profile for…that profile is based on their lifestyle, what they can afford, investment level, and skill levels,” he says. “We assist them in the process of weeding through thousands of franchises down to the ones that are the best fit.”
Consultants spend four to six hours with each prospective franchisee to gauge what they like and dislike, as well as educate them about the franchising system. If preliminary conversations reveal that the person may be a good fit for a franchise, he or she is then given eight to 10 businesses to do what Kiekenapp calls “window shopping.” That list is cut down to two or three companies. The prospects are then sent to the respective franchisors to either make a sale or discontinue the process, and the franchisee doesn’t pay for the service. If a deal is made, the franchisor pays the consulting firm.
DeBolt encourages prospective franchisees to use this type of service and recommends similar companies, including Entrepreneur Source and FranChoice, all of which can be found on the IFA Website.
“They are the tools you can use to help you make a decision,” he says. “Nothing obligates you to do anything with these companies beyond talking to them. On the other hand, you may want to spend your whole investigation process working with them.”
| Five Franchises Under $50,000 | |||||
| Company | Type | Black- Owned Units |
Domestic Franchise Units |
Start-Up Costs |
2002 Average Sales/Units |
| Soft-Temps 1280 N.E. Business Park Place Jensen Beach, FL 34957 772-232-0103 |
Computer Services | 4 | 34 | $3,985 — $4,985 | N/A |
| West Sanitation/Aerowest 3882 Del Amo Blvd., #602 Torrance, CA 90503 310-793-4242 |
Commercial Cleaning | 16 | 72 | $5,000 | N/A |
| Tax Centers of America 1611 E. Main St. Russellville, AR 72801 479-968-8012 |
Tax Preparation | 7 | 191 | $8,950 — $13,500 | $4,500 |
| OpenWorks 2777 E. Camelback Rd., Ste. 350 Phoenix, AZ 85016 602-224-0440 |
Commercial Cleaning | 29 | 380 | $11,500 | $60,000 |
| Liberty Tax Service 4575 Bonney Rd. Virginia Beach, VA 23462 757-493-0694 |
Tax Preparation | 54 | 919 | $38,050 — $49,400 | $50,000 |
| SOURCE: BE RESEARCH | |||||
| Five Franchises: $50,000 — $200,000 | |||||
| Company | Type | Black- Owned Units |
Domestic Franchise Units |
Start-Up Costs |
2002 Average Sales/Units |
| Mini-Tankers USA Inc. 4739 University Way N.E., #1620 Seattle, WA 98105 877-218-3003 |
Business-to-Business/ Fueling Services |
4 | 30 | $14,100 — $64,000 | $422,700 |
| Geeks on Call America Inc. 814 Kempsville Rd., Ste. 106 Norfolk, VA 23502 757-466-3448 |
Computer Services | 6 | 75 | $37,350 — $89,150 | $91,053 |
| Sign-A-Rama 1801 Australian Ave. South West Palm Beach, FL 561-640-5570 |
Business Services | 10 | 450 | $120,000 | N/A |
| Express Personnel Services Oklahoma City, OK 73162 405-840-5000 |
Staffing Services | 11 | 407 | $140,000 — $160,000 | $2.5 million |
| Cottman Transmission Systems L.L.C. 2nd New York Drive Fort Washington, PA 19034 215-643-5885 |
Automotive Services | 11 | 370 | $170,000 — $186,5000 | $553,741 |
| SOURCE: B.E. RESEARCH | |||||
| Five Franchises: $200,000 — $500,000 | |||||
| Company | Type | Black- Owned Units |
Domestic Franchise Units |
Start-Up Costs |
2002 Average Sales/Units |
| Total Car Franchising Corporation 642 Century Circle Conway, SC 29526 843-347-8818 |
Automotive Services, Fueling Services |
5 | 277 | $50,000 — $500,000 | $100,000 |
| Ben & Jerry’s 30 Community Drive South Burlington, UT 05403 802-846-1500 |
Food | 4 | 268 | $129,500 — $316,000 | N/A |
| Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery Inc. 3958 Park Ave. Bronx, NY 10457 718-583-0360 |
Food | 64 | 65 | $135,150 — $325,851 | N/A |
| Meineke Car Care Centers Inc. 128 | |||||