In July, 2009, Franchise Pick explored the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of franchising.  I’ll let you decide which is which.
Do you know a franchise company, franchise opportunity, franchise vendor or issue you’d like to recommend for us to feature?  Email Sean Kelly at info[at]ideafarm.net.
Here’s what we covered in July, 2009:

July’s Featured Franchise:  Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

Featured Opportunity: Oxi Fresh Franchise 33 Comments
Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning Franchise Profile
Interview with Jonathan Barnett, Oxi Fresh
OXI FRESH Pt. 2: The Green Franchise 22 Comments
OXI FRESH Franchisees Happy to be Green (1)
OXI FRESH Franchisees Happy to be Green (2)

July’s Featured Franchise Vendor:  Contour …read more

(Humor)  America’s beloved millionaire Richard Quick, Esq. provides his picks for the Best of the Worst new franchise opportunities.

Beloved millionaire Richard Quick, Esq.’s FranWorst.com website celebrates the many overlooked advantages of investing in the worst franchise opportunities, including lower fees, universal availability, and the absence of cumbersome rules and quality control.
And because you know it’s bad franchise, argues Quick, there’s no need to waste money to have a lawyer look over the legal agreements & disclosure documents.
Making that point, despite being an attorney himself, (He is, in fact, a founding partner of the prestigious firm Quick, Duhk & Hyde) displays …read more

I’m a fan of the Franchise Times magazine and the people who publish it.  I consider it essential reading for franchisors, franchisees and, perhaps especially, prospective franchisees.  Franchise Times is an inside-the-industry publication and, as such, gives a much truer picture of what’s really happening in franchising.  You won’t find Franchise Times on the newsstand, but it’s readily available by subscription or by accessing the Franchise Times website.
Newsstand Entrepreneurial Press:  Hype, Fluff… or Fraud?
Tuesday I was quoted in the Wall Street Journal about my motivation for creating the controversial UnhappyFranchisee.com blog:
Mr. Kelly says he was put off by the promotional …read more

Newsweek states:  “Suddenly, it seems as though all the world’s a-twitter.”  The franchise world certainly is.  The online conversation is getting increasingly lively and useful as franchisors, franchisees, franchisee prospects, franchise vendors, pundits, pr firms, and franchise media interact 140 characters at a time.
Now FranchisePick.com and FranBest.com are compiling the Who’s Who in Franchising on Twitter in our directory of FranTwits.  See our list of franchise resources on Twitter below;  to be added to the list, leave your Twitter ID and a comment
To see the full list, visit FranTwits on FranBest: Twitter Franchise Directory .
FRANCHISE RESOURCES ON TWITTER

@FranchiseKing
@FranchisePick
@iFranchiseGroup
@joncarlston
@McWebmaster
@balihoo
@john_lilley
@paul segreto
@katrynharris
@twinterstein
@FranchisingLaw
@RushNigut
@FranchiseLawyer
@franlawyer
@hklawtwits
@drjohnhayes
@Rieva
@egennicks
@doughexpress
@mcdarling
@GRIPCOMMPR
@KwesiRobertson
@mstrategiesinc
@franchisingplus
@libertyharper
@FranchiseMaven
@terrycoker
@valpakcoupons
@danatligero
@TopNewFranchise
@FranchiseHdbk
@gaeblerdotcom
@franchisefinder
@fran_foundry
@JeffreySummers
@franchise
@RecruitMilitary
@danec

To …read more

Twitter is the Internet’s – and franchising’s – fastest-growing and most powerful social networking and communications tool.  Whether you’re a franchise buyer, seller, vendor or student, you’ll find a wealth of opportunity and information on Twitter.
Food and snack franchisors are early adopters in using Twitter to communicate and network.  We’ve put together the list below of ice cream, yogurt, pretzel, and coffee franchise companies actively using Twitter.
Also check out: FranTwits: Restaurant Franchises on TWITTER
To see the full list, visit FranTwits on FranBest: Twitter Franchise Directory
SNACK FRANCHISES ON TWITTER

@BaskinRobbins
@RitasItalianIce
@ColdStoneCream
@tastifranchise
@tastidlite
@MaggieMoos
@Marble Slab
@froyoswirl
@redmango
@RedMangoCEO
@pinkberryswirl
@CoolCycles
@Caribou_Coffee
@BiggbyBob
@Pretzelmaker
@NexCenBrands
@sunshineshannon
@cookiesbydesign
@vintnerscircle
@BWCookieCompany
@rebbejoshua

To access individual pages, use the format http://www.twitter.com/TWITTERID (no @ sign). For …read more

What’s Twitter?  The New York Times calls it “one of the fastest-growing phenomena on the Internet.”

TIME magazine says “Twitter is on its way to becoming the next killer app.”
Newsweek states:  “Suddenly, it seems as though all the world’s a-twitter.”
FranchisePick.com exclaims:  “Twitter is the Internet’s – and franchising’s – fastest-growing and most powerful social networking and communications tool.”
Now FranchisePick.com and FranBest.com are putting together the definitive list of franchise companies, vendors, and resources on TWITTER.  Below is a list of the most active restaurant and fast food franchises promoting via Twitter.
To access individual pages, use the format http://www.twitter.com/TWITTERID (no @ sign). …read more

Do you Twitter?
If so, follow FranchisePick at @FranchisePick
Follow TopNewFranchises.com at @TopNewFranchise
Don’t Twitter yet?  Dive in, it’s easy.
Sign up at Twitter.com and “follow” us… we’ll follow you back.
Twitter Graphic:  VincentAbry
DO YOU TWITTER?  WANT MORE FOLLOWERS?  ADD YOUR TWITTER ID BELOW?

If you want to find the straight scoop on franchising, you have to learn to recognize and be able to navigate the pervasive opinions of two groups:  The Cloud Merchants (CMs) and the Angry Franchise Ranters (AFRs).

The Cloud Merchants portray franchising as a magical paradise where happy franchisees frolic with a euphoria induced by being their own bosses, controlling their own futures, being in business for themselves but not by themselves, and a success rate so high only self-defeating morons who spit in the face of the Success Fairy will not succeed.
Conversely, the Angry Franchise Ranters portray franchising as a …read more

Franchise due diligence warning:  even the brightest, shiniest apple in the franchise orchard could be hosting this year’s Wormfest.

Franchisers are notorious for playing fast and loose with both general franchise “statistics” and representations of the growth of their specific franchise systems. Franchise attorney and blogger Michael Webster has posted a biting and informative piece on The BizOp News ( Taylor Bond growing the Children’s Orchard Franchise? ) on the importance of checking hyped statements before taking a bite into a juicy-looking franchise opportunity.
As a quick example, Webster quotes a past interview with Children’s Orchard CEO Taylor Bond that appeared on …read more

A commenter named James claims he was taken to the cleaners by Service Brands, Int’l.  He recently closed his 1-800-DRYCLEAN franchise.  What do you think?
My name is James, I owned a 1-800-Dryclean franchise. 1-800-DryClean is a national franchise operation. The franchisor’s U.S. home office is in Ann Arbor, MI. 1-800-DryClean is part of Service Brands International whose brands include MOLLY MAID and Mr. Handyman. We deliver dry cleaning door-to-door. I feel that I have been wronged from Service Brands International, which has 600 Franchises under its name. I believe that they are selling territories that they know will not be …read more