The Liberty Tax Service franchise program is known for its aggressive and creative marketing – but has their franchise marketing gotten too creative? Has it crossed the legal line set by the FTC prohibiting deceptive advertising?

(above: screen shot from CareerBuilder.Com August 19, 2009)
Liberty Tax Service has been ranked the #3 franchise in Entrepreneur magazine’s  Franchise 500 for 2009, trailing only McDonald’s & Subway.
However, recent comments on a popular franchise website suggest that franchisee satisfaction with the huge tax prep chain may not live up to the hype (see Are LIBERTY TAX SERVICE Franchise Owners Happy?).
One such comment led me …read more

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

Beware of the Franchise FranBogies!
What’s a FranBogie?  FranBogies are bogus franchise statistics that a certain element of my beloved franchise industry has been feeding, nurturing and breeding for more than 20 years.
They are, in short, shared lies that some irreputable franchisors, franchise sales brokers, con-sultants and lazy and/or apathetic franchise writers perpetuate in order to convince prospective franchisees that buying a franchise – any franchise – is practically a risk-free investment.
According to these bogus statistics, usually attributed to the SBA or US Department of Commerce, starting an independent business leads to financial ruination while buying a franchise is a …read more

Contour Creations Inc. is out to colorize Curves and, in so doing, help Curves for Women franchise owners give their clubs a fresh new look.
Curves for Women franchise should check out the interview with Contour Creations founder Jennifer Lehn at FranBest.com (See Featured Vendor: Contour Creations Inc. Custom Fitness Pads)
Here’s an excerpt:
Contour Creations Inc. is a family owned and operated business that manufactures hand-crafted upholstered vinyl fitness pads and rollers for Curves clubs. They offer our pads in black as well as 9 different colors. Their priority is to cater to the needs of Curves owners and their …read more

At the risk of sounding sappy, I’m going unveil one of my most passionately held beliefs about small business start-ups, regardless of whether it’s a franchise opportunity or independent venture:  I believe that the only valid reason for starting a new business is to change the world.
This belief is not based on pie-in-the-sky idealism, but a very practical observation:  growing a business takes tremendous effort, stamina and commitment.  It takes, perhaps above all else, the ability to keep all involved motivated to do their best day after day after day after mundane day.  Financial motivation, for most of us, only …read more

When you’re considering a particular franchise opportunity, most franchisors will provide you with a wealth of sales literature, marketing brochures, videos, and legal documents (FDD), as well as an ample supply of timeworn cliches (“You’ll be in business FOR yourself, but not BY yourself”).
Franchisors should provide you with one more thing: The email or certified letter they’ll send you if you fail.
Ask for it. Get it. Read it. Think about it.
Don’t listen to the franchise salesperson when he tells you If you think negative thoughts you will kill the success fairy!
Realistic ain’t negative.  And this letter contains an important …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

Blogs and blogging is transforming the way franchise opportunities are researched, marketed and selected by franchise buyers.  Blogs are also giving franchise owners a chance to interact as they never have before.  And the mainstream business media is starting to take notice.
Today, the Wall Street Journal published Richard Gibson’s story Blogs Provide Insight to Would-Be Franchisee. While FranchisePick.com escaped mention (undoubtedly because the Wall Street Journal is nervous we’re eclipsing them ;)), Gibson featured one of my other blogs, Unhappy Franchisee.  Here’s my 84 words of WSJ fame:
Unhappy Franchisee (www.unhappyfranchisee.com). Franchisees with gripes about their business can post them at …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