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Featured Franchise Industry:
Repair and Maintenance Industry
This month’s featured franchise industry focuses on the repair and maintenance industry. The residential repair market is estimated at $219 billion and the market has grown every year for the last 25 years. When people ask why remodeling is growing, the answer is very basic arithmetic. According to the US Census Bureau, there are now nearly 125 million housing units in the United States, and of that number, over 95 million were built before 1990. Everyone who knows construction recognizes that houses, if they are structurally sound, tend to last forever, but their integral parts wear out on a predictable basis. Roofs wear out in a 15-20 year cycle, kitchens and baths become outdated in about that same time frame, major equipment such as hot water heaters and furnaces wear out on a predictable cycle, and every house needs constant upkeep and maintenance.
So, as we add one million new units each year at a minimum, and the existing housing stock gets one year older, there is increasing market for remodeling and renovation. In the commercial, institutional, and industrial segment there are just under 5 million buildings. Of that number, 60% are over 20 years old, and some 750,000 are at least 60 years old. All real estate needs constant upkeep and maintenance resulting in a market for remodeling, and more importantly, a strong market need for repair and maintenance
Franchising provides an opportunity to combine an interest in repair and maintenance with a recession-resistant and growing market. Opportunities range from home-based handyman franchises, to duct cleaning businesses, to mobile screen repair concepts.
Franchisors in the Repair & Maintenance Industry are looking for personable and business-minded professionals who have strong sales and marketing skills, good communication skills, enjoy networking, and have excellent people skills. If you feel that this industry is a good fit for you and you would like to explore Repair & Maintenance franchise concepts, please contact RG2 Consulting at 866-245-4481 or info@rg2consulting.com.
Focus on Personal Development:
Each Success Is the Beginning of the Next one
By Donald Trump
In a recent article, Donald Trump speaks about confronting your fears and achieving more. In his opinion, if you label something as fear, then it creates fear when sometimes it's not fear, but a concern. From a business perspective, do you fear owning a business? Translate that question into: are you concerned about owning a business? And if the answer is yes, what are these specific concerns? It is much easier to break down a concern than it is a fear, as fear creates a block that will only hinder your creative thinking. No matter what the concern is, it can be broken down into units of thought and dealt with in an orderly manner, very much like a jigsaw puzzle.
Fear has a way of making things bigger than they are - but the opposite of fear is faith, and that's why you have got to believe in yourself and see yourself as victorious. If you are able to learn dealing with and solving problems, you will have much higher margins of success. Do not allow yourself to let fear settle into any part of your life; it is a negative emotion and a defeating attitude. Recognize and eliminate it immediately and replace it with a problem-solving attitude, hard work and faith in yourself. Once you have put yourself into that position you will be able to act out of power, not fear.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us". So recognize how much you are capable of doing, and give yourself a chance. Some people are their worst enemy, but be enthusiastic in discovering new things and ideas and think about all the things you would like to do and achieve. Trump calls it multithinking as opposed to multitasking - discovery breeds discovery, as in success breeds success. Questions are thoughts with a quest.
Focus on Finance:
Update on Bank's Lending Standards
by Joshua Zumbrun and Scott Lanman 
According to a Federal Reserve survey which was conducted with loan officers at 56 banks and 23 branches in March and April of this year, most banks in the US didn't tighten lending standards during the first quarter, signaling a possible thaw in bank credit. The survey also showed that banks expressed a greater willingness to make installment loans to consumers. The shortage of credit, as many consumers and businesses paid off debt and banks tightened loan standards, has impeded recovery.
While commercial and industrial loans have dropped slightly, standards for these loans were only lightly changed. Also, credit standards on prime residential mortgages were little changed with demand for mortgages declining on net. Standards were tighter for small business credit card accounts, with some charging higher interest rates and annual fees and requiring higher credit scores. Banks continued to tighten standards for commercial real estate, even though the proportion of banks that tightened standards on such loans dropped to the lowest since 2006.
Franchise program lets vets take aim at business success
by Darrell Smith 
Stanley White, a one-time US Army Soldier, looks around his storefront and considers himself fortunate, as he most likely would not have achieved his dream of running his own business if not for a military veterans program offered by his franchisor.
White owns a Cartridge World outlet in Sacramento, CA and he bought the ink cartridge refill franchise in 2006 with the help of the International Franchise Association's VetFran Initiative. With start-up costs beginning at $30,000, Cartridge World offers veterans a 15% discount. The initiative was re-launched in 2001 and is part of a nationwide campaign to encourage veterans to invest into franchised businesses once they leave military service.
On paper, White's life was a good one. A young husband and father with a lucrative career in insurance sales and was earning north of $100,000 by age 30. But he knew he was missing something, he wanted to spend more time with his family and become a business owner. Even though he now works harder, White is able to go home for lunch and coach youth football.
The franchise association values veterans and realize that running a business takes dedication, focus and discipline, all assets you learn while serving your country in the military. Incentives to veterans range from special training programs, to discounts on franchise fees. By the time White had purchased his franchise in 2006, veterans had bought more than 600 franchises using VetFran's program. That number climbed rapidly over the last five years - by 2010, 1,800 franchises had been bought with another 250 deals in negotiation. In addition, more businesses are joining the program, amounting now to about 400 from food services, to automotive and printing.
 Refer a Friend or Colleague
We are seeking individuals who are interested in learning more about the world of franchise and business ownership. RG2 Consulting will pay $1,000 for any referral you make that successfully signs an agreement with a new franchise or business opportunity. We will treat your referrals with the utmost in respect and integrity, and we will work hard to help them realize their goals and dreams of franchise ownership.
If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the question is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place." - Norah Roberts
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May, 2010 
