Is Podcasting The New Pastime?

What are you listening to right now? Is it the radio, your iTunes, Pandora, or Podcasting? Out of over 2,000 Americans, a little over 52 percent of them listened to the radio for 4/5 hours a day. This is followed by your owned music at 20.3 percent, internet radio/music at 11.6 percent, satellite radio at 7.7 percent, T.V. music channels at 5.2 percent and finally podcasts at 1.7 percent. Surprised that podcasts are so far down the list percentage wise? Don’t be, see Edison’s explanation on that number:




Podcasts have only been around 10 years, and each year they evolve into even more of a thriving mini-industry. There are several genres of podcasts to keep the audience engaged: politics, comedy, sports, literature, educational and opinion. It is possible that there are too many podcasts to snatch away your attention? According to Edison Research, 39 million people listened to a podcast 2014, which was the highest number on record at that time. Are we in the “golden age” of podcasting?

Why does it seem to be growing in popularity? For starters, it can be accessed virtually anywhere thanks to our mobile devices. At the gym, while you cook, as you commute, at work – the number of listeners has tripled. RawVoice, which tracks 20,000 shows, said the number of unique monthly podcast listeners went from 25 million to 75 million in five years. Listeners are building relationships, so to speak, with their favorite podcasts across every demographic. Since many of them are free and easy to find, the shows are available to virtually everyone.


“Our culture is so niche-oriented now (that) you don’t need 3 million people to listen to your podcast,” says Chris Hardwick, Nerdist producer and celebrity. “If 10,000 people listen, which isn’t a hard number to achieve, then 10,000 people listen to your podcast. You can do something with that, you can build a community, and literally change the world, just recording into a recorder.”

What does all of this have to do with your business? Marketing. This is a very useful and impactful tool that will get your business noticed, especially in the realms of social media. Your podcast could be in the conversations people share at work or the educational tidbit they were searching for. If you are struggling to get noticed, the best thing you can do is send your brand out across every available channel, and this is a very big channel.

Podcasting is the new pastime. Let it not only enrich your personal life, but your business too.

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

It’s almost like George Eliot was speaking straight to the late blooming entrepreneurs. Most of us reach a certain age and feel it’s too late to start chasing old fantasies and begin again. The wonderful thing about success is its impromptu character – it could happen at anytime time in life for the wildest of reasons.

Dig a little into Ray Kroc, Leo Goodwin and John Pemberton’s past and you’ll be convinced that an empire can be built with a little gray hair and spirit! Several of history’s leaders did not begin with the companies they are known for today and the same can be said for many modern entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship is never easy, no matter what stage of life you are in. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, yet the reward is leading a career you have control over and enjoy. 

As author Isabel Allende says in her TED talk, “society defines when we are old.” How true! Does your age have control over your ambition, passions and mission in life? How accurate it is to see years as chapters, while the story you have been living is full of detail and depth. There are so many pages left that can be equally thrilling and satisfying.

The safety your current career offers you is a huge reason to stay put and avoid change. You have safety in that job you’ve carried out for 20 years, in the routine you walk through each day and in the predictable road ahead. There is nothing wrong with valuing that safety or the life you’ve lived thus far.  But what about that desire for more? It has not aged at all. 

Your age is the equivalent of a fine, aged wine: highly valued, greatly enjoyed and rare. You also have something younger counterparts do not – money and the experience to manage it. Not only that, but you will know how to cater to your community and gather support from long-time neighbors.  Don’t be afraid to use your network and build a team you can trust. Start exploring and don’t be afraid to ask current franchisees for advice.

You are not bound by any one path. Remember that you are the main influencing factor for what happens in your life. If becoming your own boss was a goal 10, 20 or even 30 years ago, it can still happen.

Do you feel that you’re ready to get started? Let FranNet connect you with the business you’ve been looking for. Ask us about a free consultation with a qualified and experienced franchise consultant. Our purpose is to connect the dots and make the transition from corporate employment to the freedom of business ownership manageable and safe. 

Make Your Business Part Of The Family

We can rely on our families to continuously love and protect each other. A parent’s wisdom has provided generation after generation with sound reason and ample caution through countless decisions and situations. If the idea of hiring your kids or running a family business has been tossed around, stop pitching practices and get in the game.

The dependability, learning experiences, trust, bonding and influence of family values are hard to beat in the business world. If you are considering a family business, you are considering the opportunity to come together and build a supportive environment. Around 35 percent of Fortune 500 companies are family-controlled and represent the full spectrum of American companies from small business to major corporations. Furthermore, family businesses make up 62 percent of the country’s employment. The workday can evolve into a more comfortable place and, with boundaries that separate the professional from personal, after hours can offer security and contentment for everyone.

The IFA’s Educational Foundation’s research shows that over 900,000 franchised businesses provide 21 million jobs and contribute $2.3 trillion to the U.S. private sector economy. With such a variety, many families turn to franchising to grow their brand without the hassle of building a business from the ground up. Brands like Campbell, Ford and even Wal-Mart got its start as family business. They grew to be multi-million dollar companies and left a powerful legacy.

Stop tossing around ideas and get answers! FranNet is waiting to help guide your family to the right business. With 27 years of consulting experience, we’ll help get you closer to your ideal lifestyle. Of the tens of thousands of franchisees that we help get started, about one in four have involved people who wanted to run a family business or hire their children. FranNet has helped around 100 family businesses get off the ground every year.

Entering into a family-run franchise takes some planning. And even if you can address the basic concerns, there are some issues you probably haven't even considered. Call about a free consultation with a qualified and experienced franchise consultant. Make arrangements to speak with one of our representatives today!

Five Must Ask Questions Before Investing in a Franchise

There are so many opportunities in franchising that it’s tough to know which ones are worth further investigating and which ones may not be a good fit for your personal and financial goals.  Before you sign anything with a franchisor, here are five questions you must ask (and answer) yourself.

When potential candidates begin talking with franchise systems, they tend to ask pretty standard questions: How much money can I make? How much will I have to spend? How big can I get? Is the franchise territory exclusive? But the deeper you go in your research, the more pointed and detailed the questions get, and they’re critical for a franchisee candidate to ask before signing the franchise agreement.

What does your first-year support look like?

Most good franchise systems, understanding how important the first year of franchise ownership is and how likely a new owner is to struggle, provide extra support and coaching. It could mean the home office assuming all responsibility for marketing, or using customer service reps in a call center to schedule jobs while the franchise owner concentrates on executing the baseline work.

There are all kinds of ways of offering support. But it’s important for any franchisee to know what kind of help they’ll be getting at a time when they’ll really need it.

What are the most common problem areas for franchise owners in your system, and how do you help solve them?

The test of a good franchise system isn’t how well it works when business is going strong. It’s how it helps its franchise owners when they struggle. Even the smartest and hardest-working business owners in rock-solid systems run into challenges every now and then.

When that happens, the franchisor’s operations staff should be prepared to help the owner respond to the problem effectively. In the best systems, they’ve seen and can anticipate many of the pitfalls the business may face.

What kind of insurance should I have?

Don’t overlook this. Some businesses even require certain types of insurance (this would be addressed in the franchisor’s Franchise Disclosure Document).  It’s important to be protected in case of accident or natural disaster, and you need to make sure you’re including the ongoing expense in your business plan.

What kind of ongoing training is available?

Smart franchise systems understand that their franchisees need to keep their skills honed, and franchisees in the system need to stay up-to-date on best practices. Ongoing training opportunities are great for a secondary reason: they send the message that the franchisor cares enough about its franchise owners to give them the tools to succeed.

What’s the relationship among franchisees like?

A culture of cooperation among franchise owners can make the difference between success and failure, and good franchise systems go out of their way to foster good will. Incentives help: franchisors can single out especially helpful veteran franchise owners in internal communications, or they can give monthly “helping hand” awards for the franchisee who most helped first-year owners.

Going into business for yourself requires careful consideration and due diligence – and it’s not a decision to be taken lightly.  But it can be the most rewarding things you can do for your career.  FranchiseWorks.com features some of the best franchises in their respective industry and is a great introduction to those brands.

Many Businesses Thrive in All Economic Conditions

If you’re considering franchise business ownership, then you’re most likely aware of the number of options available to you. From quick-service restaurants to IT services and health and wellness businesses, there are more than 3,000 concepts available across more than 90 industries.

Having experienced an economic recession, you may be among the potential business owners thinking, “What about the economy?” Fortunately, the franchise industry is expected to see a continued increase in employment growth and franchise units established for 2014, according to a report released by the International Franchise Association.

Even so, if the economy is on your mind, you should know that there are many businesses that thrive in all economic conditions. So what are they and why is that the case? Below we discuss three areas of franchise businesses considered to be recession-resistant.

Growing markets driven by demographics
Senior care, residential repair and cleaning are just a few of the markets that continue to see steady growth within the franchise industry. What sets these markets apart is how they are driven by demographics.

Take senior care, for example. There are nearly 76 million baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, in the U.S. They make up approximately 24 percent of the U.S. population. As a matter of fact, there’s a person who turns senior age every seven seconds in the U.S. As this generation ages, we will continue to see a growing need for specialized services, care and products. These are needs that, regardless of the economic climate, will need to be met.

Essential services
Essential services are those things that, for the most part, we have to have. These types of services range from the automotive and damage restoration industries to health and wellness, and even hair care.

Let’s look at the automotive industry. From getting to work, to driving to school or dropping the kids off at practice, many of us depend on our cars daily. The best way to keep your car in tip-top shape is to perform routine maintenance, cleaning and detailing.

If you’re thinking, “I can do an oil change myself,” consider that cars today can have fairly advanced issues. Problems with the electrical or fuel system, for instance, may require the expertise of a professional. Plus, many people just don’t have the time, even if they have the knowhow, for DIY. In other words, if you’re a car owner, it’s likely you’ll make needed financial adjustments in order to keep your vehicle up and running.

Businesses that help other small businesses
Franchise opportunities that help other small businesses are things like business coaching, professional consulting, expense analysis and sales training. These types of franchise businesses are great for taking the skills you’ve developed over your tenure and applying them through your own business to help others succeed in theirs.

In an economic downturn, companies may need to re-budget, improve their sales process or decide how best to retain current clients. Often times, additional expertise is needed in these situations. But if you think about it, even in a good economy, these types of business issues are equally important, helping companies focus on business growth or staff development.

There are more than 3,000 concepts to choose from in the franchise industry. We’ve touched on just a few. If the thought of an uncertain economy makes you weary about business ownership, remember that many businesses thrive in all economic conditions.