10 | Business World Magazine |
February 2014
kilts and focus on differentiating the busi-
ness. Our service goes far beyond the gim-
mick,” Wood said.
From an investment standpoint, lower-
cost concepts (those requiring an average
initial investment of under $100K) like Auto
Appraisal Network and FocalPoint Coach-
ing are always well-represented among the
award-winners, but there’s also see very high
satisfaction among more expensive opportu-
nities, such as food brands (Culver’s and East
Coast Wings & Grill) and concepts like The
Goddard School, which operates early edu-
cation centers.
Generally speaking, lower-cost concepts
tend to score a little better on the “quality of
life” areas of the survey, and high-cost invest-
ments do a little better in the financial/prof-
itability areas. Of course, many low-cost op-
portunities also have the potential for a high
return on investment, and many high-cost
concepts offer a work-life balance, but this is
a generalization based on the thousands of
franchisees researched each year.
Some franchisors of traditionally higher-
priced concepts have expanded their model
to include lower-priced options.
MaidPro introduced a lower-cost option
– the “Select Model" – for candidates with
less than $50,000 to invest in a franchise.
“We’ve seen that lowering the minimum
investment and offering additional financing
has really helped potential franchisees start
a MaidPro, when in the past they would not
have been able to do so,” said CEO Mark
Kushinsky.
East Coast Wings & Grill recently ex-
panded its offerings to include QSR op-
portunities for franchisees who already own
a flagship restaurant. Existing East Coast
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
