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By Knight Kiplinger

The Kiplinger Washington Editors

July 2, 2009

By year-end or so, Congress will give the nod to a major rewriting of the nation's financial regulatory system. This week’s Kiplinger Letter explores whether the package will do more harm than good and what lawmakers are likely to include.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: The Economy, Business Costs, Taxes, Supreme Court, Energy, Workplace Regulations, Climate Change, Health Care Legislation and Foreign Policy

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I just attended a franchise seminar. The speaker represents a few hundred franchises that (he says) are hand picked. He has the prospect (aka victim?) answer some questions about themselves then he makes recomendations - based on your personality, capital situation, etc.. If you pick a franchise, then he does some due dilligence for you. If you both decide it's a good idea, he helps you get started. He says he offers this service free of charge, which means he gets a commission if he's able to sell you a franchise. Has anyone done this? Successfully? Unsuccessfully?

-- fender

Franchising on a Hot Streak

Entrepreneurs are introducing many new concepts -- several of them focused on baby boomers.

By Meghan Davy, Intern, the Kiplinger letters

August 15, 2008

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Franchises are expanding at a fast clip, despite the sluggish economy.

Senior care services are among the hottest new concepts, not surprisingly, given the large number of baby boomers who are heading into their golden years. These include Visiting Angels, The Senior's Choice and Homewatch CareGivers, all of which are growing rapidly by caring for seniors who want to live independently.

Also popular: Fitness centers and spas catering in large part to boomers who want to keep fit and look as young as possible well into their 60s and 70s. Among the most profitable franchises this year are Snap Fitness and Massage Envy.

The ability to respond quickly to market needs is "the beauty" of franchising, says Alisa Harrison, a spokeswoman for the International Franchise Association.

A quick look at demographic trends shows why senior service franchises are so popular. By 2010, one in five Americans will be considered "senior," and the number of Americans over the age of 65 will grow to 53 million by 2020. Moreover, average life expectancy has increased 15 years since the Social Security system was established in the 1930s.

Of course, entrepreneurs are trying out many concepts besides those focused on senior Americans. New franchisors are popping up everywhere – several hundred in recent years. Nearly half have more than 50 franchisees apiece, and one-third of them exceed 100.

Enjoying steady growth are coffee and tea shops, pizza parlors, frozen dessert and ethnic food stores plus tutors, tax preparers and child care providers. Real estate brokering and related service franchising have also risen steadily since 2000, though that growth is being tempered now by the housing slump. In additional, travel service franchises are taking their lumps as high energy and other costs keep more Americans from venturing too far from home.

Franchising makes up nearly 10 percent of the nation's private sector economy and is the source of jobs for more than 18 million Americans.

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