In these times there is a real need to think outside the box. My colleague, Andy Hall, and I have come up with a theoretical situation that involves completing a reorganization of a borderline…
When I started writing for Franchise Times 10 years ago, I had been practicing in franchise finance for almost 20 years. All along I had a dream. I had a dream that each solid…
I don’t have to tell you franchise financing is tight. All you have to do is open up The Wall Street Journal, local newspapers or trade magazines to understand the present credit crunch. In…
It seems that there are very few franchise systems that are immune from the economic downturn. In almost all areas of franchising, unit sales are down over what they were in 2006 and 2007….
In these tough economic times, the question I am asked most often is, “What is my franchise business worth?” This month’s column will outline a few key points that may be helpful in determining…
There has been no small amount of discussion, and hand wringing, related to the current conditions in the credit markets. Not as much has been said about equity markets in our industry. There is…
Last month’s column dealt with getting ready for a downturn. Much of the column discussed appropriate steps to take to minimize issues if, for some reason, the franchise business has to go through a…
Here’s what you can expect in the 2008 financing market. It is no secret that all financing has tightened and the amount of time it takes to get a financing deal closed has almost…
The franchise world is getting older. Most of the major franchise systems were developed at least 20 to 30 years ago, and the average franchisee has aged along with the franchise. The aging of…
