Joel Libava
The 10
1. 4-Five – This convenient store concept is designed for the franchise owner that wants lots of flexibility. The hours are from 4pm till 5pm. Of course the customers need to be pretty flexible with their shopping habits also. Total Investment of $250k includes all inventory, 2-30 second hot dog grilling machines and membership into the elite Skoal Chew Buyer’s Consortium.
2. Tubway – The developers of this newer concept hope to open 17,000 stores by 2014. This submarine sandwich franchise will feature customer weigh stations at each register, and built in fat gram counters at the exits. Potential franchisees must go through a grueling all you can eat buffet road trip that covers 20 states in a 1 week period, to be considered for franchise ownership. New York City is one of the stops.
3. The Hot Pillow Inn Inc. – This up and coming Motel franchise offers a creative array of services for road weary male travelers. {And truckers} Their slogan- “Pull on over for an hour, or a night!” Potential franchisees of this concept must have an open mind, and be very well connected in their community. Also, the ability to be bonded, and of course to post bonds, when asked, would be a plus.
4. 1-800-Leave Me Alone! – Finally, a franchise opportunity that addresses the practice of stalking. In this cool new concept, franchisees are given totally unprotected territories to cover. The total investment of $200k covers the high tech photography equipment, a fleet of 15 year old conversion vans for inconspicuous nighttime work activities, and 2 weeks of intensive training from former convicted stalkers. If you would like to make a real impact in your community, this could be worth a look.
5. Janitor-Queen – With more and more women entering the franchise world, Janitor-Queen is changing the way that school systems all around the US are cleaning their schools.This franchise is carving new ground! In your role as a franchisee for Janitor-Queen, you will be calling on your local school systems, convincing the leadership to outsource their custodial maintenance services with your company. The difference: Instead of grimy old guys fixing the school’s water fountains, your crew of young attractive female only custodial professionals work on an “as needed” basis. This of course saves the school systems money. The added value is that the schools become a more attractive place to learn, and…well…learn.
Maybe you can get some free money from the United States Government to start on of these franchise up for your local area.
Go here to find out.
6. 2 Dudes and A Junkyard Dog – Wow, what a catchy name! The most unusual franchise offering this year features a franchise for those of you who would like a less rigid system to invest in. In this franchise, you and a partner pay a small franchise fee of $8,000. The franchise fee includes a 3 page operations manual, local road maps, a lifetime membership to the Speedway Gas Station Unlimited Slurpee Club {SGSSC}, a set of imported tools, 2 cans of Fix a Flat, 3 rolls of certified Duct tape, and believe it or not, a genuine, mixed breed {Wolf Hybrid} junkyard dog. You will be offering a wide variety of services to your community-from junk pickup, to package delivery services. Your territory, of course, is not protected, because the franchisors business model dictates extreme mobility. The 18% royalty is deducted monthly from your ATM.
7. Rocket Science Tutoring – This interesting niche tutoring center franchise focuses on the exploding! (xploding! get it hahaha…?) number of future rocket scientists being born here in the US every day. Started by Dr. Hydra Gen, a former scientist with the Estes Model Rocket Corporation, this unique franchise model is targeting the 25 major metropolitan markets in the US, and anticipates a yearly franchise unit growth rate of 2.77797722919 %.
8. “We Buy Overvalued Houses” – Started in California {duh!} in 2006, with headquarters located in the bustling town of Bodie, the executives of this growing franchise concern see nothing but blue sky from their perch high above this dynamic town. The ideal franchisee is someone who is not afraid of risk, and can weather the nation’s housing cycles. Timing is everything in this franchise, and there is certainly no shortage of overvalued homes all across the country. There is, however, a shortage of buyers, but the markets will eventually turn, sometime in the next few years, according to the company’s president, Harry Trump. Total investment varies from $125k-$4.4 million, depending on current market conditions, and the location of the franchisee’s territory.
9. YUR Vista Mista? – The number of Vista equipped personal computers are projected to increase at a rapid rate, according to Microsoft’s new Director of Franchise Development, Donald Rickles. Don, known for his brash humor, thinks that this is a great time to launch this new franchise concept. With 3 franchises sold already, this young franchisor is banking on the fact that the Vista operating system will continue to have serious operational bugs for the next 10-12 years, positioning this timely franchise concept at just the right spot. Future franchisees should have computer aptitude, including a good grasp of Linux and Java. A complete understanding of Binomial Coefficients in Pascals Triangle is required, along with the patience of a saint or two. Total investment- $110k, including a computer lab, and 100 entries to the $15k Apple Store Shopping Spree Sweepstakes. The numbers don’t lie on this one, folks.
10. Your Own Puppy Mill – The founders of this important franchise took a risk 5 years ago, by taking advantage of all the publicity surrounding puppy mills. Their philosophy is “any publicity is better than NO publicity.” Well since you are now reading the 1st publicity of any kind since starting their franchise concept in 2003, they just be right. Jim and Billie Sue Hoskings, the husband-wife duo who came up with the unique concept, have over 40 years of real life puppy mill experience, which they are willing to teach to new franchisees. They have perfected their intensive training program over the past 5 years, and are ready to sell their 1st franchise. Total investment is $150k, including a 3 month supply of Puppy Chow. The Hoskings are really not nice people.
Image courtesy of IMG1651 akeg, on Flickr
