{Cross-Posted at The Franchise King Blog}

Go Green! Well the franchise world is invading the green world, and it is starting in California.
{Big surprise} Continue reading….

Yep! The California Department of Corporations {Not The California Department of Corrections!} has approved a request by Solar Power Inc. to start selling franchises.

The retail store setup will be called Yes! Solar Solutions. There is already one up in Roseville, Ca.
Read in Sacramento Bee The retail store will provide design services for each home or business that wants solar power, and install the panels, also. In addition, solar powered coolers,backpacks etc. will be offered.

Here is something about solar energy solutions that you may not know:

The local energy utilities will actually buy back any extra solar power you are generating from your home or business! It comes in the form of a credit. They roll back your meter’s dials by the amount of extra energy you produce. That is fantastic!

Stay tuned..this is just the beginning….

• Employee Management - constant, gentle pressure
• Moms Fitness
• Arbitrations Clauses
• Satisfaction Guaranteed for Franchisees?
• Opportunity in School Uniforms?

QuikDrop is closing its eBay drop-off store franchise business at the end of the month, but franchise stores will be able to continue to use the QuikDrop name, logos, and signage. A conversation with the company’s cofounder Jack Reynolds on Wednesday netted a laundry list of complaints about the challenges of selling on eBay that contributed to his company’s demise, beginning in 2006 with the Stores search and fee changes.

QuikDrop storeowners did not seem surprised at the news of the closure, which arrived via email from QuikDrop headquarters on Friday night - and some actually seemed relieved.

The number of QuikDrop stores shrunk from a high of 95 in mid-2006 to under 30 stores today. Reynolds said the store closings, combined with a number of stores who were unable to pay franchise royalties, led to the decision to close the corporate franchise office.

In late 2005 and early 2006, Reynolds said eBay worked on joint marketing with QuikDrop and things were going well. eBay discovered that consumers who visited drop off stores became more active as buyers on eBay, so the auction site marketed to people who weren’t sellers to promote eBay Trading Assistants. But things took a downward turn in 2006, he said.

Read more in an article by Ina Steiner in Auctionbytes.com

Read an earlier article on Franchise Pundit about eBay Drop Off Franchises

Cross posted at Let’s Talk Franchising

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• eBay drop offs
• An insiders view on why eBay Franchise Drop Stores failed
• Need to buy a license from your state to sell on eBay?
• If students can do it without a franchise…
• eBay Drop-offs

Local government regulations can be an expensive pain to comply with, as this Lamar’s Donut franchisee found out with its sink:

•When is the Lamar’s going to open on Johnson Drive? A sign has been up since this summer.

An area Lamar’s Donuts franchisee took over the spot at 5901 Johnson Drive in May but was slowed down dealing with city regulations, such as fitting in a three-compartment sink to a 600-square-foot spot, along with other plumbing issues.

The “satellite store” opened Friday. Doughnuts are made at the midtown store and then taken to Mission.

The franchisees, Alan and Kimberly Foster, own the Lamar’s at 3395 Main St., as well as locations in Lee’s Summit and Greenwood, Mo.

• Need to buy a license from your state to sell on eBay?
• Eating in the Car
• Papa John’s New Restaurant Strategy
• Secrets to Arby’s $3.5 million/year Store
• Ground Round on Rebound

I’m not sure how I would react in this robbery situation.

• Franchisee Won’t Sell Certain Foods, Says Against Religion
• Dunkin’ Donuts - New Restaurant Design
• Dealing with Local Government Planning Boards
• Dunkin’ Donuts Makeover
• Dunkin’ Donuts going free of trans fat

McDonald’s is planning to pick up 40% of the $100k-$150k in remodeling costs for franchisees to accommodate the new high-end coffee drinks.  The franchisees are still responsible for the equipment costs.

Most franchisors are NOT so generous.

• McDonald’s Franchisees, $100k+ in Costs for New Coffee Drinks
• It’s Official: McDonald’s to offer Specialty Coffee in all Stores
• McDonald’s chickens out on Boston Market
• Wendy’s Following McDonald’s Lead on Coffee Bistro
• Franchisors Not Liable for Negligent Franchisees

I would not let one semi-positive article influence my opinion of Quiznos, but here it is:

A year after some franchise owners sued Quiznos over business practices, the restaurant chain’s chief executive said Monday he expects franchisee profits to increase 60 percent overall in the wake of improvements to the system.

60% increase sounds fantastic, but it is relative from the starting profit level. Going from a $20,000 profit to a $32,000 helps but doesn’t save the day.

Danny Kessels, a Quiznos store owner in Boulder who said he was not invited to the meeting, said he knows of other Quiznos store owners who are struggling.

“Nothing’s really changed, in my opinion,” said Kessels, the head of an Quiznos independent franchise group called the Toasted Subs Franchisee Association. “The whole system is still on shaky ground.”

It looks like the new CEO-turnaround specialist is trying to make changes, but as I have personally learned in business - don’t try to catch a falling knife.

• Quiznos Case Proceeds To Trial
• Quiznos Sales & Profitablity - Summary Report
• What a Quiznos franchisee makes (II)
• Quiznos comments
• Quiznos franchisees file class-action fraud lawsuit

McDonald’s franchisees are being asked to invest at lease $100,000 per store to accommodate the new upscale variety in coffee drinks, creating the ability to sell caramel lattes and cappuccinos. While the franchisees generally do not doubt this new offering will increase sales, it’s still a big price to pay and dents the immediate cash flow.

The equipment alone will cost franchisees about $25,000 per restaurant. Plus, they are being asked to invest considerably more to retool their stores to better handle the specialty coffee and other new beverages, from sweet tea to smoothies to energy drinks.

Lesson

Can a franchisor require franchisees to investment capital to implement a new offering?  It all depends on the terms of the franchise agreement, but almost all franchise agreement require a franchise timely adaptation to reasonable requests to implement new services and products.  Worst case, you will be required to make the investment at time of renewal of your franchise agreement.  The renovation costs required for franchisees is often a reason for walking away from a franchise at renewal time.

As a franchisee, if you are able to pay yourself about $60,000/year, and your franchisor is requiring you to invest $50,000 at renewal for renovations that you forecast will take 5 years to recover, what do you do?  Do you have the equity or cash to borrow the funds?   A wise businessman will run the numbers, a foolish businessman will automatically pay up without figuring the impact.

• Relief to McDonald’s Franchisees for New Coffee
• It’s Official: McDonald’s to offer Specialty Coffee in all Stores
• The Hooters of Coffee
• McCafe = Coffee + Soups +Sandwiches + Pastries
• McDonald’s chickens out on Boston Market