Franchises that fit: looking for a business opportunity that matches your passion and pocketbook? Try these hot and affordable franchises on for size - Franchise Opportunities

Black Enterprise, Sept, 2003 by Wendy Harris

BOEING 737s AREN'T THE ONLY THINGS FLYING HIGH AT THE LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL Airport these days. So are the sales at Cinnabon. That's good news for Clarence Daniels, president and CEO of Concession Management Services Inc., a food and beverage business that operates outlets in five airports across the country.

Using a $200,000 bank loan plus earnings from his existing concession company, Daniels purchased a Cinnabon franchise at LAX in 1999 for nearly $280,000. The first year in business, the store earned $850,000 in revenues. Although the company suffered financially after Sept. 11, 2001, Daniels' franchise is still riding high with $600,000 in sales, almost double the amount generated by the average Cinnabon found in shopping malls. And that's just at one of two sweet and sticky shops that he owns at the airport. Daniels also has a second Cinnabon shop he acquired in 2002 for $75,000, not including the franchise fee. Sales at this store are about $400,000 a year. Between the two franchises, he has 12 employees.

When Daniels, 54, decided to become a franchisee, he already operated three food-related businesses at LAX. But the opportunity to be linked with a proven business concept known to millions of people in the nation was too sweet to pass up. "When we first opened our facilities at the Los Angeles International Airport, we had developed all of our concepts on our own so they were nonbranded and were not a part of a franchise system," says Daniels, who worked for food companies such as Aramark and the catering unit of Marriott Corp. before starting his own business in 1992. "But what became clear to me fairly early on was that if I wanted to grow [my business] the way I intended to grow, I'd be better off being a part of a national brand that was familiar to people, that had an enforced operational standard and that had marketing materials that would help me drive sales."

For Daniels, purchasing a franchise meant gaining a competitive advantage in business. And he's not the only one looking to get ahead using this type of opportunity as leverage.

According to the International Franchise Association (IFA), a trade organization in Washington, D.C., there are more than 320,000 franchised businesses in the nation, generating more than $1 trillion annually. People wanting a piece of the entrepreneurial pie are buying into restaurants, personnel management firms, copy centers, and various other product and service-oriented businesses.

Currently, more than 75 industries operate within the franchising format, a system based on a contractual agreement between a franchisor like McDonald's or Coverall Cleaning Concepts and a franchisee, an entrepreneur to whom the franchisor licenses its trade name and operating model. In return for the right to operate under the franchisor's name, the franchisee agrees to pay an initial fee known as a franchise fee--a cost that varies depending on the type of franchise selected--and an ongoing royalty payment to the franchisor. Royalty fees, which are a percentage of the franchise's gross sales, typically fall within the 4% to 8% range, although some are higher depending on the level of service offered by the franchisor.

To help prospective franchisees identify the right business, each year BLACK ENTERPRISE compiles a list of hot and affordable franchises for African Americans. This year's list of 15 accessible franchises is based on a national survey of more than 80 franchisors who are members of the IFA and included such criteria as the current number of African American franchise units. We also broke down the listing by identifying the best franchisors that fall into three categories: those under $50,000, $50,000-$200,000, and $200,000-$500,000. Our survey was conducted by BE Research.

CONSIDER WHATS HOT

Some franchisors offer products such as doughnuts and tires, while others sell services like computer consulting and tax preparation. Some can be operated by a sole entrepreneur from home, while others require several employees in a separate outside facility. "There's really a franchise for every budget out there," says Don DeBolt, president of the IFA. "You can invest a few thousand dollars and obtain a commercial or residential cleaning service or you can invest up to millions of dollars for a Ritz Carlton Hotel. And then there is everything in between."

No matter the type, size, or location, franchises are very popular business opportunities--some, of course, are more popular than others. But figuring out which ones are hot and which ones are not can be a challenge. To help make choosing a little easier, the IFA has identified six industries it calls "hot sectors." These sectors include automotive (Meineke), business-to-business (Mini-Tankers-USA), marketing and advertising (ValPak Direct Marketing Systems Inc.), executive recruiting and staffing (Express Personnel Services), business services (Geeks on Call), and food (Ben & Jerry's).

The IFA Website (www.franchise.org) lists a variety of franchises in each of these industries. The list includes detailed information about each company, such as startup cost, franchise fees, support services, and financing opportunities. Prospective franchisees can also take free courses offering instruction on how to investigate franchises, as well as information about the pitfalls of the industry and the terminology involved.