Great Clips, The Crack Team, and Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza Mentioned in Franchise Article

Franchising is popular for new residents of Southwest Florida, but some of the most successful Franchises they see in others parts of the country may not be suitable here.

According to Rick Bisio, if you want to purchase "The Crack Team" franchise, the company won't sell it to you in Florida. That is because the company fixes basement leaks and "we don't have basements in most of Florida" he says. "It's a great concept, but their development map has a big 'X' through Florida."

Bisio, an Anna Maria Island resident, is a Franchise consultant with FranChoice Consulting. He advises prospective buyers on franchise selection and is paid by the franchisor if a sale is consummated. He has to understand our local demographics because businesses that work elsewhere will not necessarily do as well here.

For instance, "Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza" franchise may not be a good choice in Florida even though it is the nation's seventh-largest pizza chain.

The company delivers uncooked, pre-assembled pies that you pop into the oven. But that does not work as well in warm climates because ovens are used much less here than they are up North.

Demographics, racial composition and ethnicity are other factors to consider. Franchisors can use their databases to determine the suitability of its industry in any given location.

Additionally, the franchisor's size and saturation are issues to consider.

"You want to find a medium-sized business," Bisio says, "one that has good penetration in a number of markets but not very much in your market."

If too many franchises have been sold in your community, it will be difficult to get territorial protection and you could be competing with your own brand. So bigger is not always better.

Franchising can be a good way to mitigate some of the startup risk for neophyte business owners and newcomers to Southwest Florida. But it is important to have realistic expectations.

Many would-be franchisees come here for the lifestyle and want to maximize their income as well. But choosing the right franchise often means striking an acceptable balance among expectations.

Bisio asks his clients to rate the relative importance of three expectations:

• Making lots of money
• Lifestyle and flexibility
• Matching hobbies and passions.

"You can't get them all," he says. "If you are looking for lifestyle, most storefront businesses won't let you achieve that, because you cannot control your schedule."

By comparison, service businesses are more flexible and can be run out of your home or a small office.

Take "Action International," for example. It claims to be the world's largest coaching business, and deciding how many hours you work can be balanced with lifestyle.

Bisio told me that his father was a hairstylist for 35 years and worked long hours. But unlike his father, a dentist in Orlando owns 23 "Great Clips" hair-cutting franchises and does not even know how to cut hair.

In fact, he doesn't fix teeth anymore because the lucrative hair-cutting franchises provide the lifestyle he wants.

"You can't just look at the business," Bisio says. "You have to look at how it's structured."