Allegra in the News: Franchise Industry Highlights

Whether outfitting a new business, replacing a worn-out piece of equipment, seeking to benefit from newer technologies or simply adding capacity, acquiring a new or even a pre-owned printing press deserves careful consideration. Your investment may be sizable. Digital printers can range from $5,000 to as much $200,000, reports business.com, with advanced copiers and production…

The provocative headline is a slightly altered quote from Mr. TED Talk, Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. Effective leaders know that success depends upon not just a vision or product, but the employees who carry out the vision and build the product day in and…

As a franchise owner, it’s crucial to understand how your customers come to purchase your products or services. We call this often winding and a sinuous path the customer journey. But unlike the post-war days of marketing (which featured only a handful of traditional advertising mediums), the customer journey is a lot less linear today. In…

If you’re searching to purchase a business—let’s say a franchise—here’s a shocking revelation: your future customers will make their buying decisions on emotion, not logic. At Allegra, we’ve been counseling would-be entrepreneurs and training franchise owners for 40 years that selling is not talking up state-of-the-art features, price points, or added-value benefits, it’s about solving…

“I’m now enjoying work more than I have for a long, long time.” After more than 20 years as an executive at a nationwide bank, by 2017 Matt Kinser was ready to make a change. Most recently the manager of a business initiative team, the idea of owning his own business burned brighter every year.…

A recent article titled, “How to Foster and Encourage Sales Growth,” caught our attention not because it was covering new ground, but because we’re still grappling with an age-old question for business owners and sales coaches: How do you continue “growing businesses with motivated sales reps who are at the top of their game?” Writer…

Since the advent of digital advertisement in the early 2000s, a cloud of doom-and-gloom has been hanging over direct mail marketing. But this pessimism is largely self-created; direct mail services have simply redefined their role in the marketplace as part of an all-inclusive marketing strategy. In fact, when it comes to response rate, direct mail…

“A Disaster Recovery or Business Continuity Plan should be included in the master business plans of every firm.” That’s the advice from Alliance Franchise Brands in the first sentence of its Guide to Developing a Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Plan. As a multi-brand franchisor, Alliance Franchise Brands (AFB) partners with its franchise owners in devising…

Experts agree that growth prospects are good for the printing industry What are your prospects for growth if entering the printing industry? Pretty good, according to insights from several leading experts. Dr. Ronnie H. Davis, senior vice president and chief economist for the Printing Industries of America (PIA) Center for Print Economics and Management projected…

If considering the purchase of a franchise (or any other business for that matter), you’ll soon encounter the term “due diligence.” It’s defined as, “a comprehensive appraisal of a business by a prospective buyer, especially to establish its assets and liabilities and evaluate its commercial potential.” It’s important, too, when buying a franchise. Startup expenses…

If you’re investigating a franchise opportunity, you may get invited to a Discovery Day – it’s confirmation that the franchise believes you are a financially qualified buyer and have the skills and determination to be a successful franchise owner. Franchisors have many names for this day. Discovery Day is what we call it, others call…

As a franchise business owner, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day management responsibilities. But every entrepreneur needs to have a vision for how their ownership will conclude – whether that involves a transfer of power to family members, friends, or an outsider. Why would you ever sell your franchise business? Health complications, loss…