Operation Franchise

Harmony in the Workplace

One of the biggest adjustments new veterans going into business for themselves must make is working with civilian employees rather than military subordinates.
While the majority of enlisted personnel are in their late teens and early 20s, they report for duty on time, properly groomed and attired, with all necessary equipment cleaned and ready to use. [...]

The Truth About the Taxes You Owe

There are two sure things in life: death and taxes. And when you’re a franchise owner, taxes are burdensome.
That’s because it’s not a simple matter of having the money withdrawn before you touch it and settling your account on April 15, as individuals do, says Barbara Weltman, author of J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes. Instead, [...]

Six Restaurant Insurance Coverages You’ve Overlooked

If you want to eat alone at a backyard barbecue, mention insurance policies. They’re complicated. They’re boring. But what restaurant franchise owners are ignoring could sear them.
Sure, your restaurant franchise package will include an insurance policy for its newest unit – that’s one of the business-in-a-box advantages that the franchise headquarters will tie neatly with [...]

Is my business security secure?

If there is one subject on which military veterans are experts, it’s security – data, physical, and personal. Increasing reports of attacks on personal, business, and government computers, as well as gang violence and other factors, have heightened civilian personal and business security needs, giving military veterans an up-front advantage.
“That is something [...]

Build It Right and They Will Come

But be wary of Web site designers who scam
In today’s increasingly online world, a Web site is mandatory for any serious business. To that end, many franchise companies provide pre-built individual sites or localized components of their global Web sites for their franchisees.
The situation becomes somewhat more complex if the franchisor provides little or no [...]

Vets Working With Vets: A Win-Win Arrangement

There is a widespread belief in the franchising industry that veterans make excellent franchisees, no matter the business involved. The reasons range from reliability and a willingness to work hard to proven leadership skills and the ability to follow a plan.
What veterans who become franchise owners are discovering is their fellow vets also make some [...]

Discipline versus Firing: When to Cross the Line

Most franchise owners follow a progressive discipline plan in their businesses: a graduated series of formal responses to poor job performance or behavioral problems. Although HR professionals give this strategy a string of names – positive discipline programs, performance improvement plans, corrective action procedures – managers commonly refer to it as “writing them up.”
It’s fair, it’s [...]

How to Handle Employee Complaints

Managers too often want to reduce employee complaints by focusing on creating a positive environment. Unfortunately, this tactic can result in a clueless manager and listless employees, says Marlene Chism, the management consultant who founded StopYour Drama.com.
The hard truth is, you want employees to let you in on their grumbling as the ground floor [...]

5 Additional Interview Questions

When hiring an employee to trust with your business’ customer service and reputation, five questions will only begin to scrape the iceberg. (See the Top 5 Interview Questions article to get the interview going.) Here are additional questions you can ask and a little investigative secret to keep up your sleeve:

What did you do last [...]

Men Versus Women: Gaining a Mental Edge

If there’s a breakdown in communication with an employee, chances are it could be a gender misunderstanding. Learning to deal with how the sexes think is an important tool in any management skill’s drawer.
Women

Women are physically wired to notice the smallest distractions. Scientists know that a woman has the thick tissue between both sides of [...]