Business Casual Attire: Business Casual or Casualty?
Article by Sarah Hathorn, AICI
After years of running a large department store for Macy’s, and providing business-appropriate dress seminars all over the country, I realized that there is one determining factor between companies whose people look ultra casual, and those whose people project a professional business casual image. The latter are always seizing a greater market share than their more casual-looking competitors. It’s not enough today to assume your employees know how to interpret business casual. Successful companies have specific dress codes that are aligned with their brand and core values, and they train their staff to understand the importance of how their employees’ image reflects the corporate brand. Large, successful companies know that professional looking people easily obtain more business. Review these “quick tips†to ensure your people look professional and are perceived to be the experts in your industry, on their way to achieve greater success.
Implement A Specific Dress CodeDo not just state to your employees that your company is going “business casual.†There are several levels of business casual, and it is important to know what to wear when working with a client vs. working in the office for the day. Be explicit in the types of dress you suggest your employees wear to be congruent with your brand message and how you wish to be portrayed in your industry.
Think Business Before CasualEducate your team to consider “business†first and “casual†second. Items like t-shirts, jeans, flip-flops, tank tops and shorts are considered to be weekend apparel. This type of attire is far too casual to project professionalism and authority. However, tailored shirts worn with good quality pants and elegant loafers are casual and comfortable, but still business-like.
Dress to Portray Professionalism, Power & AuthorityIn the business casual arena there is one item that conveys all of these qualities: the jacket. For both men and women, a jacket is powerful. It is the one essential item that can instantly communicate professionalism and expertise.
Wear Classics, Not Faddish ItemsAt work it’s important to dress in classic pieces because you want to influence people, not have people commenting on your latest fashions. I always suggest to my clients that they invest in some classic pieces, and mix them with a few modern, trendy items like ties, shirts, blouses, and accessories. Faddish items are expensive when building a working wardrobe and will be out of style within a year or so. Classic items last for 5-7 years!
Power Colors For BusinessThe colors you wear in business communicate messages. Clothing colors can elicit specific, desired responses from a colleague or potential client. I always coach my professional clients to wear dark neutrals in the workplace. They are more business appropriate than bright or bold colors and communicate that you mean business. This is why you see many designers making suits out of dark fabrics.
When you implement these “quick tips†into your company culture, your employees will look polished and professional. Your clients will respect you and perceive your employees to be the true professionals that they are. Dressing well is one of the key factors business people can do to attract more elite clients and grow professionally.
Top Ten Management on Franchising Strategies: An Overview of Making Money by Following a Proven Pathway
Introduction
While a franchise has a pre-determined guideline to follow, there are many factors and strategies to determine before deciding if the franchising is best for an opportunity investment. In evaluating this decision research is key learn, communicate and calculate all readily information available and then search for more. Remember not to limit all resources to one franchise investment, not everything works out the way it’s planned. Franchising provides relatively low risk investments for future long-term prosperity. Many franchises exist today due to the commitment made by parties, the franchisor and the franchisee. Both parties must utilize and hold accountable each other to complete the ultimate goal of brand growth. If the franchisee puts in the correct effort and commitment into the franchise while the franchisor provides steady R&D and marketing tools, franchising can be beautifully a double win.
The Idea in a Nutshell
Franchising is defined as an established business concept created by a founder and company that is sold to individuals who meet certain requirement previously set by the company. Through the use of particular strategies set in place by the franchisor, the franchisee can be successful in owning an individual business that’s able to produce profits based on past history. While almost every business investment is risky, franchising can take out the extra headache that comes with founding an idea and execution. The experimental stage, of a figuring out what works best for a business, virtually disappears for a franchisee. With the help of royalties, experts and the on going ideas of the founder the franchisor is able to complete R&D and offer steady concepts to help grow brand awareness. Brand strengthening is the ultimate goal for franchising. The entire system works on how well the franchisor is able to communicate with the franchisee to implement the correct ideas and motions to succeed in this goal.
This goal of franchising can be dated all the way back to the early middle ages, when King John of England used tax collections, not par say brand growing then, getting everyone included in growing the country. However most evidence of whom the concept fully originated from in a business standpoint is Benjamin Franklin, where he was the marketer of the Poor Man’s Almanac. The companies that is responsible for the popularity of franchising today is Singer Sewing Machine and Co. in 1863, General Motors in 1898, and Hertz Rent-A-Car in 1921. There’s no exact number on just how many franchises are available today due to the vast amount that get created every year, though it is said that there’s at least over 3000 in about 75 different industries. Original and creative business ideas where already hard to come by due to the many inventions that exist, there is also 3000 proven business ideas that can’t be duplicated without paying for.
The Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Franchising Strategies
1. research: Before making any investment be fully prepared. Investigate everything and anything that’s available, financial statements, goals of franchisor, product/service depth, growing power, networking with like franchisees, etc. Lastly, research what day-to-day operations will be. Is this something attainable in emergency situations?
2. Commitment: Most franchisors require at least five-year contract terms; expect to hold-true to the contract, regardless of failure. Trusting in the franchisor to provide adequate R&D and positive direction to help grow the franchise. Ultimately being able to take demands, instructions, and criticism from the franchisor that may not seem appropriate for the particular franchise or personal matters.
3. Start-up Cost: Paying for the use of a concept and proven profitable brand isn’t cheap. Typically a franchisor requires potential franchisees to have a certain amount of liquid assets documented before even meeting. The range of this could be anywhere from ,000 to million dollars, all depends on franchisor mandatory requirements, generally the bigger the brand the bigger the price tag.
4. Options: with so many profitable brands, choosing the right franchise can be extremely difficult. When making a decision on what franchise to invest in compare self interests, financial capital, emotional ties to product/service, and lastly ethics.
5. Expectations: Know personal goals and incorporate those into achievable business goals for the franchise. The “get rich fast” idea has always been around, but few have succeeded in accomplishing. Unfortunately franchises are not the way, prepare for at least a five-year investment.
6. Disavantages: While most franchises have some type of council (a group of elected franchisees to represent all franchisees in the brand), final decisions are given to the founder and/or CEO. Even though the franchise is owned and operated by the franchisee the franchisor has legal right to control, monitor, and terminate franchising rights. Keep in mind that while this entire can happened the franchisor charges a royalty fee to the franchisee to perform such duties.
7. Advantages: Takes the hard part of the business world and gives golden instructions for proven success. Through a franchise buying power, distributors, products/services, business location, promotions, store design and networking are provided without hassle, failing or experimenting. Being apart of a franchise community is like no other, whether owning one franchise or multiples the consistent objective is brand growing.
8. Other Business opportunities: Once involved in a franchise, many new opportunities and investments will arrive shortly. Generally arriving just at the time when all finances, resources, and commitments have been used up. If the franchise is not top priority in personal goals be sure to choose a franchise that allows for other business moves.
9. failing: Directions are given with just about every item these days and people choose to either read them or proceed blindly. Franchising could be compared to that statement in that the directions are there, the work and commitment to use the directions must be accepted. Remember too that’s it also advised not to put all eggs in one basket, have back-up plans if the worst happens.
10. retirment: Owning a franchise doesn’t usually come with the pretty package corporate jobs has I.E. 401-k plans/corporate portfolios. However it does have more sustainable profits than what the market can provide, while usually offering early retirement, must make one of the following decisions: (1. sell franchise right after paying off loan to make one lump sum of cash to further invests 2. choose long-term goal of being the franchisee operator until deceased and collect a salary while a committed and trusted manager runs day-to-day operations or 3. passing the investment onto a family/friend/business partner that agrees to provide certain salaries in inheriting franchise at later date). Commonly more people are drawn to owning a franchise based off this the retirement possibilities alone.
The Video Lounge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EURSdyeYT2w
My Take
In my opinion, franchising is perhaps one of the best tools out there for entrepreneurs or investment seekers. In today’s world with such fluctuation in the market, good investments are hard to come by. Most market investments can turn sour in a day, once making a committed decision to become a franchisee and do right by that the investment is golden. Franchising strategies are defiantly relevant in today’s world, especially in the U.S. Some of the most influential companies today are franchises. It’s amazing just how many McDonald’s there can exist, rarely is there ever McDonald’s that close. I believe so many franchises out there are growing constantly due the amount that are self owned and operated, in business it makes a huge difference if one can put a face to owner. Through franchising big entrepreneur dreams can be achieved implementing someone else’s dream. It ultimately allows a partnership in which both parties gain, while it would be nice to have the original idea and be the franchisor. A franchisee doesn’t ever have to worry about thinking they just have to read the map. I would love to read the map!
References
Seifert, A. (2002). Business Strategies: to franchise or not to franchise. Retrieved from http://www.essortment.com/career/businessstrateg_svzp.htm
Preble, John F. (1992, January). Franchising: A Growth Strategy for the 1990s. Retrieved from http://www.bsu.edu/mcobwin/majb/uploads/pdf/vol07num1/preble.pdf
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Contact Info: To contact the author of “Top Ten Management on Franchising Strategies please email Tana Compton at Tana.Compton@selu.edu.
Biography
David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. Dr. Wyld also maintains compilations of works he has helped his students to turn into editorially-reviewed publications at the following sites:
Management Concepts (http://toptenmanagement.blogspot.com/)
Book Reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/) and
Travel and International Foods (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).
Tags: Following, Franchising, Making, Management, money, Overview, Pathway, Proven, Strategies
What are the Top 10 Types of Franchise Opportunities?
If you are looking to buy a franchise, one of the most difficult questions you will be forced to answer is, “What kind of business shall I buy?” The best franchise for one person may not be the best franchise for someone else. One thing is true, however. If you select an option from among the 10 best franchise opportunities listed below, you can hardly go wrong.
This particular sector is probably the most recognizable whenever the best franchise opportunities are discussed. All the big names – McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Church’s Chicken, KFC – are ideal franchise partners, but be prepared to pay top dollar to become part of their system. Lots of relatively unknown fast food companies are popping up every month, and each one wants to be the Next Big Thing. Getting in on the ground floor with one of them could prove an attractive option for the bargain-hunting entrepreneur. The top sub-sector within this group involves pizza, both for delivery and as a dine-in option.
Fast casual is the fastest growing element of the food service industry. Meals are cooked to order and restaurants have well appointed dining areas, but patrons order from the main counter rather than via a waitperson. As a result, operational costs are lower and turnover – getting more people in and out the door more quickly – is much higher than in fine dining establishments.
Once the gas station became a one-stop shopping experience, convenience store opportunities virtually exploded overnight. Some of the biggest names in franchising are involved in the C-store industry. While 7-Eleven remains the Holy Grail as a best franchise opportunity, there are dozens of local and regional chains looking for new locations and competent entrepreneurs.
The vending machine business has long been a desirable self-employment opportunity, made even more so these past few years with the advent of equipment that accepts credit card payments. The top choices among the best franchises in this sector are vending machines that rent DVDs by the day, as well as the old standbys: beverage vendors. Most franchise opportunities here provide suggestions as to where you can place your machines, but you’re usually on your own when it comes to actually finding a spot. Some of the more successful kiosk franchisees strike master deals with retail stores – supermarkets and C-stores, in particular – that automatically opens up multiple spots for broader placement.
There are three or four major players in this sector, and one of the advantages to becoming their franchisee involves the special shipping rates you will enjoy with all the major independent carriers, such as UPS, DHL, and FedEx. These stores also offer private mailbox services, and many are even branching out into the online auction business, acting as a one-stop shop for people who want to sell their stuff on eBay but don’t want the hassle of sorting through bids and shipping their items to winning bidders.
Health clubs are back in a big way, and these are some of the best franchise opportunities around. Specialization is the major influence these days – women only clubs, personal training gyms, martial arts centers in various disciplines, and so on.
Look at any best franchise list and you’re bound to see one or two income tax prep centers among them. What was once only a quarterly business (January through April) has blossomed into a year-round opportunity, now that many franchisees also offer estate planning and other kinds of financial advice. Training in this sector is some of the best in the franchise world.
This is probably the top mobile or work-from-home franchise sector. Anything that has to do with houses and their upkeep would fall into this category, and the best franchises include those that offer multiple services – not just cleaning people’s carpets but also their furniture and drapes; not just providing maid services to the home, but also commercial cleaning as well. The home repair business is fairly recession proof and can include such services as interior and exterior painting, gutter cleaning or replacement, garage door services, and even landscaping.
You can divide this sector up into two distinct options – retail type businesses and in-home care. For the former, there are plenty of franchise opportunities in the urgent care market, where someone needs to see a doctor right away but it’s not a life-threatening situation. Sports injuries and accidents in the kitchen are several examples. The dental field is now franchising as well. In-home senior care is expected to explode over the next ten years, as Baby Boomers begin to retire in even greater numbers and look forward to living in their own homes for as long as they can.
This is another field that features storefront franchising opportunities as well as mobile ones. Fast lube places are big business just about anywhere you go. Mobile dent and windshield repair is lucrative and easy to learn.
Tags: Franchise, Opportunities, Types
