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Joel Libava - The Franchise King - is back with another exclusive video for Franchise Direct.

In this video, Joel discusses the topic of staffing franchises, a franchise sector which he feels is set to grow as the US economy shows signs of rebounding out of recession. He explained the importance of timing in investing in a staffing franchise in recent blog post at Franchise Direct and he expounds further on the topic here. It seems the time might just be right to invest in a staffing business. As Joel also explains, you’ll find a range of excellent staffing franchises with Franchise Direct.

Two new reports on franchise funding give mixed feelings on the present state of the credit markets for prospective franchisees. We know the IFA had projected small gains for the franchising sector for 2010, and this reports more or less confirm that forecast.

Medill Reports has an insightful profile of SBA loans, describing the boost that some of them have gotten from President Obama’s stimulus plan. It examines Tony Rackstraw, president of SkyTech, a Chicago-based small security business. Rackstraw needed $300,000 of capital and found it via the SBA.

Marianne Markowitz, regional administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration cast a generally positive look at the industry.

“Now that the bigger banks are committing more, we are in good shape going into 2010,” she added.

Meanwhile, speaking strictly about franchising, the Kansas City Star has an interesting take on the industry. Their view of franchising in the Midwest is that franchising remains an outstanding business concept, but hurdles still remain for achieving funding.

The piece profiles Anna Gepson, who just bought an Aussie Pet Mobile franchise.

Aussie Pet Mobile franchise in 2006. Gepson worked with an accountant and an attorney to set up a self-directed 401(k).

The franchise fee, three months of marketing expenses, a van and equipment came to around $100,000 — which was a surprise to Gepson.

“I thought you had to have a million dollars in the bank to start a business,” she said.

The story reminds aspiring franchisees to keep in mind that every entrepreneur must pay a franchisee fee. But if you can get the funding you need, there’s a lot of different franchises to choose from.

As if you need another reason to purchase a franchising, how about this very simple one: it makes you happier.

This is according to the latest poll from Gallup, who have found that, of all occupational groups, business owners enjoy the happiest well-being. How about that! That’s obviously a sign that owning your business pays back in ways you’ve never even considered.

Improve your work-life balance considerably today by owning a franchise.

Franchise Direct is a great resource for advice on starting a franchise.

It’s a difficult decision and we will guide you every step of the way until you get your business off the ground. For people with questions about owning a franchise, every question you’ve ever needed answering is here. We also like to pass on pertinent advice when we come across it, which is why we thought this story in the Idaho Statesmen was of particular importance. Pete Gombart, CEO of Ballihoo, a marketing automation solutions business to franchise-based companies provided some of his experiences on working with the franchising industry. He had this bit of insight for new franchisees:

[T]he most important observation I’ve made in working with franchisees is that a franchise’s success is most highly correlated to the people who run it, and not necessarily to the national brand or system.

Gombart’s advice is to focus on the local market instead of getting too caught up in trying to implement a national system. That’s sound advice, and to that end, franchisees might be interested in some research on advertising in the soft economy. A new study by Ad-ology says that 48% of Americans think that a  business’s failure to advertise is an indicator that the business struggling. We all know that success is a contagious, and perhaps this study shows that keeping a presence in public advertising spaces does a lot to spread positivity. It’s an important thing for small franchisees to consider as budgets tighten. If you have any questions about franchising, don’t be afraid to ask in the Comments section below. [Hat tip to the Franchise King]

President Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office have passed with deserved fanfare. It’s clear that America has turned a corner, and both nationally and internationally, President Obama has steadied the ship to a certain extent. The signs that the economy has emerged from its deepest doldrums will only encourage the President as he goes forward in his term.

But there’s one sector that’s decidedly uncertain about President Obama’s performance, and that’s the small business world. While Obama’s first 100 days will be defined by his bailouts to Wall Street and his aid tp the automotive industry, his commitment to the small business and franchise sector has been somewhat less voluble. A story on the Wall Street Journal’s Independent Street blog profiles the tepid reaction among many voices in the small business sector towards the new prez.

“Unfortunately, small business owners largely believe that Washington just keeps cranking out more ways to abscond their limited time, capital and resources,” says Karen Kerrigan, executive director of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, a lobby group, in a news release. “We hope that in the next 100 days and beyond, President Obama will turn to entrepreneurs for ideas that will reduce their government-imposed costs and burdens, solutions that will help them maintain and grow their workforce, and options for providing affordable health coverage.”

The story posits that some of the mixed reaction to President Obama in small business circles is political  - “many business advocacy groups tend to lean Republican”, Kelly Spors writes. And healthcare continues to be a contentious issue. But this blog tries to go beyond politics. We have seen time and time again how franchises and small businesses can reignite the economy. The macro signs show that we have endured the worst of the recession, but America will not return to its past economic glory until entrepreneurs get the necessary capital they need to get local economies – the real economy – properly functioning again.

President Obama arrived in Washington championing a mantra of change. For small business owners, it seems, the new president has not entirely delivered, and key tests, especially regarding health care, loom large.

What are your feelings about the next 100 days and beyond?