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Exciting times here on the Franchise Direct blog. We have another exclusive video from The Franchise King®, Joel Libava, to premiere today.

The theme of this video is the cost of franchises. Joel says that probably the most common question he’s asked is ‘how much does a franchise cost?’. Of course there’s no set answer to that query. As you pursue the franchise that allows you to do what you do you’ll best, you’ll discover the cost of the franchise can range significantly. Luckily, the left column of every Franchise Direct profile page allows you to search for franchises by investment level. This allows you to find a franchise that you can afford. Because of the broad spectrum in franchise investment level, it’s useful to search for a business that is suited both to your business skills and your financial portfolio.

(The Franchise King®, Joel Libava, is the King of straightforward franchise information, and a strategic marketing partner of ours. Check him out at http://www.thefranchiseking.com/)

Franchises promote their services in all kinds of ways, but one of the most effective ways of reaching new clients and prospective franchisees is via video.

At Franchise Direct, we have a comprehensive video directory of both client-provided and self-produced franchise videos. We’ve uploaded a lot of video in the past week or so and I just like to draw readers’ attention to some of these new videos.

Property Management Pros.com is one of the most interesting property management franchise opportunities on the market right now. Their new video stars co-founder Sean Hinely. He says that this is a great time to open a property management franchise or take your existing property brokerage firm to the next level. This is a business opportunity that can thrive in an economy and if you, like many experts, think the property market is ready to kick back to life, than this is franchise for you.

Event management is another rapidly growing franchise market. As corporations look to outsource event management, event management franchises has taken the initiative and are going from strength to strength. Plan Ahead Events is an industry leader. As their video explains, they offer an exciting, low-cost, home-based franchise opportunity. If event management is your cup of tea, then this franchise at the heart of the multi-million dollar event management industry is a great start.

Breath Testers International is a pioneering business in the vending industry. Their breathalyzers are changing bar entertainment. They’ve provided a video which is actually a news report from Birmingham which shows how breathalyzers work in bars and clubs and how they’re preventing drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel. These machines prevent DUI charges and save lives, as you’ll see for yourself.

Our final two videos come from the Uniter Franchise Family. Embroidme and Sign-A-Rama are leaders in their field. Embroidme routinely receives the garlands of the leading franchise trade magazines while Sign-A-Rama is one of America’s favorite sign franchises. Both the video from Embroidme and the video from Sign-A-Rama feature interviews with franchisees and explain the history of what are two legitimately successful global franchise operations . Either one (or both) could be the franchise opportunity for you.

The New York Times has published some compelling statistics on the American restaurant industry which prove that food franchises are a smart investment.

Quoting a January survey from the market research company NPD Group, the Times have reported that the number of restaurants in America dropped by 1% from autumn 2009 to fall 2011. This is a pretty serious decline and proof of the growing consolidation in the industry. What’s interesting though for franchisees is that, by and large, the majority of restaurants that have closed are independently run. Food franchises are proving resilient though.

For any entrepreneur ready to open a restaurant, this study is proof of two things. One – that the market is competitive, hugely so. But you probably knew that already. But the second point – that the support of a franchisor is invaluable – should be taken pretty seriously, I think. If you want your business to not only survive, but thrive, a food franchise may be the wisest investment.

This quote from NPD VP Harry Balzer was incredibly informative, we thought. It’s proof that the demographic shifts and market consolidation favor a boost for franchises.

“At some point, when the economy turns, we’ll have a larger population than 10 years ago, but fewer restaurants to go to, because they closed the doors. This means restaurants are going to get crowded, and we can expect longer waits.”

One of the country’s most important business news channels has produced an essential program on franchising.

CNBC’s “Behind The Counter: The Untold Story Of Franchising” takes a broad, multi-faceted look at franchising. Emmy-winning host Darren Rovell explores the in’s and out’s of five different franchises: Dunkin’ Donuts, Camp Bow Wow, Five Guys and Proctor & Gamble. There’s also an exclusive web feature about hotel franchises and you can watch it all on their special franchising website. (We examined the Dunkin Donuts segment late last year)

The show provides a “warts and all” look at franchising, highlighting both some successes and failures from around the industry. This is one of the most in-depth examinations of franchising in the mainstream media and is a great watch for anyone looking for objective analysis on the industry. Rovell is an engaging host and one of more fascinating aspects of the show is the difference in the perception of franchise success and failure between a journalist like Rovell and a franchisor. I liked blogger Joe Mathews’ (of the Franchise Performance Group blog) take on the episode.

It was clear the reporter saw the totality of franchisees’ successes and failures as different results which occur within one system. The CEO saw franchisees’ successes as “the system working” and franchisees’ failure as “a failure to work the system.” This exchange made me take a pause and reflect on the question, “What is the system, really?” Does The System merely describe the franchisor’s operating system or does it include everything the franchisor and franchisees do and don’t do which impacts the franchisees’ results? Does The System include the wide range of franchisees’ results (including failure) or does it merely include franchisees’ successes?

Mathews quotes a book by Peter Senge called The Fifth Discipline which takes a macro view of systems and says to again quote Mathews, that believes The System includes everything that does and doesn’t occur, distinguished and undistinguished, accidental and intentional, which work together to eventually determine whether or not the franchisees’ cash register rings. I think that’s an interpretation that many franchisees – and franchisors – would admit is fair.

This week’s Franchise Update is going dog crazy!

Click here to download this week’s Franchise Update, or watch in the player below:

We’ve got some exciting news about two of our best pet franchises. Home Buddies by Camp Bow Wow is celebrating the addition of 12 new franchises in the last six months. This is a top new pet franchise concept and it’s great to see it experiencing growth.

Also, Bark Busters have published some useful guidelines for looking after your pet during the back to school season. They include sage advice like providing it with home toys and showing it less attention in the run-up to the first day of school.

Thanks for watching!