Is Folgers Coffee franchise is a good business?

Q) www.eccellentegourmetcoffee.com

A) I could be wrong but it looks to me like this is one of many franchises that are in business to sell you equipment. They can be not a bad investment for those who have no experience in the office coffee business. They give you the information it could take you some time to learn on your own. There are many variations of this business. Some of them sell you vending equipment and locations. Some of them sell you coffee equipment and locations. In the vending business they are called Blue Sky Vending (BS Vending) They usually wait until they have a prospective business person ready to purchase their francihise then they find locations in that persons area. They use brand names like Pepsi, Coke, Nestles, Folgers to attract their customers the purchasers of equipment. Again like I said above you can make a living going this route but you could also purchase your own equipment probably at significantly less money and find your own customers. Office Coffee equipment dealers and coin operated equipment dealers can be found by searching on the net and you can purchase the equipment without any other obligations. It is not a bad business but very competitive and you get out of it what you put in to it. Good luck in whichever way you choose to go. Check out this interesting article http://www.heritage-coffee.com/Where%20Is%20OCS%20Going.htm

I am looking to open a food or coffee business,,,what is the best ? franchise or ........?

A) I am also in the food business, a star bucks would be a really good franchise but they don't sell anymore, but if your looking for something affordable you should just make a no-name brand coffee shop just spend 30% on advertisement and since its no name brand, location does matter just pick a busy highway or a mane route for big offices, towards downtown or something

What steps should I take to start a Starbucks Coffee Franchise?

Q) I'd like to start a Starbucks franchise, but need some advice. I have a physical disability, but have full use of my upper body; currently, I'm in a wheelchair. I know, with an education, I could handle the business end (manager stuff). I briefly looked at a site with information on a Starbucks franchise, and it said that they provide training. But I'm thinking that taking college courses/getting a degree would be helpful. If I did take college course/get a degree; any suggestions as to what degree/courses to go for? I'm on limited income, but know of at least one agency (VESID) that might give me a grant to start my own business. Would anyone know of any other agencies that could possibly help me out with the financial matters? Any advice, suggestions, plan of action is welcomed. Thank you.

A) Most franchises today are regional contracts so if you allready have a starbucks in you area you won't be able to open one up because the person who owns the other starbucks is the only person who can open another one in that area. And last time i checked the cheapest franchise fee was M&M meat shop and that franchise fee was 275 thousand dollars. And then you have to purchase your first inventory and get a location in a strip mall. so like the old saying goes you need money to make money. I know all this stuff because a few years ago i got into a bad car accident and was told i would never be able to go back to work as a heavy equipment operator because of all my injuries have made me disabled..so i figured like you to start my own business. But there's just no way to afford it. I looked into grants and loans. The way they give out the grants is you have to put a proposal together with a game plan and if by chance they give you the grant the most i could get is 25 thousand wich is in no way even close to being enough. I could put my home up for a loan but if the business for some reason doesn't work then i loose my home so there's no way i'm taking that chance. As for the schooling the best course for you to take is "Basic Accounting" a night course wich only last a few months will give you all the tools you need to keep your books in order. the rest is just common sense when it comes to running your business. Good luck my friend.

What steps should I take to start a Starbucks Coffee Franchise?

Q) I'd like to start a Starbucks franchise, but need some advice. I have a physical disability, but have full use of my upper body; currently, I'm in a wheelchair. I know, with an education, I could handle the business end (manager stuff). I briefly looked at a site with information on a Starbucks franchise, and it said that they provide training. But I'm thinking that taking college courses/getting a degree would be helpful. If I did take college course/get a degree; any suggestions as to what degree/courses to go for? I'm on limited income, but know of at least one agency (VESID) that might give me a grant to start my own business. Would anyone know of any other agencies that could possibly help me out with the financial matters? Any advice, suggestions, plan of action is welcomed. Thank you.

A) I think starting a coffee shop is a great opportunity. Unfortunately, I think you can only sell starbucks coffee with your own franchise, not franchise one of their shops. Check out their FAQs on franchising. http://www.starbucks.com/customer/faq_qanda.asp?name=businessopps Unless you want to leverage their brand, I would suggest another coffee brand that does franchise in North America, or perhaps try starting up your own brand, depending upon how much funding you have available.

If I try to buy an existing coffee house franchise, how could I get financing after a bankruptcy?

Q) I have been trying to find the perfect business to start and found this coffee house that is attached to a book store. It has a "mini borders feel". I think that it is fairly priced and would like to sit with the owner and make an offer. How could I possibly get financing to start this after a personal Bankruptcy? I am tired of relying on failing business in MI to support me for a few months at a time only to move on attempting to find a job in a flooded market. I want to be a job provider. I have a strong desire to take this leap and make it successful.

A)

I want to open up either a subway restaurant or a coffee franchise. Is this a good idea?

Q) I've been wanting to open up a small business but not sure which. If I do decide on which one I'm planning on working at a similar place for 3 to 6 months since I don't have any restaurant/ coffe shop experience. I heard Subway can go out of business easily and it's a very hard work physically. Is this true?

A) I have a friend here in Dubai that owns about 10 subways on franchise basis. He says he has to open quite a few in order to make reasonable profit because the profit per restaurant is small. You also need to use subway's furniture and decor materials, their fridges, cookers, displays, posters, etc. and this all comes at a higher price than the market but the agreement is you HAVE to buy from them only, so you have a higher setup cost than would otherwise be possible. On the other hand, a coffee shop would be a much better idea since the costs are minimal and the profits much better.even franchises still make more sense than food joints because u can still sell snacks n cakes n brownies at a coffeeshop n make a killer on very low cost. This has actually been my plan once I move down to Toronto in 2 years from now. Good luck with your investment!

As anyone ever been in the franchising business, hard work, worth the effect, need some opinions.?

Q) I am thinking of investing in a coffee franchise. I plan to buy a coffee kiosk or mobile cart with a coffee company.

A) I have purchases a few franchises and explored hundreds more. I have stressed this on previous posts concerning franchises on Yahoo Answers, but without question, the number one thing that neeeds to be considered when dealing with considering purchasing a franchise, is location. Often times in business, a unique product is the key to success. With franchising this isn't possible, therefore the success is based on demand and filling that demand where others aren't. With that said I feel franchising in the right location is definetely a great idea. The stability of an established business and product along with a working business plan provides all the support to someone who might not be a purebreed entrepreneur. Before jumping into any franchise I can't stress enough how important research is. When I am looking to get learn more for a potential purchase I turn to Franchise Gator. Franchise Gator.com is an amazing resource for someone considering a new franchise and they literally have thousands of opportunitys that include all the information you will need to make an informed decision. The nuts and bolts they provide you will help you decide if that franchise is right for you, but it wont answer the question of whether that area is ready for your franchise. As far as whether or not it is hard work. Of course it is. You need your business to standout above all others, competitors and other franchise locations. I own a few fast food franchises, and I am very cautious of the cleanliness of my restaurants. I want my food to look better then my competitors whether same franchise or not, from an aesthetic perspective, even though it is the same product. It's the little things that make you successful. I want people to think, "Hey I want McDonalds" and then think, "I want to go to Jennifer's McDonalds" It might sound trivial but it has been the key to success for me. I hope this has helped. Good luck!

Where do I find the statistics of franchise businesses.?

Q) Gelato and/or coffee businesses in SouthWestern United States

A) A little more info would be helpful. Are you looking to start a business? ...to find the number of businesses? Revenues and expenses? For the actual business, I know gelato is a hard sell. I actually talked to someone who knew the business. Gelato had a brief heyday about twenty years ago but never came back after that. Apparently one of the reasons is that people often make decisions in groups and that amplifies any difference in preferences between ice cream and gelato. Gelato doesn't sell well. For coffee, obviously you can find a bit about the market by looking at Starbucks' SEC filings (www.sec.gov). Again, it would be helpful to know exactly what type of information you're trying to find.

where can i get financing to start a franchise?

Q) Hi everyone. Im looking for ways to get financing to start a coffee franchise that im interested in. Its around 100,000 to 150,000 to get started. I have no money in savings, or a 401k, im actually on disability right now. just was wondering if any business people out there know where i should start, as far as finding financing for this franchise? thanks, rich j

A) I would not advice starting a $100,000-150,000 business without a single money in savings. For one, banks will never lend you money. Even SBA will not lend you money. For banks and SBA to lend you money, you need to have money yourself as they require equity. If they want to see you put up 20% of the amount needed, then that's $20,000. They also need to see collateral, good personal credit history, etc. Plus you will need operating expenses, employees, etc. Businesses, even franchises do not make money overnight -- you need to have capital to keep it running. Where will you get the money? Also franchise owners typically do not accept applications from folks who cannot demonstrate that they have the required capital. I suggest you either downscale your plans and start a business in the neighborhood of $1000 for example. Or wait for your financial condition to improve before embarking on the business. Or find someone who will be your partner and invest in the business

Where can I buy a new or 2nd hand Piaggio APE coffee van?

Q) Looking to aquire a converted Piaggio APE coffee van for business in Devon UK. Not looking for franchise as we are looking to expand our own business, just wandering if anyone has any ideas where to look for a vehicle. (Can't see any on ebay at the mo? is there anywhere else?)

A) I know my idea is not original but yahoo it or google it, look por Piaggio in the UK or even in Italy or Spain, as you can import easily vehicles inside the EEC.