The latest in restaurant franchises and Business Opportunity news

How long is the business opportunity "in business"? Longevity is important. You don't want to join a biz op that's "here today, gone tomorrow", taking your fees with it!2. How do other members feel about the business opportunity? If you can speak with other members, this would help immensely in any decisions.3. How much money overall can you expect to make from the business opportunity within the first month? You should at least be able to recover any fees you've spent within the first few months.4. How many others belong to the business opportunity? Too much competition with other members will make it difficult to make sales, while too few members indicates that it is not a popular business opportunity, so how can it be sold?5.

How often will you be paid? Some only pay when an associate reaches a certain amount of revenue (which if you're a newbie will tie up your money quite conceivably for a while).6. Are there any "undisclosed" extra fees, such as fees for checks or other payment methods? This will cut into net revenues.7. Is there a money-back guarantee? If you don't succeed, will the business opportunity supply at least a partial refund?8. Does the business opportunity supply mentors and marketing materials that can be used? It's easier to start and maintain a business opportunity with these components already in place.9. How well known is the business opportunity? Whether it's online or offline, some business opportunities are "household" names and are easier to promote and sell as a result.10.

What is the turnover rate in the business opportunity? Those that have a large turnover rate among members are usually poor choices. Turnover means simply the number of members that leave the biz op within each month. A large turnover usually indicates that members are not happy with their experiences.11. How much overall does it cost? You need to be able to comfortably afford the fee of the business opportunity, or you will start out "in the red" which is not a good way to start any home-based business.12. How much control does the corporate entity have? If everything is controlled by the corporate entity (the "home" office of the business opportunity, so to speak), your creativity and the way you market may be hampered severely.There are many business opportunities from which to pick.

Everything from larger scale offline ventures, to smaller scale online ventures exists. Research into all the above is necessary when choosing an appropriate business opportunity. Fees are sometimes necessary to cover the costs of shipping and handling, or the costs of the marketing materials. Others charge fees simply because their "name" is important to them as they have spent years building their reputation, and they only want "serious joiners".There also exist many free opportunities that cost nothing to join and can be a good way to experiment with marketing and the world of home-based business.The choice of whether to pay or not is an individual choice that should only be made when weighing all possible factors. If in doubt, simply research and patiently wait a while.

After all, the biz op will always be there tomorrow (if it's a good one).

Vishal P. Rao is the editor of http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com - A website dedicated to opportunities, ideas and resources for starting a home based business. He is also the owner of the http://www.work-at-home-forum.com - an online community of folks who work at home.

restaurant franchises news

Roadhouse Grill shuts some sites (Orlando Sentinel)
The corporate-owned locations are closed, but the fate of its franchises isn't clear. Roadhouse Grill Inc. has closed its corporate-owned locations, including several in Central Florida this week.

Hop To Hip Restaurant (Northeast Tampa News & Tribune)
Danny Qasem thought about becoming a fast-food restaurant franchisee. Instead, he created a chain.

Biz Buzz: Big Sky Cafe has big ideas for its retrofit (The San Luis Obispo Tribune)
Big Sky Cafe in downtown San Luis Obispo will freshen up this summer with new outdoor seating, an interior waiting area and a 12-foot folding glass entryway. The changes coincide with the seismic retrofit of the restaurant’s building, which is about 80 years old. The alterations are expected to cost about $500,000 altogether, owner and chef Charles Myers said. The transformation aims to bring ...