Customer Reviews

Street Smart Franchising

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have read four or five books on purchasing a franchise and this is clearly the worst. The books from Nolo are the best and the Better Business Bureau are second. This book is mostly hype about how great the franchise experience can be with pep talks and nonsense about how you are good enough to be in the 1 percent of successful franchise buyers. The information is neither objective nor balanced. I encourage people to always look at who the writers are to see if the source can be trusted. In this case it is consultants who make their money training people who sell franchises, helping people franchise their existing business and selling coaching services to existing franchisees. They have no vested interest in discouraging you from buying a franchise. Spend your money on a different book. I am suspicious of the other rave reviews, it looks like a marketing campaign to me. It is hard for me to believe real people found value in this book.

Even though I'm not a teacher, I give it an A+! This is a well written book based on first-hand experience and industry knowledge. It truly is a "must read" for anyone wanting to go into franchising. As a franchise consultant, I have a "recommended reading" list for the candidates I work with and "Street Smart Franchising" is at the top of that list! New franchisees will be at the "head of the class" with information garnered from this book.

I've been a franchise business manager and coach for two national franchisors and now own my own franchise.

Despite all the best programs, processes and business plans, why do so some franchises fail, both on the unit level and as a concept?
Joe explains why, with insight, humor and passion.

Anyone buying a franchise should read it. Those selling franchises should feel obligated to read it.

Dan Green
TruePresence franchisee

Joe Mathews and Don DeBolt have in-dept knowledge and many years of experience in franchising. With the help of Deb Percival, who has extensive knowledge in business writing, they wrote "Street Smart Franchising," a must read before considering entering the world of franchising.
This book is a guide to a successful and winning franchise and it is also a guide to develop a great relationship among the franchisor, who is the parent company, and the franchisee, the person buying the franchise.
According to the authors, the franchising is a beautiful relationship and should be treated as one body, where all the limbs together with the brain agree on one motion. The franchisor and the franchisee must have good communication, must prove respect for each other and must agree on decisions, otherwise the franchise might fail. Book quote:
"A franchise is a community, comprised of franchisees, franchisors, and their employees, and suppliers, each looking out for the other's best interest and committed to the success of all."
The book is filled with day to day examples to outline the franchising process of selecting the proper candidate, the franchise key to success and how one should develop great relations with the franchisor. It also describes how to find out what franchise is good for you according to your behaviors. This is explained following the DISC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance) assessment tool. Furthermore, the authors use the KASH (Knowledge, Attitude, Skills and Habits) formula to analyze and forecast the success of a franchise - if you adopt the right attitude by following KASH formula closely, you are in for a prosperous franchise.
In addition, this book takes you through the stages of franchising: The Launch, The Grind, Winning, The Zone and The Goodbye. These stages are well explained and the authors mention what to avoid or what to improve on during those phases in order to succeed.
I found the book to be very well written and explained. The authors make franchising look so simple and very appealing.
There are probably hundreds of books out there on franchising, but this particular book explains the process closely and guides you through all the stages of franchising. It also provides analytical tools to forecast how triumphant you can be at owning a franchise. Written by franchising experts, this book is recommended for those who are interested in franchising.
[...]

Joe Mathews (former manager of national chains such as Subway and Blimpie), Don DeBolt (former president of the International Franchise Association), and franchise developer Deb Percival apply their combined experience in Street Smart Franchising, a no-holds-barred insider's guide when, where, why, and how to franchise. From the learning curve to successfully oversee a franchise, to the evolution of the franchisee-franchiser relationship, to skillfully locating optimum franchise opportunities and following a six-step franchise investigation process, Street Smart Franchising spells out the risks and the rewards in plain terms. An absolute "must-have" for any small business owner contemplating, starting, running, or expanding a franchise.

I've been both a franchisee and a franchisor and own just about every book written about franchising. This book is authored by one of the real thought leaders in the franchise industry, Joe Mathews, and is an important book to read for anyone thinking about opening or buying a franchise and is a good read for anyone recruiting franchisees.
I believe it stands on its own and is one of the books everyone connected to franchising should read.

Franchising is by no means a panacea. Like any business opportunity, buying a franchise does not solve all of your problems. A franchise is simply a business opportunity that has a proven concept of doing business. The originators of the franchise operation started by building a small business and then expanding it to usually a country, if not world, wide operation. As a result they know what to do, how to do it, and are prepared to teach you to do it their way.

Franchising is a way of doing business that may or may not fit your personal requirements of a business to be in. This book starts with telling you what successful franchise owners are like, what personality, what characteristics they have. It allows you to decide if franchising or some other approach is better for you. And it says that 99% of the people who investigate franchising turn it down.

Presuming you make it past these requirements he goes on to talk about selecting the proper franchise, what to expect from the company, what to look for as you evaluate them, even while they are evaluating you.

There's a tag line across the top of the book that says: 'A must read before you buy a franchise?' I agree.

Joe has taken his many years of franchising experience and has teamed up with other franchise professionals to help you navigate the franchise opportunity in a clear, practical and easy to understand format.

Street Smart Franchising is the most useful book about franchising I have ever read. I wish it were available when we franchised our company. We have since given a copy to each member of our board of directors.

Street Smart Franchising does more than help prospective franchises distinguish good opportunities from bad ones. It helps readers identify their own strengths and weaknesses and then use that self-realization to find opportunities that are right for them.

Street Smart Franchising provides real world examples of what franchising looks like when done right and educates readers about what to look for in a franchise system.

Street Smart Franchising walks readers through the logical and emotional steps franchises and franchisors take during each stage of the franchise growth process.

I highly recommend this book to anybody looking to buy a franchise or build a franchise system of their own.

Jacob and Susan D'Aniello
DoodyCalls

A tremendous manual for helping me make financial and life changing important decisions. Provided me with the tools to plan, execute and transition into my own business. I am looking forward to his next book.