business opportunities magazine

Omaha, NE – Scooter’s Coffee, the Midwest-based coffee franchise that has experienced tremendous growth over the past year, is joining coffee lovers everywhere in celebrating National Coffee Day on Saturday, September 29.

Scooter’s Coffee will offer free, hot brewed coffee, any size, to anyone visiting a Scooter’s Coffee location.

“Our patrons are very passionate about their coffee,” said CEO Todd Graeve. “We wanted to give back to our loyal customers for National Coffee Day and treat them to their morning cup of coffee. Our amazing customers have supported us for 20 years, and we’re excited to experience the next 20 years with them.”

Since Scooter’s Coffee is fueling its fans with a free brewed coffee on National Coffee Day, the brand wants to know who fuels its fans on a daily basis. Starting on September 24, customers are encouraged to visit facebook.com/scooterscoffee and nominate a significant person in their life that inspires them every day. One lucky winner will receive free coffee for a year. Nominations will be accepted through Saturday, September 29.

In addition, on National Coffee Day, Scooter’s Coffee fans can upload a coffee selfie to Instagram or Twitter and hashtag #ScootersCoffeeDay. The brand will then review the posts and select winners at random for Scooter’s Coffee swag, gift cards and more!

Following National Coffee Day, on October 1, fall fanatics can rejoice with the return of the Caramel Apple Butter Latte. This fall favorite combines apple butter flavor, caramel and espresso for the perfect drink to cozy up with. The Caramel Apple Butter Latte will be available for October only.

CARROLLTON, TX – FASTSIGNS International, Inc., franchisor of FASTSIGNS®, the leading sign, graphics and visual communications franchise, announced today that it will be attending and sponsoring Franchise Expo Midwest in Rosemont, Illinois, Sept. 14-15, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, to recruit qualified franchisees to help the brand grow throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Entrepreneurs are invited to meet with the brand’s franchise development team at booth #313 to learn more about the FASTSIGNS franchise opportunity.

“Whether or not you have experience in signage and visual communications, FASTSIGNS is a strong investment for entrepreneurs seeking opportunities with the leading franchise brand in the space with almost 700 locations worldwide,” said Mark Jameson, EVP of Franchise Support and Development, FASTSIGNS International, Inc. “Franchisees love our business model because it’s focused on direct business-to-business sales, has high margins and low staff, and hours of operation are Monday through Friday. We are looking forward to connecting with interested candidates excited about getting involved in this fast-paced, service-based industry.”

Husband-and-wife team Jeremy and Jody Kemp leveraged their combined small business, marketing, sales, and graphic design experience to open a FASTSIGNS in Crystal Lake, Illinois. They were attracted to FASTSIGNS’ proven business model, high franchisee satisfaction, and vast support system.

“We looked at everything from home health care to printing, and FASTSIGNS kept coming up over and over again as one of the top in franchisee satisfaction,” Jeremy said, adding that as a first-time business owner, he didn’t want to feel alone in running the franchise. “You ask, ‘What if? What if this happens? What if someone asks this?’ Now we have someone to call and they actually make you feel like they are invested in your success.”

As part of the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) VetFran program, FASTSIGNS offers veterans a 50-percent reduction on the franchise fee – a savings of $23,750. FASTSIGNS is thrilled to be the only franchisor in its segment to offer a development incentive specifically to veterans and first responders.

In 2018, FASTSIGNS plans to open an additional 45 centers across the U.S. Throughout North America, FASTSIGNS has over 400 markets ready for development. Internationally, FASTSIGNS is continuing to seek qualified candidates to grow its international footprint in target markets throughout the world, including New Zealand, Brazil, Quebec, North Africa, Southeast Asia, India, Europe, and Latin America.

FASTSIGNS International, Inc. was ranked the #1 franchise opportunity in its category and 70 overall on Entrepreneur magazine’s 2018 Franchise 500®, the world’s first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Acknowledged by entrepreneurs and franchisors as a top competitive tool of measurement, the Franchise 500® recognizes FASTSIGNS, the only sign, graphics, and visual communications franchise to be recognized in the top 100, for its exceptional performance in areas including financial strength and stability, growth rate and brand power. FASTSIGNS also has been recognized for its franchisee satisfaction by being named a World Class Franchise by the Franchise Research Institute for five consecutive years and has been ranked by Franchise Business Review as one of the “Best of the Best” for franchisee satisfaction for the last 10 years. Additionally, FASTSIGNS also was named to Franchise Business Review’s “Innovative Franchises” list in 2017 and a “Best-in-Category” franchise by Franchise Business Review in 2018. The Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) recently recognized FASTSIGNS International, Inc. with a special six-year Franchisees’ Choice designation for its strong relationship with Canadian franchisees, as well as extensive franchisee training and support.

For information about the FASTSIGNS franchise opportunity, contact Mark Jameson (mark.jameson@fastsigns.com or 214-346-5679).

OMAHA, NE – PRNewswire

According to the National Alliance for Family Caregiving, 22 percent of America’s nearly 44 million family caregivers provide care to someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. However, advice on practical care and communication techniques for those family caregivers can be hard to find. Ahead of World Alzheimer’s Day on Sept. 21, Right at Home, a global in-home care provider, will offer families caring for loved ones with dementia or cognitive change two helpful educational resources.

On Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. ET, Debbie Friedman, Director of Organizational Learning for Right at Home Corporate, will host a webinar in conjunction with the American Society on Aging. “While many factors are out of our control, there are areas we can focus on to enhance the quality of life for individuals experiencing cognitive change, whether due to stroke, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia,” said Friedman.

The free webinar,”Person-Centered Care for Someone With Dementia,” will cover critical factors to keep in mind when caring for a person living with cognitive change and will offer insight on how families can connect with their loved ones in new ways. Health professionals who attend the webinar will receive complimentary continuing education units (CEUs).

Right at Home has also released “A Guide for Those Supporting Loved Ones With Dementia or Cognitive Change.” This is a resource for family caregivers that offers guidance on:

• The impact of dementia and cognitive change on families.
• Techniques for caring for a loved one with dementia or cognitive change.
• Maintaining personal well-being as a family caregiver.

The guide is built on the foundations of Right at Home’s RightCare approach to dementia and cognitive support, which incorporates a person’s ability, personhood, and lifestyle risk factors known to increase symptoms of dementia into each personalized care plan.

With the RightCare approach to dementia and cognitive support, Right at Home aims to improve the quality of life for those living with dementia, but to also go a step further and do the same for families. Right at Home does this by not only offering person-centered, abilities-driven coaching and education to families, but also by forming strong care partnerships among the local Right at Home office, the families the office serves, and the highly trained dementia caregivers providing care.

Windsor, Colo., resident Paul Johnston sought help from Right at Home in nearby Fort Collins, Colo., after his wife’s, Sherri’s, symptoms of dementia worsened. Owner Patti Walter worked with Paul to build a personalized care plan for Sherri and asked caregiver Heather Quass to support the Johnston family with techniques from the RightCare approach to dementia and cognitive support.

“Heather’s hands-on involvement has been a godsend to me,” said Paul. “When I signed up with [Right at Home], I mentioned I wanted to keep my wife, Sherri, at home as long as possible. Since Heather came on the scene, our lives have improved dramatically. Specifically, Sherri ‘doesn’t get as mad or as easily mad’ as she used to. Heather laughs a lot … and is willing to sit and ‘listen’ as Sherri reads out loud the same book she has already read 10 times before … this brings a smile to my wife’s face.”

“Right at Home approaches all our clients with the goal to provide the Right Care, and when it comes to helping those with dementia and cognitive support, we know that we can improve their quality of life and make a difference in their lives and their loved ones’ lives by better understanding how to interact with them,” said Brian Petranick, CEO and president of Right at Home. “By educating our caregivers and the families of our clients living with dementia or cognitive change, we are aiming to provide choices in our clients’ care, protect our clients’ dignity, and give our clients the chance to be who they are to the best of their ability for as long as possible.”

ENGLEWOOD, CO – BUSINESS WIRE

WellBiz Brands, Inc., a franchise portfolio company operating three distinct health and wellness brands – Elements Massage®, Fitness Together® and FIT36® – announces it has acquired the Amazing Lash® Studio franchise brand.

Amazing Lash Studio, the leading provider of affordable eyelash extensions, was founded in 2010 and operates over 200 franchise locations in 33 states. Amazing Lash Studios are retail salons that apply semi-permanent eyelash extensions with a proprietary, patented process to the client’s own lashes, replicating the curve and size of natural lashes. Entrepreneur Magazine ranked Amazing Lash Studio #5 on their 2018 Top New Franchises list. The brand was also #260 on the Inc. list of America’s 500 Fastest Growing companies.

“I am excited to welcome the Amazing Lash Studio brand, franchise owners and support team to the WellBiz Brands portfolio of companies,” said WellBiz Brands Executive Chairman Joe Luongo. “The addition of the nation’s leading eyelash extensions franchise brand is a natural expansion to the health and wellness businesses we already operate.”

Amazing Lash Studio, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, will be led by Chief Executive Officer Heather Elrod. Elrod joined Amazing Lash Studio as Chief Operations Officer in June 2016 and brings 25 years of beauty and franchise experience to the WellBiz Brands’ leadership team. Elrod states, “I’m thrilled for Amazing Lash Studio to be joining the WellBiz Brands’ portfolio. By doing so, we will be able to build on our extremely strong foundation and continue to accelerate studio growth, product innovation and franchisee support so Amazing Lash Studio remains the category leader in the eyelash extensions and retail beauty industries.”

WellBiz Brands, a leader in the health and wellness industry, was recently included on the Inc. 5000 list. The acquisition of Amazing Lash Studio strengthens WellBiz Brands position by adding beauty to their growing health and wellness portfolio. With its robust shared services platform and infrastructure, WellBiz Brands is uniquely qualified to serve the growing needs of the health-conscious consumer and will continue to pursue investments that leverage this strength. To support on-going growth, the company has significantly invested in its leadership, creating a management team with experience from many diverse and respected consumer companies.

Piper Jaffray served as financial advisor to WellBiz Brands on the transaction. As part of the acquisition, Golub Capital provided WellBiz Brands financing through a new credit facility to fund both this transaction and future growth.