small business opportunities

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.

JACKSONVILLE, FL – PRNewswire

Starting this week, Papa John’s® stores throughout the Southeast U.S. are teaming with Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) to support injured veterans through sales of a special combo deal – 2 large 2-topping pizzas and a 2-liter Pepsi for $22.22. Between Sept. 11 and Nov. 12, Papa John’s will donate $2.22 for every WWP Combo sold at participating locations on papajohns.com.

“Warriors never pay a penny for our programs and services because they paid their dues on the battlefield,” said Gary Corless, WWP chief development officer. “The generosity of our donors and partners like Papa John’s help ensure wounded veterans are able to achieve their highest ambitions.”

“For the second consecutive year, Papa John’s restaurants in the Gulf Coast region are proud to support Wounded Warrior Project,” said Ray Turner, franchise business director at Papa John’s. “We appreciate the great and valuable work they do on behalf of our nation’s wounded veterans.”

Place your order for the WWP Combo and show your support for the warriors WWP serves at https://www.papajohns.com/order/stores-near-me.

To learn more about how support from partners like Papa John’s helps WWP transform the way America’s injured veterans are empowered, employed, and engaged in our communities, visit https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/programs.

PLEASANTON, CA – PRWEB

NextHome, the progressive real estate franchise with consumer-focused branding, technology and marketing, celebrated a milestone in real estate by proudly announcing its 300th grand opening of the newest addition to the franchise, NextHome Dynamic in Freeport, Pennsylvania.

Since its inception in 2015, NextHome has aimed to be revolutionary in the industry, ensuring each franchise harmonizes with today’s real estate landscape and the new needs and demands of today’s consumer. The company is focused on shifting the industry’s orthodox style of transacting real estate to a modern approach where technology is combined with the knowledge and experience related to home buying, selling and homeownership.

“NextHome is delighted to see another franchise come into fruition because this opening means we have achieved a milestone that not many others can attain in such a short time-span,” stated CEO James Dwiggins. “Seeing the realization of office 300 reassures us that our approach and techniques are working not only for our brokers and agents, but our clients as well.”

NextHome has grown to over 300 offices in 43 states with more than 2,700 agents in less than four years.

NextHome attributes this unprecedented growth due to fulfilling a need in the real estate market of a technology-savvy franchise model coupled with a hands-on, interactive corporate team that provides a level of service rarely seen in real estate.

Exceptional branding via the NextHome marketing department, unique marketing pieces in both print and web, strong social media visibility and a corporate staffed member services division are just a few of the resources offered to the NextHome brokers and agents.

“As we have talked to brokers throughout the nation, we see that they want technology, but they also want to feel being a part of a company of collaboration,” said NextHome’s Vice President of Sales Charis Moreno. “We are proud to have our corporate team work hand-in-hand with our members each and every day. It’s that connectivity which sets us apart from other franchises.”

By the end of 2018, Dwiggins anticipates NextHome announcing an additional 50 offices, with the company having over 3,000 members as a part of the NextHome franchise.

IOWA CITY, IA – Behind every great burrito is the team who helped make it and Pancheros Mexican Grill just added a major new ingredient to the brand’s recipe for success – Ryan Murrin.

The fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain announced today that it has appointed experienced restaurant industry marketer Ryan Murrin as vice president of marketing.

Murrin brings more than 15 years of marketing and advertising experience to his new role at Pancheros. Prior to joining Pancheros, he served as the head of advertising, and research at another fast-casual Mexican concept, overseeing the brand’s integrated marketing and media strategy as well as consumer insights, sports sponsorships, direct response and lifecycle marketing initiatives for more than 2,400 of the brand’s restaurant locations.

“As an Iowa native who discovered Pancheros in college, this is a brand I’ve always been passionate about and had a lot heart for,” said Murrin. “Pancheros has built an amazing brand, and I’m honored to be part of the team. I look forward to building insight and data driven marketing programs as the brand continues to grow nationwide.”?

Murrin’s addition to the Pancheros team comes at a very exciting time for the brand, as it continues to expand nationwide through its franchising plan to ink multi- and single-unit agreements in several mid-sized markets throughout the Midwest, East Coast, and in areas contiguous to its existing markets.

“Ryan has a tremendous amount of marketing and industry experience that will greatly support us and our franchisees in increasing brand awareness and recognition, loyalty and growth,” said Rodney Anderson, CEO and founder of Pancheros. “We’re excited to see the big things that are certain to come with a player as talented and experienced as Ryan on our team.”

Pancheros stands apart from other big-name burrito concepts because of its quality ingredients, fast service and burritos better built. However, almost anyone would agree the most distinguishing factors for Pancheros are its innovations – the fresh-pressed tortillas and proprietary ingredient mixing spatula, BOB the Tool.

The brand’s pursuit to build the perfect burrito dates back to 1992, when Pancheros founder Rodney Anderson opened the doors to his first restaurant in downtown Iowa City, Iowa. Since then, the brand has grown into 13 states with approximately 70 locations.

For information about the company, visit https://www.pancheros.com/menu. To learn about franchising opportunities with Pancheros, visit https://franchise.pancheros.com/.

DALLAS, TX – PRNewswire

Christmas Decor has launched its sixteenth consecutive Decorated Family Program to transform the homes of servicemen and woman into magical winter wonderlands this holiday season. With more than 450,000 American men and women deployed overseas, the program is designed to boost spirits and spread cheer for military families across the nation who have to spend the holidays separated from their loved ones.

Now a seasonal tradition, hundreds of Christmas Decor franchisees nationwide participate by donating products, resources, and time to decorate the homes of local military families with lights, garland, ornaments, and other trimmings. Following the decorating process, each decked out home is revealed during a surprise ceremony with family, friends and the community.

“Even after 16 years of surprising deserving families, each reveal moment is as special and heartwarming as the last,” stated Brandon Stephens, president of Christmas Decor. “We know the holidays can be hard on families who have loved ones serving overseas, so we think it’s important to make the holiday a little brighter. We are excited to hear from families and friends across the nation and look forward to another successful year of the Decorated Family Program.”

Community members are encouraged to nominate deserving military families by completing the Decorated Family submission form available on the Christmas Decor Facebook Page. This form provides a place to share the family’s story and explain why they should become a “Christmas Decor Decorated Family.” Winners will be awarded based on the impact the story has on the judges, as well as location to ensure there is a local franchise to provide the services. The company seeks to attract hundreds of nominations that will result in beautifully decorated homes for the 2018 holiday season. The deadline for nominations is on Veterans Day, November 11, 2018.

“The community’s outpouring support was overwhelming – over 150 residents that stood in the freezing cold temperatures to welcome the Mason family,” said Libby Corbo, who nominated the Mason family in 2017. “They lined the yard and street to cheer, clap and thank the family. Dick Ficco and the Christmas Decor team did a fantastic job and the community response brought tears to my eyes – it’s just an incredible example of what makes Hanover [our community] great.”

Operating in more than 300 markets and 49 states, Christmas Decor, Inc. is the largest professional holiday and event decorating franchise. The company offers complete decorating service programs including unique display design, installation, maintenance, and removal of holiday lighting and decorations – alleviating decorating stress while delivering the look customers want.

For more information on the Decorated Family Program, visit https://www.christmasdecor.net/about/.

ST. LOUIS, MO  – Fish Window Cleaning®, the nation’s premier window cleaning service, is improving workplace morale across the country. Studies show that a lack of sunlight in office buildings can negatively affect employees’ self-esteem and productivity. Fish Window Cleaning leads the industry in year-round commercial window cleaning that can boost employee satisfaction.

Psychology Today reports that natural light can drastically improve performance in the workplace. Studies show there is a strong correlation between employees’ exposure to daylight and their subsequent sleep, activity level and quality of life. The more access to natural light employees have, the more content they report feeling.

Cornell University’s Daylight and Workplace Study, reveals workers seated by a window report an 84 percent drop in symptoms associated with computer vision syndrome, which is caused by prolonged screen use. These symptoms include eyestrain, headaches and blurred vision. The study also finds these same employees experienced a 2 percent boost in productivity. That’s the equivalent to around $2 million worth of value over the window’s lifetime. The average American spends 90 percent of their time inside, so it’s important to optimize the available sunlight through windows that are clean.

“The impact of a clean window goes far beyond aesthetics,” says Randy Cross, President of Fish Window Cleaning. “Employees take pride in working at a company that is clean, neat and organized. If you want to increase employee morale and efficiency, start by increasing natural light. Fish Window Cleaning keeps your windows looking great for you on a regular basis.”

Dirt and pollution can build up over time and dim corporate windows. Dirty, obscured windows block valuable natural light and negatively impact worker productivity. Fish Window Cleaning has 40 years of experience in making workplace windows clean and cheerful.

Fish Window Cleaning is the world’s largest window cleaning service with locations in 44 states. FISH window cleaners are licensed, bonded, insured and professional. In addition to commercial and residential window cleaning, Fish Window Cleaning offers services such as mirror, skylight and chandelier cleaning. For more information, visit FishWindowCleaning.com.