I admit it. I do not have a very good impression of fitness club owners. They seem more fitness trainer than business person. More likely to talk about body building and motivation.

In business we thrive on executive summaries and bullet points. Business writers use these when there is back up material so that executives can pour over details and tweak assumptions should they need to.

Will New Franchisors Follow These Sectors Favored by Venture Capitalists?

As an industry, venture capitalists expect moderate growth, investing some $27 billion in 2008, according to a survey by the National Venture Capital Association. The survey shows the top sectors that VCs have picked to invest are:

1. clean tech, technology that reduces energy consumption (80%)
2. media (65%)
3. biotech (55%)
4. Internet (also 55%)

Fifty percent of venture capitalists predict a decline in semiconductor investing while 21 percent see declines in software.

Franchisees To Feel Increased Pressure to Verify Status of Workers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez announced a new regulation on Friday. Called the "No-Match" regulation (pdf, 56 pgs), employers are given 90 days to verify if an employee's social security matches the identification found in the database of the Social Security administration. It's free E-Verify program allows employers to check the validity of social security registration and will be revamped next month to include photo screening features and other resources.

Legal status verification may be problematic for small business owners who lack the human resources of large companies. Franchisors may also feel increased pressure to terminate franchisees for hiring illegal aliens.

New Concept in Franchising

Writer's note: Here's a recap of an original article that reads more like a press release than a news article. However, it does show the wide breadth and direction in housing services that franchising continues to grow into. This time it is in a retailer of granite, marble and customized countertops that begins to sell franchises.

The Stone Shop International is launching what it believes to be the first national franchising network in countertops. Franchisees will receive equipment packages, fabricator training, sales and marketing support, sales training, and economies of scale in their supply chain.

Company owner Art Attaway observes, “Franchisees will receive the benefit of pre-negotiated discounts on equipment, supplies and materials, and will save tens of thousands of dollars in equivalent time and cash in their business start-up, and have advanced sales and marketing programs, and the availability of national accounts."

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