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Log In / Register | May 22, 2013

Investigative News

Molly Maid Says It Checks Background

Reporter | Don Sniegowski | Apr 13 | service

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Two months ago a Missouri-based Molly Maid franchisee was arrested for first-degree burglary of a client's home.

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Molly Maid Terminates Alleged Franchisee Burglar

Reporter | Don Sniegowski | Apr 11 | legal, service
Bryan P Frantz
Molly Maid franchisee Bryan P. Frantz of Missouri, photo: BBB

ST. LOUIS — A Missouri-based Molly Maid franchise owner was arrested in February for using a key reserved for cleaning days and allegedly later sneaking into the apartment to perform a first-degree burglary job.

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Government Goes after Instant Tax Service Franchisees for Fraudulent Returns

Reporter | Janet Sparks | Mar 10 | legal, service
Instant Tax Service window
Window of an Instant Tax Service, photo/bmm

LOS ANGELES – As the deadline for filing tax returns is fast approaching, tax preparation companies are busy advertising their services to beat the competition.

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Kumon COO Departure Exposes Management Rifts

Reporter | Don Sniegowski | Feb 12 | franchising, service
Kumon Learning Center signage
A Kumon sign with its puzzled face that seeks to understand, photo/jsparks

TEANECK, NJ — Chief Operating Officer Savio Rebelo resigned last week from the North American subsidiary of Japan's Kumon Institute of Education. His resignation shows a parting of the ways with a chain that is going off in a different direction. Akira Hamanaka, president of Kumon North America, will add the chief operations role to his own duties until a replacement can be found.

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U.S. Postal Service to Cut Saturday Letter Delivery

Reporter | BMM | Feb 6 | service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe announced today in a press conference that the United States Postal Service will stop delivering mail on Saturday except for packages. The Postal Service will transition to the new delivery schedule during the week of August 5, 2013.

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Roark Capital Buys Massage Envy, Ass'n Shut Out

Reporter | Janet Sparks | Oct 10 | manage, service
Massage Envy store in Denver area
A Massage Envy store in Centennial, Colo, photo: sparks

ATLANTA — While the regional franchisee developers association hoped to play an integral role in finding a new buyer for Massage Envy, one with whom they could form a long-term relationship alliance, that prospect has now diminished.

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Massage Envy Association Seeks New Brand Investor

Reporter | Janet Sparks | Sep 5 | service
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SCOTTSDALE – Franchisees of the Independent Association of Massage Envy Regional Developers, Inc announced yesterday that they are looking for a new franchisor owner, one with whom they can form a long-term strategic alliance and collaborative relationship.

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Franchise Services to Buy Advantage Rent-A-Car

Reporter | BMM | Aug 30 | service
Advantage Rent A Car
A quiet Advantage Rent A Car desk at Louisville Airport. photo/bmm

CALGARY — Another rent-a-car brand is passing hands. Hertz Global Holdings has agreed to sell off their no-frills Advantage Rent-A-Car brand to Calgary-based Franchise Services of North America, Inc. (TSX-V:FSN).

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Two Men Boldly Measures Franchisee Profits

Reporter | Don Sniegowski | Aug 6 | manage, service
Wichita franchisee Garrett Peterman (front) at work. Photo/Two Men

LANSING, Mich. — Randy Shacka takes time to talk with Blue MauMau about an extraordinary area where his company stands out. Franchisor Two Men and a Truck measures performance not only of its own franchising company, but also almost everything at the franchise level, including their bottom line. That puts his firm in a rarified area that few franchising firms can emulate.

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Shacka Named President of Two Men and a Truck

Reporter | BMM | Aug 4 | service
Randy Shacka, president of Two Men and a Truck
Randy Shacka named president of Two Men and a Truck

LANSING, Mich. — Former chief operating officer Randy Shacka took over officially as president of Two Men and a Truck moving services on August 1. Brig Sorber, one of the two brothers who founded the moving company, will continue on as chief executive officer. The new president marks the first time the franchising company is led by someone outside of the Sorber family.

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Headlines from the 'Net

Small Business Agency Criticized for Big Business Ties

Member | Sam Blake | Mar 19 | service

The SBA's Office of Advocacy is entrusted with representing the interests of small businesses before other federal agencies.

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ColorTyme Sued for Using PC Rentals to Spy on Customers' Private Lives

Member | Pualani Jensen | Mar 1 | legal, service
Franchisor Colortyme is alleged to have spied on its customers via computer cameras

A class action is being sought against ColorTyme and its franchisees for using DesignerWare spyware on people who rented or bought computers from them. The spying included taking web cam photos while customers were in the privacy of their homes, accessing communications and recording key strokes.

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Hacker Exposes Hotel Electronic Lock Vulnerability

Member | Pualani Jensen | Jan 4 | hotel, service

In late July, public confidence in hotel security took a major blow.

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Enterprise, Alamo and National Ranked Top Rental Brands

Reporter | Janet Sparks | Nov 8 | service

A new consumer survey recognizes Enterprise, National and Alamo as the top car rental brands for airport customer satisfaction. The survey, conducted by J.D. Power and Associates, was released yesterday. 

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Curves Bought by Private Equity Firm North Castle Partners

Expert | john a. gordon | Sep 12 | service
An old closed down Curves Fitness
A shuttered Curves Fitness

Josh Kosman of the NY Post has reported that the Heavin family, the Curves founding group, has sold to private equity firm North Castle Partners.

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Ameriprise Made It Harder to Be a Zee

Reporter | Don Sniegowski | Jun 21 | service

Ameriprise Financial, where franchise owners pay back their small business loans better than any other, angered its employees in 2009 by making it much harder to become franchisees.

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Forbes Picks Up Coverall Scandal

Reporter | Janet Sparks | May 22 | service
Coverall ordered to pay $3 Million to workers for pretending they are franchisees

A Massachusetts court presented Coverall with a bill this month for $3 million to pay back franchisee fees and other expenses to over 100 workers wrongfully disguised as franchisees. 

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One of Valvoline's Largest Instant Oil Change Franchises Files Chapter 11

Member | 20yearzee | Apr 15 | buy, franchising, service

A Valvoline Oil & Lube shop in KentuckyOne of Valvoline's largest instant oil change franchises, Great Lakes Quick Lube LLP, is filing bankruptcy after the franchisee has struggled to make profits since starting the business in 2004.

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Interview with Jim Majirsky, President and CEO of DwellGreen

Member | Annabel Jones | Feb 22 | service
Jim Mijirsky

DwellGreen's CEO Jim Majirsky

Jim Majirsky wants to save you some green. As the president and CEO of business and home services franchise DwellGreen, he just might be able to.

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Franchise Growth Stymied by Tightening of SBA Loans

Reporter | Janet Sparks | Nov 6 | service

Heidi Ganahl, founder of Boulder-based Camp Bow Wow, says although her dog care service franchise is adding locations across the country growth has been stunted by tight financing.

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Expert Advice

Telemarketing Service Provider – Points To Consider While Hiring One

Member | jasongonce | Mar 7 | service
jasongonce's picture

If making a large number of telephone calls is a key component of your business, then using inbound/outbound telemarketing services can be a potential way of extending your ma

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Optimize the Efficiency of your Business with E-Commerce Fulfilment

Member | jasongonce | Feb 18 | service
jasongonce's picture

When it comes to starting a business, even though you need a good model.

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Investors Await SEC Action on mUrgent

Reporter | Janet Sparks | Feb 16 | service
Janet Sparks's picture

Franchisors and suppliers at this year’s International Franchise Association Convention and Exhibition can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that mUrgent Corporation will not be selling its services. We can only assume that IFA blocked its past “Preferred Email Marketing Vendor from 2007 to 2010” from exhibiting after Blue MauMau’s reports on the firm’s securities fraud violations. California federal court issued an order in March 2012, resulting in a $21 million judgment by the federal government.

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