11. Small Business Sourcebook

Recommended Supplement: The Source Book of Franchise Opportunities

The Source Book, (ISBN 1-55623-331-0) according to Robert E. Bond, president of the publisher, Bond & Associates, a business research and development firm, offers the sophisticated potential franchisee the most up-to-date and definitive information on more than 2,700 franchising options. This comprehensive reference book is based on a 41-point questionnaire seeking information about:

• Company history, size, and geographic distribution.
• Investment requirements of franchisees.
• Start-up assistance/training provided by franchisors.
• Ongoing royalty and advertising fees.
• A detailed listing of ongoing franchisor support services.
• Franchisor expansion plans.

In case you're wondering if it's a good book, a testimony from U.S. Congressman Bill Archer (R, Texas) should help:

Unquestionably the most up-to-date, comprehensive, and definitive handbook for data on the ever-changing franchising industry. Bond's research, clarity and presentation are unequaled. Truly required reading for anyone seriously considering an investment in franchising.

Bond writes that for an industry that has such a dramatic impact on the national economy ($1 in every $10 in the retail trade) and that presents a vast and ready market for true value-added publications, the paucity of sophisticated current literature on franchising is disconcerting. But Bond & Associates does recommend four books to any serious potential franchisee.

1. The Continental Franchise Review, Trend Communications, (303) 740-7031. This is an eight-page analytical newsletter that discusses current topics of interest to both franchisees and franchisors alike.
2. The Franchise Option, Expanding Your Business Through Franchising, DeBanks M. Henward, III, and William Ginalski, Franchise Group Publishers, 3644 E. McDowell, Suite 214, Phoenix, AZ 85008. An excellent overview of the inner workings of the industry from the franchisee's point of view.
3. Franchise Law Bibliography, American Bar Association, (312) 988-6064. According to the authors, perhaps the most complete (if dated) bibliography of books, periodicals, and articles about the subject of franchising. Although the thrust is toward a legal orientation, the bibliography covers all areas of franchising.
4. Franchising Opportunities, International Franchise Association (IFA), 1350 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 90, Washington, DC 20005. Gives the most current news on what's happening in franchising (at least with regard to its membership) in a newsmagazine format.

There is at least one other journal you should be familiar with-Entrepreneur: The Small Business Authority (www.EntMag.com or fax: [714] 755-4211). This is a substantial monthly journal (see Chapter 17) of approximately 230 pages, usually found on newsstands, that boasts of a monthly circulation of around 4.5 million. Examples of articles include:

"Best Sellers," by Robert McGarvey. (Five of the nation's top sales profes-sionals share their best secrets to sales success.)
"Danger Zone," by Brian Steinberg. (Scam artists are targeting capital-hungry entrepreneurs. Could you be next?)

Departments cover such items as "The Business Beat" (small enterprise at a glance); "Travel Smarts"; "Entrepreneurial Woman"; "Global Vision" (trademark registration, export regulations, etc.); and "Book Reviews" fill out the rest.

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gary@franchise-update.com

The Source Book of Franchise Opportunities

ISBN 1-55623-331-0
For more information, call: Bond & Associates,

In this section:

2. Hoover's Handbooks
3. Standard & Poor's
4. Robert Morris Associates' Annual Statement Studies
5. FASB Accounting Standards
6. The Wall Street Journal
7. Occupational Outlook Handbook
8. Harvard Business Review
9. Who's Who in America
10. MIT's Technology Review
11. Small Business Sourcebook
12. Peterson's Guide to Four-Year Colleges
13. American Heritage
14. The Worldly Philosophers

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