Author: Jim COEN
Think you work harder than everyone else? If you own a small business, you’re probably right.
A report in the Sun-Sentinel states that more than 30 percent of small-business owners work an average of at least 10 hours a day, compared with only 19 percent of the general population, according to the monthly Discover Small Business Watch index. (more…)
Author: Jim COEN
Americans now spend $41 billion a year on their pets”more than the gross domestic product of all but 64 countries in the world. That’s double the amount shelled out on pets a decade ago, with annual spending expected to hit $52 billion in the next two years, according to Packaged Facts, a consumer research company based in Rockville, Md.
That puts the yearly cost of buying, feeding, and caring for pets in excess of what Americans spend on the movies ($10.8 billion), playing video games ($11.6 billion), and listening to recorded music ($10.6 billion) combined. “People are no longer satisfied to reward their pet in pet terms,” argues Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Products Manufacturers Assn. (APPMA). “They want to reward their pet in human terms.”
That means hotels instead of kennels, braces to fix crooked teeth, and frilly canine ball gowns. Pet owners are becoming increasingly demanding consumers who won’t put up with substandard products, unstimulating environments, or shoddy service for their animals. But the escalating volume and cost of services, especially in the realm of animal medicine, raises ethical issues about how far all this loving should go.
Author: Jim COEN
McDonald’s, for one, has been energetic in promoting its status as a heavily franchised business – about 37% of its UK outlets are now franchises – and is one of the key backers of a new BFA campaign to promote franchising.
The “Proud to Franchise” campaign will see franchisees encouraged to put up stickers, give out leaflets and brand their websites and stationery with the fact that they are a franchised business. (more…)
Franchise Romania Business BLOG