Despite today’s downturned economy, or perhaps because of it, more and more business owners are discovering the secret of stability and prosperity: franchising. Franchising, though not for all businesses, is an ideal way to grow your company. Franchising allows for the duplication of successful business plans and then applies them directly to your own business. Through the aid and support from the Dwyer Group, you as an owner can spend less time bogged down in the time-consuming minutia of daily business life and can apply yourself to improvement and expansion.

The Dwyer Group is comprised of 7 potential concepts that you might be interested in operating. One of the greatest benefits of working with the Dwyer Group is that you can either convert your existing business into a successful franchise, or you can start from scratch and build your franchise from the ground up. This flexibility allows you the freedom to run your company, while also having support when you require it. Between the Dwyer Group’s proven business plans and excellent training opportunities, becoming a franchisee means starting out ahead and with more connections that you could previously dream.

There are 7 potential franchises that encompass the Dwyer Group, and each one has its own unique benefits and is recession-resistant.

Rainbow International- Rainbow International is in the smoke, fire and water restoration industry. This industry is both recession-resistant and profitable. In addition to those basic services, Rainbow International also offers mold removal services, biohazard clean up and commercial services. With a Rainbow Franchise, you will receive full training and support, and will receive help from our national accounts and marketing team in order to help you get the optimal number of jobs for your business.

Glass Doctor- Not only is Glass Doctor the largest fully franchised residential, business and auto glass franchise company in the U.S. and Canada, they also have the ability to make your existing glass company skyrocket. With a Glass Doctor franchise, you will have access to experts in specialty glass services that can drastically increase your client base. Through a franchise with the Dwyer Group, you will have access to discounts and rebates on all that you need to run your company, and access to special, proven business systems that will streamline your company and maximize results.  

Aire Serv- Aire Serv is a leader in the heating and air conditioning industry, an industry that is both competitive, profitable and always necessary. By opening an Aire Serv franchise, you can learn how to increase profitability, have access to our cutting-edge research and learn to expand your existing company into something much greater. With over 175 locations worldwide, there are hundreds of franchise owners in a support system, as well as the entire Dwyer Group team, who will provide help and information on running a successful business. 

Mr. Appliance- Mr. Appliance is the largest fully franchised appliance repair company in the world. By opening a Mr. Appliance franchise, you are getting the chance to benefit from fifteen years worth of experience in servicing high-end appliances and operating successful businesses.  The industry is both dynamic and competitive, and many people previously owning appliance repair services have made the switch to a Mr. Appliance franchise and seen their companies really take off.

Mr. Electric- Mr. Electric is an electrical home service provider with impeccable connections. Already the official electrical home installation partner of the Home Depot, this powerful alliance has helped our franchise owners become leaders in the industry. With this franchise, you will be able to provide special electrical services like solar patio lighting, security lighting, custom projects and much more. As a franchise owner in such a successful business, you will be allowed the freedom of running your own business with the security of support from other franchise owners and headquarters just a phone call away.

Mr. Rooter- A leader in the plumbing industry, Mr. Rooter allows you to build a successful franchise due in part to the training and business services you will receive on your induction into the franchise family. With a long, illustrious history, Mr. Rooter was founded in 1974 and has grown to over 300 franchise locations across the United States, Canada and Europe. Opening a Mr. Rooter franchise means that you will have access to important help that will allow you to focus your time on improving efficiencies and performance. As always, being a part of one of the Dwyer Group’s franchises also means that you will receive the immense discounts and rebates available through the Dwyer Group’s many connections. 

The Grounds Guys- The newest franchise opportunity in the grounds and lawn care industry, The Grounds Guys franchise comes with all of the systems, training, support and tools to become a fully profitable and competitive franchise. With all franchise territories in the United States open, opening a franchise has never been more accessible. Regardless of your experience, you will receive top of the line training  and you can focus on streamlining your business to maximize profitability.

Whether an existing business owner or a new one, any one of these franchises can help you take your business to new, impressive heights. Having the support of other franchisees and the invaluable training and resources from the Dwyer Group means adding layers of security and aid that are difficult to find in smaller, non-franchised businesses. Many franchise owners have praised the system, stating that they are able to devote their time to actually running the business and expanding it, rather than simply putting out fires as soon as they spring up.

Convinced? Click here to get started.

By Laura Shaheen

We could fill this space with the normal platitudes: “There’s no time like the present!” “Time waits for no man!” “Don’t put off on tomorrow what can be done today!” But besides those being irritably cheery, the core message is the same, and it’s one that’s existed since the start of humanity: get going. There are 24 hours in a day, and oftentimes we feel like we’re barely treading water as it is. That is when our real nemesis creeps in. Our worst enemy isn’t our schedule, or a bothersome coworker, it’s the mentality that perhaps, when the time is right, we might start buckling down to making things happen.

That’s the biggest excuse we hear from budding entrepreneurs about starting up their companies. There are a host of others: money issues, age issues, experience and confidence issues, but what all of the issues boil down to is that we live in a nation ruled by procrastination. There will never be a time when all the stars align, when you’re making more money than you’ve dreamed, and you have vast quantities of free time (However, if you do manage this, hats off to you. Perhaps you should look into motivational speaking.) For the rest of us normal folk, entrepreneurship is intimidating and we put it off.

No longer. Check out some of these tips, and get going.

1.)    Make the time: We’re all strapped for time. Honestly, sometimes it might seem like you’re pulled thin enough, by work, by your family, by your friends. The point is, however, that everyone you know is in the same boat. Twenty-four hours a day is all we have to make our impression, day after day. You have exactly one lifetime to leave a legacy. In the case of dithering over whether to get into the franchise business, follow the rest of our tips. Make time to research, and then think long and hard about whether the decision is right for you. Learn to prioritize and time-manage. A firm handle on those is like the key to the universe.

2.)    Turn struggle into a lesson: It’s tempting to ignore your struggles. It would be so much easier to turn a blind eye to your failures, and to avoid thinking about the mistakes you’ve made coming to the point you’re at this very second. While it’s not healthy to overly dwell on mistakes, neither is it beneficial to simply push them from your mind, time and time again. Learn from your mistakes, and then learn to push them away once you’ve established what you did wrong. As human beings, it’s instinct to make excuses, even to ourselves. Getting past that barrier of lying to oneself is like its own victory in the war of success.  

3.)    Research until you drop: This point, though down here at number three, is the cornerstone on which this entire article rests. Research. Perhaps opening a franchise isn’t right for you. But without research, you will continue to devote day after day to it in the back of your mind, hemming and hawing as you go over points with no facts to back them up. But perhaps entrepreneurship is the right road. Without making the time to learn, there’s no way that you can move forward. This is procrastination at its most aggressive and damaging. Arming yourself with knowledge can be what defeats the fear, and keeps procrastination at bay. Succeeding in this one aspect is one of the more vital aspects of entrepreneurial victory.

4.)    Discover online tools: Though this ties into research, we felt it deserved its own category. There are so many online tools available to the starting business owner. Cloud computing has become big, allowing you and your employees to access files no matter where you are on the globe. Skype can allow you to make international visits face to face, while other social medias keep you connected in a way that would have been unimaginable just ten years ago. There are also online tools to help you cut costs, like online faxing.

5.)    Buck up and accept responsibility: Finally, responsibility is what separates the go-getters from the mosey-alongers. Accepting responsibility for yourself, your customers and your employees is what can end up maximizing profits and allowing for growth. It’s easy to glide along on a wave of excuses, and most of the time people won’t even call you out on it. They probably recognize their own shortcomings in your words. “Yes, the economy is bad. I would do the same thing,” they say. However, if you accept responsibility and work through your struggles, you will command respect, something that can never be bought, and you will succeed where countless others have failed. That makes you special. That makes you unique.

Make the time, do your homework and take the reins of responsibility. It’s tough, it’s everyday, and it’s not for everyone, but those, as bluntly as possible, are the qualities that will push you into success.

At first glance, social media looks like a zoo. Between phrases like tweeting and retweeting, Facebook “likes,” and Foursquare “check-ins,” it’s easy to see how many business owners simply take a look and then leave the social networking to someone, anyone else. However, it’s unlikely that you’ve avoided social media completely, and that is a step in the right direction.

Social media experts (both self-proclaimed and the one or two Mark Zuckerbergs out there ) are a dime a dozen, but what they’re saying does have value: embrace social media. It’s here to stay, and where else can you potentially reach 250 million people in one place? When the internet rolled around, a new playground was born and rules changed. The same thing is occurring now, instigated by websites like Facebook and Twitter. With a firm grasp on social networking, your company can quickly not only announce its presence, but it can add something to your client relations that’s impossible to find in a newspaper ad or a television commercial: real, human interaction.

One of the most important and worthwhile things to remember about social media is that there are real people behind the blocks of type. When a customer writes on your company’s page wall to thank you for the service you provided, you get a chance to write back to them and actually interact. That tiny effort, that simple acknowledgement, can do wonders for the good will of your business. If a customer complains on your Facebook wall? Don’t delete it out of hand. Talk to them, figure out the problem, and then try and make reparations. A client you might have lost forever could now be telling all of his friends about how Your Company so quickly addressed his problems. People idly scrolling down the page can see how you treat customers and just like that, more business.   Facebook, Twitter and other social medias are powerful tools, and they don’t have to be intimidating. Check out some of these helpful tips for social media and your page will blossom.

1.)    Create an account and maintain it. This is one of the most critical steps, and though it may appear self-explanatory, it’s the one that companies most often forget. Once you make your Facebook Page, or create your Twitter account, do not simply leave it there to wallow in the internet wasteland. Assign someone to monitor your social media. Without proper monitoring, you might never even get this wonderful opportunity off the ground. If you’re finding yourself strapped for time and knowledge, consider creating a marketing internship position. College students in the area thrive on social media, and marketing internships are highly coveted and highly sought after. Pretty soon you’ll be weeding out the best of the best from your applicants and setting their minds on improving business for your company.

2.)    Create content, don’t merely advertise. One of the reasons that people elect to “like” your page or follow your tweets is that they feel you have something to add to the table. Use this opportunity to inform your fans about things they might not know. Give them a reason to consult your page, and above all else, keep them from regretting they added you.

1. a.       Creating content

i.      Post helpful tips that apply to your customer’s needs. In the yard business? How about some free tips on landscape management?

ii.      Make your company human: post pictures of your employees, have interviews with satisfied clients. The more interactive your page is, the longer people will stick around to look at it.  

iii.    Ask questions, use polls, and get people talking. Make people want to check out your page in the mornings.

3.)    Always keep your eyes open for new ways to advertise. With the proliferation of social medias mobbing the internet, Facebook and Twitter aren’t the only options around. This is especially true depending on the typical demographic of your specific clientele.  A new contender, Foursquare has hit the market hard, increasing their users from 1 million to 10 million in one year. Foursquare is a check-in application at its heart, and as a company owner, if a user checks in at your location, you can offer them a variety of small discounts while they create buzz with their location being posted on various internet profiles. In addition to Foursquare, other social media platforms are changing the ways that people find businesses.

Overall, social media has proved time and time again that it is here to stay and that it can be an effective and inexpensive way to reach consumers you might never have anticipated. If you have a social media page already, give it a makeover, if you don’t have one, well then, what are you waiting for? New ways to spread your company’s name are being created almost more quickly than companies can keep up with, and that simply is an opportunity that cannot be missed.

As the mercury in thermometers is dropping, most people are eager to pull out fall and winter decorations and pull on their boots and gloves.

But homeowners should take the time to ensure their homes and heating systems are just as ready for the change of season.

“You want to make sure your heating system isn’t going to go out at 2 a.m. on a 10-degree night when companies are swamped with calls and you have to wait 10-12 hours to get your heat back on,” said Vinie Copeland, president of Aire Serv of Suffolk franchise. “If you do preventative maintenance now, your chances of that or any other malfunction happening go down.”

Dominion Virginia Power recommends replacing or cleaning filters of forced air furnaces monthly, having your heating system inspected, inspecting your home’s ductwork to ensure no heated air is escaping and sealing up windows and doors with weather stripping or caulk.

“Air leaks are the first thing we look for,” Copeland said. “They can be at the windows, doors and access doors going into an attic. You need to make sure there’s a rubber sweep or something at the bottom of the door and that that your windows are properly sealed. Double pane windows are a good idea.”

If your home isn’t keeping heat like it should, Copeland also recommends taking a look at the insulation in your home. Once the walls are built in a home, it’s hard to do much about insulation, but take a look in your attic.

“Especially if you’ve been living there awhile, your insulation can get moved around while you were getting Christmas decorations or something,” Copeland said. “Either put it back, or put in thicker insulation. It can save homeowners a lot of money over the years.”

One of the most important checkups doesn’t just keep you warm, but it can keep you healthy, as well.

“The emissions from a heater with stress spots or cracks in the heat exchanger can contribute to high levels of carbon monoxide exposure,” Copeland said. “The air we breathe indoors can actually be more dangerous than the air outdoors, so it’s important to check any fuel-burning appliance or heating source to make sure it’s working properly annually.”

While death by carbon monoxide poisoning isn’t common, it can cause less fatal health effects such as headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue.

Warning signs that you may have a potential carbon monoxide leak include a gas flame burning orange or yellow instead of blue, sooty stains on heating appliances or around heating registers or a noisy furnace.

Before you turn on the heater for the winter, Aire Serv recommends taking the following precautions:

Install a carbon monoxide detector outside the sleeping quarters on each floor of the home.

Keep generators in a well-ventilated area and away from the house.

Have the furnace and any heating equipment checked by a heating specialist. In addition to cleaning your system, checking refrigerant levels and adjusting your system as needed, your contractor should look for cracks or damage to the heat exchanger.

Remove any clutter around the furnace, particularly flammable items.

Check your furnace air filter monthly and replace as necessary. Air flow can be restricted if the filter is dirty.

Remember that your pets are as attracted to the warm fireplace and heater as you are, so make sure they can’t burn themselves or knock a heat source over.

A blog is a type of journal arranged online in the form of a web page, typically linked or included in the main web page of a site.

There are many types of blogs, but for this, we will focus on differentiating between two: Personal and Business blogs.

Personal blogs can have a vast range of topics, posts and links. They can be personal, opinionative, political, etc.

Business blogs can be an amazing social tool for communicating with customers and employees in order to share knowledge and build a customer following. They are about seeming impersonal while connecting with potential customers and building web traffic on your site.

Another great thing about blogs…They are completely traceable! You can measure your success, your website’s success, your business’ success; the list can go on.

• Why do I want a blog for my small business?
• Superb question! First of all, why not? Blogs are absolutely simple!
• The software is far easier to manage than what it used to be. Beyond that, most small businesses have a Facebook. Included in that profile is a blog! Simply write in it, link your thoughts to resources or further reading, and publish! That blog will be available for all of your friends to see!
• Don’t have a Facebook, and don’t want one?(First of all, shame on you! Free advertising and a way to get customer feedback, free of charge? Don’t pass that up!)
• There are other options, besides Facebook, believe it or not. Blogger.com, Movable Type, Typepad, these all offer simple ways to get started!
• Blogging offers you not only a free to low-cost way to get advertisement, web presence and customer feedback, but it also is an inexpensive alternative to learning html, hiring a web designer.
• Making the commitment to blog at least 2-3 times a week is highly accomplishable for many. Find a topic that relates to your audience. It doesn’t always have to be solely about you! For example, perhaps an electric company wishes to post a blog. A rational topic could be how to cut back on that electricity bill, how to rewire something, the possibilities are endless!

Finally, business blogs allow your small business a chance to get a vast web presence and share your expertise. It can be a powerful tool in gaining customer trust and assurance, while establishing your name!

Have a look at some of The Dwyer Group concepts’ blogs here:

http://www.rainbowintl.com/blog/

http://mrsrooter.com/

http://www.mrappliance.com/blog/

The new Aire Serv franchisees were awared franchsie territories and attended a five-day training program at the world headquarters in Waco, Texas.

• Billy Bartlett, owner of the Aire Serv of Wise County franchise (Wise, Va.)
• Cesar Cordova, owner of the Aire Serv of Permian Basin franchise (Midland, Texas)
• Alfredo and Lily Figueroa, owners of the Aire Serv of Will County franchise (Plainfield, Ill.)
• Chris King, owner of the Aire Serv of Lake Cumberland franchise (Nancy, Ky.)
• Mark and Holly McDevitt, owners of the Aire Serv of Northeast Indiana franchise (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
• Ron and Jane Nichols, owners of the Aire Serv of Madison County Indiana franchise (Alexandria, Ind.)

“We’re excited to start off the New Year with six new companies,” said Doyle James, president of Aire Serv Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. “We want to see these franchise owners grow their businesses and assist them in bringing quality service to their customers, as well as jobs to their areas.”

This list ranks the top 300 franchise concepts based on a number of criteria including: franchise unit growth rate, availability of franchising, financial strength, system size, Web visibility and total number of years in operation and franchising. AllBusiness.com analyzed more than 800 franchise companies to select the top 300.

This is where the Leading the Service Industry companies were ranked -

Mr. Rooter – 132
Rainbow International – 156
Aire Serv – 164
Glass Doctor – 209
Mr. Appliance – 239
Mr. Electric –  275

“Being recognized on this celebrated list is a testament to the outstanding customer experiences our Mr. Rooter Plumbing franchise owners and their teams provide their communities,” said Mary Kennedy Thompson, president of Mr. Rooter. “We couldn’t be recognized without their hard work day in and day out.”

This is the second annual All Star Franchises list. For complete details on the list, visit AllBusiness.com/allstar-franchises.

With a franchise, you get active public relations support to share your good news with your local media. You’ll be the number one source for any news about home service. This article about effective media relations comes from Julina Macy, the PR Specialist for Aire Serv. Join our team and you’ll have a public relations and marketing team working to make your business stand out.

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Whether you’ve witnessed the demise of a local newspaper firsthand or just heard about the collapse of newspapers and TV stations, you may be thinking that the general public isn’t interested in the news anymore.

While a common idea, it just isn’t true. In fact, a recent study on American journalism from the Pew Research Center found that audiences consider newspapers more valuable now than in past years, but readers are turning to more online sources for information instead of print media.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of resources or manpower from media down sizing, information provided to them must be timely and relevant. Today’s news environment is in overdrive and a consumer’s news interest must be fed 24/7 to keep them coming back for more, whether that news is sent in real time to Internet news Web sites or mobile phones.

In order to adapt to the new forms of communication, it’s more important now than in ever (while it was always important) to provide timely and interesting news stories to your local reporters. To grab their attention quickly — and not lose their interest in the first three seconds of a press release — it’s important to provide solutions to their readers’ problems and to make community interest stories available as they happen.

Gone are the days where a story would sit in a reporter’s inbox or take 24 hours to get printed and read by its audience. Now a story becomes old if it takes 24 hours to get into the reporters hands. As the forms of communication continue to expand and evolve, remember that it is not an option to hold on to a story opportunity for a couple days or more.

With an Aire Serv franchise you get the marketing and public relations support you need to make your company the name in home service.