Franchise Name: Checker's Drive-In Franchise URL: Checker's Drive-In Franchise Fee: $30,000 Agreement Terms: 20 yr. Renewable Investment Total: $476,700 - $617,200 Year Established: 1986 US Franchises: 589 Franchise Top 500 #76 Ranking Franchise 2009 #63 Ranking Franchise Global See More Franchise Reports Notes: Checker's Drive In was founded in 1986 in Mobile, Alabama. They have since then merged with Rally's. It is a drive thru restaurant chain specializing in burgers and fries.

Franchise Name: Edible Arrangements Franchise URL: Edible Arrangements Franchise Fee: $25,000 Agreement Terms: 10 yr. Renewable Investment Total: $154,920 - $298,005 Year Established: 1999 US Franchises: 745 Franchise Top 500 #48 Ranking Franchise 2010 #41 Ranking Franchise Global See More Franchise Reports Notes: In 1999, Tariq Farid and his brother created the idea of selling edible flower arrangements made out of fruit. They began to franchise in 2001 and now have over 700 stores in the U.S.

Franchise Name: Schlotzsky's Franchise URL: Schlotzsky's Franchise Fee: $30,000 Agreement Terms: Term of agreement not renewable Investment Total: $343,630 - $618,500 Year Established: 1971 US Franchises: 320 Franchise Top 500 #247 Ranking Franchise 2010 #183 Ranking Franchise Global See More Franchise Reports Notes: Schlotzsky's was founded by Don and Delores Dissman in 1971. They sell sandwiches, soups, salads and pizzas. They are most famous for their specialty bread.

Franchise Name: Keller Williams Realty Franchise URL: Keller Williams Realty Franchise Fee: $25,000 Agreement Terms: 5 yr. Renewable Investment Total: $174,647 - $557,495 Year Established: 1983 US Franchises: 675 Franchise Top 500 #60 Ranking Franchise 2010 #52 Ranking Franchise Global See More Franchise Reports Notes: Gary Keller and Joe Williams merged together in 1983 and started franchising four years later. It is an international real estate company located in Canada and the US.

Franchise Name: Cold Stone Creamery Franchise URL: Cold Stone Creamery Franchise Fee: $42,000 Agreement Terms: 10 yr. Renewable Investment Total: $292,375 - $438,975 Year Established: 1988 US Franchises: 1,221 Franchise Top 500 #35 Ranking Franchise 2010 #29 Ranking Franchise Global See More Franchise Reports Notes: Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Donald and Susan Sutherland started this ice cream franchise back in the late 1980's. These delicious desert creations are mixed together on a frozen granite slab to your exact specifications.

Franchise Name: Ben and Jerry's Franchise URL: Ben and Jerry's Franchise Fee: $32,000 Agreement Terms: 10 yr. Renewable Investment Total: $143,400 - $446,100 Year Established: 1978 US Franchises: 383 Franchise Top 500 #98 Ranking Franchise 2010 #80 Ranking Franchise Global See More Franchise Reports Notes: Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield started this franchise in 1978 from a gas station in Burlington, Vermont. They have come a long way the past 30 years and continue to grow their ice cream business.

Franchise Name: Jenny Craig Franchise URL: Jenny Craig Franchise Franchise Fee: $25,000 Agreement Terms: 10 yrs, renewable Investment Total: $169,600 - $440,500 Year Established: 1983 US Franchises: 98 Franchise Top 500 #155 Ranking Franchise 2009 #121 Ranking Franchise Global See More Franchise Reports Notes: Founded in 1983 in Melbourne, Australia by owner Jenny Craig and 2 years later brought to the US. This weight loss and nutrition company is now headquartered in Carlsbad, California.

Franchise Name: Smoothie King Franchise URL: Smoothie King Franchise Franchise Fee: $25,000 Agreement Terms: 10 years, renewable Investment Total: $140,000 - $330,000 Year Established: 1987 US Franchises: 554 Franchise Top 500 #80 Ranking Franchise #67 Ranking Franchise Global See More Franchise Reports Notes: Steve Kuhnau opened the first Smoothie King in 1987. Each Smoothie King store sells smoothies and a variety of vitamins, minerals, low fat snacks and nutritional supplements.

Franchise Name: Marble Slab Franchise URL: Marble Slab Franchise Franchise Fee: $15,000 - $25,000 Agreement Terms: 10 yr. Renewable Investment Total: $216,700 - $374,000 Year Established: 1983 US Franchises: 295 Franchise Top 500 #354 Ranking Franchise 2010 #189 Ranking Franchise Global See More Franchise Reports Notes: Prepared on an actual marble slab, this Houston-based company offers a variety of different homemade ice cream flavors. It is family-owned and was started in 1983.

Franchise Name: Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Franchise URL: Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Franchise Franchise Fee: $25,000 Agreement Terms: 10 years, renewable Investment Total: $48,000 - $92,000 Year Established: 1960 US Franchises: 5,778 Franchise Top 500 #21 Ranking Franchise 2008 #5 Ranking Franchise Global 2008 See More Franchise Reports Notes: Started in 1960, Jackson Hewitt is a full-service, year-round national tax service specializing in computerized federal and state preparation of individual returns. It began franchising in 1986.

Franchise Name: H & R Block Franchise URL: H & R Block Franchise Franchise Fee: $0 Agreement Terms: Term of agreement not renewable Investment Total: $26,000- $85,000 Year Established: 1955 US Franchises: 3,999 Franchise Top 500 #6 Ranking Franchise 2009 #5 Ranking Franchise Global See More Franchise Reports Notes: Founded in 1955 by brothers Henry W. and Richard Bloch. Offer their own consumer tax software called H&R Block at Home (formerly TaxCut), as well as online tax preparation and electronic filing from their website.

Franchise Name: Pizza Hut Franchise URL: Pizza Hut Franchise Franchise Fee: $25,000 Agreement Terms: Term of agreement not renewable Investment Total: $316,000 - $3,000,000 Year Established: 1957 US Franchises: 6,535 Franchise Top 500 #15 Ranking Franchise 2009 #12 Ranking Franchise Global See More Franchise Reports Notes: The first Pizza Hut opened its doors in 1958. Just a year later, the company incorporated and the first franchise opened in Topeka.

Franchise Name: Long John Silver's Franchise URL: Long John Silver's Franchise Franchise Fee: $20,000 Agreement Terms: 20 yr. Renewable Investment Total: $879,000 - $1,300,000 Year Established: 1969 US Franchises: 1,022 Franchise Top 500 #70 Ranking Franchise 2009 #59 Ranking Franchise Global See More Franchise Reports Notes: In 1969, this Treasure-Island-inspired fish 'n' chips restaurant opened in a small wharf-side building. Parent company is Yum! Brands Inc., which also franchises A&W Restaurants, KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.

Franchise Name: Taco Bell Franchise URL: Taco Bell Franchise Franchise Fee: $45,000 Agreement Terms: 20 years, not renewable Investment Total: $1,300,000 - $2,500,000 Year Established: 1962 US Franchises: 4,259 Franchise Top 500 #45 Ranking Franchise 2009 #39 Ranking Franchise Global See More Franchise Reports Notes: In 1962, Bell sold the Taco Tia brand to his partners and opened the first Taco Bell in Downey, California. Today, Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands Inc., which also franchises A&W Restaurants, KFC, Long John Silver's and Pizza Hut.

Franchise Name: Circle K Franchise URL: Circle K Franchise Franchise Fee: $15,000 Agreement Terms: 10 yr. Renewable Investment Total: $161,000 - $1,400,000 Year Established: 1951 US Franchises: 469 Franchise Top 500 #25 Ranking Franchise #20 Ranking Franchise Global See More Franchise Reports Notes: The Circle K convenience store chain got its start in 1951, when Fred Hervey bought three Kay's Food Stores in El Paso, Texas. The company began franchising in 1999.

Franchise Name: Sonic Franchise URL: Sonic Franchise Franchise Fee: $45,000 Agreement Terms: 20 yr. Renewable Investment Total: $1,200,000 - $3,500,000 Year Established: 1954 US Franchises: 3,055 Franchise Top 500 #4 Ranking Franchise 2009 #4 Ranking Franchise Global See More Franchise Reports Notes: Sonic Drive In Restaurants began when Troy Smith purchased the Top Hat Drive-In, a root beer stand in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Change the name to Sonic and began franchising in 1959.

Franchise Name: Little Caesar's Franchise URL: Little Caesar's Franchise Franchise Fee: $15,000-$20,000 Agreement Terms: 10 yr. Renewable Investment Total: $109,000-$299,000 Year Established: 1959 US Franchises: 2,000 See More Franchise Reports Notes: Little Caesars was founded by Michael Ilitch and Marian Ilitch on May 8, 1959. The company is famous for its advertising catchphrase, "Pizza! Pizza!" which was introduced in 1979.

Franchise Name: Wendy's Franchise URL: Wendy's Franchise Franchise Fee:$25,000 Agreement Terms: 20 yr. Renewable Investment Total: $250,000 - $600,000 Year Established: 1969 US Franchises: 6,000+ Franchise Top 500 #9 Franchise Times Top 200 Franchise Chains See More Franchise Reports Notes: Wendy's was founded by Dave Thomas in 1969 and named after his 8-year old daughter, Melinda, who had the nickname of "Wendy."

Not every franchise is that of a McDonald’s, where it has been around forever and everyone knows its face.  Many franchises are brand new.  Because they start in an initial, local area, where they are only known to such, it becomes imperative to broaden a franchises marketing campaign.  The way to globalize a franchise is by using a universal marketing tool:  seo and sms marketing. SEO, short for search engine optimization, provides a way for consumers to find out about your franchise faster.  This is helpful to the franchisee in two ways.  When potential franchisees search the Internet to research franchises they may be interested in, this increases your chances of potential franchisees seeing your franchise first before others.  SEO is designed to prioritize websites in the order they appear from a search engine based on page edits and key words.  I won’t go into the technicalities of the process, but basically what happens is a person types in “franchise opportunities” lets say.  Hundreds of pages then appear from the search.  Have you ever wondered who or what decided the ...

Once an individual has decided which franchise to operate and where, and has received necessary funding to secure the investment, the franchisee must decide which way he will market his new franchise business opportunity. He further needs to devise a social network to help support his marketing strategy that can accomplish his financial goals. The point behind franchises is taking a chain global.  An individual opens a localized franchise, achieves success, and then, eventually, opens another franchise at another location.  Soon enough, these franchise businesses exist across the map.  To me, the best way to achieve this is by penetrating the online and mobile world.  All industries have moved this direction, and it only makes sense to adapt this application to the franchise world as well.  This is especially important if the franchise one opens is not an Internet business franchise. The current forms of mobile marketing, which flood the business world include: sms marketing, text message marketing, and SEO.  Of course, there are other forms of marketing, which still apply here.  Signs, billboards, radio advertisement, and television commercials can only help ...