Dunkin Donuts Franchises Rise to the Top

Dunkin Donuts is best known for their baked goods, specifically their large variety of donuts and coffee choices. The first shop opened in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1950. Within years the company started growing rapidly, franchising as early as 1955. Today with slogans like "America runs on Dunkin," they serve more than 3 million hungry customers each day and are highly successful and innovative with over 8,000 shops in over 30 countries.

Obviously when one thinks Dunkin Donuts they are going to recall the amazing baked goods and coffee providing a great start to any day. Unlike most donut shops, Dunkin's provides a range from donuts and bagels to breakfast sandwiches. Furthermore, by recently adding new hot sandwiches and soups to their menu, the franchise is quickly expanding the services offered to their customers. In the future, the shop may no longer be viewed purely in the terms of breakfast and afternoon snacks, but also a viable option for a quick lunch or dinner.
( More... )

7 Steps on How to Start a Window Cleaning Business That is Successful!

photo credit: Francois Schnell

Before listing the 7 steps on how to start a window cleaning business below, I'd like to first say that I'm going to assume you know that you need to register a business name (preferably with the term "window cleaning service" or "window washing service" in the name). OK...let's move on...

1. Image - In order to grow your window cleaning business the way you want to grow it, you MUST establish a high quality image. There are window cleaners all over the place that look "average". They show up to do a window washing estimate and they look like they just rolled out of bed. Put yourself in a prospect's shoes. 3 window cleaners show up to provide 'em an estimate. Only one of them (hopefully you) is in company uniform (polo shirt/logo) and presents a nice estimate presentation package (references, cover letter, etc.) with a written estimate (most window cleaners provide verbal estimates with no references). Who do you think the prospect will choose to clean their windows. Um...let me think. YOU!

2. Market - Do some initial research into your target market of prospects and what subdivisions/areas where they live. My markets were generally higher income homeowners and retirees.
( More... )

How Much Money Does it Cost to Open a Bar

photo credit: foxspain

When opening a bar for the first time there are some things that you should think about before investing any money into it. You will need to figure in all the cost for startup, along with the cost to continue to stay open for a few months. Here is a list of how much money it cost to open a bar.

College-$2k- $4k
You will need to take a few college courses before you even begin the process of getting a loan and opening a bar. You should first take a class on bartending. This will teach you the proper way to make drinks and all the tricks of the trade. Then you will need to take a few different business courses. You should be very knowledgeable about your business and this is the best way to get there. Once you have finished this, you can then move onto how much money it will cost to open a bar.
( More... )

How Students Can Get Their First College Job

As a college student, you likely have many things on your schedule each day. From studying for tests to going to class, it can seem like there just are not enough hours in the day. Therefore, you may not have considered getting a job while you are in college, but your summers out of class can be a great time to find a job that will not only help you earn some money for your bank account but also to help you gain experience that you will need when you are looking for a job once you graduate.

If you are searching for a job that will help you gain experience that will help you land a job in the future, you should know that students can get their first job with various campus oriented internship programs. These type of companies are great because students are actually put in charge of their own team so they are given a sense of what it is like to be in positions of responsibility like they will probably have once they graduate from college. This company also offers internships for students so this can be a great way to not only earn college credit during your summer months but also to build your resume for your job searching days after you graduate.
( More... )

Starting a Restaurant Business - Factors to Consider

For many entrepreneurs, starting a restaurant business represents a great way to make a good living while doing something that they love. The restaurant business has a high failure rate though with many people quickly realizing that there is more work involved than they originally anticipated and they find that they are not really suited to the restaurant business. Here are some things to consider before you jump in to this industry and invest your time and capital into opening a restaurant.

1) Qualifications and experience. While these are not absolutely necessary you will be drastically increasing your chances of success if you have or can acquire a qualification from a culinary school or if you have some other kind of food, beverage or hospitality industry experience or training

2) Business management skills. If you don't have reasonably good skills and knowledge in areas like bookkeeping, marketing and management there are numerous courses in small business administration that you could consider taking before you take the plunge with your own business.
( More... )