Mitch York, a former publishing executive who now peddles MauiWowi fruit “smoothie” drinks at Yankee Stadium, is a fellow who does his homework. Before buying a license from the Denver-based MauiWowi franchise, he talked to nearly 100 franchisees at several companies, including about a dozen from the smoothie company itself.These conversations, Mr. York says, helped him to figure out which operation suited his pocketbook, work style and skills. He also vetted each business’s pitfalls and made sure the companies were all they appeared to be. “The franchisees would ask me questions about my plans, too, and would point out things I hadn’t thought about,” says Mr. York, who’s been mixing his concoctions from two carts around New York City since last June. For example, he assumed he would have to buy his equipment, but franchisees told him it would be better to lease at the beginning and gave him the names of companies willing to work with new business owners.
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