Liberal Southwest Daily Times:
Wednesday evening our SIFE team had the privilege of sitting in on the “Entrepreneur/Franchise – A to Z†Seminar held by the Liberal Chamber of Commerce.
The wide range of topics discussed included choosing a proper franchise, financing, small business development, choosing a business location, city license and policies, and advantages of being a chamber member. The two hour meeting took place in the Seward County Community College Activity Center and was led by Liberals economic director Jeff Parsons.
The first speaker of the night was George Roldan, he covered the topic, “Choosing a Proper Franchise.†Roldan is the owner of the two McDonald’s restaurants in town. The disadvantages to owning a franchise store or restaurant are the initial and yearly costs to the franchise, like McDonald’s, for the use of their products and name.
The advantages, however, are numerous and include varying amounts of marketing support, training support and managerial advice from the franchise company’s staff. Roldan pointed out that with the money he has spent on the two restaurants he owns, he could have opened four “George’s Restaurants†due to the franchise costs. However, he would not be as successful because McDonalds is a trusted brand and everyone knows they can receive a quality product.