Franchise Trends In 2010 | Small Business Trends

By Joel Libava:

There are a couple of categories in franchising that will continue to gather steam in 2010, and for many years to come. There will also be some other interesting things going on in franchising in 2010, and they don’t involve the latest pizza craze, or the launch of a solar-powered pretzel stand.

Let’s start by talking about our country’s demographics. According to AARP International:

“In two years, the oldest of the baby boomers will start turning 65. The baby boomer bulge will continue padding the senior population year after year, growing to 1 in 5 U.S. residents by 2030.”

Millions of baby boomers are retiring every year, and medical advances will allow these folks to live longer, more productive lives. The franchise industry has been starting to capitalize on this trend, with franchise concepts being launched to allow these retired folks to enjoy themselves, longer. Here are a few examples:

* CruiseOne – Being part of World Travel Holdings (WTH) has it’s advantages. CruiseOne franchisees enjoy the distinction of being with the number #1 distributor of cruises in the world. WTH has several other major travel brands, and partners with such companies as Priceline.com, Travelers Advantage, (a 2.2 million online loyalty club) and several major airlines. (CruiseOne was mentioned in my Franchise Trends article last year, too. If you’re going to become a franchise owner, part of your decision to choose a particular franchise opportunity needs to depend on leverage. In this case, leveraging this franchisors massive buying power, so your customers can get the best deals on their cruises.)

Continue reading Joel Libava’s article…