Small Business Articles

Small Business Franchises That Save Clients Money During Recession

November 05, 2008
Recession has historically, and lately, had a number of profound effects on the way Americans live life. It changes the way Americans invest and save their finances, it changes how much people are willing to risk employment security for pay increases or lifestyle changes, and perhaps more than anything, it changes American’s spending habits. Because recession makes money tight, or at least threatens that it will soon be in short supply, people begin to cut back on the non-essentials and seek every possible means of expense reduction on the necessities. Whatever the particular reason for someone to reduce expenditures, the fact is that they are, and any business, franchise or otherwise, that can help them save their hard-earned, economy-threatened cash is likely to do well in this turbulent time.

Private Tax Preparation

Every year, individual Americans spend roughly $9bil on tax preparation services. That dollar figure comes out of the pockets of an estimated 62% of the American population, or 187,000,000 people. Few markets see such a large number of people within their reach, and there are probably only a few simple reasons that there are so many seeking tax preparation services each year. First, taxes are something that aren’t a choice; by the decree of Uncle Sam, every American must pay them or face the penalties for tax evasion. Second, although a person could file his own tax return, and some do, many Americans either haven’t the time or the skill to do it. Finally, one of the foremost reasons that people hire someone else to prepare their return is that they trust a professional to be better equipped to take advantage of all possible tax breaks, saving them money.

Aside from the current recession, tax preparation is a high-demand business, but particularly in light of our current economic malady, starting a tax-service franchise business is a great idea. Here are two franchises that afford just such a money-saving and money-making opportunity.

Expecting no previous tax experience from its franchisees, Roni Deutch Tax Center is a flexible yet lucrative franchise opportunity for entrepreneurs versed in management and customer service. The franchisor is both able and willing to teach new franchisees how to prepare tax returns and how to market their businesses, as long as they come with a willingness to learn. Once the franchisee is up to speed with everything he has to know to operate the franchise, he has some options, the largest of which being whether to operate a seasonal or year-round business. Unlike so many other tax preparation establishments, Roni Deutch Tax Center allows franchisees to decide whether they only want to be open during tax season, providing only that one service, or remain open throughout the year and offer other services to their clients as well. Options are good, and Roni Deutch Tax Center provides plenty of them.

Roni Deutch Tax Center isn’t the only name in the tax business, however; Liberty Tax Services and Liberty Tax Services Canada are two recognizable names in the industry. Liberty Tax Services is acclaimed as the fastest growing international tax-service franchise in the world, touting over 2,700 offices in the US and Canada. Led by tax icon John Hewitt, who has been recognized as one of Accounting Today’s 100 most influential accounting professionals, the leadership of this company has a combined total of 400 years of tax-industry experience, making them one of the most trustworthy lead staffs in the world. Mixing cutting-edge tax technology and simple customer service, Hewitt and his worldwide franchisees are changing the face of tax preparation.

Consumer Savings

As strange as it may sound, there are business opportunities in helping the "Joe the plumber’s" of the world spend less on their daily needs. People see many of these opportunities every day, often without even recognizing that someone is profiting from discounts offered at someone else’s retail or food business.

If you’ve ever received in the mail a small packet of coupons to local businesses, you already have a good idea of how a home based business like SuperCoups works. The SuperCoups franchisee takes on the task of selling coupon space to local business owners in his protected area. That means making calls to local businesses, getting out and "pounding the pavement," targeting the best places in the mailing for each advertisement, and ensuring that your clients are getting their money back in sales that the coupons stir up. The best part is that when it comes to actually printing the mailer, the franchisee only has to send the order away to central HQ for printing and mailing.

Business Financial Services

Private citizens, though, are not the only ones trying to save a dollar wherever possible; businesses are hoping to do the same, because in some regards, the recession is hitting them the hardest. What it really boils to is that our current recession began with the banking industry, which has begun to eat away at the business sector, and that, in turn, is what is now really affecting individuals.

Therefore, a small business that helps fish other businesses out of financial trouble is a great aid to everyone, and Global Broker System is one of those helpful financial small businesses. One of the biggest problems facing small business today is the inability to get decent financing for growth, or even just for upkeep, but that is precisely what Global Broker System franchisees offer: relationships with good lenders who can help get smaller operations up and running again with lease financing, working capital loans, business acquisition financing, and more.

Using Trends to Your Advantage

It’s never easy to start a new business, especially with recession looming overhead, but knowing market conditions can help show you what industries are available and may actually be doing well in spite of, or because of, the market. For the time being, finding a business for sale in finance is a good move because finances have become such a hot-button issue.
November 05, 2008