As the year closes, we look at to the fastest growing franchises. These ten franchises have a bright future in 2007. In fact, they are the Top 10 as reported by Entrepreneur Magazine.
1. Subway
Submarine Sandwich Restaurant Chain
When Fred De Luca was 17 years old, he and Peter Buck, a family friend opened the first branch in 1965 in Connecticut. 1974, they started franchising. With their healthy and fresh-alternative to countless fast food, Subway established franchises all around the country and even abroad.
2. Jan-Pro Franchising Int’l Inc.
Commercial Cleaning
Founder Jacques Lapointe founded Jan Pro in Rhode Island in 1991 and started franchising in 1992. Jan-Pro is a leading commercial cleaner with franchises in United States and Canada.
3. Dunkin’ Donuts
Donuts & Baked Goods
William Rosenberg founded Industrial Luncheon Services in Boston in 1946. The he opened the Open Kettle, a donut shop in Massachusetts. Two years later, the name was changed to Dunkin Donut’s. Now, Dunkin’ Donuts offer their customers various flavors of donuts, bagels, muffins, coffee and fruit drinks. It is located in over 40 countries.
4. Coverall Cleaning Concepts
Commercial Cleaning Services
Coverall Cleaning Concepts was founded in 1985. Today, it provides commercial cleaning services all over North and South America, Asia and Australia. Their services include carpet cleaning, hard floor care and restroom sanitation.
5. Jazzercise, Inc.
Dance Fitness Program
Judi Sheppard taught traditional jazz dance classes in Illinois in 1969. In 1977, she moved to Southern California where she trained other instructors the Jazzercise program which is a “just for fun” class that combined aerobic exercises and dance moves. The company started franchising six years later. Based in Carlsbad, California, Jazzercise trains 5000 instructors and teaches total-body fitness program to half a million participants in the United States every year. The program can also be found in 30 other countries. In fact, Jazzercise instructors are even becoming a franchise.
6. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service
Income Tax Preparation
Jackson Hewitt started in 1960. It is an all year round and full-service national tax specialization. It is responsible for computerized federal and state preparation of individual returns. It started franchising in 1986. Ironically, it was the same year IRS started using the electronic filing.
7. RE/Max Int’l Inc
Real estate agents specializing in residential and corporate property
Dave and Gail Liniger founded RE/Max Int’l Inc in Denver in 1973. Today, RE/Max is a leading global network that has over 116,000 real estate agents. The Linigers give their agents higher commissions. Agents are in charge of their own businesses. Office expenses are split equally and the business operate in a commission concept.
8. CleanNet USA, Inc.
Commercial Cleaning Services
Founder Mark Salek started the company in Maryland in 1987. They provided cleaning services to clients in the Baltimore and Washington area. Now, CleanNet offers various cleaning services for retail, commercial and industrial facilities.
9. Bonus Building Care
Commercial Cleaning Services
Arleen Cavanaugh and then husband Jim Cavanaugh founded Jani-King in 1969. The couple divorced in the mid 90s and Jim maintained control of the commercial cleaning franchise. Arleen, on the other hand, started her own commercial cleaning business which is Bonus Building Care in 1996. The company continues to serve businesses all over the South and Midwest.
10. Jani-King
Commercial Cleaning Services
While he was a student at the University of Oklahoma in 1968, Jim Cavanaugh was an auditor at a hotel chain. That was when he realized there would always be a strong demand for janitorial services. He started marketing janitorial