Business Opportunity or Franchising? Iowa

With a business opportunity, you buy and own a business outright and operate it under a name you choose. The seller makes his money by delivering the business system, training, equipment, or service method to the buyer. In some cases, the seller may also make residual income for the ongoing sale of products or services, but for the most part, the relationship is over once the purchase is final.

A franchise opportunity is a relationship between a seller and a buyer that continues for the duration of the buyer's involvement in the business. A franchise differs from a business opportunity in two important ways.

First, a franchisor generally collects a franchisee fee up front from the buyer and also collects on-going royalties. What the buyer gets for these fees are access to a brand, a proven business model, comprehensive training and ongoing support.

The second difference is that in a franchise, the franchisor will require the franchisee to adhere to strict guidelines in the operation of the business. This is done because it is the franchisor's name on the business. The brand must be protected for the benefit of all franchisees in the system and the service or product provided must be consistent from store to store and state to state.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates franchising at the federal level. In order for a business to be labeled a franchise, three elements must be in place:

1. Franchisor allows the buyer to use the franchisor's trademarks.
2. Franchisor collects a fee (of at least $500) from the buyer within the first six
months of operation.
3. Franchisor exercises "significant control" over the buyer's operation on an
ongoing basis.

The most critical FTC guideline requires franchisors to provide buyers proper disclosure information prior to finalizing the sale. This document is called a Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC) and will assist a buyer in completing the due diligence (the process of investigation into the details of a potential investment and the verification of material facts) before purchasing the franchise. In many cases, individual states have additional guidelines a franchisor must meet to sell franchises in that state.

The UFOC is of enormous value to a prospective franchisee and is the best way to differentiate the good franchisors from the bad. Franchisors must disclose any litigation they have faced, list all franchisees in the system and address turnover, terminations, etc. Although not required, the UFOC can also list the earnings potential for a franchise.

MaggieMoo's Ice Cream

MaggieMoo’s is working her way toward global expansion, with an exciting growth plan

877-824-4411
345 N. York Rd. Suite C
Hatboro, PA
MaggieMoo's Ice Cream

MaggieMoo’s has been America’s family favorite ice cream from its very start. How could it not be when we use only the freshest ingredients we can find. Our ice cream is made with a superior, high quality mix, creating a smooth, creamy textured ice cream like none other. Made fresh in our Treatery daily means you’ll never see distribution stress or ice crystals. Ice cream just doesn’t get any fresher.

More than just ice cream, MaggieMoo’s specializes in creating a fun experience for the kid in all of us. Not only do we naturally attract families with kids, we have a wide variety of customers of all ages that flock to our counter for our premium ice cream. Our famous hand-folded mix-ins are prepared on a frozen granite table – our guests love to ooh and ahh as we add their favorites into our super delicious ice cream and mix it to perfection. With over 50 flavors there’s a lot of mixin’ and matchin’ to create that one-of-a-kind MaggieMoo’s treat. We also have a line of real fruit smoothies, fresh-made sorbets, deliciously creamy milkshakes and moovalous sundaes. But the real icing on the cake is our unparalleled variety of cakes including a one-of-a kind delicious Truffle cake line and our famous, first ever ice cream cupcakes you eat with a spoon!

The MaggieMoo’s Story
Founded in 1989 in Kansas City, Kansas, MaggieMoo’s quickly became a local legend for its high quality, fresh-made ice cream available in a wide variety of flavors. MaggieMoo’s International, LLC purchased the Kansas City stores from the original owners in 1996. MaggieMoo’s soon began franchising across the country, with new ice cream products and flavor innovation, taking great care to build a superior brand positioning in the marketplace without sacrificing the quality and superior taste.

In February of 2007, NexCen Brands, Inc., acquired MaggieMoo’s with nearly 200 Treateries. NexCen is one of the world’s leading brand management companies. From a franchisee standpoint, NexCen plans to make all concepts stronger and more profitable with the ability to leverage product purchases and by merging similar business development processes and systems to achieve greater efficiency. By significantly reducing these operating and development costs, resources can be used more efficiently for product development, research and marketing. There has never been a better time to join the MaggieMoo’s Family.

Miss Maggie – The Inspiration for It All!
Meet Miss Maggie Moo – more than just our company spokes-cow, she is the heart and icon of our brand. Her lively, energetic and fun personality is brought to life in each and every MaggieMoo’s location, with bright, colorful décor that screams fun for kids and brings out the playful child in all of us. Each store uses Maggie’s favorite bright colors of magenta and teal – her signature wardrobe style as Miss Maggie always steps out in public with a larger-than-life presence wearing her cow-spotted dress and signature blue pearls! The interiors are speckled with playful cow spots to further magnify the fun personality of Maggie and our brand, so you can’t help but have fun with every visit.

The World Is Just a Lick Away
MaggieMoo’s is working her way toward global expansion, with an exciting growth plan. There are many ways MaggieMoo’s can expand into the international market. The most efficient method would be to find individuals or groups who are interested in developing countries on their own through a “Master Franchise” arrangement. These international business partners would have the financial resources to support and develop multiple locations in their countries. While MaggieMoo’s International would provide the training and conceptual ideas, the day-to-day operations would be supported by that Master Franchise group. The Master Franchise group should possess the financial means and management background to develop a very large area to help ensure a successful expansion