Who doesn’t love cake? No one, that’s who. Some might like one kind more than another – white, chocolate, sponge, angel food, upside down, or whatever. Nevertheless, everyone loves cake.

There are two ways of baking a cake. With the first, before you bake the batter you have to gather up all the various ingredients. You will need things like all-purpose flour, salt, milk, shortening, flavoring, and baking powder (not soda … very important). Then you will need to correctly measure each, being sure not to confuse cups, teaspoons, and tablespoons. Finally, you need to mix it all up in the right order.

With the second way, you buy a box of cake mix, add some milk, a couple eggs and you are good to go. Either way (after 25 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees and some frosting), you have delicious cake to enjoy. Yum!

Success in business is much the same. Who wouldn’t want to have their own successful business? Any reasonably intelligent person, like you, would. After all, who doesn’t love freedom, pride of ownership, and the ability to chart their own course?

Again, there are two ways to accomplish this. With the first, you need to develop the concept, including the product or service, pricing, as well as means of distribution. Then you work up the branding, such as logos, marketing materials and advertising programs, and diligently protect it all with copyrights and trademarks. Finally, you pull this all together in a process, which might include legal agreements, training and
development programs, procedures for dealing with employees and unhappy customers, as well as researching equipment, technologies and other infrastructure. Whew!

With the second way, you simple buy a franchise. Either way (after infusing commitment, energy, and enthusiasm), you have your own successful business. Cool!

The only question remaining is whether you want to undertake the incredibly complicated (and risky) process of building a successful business from scratch or essentially grabbing one ready-to-go off the shelf? Remember with franchising, business success is really a piece of cake.

If you are interested in exploring a unique, professional franchise opportunity, consider AmSpirit Business Connections. For more information, contact Frank Agin, President of AmSpirit Business Connections at frankagin@amspirit.com, or visit http://www.amspirit.com/franchise.php.

There once was a nobler time. You studied hard. From there you learned a trade or earned a degree, which you could parlay into that first job. It wasn’t just a job, however. It was the beginning of a career. Sure, you started at the bottom, but there was plenty of opportunity to work your way up. One rung at a time you climbed the corporate ladder. Associate. Senior associate. Supervisor. Manager. Junior assistant. V.P.

In addition, the environment was positive. Pay raises were always respectable. Time off was seldom an issue. Moreover, by working diligently from nine to five during the week, the evenings and weekends were yours.

After 40-or-so years of this, you had done your time. Surrounded by admiring co-workers, your service to “the company” was celebrated. Several heartfelt speeches from people who considered you a friend. A big cake. And a gold watch. Finally, an appreciative higher-up, walked you to your car and sincerely told you, “Be well … See you around … Don’t be a stranger.”

From there, you settled into retirement. Drawing on a well-funded pension, social security, and health coverage, you did not have a care in the world. It was a nobler time.

That nobler time, however, is not now. Somewhere along the way, the world changed. No one is to blame. It just did. Whatever the case, the change was not to your benefit. No longer is a degree or a trade good enough to steer you clear of a dead-end job. You might need additional certification or a Masters, if you are lucky enough not to have to start over because technology made your “stock in trade” obsolete.

Even when you find that job with career potential, you are not set. Wage freezes and shrinking benefits are now the norm. Moreover, you seem to be permanently stuck in a no-advancement mode. Any hope of change is the result of a lateral move, either internally or to another company.

While the overall compensation and opportunity dwindles, the work doesn’t. Even starting work at 0-Dark-30 does not immunize you from having to work into the evening and over the weekend. As such, you sacrifice time with friends, family, or whatever.

Moreover, no matter how hard you work (or how little you accept) the whispers persist. From behind closed doors in offices far away, these voices are the higher-ups you have never met. They’re pouring over nameless and faceless numbers, pondering as to whether “the company” can replace you with someone or something less expensive.

While today that answer may be “NO,” it won’t always be. One day, that “pondering” will not come out in your favor. In an era of downsizing, off-shoring, and automation, it is no longer a question of “If” but “When.”

At that point, a stranger abruptly escorts you to the door. There is no celebration. There is no cake. There is no explanation other than, “Your services are no longer necessary.” Just like that in a perverse sort of alchemy, “corporate America” has transformed your gold watch into a “pink slip” and nothing more.

This is the new corporate reality, like it or not. While you have little control over it, you have options to avoid it. One is to become your own boss and acquire your own piece of the American dream. Statistics show that the best way of doing this is through franchising.

If you are interested in exploring a unique, professional franchise opportunity, consider AmSpirit Business Connections. For more information, contact Frank Agin (frankagin@amspirit.com), President, AmSpirit Business Connections or visit http://www.amspirit.com/franchise.php.

Nearly one-hundred-some-odd years ago, in a dusty field, somewhere in middle America, a Son told his Father that he was no longer going to farm.

The Son announced that he was joining Corporate America. Although farming was the only way his generation ever conceived of earning a living, he knew that farming would no longer pay him what he was worth.

Even though those who continued to farm ridiculed his optimism about the potential of Corporate America, the Son believed that the World was changing. The demand for industrialization created a tremendous market for his labor, and the Son knew that Corporate America would pay him what he was worth.

The Son was right. The World was changing and Corporate America paid him what he was worth. However, those who continued to farm, believing that life would never change, were left struggling, earning only a fraction of what they were worth.

While the Son continued to labor, Corporate America realized that if it just paid the Son a little less than he was worth, then Corporate America would generate more wealth for itself. The pay reduction, however, was so small that the Son didn’t even notice. As the Son didn’t notice, the next year Corporate America held back a little bit more. Again, unnoticed, Corporate America held back a little more the next year. And then the next. And then the next. And then the next.

One-hundred some-odd years later, somewhere in a stress-laden office, a Son is telling his Father that he is not going to work for Corporate America. The Son announces that he is going to purchase a franchise. Although working for Corporate America is the only way his generation ever conceived of making a living, the Son knew he could no longer earn what he was worth working for Corporate America. Again, the Son was right.

Rapidly the World is changing before our eyes. Consistent pay raises have given way to ongoing wage freezes. The notion of lifetime employment is being replaced by downsizing, outsourcing, and off-shoring. It is no secret: to build wealth in America you need to build business. To ensure success, however, you are best to not go at it alone, which is where the notion of franchising comes in. We are now in the era of the franchise.

Knowing this, are you going to take advantage of a changing World, or are you going to let a changing World take advantage of you? In thinking about your answer, if you are interested in exploring a unique, professional franchise opportunity, consider AmSpirit Business Connections. For more information, contact Frank Agin (frankagin@amspirit.com), President, AmSpirit Business Connections or visit http://www.amspirit.com/franchise.php.