Real franchise information – free from PR-agency spin and sugar-coated, sales-driven hype – is hard to come by.
That’s why the writer, editors and producers from top business and consumer publications turn to UnhappyFranchisee.Com for the real scoop.
Publications like The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Washington Post & Bloomberg Businessweek and media outlets like NPR and Dateline NBC turn to UnhappyFranchisee.com for assistance in getting the insider information and opinions from those in the know: the franchisees who own and operate the hundreds of thousands of franchises across America.
If you are working on a franchise-related (or blogging related) story and want an alternative to the industry propaganda, contact UnhappyFranchisee.Com publisher Sean Kelly at UnhappyFranchisee[at]gmail.com for a fast and helpful response.
[Left: Sean Kelly, Publisher of UnhappyFranchisee.Com, provides franchising information and insights to major newsmagazines, such as Dateline NBC]
We and our team of related experts are here to assist… and we understand deadlines.
[This list is under construction – please check back for updates]
See Which Publications Rely on UnhappyFranchisee.Com and Franchise Expert Sean Kelly
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Thinking about a franchise? Key mistakes to avoid by Andrea Coombes April 19, 2013
Blogs Provide Insight to Would-Be Franchisees by Richard Gibson March 24, 2009 |
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13 Mistakes New Franchisees Make — And How To Avoid Them by Karsten Strauss May 27, 2014
How Franchisors Squeeze Money From Their Franchisees by Karsten Strauss May 27, 2014
Why Do Celebrities Own Fast Food Chain Restaurants? Hollie Slade May 27, 2014
The Top Four Pitfalls Of Buying Into A Franchise by Doug Bend March 6, 2014
Our Response To Criticism Of “Top Twenty Franchises For The Buck” by J.J. Colao March 5, 2012
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Bigger than burgers and fries, franchising blamed for low wages by Chip Mitchell and Shannon Heffernan, WBEX Chicago, April 7, 2014
UnhappyFranchisee.com featured on NPR’s Franchising: Behind the Burgers by Chip Mitchell and Shannon Heffernan, WBEZ in Chicago. |
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Returning from war and turning to franchising By Olga Khazan March 2, 2012 |
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Considering a franchise? Be wary By Liz Weston, MSN Money May 1, 2013 |
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Can selling second-hand clothes be profitable? by Francine Kopun March 14, 2014 |
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Pass/Fail 8 franchisees claim negative results at USA Mobile Drug Testing Julie Bennett March 2013
Entering blogosphere by Ellen Shubart March 2007
Attacks from the blogosphere What Cuppy’s learned the hard way by Julie Bennett September 2007
Battling the blogs What to do if you come under a Web attack Julie Bennett October 2007
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Q&A with Sean Kelly, Franchise Blogger The Franchising Industry Veteran Discusses His Newest BlogLJN’s Franchising Business & Law Alert, August 2008 |
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Financial Trouble Plagues Some Health Club Franchisees by Stuart Goldman, Executive Editor, February 1, 2008
Butterfly Life Founder Loses Lawsuit Over Free Speech July 1, 2014 Editor Stuart Goldman |
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Mark Golob Targets Franchisee Speech 2/23, 2014 Corbin Williston
Free Speech Wins! Butterfly Fitness Ex-CEO Mark Golob, Lawyer Nikolaus Reed Lose Defamation Suit against Unhappy Franchisee 6/2/14
Part 2: Freedom of the Press Includes Bloggers
Butterfly Fitness’ Timetable of Trouble with California’s Regulators |
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Benefits and Burdens of Owning a Franchise: Westchester County Franchise Owners Face Challenges in a Bad Economy, Offer Tips by Chuck Green with Ben Brody Q1 2013 |
Press Coverage on Specific Controversies
BOOKS
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The Fissured Workplace: Why Work Became So Bad for So Many and What Can Be Done to Improve It by David Weil |
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The Legal Environment of Business“Gathering information about many opportunities is difficult. As in many other areas, the Internet provides some useful sources… horror stories can abound. Unhappy Franchisee provides many sad tales…” Roger E. Meiners, Al H. Ringleb, Frances Edwards Cengage Learning, Jan 1, 2014 |
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Become a Franchise Owner!: The Start-Up Guide to Lowering Risk, Making Money, and Owning What You Doby Joel Libava December 6, 2011 |
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What’s Next? Updated: Finding Your Passion and Your Dream Job in Your Forties, Fifties and Beyond by Kerry Hannon |
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Civility in the Digital Age: How Companies and People Can Triumph over Haters, Trolls, Bullies and Other Jerks by Andrea Weckerle |
how do I post a horrible franchise on your site?
Anyone wanting to report unethical or ilegal franchise practices or express unhappiness with their franchise relationship can send an email in confidence to UnhappyFranchisee[at]Gmail.com
Bruster’s Ice Cream has about 175 units primarily on the east coast. It is owned and managed like a mafia and plans on robbing innocent entrepreneurs (women, seniors and veterans) from a failed concept model! Save your money and invest in Dairy Queen which is owned by Warren Buffet.
I love seeing small business owners doing great and I’ve been helping them grow through our easy strategies. But I really see what owners are up against today and it makes it almost impossible to focus on growth after the store is open. I think that’s why we do so well helping.
Dan, StoreFrontTraffic.com
Don’t buy a Clean Juice….you will be terribly sorry. Just ask any of the Charlotte NC owners. The only stores profiting are the 2 flagship stores….go figure. The COGS are ridiculously high…nobody in corporate knows what the hell they are doing and they will make anyone with a Pulse the VP…SVP….Operations Manager….COO. It’s a true circus.
Totally agree with Ely on Clean Juice…DO NOT BUY into this unsustainable business model. We sunk every penny we had into this failing business and worked six days a week to save on labor only to continue to operate in the negative. The entire Charlotte market is for sale….Florida stores are being sold back to corporate….Irvine, CA has closed its doors and two stores in Charlotte are currently CLOSED!!!!