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ARTICLE | May 21, 2012

Family Business: 10 Tips for Managing a Parent-Adult Child Business

A mother and her daughter, who will graduate in May from college, share ownership of a new Home Instead Senior Care franchise business, a partnership that seems tailor-made for these economic times. More college graduates are having a difficult time finding jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Teaming with a family member has proven successful. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, family-owned businesses account for 90 percent of all businesses in the U.S. (large and small) and continue to be a powerful force. And senior care franchising is one way to help new graduates get their careers off the ground. 
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NEWS | May 18, 2012

Is Starting a Franchise From Home For You?

Fox Small Business Center offers tips and expertise on running a home-based franchise business.
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SECTOR REPORT | April 26, 2012

Senior Care Franchise Report 2012

Franchise Business Review's special report Senior Care Franchises offers a high-level look at the senior care/home care franchising sector. We explore what services the sector provides, what’s involved from an investment standpoint, what the “typical” franchisee looks like, and how franchisee satisfaction in the sector has fared in the past year. We also identify the top senior care franchises based on our franchisee satisfaction research.
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ASK FBR | March 19, 2012

How long have you been researching a franchise opportunity?

Franchise Business Review wants to know what you're doing in order to find that right "fit", and encourages all those interested in starting their own franchise to answer this simple question - how long have you been researching a franchise opportunity? (Click here to share) 
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Home > Resources

Powerful Success

by Mark Gordon, Golf Coast Business Review

Steve Cooper and Matt Steigenga opened their first Batteries Plus store in 1997 in Bradenton. They now run seven Batteries Plus stores on the Gulf Coast.

One key to the growth, says Steigenga, is the franchise’s ability to capitalize on consumers’ newfound frugal habits. For example, people are replacing a battery instead of buying new tools or household products. Cost-conscious customers have also been buying cell phone batteries in higher volume, Steigenga says.

Batteries Plus was founded in 1988 in Green Bay, Wis. The chain has since grown to 420 stores in 44 states that sell more than 32,000 types of batteries. The list ranges from tiny hearing aid batteries to super-sized generator batteries.

Cooper and Steigenga, meanwhile, are confident their newest store will eventually match the success of their first one. They believe they scored a great location, just outside the Ellenton outlet mall. They also got a break on rent, given the dearth of new retail tenants. Cooper hasn’t ruled out further expansion, possibly to Port Charlotte or Venice someday.

The franchise startup costs are relatively economical, says Cooper. Costs include a $37,500 entry fee, according to Batteries Plus.

Still, Cooper and Steigenga owe their success to more than lots of batteries and a low entry fee. The pair — Steigenga is married to Cooper’s sister — has learned on the job since they opened their first Batteries Plus in Bradenton in 1997.

One lesson the partners have repeatedly learned is to constantly cultivate a work environment where employees want to be. That’s especially true in their business, since they seek people who are experts in a variety of batteries, not just stock boys and cashiers. Says Steigenga: “The challenge for us is we really have to get people who know what we do.”

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