Subway Franchising

[student28]

Does anyone own subway franchising ?

I am doing MBA thesis on Subway franchising , for that purpose I have take an interview with any subway franchisee ownner to gather few details to give information to new entreprenuers about subway franchising oppurutunity. There will be some basic questions on operations, staffing, training..etc.

Could anyone who owns the Subway, Please reply if you are interested to be interviewed as this research helps new entreprenuers .

Thanks in advance.

 

[Drpepper]

Being pedantic here, but I don't think you can call a subway franchisee an entrepreneur.

An entrepreneur is generally regarded as someone who starts a new business from scratch, makes it a success (or not!), then moves on to something else. Take Richard Branson as the best know example - starts a business, up and running, now onto the next project.

So if I was doing research on entrepreneurs I would look elsewhere.

Only my opinion though

 

[lesliedocherty]

i agree, most subway owners just become regular employees, working crazy hours and not what they expected to get out of it.

 

[AmandeepS]

I can't believe how many people misunderstand what an entrepreneur is. Drpepper is right, subway owners are more like employees working in their business and not on it. I think you might be better off finding a real one and interviewing them, you might even find some on this forum!

 

[Blue Phoenix]

Everyone I know who owns a subway is an employee... I only know two But they literally work 7am until 9pm kind of hours...

 

[alms]

Hi, I work as an Area Manager for a Subway franchisee who has 5 stores and is expanding rapidly. They are not hands on (they have been in the past to build up the business but now don't need to be) and we have profit and loss accounts which detail our plans for expansion in the next 2 years. The whole concept of Subway is low-investment to enable people to start up and expand their business where they wouldn't ordinarilly be able to. Yes, it is hard work - and so it should be - but it does pay off.

 

[Drpepper]

But there are no entrepreneurial skills required in running a subway franchise. The nature of any franchise destroys entrepreneurial desires.

I really can't see why you would pay to effectively work for someone else, doesn't make any sense, not to me anyway!

 

[ScottNelson&Co]

I really can't see why would pay to effectively work for someone else, doesn't make any sense.

Risk is the main factor. Franchising (generally) is a less risky option you will be running a proven business model. Of course less risk usually equals less reward if you succeed.

Not for me, but I could see how a franchise would be more appealing if I had a mortgage and kids to worry about.

 

[Drpepper]

you will be running a proven business model.

I think that says it all really

Guess franchises are for the less ambitious, trouble is when the franchiser goes bust (Athena card shops for example, huge in the 80's and 90's) you suddenly find all your investment has gone overnight together with you business, and there is nothing you can do about it.

Now when I go tits up it's all my own fault

 

[sellickbhoy]

You are doing an MBA thesis on Subway franchises/franchisees?

Seems a very narrow scope, but fair enough.

Subway Franchises seem to get a lot of criticism from owners/ex-owners - usually because they are happy to sell as many franchises as possible even if this then encroaches on an existing franchise area - meaning a reduction in sales.

I was re-reading fast food nation by Eric Schlosser last week, he puts the but into Fast Food Franchises, and Subway comes out of it especially bad. He has plenty of links to trade figures and additional reading.

But I think it's an interesting area for study. The growth of fast food sales and franchises has been huge, but we must be getting near saturation point. Would be interesting to compare the experiences of franchisees and the parent company (who see expansion as the only way to survive in the face of competition)

There are a lot of myths - particularly about how buying a franchise (or buying a job!!) is a safer business model - that could be busted by this study.

Oh, and if you want to meet Subway Franchisees - why not pop down to almost any town centre and ask in the store to speak to the owner/manager?

there are lots of them around.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Risk is the main factor. Franchising (generally) is a less risky option you will be running a proven business model. Of course less risk usually equals less reward if you succeed.

Not for me, but I could see how a franchise would be more appealing if I had a mortgage and kids to worry about.

After some fairly extensive research into franchising a couple of years ago I came to the conclusion that franchising was MORE risky (as you're tied to paying the franchisor regardless of how your franchise is performing). Also I didn't see ANY franchise where the 'proven business model' was anything but the franchisor hard selling as many franchises as possible!

I'm sure 'good' franchises exist, but I didn't find one (in any area that interested me).

Cheers,
Slarti.

 

[PBDPConsulting]

There's a pretty good short article that lists the differences between buying a franchise and (entrepreneurial) business opportunities:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchi...ranchisecolumnistjeffelgin/article181212.html

People and Business Development for Performance