By Franchising

September 2014 – In an effort to educate potential franchise owners, the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce; Small Business Development Center of Hampton Roads (SBDC); Kaufman & Canoles, P.C.; FranNet; and Hampton Roads Veterans Business Outreach Center have partnered to host “The Hampton Roads Franchise Forum” on September 17 and October 13.

The forum, consisting of two half-day workshops, will teach individuals interested in becoming franchisees the particulars of franchise ownership.  The first workshop, “Franchising 101,” will take place on Wednesday, September 17, 2014 from 8:30am-12pm at the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce (500 East Main Street, Suite 700, Norfolk).  This seminar will examine the procedural, legal, financial and strategic planning aspects of researching, evaluating and then purchasing a franchise operation.

“Becoming a franchisee always entails a significant investment.  This seminar will advise potential franchisees on the basics of their own due diligence – including legal, accounting and business issues so potential franchisees can invest wisely,” said Steve Story, Chairman of the Franchise Practice Group at Kaufman & Canoles, P.C.

Jim Carroll, Executive Director of the SBDC of Hampton Roads and the Chamber’s Vice President for Small Business, stated, “This is an excellent opportunity for prospective small business owners to learn about and conduct first-hand research into prospective franchising opportunities in a benign environment.  Here they can learn about the myriad of resources available for them to access as they conduct their research into this type of business model.”

The second workshop, “Meet the Franchisor,” will take place on Monday, October 13, 2014 from 8:30am-12pm at Old Dominion University’s Webb Center (1200 Webb Center, Norfolk). Attendees will learn the different franchise models, hear from franchisors and network. Franchisors from the region will be on-hand to discuss all aspects of their respective businesses.  Attendees will also learn about veterans’ business resources and incentives.

“People are worried about the stability of their careers and uncertain about the future,” said Marc Steiner of FranNet of Southeastern Virginia. “Opening a franchise provides a viable and stable option for a large number of people in today’s market and many franchise companies are expanding into Hampton Roads.”

The cost to attend both workshops is $20, one workshop is $15.  For more information, or to register, contact Farley John at 757-865-3128 or johnf@tncc.edu.

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