Choose the right franchise - learn from Krispy Kreme's mistakes

Since people who want to start a business only have 3 options (inventing a new system like Bezos did with Amazon, buying into a franchise system, or network marketing) I'm going to depart from ym usual topic of network marketing and talk about fracnchises a bit.

Specifically, I'm going to talk about the failing giant Krispy Kreme. The lessons learned from Krispy Kreme's demise are that you want to avoid franchises who oversaturate the local market and who force franchise owners to buy overpriced materials (Krispy Kreme did both).

I'm not saying that network marketing is always better than buying a franchise. If you have the money to invest and can hire a manager you trust with your income, the right franchise is probably a surer road to freedom than network marketing. If you don't have the money to invest, than you won't be able to buy a franchise and should consider network marketing.

Defending network marketing - what do people think they're going to lose?

On one New York Giants message board I frequent, there seems to be a new thread every other day about getting fired, getting bad reviews for political reasons, hating work, etc.

One thread starter said "I'm sick of my job" and went on to explain the misery he experienced everyday at work. Then he asked "What's the best kind of business for me to start?" His idea was to teach people how to use their computers cheap.

He got some useless, joking advice about becoming a porn star or a male prostitute until I joined the thread. I suggested that tutoring people would make him self employed, while hiring people to do the tutoring would make him a business owner. Straight from Rich Dad, Poor Dad and Cashflow Quadrant by Robert T. Kiyosaki.

I suggested a franchise if he was ready to make a large investment or network marketing if he wasn't. The dream stealers flocked to my comments saying that network marketers where liars, high pressured salespeople, etc.

I told them that I had as much right to be proud of my work as anyone else on that message board because I help people for a living, and make enough money to donate some to my favorite charities. My wife and I dream of opening a shelter for stray dogs among other things. I think that's a fairly noble goal.

They responded with all kinds of grabage including a link to a bible study site that said network marketing would ruin community churches. Of course they called this a "business perspective model". They maintained that some people could make money at network marketing, but only at the expense of others. They said I didn't care about people and wanted to use them to get rich.

I suggested that they get to know me before judging me and told them about a couple of the people I've helped make more money and spend more time with their families. I admitted that not everyone succeeds but reminded them that anyone can try network marketing with a time investment. So you lose a few hours you would have spent watching TV news - who cares? I personally think anything is better than TV news.

They said you have to buy products. I said you buy what you want, but if you don't think the products are worth buying no one will bother training you. The hardest part was remaining positive in the face of so much negativity. I wanted to say "You guys are idiots" but instead I asked "What makes you qualified to discuss my industry?" I don't pretend to know anything about machine manufacturing (the job one message board nemesis has) and I don't judge the industry.

It's amazing how many people have no network marketing experience but still think they know everything they need to know about it. Of course, it's also amazing how "tough" people become on message baords and how it seems nearly impossible to resolve even a simple misunderstanding.