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Maybe you’ve already read about it in the media, heard about others capitalizing on it or watched it happen firsthand–but will this finally be the year you get in on the franchising boom yourself? If so, you’re in the right place. Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500[R] is the world’s first, best and most comprehensive listing of franchises–or, as we like to think of it, a great place to start on your path toward franchise success.

To help you in this important quest, we’ve polished and perfected our ranking procedure over the past 26 years to come up with a top-secret formula for identifying the top franchise opportunities on the market. This year alone, we’ve spent countless hours of research and analysis for a singular purpose: to arm you with the best, most up-to-date franchise information possible.

Only franchise companies that submitted full Uniform Franchise Offering Circulars (UFOCs) or Alberta, Canada, disdosure documents were eligible to receive a listing in the magazine. And only those companies whose information Entrepreneur verified from these disclosure documents are eligible to be ranked–giving us the top 500 franchises.

Franchisors ranked in the Franchise 5000 are listed in red. Rankings are to the left of their names. Companies whose information was verified by Entrepreneur, but which were not ranked in the top 500, are listed in descending order under those that received a ranking in the top 500. Companies not eligible to be ranked–because they’re too small (franchises must have a minimum of 10 units, with at least one being a U.S.-based franchise), are not seeking new franchisees in the United States, or were in Chapter 11 at the time the rankings were compiled–are listed alphabetically.

We consider numerous factors in our ranking, some of which are weighed more heavily than others. The most important ones include financial strength and stability, growth rate, and size of the system. We also consider the number of years in business and length of time franchising, startup costs, litigation, percentage of terminations, and whether the company provides financing. Financial data was audited by an independent CPA firm. Every company with verifiable data receives a cumulative score. The franchises with the highest score become the Franchise 500[R].

These factors are objective, quantifiable measures of a franchise operation. We do not measure subjective elements such as franchisee satisfaction or management style, since these are judgments only you can make based on your own needs and experiences. All companies, regardless of size, are judged by the same criteria.

The franchisor’s growth over the past three years is shown by the number of both franchise and company-owned units for 2002, 2003 and 2004. Another key column lists the total startup costs necessary to open the franchise (including the initial franchise fee). This figure is affected by real estate and construction costs (if applicable), inventory, location, type of business and many other variables. For easy reference, the initial franchise fee is listed separately. Additional costs such as royalty fees, usually expressed as a percentage of monthly gross sales, are also listed separately. The remaining information is self-explanatory. The category “Where Registered” shows where a franchisor has either registered to sell, or plans to register this year, in states where it is required (California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington). “Available U.S. Regions” and “Seeking Foreign?” show where franchisors are planning to expand.

Some companies provide financing of their franchise fees or their total startup costs, or even offer equipment-leasing options for franchisees. The “Type of Financing”‘ category details the kind of financing provided by each franchise company. We’ve also noted whether the franchise can be operated from home, whether it offers a kiosk/ express option, and which companies are seeking multiple units only.

Remember that the Franchise 500[R] is not intended to endorse, advertise or recommend any particular franchise(s). It is solely a research tool you can use to compare franchise operations. Entrepreneur stresses that you should always conduct your own independent investigation before you invest money in a franchise. Read the UFOC and related materials carefully, get help from attorney and CPA in reviewing any legal documents, talk to as many existing (and former) franchisees as possible, and visit their outlets. The best way to protect yourself is to do your homework.

THE IDEA FOR COOL DOGS–ICE CREAM molded into the shape of a hot dog and encased in a bun-shaped cake–came to Peter Franklin as he prepared a hot dog for lunch one day. With his wife, Tara, 43, helping with the marketing, Peter set to work developing the idea.

After he patented his concept, Franklin attended the National Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions convention in fall 2000, where Cool Dogs were an immediate hit.

Soon, Franklin had landed accounts with Dick’s Last Resort in Boston and grocery stores in the local area. In addition, they are now sold at Six Flags in New England and New York’s Shea Stadium. Cool Dogs will also be appearing at Giants Stadium in New Jersey sometime in August. Sales are expected to reach $2.5 million this year.

“When I left [my high-tech job], everybody thought I was out of my mind. High-tech was booming and I had to sell my stocks to invest in this business’ says Franklin, 51, a former marketing director. But, judging from his product’s popularity, it seems Franklin has come out as top dog.

Doctor in the House

WHAT: Interior design in a jiffy

WHO: Ellen Edwards of Decor Doctors

WHERE: Wake Forest, North Carolina

WHEN: Started in 1999

INTERIOR DECORATING PROJECTS usually take weeks to complete, but Ellen Edwards’ company gives clients’ homes and offices facelifts in just one week. By integrating existing furniture and accessories with new pieces, dull rooms are revived in just days.

During the initial free consultation, photos are taken of every room in need of a makeover. Edwards and fellow designer Elizabeth Carrasco (her only employee) then spend Monday through Thursday shopping for their one exclusive client per week, using the pictures they’ve taken as a guide. Fridays are reserved for the makeover.

A former designer for furniture retailer Ethan Allen, Edwards, and Carrasco undertake projects dressed in medical scrubs (an idea Edwards borrowed from her husband, who is in medical sales). A branding strategy, to be sure, but their uniforms also allow Edwards and Carrasco to remain comfortable as they lift heavy furniture, place objects d’art and hang paintings.

“Our whole premise is Anything you don’t like comes out that night” says Edwards, who does two Friday night walk-throughs of redecorated rooms with clients–one to show them the work, and the other to reveal price tags for each piece added to the existing decor.

Designing on a budget is no problem; Edwards has worked on projects with budgets ranging from $5,000 to $42,000. With sales estimated to reach $250,000 this year, it’s become a very attractive business.

Lingo Lessons

WHAT: Foreign language books for kids

WHO: Vincenzo Palladino and Christabelle Peters of The Bilingual Baby Company

WHERE: Takoma Park, Maryland

WHEN: Started in 1999

AS FIRST-GENERATION IMMIGRANTS, husband and wife Vincenzo Palladino, 37, and Christabelle Peters, 40 (who emigrated from Italy and the United Kingdom, respectively), found that teaching their children their native tongues came naturally. But when it was time to provide their kids with books to develop language skills, they found out just how English-centric the U.S. book market is.

Pierre Huyghe’s latest exhibition, “Celebration Park,” begins with an ironic disclaimer in wall-sized white neon light: “I Do Not Own Tate Modern or the Death Star,” updating the show’s previous Paris incarnation disavowing the artist’s ownership of the Musee d’Art Moderne and, of course, the Death Star. Exploring the apparatus of narrative production in a society of the spectacle, Huyghe–the most significant French artist on the international contemporary art circuit–implicates and questions his solo show at Tate Modern even as his name is stenciled across its facade.

The disclaimers persistently disavow ownership throughout the exhibition, denying Snow White, Modern Times, Fictions, and 4′33″ even as they cite film, music, literature, and visual art, questioning the agency of the artist over the wholeness of a work. These allusions are structural conceits in a long history of authorial distancing from production (John Cage’s 4′33″ [1952] silencing composition in favor of environmental surround sound; Jorge Luis Borges’s labyrinthine fictions snaking out of narrative singularity) as well as social commentaries on the diffusion of subjectivity in the industrial age (the machinic dehumanization of Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times [1936]). These are apt thematic companions to Huyghe’s video, Blanche-Neige, Lucie (Snow White, Lucie, 1997), where Lucie Dolene, the voice of the French version of Disney’s Snow White, sings tunes from the cartoon while subtitles address Disney’s unauthorized reuse of her voice and Dolene’s happy-ending lawsuit. The disclaimers also hint at works excluded from the exhibition: for instance, Silence Score (1997), where Huyghe retranscribed 4′33″ for a flute, and Death Star Interior (1997), where the floor plan of a child’s bedroom was superimposed onto Star Wars’ unholy mothership.

Condensing the inclusions and exclusions of curatorial choice, the disclaimers attend to the structural and ethical questions of ownership, and mark moments in Huyghe’s career. The disclaimers change according to the exhibition venue and national language, a cliche of floating signifiers anchored by their appropriation of context. Huyghe cites the circuitry of his oeuvre, showing past works through miniature references. Dwarfed in a large space, the palm-sized video screen of Snow White, Lucie, is purposefully eclipsed by Huyghe’s massive “Gates” (2006)–ceiling-high doors twirling slowly across the gallery, pausing occasionally to seal off the exhibition space. The equally miniscule video A Smile Without a Cat (2002) and the poster of No Ghost Just a Shell (1999) allude to the lives of Annlee, a secondary anime character purchased by Huyghe and Philippe Parreno and distributed to frequent collaborators and friends. As an empty signifier situationally displaced and refilled, the collaborative exercise spawned diverse Annlee animations with characterizations ranging from prancing disco queens to menacing specters. A digitized exquisite corpse, Annlee’s girlish face is illuminated and extinguished in Cat’s inaugural fireworks celebration just as each characterization prolongs and ends her identity.

Such brief markers in “Celebration Park” question how an artist responds to his own oeuvre within the format of a mid-career retrospective. How far can one scale down the signifier of a work while legibly representing and reinventing past works? How can one animate–a la Broodthaersian institutional play–rather than archive an ongoing and developing practice? Questions of ownership and fiction are favorite keywords decorating any write-up of Huyghe’s work. It seems that Huyghe has taken it upon himself to toy with narrating and representing his work, thwarting its potentially institutionalized reification.

Huyghe’s experiments extend conceptualism’s administration of aesthetics and institutional critique. Working through the apparatuses circumscribing artistic operations, he reimagines and narrativizes the institutional ownership of spaces (whether suburban, arctic, or architectural) across various temporalities. Other videos in “Celebration Park,” shown in black boxes, render such institutional experiments with increasing levels of theatricality. In a work commissioned by the Harvard University Art Museums, “This Is Not a Time for Dreaming” (2004), Huyghe produced a crystalline puppet theatre show cycling back and forth between Le Corbusier’s tumultuous experience designing the art department’s building and Huyghe’s own struggles with the commission in a magic-realist narrative of institutional control and aesthetic alternatives. Replete with an origami Dean of Deans (an archetype of all Harvard deans, resembling a Harry Potter Dementor), a shape-shifting building representing numerous changes to Corbusier’s blueprints, and puppets of curators, Le Corbusier and Huyghe revisit modernism as a fantasy set amid minimalist, Beckettian landscapes and anthropomorphic flora, grafting past romanticized dreams of aesthetic revolution onto the images of present-day negotiations with institutions.

See how this Louisiana couple celebrates Mardi Gras and makes the most of their open and inviting home all year round.

If a house could have nine lives and still emerge at its royal best, this one takes the king cake. After undergoing many transformations in its 50-year existence, the home of Gary and Elaine Jones in Alexandria, Louisiana, was born again in grand Creole splendor-perfect for celebrating Mardi Gras.

Ranch Revival

“The original 1950s ranch-style architecture had post-and-beam construction, a flat roof, steel columns, contemporary finishes, and a schoolhouse look,” says Elaine. She and Gary purchased the home in the mid1990s and, after 10 years of envisioning their home’s potential, embarked on a major remodeling project.

“This house is 99% Elaine and 1% me,” Gary admits. “She wanted to create an atmosphere based on the architecture and history of Louisiana.”

The open-rooms-without-walls wonderland is a palette of warm colors and rich materials, which was part of Elaine’s personal mission. “I wanted to give the home a warm effect but still make it interesting with textures and materials that reflect the cultures of our state,” she says.

Although he knew the house needed an overhaul, Gary had his own requirements. “He didn’t want to disturb the environment,” Elaine says. “Gary wanted our transformed home to still fit into the neighborhood.”

From the exterior, the home maintains its ranch style but with welcoming touches such as wood columns and a porch. “We also raised part of the house by pitching the roof, resulting in higher ceilings for the interior,” says residential designer Michael Virden.

Elaine’s flair for interiors and Michael’s carpentry skills give the home an authentic look. Elaine and Gary used 100-year-old cypress beams and wide-plank longleaf pine floors that were salvaged from old warehouses in New Orleans.

Let the Remodeling Begin

The redesign called for eliminating several non-load-bearing walls in the family and dining rooms. Michael hid the original steel posts that couldn’t be removed by building around them. “We used columns made of plastic foam that were wrapped around the steel posts and covered with a synthetic stucco,” he explains. A team of masons laid the brick flooring.

One of the largest obstacles the team faced was the family room fireplace. It featured a pit in the floor with a hood suspended from the ceiling. “It would have been expensive to remove,” Michael says, “so we built over it.” Masons laid curved brick on the bottom matched to the home’s exterior and then a mantel carved from cast limestone was hung. Michael framed the corners with cypress.

Other touches around the house include new windows, exterior cypress French doors, and a built-in storage cabinet along one kitchen wall. After seeing a cabinet that she liked in a magazine, Elaine sketched her own version, and Michael crafted a china hutch with a wine refrigerator below.

Now, for Elaine and Gary, home is a treasure-filled box of culture.

HOW TO CELEBRATE MARDI GRAS IN STYLE

Mardi Gras traditions in the South date back to the 1700s. Although the carnival holiday has evolved over the years, there are some commonly agreed upon symbolic and decorating elements.

* Colors: Purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power

* Beads: Beaded necklaces in Mardi Gras hues, usually thrown from floats at parades, can be displayed on tables, draped from chandeliers and wreaths, and incorporated into flower arrangements.

* Feathered masks: In the past, these were used to shield guests’ identities at balls; today they make great accents for table settings and wreaths.

* Doubloons: These are coins with a krewe’s (or organization’s) name, logo, or motto on the front and theme on the back, Scatter them along a table or pour them into vases around the stems of flowers.

* King cake: A purple, green, and gold ring-shaped cake, usually braided and filled with cinnamon, fruit, or cream cheese. Most come with a tiny plastic baby embedded inside. Legend has it that the person who is served the slice with the baby will have good luck for a year, and he or she has to provide the king cake for next year’s party. Elaine’s grandchildren (shown above) eagerly await the first piece.

How do a lesbian couple living in Florida find their place in the so-called American mainstream? Judith Williams and Charisse Grant discovered the answer in the Belle Meade section of Miami, Florida.

By this city’s standards, Belle Meade is an “old” enclave (read: 1925), once forgotten but now a diverse community of modest single-family homes. The two-bedroom, two-bath house that Williams and Grant settled on met all their requirements: lots of light, hardwood floors and a manageable backyard for the family they planned to start. It was close to Miami Beach, yet secluded enough to provide a measure of privacy. And their neighbors include a White gay couple, a retired Cuban husband and wife, two Latina lesbians and an unmarried Black woman. “You don’t find that everywhere,” observes Grant happily.

When it came to decorating, Williams and Grant, who have been together for five years, were ideally matched. The two chose colors that complemented their art collection. The inside of their home is a kaleidoscope of daring shades–Chinese red, cantaloupe, mustard yellow, deep purple, vibrant green. In the foyer, a large painting with hints of yellow is set against a maize wall. In the living room, a batik wall hanging in earth tones and burgundy is displayed against a dark eggplant shade. The Florida room, or sunporch, would be a playroom for 2 1/2-year-old Elijah, the son they eventually adopted, so they wanted it to look fun and bright. Their solution? The eye-popping green of young papayas.

Both women love objects that “remind us of where they came from or the people behind them,” says Grant, a 37-year-old program director at a community-development foundation. She contributed a dining-room table and an entertainment center she built, as well as photos from her stint as a teacher in Namibia and batiks gathered on side trips to Zimbabwe. Williams, 38, shipped an armoire and sideboard from her native Jamaica. The couple also relied on her acute radar for bargains at garage sales, flea markets and consignment shops.

“Our home is designed to be comfortable so we can entertain easily,” explains Williams, a professionally trained chef who now works as a sales associate for the local Yellow Pages.

It had always been Williams’s dream to have a family, but three years ago the feeling intensified. Her mother had died years before, and she was estranged from her father.

Grant, who was raised in Denver by parents she calls conservative, wasn’t so sure. “I never really thought of myself as a mom,” she says. “I wasn’t opposed to the idea, but it wasn’t part of the big plan.”

Williams eventually prevailed. The couple tried artificial insemination, but without success. Then, says Williams, “Elijah found us.” Her adopted brother told them about a pregnant woman who couldn’t keep her baby. Elijah was handed to them two days after he was born.

Most of the time, life in the Williams-Grant household is like that of any loving American family. “We have a house, two cars, a kid; we both work,” says Grant. “It’s amazing how routine our lives are.”

Then again, accepting their version of family may prove difficult for some. Grant’s father, for example, initially found the notion of gay parents disturbing. Today, he dotes on Elijah, to whom he gave the baby rocking chair Grant used as a child.

Grant and Williams dote on him, too. “I tell Judith all the time that I look at Elijah,” says Grant, “and I can’t believe I almost missed this.”

Typically, lowering your expectations isn’t a good thing. But if you’re considering buying a franchise, and you find the cost of a franchise is much lower than you expected, that’s a very good thing.

In today’s competitive market, a big-name franchise isn’t necessarily accompanied by a big price tag. We’ve got the proof: The following listing provides information on 116 franchises that cost less than $25,000 to start–some of these franchises can even be purchased for less than $2,000.

This listing is not intended to endorse a particular franchise company. Rather, it should provide you with a starting point in your search for the right franchise–a search that should also include a thorough investigation and analysis of a franchise’s Uniform Franchise Offering Circular and other literature, visits with existing franchisees, and consultation with an attorney and an accountant. No matter how low the price tag, don’t purchase any franchise before you’ve done your research.

Redecorating might seem easy — just apply fresh paint and buy new furniture, right? Not so fast.

There’s a lot to consider when updating your home. Choosing a design theme — antique or modern — provides direction and focus. And it’s important to find a look that is both practical and suits your personal style. That’s where Designer Solutions comes in: Here, you’ll get insider tips on how to spruce up your digs.

Celia Welch founded Bethesda, Md.-based design firm Celia Welch Interiors in 1997. Specializing in residential homes, Welch says her Barbadian heritage has had a big influence on her design style. Welch’s work has been featured at the Washington Design Center and in Home and Design and Forbes FYI magazines.

Welch takes questions and explains her design concept for this edition of Designer Solutions .

The transcript follows below .

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washingtonpost.com:

Welcome to our August edition of Designer Solutions . Our designer for this installment is Celia Welch of the Bethesda, Md.-based design firm Celia Welch Interiors.

washingtonpost.com readers Susan and Derrick Townsend’s conflicting tastes were preventing their bedroom from becoming the kid-free comfort zone — they desired. So we asked Welch to give their room a designer’s touch.

Celia, tell us what inspired your design for the Townsends’ bedroom.

Celia Welch: In terms of the concept, I was inspired by the Townsends’ need for a place to escape from the kids. This led me to try to create a space that was serene and comforting. In most projects the client’s preferences greatly influence the color selections. In this case, I started with the wall paper and created the design around that.

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Dupont Circle, D.C.: I’m in my 30s and moving to my first real home (we purchased a condo). It’s a 700 sq. ft. one bedroom. We’d like to pitch our old mismatched, right-out-of-college furniture and start accumulating nicer stuff in a welcoming, cozy, contemporary style. Aside from Ikea, where do I go? And what do you think of Ikea in general? Like the stuff?

Celia Welch: Hi, Dupont Circle. It’s great that you are starting to focus on your space. It sounds like you have a good sense of the look you want. Make a list of the items you need to complete the look including lighting and accessories. Then figure out what you can spend on the project. Check out Storehouse, Crate and Barrel, West Elm, Design Within Reach and I really like the Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams pieces at ABC carpet in New York. Try to mix in one or two older pieces to create interest take a look at the GoodEye store on wisconsin Avenue or eBay. Good luck!

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Silver Spring, Md.: My wife and I living in a home that was built in 1952 (small) and we would like to add more space (remodel). We plan to be in the area for at least five years and feel that it should be comfortable for us during that period of time. What is your suggestions as to which way should we go? The do’s and don’ts? Designers/architects/contractors?

Celia Welch: Hi, Silver Spring. Start by looking for a designer and an architect at the same time. It is important to find people that you are comfotable working with and who understand your vision for the house. It is helpful to have the interior designer involved in the initial planning. Do some research yourself, try to develop your own vision for the house. Good luck!

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Anonymous: Hi Celia,

I bought an 80+ year-old rowhouse in Baltimore last year where the rooms tend to be small and closet space is next to nonexistent. My bedroom has space on both sides of a fireplace wall that I want to fill in with some kind of closet storage. I would like it to look like a permanent part of the room without making the room look smaller and also there’s a problem with the window blockage on both sides. What do you suggest?

Celia Welch: Adding built-in storage is a great idea. Figure out what time of storage you need- drawers, shelves, doors etc. Try to incorporate the existing architecture in the room to create a really built in look - continue existing mldngs around the cabinets, paint the built-ins in the same color of the Trim in the room, or the wall color. It hard to say what you should do about the window blockage, with out being able to see the area. sorry that I could not be more helpful.

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Del Ray, Va.: I love the bedside table you chose, but, ahhhh! … $2,500? Can you recommend a place to get something more affordable, but just as cute?

Celia Welch: Thanks. Take a look at the Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams furniture.

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Washington, D.C.: Hello: I live in a small rowhouse (about 1200 sq feet) built in the 1920s on Capitol Hill and am trying to establish a uniform feel, without being to matchy-matchy. Any particular way I should approach this or suggestions? Thanks!

Celia Welch: Start by figuring out your look for the whole house, rather than room by room. Create a color scheme that flows. Try to use three to four colors only and carry the scheme throughout.

Home & Garden Television designer Karl Lohnes and custom window fashions manufacturer Hunter Douglas have put together a list of the most common decorating mistakes. You’ve heard from me on two of them — having more than one focal point in a room and rushing your decorating to get it done in a day — but they offer more caveats that bear repeating.

For example, most people plan the furnishings and wall coverings first, then leave the window treatments for last. Wrong! Window coverings should be considered from the beginning. Not only can window fashions create pleasing illusions of depth or height in a room, scientific studies have proven the quality of natural light in a space actually affects our moods and health. So, with that in mind, consider the ambience you want to create, and choose your window fashions early on in the decorating process. That will go a long way toward making the final result comfortable for you.

Another common mistake is choosing wall colors that are too pale or washed out. As a general rule, the larger the room, the more depth a wall color needs. The colors do not have to be bold, but they should be strong. For example, if bold and bright colors aren’t in your palette preference, opt for a dark tan or dusty chocolate.

What about those skinny, wimpy trims and moldings? Best thing to do is try to make them disappear. Painting insignificant trims white is a common mistake in home decorating. If you have trims of 3 1/2 inches or smaller, paint them the same color as the wall to make them blend in and to add a feeling of height to a room. You can even cover them by selecting a window treatment mounted outside the window frame from ceiling to floor, thereby covering (hiding) the trim completely.

Everyone knows that a room’s focal point is important and should be highlighted. Let’s say the focal point is the window. Under this circumstance, many people have to be careful not to over-do the window treatment. If the view is spectacular, frame the window boldly as if framing a picture. After all, the picture is the view and the window is the frame.

If you must cover that window, consider a window treatment that has a top-down/bottom-up option, which allows you to raise the window shades from the bottom, lower them from the top or do both at once to create distinct, appealing visual patterns.

Artwork that is hung too high is all too common in many homes. Simple rules: The bottom of the artwork should be 8 to 10 inches above the top of a piece of furniture such as a headboard, sofa or credenza. If the artwork is large, then start at 4 to 6 inches above the top of a piece of furniture. Artwork hung in a hallway or in a stairwell should be hung so the middle of the art is 66 inches off the floor.

Don’t clutter your house with too many accessories. Hold off on buying any accessories until you find just the right ones. It is better to have one or just a few perfect pieces of art, including wall hangings or table art, rather than many insignificant filler pieces.

What if you already have many accessories but they are all special to you? By keeping your collection of figurines, samplers or family photos grouped together, you can create a big impact with many small things. Dotting them all around the house only adds a cluttered look.

WHILE MOST SECOND-GRADERS WERE LEARNING TO WRITE THEIR name in cursive, at age 7, Johnny Williams was busy cutting his grandfather’s hair. Little did he know that this early experience would lead to a career he loves. After several years of perfecting his skills, he finally hit his stride. In 2006, after a stint as a regional director for Fantastic Sams, a hair care franchise with 1,400 locations, Williams used $179,000 in loans to acquire his salon. With the purchase, Williams, 30, turned his passion into profits.

Projected sales at Williams’ Matteson, Illinois, franchise are expected to reach $450,000. Williams has tapped into a bourgeoning $55 billion industry, driven by both the youth market, with its disposable income, and image-conscious baby boomers wanting to keep their look current. “The typical African American female gets her hair done weekly,” Williams points out. “Weekly clients generate a lot of revenue for a hair salon.” At Williams’ location, 97% of the customers are African American.

Ultimately, Williams’ goal is to have three locations; plans are underway to open a second location in Englewood, Illinois, in late fall. “It’s going to be a challenge because it’s the first time a Fantastic Sams will open in a Chicago inner city. I really want to give back to the community and help grow the marketplace. I will reevaluate next year, look at the numbers, and determine when it’s the right time to open a third location.”

Diversity among Fantastic Sams’ salon and regional owners is a priority for the company. Scott L. Colabuono, president and CEO of Fantastic Sams International, explains, “Our [customers] represent a broad slice of the U.S. population; they are looking for quality hair cuts; coloring and styling services; a convenient location; a personable, certified stylist trained in both basic and trendy hair styles at a value-oriented price. Our diverse ownership group is driven to exceed clients’ expectations.”

Williams is one of many African Americans succeeding in the franchising arena by collaborating with a franchisor that understands the need for diversity and has developed an effective minority outreach program. Franchising, which accounts for nearly 10 million jobs and a payroll of nearly $230 billion, has long been considered an avenue for black entrepreneurs to build and maintain wealth.

Each year, BLACK ENTERPRISE identifies the best franchising opportunities for African Americans. This year, to spotlight the stars, BE has not only identified the hottest sectors poised to flourish in years to come, but also sought out franchisors with active minority recruitment programs. We’ve showcased franchises within high-growth categories with either low or moderate startup costs or a high number of black-owned units due to effective diversity initiatives.

Diversity is a widespread business trend, and franchisors are recognizing the benefits. To remain competitive in the marketplace, franchised companies are making a concerted effort to expand their businesses to minority communities. As a result, the International Franchise Association, a trade organization of franchisors, franchisees, and suppliers, announced the launch of the MinorityFran program in February.

Currently, MinorityFran includes 114 franchise companies and seven suppliers. Franchisee recruitment is the first initiative of the program, and participating companies receive training and information on diversity issues as well as access to contacts at participating organizations that have reach within minority groups. Through MinorityFran, franchisors receive the exposure, education, and contacts needed to increase the number of minorities within their systems.

A VARIETY OF OPTIONS

There is no such thing as guaranteed success within the franchise universe. A good way to stack the cards in your favor is to identify viable business concepts and pinpoint the underlying trends that lead to sustained growth. Here are six areas that fit the bill:

Health and Beauty: In addition to spas and hair care franchises, fitness concepts, such as Liberty Fitness, and anti-aging specialists such as Sona MedSpa are franchises in this growth sector.

Food and Dining: Consumers crave choice, quality, and affordable luxury. This has translated into growth for several food and dining niches. Casual restaurants like The HoneyBaked Ham Co. and Cafe offer busy families an alternative to fast food. Multiple brands under one roof such as YUM! Brands (KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, etc.) fill this demand by offering an array of menu items. Juice It Up! serves up specialty beverages and smoothies–great for health-conscious professionals and morns on-the-go.

Business Services: Outsourcing has become big business as large and small companies search for ways to save on increased healthcare and payroll costs. Services franchises fill the outsourcing needs of various businesses regardless of size. This high-growth category also consists of staffing concepts such as Link Staffing and commercial cleaning brands like Coverall Cleaning Concepts. Technology consultants such as CM IT Solutions are also part of this group.

The Barefoot Home: Dressed-Down Design For Casual Living is a lavishly photographed interior design and decorating guide, with an eye for the laid-back lifestyle. Emphasis on openness, lack of clutter, serenity, ventilation, and ease distinguish these suggestions for everything from kitchens to studios to bedroom. Full-color photographs on every page, diagrams, and extensive writing not only about specific suggestions but also general themes to promote a relaxed atmosphere fill The Barefoot Home cover-to-cover. The perfect interior design antidote to the pressures and stresses of a fast-paced world, The Barefoot Home is written in a tone akin to its subject matter–easygoing and thoroughly accessible to amateur and professional designers alike. Very highly recommended and informative reading.