Franchise Opportunity Exploration Handbook
Franchise Opportunity Exploration Handbook
As an overview, we have designed this Franchise Opportunity Exploration Handbook to provide you with information to assist you in making an informed decision whether to purchase an AmSpirit Business Connections franchise. The topics in this Franchise Opportunity Exploration Handbook include:
- Exploring the Franchise Opportunity - an overview of the recommended steps for determining whether to purchase an AmSpirit Business Connections franchise.
- About AmSpirit Business Connections - an overview of answers to frequently asked questions about AmSpirit Business Connections and its business model.
- Franchisee Expectations - an overview of what AmSpirit Business Connections expects of its franchisees to help empower their success.
- AmSpirit Business Connections Support - an overview of the support AmSpirit Business Connections will provide its franchisees to assist them in being successful.
- Revenue Sources - an overview of the available opportunities to generate revenue as an AmSpirit Business Connections franchisee.
- Investment Required - an overview of the investment required as an AmSpirit Business Connections franchisee.
Exploring the Franchise Opportunity
Review each of these steps carefully. As each step is important in the evaluation process, AmSpirit Business Connections will not enter into a franchise arrangement with you until you have completed each step in succession.
- Initial Application Package: After reviewing this information, if you are interested in further exploring the AmSpirit Business Connections Franchise Opportunity, please complete and return a Potential Franchisee Personal Profile Form (Word | PDF) included in this package. In addition, please forward to us a current resume and a personal biography.
- Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD): Once we have reviewed your initial application package and we have approved you as being qualified to be a franchise candidate, we will send you the applicable Franchise Disclosure Document as required by the Federal Trade Commission and/or your state. In addition to providing you with important legal and contractual information related to the AmSpirit Business Connections Franchise Opportunity, the Franchise Disclosure Document will include a list of all current (and past) AmSpirit Business Connections Franchisees. The law requires that we allow you at least fourteen (14) calendar days to review the Franchise Disclosure Document. We encourage you to take advantage of this time and carefully review this information with your legal and accounting advisors. For information on obtaining our Franchise Disclosure Document, CLICK HERE.
- Territory: If after reviewing the Franchise Disclosure Document, if you are still interested in an AmSpirit Business Connections franchise, we will work together to define a potential territory for you.
- Business Evaluation: Once you are comfortable with the proposed territory AmSpirit Business Connections would be assigning, you will have the opportunity to devote some time and attention to visiting with Directors, Chapters and members in Columbus, Ohio (or any other operating AmSpirit Business Connections franchise or corporate operation).
- Final Decision: After you have completed your business evaluation and we mutually agree to establish a franchisor-franchisee relationship, we will provide you, for review, three complete sets of all necessary legal agreements, including the Franchise Agreement, with ALL appropriate information included on these legal documents. The law requires that we allow you at least seven (7) calendar days to carefully review all these legal documents with your legal and accounting advisors. We encourage you to take advantage of this time.
- Document Execution & Payment: Once you are comfortable with all the legal documents, you will execute them as we will instruct. You will then return two sets of the legal agreement to us along with payment for the appropriate franchise fee.
- Material Release & Training Scheduled: Once we have received your payment and the two sets of fully executed legal agreements, we will (a) forward to you various operating supplies, (b) arrange for you to have access to the AmSpirit Business Connections Operations Manual as well as other operating material and (c) work with you to schedule you for the AmSpirit Business Connections Franchisee Initial Training Program.
About AmSpirit Business Connections
AmSpirit Business Connections (through AmSpirit Franchise Corporation) offers a franchise opportunity. Franchisees organize and support Chapters of sales representatives, entrepreneurs, and professionals.
These individuals are collectively referred to as members and the members pay membership fees to participate in AmSpirit Business Connections Chapters. The members of these Chapters meet on a weekly basis to participate in a structured meeting format where they assist one another to succeed by creating a forum where they can exchange qualified referrals.
While Chapter membership can be diverse, here are some examples of sales representatives, entrepreneurs and professionals that can benefit from the program supported by AmSpirit Business Connections:
Accountants … Ad Specialists … Advertising Agents … Attorneys … Auto Body Repairers … Auto Leasers ... Auto Sales People ... Bankers ... Beauticians ... Bedding Sales People... Business Brokers ... Carpet Cleaners ... Casualty Insurance Agents ... Caterers ... Cellular Phone Sales People ... Chiropractors ... Cleaning Services ... Collection Services ... Commercial Cleaners ... Computer Consultants ... Credit Card Services ... Dentists ... Embroiderers ... Employee Leasers ... Employment Agents ... Equipment Leasers ... Exhibit Displays ... Florists ... Graphic Designers ... Health & Fitness Experts ... Image Consultants ... Interior Designers ... Internet Services ... Jewelers ... Landscapers ... Life Insurance Agents ... Locksmiths ... Long Distance Providers ... Marketing Consultants ... Massage Therapists ... Mortgage Brokers ... Moving & Storage ... Office Equipment ... Office Furniture ... Office Suppliers ... Optometrists ... Payroll Services ... Photographers ... Printers ... Public Relations ... Real Estate Appraisers ... Realtors ... Remodeling Contractors ... Retirement Community ... Sales Trainers ... Security Systems ... Signs ... Stockbrokers ... Telecommunications ... Title Insurance Agents ... Travel Agents.
As a franchisee of AmSpirit Business Connections, we will empower you to establish these Chapters and create an environment where your members achieve greater success through the interaction with others as well as the guidance that you provide.
Franchisee Expectations
Being an AmSpirit Business Connections Connections franchisee is a unique opportunity to consult with entrepreneurs, sales representatives and professionals as AmSpirit Business Connections has designed this program to allow you to dovetail your current business or profession with the franchise opportunity. Thus, there is no requirement that you expend a full-time effort towards being an AmSpirit Business Connections franchisee.
As it is a franchise requiring that you lead, guide and mentor a variety of small business people, AmSpirit Business Connections recommends that you have a minimum of 10 years of diverse business, self-employment or similar experience working with small business persons or commission-based professionals.
In addition, you must be avidly committed to assist other business professionals in becoming more successful by establishing strong, productive business relationship through the AmSpirit Business Connections program. You will accomplish this by:
- Interacting in your local business community with the intent of meeting entrepreneurs, sales representatives and professionals;
- Making presentations on networking to various groups in the local business community with the intent of creating greater awareness for AmSpirit Business Connections as well as establishing yourself as an expert in the area of business relationship development;
- Inviting area entrepreneurs, sales representatives and professionals to informational meetings to present the AmSpirit Business Connections program;
- Carefully following a formula for establishing self-sustaining, diverse groups of entrepreneurs, sales representatives and professionals;
- Using strong leadership skills to ensure that Chapters and members diligently follow the AmSpirit Business Connections structured meeting model;
- Presenting materials to and facilitating discussion among Chapter members to encourage and empower them to undertake the activities to make them more successful at giving and getting referrals; and,
- Serving as a catalyst for creating and maintaining positive group dynamics among participants in various Chapters.
AmSpirit Business Connections Support
As a franchisee, AmSpirit Business Connections commits to providing you the following support to empower you to succeed:
- Initial Training: As a franchisee of AmSpirit Business Connections, you will participate in a multi-day initial training program near our headquarters. At this training program, we will (i) Introduce you to all aspects of the AmSpirit Business Connections model; (ii) Provide a detailed discussion of the steps necessary to start a Chapter and the activities essential to make it successful, vibrant and dynamic; and, (iii) Allow you to observe active Chapters that have made successful use of the AmSpirit Business Connections model.
- Ongoing Development: In addition to the initial training, AmSpirit Business Connections will periodically offer supplemental training and development programs that you will have the opportunity to learn from.
- Personal Consultation: In addition to formalized training programs, staff at AmSpirit Business Connections will be available via telephone and electronic mail to address your unique situations and challenges.
- Program & Materials: As a franchisee of AmSpirit Business Connections, you have electronic access to various documents needed to operate your franchise.
- AmSpirit.Com: In addition, to the website available to the membership and the public at large, AmSpirit Business Connections maintains a section of its website exclusively devoted to franchisees. Known as the Director Only section, this part of our website will provide you with materials to assist in your personal and professional development, a forum for franchisees to share experience and logs for guiding and tracking franchisee success.
- Member & Community Programs: In addition to program and material documents, as a franchisee of AmSpirit Business Connections, you will be provided with access to a library of training and facilitation programs that you can use to empower members as well as work with business organizations in your area.
- Membership & Financial Management: On your behalf as a franchisee, AmSpirit Business Connections will manage your membership database as well as ensure that your members are appropriately invoiced.
Revenue Sources
An AmSpirit Business Connections franchised business is a for-profit, membership-based organization, through which AmSpirit Business Connections franchisees aim to help entrepreneurs, sales representatives and professionals obtain new client revenue by involving them in a weekly structured meeting (sometimes referred to as networking groups, tips clubs, or structured referral groups). A franchisee's members pay membership dues, which creates revenue for the franchisee.
Investment Required
The AmSpirit Business Connections franchise opportunity is a business opportunity requiring a financial investment and a time commitment for optimal success. There is an initial franchise fee of $10,000, plus other expenses such as traveling to Columbus, Ohio for a handful of days of training. Please see our Franchise Disclosure Document for complete details.