Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Entrepreneur

    To Franchise, OR Not to Franchise?

    For many brands hoping to expand, franchising is a great model. But it's not the only (or always the best) option. Here, we follow two similar entrepreneurs as they choose different paths to growth-one going into franchising and the other licensing his brand to dealers.
    by Jason Daley Dec 01, 2016 6 minutes
    The Franchisor: Steve Schulze, Nekter Juice Bar, The Licensor: Don DiCostanzo, Pedego Electric Bikes

    The Franchisor: Steve Schulze, Nekter Juice Bar
    A marketing exec, Schulze founded Nekter in 2010 with his wife, Alexis, a teacher. The idea was to meet the need for an affordable and pure juice brand with no additives. Nekter now has 62 units (20 franchises, 42 company stores) and aspires to be “the Starbucks of juice.”

    The Licensor: Don DiCostanzo, Pedego Electric Bikes
    A longtime auto parts executive, DiCostanzo built his own electronic bikes and created a store to sell them. He briefly toyed with franchising the stores, then decided that wasn’t a good fit. Today Pedego sells at 87 licensed dealerships across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe.

    Step 1: Finding the right way to expand.

    Upgrading from a small business to a chain is a big leap. So before choosing how a company will grow, owners should figure out their management style and ultimate goals. “We tell our clients, ‘You really don’t want to make a decision to franchise. You want to make a decision

    You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

    More from Entrepreneur

    Entrepreneur3 min read
    Making the Midlife Leap
    Sometimes, building the life you want requires a big risk. That’s what Keri Gardner realized when she cashed in $100,000 of her retirement savings to buy a franchise. It was November 2020, and she had just been laid off from her executive role at a h
    Entrepreneur5 min readCorporate Finance
    How to Build the Next Huge Thing
    Want to start, fund, and sell a major company? Spencer Rascoff has some advice on that—because he’s seen it from all sides. As a founder, he first cofounded the travel-booking site Hotwire, which he sold to Expedia. He then cofounded Zillow, which he
    Entrepreneur2 min read
    The Loss That Changed My Company
    When I was 17, I founded a company to save police officers’ lives. We distribute and manufacture body armor and other protective equipment. And yet, I will admit: For the first eight years, this work felt abstract—like watching war unfold on the nigh

    Related