2011 Military Friendly Franchises®
These companies want a veteran to be their next franchise owner
Franchising is a concept that exploded in America during the second half of the 20th century. Following World War II, franchises were few and far between in the U.S. The concept took off as Americans hit the nation’s highways and became a more mobile society. Today it’s hard to spend money anywhere without patronizing a franchise of some kind.
The rise of franchises benefitted more than busy American consumers. By replicating proven business models, franchises allowed aspiring entrepreneurs with no business background or an idea for a new product or service to get into business for themselves.
The franchise concept opened the door for many military veterans as well. Vets are graduates of perhaps the best business school in the world: the military, which teaches intangible skills even the best colleges and universities can’t teach: leadership, teamwork, discipline and a never-quit attitude. Franchisors recognize the value of these intangibles.
Many companies invest considerable time and money to find qualified veterans who want to own a franchise. G.I. Jobs helps transitioning service members and veterans interested in owning their own business find the companies that go out of their way to find military franchisees. The G.I. Jobs Military Friendly Franchises list identifies the franchises that demonstrate the best military recruiting practices in the nation.
Use the list to find a franchise concept that best fits your lifestyle, budget and skills. For details on what makes these companies Military Friendly Franchises, pick up a copy of the June Franchising issue of GI Jobs Magazine at the nearest TAP/ACAP center on base, or check out the content on our Military Franchising website. Both include Military Friendly Franchises® for veterans as well as step-by-step articles on how to get started as a franchise owner.
How we determine which franchises are most military friendly:
The 2011 Military Friendly Franchise® list, which represents the top 7 percent of the nation’s franchises that are doing the most to recruit military veterans, is determined through exhaustive research by the G.I. Jobs Military Friendly Franchise team. The research includes a comprehensive survey of more than 4,000 franchises. A Military Friendly Franchise Advisory Board, consisting of three franchise industry experts, helps determine survey questions and weightings:
- 40% for a franchise’s success in recruiting military and veterans. This category includes the number and percentage of veteran-owned franchises under a unique franchise concept.
- 30% for Effort 1, defined as programs and policies that measure a franchise’s non-financial efforts to recruit and retain military veterans. Examples include franchises that participate in programs like VetFran, offer assistance to Guard and Reserve members who get deployed, and employ personnel dedicated to recruiting veterans.
- 30% for Effort 2, defined as financial commitment, which means a franchise’s financial efforts to recruit and retain military veterans. Examples include franchises that offer a discount to military veterans on the franchise fee and the percentage of a franchise’s overall recruiting budget allocated to recruiting military veterans.