Front page News

Mrs. Fields Appoints Co-CEOs

Don Sniegowski — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:38:45 -0800

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (Blue MauMau)- Mrs. Fields Original Cookies Inc., a chain of some 1,200 Mrs. Fields and TCBY franchised snack shops, announced Monday that Michael Ward and John Lauck have been immediately appointed co-chief executive officers for the company.

Jamba Appoints New Chief

Don Sniegowski — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:03:43 -0800

EMERYVILLE, Calif. (Blue MauMau) - Jamba, Inc. announced on Monday the appointment of James White as president, chief executive officer and member of the board of directors.

BLX Executive Sentenced to 10 Years, to Pay $34 Million in Restitution

Janet Sparks — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:30:32 -0800

DETROIT (Blue MauMau) - Last Thursday, a former executive of Business Loans Express was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and was ordered to pay $33.9 million in restitution.

Sixth Circuit Sends Coffee Beanery Franchisees to Court

Janet Sparks — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:08:44 -0800

ANN ARBOR, Michigan (Blue MauMau) - The Sixth Circuit Court handed down its amended opinion Friday in the ongoing litigation between the Coffee Beanery and franchisees WW, LLC, under Richard Welshans and Deborah Williams.

EXCLUSIVE: Snap-on President Discusses Coping with the Credit Crunch

Don Sniegowski — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:47:16 -0800

Kenosha, WI (Blue MauMau) - Barrie Young, president of sales and franchising for Snap-on Tools worldwide, discusses the difficulty of obtaining money, what Snap-on learned from the Great Depression that prepared it for the credit crunch, and fighting cost inflation for its franchise owners.

Part 2: Snap-on Discusses Helping Franchisees Be Profitable in Tough Times

Don Sniegowski — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 02:16:44 -0800

Kenosha, WI (Blue MauMau) - Barrie Young, president of sales and franchising for Snap-on Tools worldwide, in an exclusive interview with Blue MauMau discusses how the company tries to help franchisees

NexCen Brands Appoints New Chief Financial Officer

Don Sniegowski — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:21:51 -0800

NexCen Brands Inc., parent company of Maggie Moo's, The Athlete's Foot, Great American Cookies, Pretzel Time, Pretzel Maker, Marble Slab Creamery, Shoe Box New York and non-franchised Bill Blass, announced yesterday the appointment of Mark Stanko as its new chief financial officer, along with news of the appointments of several other key executives.

ABA Forum Elects First Franchisee Lawyer as Chair

Janet Sparks — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:03:06 -0800

MINNEAPOLIS (Blue MauMau) - Ronald K. Gardner, Jr., Managing Partner of the Dady & Garner law firm, has been elected as Chair of the American Bar Association's Forum on Franchising, the 2,250 member national association of franchise lawyers.

Cold Stone Explains Battle with IRS

Janet Sparks — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:54:48 -0800

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Blue MauMau) - Last Tuesday, Joshua Becker, the senior vice president and assistant general counsel of Cold Stone Creamery alerted its franchise community of an article in the November/December issue of Franchise Times magazine by this reporter.

Marketing Professor Joins Dunkin Franchisee Association Board

Don Sniegowski — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:39:27 -0800

Bellingham, MA (Blue MauMau) —The DD Independent Franchise Owners Group, the largest association of Dunkin' Donuts franchise owners, has appointed Professor Patrick Kaufmann, a marketing professor of Boston University, to its Board of Directors.

Panel Discusses Credit Crunch's Impact on Hotels

Don Sniegowski — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:56:20 -0800

SAN DIEGO (Blue MauMau) - A panel of hotel experts—a chain's CEO, a researcher and consultant, and a franchisee—discuss the credit crunch and how hotel owners can cope.

The Weakest Link: Selecting Expert Testimony without Daubert in Mind

Don Sniegowski — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:40:00 -0800

An authority on expert testimony in franchise disputes has released a study that concludes that one of the weakest links in franchisee court cases is often their own expert's testimony.

Franchisors Continue Bogus Claims Despite IFA Plea

Don Sniegowski — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:26:22 -0800

WASHINGTON (Blue MauMau) - The International Franchise Association has asked franchisors to stop spreading claims that franchises are safer than independent small businesses.

Dream Dinners Franchise Advisory Council Applauds New CEO

Janet Sparks — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:28:11 -0800

SNOHOMISH, Wash. (Blue MauMau) - Michele Guilmette, co-president of the Dream Dinners Franchisee Advisory Council, expressed in an interview last week that CEO Darin Leonard has been a positive addition to the company in moving the company forward. "I call him my blessing.

SBA Loans Sink

Don Sniegowski — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:13:36 -0800

WASHINGTON (Blue MauMau) - The Small Business Administration announced Thursday that the number of government-backed loans to small businesses sank by 30 percent.