New And Improved Make money with: tub liners, outdoor trips, giant greetings.
By Brian Ng
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
What's the most popular room in any house? The bathroom, ofcourse. Where else can you brush your teeth, take a showerand read great literature? Thanks to Mesa, Arizona-basedRe-Bath Corp., now there's one more activity you can take intothe bathroom: business. That's because the franchisormanufactures and sells acrylic bathtub liners, wall surrounds andshower-base liners to commercial and residential markets.
"The home remodeling industry is booming right now,"says John Heckenlaible, Re-Bath's director of marketing.
Instead of refinishing the old tub or tearing it out andinstalling a new one, Re-Bath makes a liner that covers the oldbathtub, wall or shower base. This essentially gives the customer a"new" tub or shower for a lower cost.
Franchisees learn to demonstrate, sell and install Re-Bathproducts. Start-up costs of $38,500 to $78,600 include a protectedterritory, equipment, supplies, insurance, starting salaries,advertising, working capital, training and support.
Re-Bath is seeking franchisees nationwide. For furtherinformation, call (800) 426-4573 or visit http://www.re-bath.com
Getting Carded
Strange things happen at night. Santa Claus leaves presents, theTooth Fairy leaves money, and Yard Cards LLC leaves 8-foot-tallgreeting cards in front yards.
In the morning, lucky recipients are greeted by a giant,personalized cutout of a birthday cake, stork or any one of anumber of other designs. "We just added a Grim Reaper [forbirthdays]. That's been a huge hit," says Tracey Pacheco,president of the Abilene, Texas, company.
Yard Cards franchisees "rent" the cards to customers,personalize them and set them up on front lawns during thenight.
To become a franchisee, you first purchase a protected territoryfor the business, which costs $.03 per resident, with a1,000-person minimum. The start-up kit adds about $3,900 to thebill, and includes everything needed to open the franchise, such ascards, a personalizing kit, an operations manual and training.There is also a monthly royalty fee of $50.
Yard Cards is looking for new franchisees nationwide. For moredetails, call (915) 672-9444 or visit http://www.yardcardsllc.com
Happy Campers
Not many people get to combine their favorite hobby with theirbusiness, but that's exactly what Bob Laddusaw did when hecreated Outdoor Connection, a Burnsville, Minnesota, travelfranchise specializing in fishing and hunting trips.
Franchisees not only arrange trips for clients but also travelto different locales year-round to gain first-hand knowledge of thelodges recommended by Outdoor Connection. It's a part-timeopportunity, Laddusaw says, which can easily be managed during youroff hours.
The $5,800 franchise fee includes two days of training, plusvisits to lodges and trade shows. There's also a royalty fee of1 to 4 percent of sales.
Outdoor Connection is currently seeking franchisees worldwide.Potential franchisees should enjoy fishing and hunting and want tomake money doing something they love. For more information, call(612) 890-0407.
