Visitors to Singapore can’t help but be impressed by the sleek, gleaming, modern and efficient city state. Here you’ll find shopping and dining which is as sophisticated as anywhere in the world. All the “name” brands are represented including many fast food franchises and retailing franchises from the west, but some tourists may wonder, where is the “Old Singapore”?
Traditional Coffee Shop
Much of it has gone to make way for the new, but fortunately there are pockets of pre-war shop-houses which now have National Heritage status.
Singapore is famous for its food and the dishes which are popular in the SE Asian region don’t need any protection measures from any official body, they will be around for generations to come.
Singapore’s food is a potpourri (Singaporeans would say “rojak”) of styles showing influences from the Middle East, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Indochina and of course China. Often fiery ”chili-hot” but always flavorsome, some of the dishes need to be approached with caution.
The once common coffee shop where in the past people would gather for a quick breakfast early in the morning, or a leisurely chat during the evening still exist, and are popular with the locals, but their numbers have diminished and most people now visit a coffee stall in one of the hundreds of “hawker centers” which can be found everywhere in Singapore.
Hawker centers can represent a bit bit of a culture shock to the overseas visitor for here the normally high standards of hygiene slip a little and each stall is usually a cluttered untidy affair, but still they are great places to sit and people-watch while in the background the time-honored traditions of grinding the beans and pouring boiling water through a fabric filter holding the coffee take place continuously.
Nanyang Old Coffee Franchise
There is a new company which is setting out to change the look of hawker stalls and it is a franchise. Nanyang Old Coffee taps into the nostalgic yearnings many Singaporeans feel for the old style coffee shop while appealing to the younger generation who demand sophistication and style.
The stalls are beautifully fitted out, the coffee is from the finest Arabica beans and it is still made the traditional Singapore way, by pouring boiling water from a tall metal jug through a fabric filter. Traditional kaya toast and and boiled eggs are available for breakfast.
Although a new franchise, there are already half a dozen outlets throughout Singapore with more planned to open in the coming months. It will be interesting to see how these beautifully designed stalls will influence the other stall holders. I suspect many will rise to the challenge and the resulting race can only be a good thing and will improve the image of Singapore’s hawker centers.
To me it is another example of how the franchising industry often spearheads improving standards in many industries
Anthony J. Micale has worked for McDonald’s Corp. for 50 years.
Now, before you wonder why he never found a better job, you should know that he’s been a franchise owner for nearly all those years. He bought his first franchise in Binghamton, N.Y., in 1962 from the legendary Ray Kroc, before the Golden Arches became an American cultural icon.
That was 3-1/2 years after he’d first walked into a Long Island McDonald’s on Jericho Turnpike in Huntingdon, N.Y., looking for a part-time job. He was a sheet-metal worker commanding $8 an hour, enough to feed his young family. But he needed $500 to put a dormer on the Cape Cod house he’d bought.
A fast-food restaurant job wasn’t going to match the union wages of his full-time work. But Micale, now 72, said he was enamored with the speed, organization, uniforms, and overall concept of McDonald’s. “It had a life and a spark of its own,” he said. Read More…
If you are thinking about buying a franchise, there are many opportunities in a variety of industries that you may find suitable. However, there are so many franchise opportunities now that many franchise opportunity scams are surfacing as well. You will have to be wary of these scams while searching for your perfect franchise opportunity, and take precautions so as not to fall prey to them. The most important thing to keep in mind is to avoid things that are too good to be true.
If a franchise opportunity presents itself and the franchisor is promising that you will make a lot of money in a short time with little effort, this is very unlikely to be true. The franchisor will go back on their promises and leave you out whatever money you have given to them. If you are going to buy a franchise you have to be prepared to work hard if you want to be successful. You are not going to be able to go into business for yourself and make money if you are expecting to expend little effort. As for the amount of time in which you will see returns, that can vary from franchise to franchise. Read More…
When the idea of getting into a franchise business first starts to make its presence felt in one’s consciousness, few us us immediately consider a resale franchise business. Instead we start searching a franchise directory, like the Every Franchise Directory and scour it for franchises that appear to best fit with our budget, personality, goals and ambitions. Nothing wrong with that of course, but once you have your shortlist, it could well be a good idea to look around to see if any existing franchisees are ready to sell up. There are quite a few advantages to this approach, but to explain them all, I’m going to hand you over to a business broker who knows a lot more about it than me.
If you are interested, please read Buying a Resale Franchise Business
Finally due to our disastrous sales figures I've decided to award myself a stress related bonus
There has been a comment posted about the Children’s Orchard franchise business in the Every Franchise News section.
The comment was posted by “Robert”, an ex-franchisee, and he tells of the sorry state of affairs within the company now since the present owner purchased the franchise chain in late 2004. class="more-link">Read More…
What’s great about a great idea is that it catches-on fast and soon everybody wants to know about it.
Here is a new video from groOrganic, a franchise that’s making waves (well, vegetables actually), in an increasing number of backyards across America.
Businesses that focus on people’s backyards often do well and this franchise looks promising not only for that reason, but because they have a full school curriculum worked out and a turnkey system for installing and maintaining, if necessary, organic gardens just about anywhere, including senior care facilities.
Not only can a GroOrganic garden provide healthy exercise, education and relaxation, but also organically home-grown fresh vegetables.
Check this out for a fantastic real estate office. I challenge you walk past this without entering!
The Pedal to Properties franchise keeps innovating and challenges the accepted view of how a real estate business should look and how it does business.
Read this great story about Gertie Goldbach and smile.
It’s been lifted from naplesnews.com and properly linked to the source below. (just so you don’t think that I nicked it).
By AARON HALE
Gertie Goldbach has found her own fountain of youth.
At 88 years old, Goldbach still walks on her own two feet, keeps a genial smile on her face and can merrily chatter with folks like a teenage girl.
Goldbach, who despite her youthfulness refers to herself as “the old broad,” gives the bulk of the credit for good health to the Wendy’s fast-food chain. No, it’s not the burgers, fries or spicy chicken sandwiches giving Goldbach that pep in her step — she said being a 12-year employee of the restaurant has kept her healthy and socially engaged. Read More…
groOrganic, the organic garden franchise, will be featured in a new episode on tori & dean Home Sweet Hollywood April 19th, 10/9c. on Oxygen.
If you missed the last episode, you can watch it here:
groOrganic is actually one of my favorite franchises. I started gardening when I was a kid and studied Agricultural Science at high school, so I’m not kidding when I enthuse about this one.
These compact gardens seem a perfect answer for people who feel they might be lacking in the skill department. Also, notice they are raised up from the ground making it easier for seniors to manage and anyway, digging in that wonderful looking organic composted mulch would be a pleasure. I want one of these gardens for myself!
