openPR:
Mystery shopping is now considered the most successful way of securing and optimising quality standards at franchising companies. INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CHECK is an international mystery shopping provider which has focused exclusively on this key competency since the company’s foundation in 1996. The special method used by INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CHECK – sending representative test customers to [...]

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India Business Blog:
While economic conditions force numerous businesses to reduce their inventories and workforces, Discovery Point Child Development Centers announces expansion goals with new franchise opportunities available throughout Georgia, Florida and Tennessee.
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Lucy’s Ltd was established in 2001 to sell Mexican food in three restaurants. Innovative advertising coupled with high quality food quickly established the name of Lucy’s at the forefront of restaurant chains in South Africa. In 2007 it was decided to name the franchise Lucy’s and to register the name as a trademark. The franchise are sold and fees of 5% of revenue are paid to Lucy’s Ltd. What requirements should be met for the trademark ‘Lucy’s” to be recognized as an intangible asset?
Select one or more options:
a. The trademark should be controlled by Lucy Ltd
b. The trademark should be a result of a past event
c. Probable future economic benefit – i.e. the 5% franchise fees – will flow to Lucy Ltd
d. The trademark has a value that can be measured reliably i.e. the amount at which the trademark is sold for
e. The trademark has a cost – the amount paid for registration

dBusinessNews Detroit:
Powered by strong marketplace demand for healthy dining options, variety and convenience, Zoup! Fresh Soup Company is a hot commodity in franchising – feeding a hearty base of consumer and entrepreneurial appetites with plans to reach 100 units within five years.
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Nightly Business Report:
Many unemployed Americans have found a way to get back to work. They’re buying franchises. The options seem endless, from a chain restaurant to a dent-removal firm, even a hair salon. As Jeff Yastine reports, when the economy heads south, interest in franchising goes up.
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McDonald’s Corp. said Thursday that it will donate $500,000 to victims of Tuesday’s earthquake in Haiti. The amount will be matched with donations from franchisee Arcos Dorados, and the combined total is expected to be $1 million or more, the company said.
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Soda fountains contained fecal bacteria, study found

(CNN) — It fizzes. It quenches. And it could also contain fecal bacteria.

Nearly half of the 90 beverages from soda fountain machines in one area in Virginia tested positive for coliform bacteria — which could indicate possible fecal contamination, according to a study published in the January issue of International Journal of Food Microbiology.

Researchers also detected antibiotic-resistant microbes and E.coli in the soda samples.

Certainly we come in contact with bacteria all the time, Renee Godard, lead author of the study and professor of biology and environmental studies at Hollins University, a private liberal arts college in Roanoke, Virginia. It’s simply that some bacteria may potentially cause some disease or gastrointestinal distress. One thing we hesitate with is that people get afraid of bacteria. Many of them are benign or helpful, but certainly, I don’t want E.coli in my beverage.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking-water regulations require that all samples test negative for E.coli.

Many of the soda beverages from the dispensers fell below U.S. drinking-water standards, according to the findings.

The large number of beverages and soda fountain machines containing E. coli is still of considerable concern… and suggests that more pathogenic strains of bacteria could persist and thrive in soda fountain machines if introduced, the authors wrote.

Godard and her colleagues acquired 90 beverages of three types, (sugar soda, diet soda, water) from 30 fast food restaurants in a 22-mile area near Roanoke, in southern Virginia. They surveyed beverages from both self-service and employee-dispensed machines and the samples were tested.

There were no reported outbreaks of food-borne illness related in the Roanoke area at the time of the study.

They found that 48 percent of beverages obtained from soda fountains contained coliform bacteria, 11 percent contained E. coli (which are mostly harmless, but some can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia), and 17 percent had Chryseobacterium meningosepticum (which could sicken newborns or adults with weakened immune systems).

Dean Cliver, professor of food safety emeritus at University of California Davis, said it would be premature to draw broad conclusions about all soda fountains from a localized study.

How sanitation regulations are promulgated and enforced in a community are different, Cliver said. Some communities are more on to it than others. How much of a threat it represents? It’s probably limited. Once again, it’s a matter of what regulations are in place, who pays attention and whether it’s being followed.

The samples were contained in petri dishes and the bacteria multiplied within 48 hours, so much so that they became visible to the naked eye as 300 to 400 tiny dots, Godard said.

A Hollins undergraduate microbiology student accidentally discovered that water from a restaurant beverage dispenser contained bacteria while completing a homework assignment. When the results came back, this piqued the interest of faculty and students.

The researchers are uncertain how the bacteria got inside the beverage machines.

It could be from dispensing with a hand that wasn’t clean or using wet rags to wipe down the machine, Godard said. We haven’t done the work to really identify those potential sources and how these bacteria get established.

Manitowoc Foodservice, one of the leading manufacturers of ice and beverage equipment, did not have the opportunity to review the study, but released this statement in response to CNN.com’s questions: We emphasize in our product support material proper methods for and the importance of frequent, thorough cleaning and sanitizing of foodservice equipment. In food equipment as in any environment where microorganisms can occur naturally or be spread by contact, it is essential to follow proven steps for cleaning and sanitizing.

The National Restaurant Association, a business association for the restaurant industry, e-mailed this statement in response to the findings: While the results of this study are disconcerting, we feel that it isn’t representative of our industry and that our guests can safely enjoy beverages from dispensers and single-serve containers alike.

The American Beverage Association made this statement: Fountain beverages are safe. Consumers can rest assured that our industry’s fountain beverages pose no public health risk. The organization, which represents hundreds of beverage producers, distributors, and franchise companies stated that Importantly, our industry meets, and often exceeds, all government health standards in bringing its products to market.

Whether other outbreaks have occurred because of contaminated soda machines is difficult to determine, because food-related illnesses are notoriously challenging to

Soda fountains contained fecal bacteria, study found

(CNN) — It fizzes. It quenches. And it could also contain fecal bacteria.

Nearly half of the 90 beverages from soda fountain machines in one area in Virginia tested positive for coliform bacteria — which could indicate possible fecal contamination, according to a study published in the January issue of International Journal of Food Microbiology.

Researchers also detected antibiotic-resistant microbes and E.coli in the soda samples.

Certainly we come in contact with bacteria all the time, Renee Godard, lead author of the study and professor of biology and environmental studies at Hollins University, a private liberal arts college in Roanoke, Virginia. It’s simply that some bacteria may potentially cause some disease or gastrointestinal distress. One thing we hesitate with is that people get afraid of bacteria. Many of them are benign or helpful, but certainly, I don’t want E.coli in my beverage.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking-water regulations require that all samples test negative for E.coli.

Many of the soda beverages from the dispensers fell below U.S. drinking-water standards, according to the findings.

The large number of beverages and soda fountain machines containing E. coli is still of considerable concern… and suggests that more pathogenic strains of bacteria could persist and thrive in soda fountain machines if introduced, the authors wrote.

Godard and her colleagues acquired 90 beverages of three types, (sugar soda, diet soda, water) from 30 fast food restaurants in a 22-mile area near Roanoke, in southern Virginia. They surveyed beverages from both self-service and employee-dispensed machines and the samples were tested.

There were no reported outbreaks of food-borne illness related in the Roanoke area at the time of the study.

They found that 48 percent of beverages obtained from soda fountains contained coliform bacteria, 11 percent contained E. coli (which are mostly harmless, but some can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia), and 17 percent had Chryseobacterium meningosepticum (which could sicken newborns or adults with weakened immune systems).

Dean Cliver, professor of food safety emeritus at University of California Davis, said it would be premature to draw broad conclusions about all soda fountains from a localized study.

How sanitation regulations are promulgated and enforced in a community are different, Cliver said. Some communities are more on to it than others. How much of a threat it represents? It’s probably limited. Once again, it’s a matter of what regulations are in place, who pays attention and whether it’s being followed.

The samples were contained in petri dishes and the bacteria multiplied within 48 hours, so much so that they became visible to the naked eye as 300 to 400 tiny dots, Godard said.

A Hollins undergraduate microbiology student accidentally discovered that water from a restaurant beverage dispenser contained bacteria while completing a homework assignment. When the results came back, this piqued the interest of faculty and students.

The researchers are uncertain how the bacteria got inside the beverage machines.

It could be from dispensing with a hand that wasn’t clean or using wet rags to wipe down the machine, Godard said. We haven’t done the work to really identify those potential sources and how these bacteria get established.

Manitowoc Foodservice, one of the leading manufacturers of ice and beverage equipment, did not have the opportunity to review the study, but released this statement in response to CNN.com’s questions: We emphasize in our product support material proper methods for and the importance of frequent, thorough cleaning and sanitizing of foodservice equipment. In food equipment as in any environment where microorganisms can occur naturally or be spread by contact, it is essential to follow proven steps for cleaning and sanitizing.

The National Restaurant Association, a business association for the restaurant industry, e-mailed this statement in response to the findings: While the results of this study are disconcerting, we feel that it isn’t representative of our industry and that our guests can safely enjoy beverages from dispensers and single-serve containers alike.

The American Beverage Association made this statement: Fountain beverages are safe. Consumers can rest assured that our industry’s fountain beverages pose no public health risk. The organization, which represents hundreds of beverage producers, distributors, and franchise companies stated that Importantly, our industry meets, and often exceeds, all government health standards in bringing its products to market.

Whether other outbreaks have occurred because of contaminated soda machines is difficult to determine, because food-related illnesses are notoriously challenging to

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Recession poses many challenges for business, but the tough economic climate has helped some small firms.
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I can’t think of a topic for my final project. Here’s the assignment:

For this assignment, you choose a topic for your final project. Your final project includes creating a Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation persuading a committee to adopt your business idea for an office in the River View Plaza Digital Story.
 
·         Viewthe River View Plaza Digital Story at http://corptrain.phoenix.edu/AXIA/com140/digitalstory/digifast.html
·         Use the information in the River View Plaza Digital Story as an introduction to the characters and situations used as a backdrop for your final project.
·         Write a 100- to 150-word proposal for your final project’s topic. This proposal must explain why you chose the topic.
·         Submit your topic to your instructor. Your instructor must approve it.

I proposed a recreational computer lounge like this one http://www.militarynow.com/czee_cyber.php but she denied it because it could conflict with one of the businesses in the plaza.

Some suggestions were:

daycare
restaurant
Coffee shop
collective building receptionist
full-service beauty salon/barber
Gymnasium or spa
supply, printing service (like office max, staples)
franchises (like Starbucks burger king, subway, et al)
dry cleaners and tailor
bank or credit union
pharmacy, drug store
vending Machine Service
marketing service
general merchandising store

I’d appreciate any creative ideas!