Tag Archives: India

School Franchising – Road Ahead

Franchising has emerged as a most preferred model for business expansion, as almost every business irrespective of their nature and sphere is opting for it. Franchising is one significant way in which a company can take advantage of Indias vast market and also with low risk factor involved. Till few years back, there were less options in franchise arena, but due to its business advantages entrepreneurs are being propelled to venture into exciting business concepts.

The current decade has witnessed franchising gaining newer heights and especially in the field of education. Operating a business is much safer and easier if done the franchising way. Several brands vouch for this franchise route as it is the most feasible alternative for growth in the volatile Indian marketplace. With introduction of unique concepts, people with interest in education sector are adopting franchise route for expansion.

The increased acceptance of the importance of education and the proven success of education franchising in India has led to a boom in the number of business owners wanting to expand their education brands through franchising. According to a recent survey, India is one of the largest markets for education in the world in terms of the number of students, offering vast franchising opportunities. Currently, out of the 1,200 franchises in the country, 32 per cent are in the education sector. Professional and vocational courses in the fields of aviation, hospitality, retail, etc are also being provided through franchise model. Not only this, Franchising has grown even in the pre-school sector.

The increased consciousness among parents regarding the education of their kids has given a great boost to pre- school education business. Also, the international pre-school brands foraying into India and the up-gradation of Indian brands to provide quality education is another factor contributing to growth of this sector. School Franchising is a proven business model and therefore, it is safe to opt for this business especially in case of new entrepreneurs.

School Franchising comes with a long list of benefits like training, transport, effective promotional material and advertising; everything is taken care by the franchisor. Some also provide books, uniforms, shoes, activity charts, school bags, crayons, diaries, lunch boxes and water bottles to the children. The Franchisor not only shares the brand image, but also the knowledge, experience, and technical expertise with the franchisee.

India is one country that offers various franchise and business opportunities. In today’s competitive world everyone wants to stay ahead in the race of success and for that majority of people have decided to indulge them into business. For cashing the business opportunities and to succeed in this race, franchising undoubtedly emerges as a top choice.

Better Business Management By Using Data Entry Services

Data entry services are integral part of any company that has data that needs to be managed. Most of the companies use internet for online data entry, so it is vital for the people doing it, has sufficient computer literacy. Data entry work is time consuming and lengthy therefore outsourcing online data entry services to India does the trick. When you outsource this service, the team of professionals handles your work effectively.

Having updated and correct data round the clock is of utmost importance, so that when the data is required it is there. For every business, data holds much importance. Many Website Design Company from India does the data entry job and outsourcing to them lightens the burden of data management. Study the website design portfolio of the website design company to get an idea about the work of the company. These companies have trained and skilled workforce that can handle data entry services efficiently.

Selection of data entry outsourcing firm depends upon the amount of data that is to be managed. You can hire data entry operator working on part-time or full-time basis for shorter or longer duration of time. If your company requires data handling on regular basis, then outsource your work to reliable outsourcing company.

These companies can handle successfully different types of data related to your business. It may include data conversion, documentation, data entry of the visitors and so on. Data entry services are also useful in keeping track of debit and credit card transactions, online forms filled in by the website visitors. In this competitive business atmosphere having up-to-date and organized data goes a long way in ensuring success, conquering your competitors.

Many companies carry out online survey to figure out the responses of the customers, data entry outsourcing helps in keeping track of the responses being entered and what are their wants. Data about the survey data along with mailing address, contact information, etc are stored so that they can be informed about any special change, addition or scheme in your business.

Whether your business is small scale, medium or big scale one; data outsourcing takes care of all data entry operations that form important part in business success.

Play School Franchising In India

The concept of preschool franchising has become an appealing overture for the upcoming class of edupreneurs. Each day more and more people are getting inclined to the education sector as this sector offers immense scope for growth & development. Although at first, opening a preschool seemed a pretty tedious task but with the advent of preschool franchising, it has simplified a lot. Without the franchise model, good quality preschools would have been restricted to limited areas and limited schools. Moreover, the quality of preschool education in our country had been of very poor quality & standards for a long period of time. But with the appearance of so many different companies in the preschool franchise sector, the situation has improved a lot. The franchise model has contributed loads towards the growth and development of the education sector in India.

Usually the parents sent their kids to the nearby play school at their early stages of education. This unorganized sector comprising of neighborhood preschools captured almost 75 per cent of the market as per some estimates. But due to the growing number of preschool franchisees in our nation, the parents inclination towards a branded play school for their tiny tot is on the rise. They prefer to have their kids go to a school which provides them a whole new experience in life & increase their inclination towards education & other co-curricular activities. With the increasing number of people in the middle and the upper-middle class in the Indian society, the number of parents preferring a branded play school for their kids has achieved new heights.

Earlier people were hesitant of entering into the education sector due to the complications of running a school. Around 20 years back, there were hardly any people who were aware of the term franchising. A decade later when several companies were offering franchisees to people, their main concern was to choose whether to own a franchise or run a business on their own. But with the growing number of companies in the preschool sector in todays world, people are mainly confused choosing between various brands offering franchise. Their major worry is to select the right franchisee for starting their school. The idea of opening a school on ones own almost seems impossible in todays world with the numerous options of franchisee available.

Moreover, owning a play school franchise & entering the education sector seems to be the wisest business decision in todays world because the demand for playschools will remain strong. With practically no barriers, growing middle class population, increasing income of the people & the growing number of working women, the education sector is most beneficial to invest in. There is increase in the need for quality preschool educational institutions.

The sector is even more appealing to people because of the flexible work timings. Especially women are much more comfortable & relaxed working in an environment where they can easily manage work & home. Moreover, the people working in the education sector get a lot of regard in the society due to their valuable contribution to the society.

On the part of franchisor, it is definitely a great deal offering tremendous growth. There are not many regulations on entering into the preschool business and it always yields good results & profit. Not just that, it is a relatively safe business proposition due to the low capital investment requirement & the constant returns. Pre-schools are quite evident in society and the success in pre-school arena can clearly predict the success of many upcoming brands and entrepreneurs in this field. So, all these factors result in a constant stream of new franchisors wanting to cash in on this boom.

However, the sector is plagued with the greedy franchisors where the issues spill over into disputes. Major reasons of disputes include over commitments before signing ,not giving each pre-school adequate space, renewal charges on agreements, hidden charges, etc. So, at the time of royalties payment, all these issues surround the franchisor of the school and hamper their goodwill. At the end, all these disputes results in the exit by the players who are unable to reach a critical mass of happy franchisees!

Information Of Hotel Industry Laws In India – Part2

Tax benefits/ incentives.
.Current projections in budget.

Hotel Industry in India currently has supply of 110,000 rooms and there is a shortage of 150,000 rooms fueling hotel room rates across India. According to estimates demand is going to exceed supply by at least 100% over the next 2 years. To overcome, this shortage Indian hotel industry is adding about 60,000 quality rooms, currently in different stages of planning and development, which should be ready by 2012.

Indias hotel industry comprises of four main categories star hotels, heritage hotels, budget hotels and unclassified hotels. It is expected that the budget and mid-market hotel segment will witness huge growth and expansion while the luxury segment will continue to perform extremely well over the next few years.

It is forecasted to be the number 3 market in the world by 2015 for hospitality and tourism.

The industry is growing at a very rapid pace and there is a demand for more rooms both in metros and smaller towns.

In short, the Indian hospitality industry is poised for tremendous growth as the demand-supply imbalance has prompted several national and international hotel companies to focus their energies towards expansion in India. The next few years will thus witness the opening of several hotels in India.

Regulatory policy

The Ministry of Tourism is the nodal authority & along Dept. of Tourism it is responsible policies promotion & regulation of hospitality industry particular hotels.

The following are the some of important guidelines issued by the Dept. of Tourism.

.Approval of Hotels at Project Stage and Classification & Reclassification of Hotels.
.Guidelines for Classification of Heritage Hotels.
.Time Share Resorts (TSR).
.Stand Alone Restaurants
.Guidelines for apartment hotels.
.Guidelines for approval of Guest Houses.

FDI in this sector is permitted up to 100 per cent on the automatic route. For foreign technology agreements, automatic approval is granted if:-

.Up to 3 per cent of the capital cost of the project is proposed to be paid for technical and consultancy services.

.Up to 3 per cent of the net turnover is payable for franchising and marketing/publicity fee, and

.Up to 10 per cent of gross operating profit is payable for management fee, including incentive fee.

Incentives

Tax incentives under the current Budget

.Five year holiday from income tax being granted to two, three or four star hotels established in specified districts having UNESCO-declared ‘World Heritage Sites’; the hotel should be constructed and start functioning during the period April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2013.

.FBT exempted on crche, employee sports, guest houses facilities.

.No specific projections for this sector under the Current Budget.

Conclusion

The thriving economy and increased business opportunities especially growth in the tourism in India have acted as a boon for Indian hotel industry.

The future scenario of Indian hotel industry looks extremely rosy. It is expected that the budget and mid-market hotel segment will witness huge growth and expansion while the luxury segment will continue to perform extremely well over the next few years.

Preschool Franchising – A Profitable Business Enterprise

Preschools are becoming popular in India, thanks to the high awareness and high income of families these days. These schools are mushrooming in metro cities and small towns alike and are providing various advantages to both the children and the parents. However, the preschool market is still huge and requires to be tapped and for better penetration, a lot many good quality preschools are looking for franchising options.

So, if you are someone who would like to work with kids and create a profitable business venture out of it, then you can contact a preschool that offers franchising options. While contacting the preschool, it is better to get in touch with brands that have made a name for themselves in providing good quality education. You can also approach some international preschool brands that are leveraging their business in India.

Moreover, franchising a preschool is an easy business option as capital investment and other requirements are much lesser. You would require a property of 2500 to 4000 sq. ft. and an investment of about 10 to 20 lakhs for renovating the property, buying furniture and other equipment required for children along with salary for teachers.

While some preschool brands provide staff recruitment and training, some do not. Also, some of them take care of the advertisements and provide you with school bags, books and the like. However, if you are recruiting the staff, then do not compromise on the quality of teachers, as their performance is essential for your business to meet with success. Also, depending on your budget, you can provide additional recreational facilities to children in your school.

So, if you are planning to start this business, then you can browse the internet and find out about the best preschools in India who are providing franchising options. You can get in touch with them and discuss the matter and to find out about their terms and conditions. In this manner, you can choose the preschool brand that you think suits your requirements the best.

Being the franchisee, you will get to know about international best practices, various teaching techniques and the like. You can also get the satisfaction of working with kids and help them learn.

Even if you do not have adequate finances to start a franchisee, you need not worry as you can avail a bank loan for your enterprise. With the rising popularity of preschools, this is considered a good business option for entrepreneurs and you can invest in this to make a profitable venture.

Are you interested to franchise a preschool? Share your views with us.

Gaurav Sharma is the author of this article who loves to write blogs and columns on his favorite topics like preschool education, preschools in India and day care school. In this article he has shared information about preschool franchise.