Before You Buy a Franchise, Inspect the Franchisor

Before you even think of buying a franchise business, there are certain things that you must consider. Before you sign up with a franchisor, you must be sure of the deal you are agreeing to and fully understand both your own and the franchiser's responsibilities.

You might believe that you know enough about the brand or the company simply through using the product yourself or having eaten in the restaurant, but are you aware of what is involved in running such a business? Do you fully understand the volume of work needed to be successful, and are you able to control staff? Do you get on with people and how are you at interfacing with the public? These are all aspects of the job that you have to consider before you consider becoming a franchisee.

However, there is another aspect of franchising that you should keep in mind; the integrity and experience of the franchisor. Just before you sign up for that prospective franchise business of yours, make sure that you inspect or scrutinize the franchisor first. There's a lot more to learn from and about your franchisor than you might think there is.

In any kind of business, you always need to do some digging. You have to do lots of research and feasibility tests. The franchising world is no different. The fact that a specific franchise is well known nationally is no reason to assume that you need not investigate it before signing the dotted line. You could be investing a substantial amount of money, and you have to make sure it is being wisely spent.

You must inspect the franchisor as thoroughly as possible. You must be able to accept your franchisor as a partner that you can trust. Carrying out these checks is a three-step process. If you are being urged to come to a decision without carrying out your checks, then chances are they are hiding something from you. So why rush? Find out about your franchisor in more detail by following these three steps.

1. Check up on the credibility and reliability of the business you are entering into. This is especially important if your franchisor has been in the business for only a short period of time. Is it a new company? If so, you must carry out a background check both on the company and on the individual offering the franchise.

It's best to seek help from organizations or business bureaus to know more about the franchisor. In the USA, there is the Better Business Bureau among other groups that can help you get information about the franchisor. In the UK you can check with the Office of Fair Trading whether or not a particular company has been reported. They are the ones who might be able to tell you if your franchise is a hoax or scam and if any complaints have been filed against that company. You can also carry out a background credit check on the corporate officers of the company.

2. Talk to them. Ask the franchisor about their experience with other franchisees, and request a list of people who already have franchises. This might involve signing a disclosure statement, but if you are refused then that should set the warning bells ringing. You should be able to contact people already in the business and ask them about their experience with the company. You could ask about the help and training provided, and anything they would prefer to see improved. No reputable company with nothing to fear would refuse such a request, unless at the behest of the franchisee.

3. Seek professional help with the franchise agreement. It would be best to have an attorney and accountant review the agreement and check any limitations since the more limitations there are, the more difficult it will be when you try to recover your money.

If you follow these steps, then you should be able to enter into a franchise agreement with your eyes open, knowing that there are no nasty surprises in store for you.

However, you will generally find that most franchises are reputable and a genuine business opportunity for you. There are many opportunities online that are already making money for other people, and any one of them could be ideal for you. So check out what is available with an open mind, and make sure that the company you choose has been well checked out before you put anything to paper.

Inspecting the franchisor is one way of making sure as far as you can, that your franchise opportunity is a genuine business suitable for your investment.

Office Chairs and Ergonomic Tips to Position Your Seat for Productivity in the Workplace

Good Ergonomics in the Workplace

Some employees can spend most of their day simply seated in front of their computer in an office chair completing the daily tasks. Knowing how to properly position your executive office chair can lead to better productivity in the workplace and of course, a much happier you and hopefully a much happier boss. Ergonomics and good positioning of your executive or task seat can prevent fatique and discomfort as well as promote circulation and good body health.

Lumbar Support

Proper Lumbar Support, preferably with adjustment features for postioning, is important to your spine. Most task or executive office chairs come with some sort of lumbar support. To be truly ergonomic, you need to have an adjustment feature on this support mechanism in order to position it to your spine. When properly used a good lumbar support can ensure that your spine and pelvis get exceptional, continuous support.

Reclined Positioning

The slightly reclined position is always the best position to stay in, sit back and relax. When pressure is applied to the back of your office chair, it should recline easily and fluidly, minimizing muscle strain. Moving while you work is healthy and the slightly relcined position is the best for the least back strain. This angle enhances circulation to your extremities, so your lower body and legs don't become quickly fatiqued.

Tilt Mechanism

A tilt mechanism with tension control and locking points is recommended. Some tasks require you to stay in one position for a period of time and locking points on the tile mechanism can help to remind yourself to keep the chair in that slightly reclined position and sit back and realx. Make sure to sit back in your Office Chair throughout the day, trying not to lean forward and lessening the pelvic and strain on your vertebrae.

Upholstery for Your Seat

Breathability and durability of the fabric is important when seated for long hours, make sure the upholstery is right for your needs and environment. Some fabrics and mesh materials when seated for long periods should help maintain a consistent, comfortable temperature that enhances both comfort and productivity. Other leather and vinyl upholsteries, while popular and look nice, can be hard to work in for hours at a time.

Foot Placement

Make sure your feet are flat and firmly on the floor. Some users will require a foot rest or mat while others will simply need to adjust the seat height to get the correct distance from the floor. The proper angle when viewed from the side is ninety degrees. In example, your lower legs are at a ninety degree angle from your upper thigh and your upper body is ninety degrees from your upper thigh. Keeping your feet flat will help keep this position and maintain good blood flow.

Workstation Heights

Keeping your workstation, computer monitor, keyboard tray and mouse all at the appropriate heights and distances are also important to good ergonomics.The top of your monitor should be at or below the normal vision line. Saving your neck from constantly being put in the wrong postition will save you from many back problems later on. Making sure to keep your eyes the recommended manufacturer distance from the computer monitor is also important. Make sure that your wrists are relaxed and are positioned parallel with the ground in a neutral position.Also make sure to adjust the height of the seat so that your elbows are just at or above the keyboard tray height.

Summary

Your daily movement is critical to your body health. The level of ease that you experience when changing positions correlates to how often you move throughout the day. Keeping your chair in a healthy ergonomic position encourages movement, provides support and promotes a continuously healthy sit. Moving while you work is healthy, moving while correctly positioned is even better and ideally you should continue to work for long periods of time in your office chair easily and naturally.

Bosch 4100 - The Best Portable Worksite Saw at The Best Price

Bosch tools are well known for their quality and whilst they're not the cheapest you can get some good deals if you know where to look. Read on and I'll tell you how.

The first thing you will notice about the Bosch 4100 as well as the smartguard safety system is it's rugged construction. It's extra tough wrap-around sub-base is designed to take a lot of punishment yet is non-marking on most surfaces. Integrated carry handles are handy for loading or unloading to your SUV or pickup.

The Bosch gravity rise stand is so easy to move and set-up on site it'll put a smile on your face every time. The stand converts from portable to work mode in with virtually no effort at all. Just wheel the unit into position on it's 8" pneumatic tires, unlock the legs and tip up to the horizontal position in one movement. The stand locks with a reassuring click and your saw is ready for use. Constructed of tubular steel the gravity rise stand provides a solid and stable platform for work.

Once you get your saw in place you'll find everything can be set or adjusted without any tools at all. From the square-lock rip fence which clamps to the table surface at both ends with a single lever to the quick install/release modular safety system. Even the splitter/riving knife adjusts and locks in one of 3 positions with a finger lever.

What if you need to change the blade?

Well you do need a tool for this but the arbor wrench is provided with the standard equipment and a blade change can easily be done in a minute or so once you've done it once or twice.

The saw has a built-in arbor lock which makes the job a whole lot easier.In operation the Bosch 4100 is surprisingly smooth and quiet. It's powerful 15 amp, 4HP(max) motor and electronic power management makes for good clean cuts. The extra power really makes a difference when compared to it's rivals on thicker cuts and harder woods. It may not be able to match a full size cabinet saw but is able to carry out the vast majority of woodworking chores without a problem. The extendable table has a maximum rip width of 25" for bigger jobs. The 4100 comes with a fully functioned miter gauge and two standard size T slots on the table (handy for after market gauges etc).

When you've finished your saw jobs for the day it's a cinch to pack up your Bosch 4100 and go. All the standard kit stores away neatly in the body of the saw. This includes the smartguard safety system, the anti-kickback pawls, miter gauge, rip fence and pusher. There's even a place for a spare blade. It's great the way everything snaps or locks in place firmly too so it won't rattle loose. Now all you need to do is fold away the gravity rise stand (just as easy as it was to unfold) and wheel away.