Top 10 Franchises of 2008

Top 10 Franchises of 2008

It's that time of year again. The top 10 franchise list has been created. After knocking on the door and being in the top 10 an impressive 16 times, it has finally happened!

7-Eleven Inc. has claimed the top spot of Entrepreneur's 29th Annual Franchise 500® for the very first time. Below is the list of the top 10 franchises for 2008:

1. 7-Eleven Inc.
2. Subway
3. Dunkin' Donuts
4. Pizza Hut
5. McDonald's
6. Sonic Drive In Restaurants
7. KFC Corp.
8. InterContinental Hotels Group
9. Domino's Pizza LLC
10. RE/MAX Int'l. Inc.

7-Eleven's store base has grown--specifically with a push toward having more franchisee-owned stores and fewer corporate-owned ones. "Our big reason for that is our franchisees have a vested interest in being successful," says Joseph DePinto, president and CEO of 7-Eleven. "They know their customers, and it's about delivering great customer satisfaction and the products our customers want. Our franchisees do that extremely well."

The company boasts a proprietary IT system that helps franchisees determine their specific in-store product assortment and makes a pipeline of new products available on a weekly basis. Franchisees benefit not only from exclusive brands, but also from the econo-mies of scale that being part of a huge network entails. Still, it's the local flavor that gives 7-Eleven its soul.

To serve the needs of franchisees on the local level, the 7-Eleven management team meets with the Presidents Leadership Council (made up of the company's Franchise Owner Association presidents) on a quarterly basis to discuss 7-Eleven strategies and changes in the direction of the general marketplace.

In 2008 and beyond, 7-Eleven plans to continue to grow its store numbers. The Business Conversion Plan is one way it's achieving that. BCP enables independent convenience store owners to convert their shops into 7-Eleven stores, complete with all the benefits. "[The program] has had some phenomenal success so far, and we plan to continue to expand it," says DePinto. "A lot of entrepreneurs are looking to partner with a great trademark like 7-Eleven to grow their businesses."

From the individual franchisee to the corporate headquarters, 7-Eleven is creating a world of convenience. "Our culture is about working to support our franchisees to make them successful," says DePinto. "It's our belief that when our franchisees win, we win."

You can find additional information on the top 10 franchises by going to http://afranchisesolution.com, or by checking out our franchise blog.

Jeffrey Sloe, Internet Marketing Advisor to The Ultimate Team
440-725-3729
jeff@internetmarketingadvisors.net
http://ultimate.org