A parental consent letter, stating that the adult in charge has the parent's or guardian's permission to travel with the child and authorizing him/her to make decisions on behalf of that child, is now essential - especially if traveling out of the child's country of residence. It should be signed by every person who has custodial rights over the child.
We've all had one - an employee who just can't seem to get to work on time. Whatever the reason, chronic lateness attracts the attention of everyone in the workplace and affects productivity. That's why a tardiness policy is so important.
It's a nightmare to think about - a roofing contractor working on your house slips and falls off your roof, resulting in serious injuries. You have many sleepless nights wondering if he's going to sue you. What can you do to protect against such risks?
You loaned money to an old friend. Things started off well, and he made a couple of payments. But now three months have gone by without a payment, and he's avoiding your calls. You're faced with a dilemma - he's an old friend and you don't want to ruin the friendship, but you can't afford to just write off the money you loaned him. Should you sue him?
The two most common methods of property co-ownership are joint tenancy and tenancy in common. These two forms of co-ownership differ greatly, particularly with respect to disposition of the property. Here are three scenarios in which tenancy in common ownership is recommended.
A party wall is a common wall that divides two adjoining buildings, units or apartments and shared by the occupants on each side. A party wall usually provides structural support and/or fire protection between the two buildings or units but its maintenance and upkeep can cause rifts between neighbors.
It's very important when buying a home. It's even more important when you’re looking for a place to open your business. If your business is not situated in a location that will draw customers, it cannot succeed.
So how can you identify a suitable place to open up your business? Do you simply look for a commercial area with a lot of people? What role does competition play when choosing your business location? Are you at "main and main" within the mall or street front?
Study the demographics of the area and community. Is this an up and coming neighborhood, a well-established one with a vibrant commercial hub, or an area in decay?
Determine the sources of foot traffic. Is there a continual flow of pedestrians nearby? Are the streets laid out for easy automobile access to the site? Is it convenient to public transportation?
Evaluate the security and accessibility of the location. Is it easy to find and get to? Is there convenient parking? Can the site be easily seen and from how far away?
Analyze the local competition. How many other similar businesses are in the neighborhood?
Who are your neighbors? Not only do you need a concentration of customers, but a pool of prospective employees too.
Check the site against your space, facility and utility requirements. Does it meet the operational requirements of your business? How much remodeling will be required and what will it cost? This is where franchisor approval of the site is critical.
What are the local ordinances and zoning policies?
Consider possible plans for expansion. In choosing a location, think about who your customers will be and where you will most likely find them. In a mall? Near college campuses? Town centers? Or possibly in off-street specialized venues like airports and other transportation terminals, sports stadiums or convention centers.
What types of activities typically generate traffic in the area? These can include such things as sporting events, movie theaters, retail shops, etc. How often, what time of day, and during what parts of the year do people frequent the area?
As a franchise owner, you need to understand the current business landscape, the demographics of the area, the traffic patterns and as much as possible about future plans for development in the neighborhood.
Arm yourself with a leasing checklist. Use it to help you compare properties in different areas that you know are successful. Create an Excel spreadsheet to enter the information and create a tool to review the potential of each location.
If you already have one location for your business, you can use your current assumptions regarding your existing location to review the proposed new location. If you already have several stores, classify your stores first by type, profitability, size, or other metrics, then lay out the distance and drive time data in your spreadsheet.
Many franchisors provide their franchisees with guidance on location selection and lease negotiations, and this can be a big boost to finding an optimal site at the right cost. The more help you get from the franchisor in selecting a site and negotiating a lease, the better your chances at success. Even franchisors who don’t provide that support will still reserve the right to approve the location you choose so at least you’ll know you’re on the right track.
Image © H. Cuthill
