TITLE: Franchise Spotlighted at Entrepreneur
Expo
ANAHEIM - Pinched by the recession, Phil Basman (pictured with Dana Winther of Citizen
CPR highlighted in the Money Markets Section D of the Los Angeles Times) of Mission Viejo
has been looking for a way to earn more money.
His search took him to the annual Entrepreneur Expo in Long Beach earlier this summer.
"The way wages and salaries are going," he said, "you'd be better off to
try working for yourself."
The same fair will open at the Anaheim Convention Center on Saturday for a two-day expo
that will showcase product - and service - related companies looking to attract
prospective entrepreneurs.
Interest in starting a business appears to be on the rise. This year's Long Beach fair
drew more than 8,000 people - about 8% more than last year.
"We've definitely noticed a lot more people are looking for a part-time
income," said Chris Huke, whose company takes the expo to 25 cities every year.
The idea of working at home is particularly appealing to Southern Californians
frustrated by traffic, Huke said.
Among those exhibiting with the expo as it travels from city to city is Citizen Safety
Institute, a Seattle company that trains individuals and companies in cardiopulmonary
resuscitation. With a $3,000 one time investment, franchisees can earn from $1,000 to
$9,000 a month giving CPR training, said Steve Young, owner of the Manhattan Beach
division of the company.
Though some franchises cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, those represented at the
Entreprenuer Expo are priced considerable lower, ranging from a few hundred dollars to
$25,000.
Franchises are among the most successful small businesses, Hule said. About 63% of new
enterprises fail within 6 years, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. But
the International Franchise Assn., a Washington - based trade group, cites a Arthur
Anderson survey showing that about 97% of franchises open in the last five years are still
operating.
Huke said that people who buy franchises have an advantage because they can typically
turn tot he parent company for help.
