Franchise Ownership Information

EJ mailbag: Isles arena, Red Wings and Emery

You guys and gals sent me so many good questions via Twitter last week, I thought I'd answer a few more of them in the second installment of my weekly mailbag. I did, however, decide to start with a question I received late Monday evening concerning the future of the Islanders.

If the Isles move when their lease expires in 2015, where do you see them going? Quebec? – @w_snyder_jr

While Monday night's Nassau County vote against a proposed plan to build a new arena is a clear setback for the franchise's long-term future on Long Island, I suspect we'll see some other plan surface in the near future.

Beyond that, I think it's pretty difficult to speculate where a team might move four years from now. In Quebec City they are planning to build a new arena and it's no secret they want to attract an NHL franchise. So at this point I'd say it's a possibility the Islanders could move there in 2015, but just one of many different possibilities for the franchise.

Why did the League help Phoenix but has allowed other smaller market teams to deal with their financial troubles on their own? -- @philkeenan

The Phoenix situation is unique and dramatically different than the plight of "other smaller-market teams." The Coyotes franchise was placed into bankruptcy by its previous owner, Jerry Moyes. The League took control of the franchise out of that public proceeding and has been running the team while they pursue a new owner. I think that pursuit has been pretty well documented during the past few years.

The NHL can offer advice to its franchises, but League executive aren't in a position to overrule individual club ownership. It's up to ownership in each of the League's 30 markets to run its business -- within League rules and market circumstances -- in the best way it sees fit.

How do you like the Devils' hiring of Peter DeBoer ? -- @glenayrfarm

Personally, I think Ken Hitchcock would have been a better fit for their current roster of players. That said, DeBoer is a solid young coach who will benefit greatly from the three years of NHL experience that he gained in Florida.

In the short term, I think DeBoer will have to sell Ilya Kovalchuk on his plan. If the club's superstar player -- with 14 years remaining on his contract -- isn't on board, that's a big problem. DeBoer also will have to find common ground with franchise icon Martin Brodeur . If he can forge relationships with those two guys, he'll have a chance for success. If he can't, he'll end up as the latest in a long line of Jersey coaching casualties.

Retirees Turning to Franchise Ownership | Starting a New Business ...

Baby Boomers — all 88 million of them in the U.S. and Canada – will redefine traditional retirement.  The first boomers turn 65 in 2011; and year after year for the next 18 years, masses of them will choose to work beyond the ages of 62 to 65, the range long thought of as retirement time.

We’re seeing the tip of the iceberg this year. What does it mean for franchising? Well, at FranNet, it means our consultants are getting busier because interest in small business ownership will spike among people born from 1946-1964. Millions will be looking for a way to extend income past the age of 65, and we are starting to see them now.

Its a good thing, too, since the average franchise creates 10 new jobs, just what our economy needs.

Consider these statistics: According to the AARP, a whopping 80 percent of Baby Boomers expect to work beyond the traditional retirement ages of 62 to 65. The vast majority of them will move away from high-pressure corporate positions to reshape their professional lives as small business owners, consultants, part-time workers or “giving back” careers such as teaching or non-profit management.

Frank Dunne, owner of FranNet of Hudson Valley, New Jersey and Western, Mass., says franchising is one of the most promising opportunities available for boomers who plan to continue working after retirement age.

“A good portion of my clients are in their 50s and have been laid off from corporate jobs,” Dunne says. “They are thinking about a lot of things – lifestyle, wealth, replacing income, how retirement will look and how much they want to work. We look beyond short-term fixes to employment dilemmas and focus on the long-term advantages of franchising.

“Many just don’t realize the beauty of franchising,” Dunne adds. “There’s less risk than opening a traditional small business, and you can’t be laid off again. There’s a much higher likelihood of success because with a franchise you are associating with proven products, services and methods.”

A report recently published by Intuit Inc. and Emergent Research identified “unretirement” as one of the Top 20 trends that will shape how we live and operate in the world between now and 2020. “These will not be your typical seniors,” the report states. “Unretirement and active engagement best describe their lifestyle choices as they continue to work part of full-time in their current professions or opt to start new careers.

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