Owning a franchise is a wonderful business opportunity that more and more individuals are taking advantage of each and every day. And, with all businesses there are certain times of the year that are more profitable than others. For the following 10 franchises the holiday season is one of the most profitable times of the year. Of course, more work is required to match the demand during the holiday season but the owners of the following franchises don’t mind because they will surely be in the black throughout the holidays.

The UPS Store
During the holiday season almost everyone buys gifts and greeting cards for their friends and loved ones. However, there are many individuals whose family and friends live in other parts of the country or even the world. For these individuals The UPS Store comes in very handy because it allows them to ship their gifts easily and with the UPS guarantee. There are other shipping methods individuals may choose, but The UPS Store is one of the best and its brand recognition brings in plenty of business. As a result, one of the best franchises to own during the holiday season is The UPS Store because more mail and packages are shipped than at any other time during the year.

Dollar Stores by Allied Systems
Americans like getting the most for their money and this is exactly what a Dollar Stores by Allied Systems franchise offers them. During the holiday season most people have more gifts to buy than their budget allows. But, the Dollar Stores franchise gives consumers the opportunity to buy all the items they need at a very affordable price. The holiday season is marked by a high shopping volume and many consumers choose to shop at Dollar Stores. As a result a Dollar Store franchise owner will find the holiday season to be the most successful time for the store.

Mrs. Fields Cookies
This franchise is successful during the holidays simply because it provides an outstanding product at an affordable price that is perfect for a holiday gift or to take to a holiday party. Few people have the time to bake these days, but that’s ok since Mrs. Fields bakes all day long and has fresh cookies, brownies, and cookie cakes available. Because so many people buy cookies during the holiday season as gifts or for a party a Mrs. Fields Cookies franchise is really successful during this time period.

Hollywood Tans
The tanning industry is a big one that continues to grow each year. And, this industry finds that most of its business is done during the winter months and especially during the holiday season. The reason why tanning franchises like Hollywood Tans are so successful during the holiday season is for two reasons. First, the weather is not favorable to tanning outside and there are lots of holiday parties. Women and men alike want to look good during the holidays and a tan helps them do that. Because of this a Hollywood Tans franchise sees increased business during the holiday season and winter months.

GNC
The healthcare industry gets bigger each year with more and more individuals worrying about their health and their weight. GNC and other similar franchises have always been popular and increasingly so during the holidays. However, with each passing year they are becoming even more popular. Everyone knows they put on a few extra pounds during the holidays so they turn to GNC for supplements, weight loss pills, vitamins, and more to help them drop the holiday pounds and become healthy. There are some people who turn to GNC during the holidays for the sole fact that they don’t want to gain any weight and need supplements to help them. GNC products also make great holiday gifts. All of these reasons combined make GNC an outstanding franchise to own during the holidays.

The Wine Loft
All year long people go out on the town however during the holidays the amount of parties and socializing dramatically increases. There are all kinds of parties and the like held at various establishments and wine bars have become one of the most popular places to hold any kind of get together. Because of this The Wine Loft is an outstanding franchise to own during the holidays. This is because it allows for a classier setting for a holiday get together or party and all types of wines are available, which adds to the elegance. Of all the establishments offering holiday party space wine bars are becoming the most popular, so The Wine Loft is a great holiday franchise.

Pet Depot
The pet industry is huge and especially popular during the holiday season. That is because so many individuals give and receive pets as holiday gifts. The amount of pets sold during the holiday season is significantly higher than during the rest of the year. This means that The Pet Depot is a wonderful holiday pet franchise because all types of pets are sold through the store and it’s a perfect place to buy a pet for the holidays.

Wireless Giant
Another popular holiday gift is a cell phone, especially for tweens and teenagers. Parents looking for the best plan and the best phone may feel overwhelmed by the many different wireless companies out there. However, The Wireless Giant makes buying a cell phone and finding the perfect plan easy because all carriers, plans, and cell phones are offered through this franchise. Since cell phones are one of the hottest holiday gifts The Wireless Giant is one of the hottest holiday franchises.

Gold’s Gym
January 1 is the typical day that everyone vows to get back in shape. And, lots of people are thinking about losing weight up to a month before while they are enjoying all the great holiday foods. Because of this lots of individuals give gym memberships as holiday gifts because they know a loved one either needs to get in shape or plans on getting in shape for the New Year. Also, plenty of individuals sign up for a gym membership so they are ready for the New Year and their new fitness routine. Since better health is on everyone’s mind during the holiday season Gold’s Gym health and fitness franchise is a profitable one during the holiday season.

BP Connect
Besides giving gifts what is one thing most individuals do during the holiday season? The answer is travel! Traveling by car is by far the most popular and since vehicles need gas to get anywhere a gas station is a great holiday franchise. One of the best franchises is BP Connect. The BP name is familiar and trustworthy and most travelers choose a familiar franchise over a name they don’t know. Since so many people travel during the holiday season and look for a familiar gas station to fill up a BP Connect franchise is a winning franchise during the holiday season.

Start your holiday franchise search today!

Raymond Lawrence
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/top-10-holiday-franchises-small-businesses-made-for-the-season-83582.html

People who are into tanning must think that home tanning beds are the best thing that ever happened to them. And why not? If you can have the golden skin that you’ve always wanted without having to step out of your door, then it is indeed a great thing. But medical associations have warned users of home sunbeds to be careful not to overexpose themselves to the ultraviolet rays produced by this indoor tanning equipment.

Home tanning beds give off a milder dose of UV rays compared with those used in tanning salons. Sunbeds manufactured for personal or home use are relatively smaller in size and have lower wattage lamps than their salon counterparts. But medical associations have argued that this does not mean that they are safer than the ones used in tanning salons. The debate regarding the risks of using indoor tanning beds has not spared even the models manufactured for home use. On the contrary, these for-home-use products are considered by some as more dangerous since their use cannot be monitored as effectively as those available in tanning salons.

The market for indoor tanning equipment has escalated to become a billion dollar business. This is mainly due to a large portion of the world’s population’s belief that being tanned is something to be aspired for. This belief has been largely influenced by French fashion designer Coco Chanel’s statement that tan is a fashion look. A lot of people around the world, especially young girls, have taken this statement to heart and taken advantage of every development that could help them acquire the desired skin coloring.

Sunbeds, both those used in tanning salons and at homes, work by inducing the skin to produce additional melanin in response to the UV rays produced by the beds. This increased production of melanin results in the darkening of the skin or the development of a tan. Medical societies have asserted, though, that this process is not healthy since the darkening of the skin might be due to DNA damage which can eventually lead to skin cancer. Medical researchers have also warned that tanning beds do not work for everybody. As asserted by the opponents of indoor tanning, fair skinned people will not get tanned from using sunbeds but will only get burned or develop freckles.

Despite these assertions, more and more people are purchasing home tanning beds or patronizing tanning salons to acquire a tan. Although home sunbeds range in price between $1,000 and $3,000, not a small amount by any measure, consumers continue to purchase these indoor tanning products in the hope that they will achieve their dream of having golden skin.

Trevor Mulholland
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/home-tanning-beds-a-convenient-way-to-get-a-tan-54803.html

Many a times, if the container is more attractive than the contents…it pays. Your efficient tanning software system may attract more customers than the quality of tanning provided by you at your salon. And if both are of excellent quality, you are out to make a name in the market.

So, the necessity to have excellent tanning salon software with a program that is user friendly has a good data base management and the detailed reporting is absolutely crucial.

When you are part of the booming business, you need to make a careful analysis of your client data. The marketing aspect is very important in any business. You need to analyze your customer-flow. Their pattern of buying, the timing of the buying and the quantum! So, your software needs to have all these and many more reporting features, so that you can do your analysis quickly in relation to your customers.

As for the data base, easy segmentation is necessary so that you can download it to an Excel Sheet and get all the information as per your needs of analysis. And by user friendly, I mean that clicks per customers should be the minimum. Your tanning customer has come for the purpose of tanning basically and not to view the computer skills. If you need to click so many times to deal with the customer and if you have a long line of customers, it is quite annoying. Quick and efficient disposal is one of the important rules of business.

Password security is the most important system in any computer software system. Your skin and your tanning related matters are your personal property. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain utmost secrecy. The staff of the salon needs to have the access facility as for the information they need and distinction should be clear on what they do not need.

Software manufacturers catering to the tanning salons are aware of all the above factors and they designed much more. Here are some of the features: 9 different room names with display and access to 63 rooms; provision and display to the minute room status; the status of the tanning equipment is monitored regularly with indications regarding the needs of maintenance; automated appointments; keep the track of tanning trends; create important reports taking into the consideration of demographic factors by birthday and membership dates; major industry database timers; built-in employee work schedule; employees benefits calculation and much more applications.

Herein, the tanning boom is shared by the tanning software as well!

Ashish Jain
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/tanning-software-to-automate-your-salon-business-62836.html

Credit Card Machines:
1) Do not lease a machine. They are non-cancelable You will get stuck paying for your equipment for the next 4 years and pay way more than it’s worth.
2) Be wary of free terminal offers. Some companies are offering what they call a "free" terminal. Be careful. Remember the saying, "nothing in life is free"? They will make up for their equipment cost in other ways (higher merchant account fees, hidden fees, annual fees, high minimums, long term contracts on the merchant account, cancellation penalties, etc.)
3) Buy your equipment. The cost of equipment has come way down over the years. Just like cell phones and T.V.’s, and DVD machines, the price has come way down over time. You should be able to get a brand new, top of the line credit card machine for under $200. I would suggest the Nurit 2085 or Hypercom T7 Plus as the 2 most popular and cost effective models for a retail store or restaurant.

Merchant Accounts:
1) Don’t sign a merchant agreement that has a long-term contract. Usually merchant agreements are for 2 or 3 years. But what if you don’t want to accept credit cards anymore. Or what if you aren’t happy with your service or rates and fees and want to switch? Make sure the merchant account you choose does not have a cancellation penalty.
2) Don’t be fooled by one low rate. There are many different costs when accepting credit cards. Did you know that debit cards have a lower rate than credit cards? Did you know that rewards cards have a higher rate than a regular credit card? Did you know that Corporate Cards or Business Cards are more expensive than both regular credit cards and rewards cards? These types of cards are usually grouped into categories called Qualified Rate, Mid Qualified Rate, and Non Qualified rate. Make sure you understand these 3 categories from the processor that you choose to get a merchant account from.
3) Look out for annual fees. You can find merchant accounts without the annual fee.
4) When comparing different companies for a merchant account. Find out each of the following things: a) qualified rate for debit/check cards b) qualified rate for credit cards, c) mid qualified rate, d) non qualified rate, e) authorization fee, f) monthly statement fee, g) annual fee, h) contract term and cancellation penalty. Don’t just have them tell you these rates over the phone. Make sure you see these items in the actual merchant agreement before you submit your application to them.
5) Many business owners get a merchant account from their bank where they have their checking account. Beware. The bank usually outsources their merchant services and the rates and fees are almost always higher. They charge more because they can!

Who can you contact?
You can contact me at Omega Transactions (www.goOTC.com). We are a family owned business that has been around since 1989. We provide equipment at cost and merchant accounts without all of the hidden rates and fees.

Good luck with your business. Hope this helps!