Vets need to listen to this marine

Listen to Nick Bibby.

This is an excellent post: To Our Honored Veterans, A Word of Caution about Franchising.

…military service does not make one ‘well suited’ for entrepreneurship.

And I caution veterans to not fall prey to the standard BS that so freely flows throughout the franchise industry. Although franchising has been my profession for nearly 30 years, I regret to inform you that within it you will also find many bad people and equally horrible business ‘opportunities’ that if chosen, can ruin your life. I suspect that vigorous investigation of this ‘program’ as well as other private programs associated with ‘helping veterans’ will disclose misleading claims.

Credibility?

Editor’s note: Mr. Bibby served as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps in Vietnam. He often discusses with me a profound affection for fellow veterans. Then somehow, always, the conversation turns to his other passion—franchising. Today’s column is one of those occasions when he can simultaneously discuss both.

Mr. Clean Car Wash: Poo-filled franchise systems will Not do

Richard Solomon hit this nail right on the head, I think.

Jim Amos and Procter & Gamble put their heads together to make the Mr. Clean Car Wash franchisee.

Solomon calls it a FranWhack: an “investment” that will inevitably fail for the franchisee:

Not even the best cleaners and polishes put out by P&G can possibly spit shine this turd.

The economics of this carwash concept don’t compute, and the choice of franchise leadership is dreadful.

P&G has given birth to a FranWhack here. No one in his right mind should ever consider investing in this debacle in the making.

Everyone should follow these two threads over at Blue MauMau as the pundits ridicule this latest, Is-this-the-best-they-can-do franchise offering.

1. Controversial Amos Leads P&G to Launch Mr. Clean Car Wash Franchise Nationwide, Don Sniegowski
2. Can Proctor & Gamble Succeed with Jim Amos at the Helm?, W. Michael Garner

Solomon is not alone in his skepticism

I have never seen such unanimous condemnation. See: Paul Steinberg, Joel Libava, Nick Bibby, Michael Webster, Bob Frankman, Guest: Brice Food litigation, and me (On the road to The Tipping Point?).