According to its press release: “As one is never enough, SunniBunni Frozen Yogurt has sold their first two franchises within the first month of offering franchises. A testament to the concept and its owners Vic and Alex Van Wie, the frozen yogurt industry and SunniBunni are growing with the trend of eating healthy without sacrificing taste or quality. Focusing on customer satisfaction and a hip, vibrant appeal, SunniBunni has made itself the place to be in Sarasota, Florida and soon-to-be two other franchise locations.

SunniBunni has an extreme focus on product quality as they use only the highest quality yogurts and organic toppings. With dozens of toppings from fruits to candies and more, SunniBunni has a flavor and a topping for everyone…”

The company slogan is “SunniBunni… The Ten Minute Spa for your Tummy.”

In addition to frozen yogurt, SunniBunni also sells a retail line of “BunniWear” clothing, described as “cute tops and sportswear which will show that, you too, can be a SunniBunni!”

For more information, visit the SunniBunni frozen yogurt website.

Vintner’s Circle is a franchised winemaking shop operating five franchised stores and one corporate store throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  Vintner’s Circle announced today it has been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration for listing on the SBA Franchise Registry, which will expedite the process for franchisees to get loans to start or expand their businesses with Vintner’s Circle.

Fewer than 30 percent of all franchise systems qualify for listing on the registry, which is an online national registry of franchise systems. Applicants must submit their franchise contracts to ensure compliance with strict SBA criteria.

“We wanted to give our prospective franchisees every advantage to secure financing for their new winemaking shops in this challenging credit environment,” said Vintners Circle Franchising president David Schmeltzle. “We believe getting on the SBA Registry is a major step in our franchise development plans.”

Vintner’s Circle has targeted a number of markets for growth, including New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

Vintner’s Circle winemaking shops enable friends and family to spend time together while making great tasting wine during four easy steps. With more than 80 varieties to choose from, you will be able to handcraft that perfect wine. Guaranteed.

About Vintners Circle

Devoted to providing a fun and enjoyable consumer winemaking experience, Vintner’s Circle is a market leader providing franchised winemaking shops that include exceptional wine education, operational support and customer marketing programs.

For more information:

Interview with Vintner’s Circle founder David Schmeltzle.

Vintner’s Circle franchise listing.

Vintner’s Circle FanWall (fan comments)

According to the company, “Mosquito Squad offers an affordable, proven and effective way to control mosquitoes and other insects within the perimeter of your property. Part of Outdoor Living Brands’ franchise company based in Richmond, VA, Mosquito Squad keeps families, residences, and special events insect-free by applying an approved barrier spray around a property, killing the harmful pests within it.”

According to Mosquito Squad, a key advantage to their franchise program are the multiple potential revenue streams. There are three different revenue opportunities available as a franchise owner: the Barrier Spray Program, Misting System and Special Event Spraying. Each one has a different price point designed to appeal to homeowners in need of an outdoor pest management solution.

Another advantage is quick start-up.  The company claims that, in most cases, you can be up and running within 30 days. The initial three-day training takes place in Richmond, Virginia.

Mosquito Squad began franchising in 2005 and has a start-up investment between $32,000 and $57,000.

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If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you DO smoke, smoke smart.

That’s the unlikely motto of an unconventional retail chain that’s not hurting from the recession one bit. In fact, you could say they’re on a roll.

7 Valleys Custom Blends is a pioneer in the RYO (Roll Your Own) and MYO (Make Your Own) cigarette market. By making available their Custom Blends Farm Fresh Tobacco and the widest selection of supplies, 7 Valleys Custom Blends’ customers save half or more off the cost of pre-manufactured cigarettes while making their own cigarettes at home with fresh all natural tobacco.

Why the huge savings? Because their 7 Valleys Custom Blends stores do not have to charge customers onerous cigarette taxes on their bulk tobacco products.

Started in 1993, and franchising since 2005 7 Valleys Custom Blends currently has 1 company owned store and 3 franchises all located in Pennsylvania.

Custom Blends Franchise Services LLC recently announced the addition of 4 new franchise locations in Lancaster County PA with the awarding of an Area Development Agreement to Jamak Liberty Enterprises, Inc., a PA based company.

The first 7 Valleys Custom Blends store located in the Woods Edge Plaza in Manor Township is scheduled to open its doors in late July with the other stores expected to come online over the next 2-3 years as the market requires says Mark Tucci, Managing Partner of Custom Blends Franchise Services LLC from the company headquarters in Hilton Head Island, SC.

Custom Blends Franchise Services LLC offers individual franchises, Area Developments, and Master Franchise opportunities nationwide.

For more information, visit the 7 Valleys Custom Blends Top New Franchises listing, 7 Valleys Custom Blends blog, Custom Blends website, or contact Mark Tucci directly at 843-681-3966

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Image credit: Custom Blends

According to the company:

The Spy Place www.thespyplace.com, is a retail operation that engineers, sells and installs affordable Remote Viewing Video Surveillance Systems, (CCTV, Covert camera Systems, ‘Nanny Cams’) allowing businesses and homeowners alike, the ability to view their home or business from any internet-connected computer in the world, allowing for 24 hour real time viewing and, at the same time, providing a permanent digital record of all events that happened in their absence. The Spy Place also offers Computer Tracking Software, GPS Tracking Software, Lighting and Access Control Systems, Biometrics, and also provides Bug Detection Services for attorney’s and corporations.

The Spy Place services Homeowners, Business, Municipalities and Law Enforcement Agencies to name a few. The Spy Place also offers a ‘James Bond Type’ Surveillance Retail Store, which adds to the excitement and mystique of The Spy Place brand.

The anticipated The Spy Place Start-Up costs are estimated to be between $200,000 and $350,000, with much depending on construction and build out costs.

Attorney Linda Church, formerly of The Scott Kern Law Office in Connecticut, has joined fledgling franchisor The Spy Place Franchising, LLC, as General Counsel.

Established in 2006, Fairway Divorce Solutions offers a first-of-its-kind alternative to the traditional system of divorce by offering a new divorce paradigm that saves money, time, stress and protects the children. Charging a flat fee, Fairway Divorce Solutions uses a common sense step-by-step proven approach called The Fairway Process™. The Company is growing rapidly with franchises in Victoria, BC; Edmonton, AB; two in Calgary, AB; and one in Saskatoon, SK. Expansion plans into Eastern Canada and the United States will begin in 2009.

On January 15, 2009,  Fairway Divorce Solutions, Ltd. (Fairway) announced the opening of the Fairway Divorce Solutions® franchise in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

”We are excited to be offering Saskatoon a new alternative to divorce. In the traditional system, divorce can be costly, and Fairway offers a strategic step-by-step process with win-win resolutions that saves time, money, stress and protects the children,” said Karen Stewart, President and CEO of Fairway Divorce Solutions.

Carolyn Genest and Don Rosten are the new franchise owners who see significant value in offering Fairway’s new divorce paradigm to families in and around the Saskatoon area. Genest, the Saskatoon franchise’s spokesperson, is currently the Chief Financial Officer for a tourism and hospitality company in Saskatoon, and also acts as the company’s sales and marketing director.

“After learning about Fairway’s divorce paradigm through Dean Bergsma, the Edmonton Fairway franchise owner, we thought it was a fantastic opportunity. We felt that a company like Fairway would help keep people’s integrity while going through a divorce,” said Genest. “We have seen many people go through divorce, and there is a lot of animosity that follows years after. I fully appreciate the importance of a well-managed divorce, and the Fairway Process™ is a proven business model that I am proud to be a part of. This would be our way of giving back to the people of Saskatoon and Saskatchewan.”

Fairway Divorce Solutions is the brainchild of Karen Stewart, whose turbulent divorce using the traditional system not only prompted her to open Fairway Divorce Solutions and design The Fairway Process™, but to pen her first self-help book, Clean Break: How to Divorce with Dignity and Move on with Your Life. Source:  Fairway Divorce Solutions

New franchise: Nothnagle Realtors Real Estate Agency Franchise

Armand D’Alfonso, Nothnagle Realtors’ president and chief executive, recently announced that Nothnagle Realtors plans to offer franchise opportunities to real estate agencies across the country “similar to Century 21 and Coldwell Banker.” According to an article in the Democrat and Chronicle:

Nothnagle will initially offer franchising rights in cities such as Buffalo, Syracuse and Albany and areas downstate, said John Arquette, vice president of franchise sales and new business development… The most likely franchisees would be small agencies that could benefit from Nothnagle’s technological and marketing knowhow. Under a franchise arrangement, the agencies would remain independently owned.

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Nothnagle also has a history of franchising. In 1950, John T. Nothnagle opened the first Gallery of Homes at the Granite Building in downtown Rochester, where prospective buyers could view photos of houses for sale. Before that, houses were sold to buyers visiting the property. John Nothnagle franchised the concept and, at its peak, there were more than 1,200 galleries around the country. The gallery franchise was sold in 1983, Arquette said. The Gallery of Homes concept was the forerunner of today’s Internet marketing, said John Masters, broker at Nothnagle’s Greece office.

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Some competitors said Nothnagle’s plan makes sense because it reduces the cost of doing business for franchisees while enabling Nothnagle to become a national player. The company already ranks 36th in the country with more than $1.2 billion in annual real estate transactions. “It’s very difficult for a mom-and-pop to keep their costs down,” said Larry Mastrella, manager of RealtyUSA’s Pittsford office, explaining why a small agency in some other part of the country might want to affiliate with Nothnagle.

Affordable spa skincare will come to Houston next month when Faces365 opens for business.

The franchise is based on an almost identical membership-based business model as another health-related franchise, Massage Envy.

Owners say the new franchise is aimed at a clientele that appreciates value, convenience and results. Faces365 will emphasize discounted services, extended hours and will operate 7-days-a-week. The new franchise specializes in facial treatments, waxing and, in some locations, teeth whitening.

Faces365 regional developers are Freddy O’Pry and son Lance, and Kenny and Neice Lang, who are former BP company executives. The O’Prys are also regional developers for Massage Envy in Houston and Dallas.

The Langs will provide franchisee training and operational support for the new partnership. The couple will open two Faces365 spas, including the Memorial/ Bunker Hill location. The O’Prys are also regional developers for Faces365 franchise locations in the Dallas/ Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio areas.

The new franchise will carry several lines of skincare products, including two marketed under the Faces365 label featuring natural, botanical-based formulas. The franchise will also offer the exclusive Yonka® skincare line.

Faces365 will offer customers a $49.99 introductory, 70-minute facial session that includes a personalized, comprehensive complexion analysis. Treatments include microderm, glycolic skin peels, facial and body waxing, brow-tinting and make-up application. The franchise serves men and women. A special teen program promotes early healthy skin care and provides services for acne problems.

Faces365 is membership-based, giving members substantial savings on products and services. Services will also be available to non-members. “Franchise locations are typically 2,000 square feet,” said Freddy O’Pry, “and generally cost between $300,000 and $350,000, with financing available for qualified applicants from several third-party banks. This will allow most franchisees to be in business with only $75,000 cash,” he said.

Here’s an interesting new beauty salon franchise: :10 Minute Manicure.

According to its press release, the corporate mission of :10 Minute Manicure is to lead the market in express manicure and pedicure services. The company strives to excel in customer service and exceed industry standards on cleanliness, and promises to promote healthy nail care through its product offerings and services.

:10 Minute Manicure currently owns and operates 13 franchise locations in the United States and Canada including JFK International Airport, Toronto-Pearson International Airport and Dulles International Airport, among others. With headquarters in Miami, Florida, :10 Minute Manicure plans to continue its home state growth through franchise sales. The company is currently targeting airport and street locations in the cities of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Orlando and Fort Myers.

In the past decade, the manicure business sector has experienced exponential growth. :10 Minute Manicure entered the crowded market with the goal to elevate the standards and customer perception of the business. A few of the ways that :10 Minute Manicure separates itself from the competition are by using medical grade autoclaves to sterilize tools, nail polishes that are free of harmful chemicals, a time-based service menu to fit any schedule and a professional, inviting store appearance.

“:10 Minute Manicure keeps their customers’ health and safety in mind,” said Miami-based dermatologist Alysa Herman, MD, who serves on the company’s advisory board. “Their trained nail technicians and cleanliness practices are well ahead of the industry’s curve.”

“I created this business with a mission that no pet should go uncared for,” said Paul Mann, founder and CEO. “When a pet owner hires FETCH! Pet Care, they know they will come home to a happy pet. The majority of FETCH! Pet Care customers prefer not to kennel their pets due to health or safety concerns, or they simply feel better having their pets at home, in the safety and comfort of the pet’s own environment.”
After experiencing frustration in finding professional, reliable care for his own pets, FETCH! Pet Care franchise founder Paul Mann walked away from a lucrative career in the technology industry, determined to fill an obvious hole in the market. Since its founding in 2002, FETCH! Pet Care has blossomed into a multi-million dollar franchise that continues to grow by more than 200 percent each year in this rapidly growing industry. Mann notes more than two-thirds of U.S. households own pets, and an estimated $43 billion will be spent in the pet industry this year — double the amount spent only a decade ago. The industry is expected to grow to $52 billion in just two years.

Paul Mann claims to have built the nation’s largest and most professional at-home pet sitting and dog-walking franchise, with 200 FETCH! Pet Care franchise locations in more than 1,800 communities across 35 states.

FETCH! Pet Care, with a fitting tagline of “We’ve Got Your Tail Covered,” continues to expand at a rapid pace, opening 10-15 new franchises per month, nationwide, by breaking down the No. 1 barrier to pet ownership: a lack of proper care for pets while their owners work or travel. The franchise provides professionally trained, bonded and insured pet sitters for owners of any kind of pet, from dogs and cats, to hamsters, birds, fish, iguanas and more. Caregivers can be hired for ongoing daily services, as well as on weekends, during busy holidays or on short notice.

In addition to its basic pet care services, FETCH! Pet Care also offers daily pet visits, private dog walks, group off-leash dog outings, in-home overnight sitting, private boarding, day and evening care, pet fitness services, pet taxi services, home care, yard pet waste cleanup, and medication for pets.

Mann maintains that while there are many independent pet sitters who are loving and caring, the vast majority don’t have great business acumen, which has affected the perception of the pet care industry. With criminal background checks for all of its caregivers, a sophisticated telephone dispatch system and advanced software that tracks assignments and delivers real-time electronic client order confirmations and automated sitter assignment reminders, FETCH! Pet Care is changing that image. The business can be run from home and requires an initial franchise fee of only $12,000.

Are you familiar with the FETCH! Pet Care franchise? Leave a comment… tell us what you think.