As an entrepreneur, you know you have a variety of franchise opportunities to choose from. So, why should you select a Jackson Hewitt Tax Service© franchise? Let's start with the fact that Jackson Hewitt© has been ranked the #1 tax preparation franchise for the past 14 years in Entrepreneur magazine's Annual Franchise 500. This prestigious publication also rated Jackson Hewitt the #1 low-cost franchise and the #3 franchise overall in 2007.

Why Jackson Hewitt? Do the math because everyone pays taxes!

As the tax laws become more complex, the tax preparation industry continues to evolve. According to the IRS, approximately 61% of all tax returns in 2006 were prepared by a paid preparer. It's difficult for the average taxpayer to keep track of the ever-changing credits and deductions they may qualify for. Perhaps that's why the paid preparer market has seen continued growth and opportunity as tax law changes drive taxpayers to seek the assistance of trained tax preparers.

Jackson Hewitt offers a variety of products and services dedicated to providing customers with choices and convenience. As a franchise owner, you will be able to offer your customers a selection of products and services they can only receive at Jackson Hewitt.

We've developed a proven system for running a tax preparation franchise.

Our most successful franchise owners take advantage of all we have to offer, including our proprietary interview- and forms-based tax preparation software, ProFiler© a multi-million-dollar advertising budget; field-based regional support; regional and local marketing programs; relationships with some of the nation's top retailers; and extensive, hands-on training for owners and their staff.

No prior tax preparation experience required!

Some of our most successful franchise owners are not CPAs. Jackson Hewitt provides expert training in operations, technology, marketing, advertising, public relations, customer service, retail management and more. We're dedicated to helping our franchisees achieve their business goals. We make sure they're well prepared to run their business.

After you purchase a Jackson Hewitt franchise, you'll attend FIT - Franchise Initial Training - a week-long program at our corporate office in New Jersey. But that's just the beginning. From the moment you secure a location, you and your staff will be trained in all aspects of operating a tax business. Plus, you'll receive ongoing training at regional workshops conducted several times a year around the country.

Ongoing Support for the Life of Your Business

As a Jackson Hewitt franchise owner, you'll be in business for yourself, not by yourself. You'll receive constant support from professionals in Operations, Marketing, Business Development, Training, Finance, Retail Management and more.

Each franchisee receives support from Field Operations Directors who are assigned to specific geographical markets and help owners with office site selection, local advertising and public relations efforts.

You'll also receive a Franchise Service Manager (FSM) who is based in the corporate office in New Jersey. FSMs will offer you immediate support and can quickly answer any of your questions or concerns because they have continuous access to Jackson Hewitt senior management and all corporate personnel.

Your Franchise Development Director will help you expand your business by identifying new territories, acquisition prospects and other opportunities for growth.

For year-round, toll-free technical support, you can count on the Jackson Hewitt Support Center that offers expanded support during the tax season. Its members will assist you with ProFiler software, the processing system and all other proprietary applications. They also offer tax resources for federal and state jurisdictions and provide management of network, hardware and operating systems.

The Corporate Marketing Team helps you promote your Jackson Hewitt business with the development of in-store marketing and collateral materials, including posters, banners, brochures, sales aides, window signage, educational resources and national direct mail campaigns. At no additional cost, you can enlist the talents of their graphic designers and in-house copywriters to create custom marketing materials that support your local marketing initiatives.

You will also draw support from the Jackson Hewitt intranet, a data-rich system with resources that will help you manage your training, business development, marketing campaigns and more.

Tax Education Programs

Jackson Hewitt franchise owners have excellent educational and recruiting tools available to them. Each fall, they offer members of their community the opportunity to learn basic income tax preparation in a classroom setting, in a computer lab or online. Many franchise owners employ the students who successfully complete their tax courses to work as preparers during the tax season.

Market Research & Analysis

Jackson Hewitt continually strives to help franchisees retain customers, win back old ones and acquire new ones. We utilize research and analysis that's designed to develop a deeper understanding of consumer behavior before, during and after the tax season.

Once you open a Jackson Hewitt franchise, you'll be served with:

• Marketing materials at the local, regional and national levels
• Opportunities to operate kiosks inside popular retail locations, like Wal-Mart.
• Campaigns to reach new customers in the services sectors in your community
• Programs to help you connect with local schools, hospitals, businesses and charities
• Incentive programs for attracting new customers and retaining current ones
• You may even qualify for capital to help you grow your business!

Jackson Hewitt franchisees have a wealth of human and technical resources at their disposal. So, if you're still wondering whether Jackson Hewitt is the right choice for you, ask yourself this question: Do I have a strong, entrepreneurial attitude and a drive to succeed? If the answer is 'yes,' then call us today. We're ready to give you more details, answer your questions and welcome your request for franchise consideration.

Running a business is considered the pinnacle of American entrepreneurship; the end result where profit flow and becoming your own boss becomes reality. There are a variety of reasons why someone would want to franchise. First of all, does franchising mean starting a business with its first penny? What about purchasing an already up-and-running business from owners who want to pursue other ventures or retire? Is total control of business operations a given when buying a franchise? Let’s review the intricacies of business franchising and see if it is right for you.

Talk to Me about Franchising!

Let’s say you’re opening the doors to your own Chili’s restaurant. This Tex-Mex oriented restaurant is hoping to service a legion of loyal patrons in the future, and you’re jumping ship waiting in the wings for this. To own your own Chili’s, you have to buy a franchise. Qualifications for buying a franchise vary, including the amount of upfront money. For starters, you must have $150,000 or more of non-borrowed money to qualify, with coverage for total opening costs that can range from $430,000 to $750,000. These funds go towards maintenance fees, rent, deep fryers, bathroom supplies – everything associated with the functioning of a Chili’s. Franchise rules say that 40% of the total cost of opening a franchise must come from your own funds not borrowed from a bank.

For starters, an initial franchise fee of (say, $45,000) must be given directly to Chili’s. This is the only fee you pay towards the company, with the other costs going to suppliers. Franchises will throw you into a strict nine-month training program where you’ll be introduced to the in and out’s of the business – service, protocol, inventory control methods, quality mechanisms, etc. A company will ask that you run the franchise from one location for a designated number of years, in addition to following décor protocol for the restaurant through using their insignias, labels, symbols, logos, and colors.

After the training program, Chili’s will present you with a store location that’s finished on the exterior but leave you to provide for interior work. A franchise owner will add any kitchen equipment, seating arrangement, and be responsible for the layout of the restaurant. Field consultants will be on-call to assist you with everything dealing with the details and make regular visits to check up on you. You will be expected to pay a percentage of your monthly sales plus a flat base rent or an additional percentage rent of your sales. The opportunities for creating lots of money comes with how well you deal with operating costs, its location (obviously, a Chili’s in Herald’s Square in Manhattan will fare a lot better than one in Harlem), and your own talents in maneuvering and handling the franchise.

In essence, franchising means paying a business for its overall strategy, plus the use of the brand. It means joining forces with a business by using its brand and marketing/operational philosophy to make your investment pay off. By operating it through its time-tested rules, you can increase the likelihood of success because the business has already established itself in the market. Do you become your own boss when running a franchise? The answer is a partial no – you only own the assets you used to jump start the business.