New Milestone
Steak-Out, one of the nation's largest full-meal delivery systems, has announced "meaty" plans will soon catapult the number of Steak-Out units over the 100-store milestone-the opening of new metropolitan markets and its continued success in its already established markets.

Year 2000 follows a banner 1999 year, when Steak-Out opened 13 new stores and added 55 new stores to it development schedule. Steak-Out's penetration of smaller and medium markets has already advanced into principal metropolitan markets such as Atlanta, Houston, Denver, Kansas City, and Tampa/St. Petersburg, as well as Phoenix and Austin, Texas.

"Americans have demonstrated a big appetite for Steak-Out," claims Don Harkleroad, President and CEO of Atlanta-based Steak-Out Franchising. Inc. "Because we cater primarily to the expanding number of busy two-income families, Steak-Out has tremendous potential for success in virtually every community throughout the nation. As we make the leap beyond the Southeast, we find that excited operators and an excited public welcome our established brand of quality and service."

Long-Distance Deals

Looking for a great long-distance deal? Think you've found the cheapest rates, but still confused by all the ads? Here's how to sort out what's clearly in ads and what's not.

Look for all the information related to PRICE.

Monthly Fees: When an ad promises 10 cents a minute, look for any monthly fees or surcharges you'll have to pay to get that rate.

Minimum Charges: Look for minimum charges for each call. If every call has a 50-cent minimum, even a two-minute call can cost you 50 cents. On "up to 20 minutes for a dollar" plans, a one-minute call or a message you leave on an answering machine is a dollar.

Climbing Rates: An ad may say that all calls up to 20 minutes are a dollar. Look for information on what happens to the rate structure after 20 minutes. Rates may increase dramatically.

Look for all the information related to RESTRICTIONS on the advertised rates.

Time Restrictions: Is the advertised rate available when you want it? Some rates may apply only at certain times of the day or only on certain days of the week. What are the rates at the other times?

Geographic Restrictions: Is the advertised rate available on all long distance calls -those that you make to someone in another state as well as those that you make to someone in another city in your own state? Some plans do not include long distance calls in the same state. Find out what those rates are and factor them in when you make your decision.

Promotional Restrictions: Are the advertised rates constant or an introductory offer that's good for a limited time - like the first 60 days of your subscription? If so, what are the rates once the promotion is over?

What is Master Franchising?

Most franchisors disagree on the defining parameters of this description. A general definition might be that a master franchisee is a clone of the franchisor in a particular market area. The master franchisee pays the franchisor for the right to market franchises within that area (granted by the franchisor to the master franchisee), to share in revenues and profits of the franchises granted within that area, and further assumes certain obligations and responsibilities (designated by the franchisor) to the franchisees within that particular area. The master franchisee is often familiar with the area which expedites the adaptation of the franchise to the new area.

The benefit to the franchisees is greatly enhanced by the presence of the geographically more accessible master franchisee. The franchisor benefits form the master franchisee's financial commitment, which ensures dedication to the management and growth of the system. This method also allows the franchisor to focus on the research and development of the total franchise system. It further reduces the costly senior in-house staffing requirements and the expenses associated with broadband franchisee support, Instead, the franchisor can manage a team of master franchisees and they, in turn, can manage the franchisees in their respective areas.

The mature, sophisticated and successful business techniques of franchisors, coupled with unique selections of goods and services offered , are just some of the reasons that the interest of the executive class work force and high profile investors have been captured by franchise opportunities. The concept of master franchise licensing is in great demand by these entities. They readily recognize the substantial advantage of master franchise investments as an integral part of the personal and financial portfolio necessary to achieve maximum return on accumulated personal and financial assets. Newer franchises are higher risks to invest in, but the risk is often offset by the ground-level challenge, higher potential return and lower investment entry