1-800-JUNK-USA Acquires College Hunks Hauling Junk Franchise
Looks like the College Hunks are graduating to the Penthouse.
Privately held 1-800-JUNK-USA, based in Tampa, FL, has announced that it is acquiring the College Hunks Hauling Junk franchise. Founded back in 2003, College Hunks began offering franchise opportunities in 2007, and is today the largest franchise system of its kind in the U.S., with franchisees in more than 35 domestic markets.
Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but we're guessing the co-founders of College Hunks, who launched their venture as a side project while attending college in our nation's capital, won't be eating ramen noodles and store-brand cola for much longer. (Actually, given the duo appeared on the millionaire matchmaker about a year and a half ago, it's probably been some years since these two were forced to chow on $0.50 cancer bowls to power their entrepreneurial engines).
Franchise mergers and acquisitions, like all major corporate transactions, are always a tricky affair. After all, the majority of M&A deals end up in failure. One senses, however, that 1-800-JUNK- USA has managed to acquire themselves a fast-growing business with strong brand recognition and substantial future prospects.
Time to tap the keg!
Why Franchisors Don’t Like Negotiating
The first impression that the franchisee gets from reading the franchise agreement is total incomprehension, unless they are well versed in legal terminologies and phrasing. The FDD is required to be in plain English but the franchise agreement has no such requirement. Typically, the franchisor’s legal department works extremely hard to secure the franchisor’s position through the Agreement and makes it impenetrable for someone who is not a lawyer to understand. The uniform nature of the agreement for all franchisees makes it assumed that the franchisee must sign the agreement so that all the franchisees follow the same terms. Even though that is partially true, the franchisee can plead their case and negotiate terms where they believe that they are offering something unique to the franchisor.
Franchise Ownership in Your 20s
Your 20s are defined by exploration and the capture of novel experiences. As the shape of your future begins to take form you may find yourself aiming for financial independence and professional success on an earlier time scale than your peers. You are more resilient to stressors and less risk averse, which, combined with having less obligate focus on medical, marital, familial, or personal matters (relative to later decades in life), positions you to invest considerably more time and energy taking a hands-on approach to growing your business.
