The 14th Business Opportunity & Franchise Expo

From the positive feed back of our exhibitors and the success of 13 consecutive years organizing the Business Opportunity & Franchise Expo prompt the Franchise Focus Co., Ltd. to announce the 14th Business Opportunity & Franchise Expo.

This is the biggest and the only expo that is focus on promoting the franchise business and investment opportunities along with the activities that is helped in developing the business opportunities from the government agencies and the private sector.

The details of the expo are as follow:

Date: February 25th - February 28th 2010

Place: Exhibition Hall 5, Impact Exhibition Centre,

MuangThong Thani, Bangkok Thailand
Objectives:

- Promoting buy and sale of Franchise Business
- Introducing different type of business opportunities by offering the most participated exhibitors from different businesses
- Promoting the activities between the government agencies and private sector
- Presenting an advance and different business forms and the business technologies.

Format: The expo is divided into four main zone as follow:

1. Franchise Booth and other business opportunities
a. Food Business Zone
b. Beauty Business Zone
c. Education Business Zone
d. Service Business Zone
e. I.T. Business Zone
f. Retail Business Zone
2. This expo will also offer in conjunction with the “Better Shop” trade show is the biggest and the only expo that is focus Retail and Supply product for Shop
3. Seminar and education
4. Stage Activities
5. Government agencies and other associations services
Target Attendee: minimum of 100,000 including:
- Business Owners
- Franchisors
- Franchisees
- Department stores from Bangkok and other provinces
- Real Estate developers and property owners
- Local business men and women
- Member of the Business Opportunity & Franchise Focus Magazine
- Top executives who are looking to own their own business
- New generation group of people who is seeking for new businesses and opportunities
- An oversee business owners who are seeking to relocate back in Thailand
- An International business owners who are seeking for new business opportunities in Thailand and/or in their countries
-Advertising on the cover page of Business Opportunity & Franchise Magazine
-Spreading the news of The Greatest 11th Business Opportunity & Franchise Exhibition
-Sending photo caption of the exhibition
-Having exclusive interview for sponsors
-Sending seminar agenda
-Sending photo caption of sponsors
-Distributing 20,000 magazines and exhibition pamphlets
-Group interviews (divided by type of business)
- Press Conference
Number of Booth: 500 Booths.
This expo will also offer in conjunction with the “Better Shop” trade show
The Details of the Show:
1. Franchise Booth Zone
- Food business
Franchise: Pizza, Coffee, ice cream, bakery, Vietnamese restaurant, fast food, etc.
- IT & Digital business
Franchise: Printing business, printing shop, computer and printer clinic, refill ink shop, photo shop and mobile shop
- Beauty business
Franchises Spa, slimming center, fitness, salon, manicure, facial & body treatment
- Retail business
Franchises: convenient store, clothing store, baggage store, shoe store, kitchen ware store, furniture store, drug store, cosmetic store
- Service business
Franchises: car care, VDO rental shop, realtor, second-hand trading business, exchanged businesses, post & transportation, financial advisor, care rental, cleaning
- Education business
Franchises: Chinese Language School, English Language School for Adults, English Language School for Kids, Art School for Kids, Science School, Mathematics School, Judo School, Singing School, E-learning School/University
2. Business opportunities Zone
This zone is for non-franchise businesses, such as
Concept of businesses: noodle, roti, porridge, Thai vermicelli, cocktail, papaya salad, fruit juice
Food Supplier for restaurants: meat balls, sausages, ice cream, frozen food, ingredients, flour
Appliances for food businesses: kitchenware, food processor, package, bakery appliances, ice cream maker
Services regarding to food business: restaurant decoration, trolley, self, software for restaurant
Design: uniform, logo, brochure, board, menu, premium goods etc.
Career appliances: karaoke slot machine, appliances for karaoke shop
IT appliance suppliers: dealers for mobile phone, computers, printers, software and accessories etc.
IT consultants: accounting software, administration software for restaurants, retail shops, businesses, programmers
Business services: Website design, E-commerce, VDO presentation, remote meeting services, telephone systems for SME etc.
Health: health goods dealers, health goods distributors
Beauty: goods and supplies distribution for beauty business such as hair-washing bed, chair, hair-drying machine, comb, shampoo etc.
Spa: goods and supplies distribution for spa business such as scrub cream, food supplement, decoration appliances, sauna closet
Appliances for retailers: calculator, shelf, closed circuit television
Goods supplied for retailers: wholesale goods such as clothing, handicraft, and jewelry
Services for retailers: shop design, inside-outside shop notice design
Business training: career and business training center
3. Seminar
4. Activities before the exhibition day
There are some activities before the beginning of exhibition for continuity of exhibition promotion. The activities include
-Business seminar
-Match making
-Marketing activity to promote exhibitors’ businesses
-The exhibition’s promoting in target area
-Registration and first round competition of?
5. Activities on stage during the exhibition day
There will be a lot of contests, demonstrations, shows and games to entertain participants. The sponsors and exhibitors can join these activities by
-Schedule time for the show on the stage
-Demonstrating
-Supporting prize to introduce your products
-Cooperating to hold a contest by using your products
PR Action Part 1
- Sending the exhibition project to exhibitors
- Advertising in Newspaper – Krungthep Thurakit
- Advertising in Newspaper – Than Setthakit
- Advertising in Newspaper – Kom Chud Luek
- Advertising in Newspaper – Pracha Chard
- Advertising in Newspaper – The Nation
- Radio Spot 200 times
- Interview broadcasting
- Posters in the exhibition
Activities
- Registrations and contests
- Seminars
- Target group Persuasion activity on sky train stations and nearby area
- Opening Ceremony
Expecting news more than 200 news
Expecting Bangkok participants 50%
Expecting other province participants 40%
Expecting other country 10%

CITI appointed as delegate trustee & paying agent for first sukuk cleared through NASDAQ Dubai

Citi’s Global Transaction Services business today announced that Citi Issuer Services has been appointed as the Issuing and Paying Agent for the first Sukuk to be cleared through the central securities depositary (CSD) of NASDAQ Dubai, the international stock exchange serving the Middle East. The $100m Sukuk, issued by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), listed on November 4, 2009. NASDAQ Dubai now has 22 listed Sukuk with a nominal value of US$17.2 billion. The Sukuk issued by IFC, which is part of the World Bank Group, is the first one that uses the NASDAQ Dubai CSD to hold its securities. Citi will be providing the Paying Agency and Delegate Trustee roles on the Sukuk for the life of the deal. Furthermore, as this was a ground-breaking deal, the transaction required Citi to open and administer a "New Issues account" opened with the NASDAQ Dubai to create and deliver the securities into the primary market.


Steve Donovan, Head of Global Transaction Services, Middle East and Pakistan said," As a leading global issuing & paying agent, Citi is thrilled to be extending these services for the first time through the NASDAQ Dubai CSD in this landmark deal. The listing and clearing of the IFC Sukuk is a significant step forward in the further development of Dubai and the Middle East as a centre of excellence for the clearing, settlement and custody of debt securities. Additionally, the inclusion of this new domestic market to the Issuer Services suite of domestic capabilities underscores the growing recognition of our Securities and Funds Services business in the Middle East and our ongoing commitment to the region".

Jeff Singer, Chief Executive of NASDAQ Dubai, said, "As Dubai expands as a centre of Islamic finance, NASDAQ Dubai looks forward to listing more Sukuk and supporting these through its CSD. The successful handling of the IFC Sukuk demonstrates the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the exchange’s CSD framework, which can also handle conventional bonds. Citi’s role as issuing and paying agent has played a key part in the success of the IFC Sukuk listing."

Citi has been in the Arab world for nearly 50 years and continues to view the region as critical to its global franchise. It is currently present in 10 Arab countries including Egypt, UAE, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait.

Deutsche Bank Makes Strategic Appointments in its Global Transaction Banking Business in Asia

Hong Kong/ Singapore, August 19, 2009 ¡V Deutsche Bank today announced that in line with the strategic expansion of its Global Transaction Banking franchise in Asia, it has made the following

appointments:

Shivkumar Seerapu - Global Product Head of Financial Supply Chain and Regional Trade
Product Head for Asia
Eric Koo - Head of Global Transaction Banking, Hong Kong

Mrugank Paranjape ¡V Head of Domestic Custody Services, South & South East Asia
Ridzal Sheriff - Head of Global Transaction Banking, Malaysia

Jacqueline William - Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Trustee Malaysia Berhard (DTMB)

Shivkumar Seerapu, currently the Regional Product Head for Trade Finance, Asia Pacific,

Deutsche Bank, has taken on the additional role as the Global Product Head of Financial Supply
Chain. He will continue to be based in Singapore.

Based in Hong Kong, as Head of Global Transaction Banking, Hong Kong, Eric Koo will be

responsible for spearheading Deutsche Bank¡¦s transaction banking strategies and aligning its

business plans with the region¡¦s priorities. Eric joined Deutsche Bank in 2006 as Head of Trade

Finance and Cash Management Corporates in Hong Kong where he has successfully built a

strong team focused on acquiring high quality clients and capturing trade flows across Greater

China whilst positioning Deutsche Bank as a strategic partner for regional treasury centres in Hong
Kong.

Mrugank Paranjape, Head of Domestic Custody Services, India, will now assume additional

responsibilities as Head of Domestic Custody Services, South & South East Asia with immediate

effect. The countries under Mrugank¡¦s remit are India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore,
Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Mrugank will continue to be based in Mumbai.

Ridzal Sheriff, currently the Chief Executive Officer of DTMB will succeed Rojeanne Sen as Head

of Global Transaction Banking and Domestic Custody Services for Deutsche Bank in Malaysia.

Rojeanne Sen, who has been with Deutsche Bank for 15 years will be retiring in November 2009.

Ridzal joined Deutsche Bank in 2007. In his new appointment, Ridzal will focus on growing the

Bank¡¦s transaction banking franchise in Malaysia through quality client acquisitions and targeted
market expansion. He will be based in Malaysia.

Jacqueline William, previously the Head of Client Services for Deutsche Bank¡¦s Domestic Custody Services business in Malaysia will succeed Ridzal as the Chief Executive Officer of DTMB. In her new role, Jacqueline will continue to drive strategy and grow the DTMB franchise.

Thomas DuCharme, Regional Head of Global Transaction Banking, Asia ex-Japan, Deutsche

Bank, said, ¡§We are convinced Asia will represent disproportionate amount of growth in trade

finance, cash management and custody in the coming years, so are very pleased to position our
high calibre talent to capture this next phase of growth in the region.

Index revives plan for India franchise

       Index Living Mall Co, the Thai homefurnishing retail chain, is reviving its plan to open franchise stores in India after its first deal two years ago did not get through.
       Jarinthorn Patamasatayasonthi, the company's managing director, said the business plan was reviewed after it was contacted by a new Indian investor,who had visited Index Living Mall in Dubai recently.
       "We saw a huge opportunity in the Indian market because there are only conventional furniture stores available in the country. While the Indian economy is booming, there is less competition [in the segment] there," she said.
       Index was in talks with another Indian investor in 2006 but the deal could not be concluded.
       Verachai Kunavichayanont, vicechairman of the furniture club under the Federation of Thai Industries, said demand for Thai-made furniture in India gradually rises every year because products are cheaper than comparable designs from Western brands.
       Thai furniture will enjoy an even greater competitive advantage after the free trade area agreement between Thailand and India takes effect next year. Under the FTA, the import tariff on furniture to India will be gradually cut to between zero and 5%, down from 35-40% at present, he said.
       Currently, few Asian furniture brands are available in India, leaving Thai brands with much room and potential to expand their businesses.
       As well as in India, the company is conducting a feasibility study to open new outlets through the franchise system in the Middle East, said Ms Jarinthorn.
       At home, the company plans to spend 1 billion baht to open two more outlets in Bangkok next year in addition to the Bang Na branch, which is to be opened early next year under an earlier plan.
       Moreover, the company plans to renovate its existing stores and to adjust product displays.
       More designers will be hired to design home decorative items and furniture while the number of exclusive items available at its stores will be increased to 50% from 30% at present.These plans should help Index Living Mall differentiate itself from its rivals.
       The company expects its sales to reach 7.5 billion baht this year. Of the total, about 2 billion baht will come from exports. Sales of Index in the first 10 months grew by 8%, slightly below its earlier projection of 10%. Business from Dubai has provided much of the company's sales.

Irish sandwich chain faces liquidation

       O'Brien's Sandwich Bars, a major success story of Ireland's dead Celtic Tiger economy, was handed over to liquidators on Wednesday after a judge declined to set aside the chain's expensive Dublin leases on more than 80 franchises.
       Dublin-born O'Brien's was Ireland's answer to Starbucks. It spread across much of the globe over the past decade of unprecedented Irish ambition, reaching more than a dozen countries, including Australia, China, India, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.
       But like many pub and restaurant groups in Ireland, O'Brien's has struggled with crippling debts ever since the economy plummeted into deep recession over the past year. The company's British unit sought protection from creditors in June, followed a month later by its Irish parent, which employs 800.
       O'Brien's founder, Brody Sweeney,had hoped to sell his business to an investor group led by Graeme Beere,owner of several rival fast-food chains in Ireland, including Abrekebabra and Gourmet Burger. But Beere's consortium had insisted that O'Brien's transfer ownership of its property leases over to franchise operators, who objected that they couldn't afford them either.
       Beere withdrew his offer on Tuesday after a Dublin High Court judge, John MacMenamin, ruled that he couldn't set aside the leases.
       It's only the latest in a series of spectacular implosions for top Dublin restaurateurs and publicans, who are struggling to make debt payments following rapid Celtic Tiger expansions on cheap credit that's evaporated. Other recent casualties are the Thomas Read Group,which owned more than a dozen of Dublin's most popular and architecturally impressive pubs, and Michelin-starred restaurants, Mint.

Magnificent seven

       In the most important, most revered event since the invention of the brontosaurus trap,Microsoft shipped the most incredibly fabulous operating system ever made; the release of Windows 7 also spurred a new generation of personal computers of all sizes at prices well below last month's offers.The top reason Windows 7 does not suck: There is no registered website called Windows7Sucks.com
       Kindle e-book reader maker Amazon.com and new Nook e-book reader vendor Barnes and Noble got it on; B&N got great reviews for the "Kindle killer"Nook, with dual screens and touch controls so you can "turn" pages, plays MP3s and allows many non-B&N book formats, although not the Kindle one;Amazon then killed the US version of its Kindle in favour of the international one, reduced its price to $260(8,700 baht), same as the Nook; it's not yet clear what you can get in Thailand with a Nook, but you sure can't (yet) get much, relatively speaking, with a Kindle;but here's the biggest difference so far,which Amazon.com has ignored: the Nook lets you lend e-books to any other Nook owner, just as if they were paper books; the borrowed books expire on the borrower's Nook in two weeks.
       Phone maker Nokia of Finland announced it is suing iPhone maker Apple of America for being a copycat; lawyers said they figure Nokia can get at least one, probably two per cent (retail) for every iPhone sold by Steve "President for Life" Jobs and crew via the lawsuit,which sure beats working for it -$6 (200 baht) to $12(400 baht) on 30 million phones sold so far, works out to $400 million or 25 percent of the whole Apple empire profits during the last quarter;there were 10 patent thefts, the Finnish executives said, on everything from moving data to security and encryption.
       Nokia of Finland announced that it is one month behind on shipping its new flagship N900 phone, the first to run on Linux software; delay of the $750(25,000 baht) phone had absolutely no part in making Nokia so short that it had to sue Apple, slap yourself for such a thought.
       Tim Berners-Lee, who created the World Wide Web, said he had one regret:the double slash that follows the "http:"in standard web addresses; he estimated that 14.2 gazillion users have wasted 48.72 bazillion hours typing those two keystrokes, and he's sorry; of course there's no reason to ever type that, since your browser does it for you when you type "www.bangkokpost.com" but Tim needs to admit he made one error in his lifetime.
       The International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations, which doesn't sell any phones or services, announced that there should be a mobile phone charger that will work with any phone; now who would ever have thought of that, without a UN body to wind up a major study on the subject?;the GSM Association estimates that 51,000 tonnes of chargers are made each year in order to keep companies able to have their own unique ones.
       The Well, Doh Award of the Week was presented at arm's length to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; the group's deputy secretary-general Petko Draganov said that developing countries will miss some of the stuff available on the Internet if they don't install more broadband infrastructure; a report that used your tax baht to compile said that quite a few people use mobile phones but companies are more likely to invest in countries with excellent broadband connections; no one ever had thought of this before, right?
       Sun Microsystems , as a result of the Oracle takeover, said it will allow 3,000 current workers never to bother coming to work again; Sun referred to the losses as "jobs," not people; now the fourth largest server maker in the world, Sun said it lost $2.2 billion in its last fiscal year; European regulators are holding up approval of the Oracle purchase in the hope of getting some money in exchange for not involving Oracle in court cases.
       The multi-gazillionaire and very annoying investor Carl Icahn resigned from the board at Yahoo ; he spun it as a vote of confidence, saying current directors are taking the formerly threatened company seriously; Yahoo reported increased profits but smaller revenues in the third quarter.
       The US House of Representatives voted to censure Vietnam for jailing bloggers; the non-binding resolution sponsored by southern California congresswoman Loretta Sanchez said the Internet is "a crucial tool for the citizens of Vietnam to be able to exercise their freedom of expression and association;"Hanoi has recently jailed at least nine activists for up to six years apiece for holding pro-democracy banners. Iran jailed blogger Hossein "Hoder" Derakshan for 10 months - in solitary confinement.

Minor to take The Pizza Company, Swensen's to more provinces

       The Minor Food Group, the leading operator of quick-service and fast-casual restaurants, will expand its core brands - The Pizza Company and Swensen's - into third-tier provinces through franchising.
       The company claims 100-per-cent coverage of first- and second-tier provinces, which have populations of more than 1 million and between 500,000 and 1 million, respectively.
       Arth Prakhunhungsit, general manager-franchising, said the company would open 10 new franchised restaurants each for The Pizza Company and Swensen's focusing on third-tier provinces, which have a population of less than 500,000. These include Nakhon Phanom, Yasothon, Kalasin, Mae Hong Son, Tak, Kamphaeng Phet, Trat, Satun, Phang Nga and Narathiwat.
       "With franchising, we are able to expand our flagship restaurant brands more aggressively, especially in second- and third-tier provinces," said Arth.
       He added that the company had reduced the investment cost for its franchisees opening restaurants by 15 per cent on average by simplifying store designs and fixtures.
       The initial cost for opening each The Pizza Company outlet through franchising is about Bt10.5 million, and about Bt6 million for each Swensen's restaurant. Each store occupies an average space of between 180 and 200 square metres.
       He said the company also required local entrepreneurs to have knowledge and skills in their own communities.
       "We have a strong management system, which can be applied and implemented immediately by our franchisees," he added.
       Arth said the company started franchising The Pizza Company brand in 2002, while franchising of Swensen's began in 2004.
       Minor Food Group operates 203 The Pizza Company restaurants in Thailand, 49 of which are franchised outlets.
       The company also has 39 The Pizza Company restaurants in many markets abroad, including China, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain and Cambodia. About 14 of these outlets, mainly in China, are the company's own.
       Arth said the company had 216 Swensen's restaurants in Thailand, of which 102 are franchises. It also has six franchised Swensen's in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Cambodia.
       "We plan to open new franchised outlets for both The Pizza Company and Swensen's in Laos in December, and early next year in Vietnam and India," said Arth.
       He said all franchisees would run their restaurants under 10-year contracts. The payback period will be about four years.
       Minor Food Group yesterday announced 24-per-cent growth in year-to-date sales by The Pizza Company franchised restaurants. The corresponding growth for Swensen's franchised outlets is 38 per cent from the same period last year.
       Average same-store growth for both The Pizza Company and Swensen's in the first nine months of the year came in at 2 per cent. This represents an improvement on the 1-per-cent average posted last year.
       "We expect our franchised outlets, both The Pizza Company and Swensen's, to generate combined sales of about Bt1.6 billion by the end of this year, about Bt790 million of which will be from The Pizza Company," said Arth.