"D.Currie" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Anthony" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > Recently a person who was thinking of becoming a franchisee for a food
> > prep center asked this ng for opinions as to its viability. As one
> > might expect from a bunch of cooks the idea was pooh-poohed by just
> > about all who replied. But on the front page of today's NY Times
> > ther's an article which suggests that these businesses seem to be quite
> > successful, and are becoming increasingly numerous - you can read the
> > piece he
> >
> >
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/26/na...=1&oref=slogin
> >
> > Despite favorable comments from customers I still can't see why one
> > would patronise such a place!
> >
>
> I don't doubt that they are popping up all over right now, but I don't
take
> that as a sign that it's a good business investment unless they plan is to
> get in while the idea is hot and be ready to bail out as soon as it starts
> to go bad.
>
> First, I have some doubts that people will continue to use the service
> long-term. If you aren't getting new customers and the old ones start
fading
> away, the business isn't going to last. It's just my opinion, but it seems
> more like a fad than something that people will rely on long-term. I could
> certainly be wrong, but it's not where I'd invest my dollars.
>
> Second, there are a lot of different chains popping up, and if another one
> moves in next door to "your" franchise, it would be a battle for the same
> dollars. The chains are not all equal. The one quoted in the article says
> that the dinners are for the most part, pop in the oven and that's it.
Some
> of the others I looked at online had some pretty complicated cooking
> directions as well as long cooking times. Those two methods are going to
> have different audiences, and maybe one will win out over the other. I
> believe your article mentioned frozen veggies, where some of them are
> strictly entrees. Once again, those may be two different markets, or it
> might be the difference between succeeding and failing.
>
> Right now the concept is in a growth phase. Give it a year or three and
see
> which ones are still in business. I'm betting that a lot of them will
fail.
>
> Donna

Not long ago I would have said "Who in their right mind would pay to watch
videos on their 2" cellphone screens when there are real TVs everywhere?"
The thing is, people don't choose products,products make themselves
indispensable through manipulating ideas of status, vanity, etc.

I am convinced that if you use the right psychology there is a market for
anything.--
Lefty

Life is for learning
The worst I ever had was wonderful

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