There are two big issues that really plague business owners these days: the impact of their business on the environment and being able to survive some uncertain and often scary economic times. More and more find that the two really come together in a great way, though- it is very true that going green and going for more sustainable ways of doing things has not only a great impact on the environment, but on their budgets as well.

One franchise that has been a leader in a greener way of doing things is the Filta Group. From inception, the franchise has been known for being more environmentally friendly- well before the trend was to do things in this way. CEO Victor Clewes found that in adopting a more environmentally friendly way of doing things, money was saved, and when asked about this replied, “Smart business people are turning on to the idea that “going green” is not an exclusive domain for tree huggers!” But what makes the Filta Group so special and innovative when it comes to the way they have done things, and how can that benefit your business?

Offering two ways of lowering your bottom line while still bringing about a greener routine to your business, the Filta franchise has seen a great deal of growth in recent years. Beginning with Filtafry, the franchise shows an innovative and intelligent step forward. Clewes said, “Filtering and re-using cooking oil reduces oil purchases. Reduced oil purchases result in cost and waste savings. Then, when the oil can no longer be used for cooking, it becomes bio-fuel. Nothing is wasted. It’s used in the food we eat, then in the cars we drive. It becomes a net positive for the environment as well as a restaurant’s bottom line.” And in looking at the budget, it’s clear that’s true. Both fuel and food costs are growing every year, and it is vital that businesses take a hard look at how they think about their fryers.
Also a more recent development has been the FiltaCool system- a compact system that greatly reduces humidity in commercial refrigeration systems. This offering brings a better way of cooling in reducing the amount of spoilage and energy use by helping maintain a good balance of humidity in the systems where it is implemented.

Being able to have a Filtafry technician come to your place of business and filter your oil on a weekly or biweekly basis is certainly a great investment into greening up for the gold. Partnering yourself with a well known leader in providing a better alternative to the way that most think about not only their fryers, vegetable oil and waste oil management, but also the way they run their cooling storage, you will be able to see what many already have. Filtafry turns green into gold every step of the way and can better your business on all levels from fryer to table.

Since 1996 Filta has been internationally distinguished in the food service industry as a leader in waste oil and fryer maintenance. In 2008 the Filta Group expanded its offerings with its new line of FiltaCool products and services.  This exciting new contribution from Filta is aimed at bringing to your restaurant’s cold storage units all of the excellent service and savings that FiltaFry has brought to your fryers in the past.  FiltaCool can keep your coolers running better and more efficiently, extend the life of your perishable foodstuffs and help you reduce your food and energy costs.

FiltaCool’s sophisticated cooler filters are designed exclusively to meet the needs of commercial refrigeration and walk-in cooler units.  These low profile, eco-friendly units control humidity while filtering out detrimental gases that can speed up the breakdown of perishable goods.
FiltaCool filters also diminish unpleasant odors that can negatively affect food quality and that produce a disagreeable work environment for your personnel.

Reduction in Food Cost

Each year, restaurants and other commercial kitchens spend an average of 30 percent of their revenue on food costs.  FiltaCool offers a way to see big savings in your food costs.  FiltaCool filters help to control food costs by extending the shelf life of food.  Your supplies will stay fresher and great tasting for longer, significantly dropping the amount of waste generated by your kitchen.

Use Less Energy

The savings potential of using FiltaCool filters doesn’t stop there.  Independent tests demonstrate that FiltaCool lowers cooler temperatures by 2-5 degrees.  This leads to reduce compressor run-times and can diminish your overall kWh usage.  FiltaCool filters have been verified to reduce the energy use of coolers by as much as 10 percent.  Your business will be saving money while being able to proudly boast of your “greener”, more efficient operations.

Minimize Wear on Equipment

This diminution in energy use can lead to even greater savings as well.  Because your equipment will not have to exert itself as hard to keep temperatures and humidity constant within the most favorable ranges of coolness and moisture level, the longevity of your cold storage units is increased by as much as 33 to 44 percent.  FiltaCool users also report reduced spending on costly repairs and maintenance.  Filta can help you realize the full potential of your cooling systems and see them running longer.

FiltaCool gives you business a wide-ranging means of reducing the expense of maintaining your refrigeration units and minimize loss due to wastage in your business.  From the minute FiltaCool filters are installed in your units you will begin to start saving money.  You will see a notable difference in the quality of your cold-stored food items, as well as a marked reduction in unsavory odors in you walk-in coolers.  Your products will last longer, resulting in less waste and bigger profits.  Your equipment will run better and last longer.  With all these great benefits it is easy to see how using FiltaCool filters in your cold storage units will more than pay for itself.

FiltaCool is the newest addition to the world renowned Filta line of eco-friendly, money saving kitchen solutions. Since 1996 Filta has become a well-known name in the food service industry for help restaurants and other commercial kitchens reduce waste and save money in the operation of their deep fryers. Now, with FiltaCool, all of the benefits that have drastically changed the way that businesses approach frying are available in the cooler as well. Odor Control Over time odors accumulate in coolers, making them unpleasant for staff and suppliers. Even worse, noxious odors can be absorbed by some produce, negatively effecting their quality and taste. FiltaCool filters eliminate disagreeable smells in your cooler, leaving it smelling clean and your produce tasting fresh. Regulating Humidity and Bacteria Humidity is a major concern in commercial cooling units. Too little humidity and produce dries out, becoming unusable. Too much humidity is even worse. Excessive moisture attacks produce, destroying it on a cellular level. Additionally, when moisture freezes on cooling coils, the unit becomes less effective and has to work much harder to stabilize temperatures, resulting in shorter equipment life and greater energy use. Pooling moisture can also create a hazardous work environment as well, increase the risk of slip and fall injuries. Puddles also create a breeding ground for bacteria. FiltaCool will maintain an optimum level of humidity in your coolers, extending the life of produce and reducing bacteria. Eliminating Gas Buildup Fruits, vegetables and other perishable foodstuffs naturally give off gases. The buildup of gases, such as Pectin and Ethylene, in your cooler actually work against your foods, causing them to decay more rapidly. FiltaCool filters trap many of these gases, preventing buildup and prolonging the life of your perishable goods. Maintaining Temperature Bacterial growth and food spoilage can be greatly accelerated if the internal temperature of you coolers is allowed to get too high. Conversely, if temperatures allowed to drop produce can be damaged on a cellular level and freezing of moisture can negatively impact your cooler’s performance. FiltaCool has been shown in independent tests to reduce cooler temperatures by 2-5 degrees, making it easier for you system to maintain the optimal temperature range of 35-38 degrees Fahrenheit without expending as much energy. Controlling Costs FiltaCool provides all of the quality and cost effectiveness that has made the Filta name such a powerhouse in the food service industry over the past decade. When you use FiltaCool filters in your coolers you can expect to save big. You will immediately see a dramatic difference in the quality and longevity of your produce, meaning less loss due to wastage and a better product for you customers. You will also see a sharp decrease in the amount of energy your coolers consume. Most FiltaCool users see a drop of about 10% in energy use. Because your coolers won’t have to work as hard they will experience less wear and tear as well. FiltaCool can help cut costly cooler repairs and extend the life of your coolers by 33%-44%. This adds up to big savings now and for the life of your commercial cooler.

According to a recent study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics work-related burns account for 20%- 25% of all serious burns. 6% of all work-related thermal burns occurred among adolescent workers aged 16-19 years. Shown in investigations in Colorado and Minnesota, restaurant-related burns, especially those associated with use of deep fryers, still represent a major and preventable source of occupational burn morbidity, particularly among teenage employees. These findings are consistent with the findings in other studies that emphasize the risk for burns associated with hot grease. Yet another recent study showed that of a group of 11 work related hospitalizations within the study group, 36 percent were burn related. More often than not, the source of burn injury happening in fast-food restaurants was hot grease- over half of the injuries sustained.

Looking over these facts, it’s easy to see that a new option needs to be used in food service industries- businesses need to be adopting a better way to handle their fryers and one such way that actually has been around for quite some time- is hiring outside help. Balancing the costs of these injuries, to say nothing of the pain that these teens have to endure as a result, it becomes clearer and clearer that hiring outside help in not only maintaining adequately working fryers is key. Remember that guy with the van you turned away last week who wanted to show you an hour demonstration of what he could do? You may want to call him back. Being able to bring on someone who knows fryers inside and out, but also exclusively deals with them, and has plenty of safety training backing them- this is definitely something you’ll want to at least look into.

Considering the level of insurance related costs, as well as the overall safety, it is clear that actually what many have considered a budget excess- one they felt they could not afford balances out. Hiring a Filtafry tech to do the work which would ordinarily take a staff member hours and hours, gets the job done in one hour. As well, this increases the life of the oil itself, which again, saves money on the budget. Then, factoring in the costs of these injuries- you don’t have to sacrifice the safety of your crew to make sure you have great working fryers, as well as being able to dispose of your waste oil at the end of its cycle. Compare the costs of a one hour visit from your Filtafry technician verses all of those other costs and you’ve got a clear balance- however, also consider that it is impossible to accurately figure into the budget potential injuries sustained. Some accidents may happen with very little injury at all, while others may result in long term hospitalizations and even plastic surgery. This is not an area you want to be rolling the dice when it comes to safety and simply having an outside source can improve the safety of your crew, which is something all responsible food service owners wish for.

In 2008 The Filta Group unveiled its newest line of energy efficient kitchen solutions.  The addition of FiltaCool products and services opens up a whole new way for commercial kitchens to decrease waste, increase energy efficiency and save money.  FiltaCool brings all of the innovation and savings that made FiltaFry an internationally recognized name in fryer and oil management to the arena of cold storage.  Now the same van that brings you valuable savings and benefits for your fryers can help you save big and improve the quality of your cold foods as well.

Regulating Humidity

Humidity is a real problem in coolers.  Too little humidity leaves your perishables dry and shrunken.  High levels of moisture destroy your perishable foodstuffs by breaking down cellular integrity.  When moisture ices on cooling coils, the work less efficiently, resulting in higher temperatures and longer defrosting cycles.  Moisture can also create slippery and unsafe conditions as well as create a breeding ground for bacteria.  All this means more energy usage and more rapid spoiling of your food items.   FiltaCool can help regulate the humidity in your walk in coolers, making them more efficient and increasing the lifetime of your perishable goods.

Temperature

Allowing temperatures to get too high in your cooler accelerates bacterial growth which increases the rate of food spoilage.  Temperatures too low can freeze and damage your products, leaving them unusable and increasing your profit losses.  Maintaining the optimal temperature (between 35-38 degrees Fahrenheit) can be difficult with inefficient coolers.  FiltaCool can help improve cooler function so that your cold storage unit can more easily maintain ideal temperatures.

Odor Control

Odors are easily transmitted between perishables stored together.  No one wants their produce to smell like poultry.  Your customers certainly don’t want it.  Excessive odor can also make coolers unpleasant for employees and suppliers.  With FiltaCool, noisome smells can be reduced, leaving your cooler and perishables smelling cleaner and fresher.

Gases and Bacteria

The natural processes that break down foods can increase when contained to an enclosed space.  Factors such as bacteria, oxidation, Ethylene gases and Pectin gases can accelerate food spoilage.  While these processes are naturally occurring and cannot be entirely eliminated, they can be greatly reduced.  FiltaCool filters can help control the level of gases in your cooler and create a less active breeding ground for bacteria.

Cool Savings

As customers have come to expect of Filta products and services, FiltaCool offers a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution to cooler maintenance and regulation.  Using FiltaCool in your cold storage units will help to regulate moisture, keep temperatures stable, decrease odors, gases and bacteria and keep your units running for effectively and efficiently.  Your business will save money by using less energy.  Many customers report as much as a 10 percent reduction in the energy required to operate their cools when using FiltaCool in their cold storage units.   Businesses also save big by disposing of less spoiled products.  Your perishable foods will last longer and taste better.   FiltaCool brings to your coolers all of the quality service and savings that have made the Filta name great.

When you first struck upon the Filta Group in your search for potential franchising prospects you were undoubtedly impressed with all that Filta has to offer a motivated and driven entrepreneur such as yourself.  After all, you decided to buy your own franchise.  Obviously you have some pretty high expectations for your new business, and rightly so.  Filta offers a lot of potential profit in the right hands.

However, as in any franchising organization, not all Filta franchises succeed.  Most that falter do so within the first few years of operation, and most that fold do so because they succumbed to the same fatal errors.  So what can you, as a new Filta owner, do to ensure your success and what pitfalls should you look to avoid?

Never Stop Growing

During your training and development your Business Development Manager spent two weeks with you in your territory training you how to sell your service.  During this time he or she worked alongside you to build an initial customer base to get your Filta business off to a great start.  If at possible, at the end of the two weeks you already had a steady repeat business of at least $500 each week.

While that is undeniably a good start, it falls to you to make the calls and put in the face time to continue growing your Filta franchise.  Set a realistic goal for new clients each month and constantly work on improving your demo pitch.  Most importantly, never be satisfied.  Keep an eye on the future and keep moving forward.

Be Willing to Work

Your franchise will only go as far as you take it.  It’s your business and no one can tell you how much effort to put into it, or how much business is enough business.  It takes drive and determination to succeed in business.  Can you get by making only for service calls a day?  Perhaps, but you’ll only be realizing half of your business’s potential.

Just as with your prospecting to book demos, set clear and reasonable goals for how many service calls you’d like to see yourself doing per day, then push yourself to go beyond.  Your strong work ethic and willingness to put in the long hours will pay off.  You’ll see a greater return on your investment into Filta, a prosperous franchise, and a happy group of repeat customers.

Learn to Adapt

Survival of the fittest doesn’t only apply to nature.  It is a very real part of commerce, as well, and the food service supply industry is no exception.  As you promote your Filta business and even in your daily service calls you will most likely find that some strategies that once worked in your favor, no longer deliver results.  Don’t be afraid to be inventive.  Constantly seek out new ways of conducting business and drawing in new clients.

Remember to always keep your eye on the future.  Set definite long-term goals, as well as short-term steps to help you reach them.  Your Filta mobile franchise is more than your trade, it is your investment in yourself.  As such, the only limit to its potential is you.

If you are looking at Filta as a potential investment, then you may have some questions about how Filta operates and what you might expect from your franchise.  It is important to ask these questions during the researching phase of looking for a franchise.  Getting all of the facts that you can now will help to ensure that you make the decision that is right for you.  Let’s take a closer look at Filta franchises and some of the common questions that potential franchisees have.

How Much Business Can I Expect?
The average FiltaFry technician makes between 6-8 service calls every business day.  Of course the number of calls you can make in a day is dependent of factors such as the number of clients you have, the size of your territory, drive times, etc.  Most Filta franchisees find that they can make 40-45 services calls in a week.

How Much Does FiltaFry Cost Customers?
The Filta Franchise Disclosure Document for 2009 list the average service call charge at $66.85.  The Filta Group encourages franchisees to charge by the volume of oil filtered.  The recommended standard service charge is suggested to be $50 for the first 50 pounds of oil filtered, with an added charge of $0.35 per additional pound beyond the first 50.

How Many Customers Will I Have?
The number of customers available to you depends, of course, on what businesses operate within your territory.  It also depends on your willingness and a ability to market your service within your territory.  Though the Filta Group cannot guarantee any certain amount of customers, they do use a formula in determining territory boundaries that is designed to offer franchisees the greatest opportunity to see the maximum potential of their franchises.  Your potential customers include all of the restaurants, schools, hospitals, markets, sports venues, etc. within your intended area.  Taking a look at the businesses that operate in your intended territory can give you the best idea as to what your available customer base with be.

How Are Territories Arranged?
Ostensibly, the territories are arranged by county lines.  However, there are other factors that are considered as well, such as population density, available customers and growth potential within the area.  Each territory is set up to contain at least 10 McDonalds franchises within its boundaries.

Is Filta Really Eco-Friendly?
Absolutely.  Though “going green” was never the primary impetus for the founding of Filta, Filta’s developers understood inherently that greater efficiency and less waste is just good business sense.  By definition, Filta’s products and services are environmentally friendly.  Both FiltaFry and FiltaCool serve to reduce waste and decrease energy usage in commercial kitchens.

Hopefully, this information is helpful in answering some of the questions that you may be asking yourself regarding the Filta Group as you explore the possibility of opening your own Filta franchise.  As you look further into the Filta organization, it is important to have a clear understanding of your own needs and expectations.  Filta representatives are always more than happy to talk with you and answer your own specific questions concerning the Filta Group.

As a Filta owner, you are already well aware of the strong network of back up and support that is available to you and your ever-growing business.  You put in the long hours and do the hard work to make your business succeed, and every week you see the returns on your investment grow.  However, a number of franchisees are missing out on one of the greatest support assets available to Filta owners: the FiltaNet.

Undoubtedly you are familiar with the FiltaNet, at least in name, even if you’ve not dedicated much time to using it.  If you are one of the many who haven’t taken the time to really avail yourself of the FiltaNet you should be aware that you are cheating yourself out of an invaluable tool.  So just what is the FiltaNet and how can using it benefit you and your business?

FiltaNet in a Nutshell

FiltaNet is the official online Filta Franchisee Support Intranet.  This valuable online resource is available exclusively to franchisees in the U.S. and Canada.  On the FiltaNet site, Filta franchise owner can find all of the tools and resources needed to keep current with the latest developments available from the Filta Group.

There is also a section for group discussions which allows franchisees to provide feedback about how they would like to see Filta grow.  This discussion board also provides a means of gaining knowledge and support from other experienced and successful Filta franchise owners.  The Intranet makes it is easier than ever for franchisees to access the greatest resource available to business owners: practical knowledge gained by on-the-job experiences of peers.

FiltaNet Market Researching Tools

FiltaNet can be an important tool for owners researching ways to expand their business.  Franchisees who are looking to gain accounts with specific restaurant chain locations can research their potential customers before ever making a first call.  FiltaNet can supply the franchisee with information as to how many of that restaurant chain’s franchises are already being serviced by Filta.  The franchisee can also see what those locations are being charged for service calls as well as getting information on which Filta franchisees are providing the services to those locations.

You can then post messages to your fellow Filta owners and talk to those who have had experiences with other franchises in that same restaurant chain.  You can find out what has worked (and hasn’t worked) for them, and get insight into that chain’s specific needs so that you can tailor your pitch for maximum impact.  You can even use the FiltaNet to ask fellow franchisees to request verbal recommendations from their customers to your intended target.

Other Features
There are a number of other benefits to using the FiltaNet.  Franchise owners can set up e-mail account on Filta’s secure internal e-mail system.  There is searchable discussion forum and a useful Q&A section to help answer the questions that often arise while running your business.  FiltaNet is also a resource for regular Filta related news updates, polls and surveys.  You can also access an extensive online which contains all of the existing documents pertaining to the Filta business.  FiltaNet also offers you a number of useful business links and even a simple means of doing you monthly reporting.

Established in the England in 1996, Filta has been gaining attention in the food service industry for longer than a decade with its far-reaching and economical advances in cooking oil and fryer management under the banner of FiltaFry.  In fact, Franchise Times has ranked FiltaFry increasingly higher on its list of America’s fastest growing franchises for three years running.  As such, it’s not astonishing that this group is generating a lot of interest amongst investors.

Recently the company has expanded its offerings with the exciting addition of the new FiltaCool commercial refrigeration filters.  This new service, added in 2008 continues the Filta reputation for radical advancement in kitchen management.  Filta’s continued growth as a franchising entity, combined with the simplicity of operating a Filta mobile franchise, makes Filta an attractive alternative for investors wishing to start up their own businesses.

What is Filta?

Filta is the pinacle of mobile, on-site business ventures.  Filta owners provide two quality services, FiltaFry and FiltaCool.  These services are both done at the locations of the customers’ establishments.  The Filta services are all environmentally sound and specifically designed to increase efficiency and to promote workplace safety.  Filta eliminates waste and considerably lowers expenses for its customers.

The FiltaFry Service

FiltaFry, the original service which established the Filta name in the food service industry, provides a total cooking oil and fryer management package.  Filta technicians arrive on scheduled weekly visits to restaurants and other commercial kitchens.  There they micro-filter fryer oil and clean and inspect fryers.  The sophisticated filtration system removes 99 percent of debris from cooking oil.  This doubles its usable life, allowing kitchens to decrease their oil usage by half.  FiltaFry operators clean and maintain fryers as well as oil.  They vacuum clean fryers and keep them running optimally, eliminating the need for restaurant staff to perform these hazardous duties.

The FiltaCool Service

FiltaCool filters provide all of the enhanced efficiency and cost-effectiveness associated with Filta to a business’s coolers.  FiltaCool filters are cheap and inconspicuous.  Nevertheless, these filters make a immense difference.  They act by regulating the interior atmosphere of a cooler.  These filters extend the usability of fresh produce, boost equipment performance and diminish the damage of long-term use to coolers.  By using FiltaCool filters, businesses save money on expensive upkeep and significantly decrease their financial losses caused by waste.

Filta Franchising
Filta franchises are simple to learn and simple to operate, even without prior knowledge.  The Filta Group provides all of the knowledge you need through an extensive series of classes and in-field training.  Filta franchises cost little to set up and can be run from home.  The FiltaFry and FiltaCool services are both eco-friendly which make them highly marketable in the current marketplace.  Filta is so efficient at eliminating waste and saving customers money that in almost all cases the service actually more than pays for itself.  As such, the services almost sell themselves.  Filta provides you with an easily marketable business that gives you the flexibility of being your own boss.

At the time that you decided that Filta was the right business for you, you most likely had some pretty high expectations for your new business.  As time goes on, you have undoubtedly experienced some of the pitfalls and setbacks that beset all business owners.  Like a number of Filta franchisees you may be questioning how to continue to grow your business so that you can live up to your full potential as a Filta franchise owner.  Filta offers a lot of benefits to owners and there is an unquestionably high potential for growth and expansion.

Nevertheless, in any business there are successes and there are failures.  Sadly, not all Filta franchises succeed.  Of those that fail, most do so within the first few years and for many of the same reasons.  As an owner, it behooves  you to understand what those reasons are so that you can better guard yourself against making those same fatal mistakes.

The Myth of “Good Enough”

Your Business Development Manager spent two weeks with you, working in your territory and teaching you how to promote your business.  By the time her or she left you were set up with a client list of customers.  Obviously, this made for a good start.  However, it falls to you to grow that list of customers.  Many franchises fail because the owner simply won’t devote the time to bringing in new customers.

You can’t assume that the customers you have will always be in business or will want to continue using your services.  Losing a customer can be devastating if aren’t actively seeking out new ones.  Never settle for what you have, or you risk losing it.  “Good enough” does not exist in the vocabulary of successful business owners.  Always push yourself to do more, and to grow more.

Inability to Motivate

Your Filta franchise is your bread and butter.  No amount of support is going to be sufficient if you aren’t willing to put in the hours.  It takes drive and determination to succeed in any business and Filta is no exception.

As with expanding your customer base, don’t ever settle for a “good enough” work day.  Push yourself to maximize your own efficiency in the same way that you maximize that of your customers.  If you settle for doing less service calls each day than you could then you aren’t realizing your full potential and your Filta business will not be as successful as it could be.

Getting in a Rut

As you go about the business of promoting your Filta business you will sometimes find that strategies that once worked in your favor, no longer pay off.  Your customers change with the tide of consumer opinion, and you should as well.  Don’t be afraid to change.  Stay current with trends so that you can market yourself to your customers changing concerns.  If potential customers are no longer responding to your same old pitch, it isn’t them that needs to change.  Your business is a part of you.  Grow with it and succeed.