Virtually every business throughout the country are being affected by the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Regardless of region and industry, businesses are either taking a direct hit because of closings and restrictions, or being taking a indirect hit because of loss of demand due to patrons and customers limiting their purchases and needs for services. In this article we will look at bridge financing and alternative business lending options for businesses affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19 – SARS-CoV-2) virus

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• SBA Disaster Loans
• SBA 7(a) Loans
• SBA Disaster Bridge Loans
• Bank Loans
• Alternative Loans
• Cash Advances
• 0% APR Credit Cards

No one would have predicted that travel, schools, businesses, the NBA, and Entertainment around the world would be virtually suspended within a one-week period in this new decade. In recent news, the global entertainment market surpassed $100 billion in revenues for the first time in history in 2019 and prepared for another profitable year, while the NBA’s average 15,000-20,000 fans per game were the norm. Now, officials and government around the world are urging or forcing businesses and schools to close. Also, to create alternatives to combat the spread of the COVID-19 and keep the economy afloat. However, some still may not know how the COVID-19 began and why it has created a pandemic in such a short time.

Thus, the virus was actually on the radar of many health professionals months before it hit the U.S. and other parts of the world. The first known case was in November of 2019, leading to 270 people infected, weeks before authorities acknowledged the new virus. Doctors were forced to keep it under wraps (some still tried to warn colleagues and were reprimanded as a result), leading the Chinese government to be widely criticized over their attempts to cover up the outbreak in the early weeks. Originating in Wuhan in Hubei province, the pandemic has infected at least 128,343 people across the world and killed 4,702. Out of those among this group, 68,324 people have recovered, while 81,000 of the cases occurred in China. It has now reached over 100 countries since the first incident and is proving to be highly contagious and quickly spread. Even among all these cases, the virus’ symptoms are not specific and are similar to the common flu and other diseases, making it harder to pin down without confirmatory testing. Another possible troubling factor is that infected people without symptoms might be encouraging the spread of COVID-19 more than we realized. Such as with the current outbreak in Massachusetts that further support this. Officials are mostly emphasizing that the virus spreads mainly by people who are already showing symptoms. These include cough, fever, or difficulty breathing. However, it is becoming more complicated with the Massachusetts Coronavirus cluster that had 82 cases started by people who were showing no symptoms. Studies are showing that these people without symptoms are causing considerable amounts of infection. Nevertheless, even with the asymptomatic cases, the primary driver is still the symptomatic individuals. As for children, COVID-19 is shown to be not as severe but should nevertheless be taken seriously to avoid passing it to others.

Moreover, it is essential to not only know how the virus came to be but what it is. Therefore, coined COVID-19, it is caused by a member of the Coronavirus family (come from animals) in which this particular one has never been encountered before. Symptoms similar to the flu, the virus can cause pneumonia, but in extreme cases, there can be organ failure. Furthermore, the type of pneumonia is viral, making antibiotics ineffective, plus the antiviral drugs against the flu will not work. To fight the infection and recovery, it depends on the strength of the immune system. A large number of people who have died were already in poor health. For individuals that suspect they have it (cough or high temperature), it is recommended by medical professionals that they stay at home for seven days, keep away from other people—even those in your home. If symptoms get worse after seven days, it is advised to visit the doctor. However, to narrow down the symptoms to the most concerning, look out for shortness of breath, followed by a high fever and worsening cough. People older than 65 and with previous medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, chronic lung disease, cancer, HIV, chronic kidney disease, or taking immunosuppressive medications are especially at risk for contracting COVID-19 and it being fatal as well. Moreover, individuals and businesses are encouraged to work from home and limit contact with large groups when possible to help combat this steadily growing virus to save lives and support the economy as much as possible going forward.

With the recent outbreak of the Coronavirus, many healthcare-related companies are in search of nurses, nurse practitioners and traveling nurses to help staff up their medical facilities. But, as is always the case with staffing, it requires having capital to hire these nurses. In this article we will take a look at the financing options available to health care facilities to help them hire nurses during this Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 virus) pandemic.

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• SBA Loans
• SBA Disaster Loans
• Bank Loans
• Midprime Loans
• Cash Advances
• Lines of Credit
• 0% Credit Cards

Nurses are the glue that holds a patient’s healthcare together and are more critical to the healthcare industry than they get credit for when compared to doctors. This is especially true with the recent outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 (also known as COVID-19, which leads to the Coronavirus). Their approach to medicine may differ from other health care providers as they practice many specialties with different levels of authority and their public image generally takes on the role of a caregiver. However, image aside nurses combine physical science, social science, nursing theory, and technology to care for their patients. Today, the nursing industry is expanding on their philosophies and measures to treat individuals in a plethora of ways, that are improving the lives of people in need. Moreover, future nurses can look forward to their demand to grow by 36% in need of RNs in hospitals by 2020. Plus, just in 2018 alone, 581,500 new RN jobs were created with much more positive growth to come.

Therefore, future trends happening in the nursing industry are influenced by the increased cost of healthcare, changes in federal and state regulations, and customer care to name a few. So as the cost of healthcare increases, patients are unable to get the level of care needed to prevent chronic illnesses in severely ill patients and diseases from developing. Consequently, this leads to an increase in extremely ill patients and higher hospital bills as well as increased health care costs. Changes in healthcare regulations are bringing issues as well. In particular, dealing with patient care as they are worried about not having managed care covered, resulting in them not getting the same level of treatments that a person with traditional insurance would. Nurses should be aware of this to give their patients adequate treatment they deserve. Another challenge for nurses is the increasingly complex needs of the population, so nurses are beginning to learn interdisciplinary skills. Nurses are now handling everything from dental disciplines to social issues.

Additionally, there is a trend of nurses working beyond their retirement age. With the recent nursing shortage, this became apparent. Studies speculate that this is caused by the latest recession which laid off numerous people. As a result, nurses are feeling either more secure in their jobs or simply working past the retirement age. The next trend is creeping up in just about every industry which is the reality that consumers across the board are becoming more informed. So when it comes to health, consumers are more educated about their health than ever before and understand how nutrition and exercise play a huge role in retaining longevity and preventing diseases. Now, nurses must be able to take in this information to communicate with more educated consumers. Nurses need to be more informed about the changes in demographics as well. Nowadays, people are living longer, and the international community in the United States has also increased. What has grown with it is the chronic diseases forcing nurses to figure out new ways to combat the ailments in unique or special ways. Thus, understanding the needs of a diverse and aging population is a must for today’s nurses.

Currently, we are also in the age of technology—another trend affecting most industries. Hence, nursing like most healthcare professions is embracing technological advantages. Nurses have had to educate themselves to use these devices to improve their patient care. Some gains for nurses using these devices have benefited from the reduced administration time and increased accuracy in treatment and medical records keeping. Nurses are now expected to look up treatment options when necessary, use computer technology to obtain patient information, and save their data. Other ways this trend has helped nurses and healthcare professionals across the board are technologies ability to reach out to those who were unable to commute to a hospital or other care facility. Nurses can provide these people with medical information and prescriptions. There are even toll-free numbers to contact nurses through their insurance companies to ask medical questions, reducing the number of emergency room visits each day. Lastly, advances in scientific research are on the rise too. With the increase in nursing scholarships in research, it has lead to better patient care and enhancement with the way patients experience treatment. Conclusively, the nursing profession is undergoing many advancements that are making their jobs much more efficient, allowing more time with the patients to give the best care possible.

As you may know the recent outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic is burdening small businesses like we haven’t seen before. Businesses are being hurt due to low volume of customers and because supply chains are being disrupted. Unless the Coronavirus is controlled soon, the economy is at risk of a sudden stop. Making things worse is the fact that many lenders now view entire sectors of the economy as off-limits as far as providing business loans and working capital due to the fact that businesses effected by the Coronavirus may be incapable to bringing in enough revenue to be able to payback their loans. In this article we will look at some of the financing options available to businesses affected by the Coronavirus.

Quick-jump to the following sections:

• Paycheck Protection Program
• SBA Express
• SBA Disaster Loans
• EIDL (Cash Advance)
• SBA Loans
• Alternative Working Capital Loans
• Lines of Credit
• Equipment Leasing
• Cash Advance

Just weeks ago, the first case of COVID-19 (the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2) was reported in China. Since then the disease has migrated throughout Europe and to the rest of the world. While not every country has been directly affected by the virus (in a public health sort of way) nearly every country is feeling the economic effects of the Coronavirus. Due to the highly-transmittable nature of Coronavirus, each day, thousands of new cases are being found throughout the globe, and it is now bordering on a pandemic in the U.S. Airlines are shutting down, supply chains are being disrupted, major events are being cancelled, schools are closing – all of which will have a major negative impact on GDP in the US.

More acutely, consumer demand in the United States has already plummeted because of the Coronavirus, and as consumer demand decreases, not only are the business to customer companies hurt, but so are their suppliers – who already operate on razor thin working capital margins. Even companies that aren’t directly affected by the drop in consumer demand will be hurt, as both national and global GDP decline.

Making matters worse is the fact that many factories in China have either temporarily shutdown, or have not returned to completely normal activity – and aren’t expected to for months ahead. If this disruption continues into the late summer, we will then see supply chain disruptions heading into the Christmas season – a time many companies rely on to put them into the black. For now, the delays are manageable, with delays at the ports only being about 6-10 days, but if the availability of migrant labor continues in Asia and throughout the globe and normal capacity isn’t restored, things could get much worse.

The state home to over 10,000 lakes and the largest mall in America is also native to many fortune 500 companies and favorite brands that are used all around the world. Some include Target, General Mills, and 3M to name a few—which means it is home to hugely-popular brands like Post-its and Cheerios originated. Though, what remains to be a powerhouse industry within the state is agriculture and food production. Crops and livestock were among the first industries in Minnesota, as it has rich prairie soils, good growing season and plentiful water resources that have all contributed to its top ranking in food production. Minnesota remains to be overall, the 5^th in crop production, 5^th in total agricultural production, and 8^th in livestock production. To put Minnesota’s influence on agriculture more into perspective, for over 50 years starting back to the late 1800s Minneapolis was known as the “Flour Milling Capital of the World.”  As for today, agricultural production and processing in Minnesota alone account for $57.5 billion in sales and more than 147,000 jobs. Additionally, Minnesota ranks eighth in the number of farms—73,300—and 10^th in the number of USDA-certified organic farms. As we can see, Minnesota contributes tremendously to the business of agriculture and continues to be home to the nations largest food production companies.

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• Minnesota Term Loans
• Minnesota Secured Line of Credit
• Minnesota Unsecured Line of Credit
• Minnesota SBA Loans
• Minnesota Alternative Loans
• Minnesota Equipment Leasing
• Minnesota Asset Based Financing
• Minnesota Cash Advance

Individually, Minnesota ranks among the top 10 in more than 20 agricultural products. These include sugar beets, turkey, red kidney beans, oats, sweet corn, and soybeans that make up some of the lists. Thus, naturally, the business culture in Minnesota centers around the distribution of agricultural commodities and is home to some of the nations largest food production companies. Among them are Cargill, General Mills, Mosaic, Land O’Lakes, and Hormel Foods. Minnesota also manufactures the tools, equipment, and machinery used to create these products. The Midwest state additionally has many public and private food education and research facilities, primarily found at The University of Minnesota, where it continues to teach and lead in agricultural innovations.

Therefore, with the companies that were mentioned before we can see a trend in conglomerates that contribute to Minnesota’s economy—mostly ranging from agriculture to retail stores. One of the more popular and well-known businesses founded in Minnesota and known to the U.S. is Target. It is the second-largest discount store retailer in the United States, just behind Walmart and has steadily gained momentum since its opening. As of 2017, Target operates 1,834 discount stores throughout the United States, and it includes several different retail formats. With its recognizable bull’s eyes symbol and store color red, it is what consumers most identify with without even saying or seeing the Target name. Moreover, although it classifies as a discount store, it is usually defined as a superstore where you can conveniently buy everything you need in one place. Target continues to be one of Walmart’s biggest competitors today and one of Minnesota’s most successful companies.

On the other hand, we have the company known as Cargill that was founded in Minnetonka, Minnesota back in 1865. It is a global corporation that stands as the largest privately held corporation in the United States regarding revenue, and as a public company, it would rank as number 15 on the Fortune 500 just ahead of AT&T. Cargill services significant businesses with trading, purchasing, and distribution grain and other agricultural commodities stemming from palm oil, steel, and transport, and produce food ingredients such as starch and vegetable oils and fats. It continues to be a family-owned business, and its success is mainly due to reinvestment of the company’s earnings rather than public financing. Specifically, the company also is responsible for 25% of all the United States grain exports and supplies about 22% of the US domestic meat market. Cargill has and continues to contribute to the success of Minnesota’s business economy.

Our last honorable mention is another well-known brand that goes by General Mills. Located in the suburb of Golden Valley, Minnesota it was founded in 1865. The multinational American manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer foods found in retail stores is home to some of Americans favorite products. Some include Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Totino’s, Cheerios, Trix, Cocoa Puffs, and Lucky Charms. It does not stop there; General Mills has a portfolio of products that consist of more than 89 other leading brands in the U.S. and around the world. Thus when observing and looking at the history and current business environment of Minnesota, individuals interested in joining or working in the Midwestern state should take into consideration what has worked, why, and model after their successes.

Chicago businesses have the luxury of being home to the most balanced economy in the United States. It has a high level of diversification and a vital business center, and on top of that, it was voted to have the greatest number of new or expanded corporate facilities in the United States. Furthermore, the field of science and engineering within Chicago has the third-largest workforce of any metropolitan area in the nation. Manufacturing, printing, and publishing also contribute a great deal to their economy. On top of that, Chicago Illinois has produced 12 Nobel Prize winners all from a background in finance; the Midwest state has the second-largest central business district in the United States. Newer companies are thriving in Chicago too, startup companies like CareerBuilder, Basecamp, Groupon, Orbitz, and NowSecure are all based here. Thus, Chicago has remained a top state for professionals looking to start or grow their business in a wide range of markets.

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• Chicago Term Loans
• Chicago Secured Line of Credit
• Chicago Unsecured Line of Credit
• Chicago SBA Loans
• Chicago Alternative Loans
• Chicago Equipment Leasing
• Chicago Asset Based Financing
• Chicago Cash Advance

There also has never been a better time for eager businessmen and women to launch a startup in Chicago. The current environment is robust with an active network of investors earnest to ensure young tech companies have the funding and mentoring needed to succeed. So in 2018, Chicago has taken notice of up to 50 startup companies that are poised to make a significant impact in the tech world with their innovative ideas and unique talent pushing the industry to new heights and beyond. Some notable companies are The Graide Network, and Intelligent Flying Machines, Inc. The Graide Network seeks to give overworked teachers a break by connecting them with virtual teaching assistants. The “graiders” are either aspiring teachers in college or those who’ve completed a four-year degree and enrolled in teaching programs. The assistants do things such as grading writing assignments and providing students with feedback on strengths and areas that need improvement. Moreover, Intelligent Flying Machines, Inc., keeps track of inventory in a warehouse as they believe it is a time-consuming task that is better suited for robots than humans. Hence, IFM has built drones that are capable of navigating indoor environments and capturing data without the help of a human. There are many more companies continuing to shape the tech industry in Chicago making it a great place for professionals looking to make an impact in a variety of business sectors.

The windy city is also home to fresh and exciting small-businesses that are flourishing and bringing excitement to its business culture. The first being a quirky store going by, The Boring Shop that sells everything you need to be a secret agent. With their fake mustaches and high-tech surveillance equipment for sale, they also provide a non-profit writing and tutoring center for local students. Indeed, a store in a league of its own. Chicago also has a charitable business called Flowers For Dreams—a florist that donates a backpack full of school supplies to a student in need for every bouquet purchased. What’s also cool about this company is that the flowers are sourced organically, grown sustainably, and delivered locally in and around Boston and Chicago. Arrangements are made to order, so no flowers are wasted unnecessarily. In their first year, they Flowers For Dreams was able to donate more than 2,000 backpacks to more than 2,000 students in need. As for bike enthusiast, Heritage Bicycles General Store is a combination of a bike shop and coffee house. They design and build custom-made bikes and sell fantastic bike accessories and bike-themed items, like jewelry made out of bike parts.

Furthermore, Chicago is widely known for its famous hot dogs and thus has many cool hot dog shops, one of them being Hot Doug’s. It’s a sausage superstore that has more than a dozen signature and unique varieties—even one being a meatless hotdog for the vegan and vegetarian customers and a jalapeno rattlesnake sausage. All the dogs can be doctored up with ten different condiments and some spectacular sides too. Another cool company is related to home décor. Bethie B is an online company that specializes in hand-painted and custom-made pillows. They also buy and sell recycled interiors, furnishings, and art.

Moreover, within the hospitality industry, a high-tech alternative boutique hotel named the ACME Hotel Company in Chicago is becoming popular with the locals. It is a hotel that caters to a very hip crowd as they offer tech-savvy hookups like lightning fast Wi-Fi and big screen LED TVs in every room. The rooms are also alt-rock themed from the classic record albums lining the walls of their elevators. Therefore, when observing the type of industries discussed, we can see that Chicago is a professional hub for creative and smart individuals involved in a plethora of businesses.

How companies engage with possible workers and structure, their workforce is partially due to the current trends that are shaping the business environment. With the influx of a new generation of workers comes a new business atmosphere that will undoubtedly contribute to many changes and advancements. Moreover, with establishments main concerns centering around labor, capital, and its customers, these are sure to be affected too. Therefore, Phoenix businesses have been focusing on their economic development, growth, advantages of their location, and the new workforce.

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• Phoenix Term Loans
• Phoenix Secured Line of Credit
• Phoenix Unsecured Line of Credit
• Phoenix SBA Loans
• Phoenix Alternative Loans
• Phoenix Equipment Leasing
• Phoenix Asset Based Financing
• Phoenix Cash Advance

To fully understand the workings of Phoenix companies, it is vital to understand the dynamics of how metropolitan regions are concerning the commercialization of new ideas and business models. As reported, Phoenix ranks as 11^th on the list of 20 metro areas that have the highest average startup rates. Meaning, Phoenix has become an area for new and up and coming entrepreneurs that have been benefiting from the eager current leaders determined to form latest developments with the changing times. All across the valley, people are getting together to share ideas that will evoke innovation and develop new plans and thus, further companies. Seeing leaders come to form together new industries puts in place a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem that assists the formation of high-value sectors. Through coalitions like the #yesPHX, people have serviced themselves in providing resources to entrepreneurs and startups. Specifically, mentorship capital and a push to help reduce the mortality rate of emerging businesses. Leaders have also taken the initiative to market the Phoenix region as a destination for business growth and success along with pushing awareness of the tech advances entering into markets, in goals of becoming America’s first “smart region.”

There are also federal efforts taking place to continue pushing Phoenix businesses to the top. With the tax reforms and modernization of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), it is predicted to impact Arizona, and the business and economic climate positively. Within the last several years, Arizona has made many strategic changes to its tax system, resulting in a strengthening of the states overall competitiveness. The national tax reform paired with a NAFTA with todays economy sets Arizona up to be ahead of the game for business growth. Additionally, as a city in a border state they are already a top trading partner with Mexico, and bringing NAFTA in will significantly increase export-oriented jobs. Lastly, the valley is gearing up to further their economic growth with water. Public leaders of Arizona are making an effort to bring stakeholders together to ensure Arizona’s water security, including reliable access to the Colorado River and Lake Mead water levers for the future.

To expand on Arizona’s geographical advantages, their proximity to California and ports of entry to the United States, specifically the West Valley, perfectly reaps the benefits of businesses relocation from California as a result of a secure transportation network in this region. What creates the spine for economic development, critical investments in technology, water, and energy is infrastructure and have prepared the West Valley for not only one smart city but a collection of smart cities adding up to 3,000 square miles west of the 1-17. Further, there is an anticipated growth of forty-three percent over the next 25 years to occur in the West Valley; thus business and political leaders should pay close attention to the opportunities in the Phoenix area.

As for technology, Phoenix has seen a vast expansion in the East Valley, in particular, Chandler. It has been attracting high-tech and financial companies, and even autonomous vehicles. Technology aids in the ability to connect and initiates communication and has created an even stronger work environment for the city. Phoenix has also benefited from its variety of business sectors it has built. Everything from Aerospace and defense, bioscience and healthcare, to manufacturing—have all been critical to maintaining the diversity of Phoenix. In fact, these trades have been a part of adding an impressive number of new jobs. From 2012 to 2017 alone, business and financial services industries have added more than 13,000 jobs statewide, equally a growth rate of 38 percent. The diversity of employment has also positively contributed to the states overall decline in unemployment rates since 2007 further indicating Arizona’s economic strength.

To conclude, Phoenix also has partnerships such as the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, the City of Phoenix and Maricopa County that are dedicated to supporting Phoenix businesses expansion. It was designed to strengthen their regions overall competitiveness by connecting businesses to resources, influencing public policy, and gathering industry intelligence. There are also companies such as the ACA that recently launched a business plan committed to expanding technology within Arizona that are sure to benefit Phoenix businesses.

Food courts have always been found at the corners of malls occupying their own space for shoppers in need of a quick bit so that they can get back to their shopping. As a result of their grab-and-go and fast formats, they have created an expectation from consumers; meaning, a competitive variety in spaces like malls, airports, and transportation centers. However, experts are seeing that this alone will not keep them afloat. Thus there is an emphasis on brands to market what differentiates them from others and to provide convenient and excellent customer service. Therefore, many malls and major stores are adopting the food court layout as well as trends associated with their services.

Quick-jump to the following sections:

• Bank Term Loans
• Bank Secured Line of Credit
• Unsecured Line of Credit
• SBA Loans
• Alternative Loans
• Equipment Leasing
• Cash Advance

One of the biggest companies developing their food courts is Costco. They are famous for having cheap and yummy options for their customers and are now revamping portions of their food court menu. They have replaced some less healthy items—such as barbeque and chocolate frozen yogurt—with vegetarian salads and acai bowls. Other Costco trends seem to be aimed at keeping up with current trends toward healthier eating. Another new dish is an al pastor salad with plant-based protein. The changes have not been wholly accepted though as Costco customers tend to be older and more suburban. That might make them less eager for change, and suggest challenges ahead as Costco attempts to increase its appeal to younger shoppers while holding on to their core shoppers. Either way, they are leading the pack in pushing for new and better food items at their food courts.

However, as some food courts are expanding on the old concepts, a new food court is emerging. Food halls are opening up across the U.S., and Instead of consisting of only fast food chains, food halls typically mix local artisan restaurants, butcher shops, and other food-oriented boutiques under one roof. Many of them celebrate quirkiness versus uniformity, and their ability to pull in crowds is particularity appealing to landlords that are battling the e-commerce and changing shopping habits we now see. Now they have been around in Europe for years, but are becoming increasingly popular in the United States as consumers are demanding healthier and better-tasting “quick casual” food options in fun environments. By 2019, there is expected to be over 200 food halls, about double the number that was open in late 2016. However, they are not just in retail outlets. Plans for a food hall on the ground floor of a planned residential and office tower in downtown Oakland is in development.

Hence, there are prominent food halls that have been conquering major cities such as New York, LA, Portland, Atlanta, and Denver that are vital to the development of food court businesses. There are no doubts that food halls are changing the ways Americans experience fast-casual chains. However, there are some negatives which include a more crowded space, long lines, lack of ambiance, and general sensory overload with diners being bombarded with too many different options. Nevertheless, they remain a new and exciting concept. A lot of the more modern developments are showcasing big names like Anthony Bourdain and celebrity chefs too. Bringing us to some of the most exciting food halls across the country that just opened or will be soon.

The super chef José Andrés has teamed up with modernist cuisine chefs to include a market area with various vendors for stand-up dining as well as multiple restaurants including a tapas bar, and plenty of retail for visitors to pick up imported foods. The Hudson Yards is being touted as the largest private real estate development in the history of the U.S. and will also be home to other influential names. All these figures are helping to cement food halls as the go-to food court concept. Another food hall can be found in D.C. called Isabella Eatery that opening in the fall of 2017. Moreover, the TV personality from Top Chef named Mike Isabella is transforming the entire top story of the massive Tysons Corner shopping mall into a food hall to a bevy of his concepts. Among the eight dining options available, Isabella includes an Italian, Sushi, and Spanish restaurant. Lastly, another critical food hall is located in Oregon, and it is their first called the Portland Food Hall. It brought with it seven micro-restaurants, a cocktail bar, and communal dining space. It also includes a coffee shop, juice bar, and healthy veggie bowls. Hence, food courts are expanding more and more by offering higher quality foods and unique layouts to keep their consumers interested and coming back for more.

One of the most popular, lucrative, and fastest growing franchises in America is Subway. It is currently the most inquired about “how–to” open a franchise on the internet. Subway franchises were founded in 1965, and have been franchising for 45 years and are still pushing through. The fast food restaurant can be seen primarily selling submarine sandwiches, wraps, paninis, salads, breakfast sandwiches (only available in some stores), flatbread, English muffins, with add-on items such as chips, baked goods, and drinks. Today, it is franchised throughout the United States and in more than 100 countries, 42,000 stores (more than half in North America.), with locations in traditional and non-traditional places alike. Subway franchises are the largest single-brand restaurant chain and the largest restaurant establishment in the world. Thus, to franchise a Subway an initial requirement of $150,000-$328,700, a net worth requirement of $80,000-$310,000, and a liquid cash requirement of $30,000 would be needed. Also, ongoing fees include an initial franchise fee of $15,000, a royalty fee of 8%, and an ad royalty fee of 4.5%.

Quick-jump to the following sections:

• Term loans
• Secured Line of Credit
• Unsecured Line of Credit
• SBA Loans
• Alternative Loans
• Equipment Leasing
• Cash Advance

Therefore, there are several reasons why Subway franchises have captured the taste buds of consumers all around the world and have the potential to be a wise investment opportunity. One is their ability to change when needed, such as the ingredients used on their menus. Subway franchises announced in 2016 that they would be implementing a new logo and redesign, along with an updated menu as of July 2017.  Calling it “Fresh Forward,” the brand now features self-order kiosks; USB charging ports at tables; and new menu items. The menu now has additional condiments, and bread made without gluten. Changing taste among consumers is the most significant push for this change in Subway establishments. Consumers want more locally sourced produce and hormone-free meat; regionally served start-ups like Sweetgreen are one of Subways biggest competitors and are one of the leading causes for their drop in sales. As follows, Subway franchises are making an effort to accommodate current consumers that are all about freshly made items at a great price. Subway has even gone so far as to invest in a $25 million re-branding campaign to target young consumers, the ones mainly pushing for more wholesome ingredients, to boost their image and sales. The new campaign includes focusing on the sourcing of Subway’s ingredients, such as phasing out antibiotic-treated meat and not celebrity endorsed products. Willing to do what it takes to grow where demand may be, Subway franchises continue to stay secure even with the changing times.

Therefore, besides market changes and upgrades to their business, Subway also offers ways to get to know their business on a more personal level—not offered at most other franchises. Subway offers regular free seminars where those interested in joining their team can meet Subway representatives and hear straight from the people involved every day. Their website also lists existing franchises that are up for sale and in great detail how to apply to become a franchisee of Subway. Once approved, the Subway training course is two weeks long and teaches business concepts, methods of operation, and necessary management skills. The time spent in the classroom for training and on-site at a local Subway franchise for hands-on experience. Once the two weeks are completed, each prospective franchisee is expected to pass an exam to become a Subway franchisee. A total of 8 to 12 employees is required to start running the Subway franchise. After the store is set up and everyone adequately trained, Subway also offers purchasing co-ops, grand opening support, and a toll-free line, field support, meetings, newsletters, and the internet. For their marketing, Subway will offer local media, national media, and other ad options to give your business much exposure.

Moreover, there are more than one type of Subway that is franchised; traditional and non-traditional full-service restaurants. Non-traditional location options include units that are full-service but are housed with another business. Locations can consist of a convenience store, gasoline stations, department stores, universities, hospitals, parks, sports arenas, airports, theme parks, military bases, and business complexes. As we can see, Subway has a diverse and wide range of locations offered for its franchisees. Lastly, Subway offers discounts and a reduced fee for people that qualify. Hence, US veterans that are eligible that purchase a Subway franchise receives a discount. They also contribute to financing $10,000 of the franchise fee if franchisees are purchasing their first franchise and they qualify under its minority loan program. A similar discount may be offered to franchisees purchasing a franchise for a low-density market. Therefore, the Subway brand is committed to operating restaurants that are environmentally and socially responsible as possible and strives to create profit for franchisees—improving the lives of customers, employees, franchisees, vendors, and communities worldwide.