(FranchisePick.Com) In honor of Martin Luther King Day, here are some of my favorite quotes from the dreamer credited with delivering the most powerful speech of all time.

More Quotes by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Martin Luther King, Jr

“Darkness can not drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate can’t drive out hate; only love can do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr

“Nothing in the world is more hazardous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” Martin Luther King, Jr

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Martin Luther King, Jr

“The ultimate measure of a man isn’t where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Martin Luther King, Jr

Keep your dream alive. Happy Martin Luther King Day from FranchisePick.Com and the b5 Business Channel.

Check out these b5 Business Channel Martin Luther King tribute links:

taxgirl:  Is Justice Relevant - Or How Dr. King Reminded Me Why Being a Lawyer Matters
Copyblogger: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Guide to Inspirational Copy
Greener Assets: How Will You Honor Dr Martin Luther King Jr?
Small Business Boomers: Instruct Your Children…About Martin Luther King, Jr.
Interview Chatter: Happy Birthday Dr. King!
Record-keeping Solver:   Bookkeeping for God’s Unfathomable Ways: On Martin Luther King’s Birthday
Biz Chicks Rule:  Happy Birthday to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Golden Pencil:  Martin Luther King - Words of Power and Truth

Also check out… Great quote on goalsetting and perfectionism at Interview Chatter.

Our International Business Blog: Doing Business Abroad.
Quiznos franchise marketing post on BrandCurve.
Quote of the Week: Google Founder Sergei Brin - Success will come from simplicity
A New Nonprofit Blog Asks: Why Do You Give?
7.3 For This Franchise Related Blog

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(FranchisePick.Com)  The woes of the 30 minute women’s fitness franchises,  chronicled and debated in hundreds of franchisee comments on FranchisePick.Com, have reached the mainstream business press, including Forbes.

An article by Lisa LaMotta in the current issue of Forbes  features Ricki and Matt Wilson, owners of the ill-fated Atlanta franchise of Butterfly Life.  Butterfly Life is a struggling Curves knock-off that’s been extensively featured at FranchisePick.com.  The article points out that, unfortunately, the Wilson’s Butterfly Life experience does not seem to be an isolated incident, as “Last Thursday, 10 Butterfly franchisees, most in California, filed a class action against Butterfly, alleging that the company made “illegal earnings claims” and failed to make clear disclosures in its UFOC. (Butterfly’s 2006 UFOC states that the company does not furnish any oral or written information concerning the profitability of individual health centers.)”

Butterfly Life CEO Mark Golob sees it differently.  To him, the lawsuit is just a case of franchise owners blaming others for their own shortcomings:

“Most of the time when a franchisee doesn’t make it, [franchisees] don’t blame themselves, but the franchiser,” says company Chief Executive Mark Golob. “Our mission is to help women all over the country, and we have helped thousands and thousands of women.” Of the class action, he adds: “We are vigorously fighting this lawsuit. We believe that we’ll win.”

The suit is now pending with the American Arbitration Association.   Read the Forbes article here:

Secrets And Snags To Franchising Success.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE FORBES ARTICLE ON BUTTERFLY LIFE?  THE ARBITRATION?  GOLOB’S STATEMENT?

More Resources:  Franchise Tips & Guidance, Searchable Franchise Directory, Top New Franchises.

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(FranchisePick.Com) It’s official. Last Friday Pure Weight Loss filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection from more than 100,000 creditors. In the Pure Weight Loss bankruptcy filing, PWL estimated its assets at $1 million to $10 million and its liabilities at $10 million to $50 million.

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, Posted on Wed, Jan. 16, 2008

Business news in brief

Pure Weight Loss files for Chapter 7 protection

Pure Weight Loss Inc., the Horsham diet company, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection Friday in U.S. Bankrupty Court, Philadelphia. In a court document, the company stated it had more than 100,000 creditors. It estimated its assets at $1 million to $10 million and its liabilities at $10 million to $50 million. The company announced in December that it was closing its weight-loss centers Jan. 4. The company’s lawyer didn’t return a phone call yesterday. - Stacey Burling

Source: Kathy, FranchisePick.com reader comment:

I wrote to the Ohio Attorney Generals office and they informed me this day that Pure Weight Loss has filed Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. You can contact the following to see if you can file a proof of claim form:
US Bankruptcy Court, Clerks Office
Case #08-10315
900 Market St. Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19107

What do you think? Leave a comment below.

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(FranchisePick.Com) Today’s “What the Fun?” moment is brought to you by Pure Weight Loss,

the weight loss industry’s Lazarus…

David Copperfield…

Marcel Marceau…

and the second opening scene of Monty Python & the Holy Grail all wrapped into one.

Says Pure Weight Loss: I’m Not Dead!

12/14/07 Philadelphia Daily News reporter Krista Hutz wrote:

Pure Weight Loss, Inc, formerly LA Weight Loss, announced on Wednesday that it would close all of its more than 400 locations nationwide effective Jan. 4.

A statement released by the company on Wednesday said, “Fierce competition from the internet, the introduction of Alli, the over-the-counter weight loss pill, and other commercial diet programs, combined with a difficult economic environment, have forced us to take this action.”

States Pure Weight Loss: I’m Getting Better!

12/19/07 Philadelphia Inquirer’s Stacey Burling did a brilliant job deciphering how Pure Weight Loss had broken off from the franchised L.A. Weight Loss, and explained it so even I could understand it. She also wrote:

In the competitive world of dieting, one of three Horsham-based weight-loss companies has taken an abrupt, mysterious fall….

In a terse statement, Pure Weight Loss said it would close Jan. 4 after 18 years because of “fierce competition from the Internet; the introduction of Alli, the over-the-counter weight-loss pill, and other commercial diet programs; combined with a difficult economic environment.”

Says Pure Weight Loss: I Think I’ll Go for a Walk!

Yet now the Pure Weight Loss website displays the following notice:

Please note: This closing does NOT affect centers doing business as Pure Weight Loss in the following says because they are independently owned and operated: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Michigan and the Pensacola, Florida and Toledo, Ohio areas.

Can anyone explain this? Are they referring to L.A. Weight Loss franchises? Did Pure Weight Loss have franchises that are now on their own? Krista? Stacey? A little help here?

That concludes today’s WTF? moment.

COMMENTS ENCOURAGED. INTELLIGENT COMMENTS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED.

Visit the > PURE WEIGHT LOSS REFUND INFORMATION CENTER page to see other topics and discussions on Pure Weight Loss.

Visit FRANBEST: Unbiased franchise information, franchise interviews and detailed, searchable information on 400 franchise and and business opportunities.

Top New Franchise: Who’s hot. Who’s not.

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(FranchisePick.Com)  According an announcement on the Pure Weight Loss website:  “We apologize for any inconvenience that the closing of Pure Weight Loss Centers has caused. Refund applications are currently being evaluated. If you have not submitted your refund applications, please do so at your earliest convenience.”

Here’s a copy of the Pure Weight Loss Refund Form:  pwlrefundapp.pdf

HAVE YOU SUBMITTED A PURE WEIGHT LOSS REFUND FORM?  HAVE YOU RECEIVED YOUR REFUND?  SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.

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(FranchisePick.Com)  Is Green Bay Packer fan Mathew Kowald simply a Dad trying to instill cheesehead pride in a rebellious son he fears will be wooed by the existentially better, big-city franchise 200 miles to the south?  Or is he a beer-swilling, Nascar-watching cretin doing irreparable emotional damage to offspring who drew the short ends of both the genetic and geographic sticks?

Or is he just a normal guy whose life is getting turned upside down because his story is funny on a slow news day?

According to WiscTV.com:”Sheriff’s Lt. Wayne Smith said Mathew Kowald was cited for disorderly conduct for the incident involving his 7-year-old son at their home in Pardeeville this past weekend. Kowald was accused of restraining the boy for an hour with tape and also taping a jersey onto him during that time.

The dad was arrested on Monday after his wife called authorities. Kowald was taken to the county jail and held until Wednesday, when he pleaded no contest, paid a fine of $186 and was released..

“Kowald defended his actions in a phone call to WISC-TV, saying that he did tie his child up but that it was in a playful manner….Smith stated that Kowald’s wife filed a restraining order Wednesday, so Kowald will not be able to have contact with his family. Smith said other domestic issues have surfaced, though he wouldn’t elaborate….”

Authorities: Man Arrested For Forcing Son To Wear Packers Jersey

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  SHOULD SOCIETY SEND A MESSAGE TO THIS PACKER FAN, OR SHOULD WE GET BACK TO MORE IMPORTANT ISSUES, LIKE BRITNEY SPEARS?

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(FranchisePick.com)  What’s going on at 24 Hour Fitness?According to a company statement sent to Club Industry’s Fitness Business Pro, Mark Mastrov, the founder of 24 Hour Fitness, has resigned as chairman of the board to “pursue other opportunities.

Mastrov founded the [del]* 24 Hour Fitness in 1983, and has been at the helm for 25 years.  According to the Fitness Business Pro article, “24 Hour grew from a one-club company into the highest-revenue producing company in the fitness club industry. 24 Hour serves more than 3 million members in more than 400 clubs worldwide.”

Mastrov was moved to the chairman of the board position in 2006, a year and a half after Forstmann Tiny & Co. bought 24 Hour for $1.6 billion.

Read the article here:  Mastrov Resigns as 24 Hour Chairman

SHARE YOUR OPINIONS AND INSIGHTS INTO THE 24 HOUR FITNESS FRANCHISE AND/OR MARK MASTROV’S RESIGNATION.

* This post incorrectly said that 24 Hour Fitness was a franchise.  Thanks to Don Beauregard for the correction.  24 Hour Fitness, which has grown to more than 385 clubs and more than 3 Million members worldwide, claims to be ”the largest privately owned and operated fitness center chain in the United Says and world.”

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(FranchisePick.com)  Magnolia Cafe South, Austin, TX, open 24/8.   

Photo credit:  Lenore M. Edman, www.evilmadscientist.com

Used by permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license.  Thanks, Lenore.

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