Business Opportunity: Aqua‐Tots Swim Schools

With over 30 swim school locations throughout the country, Aqua‐Tots Swim Schools is the largest national swim school business in the United States.

A franchise system is only as strong as its franchisees. A well run franchise reflects well on the entire system and a poorly run franchise affects the sales and reputation at not only that swim school, but at all the shops. Aqua‐Tots Swim Schools is looking for franchise owners who value the reputation that Aqua‐Tots has built for great swim instruction in a clean, fun setting. This does not mean that you have to be wealthy or have previous experience in the swimming industry. It means that you want to own an Aqua‐Tots Swim School and run it as good as or better than any in the Aqua‐Tots chain. It also means that you are willing to invest your own money, or invest together with a partner, to own one of the best swim schools in the USA.

Ideal Candidate: Aqua‐Tots franchisees come from all walks of life but they share a common passion for running their own business and for helping children learn a “Lesson for Life”. Naturally, you will need to like working with children. Skills in customer service, marketing, people management and a financial understanding will help you. Owning an Aqua‐Tots franchise(s) is both challenging and personally fulfilling. If you want a business that helps future generations of children develop one of the most important life skills, owning an Aqua‐Tots franchise is right for you.

Industry Overview: The children’s sports industry has grown to become an inherent part of the economic landscape of life. Statistics report that the desires for parents to provide their children with safe extracurricular activities indicate a steady triple figure annual growth for our industry within the next ten years. In 2007, 54% of children ages 5 to 14 took part in some kind of organized sport activity. 48% of these active children participated in more than one sport over the year. Swimming was listed in the top class of sport for children of these ages. With child drowning leading cause of accidental death, Aqua‐Tots is dedicated to being part of the solution to water safety.

Key Business Features: A Bold Idea.  A Thriving Business.
Our 4,000 to 5,000 square foot indoor retail swim schools cater to the explosive children’s services industry. With
Aqua‐Tots longevity (in business for over 20 years!) and a strong financial history, it has shown this industry is both
recession‐proof and financially sound. Children’s services remain in demand by parents and give us the reason we
continue to expand to this strong demographic market.

Competitive Advantage: Aqua‐Tots Swim Schools is a retail franchise that serves the children’s services industry. Aqua‐Tots Swim Schools is the largest national swim school business in the United States with over 30 swim school locations throughout the country.

Total Investment Range: $274,000 to $527,000
Liquid capital: $50,000 to $100,000
Net worth: $500,000 and up Company Units: 1 Franchise Units: 11
Working Capital: $35,000
Minimum Market Size: 100,000
Average # of Employees: 20
For further information, please Contact:
Brian W. Dumas, Business Intermediary
715 N. Washington Blvd., Suite E, Sarasota, FL 34236
941.925.1511 office 941.650‐5991 cell
bdumas@murphybusiness.com

New Business opportunity: Pop‐A‐Lock Mobile Locksmith & Vehicle Tech Services

Pop-a-Lock, a Mobile Locksmith & Vehicle Tech Service is offering a franchise business opportunity in the Southwest Florida area. “A Nationwide Name You Can Trust!”
Pop‐A‐Lock was founded in 1991 by local law enforcement officers in Lafayette, Louisiana who recognized the universal need for Pop‐A‐Lock’s unique services. In a way, Pop‐A‐Lock is a private extension of public security services. We take safety very seriously in everything we do, we are focused on security for all of our customers. Pop‐A‐Lock has grown to become the largest full‐service mobile locksmith and related tech service business in the United States.

• Excellent Opportunity for Your Ongoing Income and “Wealth Creation” over time
• Pop‐A‐Lock provides service in over 3800 cities, over 140,000,000 in total US population coverage
• Pop‐A‐Lock offers Franchisee Focused Strategic Competitive Advantages that are Sustainable!
• The Dominator in the Business as the Largest “Mobile Technical Service” Provider
• Low Start‐up Cost ‐ Low Working Capital. Exclusive Territories
• No Location or Build out Needed ‐ Quick “Time to Market” & Revenue Generation
• Pop‐A‐Lock Provides National Account Revenue Opportunities to Our Franchisees
• Recommended by FranSurvey, Featured in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Franchise 500”
• “EDU” Program (Child Locked In, Unlocked at No Charge) ‐ Public Service – Media Attention! –
More Business!
• Become A Franchisee – We Help You Hire and Train Employees/Techs. We Show You How to
Market. We Provide You With Additional Significant Customers and Customer Opportunities ‐ You
make $$$

Ideal Candidate:
• Pop‐A‐Lock Seeks Experienced Entrepreneurs & Business Executives
• No Industry Experience Needed.
• Our Franchisees are Former Executives, Retail Managers, Teachers, CPAs, etc
• Ability to follow a proven successful duplicate-able business model

Role of Franchisee:
• First question we ask a potential candidate: Are you comfortable speaking with other business
owners?
• Build business through implementing PAL’s marketing programs.
• Supervise the techs that PAL trains for the franchisee
• Enhance National Customer relationships at the local level
Competitive Advantage:
• There is No Other National Competitor ‐ Pop‐A‐Lock is the Only National Brand – The Category
“Killer”

Total Investment Range: $60,000 ‐ $200,000
Liquid capital: $50,000 ‐ $85,000
Year Founded: 1991
Franchising Since: 1995
Net worth: $250,000 – $400,000
Franchise Units: 187
Working Capital: $30,000 – $115,000 SBA Registry: VetFran Discount:
Average # of Employees: 3 to start States

Those interested please contact:
Brian W. Dumas, Business Intermediary
715 N. Washington Blvd., Suite E, Sarasota, FL 34236
941.925.1511 office 941.650‐5991 cell
bdumas@murphybusiness.com

Avoiding Potential Pitfalls of U.S. Income Tax Reporting Requirements

Reprinted with permission by author Renea M. Glendinning, CPA of Sarasota
Many foreign nationals dream of being able to live, work and raise their families in America. This dream comes true for quite a few of them. The enjoyment of the rights and privileges of living in America also comes with responsibilities. Not the least of these responsibilities is compliance with the reporting requirements of the U.S. income tax system for its residents.
One of the biggest mistakes that a new resident of the U.S. can make is to not be informed of how the tax reporting system applies to them and their specific circumstances. Many foreign nationals assume that the tax system in the U.S. is similar to that of their home country. This can be a very costly assumption to make, as each country has its own unique set of rules.

The first thing that needs to be determined is when the foreign national actually becomes a U.S. income tax resident. There are various rules that must be applied in order to determine when tax residency begins or ends, including visa status, dates entered or departed the country, number of days of physical presence in the calendar year and potential benefits under an income tax treaty between the U.S. and their home country. Making this determination can be quite a confusing and complicated task. Once the foreign nationals have determined that they are resident in the U.S. for purposes of income tax, they need to know what to report. Unlike some other countries, the U.S. tax laws require their tax residents to report their worldwide income. For instance, if foreign nationals receive interest income on their bank accounts in their home country, this interest income is subject to reporting on their U.S. income tax return. The same holds true for pensions, rental income, capital gains or any other type of income they receive from whatever source. This does not generally result in a double taxation due to the availability of tax credits and income tax treaty benefits. In addition, income that may not be subject to income tax in their home country could very well be subject to income tax in the U.S. Again, it is crucial to never assume that the tax laws of the countries are the same or similar.

Not all of the reporting requirements relate directly to the imposition of income tax. There are many disclosure requirements that apply to U.S. income tax residents, regardless of whether they have been residents their entire lives or have just recently become residents. This includes the disclosure of foreign non‐ U.S.) bank accounts, closely‐held companies and trusts. It also encompasses the receipt of a gift or inheritance from a foreign person. It is important to not confuse tax reporting with disclosure reporting. For example, the receipt of a gift or inheritance from a foreign person is not subject to income tax, but it is subject to disclosure.

The principal of a foreign bank account is not taxable for income tax purposes, but the account details must be disclosed. Each item subject to disclosure has its own form that must be completed and submitted to the proper authority by specific dates. The penalties for non‐compliance or late compliance can be severe, i.e. , the penalty for not disclosing the existence of a foreign bank account could result in a penalty of one‐half of the account balance or $100,000, whichever is greater.

This article is not intended to alarm or discourage anyone from making the move to the U.S. Its intent is purely to inform. Many immigrants are unaware of the U.S. tax reporting and disclosure requirements.
Unfortunately, not all U.S. tax professionals are fully aware of all the necessary disclosures. It is especially
important that foreign nationals work with a tax professional that is knowledgeable with their specific issues
and can help them avoid the potential pitfalls.

I would be happy to assist you with any of your questions. Please call (941‐365‐4617) or email
(rglendinning@kbgrp.com).

Successful Latin Market may be for sale…

One of Sarasota’s largest and most successful Latin markets may be for sale. I spoke with the owner the other day and he said that he is considering offers to sell the business “in the range of $500,000”. The business is somewhat of a landmark in the community and could possibly serve as a vehicle for immigration for a foreign investor. For more information, email Chris@VisaAmerica.com

Jaensch Opens Passport Health

P. Christopher Jaensch, managing partner for immigration law firm Jaensch Law Firm, announced the grand opening for Passport Health of Sarasota. The new Sarasota company is part of the Passport Health network, the largest network of travel medicine advisors and vaccine providers in the nation. The location is one of 172 locations in 36 states. Passport Health has been recognized by the Center for Disease Control, the Defense Department and the White House.

Are you unhappy about how you were treated by a consular officer? File a complaint!

The Department of State just released the following procedures to file complaints against Consular Officers.  Send information about the incident to:

Visa Office
CA/VO/P/I
Room 703
2401 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20037

Please note that the complaint should include as much information as possible including: the name of the consulate where the incident occurred, the date you visited the consulate, the time that you met with a consular officer, the physical appearance (or name, if possible) of the consular officer (sex, approximate age, hair color and other distinguishing characteristics), the window number at which you met, and a detailed explanation as to why you believe you were treated poorly.  They recommend you provide your name, case number if you have one, and passport number.  A complaint may not change the outcome of your case, but it could affect the actions of the consular officer in future cases.

The Department of State gave a second way to send information about fraud, waste, mismanagement, abuse or misconduct in Department of State programs:
Contact the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) by email at oighotline@state.gov or by telephone at 1-800-409-9926.

USCIS Immigration Applications/Petitions Processing Statistics as of 12/31/2009

• Receipts of applications and petitions for immigration benefits in December 2009 decreased 41 % compared to the number received in December 2008.
• Approvals in December 2009 decreased by 24 %, and denials increased by 24 %,
• Pending cases decreased by 47% compared to December 2008. However, there were 100,107 EAD applications pending. For the full details, please click here.

reprinted from http://www.immigration-law.com/

LAW FIRM ANNOUNCES SPONSORSHIP OF 2010 SARASOTA OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT

Jaensch Immigration Law Firm, the leading immigration law firm in Sarasota, announced today its sponsorship of the 2010 Sarasota Open, May 8-15, 2010.

Hosted at the new 4.5 million dollar “Tennis Gardens” stadium constructed at Longboat Key Club and Resort, Sarasota Open is the premiere Men’s USTA/ATP Professional Tournament on the west coast of Florida.

Jaensch Immigration Law Firm decided to become involved in the Sarasota Open because of its long ties to the local and national tennis community.  The law firm is heavily involved in sports immigration and helps international athletes and coaches with obtaining temporary work visas and permanent residence in the U.S.  To date, it has represented a number of top 20 male and female professional tennis athletes, many young athletes just starting their professional tennis careers, international collegiate tennis athletes who are looking to make the transition into positions within the tennis industry, amateur athletes seeking to train and compete in the U.S. full time, and internationally recognized tennis coaches, physical trainers and mental conditioning experts.

Now in its third year, top players from around the world will be coming to Sarasota to prepare their clay court skills for the 2010 French Open in Paris which immediately follows the Sarasota Open on the Men’s ATP Professional.

The intimate setting at the event gives spectators a front-row view to world-class tennis that is unique among major tournaments in the U.S.  The close proximity to the on-court competition makes the Sarasota Open a tennis venue like no other.

This year the Sarasota Open will take place at the newly constructed Tennis Gardens at the Longboat Key Club in Longboat Key, Florida.  The Tennis Gardens features a state-of-the-art stadium court with seating for 5,000 and lights for evening events.

The facilities include 20 state-of-the-art Hydro-Grid clay courts, a 7,200 square-foot clubhouse, locker rooms, a tennis pro shop, conference rooms and a wellness-themed restaurant. New additions for the 2010 Sarasota Open include shaded box seats, a new electronic scoreboard and large plasma tv’s with video and updated displays.

According to Tony Driscoll, CEO of Sarasota Open, “with new stadium design technology, the box seats are high off the ground giving spectacular views to watch the best players in the world perform.”

The Sarasota Open is also a successful fundraising event with charities benefiting the All Star Children’s Foundation, the Warren Foundation and Taking Back Lives. Hurricane Tennis will also be hosting a variety of events leading up to and during the Open to benefit these charities as well.

Additionally, Sarasota Open provides activities for all ages while the tournament is going on: a fashion show, Wii console gaming competitions and shopping for all with an on-site apple store available for all patrons to enjoy.

Media on Main (Mac and Cafe) will become the official box office center for the 2010 Sarasota beginning February, 1st, 2010. Tickets can be ordered locally at Media on Main or by purchasing online at www.sarasotaopen.org

About Jaensch Immigration Law Firm: The law firm was established in Sarasota in 1984 and provides a wide range of immigration legal services to students, investors, entrepreneurs, professional and skilled workers, athletes, coaches, aliens with extraordinary and exceptional credentials and more.  The law firm is headed by P. Christopher Jaensch, Managing Partner, and Peter J. Jaensch, Founding Partner.  The main website of Jaensch Immigration Law Firm is www.VisaAmerica.com.  Its blog, which features local immigration news, is: www.ImmigrationSarasota.com.  For more information contact Firm Administrator, Veronica Garcia, at 941-366-9841 extension 303 or send email to Veronica@VisaAmerica.com.