The Samuel Morris Foundation (SMF) and PoolWerx’s network of 300 franchises across Australia, have joined forces to raise $10,000 to purchase much needed equipment for children left with disabilities following a near drowning.

PoolWerx hubs and mobile vans across the country raising funds for Australia’s only charity supporting children disabled by near drowning.

PoolWerx CEO John O’Brien said PoolWerx supported the cause to help raise further awareness of the importance of improved pool safety.

 “We are hoping our local community will stand behind this great cause and dig deep to help better the lives of children left with severe disabilities and brain injuries as a result of pool accidents,” he said.

“Our support of SMF is to help those families left devastated by a near drowning and also act as a reminder of the importance and necessary vigilance people must have when it comes to pool safety. Children can be very clever and find a way into a pool area in a matter of seconds and unfortunately the consequences can be tragic.”

Michael and Jo-Ann Morris founded SMF in March 2007 after their then two-year-old son Samuel was left with brain damage and a range of severe disabilities as the result of a near-drowning in his family’s backyard pool.

Michael Morris said SMF’s partnership with PoolWerx demonstrated a commitment to further educate people about the importance of pool safety. 

“Each year approximately 160 children aged between 0-4 years old are admitted to hospital having survived a near-drowning,” he said. “One fifth of these children will be diagnosed with a hypoxic brain injury that will leave them with severe life-long disabilities.

“Pool owners need to realise they play a key role in preventing further tragedies and should regularly check that their pool meets compliance standards and fix any problems immediately. No one should have to lose a child or have their child’s quality of life reduced for something that is as easy as, for example, moving a chair from the pool area.

“If SMF and PoolWerx can save one child’s life or encourage pool owners to be more vigilant in ensuring that their pool surrounds are adequately maintained and meet safety regulations, then our goal has been achieved.”

SMF does not receive any government funding and relies on donations from the community to support families.

People wanting to support SMF can visit PoolWerx their local store.

Parents worried about potential safety hazards can take matters into their own hands by getting a free health check by a PoolWerx technician that includes identifying potential access points and hazards that could lead to a child getting past the fence.

Click here for links on how to find your nearest PoolWerx location

For more information about the Samuel Morris Foundation visit www.samuelmorrisfoundation.org.au

Click here for information about PoolWerx Franchising Opportunities

Australians should be very pleased with the March 2009 housing finance figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), which show demand for mortgages across all major categories, especially for owner occupiers, first homebuyers and the construction of dwellings, continues to show solid growth.

Both sectors of the market have revealed solid improvement in growth since October 2008, with the value of loans for owner occupiers rising by a large 7.3%, the number of dwelling commitments for the construction of dwelling up by an impressive 13.9% and the number of first homebuyer commitments as a percentage of owner occupied commitments rising to a record 27.3%.

In fact, the number of first homebuyer commitments for the month, at 17,652, showed a 100% increase on the 8,818 who entered the mortgage market in August 2008.

The March data also showed a re-emergence in investor interest, which increased for the first time since December 2008. The value of investor housing-fixed loans commitments increasing by 4.7%. A number of commentators hadn’t expected this to happen until later in the year.

The overall value of housing finance commitments for all dwellings rose for the fourth month in a row, by 6.7%. During the previous month, February, it had risen by 1.3%.

CEO of Mortgage Choice, Australia’s largest independently-owned mortgage broker, Michael Russell said, "The March ABS figures can only be described as positive, demonstrating the resilience of our housing market at a time when the global economy is really feeling the burn of the financial crisis.”

“The strong growth we see in the results also demonstrates the positive effect of Federal and State Government stimulus and incentives, which have combined with other positive factors - very low interest rates, relatively steady housing prices, improved housing affordability and healthy population growth along with increasing rents and historically low rental vacancies rates - to create a 'buyer's market'”.

“The number of housing finance commitments by first homebuyers as a percentage of the all owner occupied commitments for March was 27.3%, setting a record as the highest proportion since the first homebuyer series commenced in 1991. This compared to the previous record set in February of 26.9%, which was an increase on 26.5% in January, 25.7% in December and 23.6% in November.

“The number of first homebuyers jumped to 17,652, which is a 23.3% increase on February’s figure (14,321) and a 100% increase on the 8,818 we saw enter the mortgage market in August 2008, before interest rates began to fall rapidly and Government stimulus measures were applied”.

Loans for the construction of dwellings grew 13.% (compared to 2.6% in February) and for the purchase of new dwellings (up 8.8%, from 4.2% in February) also showed significant improvement, as did demand for loans for the purchase of established dwellings (up 3.8%, following 0% in February).

“The March figures – showing positive growth across all categories – are fantastic news for those with their eye on the economy and more specifically the housing market,” Mr Russell said.

*Note: all figures are seasonally adjusted estimates

Click here for information about Mortgage Choice Franchising Opportunities

Wendy’s launches value menu

Wendy’s has launched a new Value Menu with a range of snacks and treats priced at just $3.

The $3 Value Menu has been launched as part of a strategy designed to ensure the brand’s stores continue to offer customers an appealing and affordable treat range.

“The Wendy’s Value Menu was introduced largely in recognition of the current financial climate and will be very relevant to budget conscious customers,” said Peter Lokan, Wendy’s General Manager of Marketing.

“In these challenging times all businesses need to remain relevant to the consumer and that was certainly a driving factor for the introduction of this menu.

“We wanted to ensure our franchisees were able to provide a menu that represented exceptional value. We also wanted it to include some of the treats our customers have come to know and love, yet maintaining a strong focus on taste and quality.

“As well as providing our franchisees with an even greater offering, we’re anticipating the Value Menu will deliver some strong results.”

In addition to the price proposition, the new Value Menu also means that Wendy’s franchisees are able to offer customers extended choice in the snack range.  A highlight of the Menu is the new Snack Dog, a snack-sized version of the iconic Wendy’s Hot Dog.   

“Everyone needs a pick-me-up every now and again – our new Value Menu is perfect for that occasional treat or snack and ensures our franchisees can cater for a range of tastes and budgets.” 

Click here for information about Wendy's Franchising Opportunities and locations

Donut King & Brumby’s GO! move into service stations

Australian food retailers Donut King and Brumby’s GO! will open new stores in the lucrative service station food retail market as part of its ongoing expansion strategy, owner Retail Food Group announced today.

ASX-listed Retail Food Group (RFG) is Australia’s leading retail food brand manager and franchisor, owning the Donut King, Brumby’s Bakeries, Michel’s Patisserie and bb’s cafe franchise systems.

The first outlet of RFG’s franchise systems to open in a service station was a Donut King at Allendale, Cessnock in late 2008.

RFG has confirmed two new outlet openings in New South Wales and potentially a further five in South Australia in the next 12 months.

Click here for more about this story and

RFG Opportunities

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Trusts on ATO hit list

The Australian Taxation Office has launched an investigation into the administration of trusts, which are seen as complicated and arcane, according to tax experts.

Click here for more about this story

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Peak retail industry body the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has bagged Planet Ark's plea for Australians to sign an online petition to ban plastic check out bags, calling it an overly simple solution to the complex issue of litter management.

"The issue is not about plastic bags, it is about the national consideration and litter management of all sorts of disposable packaging and goods - including the 60 million 'green' bags now in circulation that are made from non-biodegradable textiles," Evans said.

In related news:

The Federal Government is said to be considering extending the drink container deposit system Australia-wide.  

Click here for more about this story

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New rules for calorie counting - are we next?

Massachusetts is expected to announce some very tough rules for food labeling in the USA.  It is anticipated that fast food restaurants will be required to list the number of calories in each food item.   If the new rules are passed, they will be the toughest yet in the US.   It will be interesting to see if this new trend catches on here in Australia.

Click here for more about this story

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Workplace Ombudsman Report

The estate of a Perth woman who claimed to have been underpaid - but died before her case was settled - will get almost $6000 following a lengthy and complex investigation by the Federal Workplace Ombudsman

Click here for more about this story

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Kleenmaid

Whilst Kleenmaid went into voluntary administration last month, new allegations have been raised that the company may have been insolvent since 2007.  Should this be the case, the founders may be held personally accountable for unpaid debts. 

Click here for more about this story

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Electricity Price Rise

Consumers are warned to be prepared to budget an extra $300 for your electricity bill this year.

Click here for more about this story

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Billabong still in hot water

Billabong has seen the sharpest fall this year in its share price, which is down more than 20%. 

Click here for more about this story

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ACCC News

Interested in all the latest news from the ACCC, including details of a hair replacement ex-franchise who has been fined for providing false and misleading information.

> Click here to visit the ACCC News Centre.

NEW CLASSIFIEDS SECTION

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Salt: It's a killer

"Bread, processed meats and cheese are all high salt products so combining them into one meal eaten in fairly large amounts as a pizza is deadly. Government action is needed to ensure that the food industry is held to account,” said Jacqui Webster, Coordinator of the Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health at The George Institute.

Click here to see what may be in store for

the food industry

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New eco-friendly range launched

Click here for more information about Howards Storage products, locations and franchise opportunities

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Free Chicken Chaos

What do you get if you mix a little Oprah with a lot of free KFC?  Well, apparently the answer is a KFC meltdown. 

Click here for more about this story

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Trading haulted during bomb scare

Retailers in Alice Springs were forced to close their doors for several hours as police cordoned off a shopping mall for several hours as they negotiated with a man carrying a sword, and two devices expected to be explosives. 

Click here for more about this story

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Scam Watch

Here are Inside Franchising we have received countless emails purporting to be from the Commonwealth Bank asking us to do surveys and win prizes, amongst other things.  They look authentic enough – with bank logos and names of real employees being used.  Bank customers are reporting the increase in similar bogus emails.  Read here to see how you can pick a fake from the real thing.  

Click here to read the tips on

picking a fake

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Lenard's murder trial commences

Evidence has been given at a Perth murder trial that a Lenard’s chicken franchisee confessed to murdering his business partner. 

Click here for more about this story

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newsletter edition 146 first published 21.5.09

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