Since 1996 the Filta Group has been gaining more and more notice as a provider of top-quality service to commercial kitchens.  Most recently, the Filta Group was honored with the 2009 U.S. Commerce Associations “Best of Local Business” Award in the category of Green Business.  This is because Filta’s products and services are just great when it comes to saving their customers time and money, the Filta services are also great for the environment too.  Filta firmly believes that green business is good business and that shows in every Filta product and service offered by every Filta franchise across the world.

Therefore, it was only natural that when Vancouver was selected as the site for the 2010 Winter Olympics, Filta was called on to make sure that the food needs of millions of visiting participants and spectators could be met with the least amount of negative environmental impact and waste.  During the coming Winter Olympics, Filta representatives will be working diligently to provide the acclaimed FiltaFry cooking oil micro-filtration service to all of the deep fryers in use around BC Place where the opening ceremonies are to be held and GM Place, one of the main sites of the Olympic competitions.

For those who are not yet aware, FiltaFry operates by using a specialized micro-filtration system to purify even the most microscopic particles from cooking oil.  As a result of the process the oil remains usable for twice as long without sacrificing quality and taste.  Oil that lasts twice as long mean half as much oil used.  In this instance, that amount is truly staggering.

Initially planning estimated that around 600,000 gallons of cooking oil would be used over the course of the event.  That is enough cooking oil to completely fill an Olympic sized swimming pool.  FiltaFry hopes to drastically reduce that amount, substantially lessening the waste created by the monumental event.  Furthermore, because FiltaFry maintained fryers run more efficiently, the fryers running at BC Place and GM Place will be able to keep up with demands while using a lot less electricity.

Local Vancouver Filta franchise owner, Steven Hughes, has already expressed his excitement at getting to provide Filta services for this historic event.  Steven already has plenty of practice providing FiltaFry services for large sports venues.  He currently filters the cooking oil used in the fryers at GM Place during the National Hockey League season when it also serves as the home arena of the Vancouver Canucks.

Just like the thousands of Olympic competitors hoping to win fame and glory at the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Olympic games will be an exciting chance for Filta to show the world just what FiltaFry can do on such a massive scale.  Unlike any other Olympic hopeful, Filta does not represent just one country though.  Filta has found a home in 27 of the countries that will be competing for gold in the 2010 Winter Games.  Filta’s involvement in the 2010 Winter Olympics is a prime example of just how far Filta has come since its start as a single oil filtration business in the UK just over a decade ago.

Whether you work in the restaurant industry, manage a hospital or school kitchen, own a floristry shop or supervise a grocery store, you may have heard one of your peers in the industry mention a relatively new item that has been helping them to save a lot of money in their walk-in cooler – the FiltaCool filter.  FiltaCool filters tend to get talked about because they provide so much benefit for such a small investment.  But just what are these small, inexpensive money-savers and how do you get them?

The Filters

FiltaCool filters are small, flat filters that fit into small brackets fastened (usually) to the top of your walk-in cooler or other commercial refrigeration unit.  They take up almost no space at all and they start to work immediately, altering the internal environment of your cooler so that your cooler runs more efficiently and your produce or other perishables stay fresh longer.  FiltaCool filters only cost about $12 a piece each month.  Not a large investment, but their impact is huge.

What They Do

FiltaCool filters alter the environment inside your refrigeration unit in several beneficial ways.  Primarily, they act to regulate the humidity inside of your cooler.  Humidity is bad news for commercial coolers.  Condensation freezes on the interior walls and piping of the cooler causing it to use more energy to run and causing its parts to wear out more quickly.  Coolers with FiltaCool filters installed use 10% less energy to maintain a constant temperature.

Humidity is also death for perishable goods.  Too much humidity and your product spoils rapidly, too little humidity and your products dry out, crack and become unusable.  FiltaCool filters keep the humidity inside of you cooler at the optimal level for both the unit and your perishable goods.  Your products can make it into the hands of your customers, where they belong, instead of getting tossed into the dumpster and your cooler could last for years longer than it’s expected lifetime.

FiltaCool filters also work to trap the harmful gasses that are a natural product of the decomposition of produce.  When these gasses build up inside of a cooler they accelerated decomposition, causing your goods to spoil more quickly.  FiltaCool traps these gasses so that they cannot accumulate, slowing the decay of your cold-stored products.

Of course, those gasses aren’t the only thing to build up inside of your cooler.  Unpleasant odors accumulate in a cooler over time, making it an unpleasant place for your employees and for your distributors.  Even worse, some produce can actually absorb noxious odors.  Nobody wants their kale to taste like carp, now it doesn’t have to.

When you use FiltaCool filters in your walk-in or other commercial refrigeration unit you will begin to see big savings right away.  Your perishable goods will last longer and you will lose less money to waste.  FiltaCool filters allows you to put more of your products on the customers’ tables and less into the waste bin.

Where to Get Them

FiltaCool filters are available from your local Filta franchise owner.  If you are already a FiltaFry user, then ask your Filta representative about FiltaCool filters.  If you haven’t used Filta before, call 1-800-Go-Filta to find a Filta franchise near you.  Filta will come to your place of business and FiltaCool filters can be installed in about 10 minutes per unit.  After that, your Filta representative will return to your place of business every 3 months to replace your filters at no additional cost.

When Filta first introduced the FiltaCool filters in 2008, the product met with a very positive overall response from the food-service industry and other businesses that rely on commercial refrigeration.  FiltaCool filters are small, inexpensive and long lasting.  However, can something so cheap that only has to changed out once every three months really help Filta franchise owners make money?  Or are FiltaCool filters a burden to Filta franchisees?

The Big Picture

It may help to take a look first at the big picture, not just in terms of impact across the entire geographical dispersion of Filta franchises, but also looking forward into the future.  The addition of FiltaCool opens up an entire new customer base to Filta owners.  In the past, Filta owners were limited to providing service to only restaurants, hospitals, sporting arenas and other places where fried foods were served.  For some that was more than enough to provide all the business they could handle.  Still, it left so many businesses in any community out of reach of Filta franchise owners.

FiltaCool expands the amount of businesses that can benefit from Filta services.  Now Filta owners are no longer limited to doing business with establishment using fryers.  Now any business that uses commercial coolers is a potential customer too.  This means grocery stores, florists and many other previously inaccessible venues.  Of course, almost all of a Filta franchisee’s existing customers also use commercial coolers in their establishments.  This means that Filta owners can make even more money on each service call to their FiltaFry customers.

Low Overhead

Of course, FiltaCool filters do not constitute a major investment by Filta customers.  Neither do they constitute one the part of Filta owners, either in time or money.  Filta cool filters take only a few minutes to install and a few seconds to replace.  Even though they only have to be replaced once every three months, they are rented by the month.  That means that, as an owner, you can make a profit off of a unit every month for only a few seconds of time every 90 days.

FiltaCool filters also don’t go bad.  When it is time to replace them, a filter owner simply takes the used filters home, de-gasses them and then they are ready to be installed in another unit.  This means there is very little investment into equipment for Filta owners.  FiltaCool filters are almost all profit.

The Figures

How much do FiltaCool filters earn Filta owners, though?  Most Filta owners rent out their FiltaCool filters for about $12 a month and the average walk-in cooler requires 6 filters.  That is an extra $72 per customer each month.  Multiply that amount by the number of FiltaCool customers you have and it’s easy to see how quickly the profits add up.  And remember, FiltaCool filters only have to be changed once every three months, so it’s essentially like making money for doing nothing at all.  FiltaCool filters certainly help Filta customers save a lot of money, but they are also a major asset to Filta franchise owners too.

By now you probably have a pretty good understanding of what Filta is.  You have seen what the FiltaFry and FiltaCool products and services have to offer commercial kitchens, and understand the benefits that they offer.  You have also read about the many benefits of Filta franchise ownership and about how the Filta Group can help you realize your dreams of business ownership and financial security.  Now let’s take a look at some of the common questions asked by individuals contemplating Filta franchise ownership.

What is the Filta Business Plan?

The objective of Filta Franchise owners is to provide customers with the environmentally friendly FiltaFry and FiltaCool products and services, which serve to reduce expenses, decrease customer liabilities, and improve the quality of their food products.  FiltaFry offers a comprehensive fryer management service, focusing on fryer maintenance and cooking oil filtration.  FiltaCool provides a cooler filter service that regulates humidity, controls odor, reduces gas buildup and extends the life of perishable food items.

How Long Do Service Calls Take?

The average call time to provide the FiltaFry service ranges between 45-60 minutes.  Of course, the actual time required to filter oils and clean fryers is dependent on the number of fryers in use at any given location.  FiltaCool services require much less time.  It takes about 25 minutes to initially install the FiltaCool filter brackets.  After that, filters take only a couple of minutes to switch out, and only need to be changed every 3 months.
How Much Does it Cost to Start a Filta Franchise?
The current cost of start-up for a single unit Filta Franchise is $79,500.  This is broken down into 3 distinct fees:  The territory fee, to establish a franchise’s area of operation is $31,000.  The Opening Package, which includes everything needed to operate the franchise, as well as all of the initial classroom and in-field training runs at $43,500.  There is an also an additional $5,000 marketing fund fee.

What Are the Ongoing Costs of Running a Filta Franchise?

There are certain monthly costs associated with Filta franchise ownership.  There are monthly franchising fees of an 8% royalty fee and 2% advertising fee.  There are also ongoing costs of $46 for intranet/Quickbook fees and a $408 cartridge fee (per MFU).  Filta owners are also responsible for van and equipment maintenance, gas and other travel expenses, office expenses, insurance, lease payments, etc.

What Support Does Filta Offer?

As part of the Opening Package, new Filta owners are provided with a comprehensive 2 week training course.  This training includes both classroom education, as well as real life in-field training with an experienced Filta mentor.  Filta also assigns a Business Development Manager to the franchisee.  This BDM works alongside the franchisee during business start-up to establish a strong repeat customer base within the franchisee’s territory.  Filta also provides technical support through its toll-free helpline, and provides the full support of a Regional Developer to help franchisees along the way.  Lastly, Filta’s superb web resource, FiltaNet, puts a world of knowledge and practical peer support at the fingertips of each Filta franchisee operating in the U.S. and Canada.

Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions offers an exciting and appealing prospect for able investors looking for a hands-on business investment.  With a high degree of flexibility and plenty of room for growth, it’s no wonder that Filta has created such a buzz amongst entrepreneurs in the food service and waste oil management industries.  So what is Filta and what can it offer you as an aspiring business owner?

FiltaFry

FiltaFry is the lynchpin of the Filta brand.  Established in the U.K. in 1996, the FiltaFry service has since become a household name.  As a Filta owner you will provide the FiltaFry fryer and oil maintenance service to each customer in your territory once or twice a week.

You calculate your FiltaFry service charge based on the amount of oil that is to be filtered for your customer’s location.  As such, the value any given job varies a little.  The average service charge per call is $66.85 and takes about an hour.

FiltaCool

If you customers use commercial coolers (and most do), then you also have the opportunity to provide them with the FiltaCool service.  This service provides many of the same benefits and savings to your customers as the FiltaFry service.  Your customers can lease filter panels from you for $12 per month for each panel.  These panels are very easy for you to install and only need to be switched out every 3 months.  You “de-gass” the panels at home and can then lease them out again.

Earning Potentials

As you can already see, there is a potential to make a substantial income from your Filta business.  Really you are only limited by your willingness to work and the number of hours in a day.  It is not unreasonable at all to be able to make 8 service calls in a day.

If we assume 8 service calls per work day (at $66.85 per call), for a 5 day work week then you are looking at bringing in $2674 a week, before figuring in expenses, just from the FiltaFry aspect of your business.  If even half of your customers use your FiltaCool service as well then that number skyrockets.  The average customer uses 6 filter panels in their coolers, at $12 per month.  That’s an additional $72 per month from each customer just from using your filters that you only have to take a few minutes to switch out every few months.

Room to Grow
These numbers, of course, are assuming a moderately paced standard work week.  If you are really driven in your business, then there is no reason why you can’t do substantially better.  If you’re willing to put in longer days and longer weeks then you can see some serious returns on your investment.  Once you’ve gotten yourself established in your territory you can even add more vans to your business and higher on technicians to do your service calls for you, doubling or even tripling the number of customers.  Filta really does offer you a chance to take control of your financial destiny in an industry ripe with growth and potential.