Now it’s time to look at the other side of the coin.

• A well-placed story in your local business section can do wonders for the walk-in traffic of your business location. However, public relations can be a costly investment. A cursory glance at your local roster of media outreach firms may reveal an expensive proposition. In fact, there are many professional public relations firms that will be happy to tout their success in getting you publicity. But unless you have $5,000 a month for their “retainer” fee, you won’t even get to first base.

• Avoid the super-cheap, unscrupulous PR guy. There are clearly two ends to this spectrum—and you don’t want to be on either of them. Do your research. Make some calls. Get out, introduce yourself and see if you can’t find a reasonable fit for what you are looking for in a public relations firm.

• Finding ways to boost your profile, your reach and gain an audience of future customers is something to be taken very seriously in franchising. With all reputable franchise opportunities, the bulk of these efforts will probably be spelled out for you in your contract. But if you care to go slightly above and beyond in the interest of achieving the success you desire, approach these bonus opportunities with extreme care and caution.