Exploring Franchising

Have you ever thought about starting your own business but never made it past step one because you had no idea where or how to start your search? Are you tired of resting the fate of your future on the decisions of corporations? Do you think that starting a business is too risky? These are very common themes that I hear from aspiring entrepreneurs. Exploring Franchising will provide you with an education on the franchise industry and how you can reduce risk by finding businesses that are a great fit for your attributes, characteristics, skill set, and budget. My goal is to help you determine if franchise business ownership is the best and safest way to secure your future and attain your goals.

Franchise Myths - Part 1
A myth, fable, tale, legend - things whose existence are, or were, widely considered to be true but are in reality fictitious. Every sector of our society has a set of myths and franchising is no different.

Franchise Myths - Part 2
Part 2 of this article will address three additional franchising myths. The focus will be on how franchises penetrate an industry and the background sought by companies in their franchise owners.

A Brief History of Franchising
Franchising is a major contributor to the growth of the US economy. Most people are aware of franchising but are unaware that federal and some state governments play a role in regulating the US franchise industry.

The Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD)
One of the requirements that came from the regulatory efforts of the 1970s was that all franchise companies create and provide to prospective franchise owners a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) that covers specific topics.

Franchise Rankings
You're thinking about buying a franchise but really don't know how to find a good one from among the more than 3000 available. In an attempt to narrow the choices you look at several publications that do yearly "best" franchise rankings.