franchise businesses

A:Subway

A:What do you want to know? Try wikipedia on-line dictionary. That has link within the pages. Very informative!

A:There is actually a company that will do this for you: The Entrepreneur's Source. http://www.theesource.com/. They do everything to help determine what franchise you would be best at.

A:No I don't think so. You can do well in a francise if you execute at your business. You do not rely on another franchisee to pay your way out of the business.

A:Here are my thoughts as a former franchisee and someone who's done extensive research on franchising: Whether it’s worth investing in a franchise can only be answered after the fact. The best way to truly assess whether to buy any franchise is to speak directly with several (at least six, preferably more) franchisees for the company you are considering. A self-examination as to whether owning a business is what you really want is also essential, as is a very thorough due diligence. Here are 10 steps that should be taken by anyone considering investing in a franchise: 1 - Conduct due diligence on yourself 2 - Find a great accountant 3 - Find a great attorney specialized in franchise law 4 - Conduct due diligence on the business 5 - Refresh and enhance your business acumen 6 - Write a business plan 7 - Identify and hire a great team- then create a culture to retain it 8 - Hone your leadership skills 9 - Hone your sales skills 10 -Create a schedule that allows some time for family and friends Some other information you may find helpful: Most franchise contracts are 10-year commitments for which the franchisee has virtually no rights. They're structured such that the franchisee has very little latitude or say in how the business is operated. You have flexibility to hire your staff, manage them and set your own prices, but most everything else, from displays to products you may/may not carry to signage/advertising, equipment, technology, etc. is usually either governed by or subject to the approval of the franchisor. It's not like owning your own business, it's more like being a store manager who, if the business is profitable, takes home most of that. And if the business is not profitable and you want to sell it or close it after five years, these are both very difficult to do. The former is usually via either a very large fee (an example is a local franchisee who paid $100,000 to terminate his franchise contract with one of the more popular women's fitness center franchises) or personal bankruptcy (franchise contracts generally require you that you be personally liable your business debts, not just through whatever type of corporate entity you might establish; e.g., LLC, S Corp., Partnership, etc.). The latter option of selling your franchise is generally accomplished only at a very large discount. There are dozens of things to investigate when considering investing in a franchise, but here are some fundamental questions to ask current franchisees: About how many hours per week do you dedicate to your franchise business? How would you describe your relations/communications with your franchisor? Is the franchisor fair with you in resolving any grievances? Are territories equitably granted? How would you describe the initial and ongoing training provided by your franchisor? In what ways could the parent company most improve? Is your income A) more, B) less or C) about what you expected prior to opening your business? If you could turn back time to the day you signed your franchise agreement, would you make the same decision to buy your franchise? The last one is of course the most important. There are many very happy, wealthy franchisees out there, but it's not a guaranteed formula for success. Every opportunity is unique and requires extensive due diligence of both the franchise itself as well as the regulations governing the industry. If you have more specific questions, please feel free to contact me. Good luck.