Franchise Businesses

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Much of the information listed below came directly from this valuable resource. For more information, please go directly to this site.

The top 10 fastest growing franchises in the USA are:

1. Curves
2. Subway
3. Jan-Pro Franchising
4. Coverall Cleaning Concepts
5. Quizno's
6. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service
7. Jani-King
8. Liberty Tax Service
9. CleanNet USA
10. UPS Store

What is Franchising?
In franchising, semi-independent business owners (franchisees) pay fees and royalties to a parent company (franchisor) in return for the right to sell its products or services and often to use its business format and system. Franchisees do not establish their own autonomous businesses; instead they buy a “success package” from the franchisor, who shows them how to use it. Franchisees, unlike independent business owners, do not have the freedom to change the way they run their business. The secret for most franchises is to follow the plan and formula every day. Standardization lies at the core of franchising success as a method of distribution. The result: hamburgers that taste as good in California as in Hong Kong.

Types of Franchising

• Trade name franchising involves a brand name such as True Value Hardware. The franchisee buys the right to become identified with the franchisor’s trade name without distributing particular products exclusively under the manufacturer’s name.
• Product distribution franchising involves licensing the franchise to sell specific products under the manufacturer’s brand name and trademark through a selective, limited distribution network. This system is commonly used to market soft drinks (Pepsi, Coca Cola), automobiles (Chrysler), gasoline products (Exxon, Texaco), bicycles, appliances, cosmetics and other products.
• Business format franchising involves providing the franchisee with a complete business format, including a license for a trade name, the products or services to be sold, the physical plant, the method of operation, a marketing strategy, a quality control process, a two-way communication system. The franchisee purchases the right to use all the elements of a fully integrated business operation. This is most rapidly growing of all types of franchising and is common among fast-food restaurants (McDonalds, Starbucks), hotels, car rental agencies and many others.

Franchise MBA
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