So... you are thinking about either starting your/a newbusiness from scratch, or possibly upgrading an existingbusiness to take advantage of the benefit side offranchising such as possibly better advertisingopportunities, better supply of goods for sale, namerecognition.. any or all of the above.

         The attractions and benefits of the better known andreliable franchises are many.

         But as is true in the laws of physics where it states "forevery action there is an equal and opposite reaction", so itis true of franchising, and to know if it (Franchising) isfor you, you must understand these basic tradeoffs.

         Franchising in a way is like a middle ground between beingtotally self employed and being an employee. You have manyfreedoms but as a franchisee, you have many, many rules togo by. The whole heart of franchising is STANDARDIZATION.And in fact, it? what you are paying for.

         One of the first things you have to ask yourself.. evenbefore the money question is: "Is this for me?" and a keypart of that is some self introspection: Can I willinglytrust and take orders and direction? Do I HAVE to be theguiding and creative light in my business? If you can'tanswer this in the affirmative, then Franchising is probablyNOT for you. To be a successful franchisee, you MUST beable and willing to follow the model of the franchise youwill own.

         Next, and particularly if you are starting up, and againbefore the money question you should ask, "Is this aproduct or service I can really feel somewhere frombetween enthusiastic to passionate about?". It? not anabsolute "must" to answer that in the affirmative, howeverstudy after study shows that a person working in a fieldthey have a love or happiness for consistently is moresuccessful that someone just doing a job because "its theirjob". There? seldom enough money over time to make itworth while to do a job just for the pay.

         Now we?l assume you HAVE decided having a franchise is foryou.

         Your next biggest question is "Which one?" Sometimes thereis only one choice for any number of reasons.. Finances toobtain one is an obvious reason. Possibly there is only onefranchise in your chosen field. Or maybe the geographicavailability may or may not coincide with what you want orneed.

         But let? assume for the moment that you do have a choice,so your next questions have to do with income and incomeobjectives. Are you in this for the long haul and you wantlong term career income? Do you see it as a short terminvestment that you'll do the startup only; get a clientbase, then sell.. supposedly at a handsome profit? If so,have you checked the fine print on terms and conditions ofresale? Are you allowed to do that, or do you have to revertthe franchise to the franchisor?

         This is even important if you plan on the long haul.. whatwould your retirement or exit strategy be?

         If a franchise can be sold.. are there any in place that arefor sale? Cost compared to a startup?

         Then on the short term plans.. have you talked to otherfranchise holders to see if they are happy? If thefranchisor has kept their word as represented ? Would theydo it all over again?

         And finally.. how long until you actually turn a profit?Do you have enough funds to sustain you until that time?

         This article is intended only as a Primer. There are manygood and complete full books available on the subject suchas "The Franchising Handbook". As we introduced you to someof the basic concepts, we now suggest if you still have aninterest you get a full book on the subject and begin toread; followed by beginning personal interviews.

         Good luck and Happy Franchising!

         Joe Leech is a small business man with varied interests and accomplishments and he has written ebooks on the subjects of starting and running a manufacturers rep business as well as others. A full franchise reference site is available at http://franchiseop.ouronlinebusiness.com