On Franchise Direct's Franchise Blog, get the latest news and opinion on franchising and connect with the online franchise community
December 22, 2009
Last week’s Franchise Outlook 2010 provided a very concise forecast for the franchise market for the coming year. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but we still have a journey in front of us before we return to the headier days of 2005 and 2006. Read More...
Franchising has been providing Americans with business opportunities for over 150 years. The growth of the American economy has been aided by franchise businesses going back to the 1850s and many of the most-widely loved American products, like the automobile or Coca-Cola, owe their success in part to the franchising model.
As America emerged as a superpower after World War II, franchises expanded from coast to coast, led in many places by military veterans returning from the battlefield. Fast food companies like McDonalds and Burger King spread to every town in America, showing entrepreneurs just how lucrative and rewarding franchise ownership could be. Soon nearly every successful business had a national franchise brand. The industry then spread worldwide, offering business opportunities to citizens across the globe.
America is in the midst of a challenging economic period, but franchising has always been an effective form of financial stimulus during past downturns. Franchised companies inspired the economy during the recession in the early-1990s and in the period after the 9/11 attacks. In the current downturn, there are signs that more and more laid-off professionals are considering franchises for sale in order to achieve financial independence. America's worldwide economic success has been built on small business owners and entrepreneurs. Franchising has been part of the blueprint for America's growth and will continue to be in the future.