The Small Business Centre news feed picked up a story on franchising last week - ‘Franchising can help grow a business‘. Writing for Business Week, contributing editor Sarah Max suggested that franchising can be good way to expand because other entrepreneurs finance the majority of the costs. Franchisees are generally highly-motivated and skilled, so their desire to succeed will be strong too. And once a franchise is firmly established, running the new branch is not the responsibility of the majority shareholder, she states - they can largely take a back-seat and wait for royalties to be paid.

If taking on a franchise is something you are considering it’s worth taking a look at Franchise Gator. This is an extensive online resource directory for everyone interested in running a franchise. You can search by location, capital available and preferred workstyle (ie work from home, part-time) - to find a business opportunity that best meets your requirements.

Source: Microsoft Small Business