Franchising: More than Food
People often equate food with franchising, but it is so much more. A franchise is an established business with a proven concept, operated by a license awarded for a set amount of time and described as “turnkey” because it can be easily and successfully replicated by others. Franchises can be in various stages of growth. A young franchise with less than ten units/locations is considered emerging due to its minimal history or it can be an empire with thousands of units/locations across the globe and decades of history. A legacy franchise is considered middle of the road and has been established for twenty or more years and has over one hundred locations.
There are over 4,000 franchising concepts across more than thirty different industries which represent 760,000+ units and employ ~8 million people nationwide. Due to the pandemic, the most notable industries of late have been essential businesses. Commercial and residential cleaning companies have added new services to give customers’ homes and businesses a deeper clean. Senior care alternatives have become a viable option as many search for something other than a nursing home for their aged or at-risk loved ones. The pet industry has witnessed incredible growth due to the number of animals adopted during this time, and the fitness industry, while hit hard, was able to pivot and thus sweat virtually along with their clients. And yes, food is definitely a big player: as of 2019, 194,395 quick service restaurant franchises were established. There are concepts for those that enjoy working from home and no longer wish to commute and concepts for those that relish being out and about; concepts for brick-and-mortar retail spaces or simple office spaces , direct-to-consumer and business to business models. The franchise owner can be all in as an operator or completely hands off as they let others do the heavy lifting for them. There is quite literally something for everyone.
The franchising world is vast and always expanding. It will be exciting to see what 2021 has in store for us!
Most facts and figures featured in this article are courtesy of statista.com
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