If you’re looking for the safest way to expand or diversify a business, it’s franchising.

Now if that’s true, why do so many people fear franchising?

Since its beginning in the late 1800s, and with its post World War II expansion especially in the United States, franchising has developed one of the greatest business success stories of all time. Main Street America is populated by franchise outlets. From restaurants to specialty food shops, bookstores to clothing stores, beauty shops to postal centers, and a plethora of service providers, including carpet cleaners, auto shops and home remodelers, franchising is everywhere. Franchise businesses take in 40 percent of all retail sales in the United States.

There are some 2,000+ franchise companies supporting more than 900,000 franchised outlets in America. Countless people have become wealthy through franchising, and there are no financial or educational barriers to keep anyone from using this concept successfully. Governments around the world, and especially in the United States, have made it possible for the average person to investigate franchising and predict the outcome of a franchise investment. University studies, government statistics, and even polls by the Gallop Organization support the success of franchising.

So what’s to fear about franchising?

» Read more: Franchising – Getting Over the Fear of Buying One