It's really not hard to figure out which franchises are the most successful. You see them advertised on television and on billboards, hear them advertised on the radio, and cannot drive through a shopping center anywhere in the US without passing one or more of them.

Not only do you know who they are, you have probably been in some of them so many times that you know exactly what they have to offer. These franchises, in other words, have succeeded wildly in branding their products. What are they?

Franchise restaurants, of course. Anybody borne after 1955 probably cannot remember a world in which McDonald's didn't exist, and they were only the beginning. If you are one of the millions of people thinking about breaking away from the nine-to-five routine and starting your own business, you could do much worse than a franchise restaurant.

Why? Because given the choice of trying to establish a loyal customer base for a new, unfamiliar product of your own choosing, and going with a restaurant franchise with food already familiar and proven to keep the customers coming back, the odds are definitely on the side of the franchise restaurant.

The Pros and Cons

There are, of course, big risks in starting a restaurant of any kind. Only those people who have a genuine love for the business usually stick with it long enough to make a profit; while having a franchise restaurant may ease some of the concerns, there are some realities you need to face before you start.

First, buying a franchise restaurant can be very expensive; they can include actually buying the land on which you will build your operation. You may be able to get help with your financing from the franchisor, and banks also realize that a restaurant franchise is one of the less risky small businesses, so may be willing to give you favorable terms.

On the positive side, you will have the advantage of selling only those foods which are proven moneymakers, so you can limit your inventory, which will be ordered from the parent company's preferred suppliers. You and your company's other franchisees in the area can share the costs of joint advertising. On the downside, be prepared for long hours at your franchise restaurant; as a franchisee you will have certain standards, both service and financial, to maintain, and you will be giving regular reports to your franchisor. If you have personnel shortages, you and your family members will have to fill the gaps.

Be Prepared

You can almost count on having personnel problems; low pay and unchallenging work will make it hard to keep employees for extended periods. Restaurant employee turnover is extremely high. But if you and your family are willing to supply the elbow grease, your chances of succeeding with a well-established franchise restaurant are better than they would be in any other business you could start.

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