In With The New

Entrepreneur, Feb, 2001

WHILE THE TECH WORLD revolves around the excitement of start-ups, franchising has traditionally been a universe dominated by venerable old-timers. (Think McDonald's, Mail Boxes Etc., Pizza Hut and so on.) Still, franchising does hum with a certain undercurrent of expectation--insiders are constantly wondering what new, little-known system might break ground next.

Over the past decade, for example, we've seen spurts of potential from such new systems as Boston Market and Yogen Fruz. So will 2001 be the year we finally see a new franchise emerge with the fortitude to reach blockbuster status? More important, will you be one of the few to recognize the winner before the masses do? If so, the prize is obvious: a coveted spot on the ground floor of a huge opportunity.

Take note of the following 50 franchises--one of them might just be a franchise legend in the making. After all, they have at least one thing on their side: We've ranked them as the top 50 companies that have started franchising since 1996. They're presented in the order of their scores on information provided for Entrepreneur's January 2001 Franchise 500 [R] listing.

The following list is not intended to endorse any particular franchise, but rather to provide a starting point for your research. Before you purchase any franchise, you should investigate thoroughly, which includes interviewing existing franchisees, discussing your options with an attorney and an accountant, and reading the company's UFOC as well as all other relevant franchise materials. When it comes to "discovering" a brand-new franchise system, doing old-fashioned homework is the best policy for long-term success.