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Entrepreneur, March, 1996 by Shannon Hill

Top 50 business service franchises

DOWNSIZING, rightsizing, layoffs--call it what you will, the current cost-cutting craze in corporate America has created a tidal wave of business for business service franchises.

Business service franchises fill the gap for companies that are cutting back on in-house staff but still need to handle essential tasks. They provide everything from basic secretarial and word processing services to accounting and consulting--and they do it all for a fraction of what it would cost a com- pany to maintain a full-time staff.

Small wonder, then, that this franchising field is growing daily. And since the belt-tightening trend shows no signs of slowing, the outlook for the future of business services is rosy, too.

On the following pages, we've selected the 50 best business service franchises in America, based on information culled from our research for Entrepreneur's 1996 Franchise 500 survey.

These ratings are not intended to endorse or recommend any particular fran- chise company; they merely provide a guideline you can use when comparing dif- ferent franchises. Entrepreneur emphasizes that you should always conduct your own thorough investigation of a company before you invest any money. Contact existing franchisees, and visit their locations. The best way to protect your- self is to do your homework. compiled by shannon Hill