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Firms Started As Franchises Have Lower Survival Rates Than Independent Small Business Startups

May 1994

Written by: Timothy Bates

Working Paper Number:

CES-94-03

Abstract

Aspiring entrepreneurs choosing to become franchisees certainly expect to improve their chances of survival during the turbulent early years of business startup and operation. Alignment with a franchiser parent company offers the franchisee managerial assistance, access to financial capital, and access to markets via the right to utilize the parent company trademark. This study examines survival patterns among franchise and nonfranchise small firms started between 1984 and 1987: survival through late 1991 is tracked for all firms. Although the franchise operations are larger scale, better capitalized young firms, the independent business startups are found to be more profitable and their survival prospects are better than those of franchises.

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:
profitability, market, company, ownership, startup, venture, entrepreneur, capital, profit, profitable, wholesale, franchising, franchise, startup firms, trademark, franchisor, franchised businesses

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:
Characteristics of Business Owners, Center for Economic Studies, Financial, Insurance and Real Estate Industries

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