Suppose you are an international entrepreneur and want to open your own franchise somewhere in Europe. You decide to conduct research to identify the most appropriate franchise and to learn how to become a franchisee. Entrepreneur.com publishes an annual list of the top 200 franchisors seeking international franchisees. Visit www.entrepreneur.com for the list or search for “franchising” at globalEDGE ™. Choose the franchise that interests you most (for example, Subway, ServiceMaster, Century 21), and visit its corporate Web site. Based on information from the Web site, as well as globalEDGE™ and Hoovers.com, address the following questions:
a. How many franchised operations does this firm have outside its home country?
b. What are the major countries in which the firm has franchises? Are there any patterns in terms of the countries where this firm is established?
c. According to the application information provided at the corporate site, what qualifications is the firm seeking in new franchisees?
d. What types of training and support does the firm provide for its franchisees?