What Is a Franchise?

什么是品牌加盟店？

A franchise typically starts as a single business. It may be a restaurant, hair salon, fitness center or even an insurance company. The business owner determines that the business is successful enough to open a second location, but he or she does not want to open the location directly. Instead, the owner sells the opportunity to do so to a franchisee.

品牌加盟店通常以单一业务开始。它可能是一所餐馆、美发沙龙、健身房或甚至是一个保险公司。店主因为生意足够好，可以开第二家分店，但是他或她不愿意直营第二家店。作为替代，店主向一位加盟商出售开第二家分店的机会。

Many well-known and popular establishments, including but not limited to fast food restaurants, frozen yogurt shops and hardware stores, are part of franchises. Entrepreneurs who would like to own a business but would prefer not to start one from scratch can purchase a franchise directly from the corporate headquarters. They will receive the backing of a large corporate presence, but they will still own their own businesses.

许多知名和受欢迎的公司，包括但不限于快餐店、冷冻酸奶店和五金店都是属于加盟范畴。一些想做生意但又不想从头开始的的企业家可以直接从品牌加盟商购买特许经营权。他们将得到大型公司品牌形象支持，但是他们仍然拥有自己的经营权。

Purchasing a Franchise

购买特许经营权

To purchase a franchise, the applicant must have sufficient financial resources and business experience. The franchise as a whole will suffer if one location is not up to par or goes out of business. In order to maintain consistency across multiple locations and continue to develop a strong brand, franchise owners are very strict about the regulations and rules for owning and operating one of their franchises. 

购买特许经营权之前，申请者必须要有足够的财力资源和从商经验。如果此加盟店没有达到标准或者破产，整个加盟费都会打水漂。为了保持多家加盟店的一致性和强大品牌的持续发展，加盟商必须严格遵守法律规章，以拥有和经营此加盟店。

Can I won more than one franchise?

我可以拥有一个品牌的几个加盟店吗？

Whether you can own more than one franchise will depend on the rules of that particular franchise. Typically, most franchises both allow and encourage this type of behavior. It is not uncommon to meet a business owner whose goal is to continually open new locations of a single franchise in districts where he or she determines that there can be a large profit. However, some franchises restrict activity due to their own standards and distinct goals. Read the franchisee materials for a particular corporation to discover if owning multiple franchises will be restricted. 

你是否可以拥有一个品牌的几家加盟店将取决于此加盟店的规则。一般而言，大多数加盟店不但允许而且鼓励此行为。通常会有这样一位加盟商，他有在这个地方开一个品牌多家加盟店的打算，因为他发现一个地区可以赚很多钱。然而一个品牌加盟商因他们自已的标准和独特的目标限会制此行为。参考一特定公司的加盟商资料以了解拥有多家加盟店是否被限制。

How does a franchise chain start?

如何开创一家特许连锁店？

A franchise chain typically starts with a single business owner at a single location. Often, the owner has the goal of franchising the business in the future. However, it is also common for the owner to simply desire a profitable business. Once that owner determines that the business model is sound and a second location can be added, the owner will have to determine whether he or she would like to also own that second location or sell the rights to open the location to another person. If he or she decides to franchise, the business model will be solidified so a franchise can be built.

一家特许连锁店普遍开始于一位只做单业务的店主。通常，店主有未来发展加盟业务的野心。然而，对一笔盈利生意的简单渴望对店主也很正常。一旦店主认为经营模式趋于完善，而且第二家分店可以启动，店主将必须考虑他或她是否要开第二家分店，或出售开第二家分店的权利给他人。如果他或她决定加盟，此经营模式将固化，这样一家品牌加盟店便诞生了。

How much does a franchise cost?

一家品牌加盟店成本是多少？

The franchise cost of any chain will depend on the predicted profits, the location and the support of the corporation at large. A very profitable franchise, such as a large, well-known hardware store, may cost upwards of several hundreds of thousands of dollars. On the contrary, purchasing a franchise of a small tutoring company with moderate profits may cost only $20,000 to $30,000. The level of support offered at the corporate level will also affect price. For example, an independent insurance office is notoriously very entrepreneurial, meaning that the individual franchise owner has a lot of control. This may be less costly than a chain whose corporation provides more support.

连锁店的成本将取决于预期利润、连锁店位置和品牌商的支持程度。一个利润非常高的加盟店，例如一家大型知名五金店，成本可能超过几十万美元。相反，一家利润不高的小型家教公司的品牌加盟费可能只需要2万到3万美元。企业层面提供的支持程度也将影响价格。例如，一家以业务难做而闻名的独营保险公司意味着加盟商有更多的控制权。这家公司的加盟成本可能低于其它品牌商提供更多支持的加盟连锁店。

Which states are franchise registration states?

哪些州是特许经营权登记州？

In a franchise registration state, the state must register and approve all franchise documents prior to sale of any franchise. These states include:

在特许经营权登记州里，该州登记和批准所有特许经营文件必须早于任何特许经宫权的出售。这些州包括：

·         California 加里福尼亚

·         Hawaii    夏威尼

·         Illinois    伊利诺斯州

·         Indiana   印第安那州

·         Maryland  马里兰州

·         Michigan  密歇根州

·         Minnesota 明尼苏达州

·         North Dakota 北达科他州

·         New York  纽约州

·         Oregon    俄勒冈州

·         Rhode Island 罗德岛州

·         South Dakota 南达科他州

·         Virginia   弗吉尼亚州

·         Washington 华盛顿州

·         Wisconsin  威斯康新州

If you are selling a franchise anywhere in the state, these documents must be registered prior to sale. Previously, the FCC set a national requirement that you disclose your franchise documents to potential franchisees at your initial meeting. This is no longer a requirement. If you are selling a franchise across state boundaries, unique regulations may apply based on the laws of each state. Ensure you have fully researched and complied with these regulations prior to finalizing a sale.

如果你在此州的任何一个地方出售特许经营权，这些文件在出售前都必须注册。更早，FCC（美国联邦通信委员会）设定了你需要在你第一次会议时向你的潜在加盟商展示加盟文件的国家要求。此要求已不复存在。如果你跨州出售特许经营权，需根据不同州的法律运用不同的法规。在你最后出售经营权以前确保你已全了解和遵守这些法规。

What kinds of businesses can be franchised?

哪些类型的业务可以连锁加盟？

Nearly any type of business can be franchised, but most franchises are retail establishments. For example, coffee shops, yogurt shops, clothing stores, restaurants and hardware stores are commonly franchised. Beyond retail franchises, the International Franchise Association has a list of categories of potential franchise industries such as senior care, energy, truck and ATM businesses. Retail businesses tend to be the easiest business models to copy, which makes them good options for franchising. However, even complicated business models can be replicated effectively. Varying levels of control can be afforded to business owners looking for entrepreneurial opportunities. 

几乎所有的业务都可以连锁加盟，但是最常见的连锁加盟店是零售店。例如：咖啡店、酸奶店、服装店和五金店是常见的连锁加盟店。除了零售连锁加盟店外，国际特许加盟协会列出了一份潜在加盟行业的清单，其中包括高级护理、能源、卡车运输和ATM业务。零售行业可能是最简单的可复制商业模式，这让零售成为了连锁加盟的好选择。然而，即使是最复杂的商业模式也可能有效的复制。对于那些正在寻求商业机遇的企业所有人来说，他们应具备多种掌控能力。