Microfranchising
Description
Tina Rosenberg:
'Franchises support one in eight jobs in America, and they are very successful. Most new businesses fail, but franchises do well. It’s not hard to see why. A franchise is a business that has been tested over and over. It has an assured supply chain, low-cost inputs (because the franchiser can buy in bulk), training for managers and a trusted brand.
Micro-franchisees get the same things on a smaller scale — and they need them even more. Microcredit in its classic form considers lack of credit to be the only obstacle to business creation. It isn’t. Most people aren’t entrepreneurs. “It’s much more realistic and simple to train someone to be a manager than an entrepreneur.” said Jason Fairbourne, a Provo, Utah-based microfranchising consultant who has written books and articles about the subject. “Microfranchising is the provision of the full business package. The franchisee just has to follow the steps.” (http://themicrofranchisingblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/17/the-new-york-times-microfranchise/)
Example
- “The ‘Avon Ladies’ of Africa”. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/the-avon-ladies-of-africa/