While the rest of the country worries about the downturn in the economy, the franchising industry appears clearly able to maintain its steady output.

Franchising has a track record of outperforming independent businesses during times of economic upheaval.  One of the biggest reasons for this is security.  Corporations tend to downsize when times are tough and layoffs have become an all too common theme.  Thus, workers will look towards self employment and owning their own businesses.  But after some research, it doesn't take long to see the many benefits of a proven business model along with corporate support versus starting a business from scratch on your own.

In fact, the franchising industry has become a key component of the national economy and there is data to support this.  PricewaterhouseCoopers conducted a detailed study of the economic impact of franchised businesses.  The study found that between 2001 and 2005, there were 140,000 new franchise establishments added across the country, a growth rate of more than 18 percent for the industry.

Even more telling is the fact that the economic output due to franchising increased by more than 40 percent as compared to a 26% increase from all other businesses.  Further, other businesses had a 3% increase in employment while franchising showed a 12% increase in new workers.