Want to own your own business, but are unsure whether to go out on your own or buy into a franchise? Kristy Sheppard weighs up the options

More businesses than ever before are embracing franchising

Don’t expect customers to connect the dots in a vague and miserly branding and marketing campaign - To make a franchise work, you need to understand its point of difference and then you need to flaunt it

The entrepreneurial spirit of a small business owner can sometimes be at odds with rigorous business systems - Domini Stuart looks at various models to find out how business systems can enhance operations but still allow the business to change and evolve

Franchising is a popular choice with Australians wanting to buy into a business that has structure and a proven track-record

As a way of developing your business, franchising has a lot to offer - but, Cameron Bayley finds there’s a lot involved before and after you hand over your processes to a franchisee

Retail has dominated the franchise industry in recent years, but Rebecca Spicer finds service industries are getting in on the action as the franchise sector becomes increasingly more diversified

Despite the possible benefits for your business, knowing the best time to franchise or buy into a franchise can be difficult

Is franchising the way to go? That depends, on the way you go about it - Monica Higgins takes a look at some of our most successful models to find out what they’re doing right