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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
ECONOMICS REPORT - Franchises2
By Mario Ritter
Broadcast: Friday, January 09, 2004
This is Bob Doughty3 with the VOA Special English Economics Report.
Success does not come easily to a small business. The United States Small Business Administration says fifty percent fail in the first year. The government agency says ninety-five percent of small businesses fail within five years.
Many owners believe one way to improve their chance of success is to buy an already recognized business through a franchise1. A franchise provides a name and products that people know. One of the best known franchising4 companies in the world, for example, is McDonald's.
A person who wants to start a franchise must pay a fee. This amount of money depends on how much the franchising company expects the new business to earn. To open a McDonald's franchise costs at least five-hundred-thousand dollars in fees.
Franchise fees for some other companies are only a few thousand dollars. However, store space, goods and other things needed to operate a franchise may cost a lot more.
Franchise buyers agree to pay a percentage of their earnings5 every year for the right to operate the business. They also must agree to pay for marketing6 efforts. A percentage of earnings goes to national advertising7. Another percentage may go to local advertising.
The franchising company must approve where the new business will be. The contract agreement will also require the owner to observe a number of rules. These may restrict where the new franchise can do business. Contracts usually remain in effect for as long as twenty years.
Franchise owners must be prepared to work hard. But experts also say that some companies provide only limited training and other support. They say owners should make sure they understand what they can expect, and what is expected of them.
In the United States there are more than three-hundred thousand small business franchises. The Wall Street Journal says franchises operate in about seventy-five industries. They produce one-million-million dollars in sales a year. And they employ one in every sixteen Americans workers.
Franchises are a very big kind of small business. Like any other kind of business, though, there is no guarantee of success.
There is an International Franchise Association. The Web site for the group is franchise-dot-o-r-g.
This VOA Special English Economics Report was written by Mario Ritter. This is Bob Doughty.
1 franchise | |
n.特许,特权,专营权,特许权 | |
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2 franchises | |
n.(尤指选举议员的)选举权( franchise的名词复数 );参政权;获特许权的商业机构(或服务);(公司授予的)特许经销权v.给…以特许权,出售特许权( franchise的第三人称单数 ) | |
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3 doughty | |
adj.勇猛的,坚强的 | |
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4 franchising | |
v.给…以特许权,出售特许权( franchise的现在分词 ) | |
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5 earnings | |
n.工资收人;利润,利益,所得 | |
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6 marketing | |
n.行销,在市场的买卖,买东西 | |
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7 advertising | |
n.广告业;广告活动 a.广告的;广告业务的 | |
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