Top marks to Jim Coen at Franchise Perfection for bringing up a very important topic.
He posted a great article called Franchise Statistics Debunked Again! on his Let’s Talk Franchising blog and Blue MauMau.
I could not agree with him more: I get really, REALLY irritated when self=serving numbers are thrown around. The unsubstantiated drivel that comes out of the United Kingdom is especially horrendous.
Jim:
These misrepresentations just bug the hell out of me. I first wrote about it back in 2006
Those bogus statistics seemed to go away after that article. Well they are back in full force all over broker websites:
I have never been able to substantiate any of the statistics below or find the study where they came from.
Thanks for Michael for picking it up on his weblog under False Franchising Numbers. It reflects very badly on the listed websites and consumers should vote with their feet.
- A professional does not knowlingly misrepresent facts. Only deal with pros like Jim and Michael.
Clean up your Act, Please
Franchise Next, Roger Wildermuth, Gloria Warner, Austin, Texas – http://www.franchisenext.com/inner/faq.htm
Global Biz Choice, B. Alan Layne, ? – http://www.gbizchoice.com/page/page/2765698.htm
Smart Choice Franchises Corp., ?, Philadelphia, PA – http://www.smartchoicefinancial.net/franchise/statistics.html
Stonebridge Business Advisors, Jeff Burridge, Sinking Spring, PA – http://www.stonebridgebusinessadvisors.com/franchising.html
Free Franchise Consultant, Michael Belveduto, ? – http://freefranchiseconsultant.net/FRANCHISE_STATISTICS.html
Franchise Sales Inc., ?, ?: http://franchise-sales-net.com/franchise_facts_and_statistics.asp
Career Potential LLC, Ford R. Myers, PA – http://www.careerpotential.com.yourtempsite.com/articles/franchising-information.html
Franchise Industries LLC, Phil, ? – http://www.franchiseindustries.com/franchise_industries_franchises_for_sale_statistics.html
FranchiseFool.com 
Always liked and respected Jim Coen who honestly posted on Blue Mau Mau that he KNEW thast churning existed and thought that it was an ugly practice. At this same time, Dale Nabors, the new owner of Cuppy’s Coffee, was posting on Blue Mau Mau that he was not aware of “churning” and didn’t understand what the word meant.
The use of inaccurate statistics to push franchising is malicious and legal, apparently. If even the SBA doesn’t have accurate statistics on what small loans are actually franchises and on what small franchise loans have failed, what hope is there that this practice of throwing around inaccurate numbers on franchising will ever be stopped.
Why did the Department of Commerce in the USA stop gathering its own statistics? Certainly, we should have honesty in government statistics?
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