Wall Street Journal Blogs:

Flipping through an airline magazine last night, I noticed an ad for a franchise system touting itself as “a pleasant departure from corporate America.” It struck a nerve.

I can’t tell you how many franchisees I’ve spoken with who’ve complained about corporate headquarters interfering with their business. (And we got much similar feedback when we recently wrote about Cold Stone Creamery.)

Many people enter franchising expecting to reap the autonomy and self-satisfaction of business ownership — but with perhaps a little more stability since they’re buying into a tested business model. Then reality sinks in: The franchiser dictates what they sell, whom they buy from, how they market themselves and on and on. They don’t have nearly as much freedom as they originally imagined, and will likely be reprimanded if they break the mold.

By that point, it’s usually very difficult to get out.

I suspect that it’s often the corporate-minded folks who thrive in franchising, since they’re used to all the bureaucracy and following orders. Mavericks, on the other hand, beware.

Readers, do you agree? What type of personality is best fit for franchising?

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