You want fries with that?

Franchising is a major force in the American economy. According to one source, it accounts for nearly half of all retail activity in the US. Franchises include familiar names like McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts, Blockbuster, Pizza, Hut, Motel 6. There are also franchises in industries like health care services, real estate, financial services, travel, and even education. Udo Schlentrich is the director of the William Rosenberg International Center for Franchising. The Rosenberg Center was created with funding from William Rosenberg, the founder of Dunkin' Donuts. He talks to John about why franchising is such a success, what makes a good franchise operation and some of the downsides of franchising: displacing independent businesses and the homogenization of America. He'll also talk about working with Bill Rosenberg in creating the Center.