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After
their brand and formula are carefully designed and properly executed,
franchisors are able to expand rapidly across countries and continents,
and can earn profits commensurate with their contribution to those
societies. Additionally, the franchisor may choose to leverage the
franchise to build a distribution network.
Franchisers often offer franchisees significant training, which
is not available for free to individuals starting up their own business.
For some consumers, having franchises offer a consistent product
or service makes life easier. They know what to expect when entering
a franchised establishment. See franchise validation.
Disadvantages
For franchisees, the main disadvantage of franchising is a loss
of control. While they gain the use of a system, trademarks, assistance,
training, and marketing, the franchisee is required to follow the
system and get approval for changes from the franchisor. For these
reasons, franchisees and entrepreneurs are very different.
It can be expensive. Because of standards set by the franchisor,
the franchisee often has no choice as to signage, shop fitting,
uniforms etc. and may not be allowed to source less expensive alternatives.
Added to that is the franchise fee and ongoing royalties and advertising
contributions. The franchisee may also be contractually bound to
spend money on upgrading or alterations as demanded by the franchisor
from time to time.
In response to the soaring popularity of franchising, an increasing
number of communities are taking steps to limit these chain businesses
and reduce displacement of independent businesses through limits
on "formula businesses." Another problem is that the franchisor/franchisee
relationship can easily cause conflict if either side is incompetent.
For example, an incompetent franchisee can easily damage the public's
goodwill towards the franchisor's brand by providing inferior goods
and services, and an incompetent franchisor can destroy its franchisees
by failing to promote the brand properly or by squeezing them too
aggressively for profits./
A computer is a machine for manipulating
data according to a list of instructions.
Computers take numerous physical forms. Early electronic computers
were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several
hundred modern personal computers. Today, computers can be made
small enough to fit into a wrist watch and be powered from a watch
battery. Society has come to recognize personal computers and their
portable equivalent, the laptop computer, as icons of the information
age; they are what most people think of as "a computer".
However, the most common form of computer in use today is by far
the embedded computer. Embedded computers are small, simple devices
that are often used to control other devices—for example,
they may be found in machines ranging from fighter aircraft to industrial
robots, digital cameras, and even children's toys.
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