Griffith Uni asks: Franchising better than independent business?

Griffith University's Asia-Pacific Centre for Franchising Excellence is being funded to explore if franchising is more sustainable than independent business.

Last month the Australian Research Council (ARC) announced nearly $300,000 for the linkage project, Survival of the Fittest: The performance of franchised versus independent small business during economic uncertainty and recovery being conducted by Griffith University. 

Industry partners, the Franchise Council of Australia and the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research are also contributing significantly to the project.

The project team will be led by centre director and professor Lorelle Frazer and also includes centre deputy director Scott Weaven with centre researcher and associate professor Debra Grace.

Professor Frazer said the project will shed light on the topic of franchise survival and whether franchising is a more sustainable business model.

"The project will investigate factors influencing small business survival, both independent and franchised, in regional and urban localities, in periods of economic uncertainty and recovery," Prof. Frazer said.

"Through the research we hope to identify key survival factors for small businesses, as well as to what extent small business survival strategies influence business performance in these uncertain times," she said.

Results will provide business owners and peak bodies with tools to improve business performance in periods of economic uncertainty and recovery.

Preliminary findings from the study will be released next year with final results available in 2011.

www.franchising.org.au

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