Re: Employment
 

be very very careful with franchises....I know somone who only recently bought into one that was basically a big con !!! so beware

things like airport runs, property mangement, hairdressing, pool cleaning etc etc all have a million people all ready doint it, probably even more so now the way the euro is, so just make sure you research well before you make the move, migh tbe better to wait a while but good luck whatever you decide

Re: Employment
 

Franchises make good money, sure, but not for you. They make good money for the people selling you the franchise. Unless you have the money to get a franchise for a well established big name franchise like McDonalds or KFC or something, I would say it is not worth it. Many people that have bought franchises need to work 12 hours a day at the franchise to make it work. You are basically earning minimum wage or less. There are some really good franchises, but the key is location. If you are thinking about opening a franchise, don't do it until you have spent enough time in the area, scoped out locations, looked at which types of establishments are packing in the customers etc. There are a couple of ice cream/gelato/coffee franchises that always seem to be packed in Spain, but again, that is no guarantee that the owner is making a living out of the place. If you want to open a franchise, make sure you target it to the locals. With your background in pub retailing, you are probably more qualified than most to make a success of it.