nited States was the Singer Sewing Machine Company in 1851 – yes, it was that long ago. Although the first effort was not successful, possibly due to an ignorance and distrust of this marketing technique, Isaac Singer sought a means of improving the distribution of his latest improved sewing machine models.

He offered a written franchise agreement for

According to the Oxford Dictionary the origin of franchises, with respect to the etymology of the word, lies in the French ‘franche’ meaning free. However, the original use of the word in the English language referred to the granting to citizens a right to vote. It then became used in the sense of a company granting another the right to sell its products or services.

The first recorded origins of franchising as we know it is that of eighteenth century English brewers allowing others to sell their products in public houses, or ale houses as they were known then, as long as the brewers’ names were shown with the ales. Not only was the sale of the products allowed, since prior to then each ale house would brew its own ale, but also the company name. Yes it was that long ago - franchising was first attempted over 200 years ago!

This was extended in Germany in the 1840s when taverns were granted the exclusive rights to sell the products of certain breweries, and also to use the brewery name. It can be argued that this was the first true franchising since prior to that inns and taverns could not sell a brewer’s product by name unless it were their own. These rights were granted by the breweries and may even have been paid for by the taverns, which were guaranteed a regular supply of ale. The taverns got the ale and the breweries got the advertising.

The first business to offer franchises in the United States was the Singer Sewing Machine Company in 1851 – yes, it was that long ago. Although the first effort was not successful, possibly due to an ignorance and distrust of this marketing technique, Isaac Singer sought a means of improving the distribution of his latest improved sewing machine models.

He offered a written franchise agreement for

r services.

The first recorded origins of franchising as we know it is that of eighteenth century English brewers allowing others to sell their products in public houses, or ale houses as they were known then, as long as the brewers’ names were shown with the ales. Not only was the sale of the products allowed, since prior to then each ale house would brew its own ale, but also the company name. Yes it was that long ago - franchising was first attempted over 200 years ago!

This was extended in Germany in the 1840s when taverns were granted the exclusive rights to sell the products of certain breweries, and also to use the brewery name. It can be argued that this was the first true franchising since prior to that inns and taverns could not sell a brewer’s product by name unless it were their own. These rights were granted by the breweries and may even have been paid for by the taverns, which were guaranteed a regular supply of ale. The taverns got the ale and the breweries got the advertising.

The first business to offer franchises in the United States was the Singer Sewing Machine Company in 1851 – yes, it was that long ago. Although the first effort was not successful, possibly due to an ignorance and distrust of this marketing technique, Isaac Singer sought a means of improving the distribution of his latest improved sewing machine models.

He offered a written franchise agreement for

d brew its own ale, but also the company name. Yes it was that long ago - franchising was first attempted over 200 years ago!

This was extended in Germany in the 1840s when taverns were granted the exclusive rights to sell the products of certain breweries, and also to use the brewery name. It can be argued that this was the first true franchising since prior to that inns and taverns could not sell a brewer’s product by name unless it were their own. These rights were granted by the breweries and may even have been paid for by the taverns, which were guaranteed a regular supply of ale. The taverns got the ale and the breweries got the advertising.

The first business to offer franchises in the United States was the Singer Sewing Machine Company in 1851 – yes, it was that long ago. Although the first effort was not successful, possibly due to an ignorance and distrust of this marketing technique, Isaac Singer sought a means of improving the distribution of his latest improved sewing machine models.

He offered a written franchise agreement for

nce prior to that inns and taverns could not sell a brewer’s product by name unless it were their own. These rights were granted by the breweries and may even have been paid for by the taverns, which were guaranteed a regular supply of ale. The taverns got the ale and the breweries got the advertising.

The first business to offer franchises in the United States was the Singer Sewing Machine Company in 1851 – yes, it was that long ago. Although the first effort was not successful, possibly due to an ignorance and distrust of this marketing technique, Isaac Singer sought a means of improving the distribution of his latest improved sewing machine models.

He offered a written franchise agreement for

nited States was the Singer Sewing Machine Company in 1851 – yes, it was that long ago. Although the first effort was not successful, possibly due to an ignorance and distrust of this marketing technique, Isaac Singer sought a means of improving the distribution of his latest improved sewing machine models.

He offered a written franchise agreement for $100 since he did not have the capital to manufacture large numbers of his machines and realized that purchasers would have to be trained how to use the machines. Although a few people tentatively tried it, it did not take off as a marketing technique. Isaac was well ahead of his time.

John Pemberton used the method in his marketing of Coca Cola, this time more successfully, and other early examples at the beginning of the 20th century include Western Union, who offered franchises to individual telegraph operators and the start of automobile dealerships, where the dealers purchased franchises to sell specific makes of car with the stocking, supply and servicing of the dealerships being provided by the manufacturers.

Howard Dearing Johnson was the first person to start restaurant franchising in 1935, and his franchise empire grew to 150 restaurants by 1941. He saw a need for curbside and freeway restaurants and realized that he could not finance the idea himself. He therefore sold franchises to finance his restaurant empire, offering the name, products and logo to be used in exchange for a fee. William Rosenberg, founder of Dunkin' Donuts, stated Johnson as his role model in the franchise industry.

It was not until after the Second World War that franchising really took off in the United States. Petroleum companies offered distributor franchises to individual gas stations to sell their gas, an