A successful franchise company can be analogized to a three legged stool with a handful of marbles balanced precariously on top. The three legs of the stool represent the franchisee, the franchisor and the consumer. All three legs must be equal or the marbles roll off; nobody gets them!     THE CONSUMER BENEFITS BY:   The comfort of making purchases through a large, reliable organization.   Consistent quality of products or services.   A better selection of up-to-date, tested inventory from which to choose.   Many convenient locations.   Better trained employees and managers to serve them.   Familiar store configurations and merchandise selection.   The key words are consistency, comfort, and convenience. Consumers everywhere have learned to demand this level of service wherever they shop; large chains and other franchises have conditioned them to expect it .     THE FRANCHISEE BENEFITS BY:   Being able to open a new business, but avoiding costly start-up mistakes by drawing upon the experience of the Franchisor.   Offering the very latest inventory or services because of ongoing research and development.   Attracting new customers to their location that are presold on their identity because of prior good experience with the Franchisor or other Franchisees.   Being part of a larger team with the same goals and objectives. Synergism.   Coat-tailing on the identity created by the combined advertising dollars spent by the Franchisor and all other Franchisees.   It has been said that owning a franchise is like being in business for yourself but not by yourself. As the Franchise System gains life and momentum, the Franchisor and all of the Franchisees become committed to the success of each member--as each member grows, the system grows, and in turn so do all of the participants.     THE FRANCHISOR BENEFITS BY:   Solving the greatest obstacles to growth, that of obtaining capital and committed management talent to run new locations.   The creation of additional income streams from franchise fees and royalties.   Rapidly building a much larger identity which draws more customers to all locations.   Higher profit margins because of the larger quantities of merchandise purchased through the Franchise System.   The ability to better compete in the marketplace against large chains.   Progressing from the role of a local business owner to that of a national Franchisor can be an extremely rewarding experience, both financially and emotionally. It is a whole new field with different rules and responsibilities. For the businessperson who has reached his or her peak of accomplishments in their existing field, franchising provides the opportunity for stunning personal growth from sharing the acquired knowledge of their industry with others.