Free advisory services create an entrepreneurial opportunity

This paper discusses the dualistic characteristics of franchising as a means for aspiring entrepreneurs to enter the business arena with their own start‐up venture. It discusses an alternative to franchising. A methodology referred to as “Sources and uses of information” is introduced and used to demonstrate the availability of information required to make important decisions related to the marketing of a business, business idea, or product line. The paper provides readers with an opportunity to experience how information is presented on the information highway and contains a number of representative URL hotlinks embedded in the context. The format used was designed to help familiarize readers new to the Internet with how “links” are used to connect similar topics.