有声英文阅读-开间专卖店

AN INTRODUCTION TO FRANCHISING¹
开间专卖店

Back in 1954, Ray Kroc was already in his 50s when he persuaded the McDonald brothers to let him be responsible for a franchising operation. He expanded their clean, efficient, assembly-line style of marketing² hamburgers from one location to more than 200 in just seven years. When Kroc died a billionaire in 1984, McDonald's fast-food restaurants were found in all corners of the globe and Kroc was extolled³ as the “Father of Franchising.”

In recent decades, franchising has grown increasingly popular and widespread. Sales from franchises⁵ in the United States more than doubled during the 1980s, the period of the most extensive growth for this creative form of business. Especially prevalent in the retail⁶ sector⁷, businesses where franchising has established a strong presence include fast-food outlets⁹, convenience stores, automobile¹⁰ rental¹¹ agencies, and service stations.

Franchising, in brief, is a system of business based on a legal arrangement in which one party---the franchisee---agrees with the franchise⁴ owners to produce and market their goods or services on a local or regional basis. The franchise owner provides operating systems such as advertising¹² and accounting¹³. This system has enabled many entrepreneurs to realize their dream of owning their own business where normally it would have been impossible for them to go it alone.

The reasons for the spectacular growth of franchising are not hard to identify. To begin with, a franchise operation has already identified a potential market and created a product to fit a consumer need. This is especially true of fast-food stores, which have kept pace with the changing outlook of modern societies.

In addition, buying a franchise from an established company, while not guaranteeing success, will at least diminish the risk of failure. While around 30 percent of independent small companies go bust¹⁴ within the first two years, the failure rate for first-time franchisees¹⁵ is only at around five percent.

Another reason why so many inexperienced entrepreneurs turn to franchising is the support usually provided by the parent company. Established accounting, management, supply, and control systems give franchisees the benefit of previously¹⁶ accumulated business experience while still allowing a limited amount of independence.

Franchising, then, is considered by many to be the ideal way to enter business for the first time. Prospective¹⁷ franchisees, however, are well advised to properly research the nature of the industry and the background of the franchise holder¹⁸ before committing themselves and their money. Get it right, and the rewards can be considerable. In the words of Colonel Sanders of KFC fame, “buying a franchise is probably the quickest, easiest, and most successful way of becoming an entrepreneur.” And he should know.

1. extoll v. 颂扬
2. prevalent a. 普遍的
3. outlet⁸ n. 批发商店，经销商
4. entrepreneur n. 企业家，创业者
5. spectacular a. 壮观的，戏剧性的
6. outlook n. 展望，前景
7. go bust phr.v. 破产
8. accumulated a. 累积的

 

早在1954年，雷·克劳克说服麦当劳兄弟让他负责经营一家专卖店时，他已年过50。短短7年内，他便将麦当劳销售汉堡所采用的既卫生又高效率的生产线风格，从一处发展到200多处。1984年，克劳克去世时，他已成为亿万富翁，麦当劳快餐店已遍布世界各个角落，克劳克也被誉为“专卖店行业之父”。

近几十年来，专卖店日渐普及并受到广泛的欢迎。20世纪80年代是这种富于创造性的行业发展幅度最大的时期，美国专卖店的销售量增加了一倍多。专卖店中占有很高比重的行业包括快餐店、便民商店、汽车租赁机构，以及加油站等，零售业尤其普遍。

简单地说，特许经营是建立在合法协议基础之上的一种商业体制，协议一方——得到授权者同意的特许经营人在当地或某个地域内制造和销售他们的产品或提供服务。授权者负责提供营运机制，如广告和会计等。这种体制使许多创业者实现了他们的梦想，拥有了他们自己原本无法独力经营的事业。

找出特许经营行业迅速发展的原因并不难。首先，专卖经营已经确定了潜在的市场，也创造出了符合顾客需求的商品。这一点对于与现代社会瞬息万变的境况共同前进的快餐店尤为适用。

此外，买下一家已具规模的公司的特许经营权，虽然不保证一定成功，但至少降低了失败的风险。独立经营的小公司约有30%在头两年内破产，而首次参与特许经营失败的比率仅为百分之五左右。

许多缺乏经验的创业者选择特许经营的另一个原因，就是母公司通常都会给予支援。既定的会计、管理、供应和控制系统，让经销商从前人累积的商业经验中获益，同时仍然保持一定的独立性。

因此，许多人都认为开专卖店是初入商场的理想的选择。然而，打算投身这一行业的企业家在将自身和金钱投入进去之前，建议先仔细彻底地研究这家企业的性质和授权人的背景。做得好，报酬会很可观。如著名的肯德基的桑德斯上校所说：“也许买个专卖店是成为企业家最快、最简单也最容易成功的方法。”而且他应该知道得很清楚。

1 franchising   

v.给…以特许权，出售特许权( franchise的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Franchising has costs as well as benefits for the economy. 对整个经济来说特许经销有利也有弊。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Franchising, a practice adaptable to small business, has increased greatly in recent years. 近年来适用于小企业的特许经销发展得很快。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

2 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

3 extolled   

v.赞颂，赞扬，赞美( extol的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school. 他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Tessenow decried the metropolis and extolled the peasant virtues. 特森诺夫痛诋大都市，颂扬农民的美德。 来自辞典例句

4 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。

5 franchises   

n.（尤指选举议员的）选举权( franchise的名词复数 )；参政权；获特许权的商业机构（或服务）；（公司授予的）特许经销权v.给…以特许权，出售特许权( franchise的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• TV franchises will be auctioned to the highest bidder. 电视特许经营权将拍卖给出价最高的投标人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ford dealerships operated as independent franchises. 福特汽车公司的代销商都是独立的联营商。 来自辞典例句

6 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

7 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

8 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

9 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

11 rental   

n.租赁，出租，出租业

参考例句：

• The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。
• We can organise car rental from Chicago O'Hare Airport.我们可以安排提供从芝加哥奥黑尔机场出发的租车服务。

12 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

13 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

14 bust   

vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部

参考例句：

• I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
• She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。

15 franchisees   

n.特许经营人( franchisee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Works on these franchisees' facilities were moving ahead rapidly. 这些专营设施的工程正迅速推展。 来自互联网
• Another good source of information about a franchise is other franchisees. 另一个了解特许经营的可靠信息源是其他经营者。 来自互联网

16 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

17 prospective   

adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的

参考例句：

• The story should act as a warning to other prospective buyers.这篇报道应该对其他潜在的购买者起到警示作用。
• They have all these great activities for prospective freshmen.这会举办各种各样的活动来招待未来的新人。

18 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。