As the number of business failures rises, so many budding entrepreneurs look towards the safer option of franchising.

There are more than 34,500 franchises in the UK with a turnover of more than �9bn.

And 93% of them are making a profit.

Malachy Miller, for many years a call centre manager in the Northampton area, started looking at franchise options two years ago at an exhibition in Birmingham.

For him the idea of starting up alone was never really an option.

Less risk

"Unless you have an idea or product that will turn everything upside down then this is better than simply going it alone," he says.

Mal Miller

"Franchises allow you to minimise the risk and you're buying into something that's already there.

"You've a better chance of being successful. "

Mal wanted to be in the food business, and being an Irishman the O'Briens chain appealed.

O'Briens, an Irish sandwich bar chain, has been going for 14 years and there are already 80 franchises in the UK.

What most impressed Mal when he first saw the franchise at the show, was that the stand was being run by existing franchisees, all of whom were very happy with their relationship with O'Briens.

Hard work

Once Mal decided on which franchise to go for, the work really started.

The next two years involved much research, financial planning, training, and many hours spent finding the right property.

Financially, the franchise option is no easy option.

The commitment to making the business work has to be supported by hard cash.

In Mal's case, O'Briens were looking for an �80,000 investment up front, of which half was to be made up of his own capital.

The bulk of this was spent on the shopfitting for the new premises in the centre of Northampton.

Good value

In addition to the initial outlay, O'Briens will also take a 9% cut of the profits each week.

This may sound like a lot but Mal feels that the support from O'Briens is worth it.

This support comes in the form of marketing, training and negotiations with suppliers.

The might of a bigger organisation means better pricing, guaranteed deliveries, and more bargaining power.

"If I have any issues I can contact O Briens," he says.

"I constantly use their marketing but day to day you're trusted and common sense generally prevails."

Mal and his wife, Dawn, opened their first store in March this year, and so far, business is looking good.

Rigorous

"If you're prepared to take a few risks then you shouldn't have any concerns about being a franchisee.

"In my case O'Briens have been successful all over the world and have a rigorous selection process for their franchisees, so I'm confident it should be fine."

The Millers' agreement with O'Briens gives them the opportunity to develop further outlets in the Northampton area, and they are already thinking of opening a second sandwich shop and developing the outside catering side of the business.

But as Mal says, franchising is not an easy option.

"I've always had the idea of working for myself.

"It's very challenging, but there's lots of upheaval involved in starting up a franchise business.

"You need lots of commitment.

"O'Briens support you but ultimately it's down to you to make it happen."

Warning

If you're thinking of starting up your own franchise, Simon Wise of the British Franchise Association has some words of warning.

"First of all you should check that the organisation is bona fide, and a good way of doing this is to make sure that the franchise is a registered member of the BFA," he says.

You should also check the viability of the potential business.

Can the franchise demonstrate a sound business background with no record of failures?

Talk to other franchisees about their experiences and if you're unsure of anything, get some external advice, especially on the financial side.

But finally, as with any other business venture, you must be sure about your commitment.

Big investment

While far more franchise ventures succeed compared to other forms of new business, a franchise will require a big investment of time and finances, particularly in the early stages.

"Any individual can run their own business using the back-up and support of a national organisation," says Simon.

"It gives you an established brand name and a proven system, but it's still hard work."

For some franchisees though, the established brand can prove a poisoned chalice.

Dire straits

The Pierre Victoire franchise was a High Street name in the early 1990s.

Known for their high quality French food at rock bottom prices, the chain quickly spread through its franchise business around the UK.

But in 1998, with 110 units, the company was in financial straits and receivership would soon follow.

"At the start it was great, but the problems once they set in snowballed," says Mark Simmonds, a former Pierre Victoire franchisee.

Mark Simmonds

"All of the franchisees were paying in lots of money with little or no return."

The problem, according to Mark, was that the company grew too quickly.

Failure

The overheads were so great that the company was forced to take on as many franchisees as possible, and with the company operating on very tight margins, it meant that many businesses couldn't be sustained.

The Pierre Victoire brand name was still a good marketing tool, but the support failed badly.

Franchisees were no longer being provided with the chefs for their restaurants which was part of the deal.

And as the publicity about the failing business grew, the name itself became a burden.

"When we realised we weren't getting the support we stopped paying in to the company," says Mark.

Mark pulled out in 1999 after the Pierre Victoire business had been taken out of receivership once, but was already floundering.

He's been running his own business, a successful restaurant on the Pierre Victoire site in Windsor, ever since.

Lessons

Mark has some good advice for potential franchisees: