“Avoid anything that looks like a fad.” That’s what the co-author of “Franchising for Dummies” told reporter Richard Gibson in an interview for an article about buying a franchise amid a business downturn.

Prospective franchisees looking to follow that advice may want to consider jump-starting their research with our list 25 Franchise High Performers.

[3] The brands on the list are the kind of established systems likely to have the experience and financial strength to see their businesses through a choppy economy.

Of course these franchise concepts won’t be a good fit for everyone, but the list might offer guideposts to those just starting to dig into the myriad of options available.

While the credit crunch is expected to slow the growth of franchising, at the same time, a recession could end up fueling interest in the business route.

“The increase in unemployment will certainly bring more people and more franchise sales in 2008,” says Marc Kiekenapp, head of franchise broker KRA Franchising LLC in Scottsdale, Ariz. Some 50-somethings who have been laid off and have trouble finding a new job, he says, “enter the franchise industry to, really, buy themselves a job.”

Have you considered buying a franchise? What were the pivotal factors in the decision you ultimately made?

– Raymund Flandez contributed to this post.
http://blogs.wsj.com/independentstreet/2008/02 ...