The rigorous selection process adopted by the Source Book Publications staff in choosing the Top 100 Franchises was contingent upon the following criteria:

• Brand Name Recognition: We chose both companies that have already established a strong brand identification and companies that are in the process of establishing a recognizable identity.

• Product Quality: A Top 100 Franchise must produce what is regarded to be a high-quality product or service.

• Litigation: Item 3 of a franchise's UFOC - a list of relevant court cases involving the company - was taken into account during the selection process. If a franchisor had no legal problems or a only few inconsequential court cases, then it was a viable candidate for the Top 100.

• Historical Performance : Top 100 Franchises are analyzed by their revenue growth, profitability and shareholder returns (if applicable) since their first year of franchising. Key underlying financial issues and trends are also taken into consideration.

• Market Dynamics: Top 100 Franchises are noted for their ability to adapt to changing market conditions, handle potential industry volatility and turn trends into business opportunities.

• Franchisee Satisfaction: Happy franchisees are the foundation of a successful franchise; thus, all companies aspiring to become Top 100 Franchises should demonstrate a high franchisee satisfaction rate.

• Training Program: All of the Top 100 companies have stong, comprehensive training programs that include both classroom and on-site training.

• On-Going Support: In order to be included in the Top 100, a company must provide exceptional ongoing support for its franchisees: continual managerial aid, advertising assistance, access to the operations manual, etc.

• The Exclusive Territory Awarded to Franchisees: Most of the companies in the Top 100 have an exclusive area policy, in which the franchisor agrees that it will not establish another competing location within a given radius of the franchisee.

• Financial Stability: Only those franchises that demonstrated financial stability were considered for inclusion as a Top 100 Franchise.

Top 100 companies have company profiles and customized write-ups published both in the annual directory and on the web. To view samples of published profiles and write-ups featured in the 2006 Edition of Bond's Top 100 Franchises, click on the following icons:

All members of the World Franchise Network are elligible for inclusion in Bond's Top 100 Franchises. For more information on how to take advantage of this unique opportunity, click here.

Feel free to visit our homepage at www.worldfranchising.com to further explore the World of Franchising. For imformation regarding our new and improved web interface, please refer to Article 1: The New Look of World Franchising.