re you thinking about buying into a mobile storage franchise? plenty to know about plenty to know about how that translates to the mobile storage you sign on the dotted line. First of all, you need to have a clear understanding of the franchising model. Franchising is a method of distributing goods and services to consumers. The franchise system owns the right to the trademark of the business. The franchisee purchases the right to use the trademark and operating system. While most people associate franchising with fast food restaurants, franchising is not all burgers and fries. There is a myriad of other franchised businesses, including everything from advertising to automobile repairs, printing services to party supplies, and more. In fact, there are about 1,500 franchise companies operating in the U.S. doing business through more than 315,000 retail units, according to the International Franchise Association (IFA). Emerging trends in franchising include services and education, telecommunications consulting, home repair, senior citizen personal care, and, yes, mobile storage. Mobile Storage franchisors include PODS, Mobile Attic, MyWay Mobile Storage, and SmartBox, among others. But franchising is not for everybody. Find out the pros and cons of franchising mobile storage from proponents on both sides of the franchising fence. M28 Mobile Self-Storage Magazine Third Quarter 2010