Chapter 1: Introduction to Franchising: What Every Entrepreneur Should Know

In the U.S., the Singer Sewing Machine Company is often linked to franchising. However, the company did not offer franchises as we view them today. Instead, in 1851, it grew by constructing local offices that were independently managed by their respective employees. According to the International Franchise Association, the first modern-day franchisor was likely Martha Matilda Harper, a Canadian-American who began to franchise the Harper Method Shops in 1891.