Sure - and franchises are actively marketed, by a commission sales force and any number of people who get a 'finders fee' should you happen to sign up through their channel. There is an active push to herd people into franchises.

They tend to target unemployed middle-aged managers, since that audience is often driven by ego to "be the boss" and has the disposable funds to pony up a large setup fee. I was aggressively targeted when I was laid off last year.

What they didn't know - until we got on the phone - is I'm the target prospect from hell. I certainly have the funds; however, I got them via two decades of finance and strategy work. Old habits die hard. Due Diligence? Don't mind if I do...

I was polite but I laid out my expectations in financial terms based on investments in businesses of similar size. Actual deals which I had managed. Made it clear I had the funds to deliver if they could meet my goals in writing.

They ran like hell.