With few job opportunities, people are looking at starting up franchises. In fact, I recently talked to someone who said that the upcoming Franchise Expo conference has seen a doubling of registrations.

But according to the Wall Street Journal [a paid publication], there are signs that the credit crunch is taking a toll on franchises.

After all, the upfront costs for a franchise can be significant. Moreover, there are the expenses for upkeep and maintenance.

Some of the franchises that are looking to pull back on expansion include major operators like Sonic Corp. (NASDAQ: SONC), Panera Bread (NASDAQ: PNRA) and so on as different finance firms such as GE's (NYSE: GE) capital arm and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) are showing some restraint and putting a squeeze on financing.

Basically, until the capital markets stabilize and credit gets back to normal, it can be tough times for those who want to jump into the franchise game.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He is also the founder of BizEquity, a valuation website

A franchise can be a great way to start your entry into self-employment -- and strong income. Yet, there are still risks -- such as with site locations and hiring employees -- and lots of upfront costs.

But there is another approach; that is, purchasing an existing franchise (which is known as a "resale"). What are some things to consider? Well, let's take a look:

Track Record: With some due diligence, you can determine whether a franchise is successful or not. Besides getting the financials, you can talk to customers as well as vendors.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD) took another step in narrowing its focus to its core business yesterday, announcing the sale of its Boston Market business to private equity firm Sun Capital Partners, Inc. The company did not divulge the sale price.

McDonald's purchased the chain in 2000, when aggregation was the hot button in the industry, for $173.5 million. Boston Market currently has $180 million in assets and $89.1 million of liabilities.

The move makes senses for both parties. Much like its earlier divestiture of Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG), cutting Boston Market loose will free up more cash for McDonald's to reinvest in growing the mother ship, and will further eliminate distractions to its strategic plan.

For Sun Capital Partners, the expertise gained by the management of its other holdings in the restaurant industry, including Real Mex, Bruegger's Bagels, Fazoli's, Garden Fresh and Souper Salad, should aid it in maximizing the value of the Boston Market brand.

Buffalo Wild Wings-(NYSE: BWLD) August volatility Elevated at 98 into 7/31 EPS. The company owns, operates and franchises 445 restaurants featuring chicken wings. BWLD is recently up .28 to $39.54. It will report EPS after the close on July 31st. BWLD August option implied volatility of 98 is above its 26-week average of 42 according to Track Data, suggesting larger risk.

Indymac Bancorp-(NYSE: IMB) August volatility Elevated at 110 into 7/31 EPS. Indymac, the 7th largest savings and loan and the 9th largest mortgage originator in the nation, will report EPS on July 31. Shares are recently down .48 to $22.61 on subprime mortgage concerns. IMB call option volume of 4,261 contracts compares to put volume of 13,489 contracts. IMB August option implied volatility of 110 is above its 26-week average of 44 according to Track Data, suggesting larger risk.

Disney-(NYSE: DIS) August volatilities up as expected into 8/1 EPS. Disney is expected to report EPS of .55 cents after the close on 8/1 according to Thomson First Call. CIBC has a $40 price target on DIS. DIS August option implied volatility of 27 is above its 26-week average of 21 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

Time Warner-(NYSE: TWX) August volatility Elevated at 31 into EPS & Outlook. TWX is expected to report EPS of .21 cents on 8/1. TWX August option implied volatility of 31 is above its 26-week average of 21 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

Daily options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

The CEO of Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) has decided that the only way to get his bottlers around the world to do a better job of making and selling Coke is to get in there and run them himself.

Coke has begun a program [subscription required] to buy local bottlers and change their management or load their boards with Coke allies. Although some Coke bottlers are independent, others are majority or minority owned by the big soft drink operation.

Coke's program has paid off. Operating profits from bottlers where Coke has a stake are up from $1.6 billion in 1999 to $4.1 billion last year. But, Coke thinks that there is more improvement on the horizon.

The company's plan to improve sales, marketing, and manufacturing is not unlike programs at fast food chains, auto companies, and retailers like Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX). Large local operations in important markets can be critical to the financial health of the parent. Coke is being more aggressive than most and it would appear that it's getting results.

Douglas A. McIntyre is a partner in 24/7 Wall St.

Franchising has been the saving grace for many small business owners who would like to launch their own businesses while getting help on key start-up decisions like location, equipment, inventories, sales and marketing, and operational logistics.

In fact, many franchises are extremely affordable (all things considered) ways to go into business for yourself, from home-based franchises (like Jani-King), to location-based franchises (like Jackson Hewitt or McDonald's). (Check out Entrepreneur Magazine's 2007 list of the top 100 franchises if you're in the market for a new business.)

If not, a far easier and lower cost way to get involved with some of these top franchises is to buy the stocks. I looked at Entrepreneur's list with an eye toward figuring out which ones would have also been good investments for your portfolio.

This post is written as part of AOL Money & Finance's Best & Worst of 2006. Vote for meal prep companies as the up and comer of 2006, or check out the other nominees in the category.

Dream Dinners. Super Suppers. My Girlfriend's Kitchen. Supper Thyme USA. Chop Shop Kitchens. What's for Dinner. Dinner by Design. The list goes on. If you've got families in your city, town or burg, it seems, you've got meal preparation franchises.

The concept is this: You pay some amount that might seem reasonable, or outrageous, depending on your budget, but is typically quite a bit less than if you were eating out, although little more than if you were just grocery shopping on your own. Say, $200 for two weeks' worth of dinners for a family of four. You show up at a franchise, where there are lots of cutting boards and ingredients, you chop and sprinkle and stir and Ziploc, and at the end of the night you have a few grocery bags full of meals you can pull out of the freezer, stick into the oven, and -- bingo! -- you don't have to cook dinner for two weeks.

It's a good idea. It's one of those ideas that has thousands of entrepreneurial types around the country scratching their heads and saying, "why didn't I think of that?" And most of them decide that it doesn't matter who thought of it, they'll do it, too. They set up an account with SYSCO Corporation (NYSE:SYY), they get their license from the appropriate health board, buy a bunch of measuring cups and a few cookbooks, and before you know it: Gourmet Your Way. Or Simply Homemade. Or Chef Dane's. Or (my personal favorite name) Mom's Meals for a Month. Pretty much got your concept, your target market statement, and your name all wrapped up into one! Presto-businesso.