The FPB, which has its headquarters in Knutsford, Cheshire, believes that franchising could be a solution for some firms that are still in a position to expand but are struggling to raise the finance from banks at the moment.

Nick Palin, the FPB's Director of Finance, has been instrumental in developing the campaign for the benefit of the FPB's members because is adamant they need to be aware of all the options available to them.

"There's no doubt that the credit crunch has hit certain sectors hard and we are providing as much support as possible to members in that situation," said Mr Palin, "but the simple fact remains that there are companies that can expand because they are in markets which are not as susceptible to the credit crunch.

"We see it as our responsibility to our members to furnish them with as much information as possible about all the ways in which they can take their business forward and there is still a lot of misunderstanding about the true nature of franchising.

"For example, I've seen lots of press relating to the new James Bond film Quantum of Solace being referred to as a franchise, but for me that only serves to highlight the confusion because the type of franchising that most people generally recognise is businesses such as McDonald's."

At the start of the year the FPB started speaking to a number of companies who specialise in franchising in order to develop a better understanding of the subject. This has led the organisation to forge a partnership with Franchise Development Services (FDS) which has six offices throughout the UK including one in Altrincham, run by Tony Urwin.

Mr Palin said Tony Urwin had been instrumental in shaping his knowledge of franchising – which has included understanding the size and scale of the industry and the hidden nature of a lot of high street brands such as Clarks and Thorntons that operate franchises without the public actually realising it.

The partnership has enabled the FPB to put together comprehensive information about franchising. This is now being made available to its members through its website and to subscribers to its weekly eNewsletter.

"The FPB's campaign to provide more information to its members is to be applauded because at times like these businesses up and down the UK need to know all the options that are available to them," said Mr Urwin.

"The FPB holds a lot of sway with business owners and it's one of the ways our industry can clarify a lot of the misconceptions about franchising and offer the right information and advice to businesses, as a significant proportion of them could use franchising as a route to expansion, even in the current economic climate."