I know of one UK based business ( who shall remain nameless ) who exhited at the Franchise show in the RDS Dublin, in Autumn 2004. They got over a dozen people from around the country to pay a sizeable five figure sum, and after trying the business for a year or two none of the dozen or so purchasers had managed to make a full time income from it ( or an income close to or exceeding the average industrial wage , for example ). The UK firm was back at the Franchise show in the RDS in 2006, and is still going, and has an impressive website where they make all sorts of claims. Moral of the story ; I am sure there are some good opportunities, but be very careful.