A New Hope Will one of these top 50 newcomers to franchising be the answer to your entrepreneurial dreams?

Interested in buying a franchise, but a little bored with the idea of hamburgers, pizza or postal services? Maybe you should consider space-age ice cream, weight loss, chicken wings and dating services. These are just a few of the hot new franchising concepts in 2002.

For more franchises that may be on the verge of a breakthrough, check out this listing of the 50 top companies that started franchising since 1997, ranked here based on their scores in Entrepreneur's January 2002 Franchise 500^� listing.

The following list is not intended to endorse any particular franchise, but rather to provide a starting point for your research. Before you purchase any franchise, you should investigate the opportunity thoroughly, by interviewing existing franchisees, consulting with an attorney and an accountant, and reading all pertinent literature, including the company's UFOC.