For some ideas of the types of opportunities available in a franchise, visit the FranchiseHandbook at http://www.franchise1.com.
One that has relatively balanced information is Bison.com, which can be accessed at http://www.bison.com.
For information about franchise-related Web sites, check out http://www.franchise.org, a site that lists other publications dealing with franchising issues. Governmental agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission (http://www.ftc.gov], the Small Business Administration (http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/workshops/franchises), and the International Trade Administration (http://www.ita.doc.gov) provide useful on-line information about franchising as well.
You can access the FTC Franchise Rule at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/franchise/netrule.htm.