Filling the Gap: Enhancing Business Education for Tomorrow’s Business Owners

This paper highlights the importance of incorporating franchising and direct selling into business education curricula, drawing from the author’s extensive teaching experience across various institutions. While many entrepreneurship and small business management programs strive to equip students for business success, they frequently overlook these impactful business models. Franchising offers a structured, proven approach for entrepreneurs to scale thier business, while direct selling emphasizes a low-cost channel of distribution. Despite their value, both models remain underrepresented in most academic programs. By integrating franchising and direct selling into the curriculum, higher education institutions can broaden students’ entrepreneurial skill sets, better preparing them to navigate a dynamic marketplace and positioning themselves as leaders in cultivating innovative and adaptable business leaders.