Franchising law involves helping new business owners evaluate franchising opportunities, and assist in the purchase and operation of business franchises -- an alternative to starting a new, independent business from scratch. Franchising allows businesses owners to reduce their investment risk by associating with an established company, but may also require business owners to relinquish significant control over their business.
Thomson is a village along Illinois Route 84 near the Mississippi River in Carroll County, Illinois, United States. The population was 559 at the 2000 census. Just north of the village is the Thomson Correctional Center, a mostly-unused maximum security state prison. Thomson is known for watermelons, and it has the nickname "Melon Capital of the World."