A study by Wayne State University economics professor Timothy Bates is referenced in a Q&A story on independent business versus franchise survival rates. Bates tracked 20,554 young firms from 1987 to 1991 and found about 65 percent of franchises were still operating in 1991, compared with 72 percent of independent businesses. His research further revealed that franchisees tend to have less education than independent business owners and be clustered in a few industries, which could help explain the lower survival rates.