When you think about how much time — and money — most of us spend in franchise establishments, it’s no wonder that, as the economy improves, the franchise outlook is rebounding as well.

According to a just-released report, the Franchise Business Economic Outlook: 2011, prepared by PriceWaterhouseCoopers for the International Franchise Association Educational Foundation, the number of franchises, the jobs created from franchising, and projected revenues are all expected to grow this year. While the number of franchise outlets (to 784,802) and new jobs (194,000 added to total 7.8 million) will grow at a respectable 2.5 percent rate, the economic output will nearly double that pace, clocking in at projected growth of 4.7 percent for a total of nearly $740 billion.

To put this rebound in perspective, the number of franchise units declined nearly 4 percent in 2009 and grew at a miniscule 0.3 percent last year. Similarly, the franchise industry shed jobs in 2009 (down nearly 3 percent) and saw a 0.6 percent uptick last year.

This franchise resurgence is certainly good news, not only for franchising, but for the nation as a whole. If past patterns mean anything (and I think they do), for the economy to truly recover, Americans need to start spending more money locally. This type of spending feeds the recovery cycle. Money spent in community businesses (which so many franchises are) at some point leads those companies to hire local people to meet the increased demand. Those newly hired workers, now with money in their pockets, complete the cycle by spending that cash in their communities, which leads to … well, you get the picture.

So you can help the franchising industry as a customer, or you can really participate and buy a franchise. This week AllBusiness released the 2011 AllBusiness AllStar Franchises, an annual ranking of the top 300 franchise opportunities in the nation. If you’re thinking about starting a business this year, or adding a new one to your “portfolio,” you should check out the list. There’s bound to be an opportunity that appeals to you.

The Franchise Business Economic Outlook: 2011 projects solid growth across all franchise categories, with the exception of business services. Leading the way in unit growth are lodging (a 4.4 percent gain), automotive (up 3.9 percent), and retail products and services (also up 3.9 percent). Those same categories will also generate the most new jobs. While it’s not likely that most of us can afford to buy a hotel franchise, there are a number of affordable options in the retail category.

Economic output is expected to increase across the board, with automotive (+7.2 percent), commercial and residential services (a 6.9 percent bump), and personal services (up 6.5 percent) setting the pace. In all, these are the best numbers franchising has seen since 2007.

A reinvigorated economy is not the only contributing factor to these positive projections. This month the first of the baby boomers turn 65. Once considered the age of retirement, today for many Americans, 65 is just another birthday. The older boomers were particularly affected by the Great Recession, with many losing their jobs. With little chance of getting rehired, a good number of those boomers are exploring business ownership. Franchising, with its built-in, hopefully “proven” system, is an especially good opportunity for those with less time and money to risk.

That’s not to say franchising is for everyone. It’s not. If you’re the “don’t tell me what to do” type, then you’ll likely rebel at having to follow the franchisor’s system. Not all franchisors are alike either. Some truly welcome franchisee input and encourage innovation within the system.

This positive forecast is matched in optimistic spirit by a survey of franchise business leaders conducted last fall. The IFA Franchise Business Leader Survey showed that 50 percent of franchisors and 40 percent of franchisees think the overall economy will be “better” this year. Only 3 percent of franchisors and 7 percent of franchisees think things will get worse.

And that, I think, is the key. I have been asked more times than I can count what attributes do entrepreneurs have. While I can easily name a number of typical entrepreneurial traits, I think positivity ranks in the top tier. Entrepreneurs are inherently optimistic. We do what we do, face challenges and risk every day, because we believe we will triumph in the end.

So let’s truly leave the Great Recession behind. Whether you already own a business, plan to start one, or plan to buy a franchise, it’s time to follow the advice of the Buddha, who famously believed, “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.”

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