Are Franchises Even Worth Considering?

Hey all,

As the title states, I've been loosely researching franchise opportunities for a while now, but when it comes down to it, most don't seem to turn a net profit worth the initial investment of money, much less the investment of time and stress. A lot of them sound like downright horror stories of potential net losses waiting to happen, lack of corporate support in policies and structure, etc. I feel like people must be successful at franchising, or they wouldn't exist as entities. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places? Any guidance much appreciated.

Thanks!