In a franchising context, who is typically referred to as the buyer or individual business operator?

In a franchising context, the term typically used to refer to the buyer or individual business operator is franchisee. The franchisee is the person or entity that purchases the rights to operate a business under a franchiser's established brand and system. This role includes investing in the franchise, adhering to the operational guidelines set forth by the franchiser, and benefiting from the franchiser’s support, training, and marketing efforts.

In contrast, the franchiser is the entity that owns the brand and the business model and grants the franchisee the rights to operate under that brand. A licensor, on the other hand, is involved in licensing a product or service but does not operate in the same manner as a franchiser. Lastly, a distributor typically refers to someone who purchases products from a manufacturer to sell them to retailers or end customers, which is a different business relationship entirely. Thus, the franchisee plays a crucial role in the franchise model as the operator who directly engages with the market using the established brand's framework.