But money is not the only investment – McDonald's also require potential franchisees to spend a year training with the company. Not only do they not get paid during this time - unless they prove themselves suitable, they are not guaranteed that they will be granted a franchise at the end of it.

‘We have the luxury of being choosy - and we are,' says Mark. ‘The year's training is like a final interview screen in a way. It ensures that our franchisees are hands-on, front-line people who are willing to do the hard yards. There are a lot of high quality people who don't even approach us because they think they need to be multi-millionaires but, as you can see, it's not true.'

- McDonald's ‘not looking for multi-millionaires', Franchise.co.nz, April 22, 2010.

2. Pre-season is a laugh isn't it.

Well, actually, not really.

It's when teams run the hard yards in training, work-off any summer excess and make sure they are in peak physical condition for the start of the new season.

Pre-season is no time for mucking about. It's gruelling. It's serious business.

Everton have been doing all that and more and as they come to the end of their second week back, Roberto Martinez will be more than satisfied by the progress his squad have made.

Two games, two wins and plenty of those hard yards in some particularly demanding conditions.

- Phil Kirkbride's Singapore Diary Blues laughing through hard pre-season yards, LiverpoolEcho.co.uk, July 17, 2017.

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