Many franchise chains, such as Dunkin' Brands, Domino's Pizza and Friendly's, have been taken over by private equity firms. Franchisors are considered "highly desirable targets for private equity investors."  This means that franchisees must be aware of what characterizes private equity firms and what to expect in the event of a takeover.

Now that the co-founder of Bain Capital, Mitt Romney, is at least temporarily the front runner on the GOP ticket for President, we'll most likely be hearing and learning more about private equity firms. In this news segment Chris Hayes of MSNBC investigates. Josh Kosman, author of The Buyout of America, How Private Equity Is Destroying Jobs and Killing the American Economy, is the featured guest.