Choosing a Franchise
Choosing a Franchise
1. Assessing your personality: Before you pick a franchise to go after, think carefully about the kind of business you want to run and how your personality fits into that. Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses as a business manager. Think about everything from your experience to your attitude about work. Then plan out what you want in a franchise based on your personality, from the hours of work to the possibility of relocation.
2. Researching the company: Spend a lot of time on this step, because it is very important. Find out about the profitability of companies you are interested in buying a franchise from. Research their financial details, and find out if they plan on and are able to expand more. Finally, think about what kind of demand is available for their products.
3. Questioning the franchisor: Once you have narrowed down which franchises you are most interested in pursuing, it’s time to get tough with them. Question the companies about how they run their franchises and what kind of policies they have. Find out about franchisees that have gone out of business or quit, and see if you can contact them to get a better picture of whether or not this is a company you will want to work with. Then, ask about current franchisees and call them up or visit them. Find out what they think of the company and how supportive the company is to its franchisees. They should also be able to tell you something about why they picked this company and if its image and quality is up to par.
4. Investigating profits: Find out what the profits are going to be like for the franchisors that you are most interested in. Some franchises are profitable right away. Others require more patience. Refer to your earlier assessment of your personality and attitude towards this aspect of the business before selecting a franchise.
5. Considering the market: Even if a franchise seems perfect for you, don’t jump on it without getting a good idea of what the market is like where you plan to set up shop. Many products are more or less successful depending on geographic location and demographics. You want to make sure there is a big base of customers where you start your franchise for your product, so conduct some market research. Find out if the culture and region you plan to start your business is interested in the products your franchise will sell.
Similar businesses in the area may tell you that you are in the right place for your customers. On the other hand, the market may be saturated and there may be too much competition in your location, or even overall. Find out if the industry the franchise you have selected is growing.
6. Understanding the contract: Before signing anything, make absolutely sure that you understand the franchise agreement contract. It is a very good idea to hire a franchise lawyer to help you make sure that you are getting everything you want from the franchisor, especially profits and your rights. The franchisor should also most likely be offering lots of training and support for you and your employees.
Choosing a Franchise - To learn more about this author, visit Sebastien Page's Website.
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If you’re thinking about going into business as a franchise, here are 6 steps to picking the right one for you!
1. Assessing your personality: Before you pick a franchise to go after, think carefully about the kind of business you want to run and how your personality fits into that. Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses as a business manager. Think about everything from your experience to your attitude about work. Then plan out what you want in a franchise based on your personality, from the hours of work to the possibility of relocation.
2. Researching the company: Spend a lot of time on this step, because it is very important. Find out about the profitability of companies you are interested in buying a franchise from. Research their financial details, and find out if they plan on and are able to expand more. Finally, think about what kind of demand is available for their products.
3. Questioning the franchisor: Once you have narrowed down which franchises you are most interested in pursuing, it’s time to get tough with them. Question the companies about how they run their franchises and what kind of policies they have. Find out about franchisees that have gone out of business or quit, and see if you can contact them to get a better picture of whether or not this is a company you will want to work with. Then, ask about current franchisees and call them up or visit them. Find out what they think of the company and how supportive the company is to its franchisees. They should also be able to tell you something about why they picked this company and if its image and quality is up to par.
4. Investigating profits: Find out what the profits are going to be like for the franchisors that you are most interested in. Some franchises are profitable right away. Others require more patience. Refer to your earlier assessment of your personality and attitude towards this aspect of the business before selecting a franchise.
5. Considering the market: Even if a franchise seems perfect for you, don’t jump on it without getting a good idea of what the market is like where you plan to set up shop. Many products are more or less successful depending on geographic location and demographics. You want to make sure there is a big base of customers where you start your franchise for your product, so conduct some market research. Find out if the culture and region you plan to start your business is interested in the products your franchise will sell.
Similar businesses in the area may tell you that you are in the right place for your customers. On the other hand, the market may be saturated and there may be too much competition in your location, or even overall. Find out if the industry the franchise you have selected is growing.
6. Understanding the contract: Before signing anything, make absolutely sure that you understand the franchise agreement contract. It is a very good idea to hire a franchise lawyer to help you make sure that you are getting everything you want from the franchisor, especially profits and your rights. The franchisor should also most likely be offering lots of training and support for you and your employees.
Choosing a Franchise - To learn more about this author, visit Sebastien Page's Website.
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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