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What You Should Know About Your Franchisor Before Signing On
Written by: Michael HemenwayArticle Overview: You are required to choose the right franchisor, if you want to succeed as a franchisee. For that, check out the brand-name of the franchisor as well as the litigation history of the franchise.
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What You Should Know About Your Franchisor Before Signing On
The first and the most important rule of succeeding as a franchisee is choosing the right franchise business for sale offer. During the investigative stage of starting a franchise, you must try to know as much as possible about the franchisor. To help you, here are some of the most essential facts about the franchisors, which you must go through before signing any franchise agreement with them.
The USP of the franchisor: The main reason for starting a franchise business is that it allows you to cash in on the established products/services of the franchisor. For that, the franchisor must have something special in its products/services that will make customers come to you instead of going to your competitors. There are segments that are so full of competition (like the food industry) that without a USP, you won’t be able to survive. So, the thing to look for in the FDD regarding this issue is whether the franchisor has a trademark. Without a patented and trademarked product or any part of its business model (which is the USP of the business), you cannot make it as a successful franchisee.
The brand-name of the franchisor: Another thing to look for in a franchisor is how much it’s known in its field. Without brand awareness, you cannot hope to get customers from day one. The franchisor must spend quite an amount of money to get established as a brand. Also, the reputation of its services and the quality of the products should be consistent. But the downside of going for a franchisor with an established brand-name is that it will have a higher franchise fee. But paying for that high price is better than choosing a franchise concept that has no brand awareness and spending huge amount of time and energy in developing one.
The history of the franchisor: For finding out this, look at the section of the FDD that deals with the litigation history of the company. Check out how many times the franchisor has been embroiled in legal battles with its franchisees. According to the new FTC rule, the FDD, unlike the UFOC it’s replacing, will have the list of cases started by the franchisor against the franchisees. Too many cases are definitely not a good sign for a franchise system. Also, read the bankruptcy history of the franchise company and its parent company, if the latter has an obligation to fulfill the promises of the former. Looking into the history of the people in charge of the franchise business for sale offer is also vital.
The main income generator of the franchisor: The main income generator of best franchises in the market is often the royalty fee. It ensures that the product/service of the franchise is selling well in the market. If a large chunk of the revenue is coming from franchise fee, then it’s guaranteed that the franchisor is more interested in selling the franchise than developing a successful franchise operation. Often, such franchises have poorly-written operation manuals and may have a shallow training system. Since the success of franchising is perched on complete transfer of knowledge, such franchisors may not have effective training program for people starting a franchise under them.
Explaining the Differences Between the UFOC and the FDD
Qualities to Look for in a Franchisor
Big Changes Coming in Franchise UFOC Meet the FDD
Twenty Questions to Ask before you Buy a Franchise
The Ten Golden Rules
Article Tags: amount of money, brand awareness, business for sale, downside, fdd, food industry, franchise agreement, franchise business, franchise concept, franchise fee, franchisee, franchisees, franchisor, franchisors, ftc rule, investigative stage, legal battles, litigation history, trademarked product, usp
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About the Author: Michael Hemenway RSS for Michael's articles - Visit Michael's website  Click here to visit Michael's website   Factoring Offers Hope for Companies Struggling with Cash Flow Statistics Show Senior Care Category Will Only Increase Pros and cons of franchise ownership FranchiseeFranchisor Relationship Requires Mutual Trust Respect Social networking is an important part of franchise success |
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Re: Email Marketing, Permission Based
- I agree that a double-opt-in (i.e. confirmed opt-in) system of email marketing is the best method.
Of course, having people confirm their subscription is no guarantee that they will read your email!
Signing up subscribers is only the FIRST stage. The next thing you need to get is their TRUST, and the best way to "get" is not to "sell" but to "give"...
- give freebies
- give useful, valuable tips
- get the subscribers to feel that opening your mail is something WORTH SPENDING TIME ON. Entertain them, make them laugh, but always give them something of value connected to the niche market that your newsletter deals with.
- invite feedback
- use the [[firstname]] tag, and don't be afraid to use it in the newsletter title field either!
Cheers,
David H
re: franchising mistakes
- Great list Michele. I would expand on the first point re: due diligence, to call and speak with a number of existing franchisees. In my experience, I am amazed at *some* folks lack of due diligence... It's as if they are set on the concept, and have no desire to hear other opinions.
While you may get a list of references from the Franchisor, it wouldn't hurt to call a few franchisees that are not on their approved list. You may be surprised at what you learn.
I can think of a handful of franchise offerings (very recognizable brands) that, upon deeper research, would reveal a darker side that would send me - and any other sane entrepreneur - running in the opposite direction. Yet there are people still buying into the franchise concept with a glazed look in their eyes.
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