Doing Your Business Franchise Research
Before anyone embarks into franchising, the followings are some cautionary thoughts to be considered, with due consideration and the right due diligence, purchasing the right business franchise can be a game of experience and research and not that of pot luck;
To the Prospective Franchisor
Franchising is no miracle cure. If the product or services is not competitive, franchising will not make it in the market so;
Matthew Anderson is a franchise article author and advertising manager for business franchise opportunities on the UK’s largest franchise directory
Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD) – Mission Accomplished?
Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD) under the FTC’s new Franchise Rule continue to be a good concept in theory. Unfortunately, reality plays a more important role and reveals an entirely different picture.
Here are some of my observations, based on twenty-eight plus years of experience in the franchise industry as a franchise attorney, franchise expert and former franchise owner. During this time, I’ve drafted, reviewed and negotiated over 500 Franchise Disclosure Documents.
Franchise Disclosure Goals
Franchise Disclosure Documents or FDD (formerly known as Uniform Franchise Offering Circulars) are a document containing twenty-three chapters of information. These disclosures are intended to give prospective franchise buyers enough pre-sale information so an intelligent franchise investment decision can be made before long-term contracts are signed, money changes hands and sizeable financial commitments are made. In most cases, a franchise investment has long-term financial consequences. It means putting everything on the line – savings, retirement accounts, home equity, etc. With all this at stake, it’s easy to see why the disclosures in the FDD are so important.
Aura Of Credibility
Attached as exhibits to the FDD are the franchise company’s audited financial statements, franchise agreement, and a list of operating (and departed) franchise owners. If the company elects to make a franchise “Earnings Claim,” that information will be set forth either in Item 19 or attached as another exhibit. The entire document is quite lengthy and can exceed several hundred pages. In certain states (known as franchise registration states like California, New York, Illinois, etc.) the FDD makes reference to being registered with the state. All these formalities creates an aura of credibility. Many franchise buyers assume a regulatory agency has reviewed and approved the franchise offering. Unscrupulous franchise companies engage in blatant misrepresentation, referring to their franchise registration with a state as that state’s “stamp of approval.” Nothing could be further from the truth.
Franchise Registration Realities
First of all, registration of a company’s Franchise Disclosure Document only means they’ve paid a registration fee to a governmental agency and submitted their document. There are no standards a franchise company must meet before it can sell franchises, such as business experience, financial stability, operating a successful prototype for a certain period of time before franchising, etc.
Business Experience And Financial Stability?
You and I could have no experience in a business concept, and never operated a prototype. All we have is an idea to franchise, letting other people (franchise buyers) risk their savings, homes, etc. to see if our idea pans out in the marketplace. All we need to do to franchise is put together a Franchise Disclosure Document, and capitalize our new franchise corporation or LLC. Let’s say we don’t want to risk anything ourselves, so we decide to capitalize our new franchise corporation with only . After producing an audited financial statement (showing cash and stock issued for ), and including this financial in our Franchise Disclosure Document, we’d be able to sell franchises with impunity and collect our ,000 franchise fee every time we sell a franchise.
Franchise Registration States
Of course, in the U.S. there are about 14 franchise registration states where we’d have to pay a registration fee and file the document with the appropriate state agency. But that’s just a rubber stamp and no registration state will refuse to register our franchise offering. Because we’re “thinly capitalized” these states may require an escrow condition where we don’t receive the franchise fee until the franchisee opens for business. Or these registration states may just say we can’t accept payment of the franchise fee until the franchisee opens, and require a simple amendment to our franchise agreement to reflect this condition. That’s the trend here in California and the bottom line is we’d get “registered.”
Even franchise examiners (who are usually attorneys) in registration states issue registration renewal orders to franchise companies who have been operating a couple years and whose audited financial statements say (in an brief footnote): “Since its inception, the franchise company has incurred a net loss of $X million. These and other factors indicate substantial doubt the Company will be able to continue as a going concern.” Translation: the auditors are saying the company’s ready to go broke. Result: Not to worry, the franchise examiners issue renewal orders allowing them to sell franchises to unsuspecting buyers. It’s not right, in fact it’s outrageous, yet it happens.
Franchise Non-Registration States; FTC To The Rescue?
In the balance of the non-registration states (36) we’d be able to sell franchises with impunity and no regulatory oversight. Of course, there’s the Federal Trade Commission’s FTC Franchise Rule that applies in all states. But this only requires producing a franchise disclosure document – FDD. There’s no registration process with the FTC and they rarely get involved in franchise complaints. A 1993 government report found the FTC acted on less than 6% of all franchise complaints. The U.S. General Accounting Office reports that franchise complaints to the FTC from franchise owners increased ten-fold from 1997-1999. This dramatic rise is profound considering complaint data was only available through June 30, 1999. Since 1998, according to the FTC’s website, only one franchise enforcement action was taken against a franchise company. There’s just not enough money or resources available to the FTC, a situation that will only grow worse in the current economy.
My point here is registration of a Franchise Disclosure Document with a governmental agency only means the franchise company paid a filing fee and forwarded its document. There is no due diligence undertaken by examiners in a registration state. So the real guardian of the franchise investment must be you – the franchise investor. Because of the complexities of franchise agreement provisions and offering circular disclosures the need for competent, professional advice is critical. Many of the critical disclosures are required only in a table, where the relevant contract sections of “boilerplate that bites” are listed, without going into any “details.” If you’re not a franchise attorney looking for red flags, it easy to get duped.
Breakeven Point
Returning to the Franchise Disclosure Document, critical business information is NOT disclosed in the document, principally due to lobbying by the franchise industry. For example, the time it takes to reach the break even point – where revenues cover expenses – is not required disclosure in any franchise disclosure document. A bank would never loan money without this critical financial milestone, yet franchise companies let franchise buyers invest hundreds of thousands of dollars, often mortgaging their homes and tapping into savings and retirement accounts. What type of financial milestone must franchise companies disclose before franchise buyers risk what is often everything they have? The relevant disclosure, Item 7, only requires an estimate of what is called “Additional Funds,” a 90-day estimate of working capital needs. Because many new franchises can take a year, two years or more to reach the break even point, knowing only what it’s going to take to get you through the first 90 days is not helpful – in fact it may set you up for financial suicide. If you don’t have enough working capital to reach the break even point, which can be a year or more down the road, your entire franchise investment will go down the drain.
Financial Performance Of Other Franchise Owners
Another major shortcoming of disclosures in the Franchise Disclosure Document is not telling you how much money the franchises in the network are making. Instead of answering what is the most important question in a franchise investment decision, the franchise disclosure laws make this “optional” for the franchise company – they can tell you if they want to. If they decide to answer this critical question, it will be found in Item 19. But don’t hold your breath – more than 90% of franchise companies opt not to answer this question. It’s another bizarre reality in the world of franchising. Because they require complete monthly (and in many cases, weekly) financial profit and loss statements from their franchise owners, the franchise companies know exactly how much their franchises are making (or losing). But more than 90% decide not to say anything before you buy one of their franchises.
Asking Current Franchise Owners
Of course, current franchise owners are a potential source of information and a list of these are found in an exhibit to the Franchise Disclosure Document. My experience is most franchise owners exaggerate their financial performance or decline to share their finances with a stranger. Many of them I’ve spoken with over 28-plus years claimed they were making good money, when a studied examination of their financial statements revealed they were either losing money or operating at or below minimum wage performance. One couple invested 0,000 in a pizza franchise and were desperate to sell it eighteen months later. Their financial statements showed they were making about .50 (fifty cents) per hour. Fortunately, my client promptly lost interest in buying the franchise after listening to my analysis. The incredible thing is I discovered the franchise was subsequently sold to another person who operated the business for a year then filed for bankruptcy. There are many more examples of these franchise nightmares. Franchise “resales” where unprofitable franchises are sold over and over are another bizarre reality in the world of franchising.
Copyright 2007-2009 Kevin B. Murphy, B.S., M.B.A., J.D. – all rights reserved
For more informatiion, visit the Franchise Foundations website.
Franchise Attorney and internationally-recognized MBA franchise expert, known in the industry as Mr. Franchise, Mr. Murphy is also an author, teacher and former franchise owner. He holds degrees in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.) and Law (J.D.) from the University of San Francisco and a Master’s degree in Business Administration (M.B.A.) from San Francisco State University.
For the past twenty-eight years he has specialized exclusively in the franchise industry as a San Francisco franchise attorney and owned a very successful franchise in the home improvement field. He has written over 30 publications, including four books on franchising and one book on trade secrets.
Mr. Franchise instructs franchise company personnel in best franchise practices and teaches franchise, licensing and intellectual property courses to attorneys. He has drafted, reviewed and negotiated over 500 Franchise Disclosure Documents.
Mr. Franchise is a franchise attorney and Director of Operations for Franchise Foundations a San Francisco-based professional law corporation.
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Tops Reasons to Start Home Based Business Franchise
For those who want to start a business from home, there are many home based franchise business options to choose from. In fact, more and more prospective investors and entrepreneurs are entering the business world with this unique franchising concept. In fact, there is plenty of home based business franchise for sale today in different categories such as business services franchise, clothing franchise, and so on. Due to the franchising concept, entrepreneurs don’t have to start a business from scratch. In fact, they need to work on a successful business model and concept. This is due to this fact; success in any popular franchise business is very high.
If you get to enjoy the benefits of running a home based franchise business right from the comfort of your home, you can easily combine your career with family responsibilities. Here are some major reasons associated with this unique business concept:
Personal Freedom: The most enticing aspect of buying a home based franchise business is the personal freedom you can enjoy. You can have control over how you want to spend your time and enjoy life. You will be your boss and there will be no one to order you as what to do and so on. If you are good at time management, home based business can be just the perfect solution for you as you can earn as much as possible.
Enjoy financial benefits: Apart from personal freedom, there are attractive financial benefits also in a home based business franchise opportunity. As you don’t have to travel to reach your office, you can enjoy huge savings on commute time, gasoline and transportation expenses. Since you work at home, you don’t have to pay anything for rented office premises. The earning potential is directly proportional to the amount of time you are devoting to your business.
Less Stress: Running a business from the comfort of your home can reduce the stress of trying to meet the demands of your work life with those of your private life. Here you can devote you time in running a business as per your convenience. Since you are the boss here, there is no office politics and deadlines imposed on you. You only need to follow the deadlines and schedules you have set for yourself to enjoy success. If you think it is necessary you can hire someone to help in your business.
Increased productivity: It has been noticed that working at home help in increasing the productivity level. As you get to save time on commuting, more time available can be devoted to work. More importantly, as it is your business, the enthusiasm of doing better is always high. If operated effectively, it can be like having your cake and eating it, too.
Given these benefits and more, the trend toward home-based franchise businesses is clearly just beginning. Today there are many home based business franchise for sale in the market including computer consulting, tutoring, cleaning, financial consulting, senior care, landscaping, marketing services, home décor, and so on. Choose one that suits your interest and budget and be your own boss.
FIHL is your best source for information about any new franchise business opportunity available in the market. Here you can get all the tips required for owning a home based franchise business, education franchise, business services franchise and so on.
How to Franchise – Strategic Planning, Documentation and Management of Franchise Systems
Imagine opening 20 new business locations without having to foot the bill for real estate, equipment and development costs or taking on any of the risk. Even more, imagine finding managers to run all those locations, who are just as committed to growing the company as you, and you don’t have to pay them a dime. Finally, imagine that these managers will hire, fire and manage all employees as well as foot the bill for all operating costs and expenses. Sound far-fetched?
Not if you’re planning to enter the franchise industry, one of the fastest ways to grow a small business without breaking the bank. For many companies, franchising a business (or licensing) is a sensible way to achieve rapid, profitable growth without giving up any control or ownership. Going from a single location to a dozen in a couple years, or a hundred in ten years is possible and well-documented because franchise owner-investors put up all investment capital, shoulder all risk and assume all day-to-day operating responsibilities.
It’s expansion, using OPM – Other People’s Money. Also, the franchise company gets paid handsomely for teaching others the secrets of how to operate its business. First, there’s the up-front “membership” or franchise fee of ,000 to ,000 paid for using the brand name and operating methods. In addition, there are continuing royalties of 5% to 10% of gross sales for ongoing advice and consultation. In essence, a franchise development program allows a company to get out of the trenches and become a highly-paid general overseeing its soldiers. Long-term options are also attractive. Build an empire and relax, or let the franchise company be acquired by an increasing number of large companies that look for small, but growing franchise companies. According to the International Franchise Association, 900 new companies have franchised in the last three years.
ENTERING A NEW BUSINESS
A company planning to franchise must realize it is entering a new business, offering an entirely different service (training & support) to entirely new customers (business owner-operators). This new business requires different skills, abilities and expertise. In the new business of franchising, it is critical to develop effective evaluation, documentation, mentoring, training and consulting skills. Since these new skills are rarely present within existing personnel, an outside franchise expert is needed to train existing personnel and plan the transition. The first step involves determining whether or not a business can franchise, and if so, what needs to be developed. Next, strategic franchise planning is necessary to create a “blueprint” for successful expansion efforts. Experience shows that, just like a building, the foundation developed at the beginning will create lasting consequences affecting the relative success (or failure) of the entire venture. Legal (franchise disclosure document, franchise agreements) and operational documents (franchise operations manual, franchise training program) are prepared and drafted and finally a franchise registration process is required in some 14 states, depending on which state(s) the company sells franchises. These phases are discussed below.
THE FRANCHISE FEASIBILITY PHASE
An indispensable step before any franchise development program gets underway is an analysis of the concept and business model. Has the concept been sufficiently proven in the marketplace? How profitable are existing prototypes or company-owned outlets? Franchising will not solve existing problems, it will only intensify them – and usually at a serious cost to franchise investors. Franchising should not be viewed as a method to raise capital, expand a business that has existing problems, or a way to get rich quickly. There must be sufficient profitability in the business model so that royalty and other payments can be made and leave the franchise investor with a sufficient profit. With a franchise feasibility analysis, a determination can be made about:
(a) whether franchising or licensing expansion ideas should be pursued, postponed or abandoned; and
(b) assuming a positive result in (a), what needs to be fine-tuned or developed from scratch for the franchise program.
Besides determining if and when the business can franchise, the analysis should also include providing guidance and direction so as much of the groundwork as possible can be done by existing personnel. This has proven to be a very effective approach and significantly reduces franchise development costs. If the feasibility analysis is positive, the other phases discussed below follow. My twenty-eight years of experience in the franchise industry lets me share a valuable insight about franchise feasibility studies. Too many companies leap into franchising without doing a feasibility study, or if one is done it is performed by a franchise consultant or group that tells everyone good news – they’re all “franchise-able.” The vast majority of franchise feasibility studies I’ve done either identify areas that need attention before franchising makes any sense or tell the client to forget about it and pursue other options.
THE FRANCHISE STRATEGIC PLANNING PHASE
A successful franchise development program begins with a solid plan – a foundation for franchising. The long-term goal is to establish balanced, integrated, successful business relationships with qualified individuals who support the company’s goals and image. Creating an enduring relationship requires a comprehensive strategy that addresses all aspects of the franchise endeavor.
The starting point is a detailed analysis that covers:
(1) identifying profile characteristics of who will be the best franchise owners for the particular business;
(2) competitive positioning to make the franchise stand out from the other 3,000+ franchise companies;
(3) geographic scope – where and when will franchises be sold;
(4) analysis of the company’s organizational strengths and weaknesses relative to franchising;
(5) identifying the appropriate franchise organizational structure as well as staffing requirements and responsibilities; and
(6) structuring the franchise relationship for a balanced, win-win scenario.
What should emerge from this detailed analysis is a specific strategic plan and framework for guiding virtually all franchise efforts. Despite the long-term importance of the franchise planning step, too many emerging franchise companies enter franchising with no plan or planning – other than “let’s try and sell a lot of franchises.” They rush through (or neglect entirely) the strategic planning process, thereby creating future franchise litigation land mines that are ticking franchise lawsuits waiting to happen.
Often, this is because they only utilize the services of a franchise consulting firm or franchise attorney, where little or no attention is paid to critical strategic planning, operational and organizational issues. Normally, these firms draft “boilerplate” franchise disclosure documents, franchise agreements and franchise operations manuals based on a questionnaire completed by their client, who is presumed to have made all strategic decisions. The franchise documents are presented, along with an invoice and a handshake – hardly the ingredients for success in the new business of franchising.
THE FRANCHISE DOCUMENTATION PHASE
If the company has made doing a good job at the planning stage the number one priority, franchise documentation goals will be apparent. Proprietary and intellectual property assets (like operating techniques, customer information, recipes, formulas and methods) need to be identified and protected. A trade secret protection program is developed and implemented. The name, logo and tag lines should have been previously registered as trademarks or service marks.
franchise operations manuals
Franchise operations manuals and training programs are developed, often from scratch, to impart business operating skills to the franchise owner as well as ensure uniformity of products and services. The franchise operations manual and training program curriculum must be drafted with a particular focus. Certain topics, chapters and policies found in manuals for a company-owned chain, for example, are entirely inappropriate in a franchise environment, creating significant liability (lawsuit) issues for the franchise division.
I routinely find franchise operations manuals drafted by franchise consultants or do-it-yourself manual kitscontaining inappropriate chapters or topics. Not knowing where the bullets come from in franchise litigation, they proceed blindly ahead using “boilerplate” manuals where most (but not all) instances of “hamburgers” are changed to “tax returns.” The support aspect of the franchise relationship needs to be carefully considered, structured and reflected in the franchise operations manuals.
Deciding who writes the franchise operations manual is a relatively simple question to answer, yet many new franchise companies also fall into a trap here. Bewildered by the new business of franchising, with its legal requirements, franchise operations manuals, training programs, etc., they decide to “delegate responsibility,” usually to a high-priced franchise consultant who produces the operations manual and sometimes even the legal documents. Putting aside the practicing law without a license issue on the legal documents, does using someone to write your franchise operations manual who knows literally nothing about your business, ever make any sense?
The best practice approach, developed over almost three decades of my writing, editing and reviewing hundreds of franchise operations manuals is based on common sense. Let the true “expert” in your business write the operations manual. And who is that expert? It’s usually the founder of the business or a handful of your management personnel who know the business inside and out. It’s true, an outside franchise expert should be involved in the process, but this should be limited strictly to a planning and editing capacity – helping develop the overall Table of Contents, giving samples of writing styles and technicques, then reviewing each chapter after it’s drafted by you or your management team. This approach produces a professional, easy to use and update franchise operations manual. It also ensures the most efficient use of resources and talent.
franchise disclosure documents
Finally, and only after all of the above are underway, a Franchise Disclosure Document, similar to a securities (stock offering) prospectus, is prepared by competent franchise counsel and registered with various regulatory agencies to comply with applicable federal and state laws. This document can contain thousands of discrete disclosures within its twenty-three chapters and attached exhibits, and obviously needs to be prepared by a franchise attorney. Doing it properly and with a balanced and fair perspective can help keep the company out of the courtroom later. In addition, a franchise registration process is required before any franchises can be advertised or sold in those 14 or so states having a franchise registration requirement. Having one firm author, edit and review all documents is not only cost-effective – it also avoids inconsistencies that can plague the franchise company as franchise legal pitfalls in the future (see discussion below).
RECOMMENDATIONS
My twenty-eight years of experience has demonstrated that in order for a franchise company to get off to a good start, a heavy emphasis should be placed on strategic franchise planning to manage future franchise relationships as discussed above. Then, before the franchise program begins, management needs training in how to effectively operate a franchise organization. At a minimum, the following programs should be in place before franchise marketing efforts begin:
1. Franchise Lead Processing System (sm):
Two key considerations for all franchise companies engaged in franchise marketing are the careful screening of franchise applicants and adopting the proper media plan, schedule and budget. Only the cream of the crop should be allowed to join the franchise network. Eliminating applicants at the entry stage is far easier than waiting for inevitable and costly problems later on. An examination of franchise networks plagued by troublesome franchise owners (who often ripen into future lawsuits) shows a lack of planning and attention to this relatively simple concept. Given the unlimited personal liability risk inherent in franchising, companies neglecting this important concept, or those using franchise brokers, are simply asking for trouble.
Before franchise marketing efforts start, a company should adopt a customized Franchise Lead Processing System that includes instructing key personnel in:
(1) adopting the proper organizational structure;
(2) defining the appropriate profile characteristics of prospective franchise owners;
(3) developing effective interviewing techniques, marketing materials, procedures and checklists;
(4) using a series of tests and other measures to ensure that inappropriate candidates are disqualified before joining the franchise network;
(5) detecting (and then avoiding) red flags that arise in the franchise marketing cycle; and
(6) adopting the appropriate media plan, schedule and budget.
2. Legal Compliance Program (sm):
A franchise lawsuit can result if inconsistent or misleading communications occur when a franchise is first sold. Most of the legal risk is franchising centers around what happens during the marketing cycle: the twenty-three chapters of disclosures in the franchise disclosure document as well as who said what, and when. Defending any franchise lawsuit, even a frivolous one, can be enormous. Franchise companies involved in franchise litigation are shocked to discover they have fallen into a quicksand that swallows up time and money without limit. The cost of prosecuting or defending even a “small” franchise lawsuit can quickly exceed 0,000, and up. Exposure can run into the millions. Although one study of franchise disclosure documents indicated 27 percent of franchise companies have a history of franchise litigation (slightly greater than 1 in 4), the real percentage is much greater and probably north of 50 percent. This is because only pending litigation and final judgments must be disclosed in franchise disclosure documents. Most franchise litigation cases, like other litigation cases are settled, so they’re only required to be in the franchise disclosure document from the time they’re filed until settled. After that, they vanish without a trace. And whether the chances of getting sued in a franchise lawsuit and getting embroiled in franchise litigation is greater than 1 in 2 or 1 in 4, who wants to get involved in a time-consuming, stressful and expensive mess?
It is almost impossible to avoid potential franchise liability unless a genuine program of education and instruction is conducted with marketing personnel as well as middle and executive franchise management. An integrated Disclosure Compliance Program that specifies rules and expectations (including legal rules in selling a franchise), manages franchise disclosure documents and controls the dissemination of all information is absolutely essential. It is also one of the best investments a franchise company will ever make. For all of the above reasons, the use of franchise brokers is definitely NOT recommended. Their statements (or other actions) made to “close the deal” will make the franchise organization (and the personal assets of its officers) liable for violations of federal or state franchise laws. This also explains why the overwhelming majority of successful franchise organizations set up their own in-house franchise marketing department so that actions and statements made during the franchise marketing cycle can be monitored and controlled within the framework of a Franchise Sales Control System (sm).
3. Franchise Sales Control System (sm):
Franchise Sales Control is the other half of the entire compliance equation. While legal compliance specifies rules and expectations, franchise sales control is the mechanism for detecting gaps and inconsistencies. When detected, their causes can be identified and corrected before injuring the franchise effort. A Franchise Sales Control System should be designed with this in mind, and should include a variety of feedback mechanisms to monitor performance and retrieve pertinent information for review by management. This not only increases the effectiveness of franchise marketing efforts – it also greatly reduces the likelihood that sales personnel will deviate from established procedures in selling franchises. Finally, a well-designed Franchise Sales Control System creates a complete back up file for every franchise sold that will qualify as business record evidence in the event of a future franchise dispute. It also satisfies the legal requirement of various states that franchise companies maintain a complete set of books, records and accounts of franchise sales. Since most of the legal risk in franchising arises during the franchise marketing cycle, a comprehensive Franchise Sales Control System is the company’s best protection against the quicksand of franchise litigation.
4. Managing Franchise Relations:
As franchises are sold, the communication lines that develop between the parties will have a major impact on the success or failure of the ongoing franchise relationship. Controlling who is brought into the network through the steps outlined above is the critical first step. Once inside the franchise network, franchise owners must be taught to realize they are members of a system of mutually dependent outlets, each working for the better of the entire network. Developing an awareness of this concept early in the relationship and implementing a franchise feedback system will create a positive attitude, encourage innovative ideas from franchise owners, ensure timely royalty payments and prevent franchise relationship problems later on.
© 1982-2008, Kevin B. Murphy, B.S., M.B.A., J.D. – all rights reserved
For more information, visit the Franchise Foundations website.
Known in the industry as Mr. Franchise, Mr. Murphy is an internationally-known franchise expert, MBA franchise attorney, author, and instructor. He holds degrees in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.) and Law (J.D.) from the University of San Francisco and a Master’s degree in Business Administration (M.B.A.) from San Francisco State University.
For the past twenty-eight years he has specialized exclusively in the franchise industry as a San Francisco franchise attorney and owned a very successful franchise in the home improvement field. He has written over 30 publications, including four books on franchising and one book on trade secrets.
Mr. Franchise instructs franchise company personnel in best franchise practices and teaches franchise, licensing and intellectual property courses to attorneys. He has drafted, reviewed and negotiated over 500 franchise disclosure documents.
Mr. Franchise is a franchise attorney and Director of Operations for Franchise Foundations a San Francisco-based professional law corporation.
Are All UK Business Franchises Good Opportunities?
The simple answer to this question is no and I will explain why. There are 2 types of UK business franchises which I personally do not think are good opportunities to buy into and they are:
1. A made to franchise business (although exceptions may occur)
A made to franchise business is where a bod has came up with the idea of creating a business based around the franchise model. They have no intentions of running the actual business themselves to ensure it all works and no past history of a tried and tested method which is what franchising is supposed to be about. Instead they create a franchise business model and almost immediately start to advertise and market for franchisees. Many people do this in an honest way but being honest still does not make it right. A franchise should be built around an already sucesfull business and is a good way of expanding nationally or internationally, by creating a made to franchise business people are bypassing the tried and tested method and going straight to franchise with no hostory of success. although there are a few franchised businesses out there who have made a success of this way of franchising, there are dozens that have not and even more that never even got it lifted off the ground. However, as well as the hoest people there are also people out there who know that with the right marketing they can sell anything to anyone and at 10,000 – 25,000 a pop for their franchise they know they can sell 20 in a year and make a killing, not caring whether the system works and not caring that they are essentially stealing peoples life savings. These you really have to watch our for and is exactly the reason why you need to be careful and do your research when buying any UK business franchises, or any other franchises in other parts of the world for that matter.
2. MLM Masquerading as UK business franchises
Multi Level Marketing – My pet hate. The MLM industry has had a battering in the past ten years, everyone has heard of it and everyone knows to avoid it. So where have all these MLM “opportunities” gone? Well, many have re branded and came back trying to sell themselves as uk business franchises. However, with a little research you should soon be able to discover their true form, and that is simply selling the same opportunity. simply, recruiting people to sell the same package you just bought. Although technically this could be called a franchise, the fact is that it is only ever successful for the parent company and a few high powered sales people who work within the company, they have thousands to spend on marketing, in some cases tens of thousands, and are very experiences in getting their schemes out there and very persuasive in getting you to purchase from them. The people behind these MLM schemes have in most cases got 10-20 years experience in MLM and as such know exactly what they are doing and every trick in the book. you however, having bought into their system, have a limited budget, no MLM sales experience and a complete rip off of a package where you simple try and get people to buy what you just bought. Avoid these like the plague and again, with the right research they should be easily spotted. For a start you will not receive much for your franchise other than a few e-books, a really terrible website and possibly so off line marketing materials such as leaflets etc. In the past MLM packages were sold on quite cheaply but now as they are pretending to be franchises they think that with a box full of leaflets and a few e-books chucked your way they can charge 10,000 to 20,000 pounds, promising riches for you, a complete waste of your money though and you could create and replicate their system for a few hundred pounds.
Saying all this – it is a very small % of UK business franchises which are not good opportunities to buy into and as such you should not be too sceptical with every opportunity you research, however at the same time do be aware that there are people out there that will take you money and leave you high and dry with nothing but a dead end opportunity not worth the money you paid for it. So, be careful, be diligent, and make all the right choices and it could be the any UK business franchises you buy into work for you, for life.
Matthew Anderson is a franchise consultant and founder of The Franchise Shop, a UK business franchise directory featuring UK Business Franchises advice and help
Watch the show about waterless car wash business/franchise www.TheMobileCarWashFranchise…. Wash My Car the mobile car wash franchise is looking for unit and master franchisees. www.TheMobileCarWashFranchise.com
Franchise Information – Is A Business Franchise For You?
Is buying a business franchise a right step for you? This question tends to crop up as the most crucial query in your mind, once you are struck with the idea of taking up a business franchise. Here, the point lies in recognizing your passion and interests in a particular field of business, and the willingness to accept the ongoing risks and other demerits ‘sportingly’. Business franchises in general is one of the best means to earn loads of money. However, as mentioned earlier you must spend considerable time to understand the intricacies of running a franchise, the selling aspects, the risks, the potential returns and other details – before you settle on to purchase a franchise business.
Here are some easy tips to help you decide ‘whether a business franchise is your cup of tea’.
Area Of Interest – The very first and significant point while selecting a business franchise you have to consider is buy a franchise that you are interested in. This will further instigate you to gain further knowledge and skills required in the business. Once you become an expert you are more likely to succeed in your trade, since a specialist knows the essentials to run a successful business. While you blend pleasure with your task, your business turns a task of joy and not a chore. Eventually, your love will picture the enthusiasm you infuse in the trade and your customers will certainly notice this. People prefer to deal with enthusiastic sellers. Business is all about gaining the faith of your customers, and faith can readily come from the expertise you display. Since customers always trust experts. Thus, recognize your area of interest before starting a business.
Investment – Now, once you recognize your passion and field of interest next comes your investment part. Every business franchise has its individual cost. While selecting or planning to take up a business franchise, ensure that you can put in the requisite investment to initiate and continue the trade.
Knowledge – A true business owner must acquire selling skills. Yes, once you settle on to own a business training franchise you must know the basic marketing skills. To flourish your business and take it to the next level, professional selling skills are the need of the day.
Staff Selection – Apart from the above-mentioned aspects, another major section is selecting the best professionals to run your business training franchise. Pick up the best team members and make sure you have regular discussions sessions with them. Communicate your ideas and to-dos to run the trade, and make sure you welcome suggestions from the franchisors too.
If you find the above criteria’s manageable then business franchise is definitely for you, so what are you waiting for there are numerous franchises for sale. Pick up the business franchise that interests you the most today.
When buying a franchise opportunity the choice is yours as to whether you are set up for life or losing your life savings so investigate, investigate, investigate.
Matthew Anderson is a franchise consultant and founder of The Franchise Shop, a UK business franchise directory featuring Franchise Information and business franchises for sale in the UK
