An Opportunity to Own a Business

If you're considering a possible franchise, you'll want to ask a lot of questions of the prospective franchisor, as well as a lot of questions of the prospective franchisee. There are a lot more things you should ask if you're entering into a business partnership with the intention of establishing an exceptional future together. As significant as it may be, there are a number of general elements that you must keep in mind in order to really comprehend your potential strategic partner.

The Franchisor's Candidate qualifying method is one of the first things you need to learn about when you begin your search for a franchise. "Why do I have to worry about a franchise qualification method when all that matters is whether or not I receive a franchise?" I believe that you should be really concerned.

This is why it's important to make sure the Franchise Candidate Qualification System is properly created. A franchise system's most valuable resource is its people, which includes both franchisees and franchisor employees. Almost any business will attest to the fact that this is true. Even if they don't believe it, they still say it. This is said despite the lack of mechanisms in place to guarantee that the best employees are hired and nurtured over time. So how do you know whether the statement and the execution are in sync with one another?

If people are the most essential asset, then the method for identifying, qualifying, and awarding franchises to the best franchisees should be well thought out and well developed as well. This might indicate that something is wrong if there is no formal way for both parties to get information.

To be able to make an educated business decision about becoming a franchisee, you need a system that can supply you with frequent information. It should also supply the franchisor with information about you so that they may make an educated judgment. That judgment should be based on whether or not they can characterize you as one of their "most essential assets."

It is possible that the other business systems inside the franchise are not as well developed as portrayed if the system does not allow for a step-by-step, give-and-take, information flow system. There should be enough slack in the system so that you may continue to review and distribute information at a speed that makes sense for you and the other parties involved.

There is a problem if the procedure is too rapid, for example, if you are provided disclosure documents during the first week of the due diligence process before many other items have been evaluated. Rushing is a sure way to make a mistake. As an alternative, you will be unable to gain an accurate sense of the company's culture as a whole if it is running too slowly. The company's culture may be better discerned over the course of six months with a consistent stream of data than by exchanging information every three weeks. I would advise you to wait until you are ready to make a choice between 30 and 120 days before deciding on a franchise qualification scheme. Just because you'd want to make a choice within that period doesn't imply you have to start a company within that window.

Step-by-step methods are available in various systems, in which you will obtain information from the franchisor before submitting some information. To assist you in acquiring a deeper understanding, the franchisor will provide you with more data after receiving your first submission of the requested information. In my opinion, a system like that is great since you're all showing your dedication to the process by participating actively. This is a crucial consideration for the franchisor since it shows that you have the ability to learn and apply a sound system. That's the essence of franchising. For the franchisor, effort and money have been spent on an established system that is intended to maximize the return for all stakeholders. That's why a solid system is so important for the franchisor to ensure that each new franchisee is capable of adhering to it. There is no better place to begin than with a fundamental grading scheme.

Email, telephone, postal mail or courier, the Internet, in person, and other means of electronic communication are all acceptable methods of communication in today's technologically advanced world. Again, this will illustrate the franchisor's utilization of contemporary tools and tactics to truly get to know you and to keep up with an ever-changing global environment.

A red flag for you should be if the franchisor does not have a systematic information flow and due diligence process.

The current franchisees will be a useful source of knowledge. All franchisees should have access to the franchisor's system. When it comes to disclosure documents, one of the most important things to provide is a complete list of all franchisees, along with their contact information.

If a franchisor discourages you from contacting particular franchisees, then that's another caution bell.

However, this does not imply that all franchisees will be satisfied or that all will be successful businesses. Franchisee dissatisfaction and failure are common in most systems. You'll need to talk to individuals at all levels of the organization, from the top to the bottom. For the test to be useful, it should be able to determine the differences across groups. Decide how similar you are to those who succeed and how different you are from those who don't succeed.

The franchisor must have a structure in place to ensure that all franchisees have quick and easy access to the franchisor's resources. Certain franchise owners may provide email questions for all franchisees, and they may also require you to phone a sample from that list. Conference calls with a number of franchisees may be arranged by others. Discovery Days will be provided for by others, including current franchisees. Naturally, "favorable" franchisees will be included in conference calls and Discovery Days. You simply have to know who you're working with in order to get the most out of those procedures.

You'll be asked to meet with folks in your region by other franchisees. People with a similar backgroundHowever, you must make certain that not just the proposed sample but any current franchisees may be communicated with. The franchisor's responses throughout this procedure will give you an indication of their level of transparency.

It's a simple one, but it's quite significant. You may gauge the response of the whole organization by how fast and effectively the franchisor replies to your questions. Once you become a franchisee, you'll need a lot more help, so that's a crucial consideration.

If a franchisor doesn't respond to your original request within a few days, that's a red flag. In the course of the procedure, if they don't answer your emails or phone calls in a timely and professional way, you can bet they aren't running a tight ship.

When it comes to responsiveness, you want a system that answers quickly and then takes you through a step-by-step information flow, including human interaction.

A face-to-face encounter should be part of the review process for both sides. As a result, you're considering the long-term implications of partnering for 5, 10, 15, or more years. Having a face-to-face meeting with a franchisor before you join the system doesn't really make sense. What would you do if you had never met your business partner? Despite the fact that a franchise is not a partnership, the same rules apply. It should apply equally to the franchisor as well. As a result, the system is lacking if such a meeting isn't included.

Face-to-face meetings may take place in a variety of ways. There are many franchisors out there that will meet with you in your neighborhood or at a place that is convenient for both sides. Some franchisors need a visit to the company's headquarters. Some companies will hold Discovery Days at their corporate headquarters, while others will do so regionally. There is nothing wrong with any of these approaches, so long as you have some time to spend with a single person.

When our firm was just starting to sell franchises, I questioned a mentor of mine about the best way to find that "perfect" fit. In the end, he told me, the best litmus test is whether or not you'd be happy to invite someone over for a backyard barbecue. As far as he was concerned, it should be someone you'd be happy to do business with and a person you'd love to spend time with as well.

Your spouse should be invited to the face-to-face meeting as well. In certain cases, the spouse is even required to be present. Again, it is good to engage spouses at the discovery stage since the final choice to start a new franchise company will be based on establishing family ambitions and giving the family stability for the future. You may get into complications in the future if your partner isn't completely informed and comfortable with the decision-making process.

When you don't meet in person and your spouse isn't allowed to attend, you have a defective method in place.

For the time being, I won't say much more about this topic other than that the whole process of due diligence should be about finding out if both sides are thinking in the same way. It's best to take a step back and consider the following question: How did this method assist both sides in assessing whether they were on the same page? Yes or no? If the answer is no, then you either have more work to perform or the system needs to be fixed.

For both parties involved in a franchising agreement, establishing the correct strategic partnerships will help them grow at a greater level jointly than if the agreement were not entered into.

You must have an understanding of the notion of franchising. For the franchisor, a market penetration and dominance plan are vital. The franchisor will only allow you to do so if you're happy with their business practices. It might be a thrilling journey to achieve success with them if they make sense to you.

You need to do an assessment in order to determine whether a successful franchise in the system can meet your requirements, objectives, and ambitions. If you want to build a successful company and a bright future, you need to confront all of your fears, uncertainties, and concerns. If you leave them buried, it's the worst thing you could do.

Finally, can you see yourself managing a successful company in the franchisor's system and achieving your goals, desires, and objectives? Is it possible that the franchise will assist you in realizing your hopes and aspirations?