I’ve narrowed my search down to three franchises. All of them promise great support. How can I get a better idea of what I’ll really get from each of them?

That’s a great question. One of the main benefits of being in a franchise system is that you don’t have to figure everything out on your own. With a little research, you’ll find a wealth of information about levels of support. That information will help you pick the franchise system that’s right for you.

Before you get started, take a few minutes to think about the word “support” and what that looks and feels like to you. Does it mean someone holding your hand through the pre-opening phase, or does it mean someone handing you a manual and checklist and letting you go? Does it mean an “in-market” field support person living in your market, or are you willing to accept less frequent visits from field staff who fly in from a home office? The better you understand what’s important to you, the more likely you are to get it.

Next, check the UFOC for lawsuits, closures, and transfers of existing units. While not a direct indicator of level and quality of support, they can at least serve as an early warning system. If a company has high levels of lawsuits or closures, it’s a good indicator that you’ll want to look at everything a bit more closely - including support.

Then, review the list below to determine which items are most important to you. Once you’ve reviewed the list, start talking with the prospective franchisors and their existing franchisees. The more people you can talk to, the better. Finally, look for it in writing. Does the franchisor have manuals for training you? For training your employees? How often are they updated? Do people use them? If not, why not?

Finally, remember that no franchise system is going to have everything. A young franchisor will generally have fewer of these, and that’s why it costs less to get into their system. A more mature franchisor will generally have more of these, and that’s why it costs more to get into their system. Here’s the list:

Protection of Intellectual Property
  • Trademarks and copyrights
  • Willingness and ability to protect intellectual property from infringement

Real Estate
  • Verification of suitability of potential locations
  • Preparation of construction documents
  • Preparation of signage construction documents
  • Relationships with contractors
  • Lease negotiation
  • Construction oversight
  • Discounted pricing on materials
  • Checklists to help keep you on track

Purchasing and Distribution
  • Vendor screening
  • Vendor negotiations
  • Vendor management
  • Getting the product to you
  • Getting it to you at a cheaper price than you could on your own

Marketing
  • Clear, intelligent marketing and advertising plan
  • Branded marketing and advertising materials
  • Ability to produce custom materials for you if needed – how much does it cost, and how long does it take
  • Development of a marketing plan for your business
  • Guidance to help you maximize your return on invesment on marketing dollars
  • Grand opening support
  • Regularly-scheduled marketing coaching
  • Discounted pricing for media and printing
  • Advertising cooperatives

Operating Systems
  • Outlines the standard procedures for running your business. Usually in manual form.

Training Systems
  • Initial training at the franchisor’s training location – how long? How good will you be when you’re done?
  • Ongoing pre-opening training – does the franchisor have pre-approved training locations, either franchisee or company-owned, where you can continue practicing what you learned at your initial training?
  • Grand Opening Training – does someone come out to help you make the final push to getting your business open? How long do they stay? How long have they been with the company and what is their level of experience?

Business Operations
  • Visits from field staff.
  • How often do you see someone?
  • What happens when they come?
  • Back office support staff
  • Maximizing profitability
  • Budgeting and forecasting
  • Local, Regional, National, and/or International workshops and conferences

Enforcement of Standards
  • How clearly do they communicate standards? Are they written down? Talked about regularly?
  • Is there a clear, objective system for measuring compliance to standards?
  • How often are standards checked to verify compliance?
  • Once a franchisee or vendor is found to be in non-compliance, what action does the franchisor take, and how quickly do they take it?
  • Do they leave room for innovation within acceptable guidelines?
Above all, remember this: This is your business, not the franchisors. Support to them might be giving you all of the advice and resources you need to be successful. Support to you might be much more hands-on. Every franchisor has franchise partners who will not be satisfied unless the franchisor does things for them.

You have to find a balance between advice and tools, and getting the job done.


To view additional articles on franchise opportunities and compare profiles of more than 1,800 franchises for sale, please visit www.FranchiseGenius.com

This publication is copyright 2008 by Franchise Genius LLC. This copyright notice and any embedded links within this publication must remain as part of this document.
Brilliant
Ideas
Franchise Opportunity
ATC Health Care Services
$90,000 - $105,000
ATC Health provides health care staffing services, specializing in nurses, healthcare professionals, and healthcare facilities. Since 1991 ATC has been growing and providing “staffing wherever healthcare is provided” through our network of over 40 locations. ATC is a team of innovative people dedicated to providing the highest quality staffing services.
more»

Franchise Opportunity
Bits, Bytes & Bots
$15,000 - $37,000
Bits, Bytes, and Bots guides children, ages 6-14, as they embark on journeys in robotics, game creation, and movie making. Bits, Bytes, and Bots offers small classes, afterschool programming, home school classes, summer camps, birthday parties, and workshops.
more»

Franchise Opportunity
PortraitEFX
$27,599 - $32,599
PortraitEFX is a location based photography franchise that specializes in providing services to schools, daycares, sports leagues, events, churches and other organizations. Franchisees may also provide other services such as senior photos, weddings and family portraiture.
more»

Franchise Opportunity
Liberty Tax Service
$53,800 - $66,900
Liberty Tax provides international tax preparation services. Liberty offers year-round support, free consultation, audit assistance, correspondence assistance, and free copies. Filing options include: cash in a flash, electronic check, electronic filing, paper returns, online tax preparation, and more.
more»

Franchise Opportunity
Doo Care
$37,000 - $54,000
Doo Care is a Dog Waste Management service. Doo Care is the number 1 choice for removing pet waste from backyards. Not only are we a dog friendly professional service, we pride ourselves on our environmental pet waste management solutions
more»

Franchise Opportunity
myway Mobile Storage
$250,000 - $2,000,000
myway Mobile Storage offers a convenient, secure and affordable alternative to traditional self-storage facilities. Our on-demand portable storage containers are delivered to you. Unlike a rental truck that typically has to be packed and unpacked in the same day, your portable storage container can be filled at your own pace. When you’re ready, we’ll pick up your container and store it in our climate-controlled secure storage facility, or deliver it to your new location.
more»

Franchise Opportunity
Touching Hearts at Home
$33,950 - $50,000
Touching Hearts at Home brings help and companionship to seniors and persons with disabilities in their homes. We strive to help individuals live independently for as long as possible, while bringing peace of mind to their families. We do that by providing companionship, care-giving and homemaking services.
more»

Franchise Opportunity
Sign Biz, Inc.
$75,000 - $185,000
A full-service, business-to-business visual communications business can be yours! Your business will be part of the world's largest chain of sign companies without royalties! Sign Biz®, Inc. has two decades of unmatched success in building and supporting it's entrepreneurs in 182 locations nationwide and around the globe. Innovators since 1989, we include the nation's first "video sign" program for small businesses with LobbyPOPtm. One of every four Sign Biz shops grosses more than $500,000 per year! SBA financing available!
more»