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Tag: Starting a Franchise Business

  • 6 Key Metrics Top Franchise Restaurants Use to Measure Potential | Entrepreneur

    6 Key Metrics Top Franchise Restaurants Use to Measure Potential | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When it comes to measuring potential, it often feels a lot like guessing. We use vague sayings like, “Go big or go home,” or “You can either be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond.” It’s either big or small. Successful or not. Worth it or worthless.

    How come we’re only measuring potential like it’s purely black or white?

    For under-appreciated small giants with limited resources, this is too simplistic. If you have limited resources, time and energy, scaling takes thoughtful strategy — something that franchise restaurants have long learned the hard way.

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    Thalia Toha

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  • Why Your Favorite Hobby Shouldn’t Be Your Next Business Idea | Entrepreneur

    Why Your Favorite Hobby Shouldn’t Be Your Next Business Idea | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    If you’re interested in franchise or business ownership and you’re in the beginning stages of researching what kind of business matches your entrepreneurial goals, the options available can be overwhelming. After all, 20% of new businesses fail in the first two years of being open, 45% during the first five years and 65% during the first 10 years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Additionally, franchises exist in nearly every service industry, and there are more than 3,000 registered franchise brands across the United States.

    Because franchise and business ownership can run the gamut in terms of products and services sold, it isn’t uncommon for candidates to consider hobbies that already interest them when producing ideas for a future company. However, it’s important to understand that sometimes, hobbies and businesses don’t mix well.

    For example, let’s consider a hypothetical business owner candidate. Let’s call him “Phil.” One of Phil’s favorite pastimes is to hit the green for a round of golf. Since golf is already a longstanding interest, Phil is inclined to consider a franchise that sells a variety of golfing products: clubs, balls, tees, clothing, etc. However, before long, Phil’s working hours are consumed with all things golf, and his work days are filled with balance sheets, sales reports and expenses for golf products. Suddenly, escaping to play a few holes on the weekend isn’t the break away from work it once was.

    When a favorite hobby becomes synonymous with work, you find yourself in a lose-lose situation. To avoid this overlap, examine the following three tips below for considering possible options.

    Related: Mark Cuban Says “Follow Your Passion” Is the Worst Career Advice You Can Get. Here’s Why.

    1. Separate your personal hobbies from your business

    Rarely can a person spend their leisure time and work time focused on the same thing. It’s basic Business 101 to diversify your investments, and a business is a large investment of your time, energy and money — so why would you keep all your eggs in one basket? Best practice: Separate your personal hobbies from your business.

    Like Phil, you probably have a hobby or interest that helps you unwind after a long week. However, for a business to maintain longevity, sustainability is the name of the game. So take a moment to consider your hobbies, and rather than focusing on the hobby itself, take a look at the services that support that hobby.

    If we take our friend Phil, rather than a golf store, maybe he selects a franchise of dry cleaning stores, hair salons or group fitness studios that service a community with fellow golf lovers. Another option might be a B2B franchise in which Phil doesn’t perform the services himself but is client-facing and responsible for relationship-building by taking prospective clients out to the green for an afternoon. Either of these options supports his entrepreneurial goals while maintaining his favorite pastime.

    2. Be passionate about owning your business, not passionate about the widget

    Being a business owner means having more control over your life in so many ways. The top motivators for an individual to become a business owner are autonomy, more flexibility, more purpose/meaning and financial security.

    These benefits of business ownership and their ability to support yourself, your family or other financial and non-financial obligations outweigh the appeal of selling a specific product or service.

    Building on the previous tip, a way to avoid misalignment between the product or service you are selling and the overall vision of the business is to focus on bird’s eye metrics of success. For example, owning a chain of cleaning stores might not be your dinner party small talk highlight that “golfing” might be, but who’s hosting the dinner?

    Prioritize long-term goals over what sounds cool to sell — a.k.a. be passionate about owning a business and all the benefits that come from that, rather than being passionate about a specific widget you sell.

    Related: Why You Should Stop Trying to ‘Find Your Passion’

    3. Your business should match a lasting market

    A common misconception about franchises in particular is that they are all centered around the fast-food industry. This makes sense: Everyone eats multiple times per day, hence a stable and recurring consumer base. However, any company that can benefit from proper branding, repeatable processes and continuing product or service evolvement is a candidate to be franchised. While it’s true that there are a number of successful restaurant-style franchises, there are so many other options that fall into the “service-based” franchise bucket.

    In today’s business world, particularly with a younger generation of consumers, experiences are valued over material items. To support these experiences, a number of non-flashy but necessary service industry tasks are essential. What is a service that you use on a recurring basis that is not centered around food? Clean clothes perhaps? Monthly haircuts? Consistent trips to the gym? Phil would agree.

    If there is a recurring customer need, then there is likely a franchise that is seeking to capitalize on that customer need.

    At the end of the day, hobbies are a great place to start for brainstorming purposes, but think outside the box and ask yourself: What tangential services support your hobby or other hobbies that are similar in nature? Before long, you’ll have a list of services, and, to bury the lead, I guarantee there will be multiple franchises for you to consider associated with those services.

    So remember these three key takeaways when considering business ownership: First, hobbies and business are best kept separate. Second, owning a successful business is the goal (not selling a specific product/service). Third, set yourself up for success by selecting a business that has a strong base of perpetually recurring customers.

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    David Busker

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  • 7 Essential Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting a Franchise | Entrepreneur

    7 Essential Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting a Franchise | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    More people than ever are curious about starting a franchise business. The potential rewards seem obvious, but the risks also seem high. Even more than risk and reward, starting a franchise requires a hard look in the mirror to decide if you really have the makeup to become an entrepreneur.

    Here are seven questions you should ask yourself before starting a franchise business.

    Related: 7 Things You Need to Know Before Becoming a Franchise Owner

    1. Do I have a future vision?

    To take action and start a franchise, you need to understand your why, not necessarily the widget. Do you have a future vision of your life you’re trying to achieve? Think of that as the destination and the franchise as the car — the vehicle to help you get to the destination.

    A clear future vision should include your involvement in the business, your career and the lifestyle you visualize for yourself. This will help you select the right franchise model that fits this vision.

    2. Do I have confidence, grit, determination and resilience?

    Every business owner in America had to deal with the impact of Covid-19. There will be unknown future obstacles when you start a franchise.

    To move forward, you must bridge uncertainty with an emotional commitment and confidence to overcome obstacles. You must also have the grit and resilience to see through difficult periods. A franchise can help you launch more quickly than starting a business from scratch and will help you navigate any difficulties through best practices from a network of fellow franchise owners.

    3. Should I go it alone or engage a franchise consultant?

    Like shopping for a house, you can certainly find franchise opportunities on the internet. However, it’s a noisy environment with thousands of brands — and like everything else, some are good and some are bad. And no franchise brand shows its business model on its website, so you’re drawing conclusions purely from a consumer viewpoint.

    You cannot easily find newer emerging brands on the internet and can waste tons of time investigating brands only to find out they’re not a fit. A franchise consultant, like a good financial advisor, will reverse this process and start with you and your goals, help you set your criteria and only then match you with franchise brands that fit. They then will guide you through the investigation with education and resources.

    Related: How to Narrow Down Thousands of Franchises to Find the One That’s Right for You

    4. Do I have the capital to start a franchise?

    You should carefully consider your financial ability when starting a franchise. To understand the specific capital requirements for any particular franchise, you can consult Item 7 of the Franchise Disclosure Document, which details the Estimated Initial Investment. These are based on actual franchises and tend to be very accurate. However, make sure to build your own estimates, as these line items can vary significantly between franchisees.

    While there are always exceptions, investment ranges can commonly be broken down into three categories. These include self-employment or work-from-home models; scalable executive service models; and semi-absentee or semi-passive models:

    • Self-employment or work-from-home models with few or no employees that do not require customer-facing real estate generally range from $75,000 to $150,000 in total investment per territory or unit.
    • More scalable, equipment-intensive service brands that do not require customer-facing real estate tend to range from $100,000 to $350,000 per territory or unit.
    • Brick-and-mortar location-based franchises require more real estate investment but tend to be more semi-absentee and can range from $250,000 to $1 million or more per unit.

    5. How will I finance the franchise?

    There are many options to help you finance your new franchise. If you have a former 401(k) or IRA, you can roll over a portion of your retirement account balances in your new business’ stock tax-free. Candidates also use personal loans, such as a home equity line of credit (HELOC) or a securities-backed portfolio loan, which have the lowest debt costs and easiest access to capital.

    You can also obtain an SBA-guaranteed bank loan, which is a popular option. Many franchisors will have prearranged financing with preferred vendors. Regardless of your financing choice, it is important to consider it ahead of time to make sure your business and personal needs are covered during your business launch.

    6. What franchise industry is right for me?

    Many of my candidates are looking for a business they’re passionate about. Of course, you need to believe in your product or service, but it doesn’t need to be your hobby. It is the business model that needs to fit. For example, I owned a fitness franchise. While I’m not a fitness junkie, the business model fit and seeing the joy in our clients transforming their health was very gratifying.

    Going through a deliberate process of investigating business models that fit your criteria and comparing them with the help of an experienced consultant is often the best way to find the right industry. By focusing on the business model and your role as a franchise owner, you will find the industry can be a secondary criterion.

    Related: Check Out the Fastest-Growing Franchises In 2023

    7. Do I believe in continuous improvement or “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it?”

    If you have a more reactive style, franchise ownership is likely not for you. Owning a franchise requires you to constantly look at the business with an eye toward continuous improvement — making each process, such as sales, marketing, operations or customer service, continuously better for your customers. Having a proactive approach versus a reactive approach is critical to success.

    While there are many considerations in starting a new business, fundamentally it is an emotional decision that starts with you doing some self-reflection. Asking yourself the hard questions will let you know if you’re emotionally ready to take the next step.

    If you’re not ready, consider what changes or milestones in your life need to be achieved so you’re ready when the time comes. If you find you are excited and ready to move forward, seek out the resources needed to explore franchising and commit to follow through the process. This will bring you the confidence you need to find success.

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    David Busker

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  • 8 Rules to Live By in Franchise Marketing, According to Top CMOs | Entrepreneur

    8 Rules to Live By in Franchise Marketing, According to Top CMOs | Entrepreneur

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    When it comes to franchise marketing, the best CMOs find ways to strike a balance between protecting, growing and enhancing the brand at the national and global levels while still allowing for customization at the local level.

    “It’s our responsibility as a franchisor to provide tools, resources and support for our franchisees that allow them to stay within our overarching strategy but also exercise freedom in their local marketing, understanding what resonates best in their market (using the tools and guidelines set),” says Ashley Mitchell, senior vice president of marketing at Streamline Brands.

    Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now and take this quiz to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

    If you’re an aspiring franchise CMO or looking for new strategies to elevate your franchise’s marketing and branding, this one’s for you. We spoke with franchise marketing executives across industries to explore what it takes to succeed.

    Step one? Recognize that franchise marketing is unlike any other type of marketing. From there, it’s all about taking a hybrid approach, adapting to market conditions and creating strong personal connections.

    “Working in franchising, you also have to check your ego at the door and realize that some of the best ideas are going to come from your community — lean into that and truly partner with your franchisees to ensure you are able to hear those great ideas, polish and elevate them to the next level and share widely,” Mitchell adds.

    Related: Want to Become a Franchisee? Run Through This Checklist First.

    1. Don’t compare franchise marketing to other types of marketing

    “Your stakeholders, strategies, objectives, KPIs — they all are highly dependent on your business model, the markets you’re working in and the goals of both the franchisor and franchisee. A lot of franchise marketers learn quickly that what might have been successful in a previous, non-franchise role won’t work or will need to be heavily modified. This is what excites most of us, but also, at times, can be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting!” — Will Fraker, vice president of marketing at FranNet

    2. Take a hybrid approach

    “Your franchisees didn’t get into business to be full-time marketers. You need to be their strength wherever their weakness lies, and for many of your franchisees, it is likely to be in marketing. At MassageLuXe, we ask ourselves ‘Does this need to be localized to their market?’ If the answer is no, we do the marketing for them. If it does need localization, we provide easy-to-use guides and templates so that they can activate easily. Take a hybrid approach to brand and local marketing in the franchisees’ favor to ensure you are taking into account the unique needs and characteristics of each local market while maintaining a consistent brand image and messaging.” — Kristen Pechacek, chief growth officer at Massage Luxe International

    Related: Everything You Need to Know About Franchise Law.

    3. Adapt to unique market conditions

    “To succeed in franchise marketing, it’s essential to navigate the tension between centralized brand control and adapting to the unique market conditions of each franchise location. Juggling these competing priorities requires a deep understanding of both franchisor objectives and franchisee requirements, as well as the ability to effectively leverage a range of marketing channels to reach and engage customers. That balance requires a combination of art and science to pull it off effectively.” — Mike Millett, vice president of marketing at Stratus Building Solutions

    4. Create a strong personal connection with customers

    “Franchise marketing is about creating a strong emotional bond between your brand and the people within your local communities — and that relationship is most effectively established at the local level, with support from national brand marketing. The franchisor should have proven local marketing programs in place for the franchisee, making it easy for them to execute (or executing it on their behalf where possible), but allowing the franchisee to customize the program so that messaging is authentic and targeting is optimized. If the franchisee is not a ‘people person,’ they should hire someone to be the face of their business in the community. The closest thing to the mythical silver bullet in marketing is having a strong personal connection with customers and prospective customers.” — Angela Z. Paules, chief marketing officer at Buzz Franchise Brands

    Related: 6 Questions to Ask Before You Begin Your Franchise Search.

    5. When in doubt, embrace simplicity

    “Focus on establishing a strong national foundation where you as the franchisor can ensure there is a consistency of message and augment with a keen insight driven by localization of elements and tactics. In essence, you use local to showcase your media expertise and connection to the community while using national to drive overall system-wide performance.” — Doug Zarkin, vice president and chief marketing officer at Pearle Vision

    Related: Busting Franchising Myths and Choosing the Right Opportunity

    6. Anticipate your customers’ needs.

    “For successful franchise marketing, it’s crucial to conduct both primary and secondary research on your customers. By becoming an expert on their preferences, you can anticipate their needs and tailor your strategy and messaging accordingly. This approach builds trust and loyalty, as customers feel heard and understood. I learned early in my career, ‘If you ask the customer, they will tell you what to do.’” — Brooke Janousek, Fractional CMO

    7. Protect and grow the brand

    “Franchise marketing is all about protecting and growing a brand at the same time. This is done most successfully by providing franchisees with an easy-to-follow system (plan or program) that they understand and believe will help them grow their business, provide a return on their investment and deliver the brand experience. Franchisees are not inherently marketers, so they need to believe in the brand promise and the marketing behind the brand so they can execute their local marketing effectively. Happy and profitable franchisees sell franchises, and ultimately, marketing programs for both growing the brand and the franchise rely on this every day.” — Marci Kleinsasser, vice president of marketing at Home Franchise Concepts

    8. Lean into the community

    “Franchising is the only industry I’ve worked in that has such open and genuine people who truly want to help each other. I have an amazing network of franchise friends that I know I can reach out to at any time with any question or challenge I’m having and they will be happy to share and provide guidance. It’s truly an amazing support system to have.” — Ashley Mitchell, senior vice president of marketing at Streamline Brands

    Related: Is Franchising Right For You? Ask Yourself These 9 Questions to Find Out.

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    Clarissa Buch Zilberman

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  • What Should a Franchise Agreement Contain? | Entrepreneur

    What Should a Franchise Agreement Contain? | Entrepreneur

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    If you’re in the process of becoming a franchisee or curious about what it entails, then you should familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of a franchise agreement — and that starts with what it contains.

    First, let’s review some basics: A franchise agreement is a legal contract between the franchisor and the franchisee. It outlines all the terms and conditions of the franchise relationship before it officially starts. Both parties must understand the terms of the agreement before signing — or else either side runs the risk of some serious consequences.

    Read on for everything that should be included in a franchise agreement, so you’re prepared before it’s too late.

    Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now and take this quiz to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

    Franchise fees and ongoing royalties

    The franchise agreement should specify the initial franchise fee, which is the upfront payment to the franchisor for the right to use its trademark and business system. Think of it as the price you pay for not having to build a business system from scratch.

    This fee might be paid in a lump sum or installments, and it typically covers the initial training and support the franchisor will provide.

    The franchise agreement should also include the ongoing royalties that the franchisee is required to pay to the franchisor. Royalty fees are typically a percentage of revenue, and they can be flat or on a sliding scale. The royalty fees can be paid weekly, monthly or quarterly and cover the franchisor’s continued support, marketing and advertising.

    Related: Is Franchising Right For You? Ask Yourself These 9 Questions to Find Out.

    Territory and exclusivity

    One of the benefits of franchising is the ability to expand into different areas, cities and even countries. To avoid conflicts between franchisees in the same area, the franchise agreement defines the territory in which the franchisee is authorized to operate the franchised business.

    This could include a specific geographic area, a particular city or a specific address or location. It should also specify whether or not:

    • The franchisee has the exclusive rights to operate the business within a territory
    • Other franchisees can operate in the same area or nearby
    • The franchisor can open additional franchises in the same territory

    Operating standards and training

    An important aspect of franchising is a uniform training and operating model. This can include product quality, customer service, advertising, training and more. The franchise agreement should specify the operating standards the franchisee must abide by to align the individual franchise with the integrity of the larger brand.

    The franchise agreement should also specify what the franchisor will provide in terms of the type and amount of training and operating support. That said, franchisors must provide appropriate training to ensure the franchisee understands and effectively implements the franchise standards.

    Related: 10 Tips to Go From Employee to Boss, From Franchisees Who Did It

    Intellectual property rights

    It might go without saying, but one of the reasons a franchisee embarks on a franchising journey is to use the franchisor’s trademarks, logos and other intellectual property. The franchisor grants the franchisee a license to use this intellectual property exclusively for the franchised business.

    These stipulations should all be in the franchise agreement. The franchise agreement should also outline the restrictions on the franchisee’s use of intellectual property to protect the franchisor’s brand.

    Term and renewal

    The franchise agreement should specify the term of the franchise relationship. The term is the length of time that the franchisee is legally allowed to operate the business. Terms can range from several years to several decades, and they can vary from location to location. The franchisor has the right to offer a renewal option that allows the franchisee to renew the franchise agreement for another term.

    The franchise agreement should contain the renewal conditions, such as meeting key performance metrics, paying all necessary fees or meeting other goals. The franchisor also has the right not to renew the agreement if the franchisee fails to meet the conditions for renewal.

    Related: The 4 Biggest Myths About Franchising

    Termination and default

    The franchise agreement should specify the conditions under which either party can terminate the franchise agreement to avoid having to wait until a term ends. Terminations can be due to contract breaches, insolvency, failure to meet performance standards or just by mutual agreement and should be defined in the franchise agreement.

    The franchisor should also include a default clause in the franchise agreement to protect itself. Default clauses outline the remedies available to the franchisor in the event of contract breaches or early terminations.

    Related: Never Buy a Franchise Without Researching These 5 Sources

    Financial disclosures and obligations

    A breakdown of financial disclosures and obligations should be listed in the franchise agreement, such as initial investment costs, ongoing expenses and financial reporting requirements. The franchisee should have a clear understanding of the costs and financial obligations associated with the ongoing operations of a franchised business.

    Advertising and marketing

    Franchises typically run national advertising campaigns, so individual franchisees are not responsible for television commercials or other marketing strategies. But to pay for this, the franchisee is required to pay ongoing advertising and marketing fees to the brand’s national advertising fund, outlined in the franchise agreement.

    There may be opportunities for franchisees to conduct their own advertising in their local territories, which can also be outlined in the agreement.

    Key takeaways and what to do next

    Franchisees should have a clear understanding of what a franchise agreement entails before signing the dotted line — and they should be wary if the contract is vague. To better understand the terms and conditions, franchisees should seek the advice of a franchise legal professional before moving forward.

    Related: Busting Franchising Myths and Choosing the Right Opportunity

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    Clarissa Buch Zilberman

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  • Here’s What You Need to Know About Funding a Franchise | Entrepreneur

    Here’s What You Need to Know About Funding a Franchise | Entrepreneur

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    The following excerpt is from franchise expert Mark Siebert’s book The Franchisee Handbook. Buy it now.

    When it comes to funding a franchise, how much is enough? The answer is simple — more than you need.

    Consider this: More startup businesses fail because of undercapitalization than for any other reason. So where do you start? You need to determine how much you can invest and how much you are willing to invest. You might find those two numbers are different.

    Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now and take this quiz to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

    How much can you invest?

    This answer lies in your net worth. To determine that, you should create your own personal balance sheet.

    Start by adding up all your assets to determine how much you own: cash, checking accounts, investments, home value, personal property, retirement accounts, business interests and other assets of value. Next add up everything you owe (called liabilities): credit card debt, mortgage debt and other loans.

    Your net worth figure represents an approximation of the capital available for you to invest in a franchise. You must next decide how much of that you are willing to risk on the franchise.

    The amount of capital you are willing to risk is not necessarily the same as the amount you have to invest. You may choose to invest only a fraction of your net worth in the franchise, or you may choose to invest more using the sometimes dangerous magic of leverage.

    Related: Owning a Franchise Could Be Your Fastest Route to Business Ownership. Here’s What You Need to Know to Succeed.

    Leverage is like wine — wonderful if you know your limit

    In quantifying how much you are willing to risk, you must understand the concept of leverage. Leverage, or your ability to use borrowed money for an investment, is like wine — it’s great in the right quantity, but too much can kill you. While leverage increases your potential return, it also increases your risk.

    To understand the power of leverage, let’s use the everyday example of buying a home. If you were to purchase a $200,000 home today, you might be able to buy it with 10 percent down. With monthly payments of perhaps $900 per month (without taxes and insurance), you figure you can afford it because you and your spouse each take home $2,000 per month.

    Over the next three years, let’s say you increase your paid-in principal by about $9,000. Thus, the average equity you have in that home will be a little over $24,500.

    Related: 23 Questions to Ask a Franchisor When You Meet Face to Face

    If you then decide to sell the home, the selling price is dictated based on the market, regardless of your equity position. Thus, if real estate has been booming, you may be able to sell your property for $230,000. Without factoring in closing costs or commissions for the sake of this analysis, your three-year return on your total investment of $200,000 is around 15 percent. But your three-year return on the $24,500 in average equity you invested will be $30,000/$24,500 — or about 122 percent!

    That’s great news, but things don’t always work out that well. Anything can happen, from unexpected medical bills to natural disasters. What if you or your spouse is laid off? Can you still afford that home on only $2,000 a month?

    Apply this same principle to your investment in a franchise. Perhaps you have a net worth of $500,000. But since a lot of your capital might be tied up in your home and retirement savings, you only have $100,000 to invest in your franchise. You will need to decide whether to leverage yourself into a higher investment with a higher potential return.

    So how much is too much?

    There are two factors influencing the answer to that question. The first is you — how much of an appetite for risk do you have? Remember, your banker is going to take a security interest in your assets.

    So even though you invested $100,000 of your capital out of pocket, if your franchise business fails, they may go after your house or other assets. While your equity investment may only be $100,000, your total investment will include the money lent to you by your bank.

    The second part of this equation is your banker or other lender. Generally speaking, bankers and/or Small Business Administration (SBA) lenders like at least 30 percent of the initial investment to come from your personal equity. So conceivably, you could leverage a $100,000 investment up to $300,000 or so.

    Related: The 4 Biggest Myths About Franchising

    Your ability to leverage your investment will be dictated by a variety of factors:

    • Any collateral you can offer in the business
    • Anticipated cash flows
    • Your credit score
    • Other sources of income (e.g., passive income or spouse’s earnings)
    • Your banker’s opinion of the franchise
    • Your banker’s opinion of you as a franchisee

    Meet with your banker

    One step you can take early in the process is to speak candidly with your banker. While you will certainly need to have a more detailed conversation once you have chosen your franchise, your banker (or several bankers, if you have the time to speak to more than one) can give you a great idea of acceptable risk.

    At this stage, the one thing you cannot show them is your projected earnings or the operating costs of the franchise. Bring what you have to your banker and ask for advice on how much you could reasonably afford to borrow.

    Once you have met with your banker and have a good feel for your available capital, your risk tolerance and your ability to leverage your way into a franchise, you are ready to begin the screening process to help you narrow the field.

    Related: Which Franchise is Right For You? Follow These Steps

    Get started with The Franchisee Handbook

    In The Franchisee Handbook, franchise expert Mark Siebert walks you through the process of vetting and buying a franchise, helps you ask the right questions of franchisors and yourself, and gives you the resources you need to decide if franchising is right for you. Siebert shows you how to do your homework before making what could be the greatest financial decision of your life. You will learn how to:

    • Accurately assess the risks of buying a franchise
    • Determine if a franchise is a good fit for your personal goals
    • Research and vet potential franchise opportunities
    • Create a startup plan that meets your business goals
    • Prepare your franchise for success

    Why dream about owning a franchise when you can take concrete steps to make it happen today? With The Franchisee Handbook as your guide, you have the power in your hands to start your own franchise journey right now.

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    Entrepreneur Staff

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  • Considering Becoming a Multi-Unit Franchise Operator of a New Brand? Here’s What You Should Know First.

    Considering Becoming a Multi-Unit Franchise Operator of a New Brand? Here’s What You Should Know First.

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Multi-unit operators (MUOs) in the U.S. own more than 50% of franchise units. According to FRANdata, the number of MUO franchisees with more than 50 units has grown 112.3% since 2019. Some sectors skew higher. MUOs control 82% of all quick-service restaurant (QSR) units, 71.5% of beauty-related and 72% of sit-down restaurants in the U.S.

    Some of this is natural consolidation of existing units due to retirements, and some is due to new multi-unit agreements. Many articles have been written about building wealth in franchising via multi-unit ownership. Should you consider it?

    Related: 4 Reasons to Become a Multi-Unit Franchise Owner

    Should you consider becoming a multi-unit operator?

    Let’s break this into two discussions: resales (which I will address in my next article) and new development multi-packs. Selling new multi-pack licenses is becoming increasingly common in franchising. The reasons are simple:

    1. Multi-packs generate more cash for the parent company.

    2. They demonstrate “demand,” which franchisors hope will attract private equity.

    3. Fewer franchisees are less costly to support.

    4. Only higher net worth buyers qualify

    5. Buyers themselves demand multi-pack buying opportunities because it’s easier to build operating scale and profitability.

    Multi-packs can be as small as two to three units and as large as 50-100 units or more to sell out entire large territories or states. Note that the sale of “multi-packs” is distinct from the sale of area development agreements or master licenses, which have different performance requirements.

    The competition to attract franchisee talent is fierce and expensive. High-commission outsourced sales channels, marketing and expensive lead generation eat up franchise fees. Under-capitalized young brands are at a distinct disadvantage. Royalty self-sufficiency (when a brand can fund corporate activities through royalties) is pushed out as franchisee recruiting costs rise.

    Traditionally, franchisors limited the number of licenses a new franchisee could sign until they proved themselves as an operator (or had existing MUO experience). Once inside, limits were also put on expansion licenses to ensure only proven operators in good standing with the franchisor were allowed to add territories. But more emerging brands now skip the initial step and jump right to selling multi-packs.

    Besides trying to sell their way onto private equity’s radar, this is how some young brands get around the “starvation by high commission” problem in a high-cost sales environment. It seems nonsensical to me that anyone would agree to buy a 10+ pack of licenses from a brand with only 10 total units open. But buyers are doing exactly that. Some brands even sell with messages about how they only accept “executive” buyers who don’t need financing. This is meant to partly flatter buyers but can also signal that there isn’t enough margin in the business to allow any financing!

    There shouldn’t be pressure to buy so much upfront from an emerging brand. There’s little chance your home market will suddenly “sell out.” But aggressive salespeople sometimes convince buyers otherwise (“We have ten units, all in Florida. Where are you calling from? Indianapolis? It just so happens we have another candidate ready to sign for that market!”). Furthermore, candidates may be rushed through a 30-day buying process (“Don’t wait! Territories are selling fast!”).

    Related: 5 Encouraging Facts to Know About Multi-Unit Franchising

    Case study

    Here is a case study to consider. This is an emerging franchise currently sold by an outsourced franchise sales organization (FSO). I’m not including names because I want you to take away the signals of a potential problem brewing … not get hung up about a specific brand.

    The company’s Franchise Disclosure Document: Item 19 earnings disclosure for 2020 included the financials of only one corporate unit. Three franchise units had been sold but were not yet open, so no financials for those franchise units were included. The company showed a net loss of $92,000 in 2020 and had only $43,000 in cash. Mid-year in 2021 the company had nearly $26,000 of credit card debt. The company paid $363,000 in franchise sales commission. There were also $753,000 of “uncategorized expenses,” a whopping 62% of total corporate expenses reported. Based on the “strength” of this FDD disclosure, the company hired an FSO to help it start selling franchises. And sell it did! As the FSO proudly asserts on its own website, “from 3 to 320 awarded!”

    The current 2022 FDD shows $9M 2021 income, of which $8.8M was franchise fees. But 6.1M immediately went out the door in sales commissions paid. Credit card debt was $32,000. The Item 20 showed 50 units open and another 49 in development. Training expenses were $15,000. I pay more than that for my kid’s school tuition! What sort of training was provided for the 50 units open that only cost $15k? And what happened to the “320 awarded?” Some multi-pack opportunities are worthwhile, but to me, this emerging brand has red flags.

    Here’s my advice on new multi-pack agreements:

    1. Start small — three or fewer units. Unless you have franchise experience and the system is proven, you’re burning cash on fees for units you may never open. You can add expansion territories later. Have your attorney carefully review territory, site approval and encroachment contract language.

    2. Validate! Talk to as many franchisees as possible. Are they meeting their profit objectives? Did all their units open?

    3. “Territories” sold by population size require extra due diligence. It’s often a crafty way to upsell you and get you to pay more in fees instead of crafting viable territories of the appropriate size in the first place. If the territory is not exclusive, you have double trouble. Population number also doesn’t address demographics or density. Talk to franchisees at length about what makes their territories and the model financially viable. Determine cash on cash return for your investment. Is it worth it?

    4. Slow down. Do your homework. If you see red flags, don’t talk yourself into anything. Move on. The right franchise opportunity is out there.

    Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now and take this quiz to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

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    Alicia Miller

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