
Franchisors use a variety of methods to position their franchise opportunity in front of prospective franchisees. They promote franchising on their website, participate in tradeshows and use franchise consultants to introduce their business to someone who might not otherwise know about that type their opportunity.
The 2021 Franchise Sales Index Report shows franchise consultants rank highly in producing solid leads for franchisors, and yet, the consultant works primarily for the prospective franchisee. Effective consultants can explain the franchising opportunity to someone who is new to franchising and perhaps even new to running a business.
Some questions to ask a franchise consultant before working with them are as follows:
Most franchise consultants are paid by the franchisor when a successful match results, similar to how a realtor is compensated. This means a prospective franchisee can use the services of a franchise consultant at no charge. However, always ask if there is a fee associated with the service.
Some franchise consultants are industry-specific, meaning they only work with franchisors in a certain industry. Others may only work with higher-level (enterprise) franchises or emerging brands. If you are working with a consultant, you are likely still exploring industries and brands so choose a consultant who is more broadly experienced.
If a consultant is going to be a benefit to you, they have to be a franchise expert. You want someone with a good background in the franchisor side of the relationship because that's the side a prospective franchisee knows the least about in making a business decision. The franchise consultant needs to convey what to know before buying a franchise to prepare you appropriately. Although the service is available at no charge, you still want to work with someone who has the experience to contribute to your eventually choosing the right opportunity.
Franchise consultants have different ways of working with prospective franchisees so be sure to know what you are expected to do and what they are expected to provide. How much time will they have for you? Is there a timeline for narrowing down the best franchise options? Are they available as you communicate with franchisors or does their assistance stop when you get to that point?
There is no right or wrong model for franchise consultants - it's just choosing the one that fits best with your expectations.
Consultants who are franchise experts will answer this question with key criteria because it is the essence of what they do. Look for answers that focus on how the franchise opportunity meets your interests. If you are not interested in the business, you will not enjoy your franchise experience.
A good franchisee-franchisor match results from having a full understanding of what the business involves and the expectations of each party. The consultant can share past experiences of what made a good match and factors that signalled the partnership wasn't the right fit. When you know what makes a good match, you have insight into evaluating opportunities.
When you narrow the options on choosing a franchise, another part of the process ensues with the franchise disclosure document (FDD). This is the franchisor's release of key information about the company and financial details moving forward. Ask your franchise consultant if this is part of the consultation work they provide, or if they refer to another service.
A good franchise consultant will focus the discussion on you. They want to know your goals and why you have decided to pursue franchise ownership. If they don't know enough about you, they cannot offer opportunities that will match the lifestyle you want to achieve in business.
At Franchise Consulting Company, our people have experience from the franchisor side. They have been franchise owners, worked in different industries and held positions in franchisor operations. We choose this expertise because it brings insight that the prospective franchisee will not have, and it helps to make better franchisee-franchisor matches.
We are confident in our well-developed franchise consulting processbecause it focuses on you, the person looking to become a franchise owner.
Request a consultation today and learn how we can help you choose a successful franchise opportunity.