Business Start-up
Choosing the Right Franchise
By R.P.Emery and Associates
Jul 16, 2008

HOW TO CHOOSE A FRANCHISE?

Choosing a franchise that is right for you is one of the best actions you can take to ensure a successful business venture.

If you’ve made the decision to buy into a franchise, the next step is to determine what franchise you want to buy. There are many different types of franchises, ranging from a coffee shop to electronic retailers and everything in between. Before you start a franchise, you’ll have to decide what kind you want. A lot of research, thought and deliberation has to go into making the right choice, as this decision can make or break your chances at success.

1. What do you love to do? Unlike starting an original business where you can decide everything, a franchise comes pre-made, and is a turn-key operation. This means the product or service you are going to sell is already decided for you. Selling something you absolutely hate isn’t a good idea and a pretty sure way to meet with failure. On the other hand, if you already love something and find a franchise that sells it, you may have found your ideal business and the road to success.

2. How much profit? Even if you love a product, service or business but the franchise isn’t going to make you enough money, you’re not going to be very happy. If you stand to make a much larger profit with a product you aren’t excited about, you’ll have to decide which franchise is more appealing to you. Making a lot of money doing something you hate may not be worth it to you. On the other hand, doing what you love and barely being able to get by isn’t an appealing option either.

3. How much can you invest? Starting a business costs money, and franchises can often cost a lot more than an independent. You need a good idea of how much funding you can secure before you decide upon a franchise. If a certain franchise opportunity is outside your price-range, you’ll have to reconsider your choice.

4. How much help do you need? Along with product and name recognition, franchises offer different levels of support. Some are very active with help for their customers, while others have less support available. You want to find a franchise that matches your needs. If you are new to the world of business, a franchise with a lot of support will be better than one that isn’t able to offer you much help. On the other hand, if you are an experienced business owner, you’ll have a wider range of franchises to choose from.

5. How established is the franchise? Some new franchises offer owners a great opportunity: being the first one on the block to own the business. There is more risk with new franchises, but also more opportunity. Established franchises, on the other hand, usually have a more loyal customer base to draw upon. They also may be their own worst competition. If a market is already saturated with the same franchise competitors, you may find the going a little tougher securing a piece of the pie.

6. An important factor when choosing any franchise is to secure the proper Franchise Agreement. When this is laid out correctly you are certain of your rights and responsibilities and those of the franchiser. Should anything come into question then with the right signed agreement you can have peace of mind knowing you are covered.