Most startup franchisors – and established franchisors for that matter – receive inquiries from prospective franchisees looking to buy a franchise. Some may be merely kicking the tires, whereas others are bona fide entrepreneurs who could be the next great addition to your growing brand. After receiving an inquiry to purchase a franchise, usually through the franchisor’s website or brokers, the franchisor will often schedule an initial telephone conference with the prospective franchisee so that both the franchisor and the franchisee can gauge their interests in selling and purchasing a franchise. If there is mutual interest, the franchisor will send a Franchise Disclosure Document, a legal document that a franchisor must provide to the prospective franchisee.
For the franchisor, this initial conference will be an important tool to determine whether the prospective franchisee is a bona fide franchisee who can be a profitable addition to the franchise system. Franchisors need to determine the business experience of the prospective franchisee, the financial strength to support the startup or build-out costs, and the long-term goals of the prospective franchisee vis-à-vis the franchise system and brand. Some of the common questions franchisors ask, or should ask, include:
Why us?
Within every industry, from quick-service restaurants, to hospitality, to fitness and health, there are a multitude of franchises that a prospective franchisee can pick from. There are several thousand franchised brands currently offered in the United States. Franchisors will ask why the prospective franchisee is choosing this industry, and within that industry, why this brand. Sometimes answers like “I tried your cupcakes and they were so good, I just had to open a cupcake shop next to my house” may be enough, but not always. Franchisors will want to see that the prospective franchisee is gung-ho about the brand and industry.
How much capital do you have to invest and what is the source of funding?
Purchasing a franchise will require the franchisee to spend thousands of dollars on initial franchise fees (payable to the franchisor) and on build-out costs and the purchase of inventory or equipment. These initial investments, which are summarized in Items 5 and 7 of the franchise disclosure document, can often be $100,000 to $1,000,000, depending on the business. Franchisors will want to know that the prospective franchisee has liquid cash to purchase the franchise and to fund its opening. Just as important as determining the net worth and liquidity of the prospective franchisee is determining the source of the funds. Like non-franchised businesses, franchised businesses may not turn a profit in the first year or so of operation. Therefore, franchisors will want to know whether the prospective franchisee has sufficient liquid net worth, or whether it has or will obtain financing from lenders.
Do you have experience in this industry?
In theory, experience is not necessary to purchase a franchise if the franchisor provides sufficient training and support to teach its franchises the system of operation. Some franchisors, however, favor franchisees who have business experience in the same industry. Others prefer hardworking and adaptable franchisees who can learn the franchisor’s way of operation. Either way, franchisors should determine the prospective franchisee’s previous business. Likewise, franchisors may ask whether the prospective franchisee has prior franchise experience (even in another industry) to determine whether he or she understands the franchise relationship.
When do you want to open?
Franchisors need to make sure the expectations of franchisees line up with their schedules. Before an entrepreneur can open a franchised outlet, he or she must be given a franchise disclosure document (which must be registered in at least 14 states). He or she must also be allowed the applicable waiting period to review the documents, complete an initial training program while, obtain a location for the franchised outlet and build it out per the franchisor’s specifications. This process can often take a few months. Further, from a strategic standpoint, a franchisor may have goals on how many outlets it wants to sell in a particular geographic market within a certain timeframe – therefore the franchisor will need to understand whether the prospective franchisee’s expectations line up with the franchisor’s goals.
How hard are you willing to work?
Some prospective franchisees may be passive, whereas others will actually be working the business from behind the cash register. Most franchisors are looking for the latter. Franchisors will ask whether the prospective franchisee has or intends to operate other businesses or work another job simultaneously with ownership and operation of the franchised business. Opening a franchised business requires hard work, long hours (well above a 40-hour work week), and little to no profits initially, so franchisors will want to see whether the prospective franchisee is ready to get his or her hands dirty.
What are your long-term goals?
Are the franchisor’s goals (often, growing the brand) consistent with the prospective franchisee’s goals? Or is the prospective franchisee merely looking to “buy a job” after being out of work? This question will help franchisors determine whether a prospective franchisee is a cultural fit within the franchisor’s system. Some franchisees may be looking to purchase one franchise at the moment, with the long-term goal of acquiring additional units, and passing these businesses down to heirs.
For startup franchisors looking to sell their first, second, or third franchises, finding the right franchisees is critical because the franchise system may not yet have the size or weight to weather poor fits or poor performers. Asking the right questions up front will save the franchisor time and money and possible headaches down the road.