An important part of the onboarding process is our confidential worksheet. This worksheet is designed to identify basic information regarding your current situation, and it gives us a chance to talk through any challenges that might need to be overcome. This is a first checkpoint where we discover whether franchising could be right for you.

Our brainstorming session is a 60-90 minute interview that we do on the phone to gather information. Starting with a blank slate we will talk about a whole slew of business characteristics so that we can get you opinion on each (hours, employees, skills, investment). These business characteristics will be used in the next step to build your personal model so that you have a tool to use with any franchise brand out there.

Following our brainstorm session we will prepare the model for you.  This model will summarize the information that you have given us.  This will be a vital tool for you to use as you begin to explore brands.

A few days after you receive the model, we will schedule a call to review brands.  In this call we will focuses on identifying franchise systems that could potentially allow you to achieve your objectives. There are literally thousands of franchise companies in the United States today so narrowing down the field to a few, well screened ideas, is critical. Most people don’t have the time to properly investigate hundreds of franchises, so we do it for you. We know which franchisors are growing and which are not. We know which have happy franchisees and proven systems and which do not. Through our affiliate relationships, we have investigated thousands of franchise systems and know which are worth your effort to investigate

As part of the process is super fun…connecting with the companies.  This is a series of calls with the franchisor brand to learn about their franchise system. Each call with the franchise representative will cover some different topics. Topics include marketing, operations, labor, real estate and the FDD. These calls will educate you regarding the quality of the franchise infrastructure and systems.

When the franchisor gives you permission, you will be able to interview franchisees and ask them any question you want. They are not required to speak with you but when they do, you will find them to be exceptionally open and honest. This is an important step to validate what you are hearing from the brand to what is happening from franchisees.

This is also the time to meet the franchisor staff and support people in their office. At this meeting you will be able to look the franchisor in the eye and determine if there is a potential

This is the part of the process to carefully review the documents that you have been provided.  A qualified franchise attorney may be helpful at this stage.

This often is the hardest part of the process for most people. You are going from the validation stage to having to deciding to move forward or not.  It is quite common that at this stage some self-doubt will creep into the fold. Trust the process that you have gone through up to that point. The most important thing to realize is that uncertainty of decision making is temporary. Once you make a decision, everything will once again become clear, and you will once again move into a ‘doing’ mode.