• Gather information
• Attend a Franchise Seminar or Coaching Session
• Read books on franchising
• Talk with a Franchise Analyst
• Take a Franchisability Quiz
• Looking at all of your growth options
• Grow internally
• Find investors
• Franchise
  • Franchise
  • Business opportunity
  • Licensing

  .

• Tour the Headquarters
• Are the systems in which the consulting firm follows in developing your franchise program proven
  • In-House vs.
  • Outsourced
• How many years has the firm been in business
• Review their client list
• Call references
  • What work did the consulting company do for referral
  • Why did they choose to work with consulting company
• Is the work done in house by fulltime employees
• Is it clear that the communication between the employees working on your program is free from barriers like:
  • Not working together
  • Having to work communicate via phone, instead of face to face
  • How many times a week do the employees see each other
  • Working at different locations
• Is there a project manager to head up your project

.

• Meet face to face with consultants at their place of business for advice
• Talk with business advisors, close friends, and family
• Evaluate your current resources for moving forward with franchising
  • Financial
  • People
  • “The heart” or Drive

  .

• Hiring a consultant and finding the right company
  • Do they have a proven business system
  • Go to place of business
• Hiring a lawyer

.

• Do not make assumptions
• Do not meet with a lawyer only
  • Legal documents do not drive the business
  • All lawyers claim to be franchise specialists
• This is not easy to do if you have never franchised a business before
• Developing a franchise company is much different than being a franchisee