Franchise FAQ

how much can you sell a franchise for

by Kayla Johnston Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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How much should I sell my franchise for?

Franchises are often valued based on a multiple of revenue, cash flow, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA). As the name implies, the EBITDA method adds back some expenses to the earnings total, and a franchise can be valued at 4 to 5 times EBITDA.

How much can you make selling a franchise?

According to a survey done by Franchise Business Review involving 28,500 franchise owners, the average pre-tax annual income of franchise owners is about 80,000 dollars. However, this number should be taken with a grain of salt bearing in mind that it could be inflated by high incomes of a few top performers.

Can I sell my franchise?

Most franchise agreements contain strict limitations on the franchisee's ability to sell their franchised business. Fundamentally this makes sense, as the franchisor needs to make sure that it has final say over who gets to do business under its name and using its proprietary system and methodologies.

Can you get rich from owning a franchise?

The bottom line is that while a franchise can make you independently wealthy, it isn't a guarantee. Choosing the right business in the right industry, and going in with preexisting entrepreneurial experience and/or existing wealth can help, but your income-generating potential may still be somewhat limited.

How much does a McDonald's franchise cost?

McDonald's franchisee applicants must have a minimum of $500,000 available in liquid assets and pay a $45,000 franchise fee. Those looking to launch a new McDonald's franchise can expect to shell out between $1,314,500 and $2,306,500. Existing franchise prices can cost upwards of $1 million or more.

How often do franchises fail?

A five-year study by the franchise consulting firm FranNet reported that 92 percent of their franchise placements were still in business after two years and 85 percent after five years. Because yes, sometimes franchise businesses can rise and fall like independently owned companies.

Can I sell my McDonald's franchise?

McDonald's requires that the buyer of an existing restaurant pay a minimum of 25% cash as a down payment, and the balance must be financed for no more than seven years. Each franchise applicant must have at least $500,000 in liquid assets in order to apply.

How long does it take to sell a franchise?

The average franchise sales cycle is 12 to 20 weeks On average, the total time to close a franchise sale can be up to 20 weeks.

How do you get out of a franchise?

These are your options:Sell the franchise.Franchisor buy back.Walk out.Dispute resolution and mediation.Negotiating an exit.

What franchise will make me rich?

Most Profitable FranchisesDunkin'7-Eleven.Planet Fitness.JAN-PRO.Taco Bell.Orangetheory Fitness.Great Clips.Mac Tools.More items...•

Which franchise owners make the most money?

What is the most profitable franchise to own? According to the Franchise 500 list of 2021, Taco Bell is the most profitable franchise to own. The food chain has been franchising for nearly 6 decades and is still seeking franchises worldwide. As of 2021, they have 7,567 open units.

Do franchise owners have to work?

Owning a franchise unit can be demanding, requiring work of 60 to 70 hours a week, but owners have the satisfaction of knowing that their business's success is a result of their own hard work. Some people look for franchise opportunities that are less demanding and may only require a part-time commitment.

What franchise is the most profitable?

Most Profitable FranchisesDunkin'7-Eleven.Planet Fitness.JAN-PRO.Taco Bell.Orangetheory Fitness.Great Clips.Mac Tools.More items...•

How long does it take for a franchise to become profitable?

One common misconception when it comes to operating a franchise is that once you sign on the dotted line and open for business, the customers and revenue will start flowing. This is typically not the case. It normally takes a year or two to become profitable.

How much does a Popeyes franchise owner make a year?

How Much Profit Does Popeyes Franchise Make Per Year? The average operating profits per store was $312,782 according to the Popeyes FDD (franchise disclosure document). This number reflects the profit before taking tax, fees, and interest on debt into consideration.

Are franchises a good investment?

If you're a fledgling entrepreneur or a seasoned business person wanting to diversify your holdings, you've probably wondered, “Are franchises a good investment?” The simple answer is yes, especially if a great opportunity presents itself. There is an obvious appeal to starting a business via buying a franchise.

How long does it take to sell a franchise?

Most sales involving franchise businesses can take anywhere from 2 to 3 months to be completed. This is good because you’ll want to use this time to prepare your budget for leaving the business.

What do you need to do before selling a franchise?

Before the sale of a franchise business, the buyer must sign a franchise agreement created by the franchisor. This is the same agreement that the seller had to sign when they first started the franchise business. In addition, the current franchisee (seller) must settle all debts and payment defaults related to their franchise business ...

Why are franchisors important?

The reason these rules exist is because the corporate office wants to maintain their company image and they don’t want a franchisee to tarnish that with a business model that is different than their own. Franchisors are always involved in every big decision that a franchise business makes, including the sale of the business. Since franchisors must approve when someone starts a franchise business, they also have to approve the buyer who is purchasing the franchise business from the seller. Like with the original owner of the franchise, the franchisors want to make sure the new buyer is capable of running their proprietary business model and implementing their methodologies into it the same way the seller did before.

What happens after a franchise is sold?

After the sale of a franchise business, the franchisee will still have some obligations left after the transfer of the business has been made. A lot of these obligations must do with what businesses or jobs they can and cannot take after the completion of the sale.

What do franchisees do?

So, what a lot of franchisees do is build up their franchise business to the most profitable and successful that it can be and then they sell their franchise business to another buyer. Then, the franchisees move on to another franchise business and try to make that successful so they can do the same thing there.

Why would a franchise owner want to sell their business?

There are two main reasons why a seller would want to sell their franchise business. Either the business is very valuable and they want to cash out or they simply aren’t running the business well and they want to get out before they lose everything. Since there’s a steady flow of buyers who want to purchase franchise businesses, ...

How long after selling a franchise can you start a competing business?

Most franchise agreements have non-solicitation provisions and non-competition agreements which outline that franchisees cannot start a competing business for the next 2-3 years after they sell their franchise business.

How much does it cost to franchise a business?

The cost to franchise your business, generally, ranges from $18,500 to $84,500. Actual costs that you incur will depend on the franchise team that you are working with, the industry that you are in, and the level of support that you need. Below is breakdown of the estimated costs associated with the franchise development process and the necessary steps to franchising your business. These steps include development of your FDD, preparation of your franchise operations manual, formation of your new franchise company, preparation of financial statements, and franchise registration.

How much does it cost to register a franchise?

Estimated Cost $1,000 to $4,500.

How much does it cost to build a franchise website?

You’ll need to invest in a webpage and, eventually, a website that educates and informs prospective franchisees about your franchise, why you’r different and how you franchise can improve their lives. Estimated Cost $2,500 to $15,000.

How much does it cost to start a franchise PR agency?

Franchise PR budget significantly. Estimated Cost $15,000 to $25,000.

How much does it cost to make a franchise presentation?

You can do this yourself or with an outside team. Estimated Cost $0 to $3,000.

What is FDD in franchise?

FDD Legal Fee Development – Your FDD is a legal document that will serve as the entire legal underpinnings for your new franchise system and includes all of the legal agreements and documents, including your franchise agreement, between you and your franchisees.

Selling an existing franchise

For franchisees who are ready to sell their established businesses, here’s a piece of good news: According to a study conducted at Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Rinker School of Business, franchise resale prices are higher than those of non-franchise businesses.

Step 1: Prepare Your Franchise for Sale

Start by contacting your franchisor. There is no reason to keep the sale confidential from your franchisor who is accustomed to their franchisees exiting at some point. Ask if they can help you with a resale or transfer. Find out the extent of assistance they offer. The process varies significantly from franchise to franchise.

Step 2: Market Your Franchise for Sale

Most business brokers use online portals and their own proprietary databases to market businesses for sale. If your franchisor does not aggressively market the sale of your business, a business broker can do this for you.

Step 3 – Negotiate and Close the Deal

Once you’ve found a buyer who is interested in both your business and the franchise model, you can negotiate a price and begin with the closing process.

Selling your franchise opportunity

Every franchisor knows that the success of a franchise system is dependent on franchisee success. So simply selling a franchise is not enough. It really comes down to awarding a franchise to the right person. For franchisors who want to grow their brands with quality candidates, here are three simple ways.

Step 1 – Work with Quality Franchise Brokers

Working with quality franchise brokers is an effective and popular way for franchisors to find ideal candidates. In fact, franchise referral consultants (a.k.a brokers) have been found as the top source for lead conversions.

Step 2 – Exhibit at Trade Shows

Exhibiting at trade shows is a great way for franchisors to get in front of potential candidates face-to-face. Trade shows allow franchisors to market their brands to a large number of qualified prospects at one time. This in-person opportunity gives both parties a chance to get to know each other in a casual setting.

What happens when you try to sell a franchise?

When you try to sell a franchise, you may be competing with one very large, well-financed competitor: your franchisor . 'While many franchisors tell their franchisees that they will assist in finding a buyer when the franchisee chooses to sell, my experience is that most do not offer much, if any, assistance,' says Andresky.

What are the challenges of selling a franchise?

Selling a Franchise: The Challenges. 1. Transfer fees and restrictions. Franchisors like to control and vet who they accept as franchisees, which means there is often an approval process to undergo and transfer fees to pay when a franchise unit changes hands.

Why are small businesses so hard to sell?

The reason most smaller businesses are hard to sell is that they are too reliant on the owner as the rainmaker. With a franchise business, at least some of the reason customers find and return to the business is the brand the franchisor has built. 2. Buyers get an operations manual.

Why are independent businesses harder to sell?

Another reason independent small businesses are typically harder to sell is that their operations are inside the head of the founder. 'One of the benefits of selling a franchise is you have a system to follow, initial training and ongoing support ,' says Larry Lane, owner of VR Business Brokers of McKinney, Texas.

What does franchising want to do?

The franchisor will want to make sure that the buyer can meet its financial obligations under the franchise agreement (in addition to paying its other bills as they come due), and is not overextended as a result of a hefty loan.

What is a franchisee's execution of a general release?

The franchisee’s execution of a general release, waiving all potential lawsuits against the franchisor

Can a franchisee sell a franchise?

In either case, the franchisee’s right to sell the franchise will be governed by the transfer provisions in their franchise agreement.

Can a franchisee take advantage of the customer list?

Similarly, even if the selling franchisee is able to start a competitive business , they may still be prohibited from taking advantage of the customer list and goodwill they developed during the term of their franchise agreement , as these assets were built by leveraging the mark and processes of their former franchisor.

Can you buy a franchise then sell it?

Yes, but there are disadvantages and advantages, and the process of selling a franchise differs significantly to the process of selling an independent business.

The Franchise Agreement

Details of the resale are documented in the franchise agreement which is signed by both the franchisor and the franchisee. The reselling of the franchise is referenced in several sections of the agreement, including:

The Steps to Take to Sell Your Franchise

When handled correctly, there is no reason why the resale of a franchise business shouldn’t be successful.

What is franchising in business?

Franchising is about uniformity and control of uniformity, not the needs, preferences, or success of individual franchise owners. In other words, a person that owns his or her own business is concerned only with the performance of his or her own business.

Is franchise business different from owning your own business?

The secret that is often kept from enthusiastic prospective franchisees, however, is that the franchise business he or she is purchasing is actually quite different from “owning your own business” or “being your own boss.”.

Do franchise owners have control over hiring employees?

While franchise owners will likely have control over hiring and firing employees, in terms of the marketing, messaging, products sold, hours of operation, etc., franchisees generally have very little, if any, discretion or control.

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Rules and Restrictions

  • The important thing to understand about franchise businesses is that they all must abide by the rules and standards set forth by the franchisors. The reason these rules exist is because the corporate office wants to maintain their company image and they don’t want a franchisee to tarnish that with a business model that is different than their own. ...
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Benefits

  • The main benefit of selling a franchise business is that you’ll likely have a lot of interested buyers already available to choose from. Since franchises are usually attached to companies with great reputations, buyers are always eager to purchase them because they figure it will be easy to make them successful and profitable businesses. Often times, franchise businesses are in central loc…
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Tips For The Sale

  1. Studies have shown that franchise owners tend to get higher prices for their franchise businesses when they sell them early on. Newer listings will motivate potential buyers into grabbing a hold of...
  2. Before you go ahead and hire a broker to list your franchise for sale, get an appraisal on the value of your business first. That way, you’ll know the right selling price to ask for. This is not …
  1. Studies have shown that franchise owners tend to get higher prices for their franchise businesses when they sell them early on. Newer listings will motivate potential buyers into grabbing a hold of...
  2. Before you go ahead and hire a broker to list your franchise for sale, get an appraisal on the value of your business first. That way, you’ll know the right selling price to ask for. This is not on...
  3. Another very important thing to remember is to not neglect the operation of your business. Even though it is for sale on the market, that doesn’t mean you can just forget about it and only focus on...
  4. Of course, you should keep the franchisor in the loop about what is going on with your sale. Y…

Post-Sale Obligations

  • After the sale of a franchise business, the franchisee will still have some obligations left after the transfer of the business has been made. A lot of these obligations must do with what businesses or jobs they can and cannot take after the completion of the sale. Most franchise agreements have non-solicitation provisions and non-competition agreements which outline that franchisee…
See more on exitadviser.com

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