Franchise FAQ

what does owning a franchise mean

by Mr. Keshaun Mosciski I Published 1 year ago Updated 1 year ago
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A franchise owner is a business owner who has bought a franchise — an already established business model that is part of a chain (think McDonalds

McDonald's

McDonald's Corporation is an American fast food company, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hamburger stand, and later turned the company into a franchise, wi…

, Subway, or Kentucky Fried Chicken). Each franchise uses the same name, trademark, product, and services.

A franchise enables you, the investor or franchisee, to operate a business. You pay a franchise fee and you get a format or system developed by the company (franchisor), the right to use the franchisor's name for a specific number of years and assistance.

Full Answer

Can I make money by owning a franchise?

The reality for most franchisees is somewhere in between. Exactly how much money YOU will make as a franchise owner is a difficult question to answer. There are many factors that will influence your potential earnings – the biggest of which include the brand you invest in and your own personal performance as a business owner.

What are the pros and cons of buying a franchise?

The Pros and Cons of Buying a Franchise: Is it Right for You?

  • Advantages of Franchising. Advantage 1: Explore a New Career, Work in a New Industry! ...
  • Disadvantages of Franchising. Depending on which franchise you choose to invest in, the initial investment can be hefty, especially for big-name franchises.
  • Overlooked Realities of Franchising. ...
  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Buying a Franchise. ...

What to know before buying a franchise?

4 Things You Need to Know Before Buying a Franchise:

  1. Practice self-reflection. When you buy a franchise, it is vital you self-evaluate whether you are suitable for this action and, if yes, what area matches your personality and skillset.
  2. Make a list of all upcoming costs. It is of the utmost importance you make a list of all your future costs. ...
  3. Know the market well. ...
  4. Research available opportunities. ...

What are the steps of buying a franchise?

  • Matches your financial resources
  • Provides you with the lifestyle you imagined
  • Uses your particular skills and experience
  • Provides a recession-resistant product or service
  • Has a majority of happy and successful franchisees
  • Employs an experienced and enthusiastic staff of personnel who will help you achieve your dreams of business ownership success

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What Is A Franchise

A franchise is a license that is issued by the franchisor to an individual (franchisee) or group of persons to sell its products in a particular location.

Types Of Franchise

There are different types of a franchise which will be discussed under this heading.

How Does Franchise Work

In the franchising world, the franchisee gives monetary value in exchange for the franchisor’s knowledge and experience. With this, the franchisee can speed up his business since he will be treading on the already built experience of someone else. He knows things to avoid and areas to focus his strength on.

Benefits Of Franchising

It is no longer a surprise when potential entrepreneurs choose to franchise over setting up their business. This is basically because of the numerous benefits that both the franchisees and the franchisors stand to derive. These benefits are so numerous out of which the following have been extracted.

Things To Investigate Before You Buy A Franchise

Purchasing a franchise might be the best way for an individual to start as a business owner due to the several opportunities that await such a person some of which have been listed above.

Steps To Owning A Franchise

If you are currently reading through this article, it implies that you are planning to embark on franchising to become your boss.

Common Terms Used In Franchising

It is important to know some of the jargon often used in franchising. Here is a list of a few.

What is a Franchise Owner?

A franchise owner is a business owner who has bought a franchise — an already established business model that is part of a chain (think McDonalds, Subway, or Kentucky Fried Chicken). Each franchise uses the same name, trademark, product, and services.

Why do you buy a franchise?

Buying a franchise establishes a relationship with the successful business (the franchisor), provides on-going brand awareness, and gives the franchise owner a proven system to work with.

How long does a franchise contract last?

After the fee is paid, a contract will be signed for a specific length of time (usually five, ten, or twenty years). The contract will lay out responsibilities, the rights to use the system, the rights to the name of the business, and the training needed to start the business. It does not include the inventory, furniture, fixtures or real estate. Once the contract expires, it will need to be renewed.

How much does a franchise owner make?

Franchise owner salary. The average salary for franchise owners in the United States is around $57,971 per year . Salaries typically start from $40,305 and go up to $163,298. Read about Franchise owner salary.

What industries have franchises?

Industries that have franchises include: automotive, beauty, art, travel, recreation, business, education, pet, entertainment, financial services, food, health, fitness, technology, retail, senior care, vending, moving and storage, child care and services, cleaning and maintenance, and medical.

Why are franchises failing?

This is where franchises shine, as they get up and running faster , and become profitable more quickly because of the management that is already set up .

What is the advantage of franchise?

A big plus for the franchise owner is that the business is already 'known' and recognized by the public. Customers much prefer dealing with a brand they have heard of and can trust. They also know the quality of the product or service, as one location is comparable to that of another location.

What is a franchising business?

Franchising is a popular tool to scale business operations worldwide and accounts for a large portion of the U.S. market.

What is a franchise agreement?

A franchise is an agreement between two independent parties: the franchisor and the franchisee. One party (the franchisor) offers its business model, brand name, and intellectual property to another party (the franchisee) that will use the resources to start a business according to the existing system.

How does a franchisee get royalties?

First, the franchisee purchases the controlled rights and intellectual property from the franchisor business, paying a lump sum contribution or a one-time fee. Secondly, the franchisor is paid by the franchisee for training, equipment, and business advisory services. In the end, the franchisor receives royalties every month.

What is franchising in the US?

Small businesses in the US use the franchising model to grow into national chains and gain a foothold in other locations such as Europe, Canada, and China. On the other hand, overseas franchisors turn to franchises to establish themselves in the US market, using funds provided by the franchisees in the US mainland.

What is gross income in a dealership?

Gross Income Gross income refers to the total income earned by an individual on a paycheck before taxes and other deductions. It comprises all incomes. ) with the franchisor as specified in the contract.

How much does it cost to franchise McDonald's?

Taking McDonald’s as an example, the estimated total costs to launch a franchise range from $1 million to $2.2 million. When it comes to royalties, the franchisee needs to remit 4%-8% of its revenue to the franchisor per month.

What is the FTC?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) serves as a federal regulatory body that aims to protect consumers and ensure strong competition in the markets. The Franchise Rule, which is published by the FTC, represents a legal disclosure conveyed to a potential buyer of the franchise from the franchisor.

What does it mean to franchise a business?

When you choose to franchise your business it means you are bringing other people into your system to learn about your business. This includes all the best practices you have developed over years of experience which has led to your success. You are giving other people (let’s call them entrepreneurs) permission to sell your products and/or offer your services under your name and to operate the business the same way that you operate it. When you franchise your business you now become a “franchisor” and you are responsible for teaching these entrepreneurs all your methods, processes, procedures and best practices so these entrepreneurs can be just as successful at operating the same type of business as you in their market (learn about your role as a franchisor). This entire concept is known as “business format franchising”. Basically these entrepreneurs are given a jump start into business ownership; saving them tons of time, money and frustration.

How does franchising work?

This often happens much quicker than if you tried to open more company-owned locations yourself. As different franchisees begin to open locations in different markets then your business name becomes recognizable and soon branding starts to take place. Eventually this means you become so recognizable that you become a household name (watch our brief video that explains how franchising is a means to dominate the marketplace). As your system becomes a brand typically there is an increased demand for the products and/or services your system offers.

How does franchising make money?

You collect an upfront fee (read more about this fee referred to as the “franchise fee”) for providing training and other deliverables to your new franchisees. Basically all the knowledge and wisdom someone needs to get started in business is being provided by you. The franchise fee is compensation to you for all your efforts. Besides the franchise fee that is collected, you also collect: royalty payments; revenue from the sale of equipment, products or supplies sold to franchisees; and in most cases commissions and/or rebates from different vendors and suppliers who you require franchisees to purchase from for various elements of your program (check out our article to learn more about the money side of franchising) .

How does a franchise work?

Here's how it works: Each and every year , franchisees must pay the franchise a fee equivalent to a percentage of sales. It also means that no matter how successful you are as a business owner and how innovative you are at driving revenue, you'll always have two partners: Uncle Sam and company headquarters.

What is the purpose of buying a franchise?

Buying a franchise lets you skip over some of the early phases of business development, like creating a business plan, branding, and conducting product research. Instead, you can start your business with a market-tested product that is already familiar to your consumers.

How much does Burger King charge for franchise?

The unfortunate part is that royalty fees are pretty standard in the franchise world. In fact, Burger King charges its franchisees 4.5% of sales in addition to a $50,000 franchise fee, and Dunkin' Donuts has its franchisees cough up 5.9% of sales each year in addition to a franchise fee that can range anywhere from $40,000 to $90,000, depending upon the location. Subtract payroll, food costs, and taxes—in addition to these royalties—and it's easy to see why being a franchisee may not entail the life of luxury you imagined.

How much does McDonald's franchise cost?

For example, when opening a McDonald's, the franchisee must not only pay money toward the location, they must also pony up a $45,000 franchise fee for the right to operate the business for a period of 20 years. After 20 years, assuming the company agrees to renew the contract, another $45,000 franchise fee is charged.

What is the most important factor in determining the success or failure of a franchise?

You've probably heard many times that "location, location, location" is the most important factor in determining the success or failure of any business. The point is, unless the franchise sets up shop in a favorable location that's going to support the business, the franchisee will have an incredibly difficult time making ends meet.

What is the most popular franchise in 2021?

The most popular franchise in 2021 is McDonald's, followed by KFC and Burger King, according to FranchiseDirect. Outside of fast food, the most popular franchises were 7-Eleven, Ace Hardware, and Century 21. 3.

Why are McDonald's franchises limited?

While most franchises will limit the number of stores they open in a given area because of fears of market saturation and diminishing returns , many franchises will still try to fit as many retail locations into a given area as possible. That's why it's not uncommon to see five different McDonald's locations within a five-mile area—the corporate head is trying to squeeze every last dollar out of the territory. But the individual franchisee is really the one who suffers. Every time a new location opens within close proximity, their potential market is cut.

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