{"id":1281,"date":"2015-08-28T22:58:16","date_gmt":"2015-08-28T22:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thefranchisemaker.com\/learningcenter\/?p=1281"},"modified":"2026-02-27T03:16:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T03:16:42","slug":"what-to-look-for-in-a-franchise-development-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefranchisemaker.com\/learningcenter\/what-to-look-for-in-a-franchise-development-company\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Look for in a Franchise Development Company"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the\u00a0many years we have been franchising businesses we have witnessed some really crazy gimmicks from companies that are offering<\/span> franchise development services<\/a>.\u00a0 We encourage you to be super careful who you talk to about franchising your business (read about <\/span>franchising your business<\/a> and our President’s warning message). There are many things to look for in a franchise development company when you are thinking about franchising your business and we want to give you a few pointers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Identify Who You Are Really Talking To<\/span><\/h2>\n

First things first, you need to know who you are talking to about franchising your business. There is a lot of title confusion out there. You will hear companies call themselves: “franchise advisers”, “franchise consultants”<\/em> and\/or “franchise coaches.” <\/em>This is a sneaky way for many people and\/or companies to camouflage the fact that they are really “franchise brokers”<\/em> whose main function is to sell franchises <\/em>(for a further explanation you can read “Know the Difference Between a Franchise Advisor, Consultant & Broker<\/a>?”). <\/span><\/p>\n

While selling franchises has become a lucrative industry and there are more franchise brokers than there are trees in the Pacific Northwest, selling franchises is completely different from creating or building franchises.\u00a0 Think about it, it’s like asking a real estate agent to build a home for you (more than likely you will be hiring a general contractor to build your home). Over the years franchise brokers have realized there is a negative connotation with identifying themselves as brokers so they have come up with a creative way to identify themselves differently.<\/em> And what about those who are legitimate consultants and advisors? \u00a0In many industries, a consultant or advisor is an expert who charges a fee for coaching a business owner or providing advice in a particular field. <\/span><\/p>\n

A franchise consultant and\/or franchise advisor is no different and\u00a0consults with and\/or offers advice<\/em> for\u00a0(i) people who are looking to purchase a franchise (this is their most common function); (ii)\u00a0existing businesses who have already<\/em> franchised to examine and offer suggestions for improvement; or\u00a0(iii)\u00a0in some cases,\u00a0offer\u00a0suggestions<\/em>, opinions<\/em> and resources for business owners who want to franchise. As with any consultant or advisor\u00a0it is important to identify the deliverables. When looking to franchise your business you want to talk with a company that specializes ONLY in franchise creation. You need a franchise development company<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Take a Deeper Look at the Logos They Are Flashing Up<\/span><\/h3>\n

Does the company you are talking with flash up a bunch of logos on their website of existing franchises? Seeing some of these “franchise giants” on their website may look promising but we encourage you to dig deeper. Ask if the franchise logos listed on the\u00a0website you are viewing\u00a0are\u00a0businesses\u00a0they took to franchise from start-to-finish. You may be surprised to learn that they actually only sold franchises for them OR simply provided consulting services for them. <\/span><\/p>\n

Fact:<\/strong> ALL clients listed on\u00a0The Franchise Maker\u00a0website are real clients that we have franchised from start-to-finish (take a look at our clients and the many different kinds of businesses we have franchised<\/a>). We do\u00a0NOT work with existing franchise companies and\u00a0we work with\u00a0ONLY start-up franchisors just like YOU.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you really find out if the people and\/or companies you are\u00a0talking to are who they claim? The following tips will help you:<\/span><\/p>\n