Franchise Consultants: How They Can Help Your Business

Franchise consultants are very much like matchmakers. They represent companies that franchise with people who would like to own their own company, but who also want the help of a franchise with getting started and continuously helping to grow their new business.

Whether you are looking for franchise opportunities in order to get your business off the ground, or to make an existing enterprise more profitable, a franchise consultant can provide you with information and opportunities that you may otherwise overlook.

It is in the franchise advisor’s best interest to consistently help both companies and people buying franchises succeed.

Reputable franchise consultants or brokers who work for companies that sell franchises will not charge the buyer at all, and they only get paid after a person looking for a franchise buys one. A business franchise consultant who charges either the buyer of seller a fee up-front is a huge red flag - run away quickly from them.

People reach out to franchise consultants for a number of reasons.

Today’s job market has over ten million unemployed people, many for over ninety-nine weeks. When one adds the number of people who have given up looking for a job, that number swells to nearly 16 million people.

Many of these unemployed are thinking that unemployment is an opportunity to start their own business. Unfortunately, 95 percent of new businesses fail within five years. On the other hand, if one looks at franchise opportunities, statistics show that only 20 percent of them fail. Those looking to become self-employed need not do so on their own. Instead, they can buy a franchise. With the help of a franchise business advisor, potential business owners are able to explore many opportunities that they qualify for and have an interest in, at a price they are willing to pay.

Franchise consultants work with people looking to buy a franchise and, if they are also franchise brokers, they represent many companies seeking to attract a franchise buyer. Consultants do not hard sell you; they recommend franchise opportunities, but do not push.

If you are an independent entrepreneur, franchise business advisors can help you by:

• Pre-screening franchise opportunities to find those best suited for you
• Fast-tracking you if an excellent opportunity appears on the market
• Encouraging you to explore franchises that you may not have been considering

In general, there are no fees paid by buyers to brokers. A fee, paid by the franchising company, goes to the franchise business consultant/broker when a buyer pays for the franchise.

Franchise consultants (and brokers) help businesses with franchise opportunities such as:

• Working on a commission-based fee only – there is no need for the business to incur recurring payroll costs with a franchise sales department
• Expanding the potential market - franchise business advisors talk to many people each day
• Pre-qualifying potential buyers so that only serious buyers are given your opportunity

Learning as much as possible about your business franchise opportunities and your core business to better educate those seeking a franchise business.