FRANCHISE INFORMATION

There is a plethora of Franchise Information available today; you only have to search the internet to understand how much information there is. And there are a wide variety of franchise industries, brands and different franchise agreements or types of contracts to choose from.

Not only is the above Franchise Information important to consider, but there are more personal issues to consider, such as why you might be considering entering into such a business arrangement and when and how will you make that move, and how will you finance that move.

One of the best places to find all your Franchise Information is the International Franchise Association, also known as the IFA. The IFA was established in the 1960 and currently has 28,000 members in 75 industry categories and its members include franchisors, franchisees and suppliers. They collect and collate such Franchise Information as surveys; they study that information, and then report to Washington about the power of franchising in the USA. The Association’s mission is to protect, promote and enhance franchising.

In 1978, the Federal Trade Commission set up the ‘FTC Franchise Rule’ which sets out more uniform discloser requirements. It requires that a franchise for sale be more upfront and honest about their dealings through a Disclosure Document. This document is available to anyone considering entering into a franchise agreement and has information regarding its finances, principles and other franchisors in the group .This document is intended to help potential franchisees investigate the company they are potentially buying into, before any agreements are signed or monies are paid.

The internet contains a wealth of Franchise Information, both from the franchisee point of view and from the franchisors point of view. There are many sites dedicated to listing all of the franchise opportunities and franchise for sale, within the many industries that franchising covers. You will find a large collection of articles, resources and press releases. Many are written by franchise consultants and many by franchisors themselves.

The Franchise Business Network (FBN) operates in 27 cities across America. It brings together local franchisees, franchisors, and vendors to discuss all things franchising. The sheer size of Franchising in the USA brings with it many motivated and connected people. A franchisor or franchisee is not alone – thousands of colleagues and business associates have dealt with the same or similar issues. Networking between these individuals is invaluable to gain education, information and support.