getting into franchising is a difficult task indeed.  some of the franchises buy-in is a $500,000 or more, and your net worth has to be in the millions.  we’re talking about mcdonald’s, walmart and other heavy hitters in the franchise industry. even at a glance, for those franchises, they are buying into multiple units, and they have the wealth to do so.

the first true stage is the hard sell by these franchises.  some will pursue you doggedly, and they will market to you. hold your ground until you receive the franchise disclosure document (fdd), an extensive 130 to 150 page document, detailing all the good, bad and the ugly of the franchise.  now comes the fun part, dissecting the document.  an attorney, business or franchise, and an accountant will help you analyze the document.

it is a hefty read. it may take a couple of weeks or more.

now onto part 2, the fdd document itself.