Bottom line, the cartoon and article underline the need for:
A: Prospective franchisees to conduct in-depth due diligence, involving engaging specialist franchising legal and accounting advice. And yes, this will cost money.
B: Prospective franchisors to properly determine the efficacy of franchising their respective business’s, which will involve engaging a competent management consultant that specialises in franchising. From there, assuming franchising is appropriate, and this is confirmed through structured analysis and modelling, further development work needs to be completed before then briefing a lawyer for a franchise agreement.
Many aspects of a Franchising Programme need Development
In turn, many other aspects of a comprehensive franchising programme need development; such as, franchisee and franchisor manuals and training systems, recruitment infrastructure, and franchise executive training.
The proper investigation of franchising – from a prospective franchisor and franchisee perspective – involves time, money and the engagement of appropriate outside expertise. If this view were more widely practised the above cartoon would have less relevance – and there’d be happier investors on both sides of the fence.