Owning a franchise is a great opportunity.  You get to be a business owner with the stability of an established brand name behind you.  However, this does not mean you should jump blindly into franchise ownership. Here are three things you should do before you buy a franchise.

1. Research before you buy a franchise.

Before you invest all the time, effort, and money it takes to be a successful business owner, you want to make sure this franchise is worth it.  Do your own background research; don’t just settle for whatever it says on the company’s website. Find out what their success rate is, how long they’ve been in business, and any other information you think is important before committing.

Don’t think that the only franchises available are restaurants, either.  More and more fields are becoming franchise organizations. From healthcare to education to lawn care, there is sure to be a franchise that interests almost anyone.  Whether you want to own a business in a field you are familiar with or try something new, be sure to know all your options before committing to a company.

2. Figure out costs.

There are a few different fees you should know about before deciding on a franchise.  These include the initial franchise fee, royalties, and advertising payments. The initial investment fee is what you pay for the brand name and licensing of the franchise. 

Royalties are the payments you give the parent company over time.  This is usually a set percentage of sales. Find out what the royalty for your franchise is before you start.  While all franchises have to make money for the brand as a whole somehow, there are some that have unusually high royalty rates.

Some franchises also have advertising payments.  These vary greatly from brand to brand and are another thing you should check on before you buy a franchise.

3. Think about your time and interests before you buy a franchise.

You need to establish how much time you are willing to commit to your business before you even start.  Even with an established franchise brand, opening a company is not easy. It takes a lot of time and effort.  It is likely that you will be able to make passive income off of this business eventually, but are the long hours you will put in at the beginning worth it?  Consider other things in your life that you spend your time on. What are you willing to sacrifice? What are you unwilling to give up no matter what?

Beyond time concerns, your personal interests should also be taken into account to some degree.  Since your franchise will take up so much of your time, it should be something you find worthy of that sacrifice.  Maybe this means you buy a franchise in a field that you really enjoy or one that helps people. Whatever you decide, thinking about what is important to you and why you are becoming a business owner can help you later when you are facing challenges.

Interested in healthcare?  We have a better solution

A Better Solution in Home Care is a senior healthcare agency franchise.  As the demand for senior care grows, the opportunities for more businesses in this area increases as well.  A Better Solution offers one of the lowest initial franchise fees in the healthcare market. Whether you have previous healthcare experience or not, they will provide all the training you need to run a successful franchise business.  Even after your initial training, A Better Solution will provide webinars, phone calls, and mentors so that you can have the best business ownership experience possible.