Franchise Model Team
Franchising, or a business franchise model, is a contractual business model or relationship whereby an established brand, known as the ‘franchisor,’ allows an independent business owner, or franchisee, to use its branding, business model, and other intellectual property. In return, the franchisee agrees to pay an upfront franchise fee, plus ongoing royalties to the franchisor. For an agreed rate products will be billed to the affiliated distributor network and the franchisee sales team will take care of the market penetration. Owner of the brands will be responsible for the marketing plan and scientific communication roll out. At any point of time the brand owner may take over the business by paying a nominal fee.
There are dozens of different types of franchise arrangements, but three of them are the most common. They include:
- Business format franchise: This is the most common type of franchise arrangement. In this model, the franchisor allows a third party to do business using their trademarks and business model in exchange for fees and a recurring percentage of sales revenue. Franchisees under this model are run according to the parent company’s guidelines and rules.
- Product franchise: This is the oldest form of a franchise arrangement. Under this model, the franchisees exclusively distribute or sell franchisor’s products.
- Manufacturing franchise: Within this model, third-party manufacturers obtain exclusive rights to produce and distribute products using the franchisor’s trade name and trademark.
The franchising process varies depending on the type of franchise arrangement, state, and franchisor guidelines. That said, a typical franchising process will look something like this:
Step 1: Gather background information
First things first, conduct research to identify the type of franchise you would like to venture into. Make sure you have a clear idea of what you expect to gain from starting a franchise. Next, come up with a list of franchisors you’d be interested in investing in. Prioritize selecting businesses that match your goals, budget, and business acumen. Also, make sure you research the legal considerations involved with a particular industry or jurisdiction for starting a franchise in your state.
Step 2: Reach out to the franchisor
Contact the franchisor’s representative and schedule a meeting. A face-to-face meeting is an opportunity for you to know more about the business and help you make an informed decision. Key questions to consider include inquiring about how long the business has been in operation, its growth plan, and risk factors. After the interview, the franchisor should offer you their franchising brochures, guidelines, and other relevant initial documentation for potential franchisees.
Step 3: Negotiations
Assuming initial conversations go well and the franchisor meets your key criteria, it’s time to negotiate the terms of the partnership. This stage is often quite complicated, so you need to equip yourself with the best negotiation skills and strategies. Tulane SoPA can help sharpen your negotiation skills and understand business fundamentals via our Applied Business Studies program.
Step 4: Agreement Signing
Once the terms on the table are accepted, the next step forward is signing a formal agreement. At this stage, consider hiring a legal expert to guide you. Also, take some time to review the agreement to ensure that it’s as clear and detailed as possible to avoid confusion and potential disputes down the road.
For an agreed rate products will be billed to the affiliated distributor network and the franchisee sales team will take care of the market penetration. Owner of the brands will be responsible for the marketing plan and scientific communication roll out. At any point of time the brand owner may take over the business by paying a nominal fee.