Franchise Guides
How matching actually works, what a good fit looks like, and how to read an FDD without getting sold.
-
Franchise Initial Investment: How to Read Item 7 and Why It Runs Over
Item 7 is the franchisor’s estimate of what it costs to open. What the range includes, what it leaves out, and why real costs often run higher.
-
Franchise Fees Explained: The Initial Fee, Royalties, and What Never Stops
The franchise fee is the smallest check you’ll write. How initial fees, royalties, and brand funds really work, and how to run the math before you sign.
-
FDD Item 3: How to Read a Franchisor’s Litigation History
A few lawsuits in a big franchise system is normal. Owners suing their own franchisor is a pattern. How to tell the difference in Item 3 before you sign.
-
Franchise Renewal Rate: The Most Honest Number a Franchisor Won’t Hand You
When a franchise agreement ends, do owners sign again? It’s the clearest signal a system works, and it isn’t printed in the FDD. Here’s how to find it.
-
FDD Item 20: How to Spot High Franchise Turnover Before You Buy
Item 20 shows every unit that opened, closed, transferred, or was taken back over three years. Here’s how to turn it into an exit rate in five minutes.
-
Franchise Item 19 Explained: How to Read Earnings Claims Without Getting Sold
Item 19 is the only place a franchisor can tell you what its units earn, and the most misread page in the FDD. Five checks to read it without getting sold.
-
What a Good Franchise Match Actually Looks Like
The “right franchise” isn’t a brand. It’s a category that actually fits your capital, time, and skills — before any broker puts their thumb on the scale.
-
How to Shop Franchises Like They’re Not Shopping You
Most franchise searches take three to six months and end in the wrong fit. Here’s a faster sequence that protects your time and your capital.
-
Can AI Actually Help You Pick the Right Franchise?
Short answer: yes for the matching stage, no for everything after. Here’s what AI is actually good for in franchise search — and where you still have to do the work yourself.