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Franchise Information to Help Guide You Through the Process

By Jeff Lubthisophon

There is tons of franchise information to be aware of before, during and after you have purchased a franchise. This article will highlight some of the key points to help you with what you are doing and keep you aware of the risks and benefits that will occur.

A quick overview of franchise information to know about before purchasing a franchise is know the start-up costs that will occur. There are several start-up costs including initial inventory and operating licenses and insurance. Know what kind of franchise interests you and then shop around to find what business and franchise will best suit you considering the location, price, and comfort level. It is safe to get a lawyer or financial consultant to assure yourself that everything is handled legally and properly.

After purchasing a franchise there is much franchise information to know including advertising, the possibility of restrictions, and renewals of the franchise after a certain amount of time. Whether you agree with the advertising funds cost or not, many franchises will require that a percentage of your income goes to an advertising fund. Before agreeing with the advertising fund and purchasing that particular franchise, you may want to shop around and get certain advertising questions answered from exhibitors. Some questions that are worth finding out include:

• Are there other expenses paid with the advertising fund?
• How much of the fund is spent on national advertising?
• What advertising promotions has the company already engaged in and what developments are expected for the future?
• Do you need the franchisor�s consent to conduct your own advertising?

It is important that you check franchise information from company to company on what limitations you will have while running the business. You may be limited to the supplier of goods whom you may purchase from. You may also be limited to the goods or services you may sale and the territory in which you can sell these goods.

When you purchase a franchise, agreements often run between 15-20 years long. After that time is up, the franchiser has the option to renew or decline your contract. Another downside is that the franchiser has the option to reduce your territory creating tougher competition from other franchisees. Just when you think the renewal process couldn�t get any harsher the original agreements from the initial purchase do not stand, as the franchiser may raise the payments or set new sales restrictions.

One more piece of franchise information to consider is termination. If you fail to live up to the performance standards, your contract can be terminated. Also, if you fail to pay royalties or go against the sales restrictions policy your contract can be terminated with the possibility of losing your investment.

There is so much franchise information to look into when considering investing. This is just a start to some things you should consider while thinking about investing, after you have invested, and when the time is coming up to renew your contract.

About the Author

Jeff Lubthisophon is the owner of Buying Franchises and has devoted his efforts to offering useful information on Franchise Opportunities http://www.buying-franchises.com

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