Iowa Corporate Lawyer & Attorney : Rush Nigut of Brick Gentry Law Firm : Serving Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, & Sioux City

One of my franchisee clients offered a very simple question that every prospective franchisee should ask of other franchisees when conducting due diligence:

What doesn't the franchisor do well?

He says this evoked the best responses from franchisees when he conducted his due diligence.  If you are considering a franchise be sure to talk to as many franchisees as possible.  Speaking to only a handful is not enough. 

For more information be sure to read this article on franchise due diligence resources.

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When searching my feed reader last night I ran into this distressful thread on BlueMauMau.org, a pro-franchisee Web site.  In the comments below the initial post, franchise lawyer Richard Solomon says he is giving up on trying to help franchisees.  Richard says,

I'm about ready to climb down off the due diligence cross and go do something less stressful, like crisis management counseling. In crisis management, people really do want help and are willing to provide a budget for it.

I'll admit it.  There have been times where I have felt the same way as Richard when trying to assist franchisees in reviewing their franchise agreement and conducting due diligence.  There are times when a franchisee is going to do the deal come hell or high water.  But at this point I am not willing to stop trying to help these people. 

I think Richard's point is simple.  Isn't it unbelievable that people would be willing to invest their life savings in a franchise business but refuse to spend a little time and small expense to properly conduct due diligence?

The purpose of a franchise agreement and disclosure document review is not for the lawyer to talk the client out of their franchise business opportunity.  An appropriate review will help point out the legal and business risks and possible areas of negotiation.  After the review, the client must still  make their own decision about whether to proceed forward.  I have been told by more than one client that a review opened their eyes to help them better understand the franchise opportunity.  Some moved forward while others backed away from their deal.

I have been very fortunate to work with prospective franchisees that are serious about their due diligence.   Recently I had a prospective franchisee client that encountered all the classic warning signs from a franchisor.  I know this client felt disappointed the deal didn't go through but I was sure proud they were willing to walk away.  Only someone serious about their business would have done so.   

So don't give up Richard (and other franchisee lawyers).  It takes just one client to make you see this is all worthwhile and they definitely need our help.

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If you are looking at a franchise opportunity perhaps you should beware if your prospective franchisor says the following:

1. You don't need a lawyer to review the agreement. 
2. I would prefer you don't talk with the other franchisees.  You should only talk with me.
3. We won't negotiate any terms.
4. Trust us, we can't (and won't) change the agreement but we won't really hold you to that provision anyway.

Like many people you may be considering an investment of your retirement savings in a franchise.  You owe it to yourself to do the best job possible investigating that franchise and performing the most due diligence possible.  That includes hiring franchisee counsel to review the franchise agreement and disclosure document and talking with as many franchisees as possible.  Some franchisors won't negotiate but many will consider your needs.  And never, I mean NEVER, believe the franchisor that tells you they won't hold you to the terms of their written agreement.  You can be assured that the franchisor's lawyer in any lawsuit will never acknowledge that statement was ever made and most franchise agreements are written so that any such statement could not be used as evidence anyway.

Trust your gut.  Don't believe the hype.  Be willing to walk.

photo on flickr by Picture Perfect Pose.

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As regular readers of this blog know, I am engaged in a never ending search for blogs that present franchise opportunities in a fair and objective manner.  All too often franchise related sites are merely promotional pieces. 

FranchisePick is a site worth checking out.  Yes, there are some promotional pieces on the site.  But franchise marketing veteran, Sean Kelly, has done an excellent job of presenting worthwhile information on several franchises.   

For example, recent posts on 30 minute workout franchises are hard hitting and full of information.  The experiences shared on the site are invaluable for anyone who is interested in making an investment in a franchise.  Sean likes to have fun, including making fun of my name, but he is on a serious mission to expose unethical practices in the franchise industry and encourage best practices.

Sean has a number of other sites covering the franchise industry including FRANBEST, Franchisor Marketing, and Franchisee Marketing.  He is also the President of IdeaFarm which specializes in helping franchise companies achieve growth through brand development and innovative marketing techniques.

Thanks to Sean for reaching out to me and exposing me to his sites.

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Upon my return from vacation I ran across a site called The Franchise Pundit.  I have been looking a long time for Web sites that give balanced information on franchises rather than just reciting promotional materials.  The Franchise Pundit appears to be such a site. 

If you are conducting due diligence on a franchise you may want to investigate the site.  In a short time I discovered several articles providing practical information on several franchises.  Be sure to check out the franchisor list to see if there are any articles on your franchise of interest. 

If you know of any other sites that provide fair and balanced information on franchises please let me know.

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