I was recently interviewed for an article written by Patt Johnson of the Des Moines Register entitled, "Franchise Owners Buy a Head Start". As a part of my business law practice, I routinely review franchise agreements and Uniform Franchise Offering Circulars (UFOC).
The article featured several franchisees that are pleased with the franchise process and discussed the success of the local Maid-rite franchisor. In the article I pointed out that prospective franchisees must keep in mind while franchising can give you a head start it is still critical to perform your due diligence. You must interview as many franchisees as possible in order to get an accurate picture of a prospective franchisor. It is also important to keep in mind that while you will be your own boss you will not have complete independence. You will still need to live within the rules of the franchisor.