Prospective franchisees should read a new book from The Franchise King, Joel Libava, called Become a Franchise Owner: The Startup-Guide to Lowering Risk, Making Money, and Owning What You Do.
I don’t make that recommendation lightly. But Joel and I share a common passion. We are both passionate about making sure that franchisees investigate and research franchises carefully. All too often people invest their life savings in a franchise only to find out that the franchise wasn’t for them. While proper due diligence and investigation doesn’t guarantee success, it definitely gives you a better chance!
Joel’s book is straight-forward and full of practical tips in researching franchise opportunities. He says that most people start off their franchise research by making two mistakes:
- Going it alone without anyone experienced in franchising to assist them;
- Starting the search by searching for a franchise. You’ve got to determine if franchise ownership is right for you first.
Now I must disclose that Joel included a short piece I wrote for the book on my thoughts in reviewing the franchise disclosure document and franchise agreement. After reading the entire book, I am even more flattered that he asked me to write the piece because I believe his book is the best I’ve read on the steps franchisees need to take in order to properly research franchising and how best to lower risk in the process. It’s a small investment ($8.99 for the Kindle version and $14.63 for the hard cover) but could save you big bucks down the road. If you’re thinking about researching a franchise, my hope for you is that you read this book before starting. And if you’ve started, stop now and read this book before it’s too late.