Sign In

If You’re Thinking Of Buying A Franchise, This Is What Will Be Required Of You

News, Articles, Success Stories and Advice on Franchising
If You’re Thinking Of Buying A Franchise, This Is What Will Be Required Of You

If You’re Thinking Of Buying A Franchise, This Is What Will Be Required Of You

Are you thinking of taking charge of your future by owning or running a franchise business?  If the answer is yes, then you need to understand what is required of you before you commit to joining a franchise.

Ask yourself the following 7 questions to find out what is required of you to buy a franchise.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Every franchise opportunity has its own requirements but these are the basic and general requirements. You will need to investigate the franchises that you are interested in to find out what their exact requirements are.

  1. Do you fit the franchisee profile?

Franchising requires a very particular mindset, attitude, personality, and skillset to be successful. Typically, the franchisee profile will include the following behaviour and skills:

  • strong-willed and social with communication skills,
  • prepared to take risks,
  • hardworking and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done,
  • attention to detail,
  • organisational skills,
  • result-driven,
  • persistent, determined and committed,
  • natural sales skills,
  • leadership ability and
  • the ability to learn, follow instructions, rules, and regulations.

Take the self-test to see if you are fit to be a franchisee

  1. Will you be an owner-operator?

Franchisees are responsible for the management and running order of the day-to-day operations of the franchise. A franchisor generally/typically prefers having owner-operators as franchisees who have a passion and desire for being hands-on and actively involved in the franchise, fulltime. Franchisors prefer not to have a manager run the franchise as they don’t have skin in the game and won’t take as much pride in the franchise as the franchisee. Most franchisors would outright refuse a manager to run the franchise and only accept an owner-operator.  Owner-operators have more control over the franchise and can action decisions immediately. Franchisors may be reluctant in awarding a franchise to a person who does not plan to meet this requirement.

  1. Are you willing to enter into a long-term commitment?

Building a successful franchise takes time, it will not happen overnight and will require you to be persistent and determined to become profitable and sustainable in the long-term. A typical franchise agreement runs for 5 years and is linked to the option to renew, so you need to make sure you are ready for the commitment and open to building a strong relationship with the franchisor, their brand and support team.

  1. Do you have access to sufficient capital?

In the majority of instances, the franchisor requires you to contribute 50% of the total capital investment in cash (out of your own pocket or savings) and the remainder may be financed through various options such as bank loans, alternative lenders and funding institutions, retrenchment packages, soft loans from relatives, taking on an investor or business partner, crowdfunding and stokvels. The franchisor might initiate creditworthiness checks on you, so make sure you have a good credit record. The franchisor should be able to guide you in this process.

  1. Do you need to have industry or business experience?

Understanding the industry and having some business experience will be beneficial and make you a more viable franchisee candidate. Some franchises do specify a required amount of experience and knowledge in terms of the industry, your education level, business, and management track record but some don’t. The franchisor will provide you with training on how to run and manage the business successfully.  When choosing your franchise, we would advise that you are realistic about your skills and what you are passionate about.  If you are venturing into a new or different industry than you are used to or have experience in, research the industry as best you can..

  1. Are there available opportunities in your area?

When applying for a franchise you need to have an area in mind, ideally, this should be close to where you live. You will need to determine if the franchisor has opportunities available in your immediate or surrounding area that you can apply for or if they are willing to create an opportunity in your suggested area based on factors such as demographics, foot traffic and viability.  If the franchisor does not have opportunities in your area yet and they are not planning to expand there just yet, be patient, they will add you to the database and reach out to you as soon as opportunities are available.

  1. Do you need to have a site or premises to buy a franchise?

The franchisor will assist you with site selection and lease negotiations of a viable site.  You do not secure a site before you are approved as a franchisee.  If you have a site in mind, the franchisor will investigate the potential of the area and site for consideration and approval.

Related Posts

follow franchisor lead Expert Advice
  • 25 November 2024

Why Following Your Franchisor’s Lead is Key to Success

Buying into a franchise is a significant investment, both financially and emotionally. It’s a partnership, not a dictatorship, but one
cash flow Expert Advice

Successfully Managing Cash Flow in Your South African Franchise

Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business, and for franchisees in South Africa, effective cash flow management is paramount

Comments (19)

  • Cain Ntshekang
    15 March 2021 at 18:32 Reply

    I would like to franchise with Coca Cola company, where must I start first please?

  • Zodwa Ntsie
    13 November 2021 at 09:05 Reply

    I would like to franchise with king pie city. Please give me advise or training I’f you conduct it.

    Thanks

  • Gloria Klaas
    17 November 2021 at 15:45 Reply

    I would like to start franchise with king pie! Where do I start am having capital where do I start?????? Advise me please!!

  • Sipho Sangweni
    17 November 2021 at 20:50 Reply

    Dear Sir/Madem
    I am interested to buy a franchise

  • Thandi Mkhize
    19 November 2021 at 10:56 Reply

    Good Morning. I am interested in buying Kleenbin franchise. I have already made contact with the franchise with the franchisor i was asked to do a research on the area of my choice and the number of bins in the area. which i have done and presented. The next step will be to market the business in the area and training. The franchisor provides support and training. The challenge is funding the business. The franchise is selling for R290 000.00. I was wondering if you would be able to assist with funding.

    • WhichFranchise
      WhichFranchise
      19 November 2021 at 12:12 Reply

      Hello Thandi, we don’t provide funding. Here are some options of different types of funding you can get https://whichfranchise.co.za/franchise-finance/

      • Damian Oneds
        2 December 2021 at 22:49 Reply

        I am planning to buy a franchise in a private owned property company. The company has never been franchised before and I would be the first franchisee. Pls advice on how much should be the percentage for the royalty

        • Sasha-Lee de Bod
          9 December 2021 at 13:13 Reply

          We would recommend you really do a lot of research on how the franchisor will assist you in your business before you invest your money. You need to carefully evaluate the opportunity to make sure all the correct franchise documentation is in place and compliant with legislation and that the opportunity is fair and viable. Read these links: https://whichfranchise.co.za/evaluate-franchise/ and https://whichfranchise.co.za/twenty-five-franchise-questions-ask/ For joining a new franchise see: https://whichfranchise.co.za/joining-new-franchise/ Regarding the royalty, the franchisor needs to stipulate an amount and its difficult to advise on what the royalty will be if we don’t know the company and haven’t seen their franchise offering, rule of thumb is the royalty fee is generally determined as 10% of the Gross Profit margin expressed as a percentage of turnover. For example, if the GP is 60%, the royalty will amount to 6% of turnover.

  • Franchise Local
    18 February 2022 at 07:48 Reply

    Very well written content, you have explained each and everything in-depth and covered all the aspects of what a person needs if he/she wants ta start a franchise. Moreover, if you are convinced or looking to buy a franchise then you can go with Franchise Local. We offer the best franchise opportunities in the UK at a reasonable price for more visit us at – https://www.franchiselocal.co.uk/

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Copyright © whichfranchise.co.za. All Rights Reserved. | whichfranchise - a complete franchising resource offering information and opportunities for prospective franchisees and franchisors in South Africa.