Having caught fire with the idea of ​​​​creating his own business and having viewed hundreds of seemingly profitable franchise offers, an aspiring entrepreneur with fire in his eyes runs to his future mentor partner to buy a franchise. And it's good if the partner turns out to be a real mentor, and the franchise offer is really profitable. And if not?

After reading this article, you will learn:

• How to avoid the 12 most common mistakes new franchisees make
• How not to run into scammers
• What you need to know when choosing a franchise
• How to negotiate with a franchisor
• and much more.

So you've decided to buy a franchise. How not to make a false choice?

Beware of fakes!

To begin with, it is worth familiarizing yourself with what franchises are, selling which companies are engaged in, one might say, fraud. There are three types.

First of all, shell franchise. Entrepreneurial citizens create a trademark and copy all the attributes of some popular brand - from corporate colors to the terms of the franchise package. As a rule, such a trademark is not even registered. An inexperienced franchisee takes the bait and buys a worthless franchise.

In addition to external similarity, such a franchise has nothing to do with a popular brand.

It has no commercial value. the main objective creating a shell franchise is to make a quick profit, to push the franchisee to buy a franchise, the price of which is based on false popularity and fame. Only after signing the contract, an inexperienced entrepreneur feels all the consequences of a rash purchase.

The unfortunate franchisee pays for the mistake not only with his money, having bought a dummy, but also with his reputation. The owner of the original brand, having discovered a fake, can sue, and for both the buyer and the seller of the franchise. Using a stolen idea and delivering a low-quality product, the franchisee will forever lose the trust of customers and partners.

There are enough examples of empty franchises. So, the famous pseudo-franchise « ZaraZara» in a certain moment had more outlets in Russia than the original Zara. Or Eurosvyaz- the prototype of Euroset, too lazy to come up with even a different logo.

Naturally, the fight against such dummies and plagiarists is carried out by the owners of real brands. So, for example, recently the company faced a similar problem, having discovered its double. The owners of the original product learned about the pseudo-franchise from a franchisee partner and found out that the owners of this dummy, pretending to be potential franchisees, stole the contract form, image and concept of machines from PrintInstvud.

“We developed the model ourselves, appearance of their machines and, accordingly, we produce them ourselves. In order to coordinate the appearance of the machine with the franchisee, we send him a visualization - a layout of how it will look like. On the website of the pseudo-franchise, we saw fragments directly from our presentation. Now we are working to ensure that the site of scammers is closed, ”a representative of PrintInstvud shared information.

The second enemy of a potential franchisee is one-day franchise. Very beautifully painted benefits, backed up by convincing but unverified facts. A wonderful tale that is told to the franchisee so that he pays the entry fee. Literally a week after he gives the money, the buyer will never see or hear from his “franchisor” again.

Such companies and franchises are created with the aim of making money and disappearing.

So we urge you to pay attention to the date of registration of the company and the date of opening the franchise. If both dates are doubtfully recent, then whatever they say or promise, it is better to pass such proposals by the side.

And the third, but not the most terrible enemy are "raw franchises". A young company with a promising business, which, in principle, is doing well, decides to open a franchise. However, she has neither experience, nor well-developed business schemes, nor the ability to provide proper support to franchisees. That is, in this kind of franchises, again there is no thing for which people actually buy franchise offers.

“Unfortunately, such companies in recent times is getting bigger and bigger. Now there is a kind of “franchise fashion”, i.e. many entrepreneurs, even if they have only recently started a business and are not yet very well versed in it themselves, are quickly trying to create a franchise and start selling it. It is clear that in this case, about any quality of materials and transmission real experience, verified and proven technologies are out of the question. This devalues ​​the very concept of "franchise", - the representative of the company shared his opinion Maxim Seryakov.

The “raw franchise” has two possible development paths. The first is that the business will close in a couple of years, bringing both the franchisor and its franchisee only losses and a damaged reputation. In the second case, together they will find ways out of difficult situations, checking for errors the performance of the business model. However, in this case, a logical question arises: why give money for a franchise if you have to go through all the same stages as with independent discovery business?

Think with your head

A very serious mistake of a novice franchisee is excessive trust in the franchisor's forecasts. In large companies, as a rule, there are franchising departments involved in sales. It is clear that their goal, no matter what, is to sell their franchise. We do not want to say that you can not trust anyone and that everyone is completely deceitful. But given the risks that the franchise buyer takes, he should be more critical of the promises of the franchisor.

It would not be superfluous for a partner to independently analyze the market in the territory of the proposed business location. If you are going to buy a franchise for a small town, then it may well turn out that a product that was in great demand in the center of the capital will be completely unclaimed in your case. It is also worth looking for nearby competitors, perhaps there will be so many of them that there is simply no point in opening a business in this area and in this place.

Plan your budget

The franchisee needs to initial stage calculate your costs and get a financial airbag, in the amount, at least 1/3 from the initial investment. When starting a business, there are always unforeseen but necessary expenses and hidden fees. Therefore, we recommend discussing the budget in detail with your franchisor, since companies usually indicate the average amount of required investments in franchise presentations.

Chat more!

You should not limit yourself to communicating with only one representative of the company, moreover, if his main task is to convince you of buying a franchise. Talk directly to your manager and also to the people you will be working with. Your task is to get as complete a picture as possible about the franchise and the business you will be involved in.

For successful work For a franchise, at a minimum, you need to learn as much as possible about the company itself.

“Determine the scope of the company’s business, find out what way the franchisor offers to sell its products, pay attention to the type of goods and services, the advantages of the franchise, whether the company is a manufacturer, what is the quality of the products and the geography of distribution of franchised enterprises,” the representative of the company shares his opinion Sergei Selyakov.

Be sure to find contacts of other franchisees of this company, including former ones. We recommend that you come and see how the current business works under the chosen franchise, communicate with the franchisee, hear first-hand feedback about the company that will become your franchisor.

If you're looking to acquire a non-exclusive franchise in your region, it's worth finding out about the location of your closest fellow competitors and agreeing on a sphere of influence.

If the franchisor hides the location and contacts of his franchisees or any other information from a potential partner, it is clearly not worth doing business with him.

Ask the Right Questions

Talk to your franchisor and find out not just how many franchises the company opened, but how many closed and why. It would also be nice to know how many enterprises are reopening, that is, are franchisees limited to opening only one point? This information will be very valuable to you. And again, we will make a reservation if the franchisor does not want to provide you full information, no need to start business with it. You don't want to buy a pig in a poke, do you?

“Transparency and purity of relations are a priority for our company, therefore, during negotiations, we do not try to hide information about isolated cases of closed franchise stores. On the contrary, we talk about what caused the failures, what mistakes the franchisees made. We are convinced that the key to the successful development of the franchise system is, first of all, open and honest relationship", - the company explained its position

Don't Avoid Learning

Franchisees should adequately assess their strengths and knowledge. The decision to run a franchise business comes different people, with different experiences. Someone has no business practice at all, someone has experience in managerial positions, and someone already has their own enterprises, opened from scratch.

Whatever colossal business experience you have behind you, training from a franchisor is necessary!

He will explain how to start a franchise business from scratch in a field that is completely new to you. After all, every industry and every company has its own characteristics, which you may not even be aware of.

Education important element when buying a franchise! An experienced franchisor should transfer knowledge, proven methods of work and schemes for building a business to you. Learning and developing, constantly improving, is necessary for every entrepreneur who intends to build profitable business on the long years. Otherwise it is impossible to achieve success.

“When we offer a franchisee to listen to our recommendations, we do not question his life and professional experience. We pay attention to the difficulties possible difficulties, specific aspects of our business model, trying in this way to make it easier for partners to own way in business,” notes the co-owner and founder of the TM franchise Zhanna Asatryan.- “As a rule, very creative franchisees start experimenting from the first month, believing that after working for 2-3 months, they understand better than the franchisor what, when and in what ratio they need to sell. Such experiences always end badly. A franchisee rarely survives a year and closes with a pile of debt to suppliers. We part with such would-be franchisees, usually mutually dissatisfied with each other.

Don't expect everything to be done for you.

In the world of franchising, there is one big myth that when acquiring a franchise, a person does not need to try and invest in work. However, a franchise business is the same business in which you need to work and think all the time - first of all, the franchisee himself. Yes, the franchisor provides already proven developments and helps the new partner avoid many mistakes, but the direct owner manages his business first of all.

Together with the franchisor, the partner should strive to optimize the business, eliminate errors and develop. Of course, to begin with, it is important to set up the work of your enterprise and learn a lot new information. However, you cannot stop there and together with your mentor you need to move forward, look for new opportunities and eliminate inefficient mechanisms.

New offers appear on the franchising market almost every day, and if you want to buy a franchise, you will most likely be able to find a business that suits your heart and your wallet. But do not forget that the number of scammers who are trying to sell a “dummy” is also growing, passing it off as a profitable business. Therefore, the choice of a franchise should be taken very seriously, weighing all the advantages and disadvantages and realistically assessing the reliability of the franchisor. Otherwise, there is a big risk of losing money, time, and most importantly, the desire to start your own business.

1. Basic criteria

There is a set of standard criteria that underlie the selection of quality franchise proposals.

• The year the franchisor was founded. This information will help you to conclude what place the company occupies in the market and how many business cycles it has experienced, because most segments are somehow subject to seasonality;
• Franchising hours. What experience does the franchisor have in this area? How many partners are already operating their franchise? How more experience companies not only in business, but also in the competent transfer of the business model, the easier it will be for you to open another point of the network and cooperate with the franchisor;
• The company has no problems with tax authorities and courts. Try to identify this information - on your own or with the help of lawyers.

2. Critical eye

Do not be fooled by the eloquence of the franchisor and managers, carefully read the description and be critical of any information that relates to the business. To see the real objective situation, check each fact and find out on what basis certain conclusions are made.

3. Communication with the franchisor

A simple tip - talk to the manager or representative of the franchise in person. As you know, the most stupid question is an unasked question. Therefore, ask about everything that you do not know or do not understand, thereby protecting yourself from unpleasant surprises. Ask him for complete information about the franchise.

4. Financial model of the franchise

Carefully study all the numbers, find out what the amount of investment consists of, whether it is required to make any additional payments(for example, for advertising) and what they will go for. It is desirable for the franchisee to have a cash cushion - an amount exceeding the franchisor's requests in case of an error in calculations or unforeseen expenses.

5. Departure to the enterprise

Convincing evidence of a working business model will be an operating enterprise owned either by the franchisor or its partner. You will see with your own eyes how the point works. It is especially beneficial to resort to this method if you are considering an offer in the service sector or Catering. Become a client - try the product for yourself, check attendance and quality of service.

6. Feedback from franchisees and employees

Finding contacts for existing franchisees of a particular network is easy. Find out from entrepreneurs whether the company fulfills all the conditions of the contract? How close is the profit to the figure promised by the franchisor? Is he really supportive? What kind negative sides did the franchisor find a partner? What would he change if he had the opportunity to repurchase this franchise? Does he have plans to open another business?

Existing personnel of the franchise point or already former employees you can get information about the state of affairs of the enterprise. Similar reviews, usually negative, can also be in social networks. Thus, there will be a complete picture of the network's reputation. These will not be beautiful words written or spoken by the franchisor, but a real workflow.

7. Closed businesses

Closed businesses should show you weak spots business and the risks to which the business may be exposed. Try to find out information about the reason for closing the outlet, this will help you avoid mistakes or completely abandon the idea of ​​​​acquiring a franchise.

8. Rediscoveries

The number of repeat openings is the best proof of the profitability of a business. If the franchisee, being at the “helm” of an existing enterprise, buys the same franchise again and launches new point, so he was personally convinced of the profitability of the business.

What awards does the company have? Perhaps she participated in any ratings or, conversely, anti-prizes. This, of course, is not the main one, but still an indicator that can also be taken into account.

The main principle of choosing a franchise should be the calculation of profit.
Choose a case without emotions, focusing solely on numbers. Only in this case you will be able to start a business that will really make a profit. And if at the same time the chosen activity is close to your interests, consider yourself lucky - you can confidently take on the job.

What is the best franchise to choose?

The vast majority of experts believe that 2017 will be the year of explosive interest in franchising. Crisis conditions have undoubtedly affected the market, but this is not the end, but the opening of new horizons. If we proceed from the fact that Russia is on the right track, then, most likely, we will see the flourishing of franchising - both from international companies (as the right way gain a foothold in Russia without risk and for a long time), as well as from talented and caring local businessmen.

If right now you are faced with the question of which franchise to choose, then you need to make a choice after evaluating a) your own capabilities and desires, b) trends - both global and local, c) the chosen franchise.

Goods or services - which franchise to choose?

People often ask which franchise is more profitable - goods or services. This is a question worth asking yourself, because no statistics reflect real picture especially applicable to everyone without exception. This is a reason to think - do you think buying a franchise is such a magic wand and the franchisor good fairy who will do everything for you. You should get rid of such a delusion as soon as possible, otherwise you risk falling for someone who "will explain in a nutshell what the franchise is about." AT best case such a "franchising network" will fall apart, at worst - you will become a victim of a banal fraud.

You need to choose the direction that attracts you and what you understand. Or not against understanding - but to the subtleties.

You have to like the business. If you have been dreaming of your own beauty salon all your life and are well versed in this area, it is quite risky to get involved, for example, with the sale and installation of septic tanks. It's not even a matter of profitability. autonomous sewerage quite possibly a better deal. But not a single business model, even the most developed and ideal, will provide profit if the businessman has neither motivation nor interest in the chosen type of activity.

The second point, much more mundane - how much money are you willing to invest in this business? Estimated Russian Association franchising, the lower "threshold" in this case is from $ 10,000. This is a minimum, but in the first months, expenses may exceed this amount. If you barely have enough money to pay a lump-sum fee, then you need to once again recall that the turnover that the franchisor has in mind is how much the franchisee receives, who has successfully worked for at least a year, and in compliance with all the requirements of the franchisor. And they can be very, very tough, which will certainly require additional financial injections.

Where exactly is it supposed to work using a franchise?

It is also necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the market - the size of the population, the demand for a product or service, the presence or absence of similar trademarks etc.

When analyzing local specifics, focus more on own experience and common sense. The statistics here are unlikely to give a complete and objective picture. A simple example: according to Yandex search statistics, the same service is searched for in Moscow three to four times more often than in St. Petersburg. It may seem that this service is more popular in the metropolitan area. However, if we recall that 12,377,205 people live in Moscow, and 5,225,690 people live in St. Petersburg. (the difference is about 2.5 times), it turns out that the need for the service, in general, is at the same level.

Choice of the franchisor

One paragraph will not get off here, a special conversation is required. However, in any case, regardless of big name, fame, etc. it is necessary to find out:

• whether the trademark is registered;
• monetary issues, including what exactly explains the size of the lump-sum contribution;
• how old is the company;
• how many franchises have already been sold, how many are open and how many have closed (and for what reasons);
• development plans;
• support schemes;
• requirements for equipment and suppliers;
• a scheme for controlling your work;
• who will provide communication, support, advice, etc.

It is better, again, without relying too much on statistics, to communicate with other franchisees. Are they satisfied with the cooperation, did their hopes come true, does the declared profitability correspond to real income whether agreements, schedules and volumes of deliveries are being fulfilled, etc. We dare to note that communication on professional forums is good, but it may not reflect the full picture. It's no secret that "reputation management on the Internet" involves, among other things, the removal or, conversely, the distribution of both positive and negative feedback. It is much more useful to study, for example, the database of lawsuits by the name of your prospective partner, paying attention not to the number of lawsuits, but to what the dispute arose over. No less informative is the study of news resources - both regional and federal.

Which franchises will be a good choice in 2017?

Franchising quite justifiably goes to the Internet and social media. It is a completely justified decision: refusal to rent offices allows you to reduce costs, and in order to develop an online business, sometimes it is enough to have the Internet, basic technical skills and the Internet. Outcome: own business in own house. "Home" franchises do not require payment of rent, and it is quite possible to do without staff - according to at least, at first. It is important not to overestimate your strengths and abilities for self-organization, to decide on the field of activity and, of course, to choose a conscientious franchisor. The latter task is facilitated by the fact that in this area you can find proposals from quite conservative areas - for example, sales of legal and consulting services, public procurement. The rise in popularity of online learning has led to interesting directions- from online tutors to online car instructors.

Of course, in 2017, the active growth of traditional areas - services and catering will continue. Franchises based on love of children and lack of time for raising children are in constant demand. Namely: franchises associated with preschool education and education, developing leisure, active recreation and entertainment for children.

As for retail, the picture is much less rosy, at least for the middle price segment. So if you are interested in this particular segment, then it makes sense to pay attention to economy class products.

The share of franchising in catering is steadily growing: according to some estimates, franchising enterprises account for more than 50% of the entire market. The coffee shop sector is growing particularly fast. Despite the fact that the crisis has hit eating out, people do not stop drinking coffee on the go. Coffee shops and fast food are the two segments that show a steady growth, albeit a small one.

Moreover, the growth is noticeable in big cities, and regions where local businessmen are expanding the market for their products. In this regard, another trend is interesting: the growth in the number of regional franchises. Opening a franchise business in small settlements can be very profitable - the staff is cheaper, the initial investment is lower, and a considerable number of already built and often empty shopping centers We are ready to offer a profitable rental. Franchising may be popular for small towns medical services and laboratory diagnostics, food delivery, grocery stores, children's goods stores - and, of course, all types and forms of children's recreation, education, development and sports.

For a novice entrepreneur, the most convenient business scheme is cooperation with a successful company. The franchisor gives a detailed guide to doing business, reveals all the details. A person with no business experience short term becomes a successful businessman. But the number of deceived franchisees is growing.

Niche selection

There are many offers on the franchising market. There are many online portals with catalogs of franchises for various businesses. Choose a niche in which you will be comfortable working: retail, services, catering. But don't forget about supply and demand.

AT small town hardly appropriate bridal salon, where the price of a dress is three times higher than average salary local residents. In Moscow, it is risky to open another coffee shop (if it is not Shokoladnitsa). The restaurant business is highly competitive. Although experts recommend buying a franchise in the field of catering.

Success will be a business that brings pleasure. But remember: content more important than form. A bright, interesting business model is a “dummy” if it belongs to a pseudo-franchisor.

Let's say you decide to open a children's clothing store. Browse the catalog of a franchise site, make a list of companies operating in this field. Look for information on the Internet: customer reviews about the quality of clothes, the level of service.

You can contact the franchisor through a special portal or feedback on the official site. The more offers considered, the higher the probability of concluding a successful transaction.

You should not spare time for negotiations with franchisors. But you need to pay attention not to the style of communication, but to the conditions of cooperation - in the words of an eloquent franchisor, perhaps only empty promises.

Negotiation

The common scheme of unscrupulous franchisors is simple. The victim is misled by hearing about false earnings and no risks. The would-be entrepreneur is fascinated by the idea of ​​a salesman who is so persuasive that he ends up selling a dubious franchise. And then he safely forgets about his partner, switching to the search for new victims.

Checking counterparties

Before meeting with the franchisor, collect as much as possible more information about his company: year of foundation, reputation, customer reviews.

Financial information is available at free portal InfoUnit.ru: company registration date, financial indicators, etc. A company that launched a franchise network a year after its foundation is not credible.

The information on the service is enough to find out the names of companies in which the founder of the franchisor appears. A businessman can be engaged in parallel retail trade and the provision of services. Registration of several companies does not indicate dishonesty. But the information received sometimes speaks volumes.

It is also necessary to check the availability of litigation with a future partner on the website of the file cabinet of Arbitration cases. Find the plaintiff's contacts, contact him and talk about the reason for the problems not resolved peacefully.

Members of the franchise network

The franchisor talks about successful partners. When promoting his product, he describes all the existing and non-existent advantages. As evidence, he uses the story of a successful franchisee. find out full list entrepreneurs who have entered into a commercial concession agreement. Chat with those about whom he is silent.

A telephone conversation is not enough. Perhaps an employee of the franchisor will answer the questions - scammers love this method. It is better to visit the office in person. Is the city where the current franchisee works thousands of kilometers away from you? You can post an ad on social networks or forums, and for a small amount, a schoolboy or student will visit the office and take a photo.

How successful is the business? Does the payback period really correspond to the declared one? Does the franchisor provide full support after the conclusion of the contract? You can learn about everything by looking at the work of the current franchisee.

Reviews

Online franchise sales sites negative feedback are rare. We'll have to work hard to find the opinion of a real buyer. Truthful information can be obtained at business forums, in thematic groups, but here too there are custom reviews.

The opinions of company employees are also important. Feedback on the work at the enterprise will complete the picture. It is worth remembering: everything the franchisor says is part of the advertising campaign. Beautiful words about a business idea with a real workflow may have little in common.

Legal documentation

The franchisor is obliged to provide documents confirming the rights to own the brand. There are many offers on the Internet from companies with trademarks that have not been registered with Rospatent. There are also pseudo-franchises that copy a well-known brand. By purchasing them, entrepreneurs take risks. The punishment for the illegal use of a trademark is stated in Art. 180 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

The contract includes:

• scope of rights;
• the amount of remuneration;
• field of activity;
• ways to use rights.

The franchisor can make additional terms which should be carefully reviewed. The figures appearing in the contract require special attention. What is the investment amount? Will additional payments be required? The franchisor can already tell you about the costs of advertising during the training. Before starting a business, you need to prepare for additional expenses.

The original conditions can be challenged. For example, shorten the list of goods. Franchise companies receive discounts from suppliers, and therefore include products in the list, without which new partner will cost at the first stage of work.

Before concluding an agreement, you need to find out about the current network participants and closed points. A franchise that opens 100 stores and closes 50 every year is dubious. It is important to see with your own eyes how the company works. The re-opening of the point indicates the profitability of the business. If there are those among the company's business partners who have bought a franchise more than once, the scheme is really reliable.

Information about a product or service

Become a customer of the franchisor. Visit one or more outlets. Find out more about the services that a future business partner provides. You should be afraid not only of fraud, but also of "raw" franchising.

Get information about products and services. Cooperation with a franchisor that sells low-quality products will not lead to anything good. But another situation is also possible. The company uses the equipment of a well-known manufacturer, but offers the partner to purchase a cheaper one. This cuts down on investment, which attracts cash-strapped franchisees. But the use of low-quality equipment will affect the work.

financial model

Today, many people want to make money on a franchise scheme. Not only reliable and successful companies. It happens that an entrepreneur opens a business and, after working for a year or two, launches a franchise network. In his city, a business scheme may work well, in yours it may fail. You need to rely not on emotions, not on dreams of quick profits, but on numbers.

The franchising data shows the payback period. This is an estimated figure, which rarely justifies itself. You can find out in advance the size of the lump-sum contribution, royalties. Everything else depends on the region.

The price of the Junior franchise is 150-800 thousand rubles. Another 100 thousand will be needed for the purchase of inventory and printing. Rent, staff salaries, advertising budget - the amount of these expenses depends on the region. Exact amount the franchisor does not name. It depends on the city where the children's football school will be opened.

Inexpensive franchises are in demand today - 400-600 thousand rubles. Such offers are often found in the catering industry. A small fast food outlet with a recognizable logo in a busy area big city, perhaps, will bring income to the owner. True, investments sometimes amount to about two million.

Popular and cheap coffee franchises that do not require large investments. But the "know-how" comes down to buying a coffee machine and instructions for selling drinks under the logo of a little-known company. Why pay extra money? You can buy equipment, draw up documents and sell drinks in the take and go format and without a pseudo-franchisor.

Franchisors indicate a payback period of two to three months. This is the time within which the buyer can return the lump sum. The actual payback period depends on the franchisee himself. To recapture the money spent on renting a room for a novice entrepreneur is not an easy task. Royalties will also be added to the costs. If it is fixed, you will have to pay even if there are no customers.

The most expensive franchises in the HoReCa segment. The price for them reaches a million rubles. Opening a cafe or restaurant under a well-known brand is not easy. For the leaders of the Shokoladnitsy franchise network, the company's reputation comes first. They will not conclude an agreement with the first person they meet, who has the amount necessary to pay the lump-sum contribution. The franchisee must have additional funds (for the renovation of the premises, business development) and, preferably, experience in the restaurant business.

A reliable company takes the choice of partners seriously. If the franchisor is not interested in your reputation, experience in entrepreneurship, the desire to develop a business, but he praises his product in every possible way, promising high incomes, you should not rush to conclude an agreement with him.

Franchisors fall into two categories. The first includes enterprises for which the creation of a reliable network is a priority. To the second - those who seek to replicate their business and earn in the short term.

Support

An important point in the contract: the assistance that the entrepreneur will receive. This may be assistance in the selection of premises and the conduct of an advertising campaign, training of employees, consultations. The franchisor's promises have no weight. The obligations included in the contract are important.

You should not enter into a contract without a financial airbag. Do not rush to buy a franchise, even if its cost does not exceed 500 thousand rubles. In most cases, you have to invest additional funds.

It continues to develop actively in Russia and is gaining more and more popularity every year. According to the estimates of the Russian Franchising Association (RAF), the franchising market in the country has grown 2.5 times over the past 6 years (from 2010 to 2016). In general, there is a stable and growing demand for franchises of foreign companies.

As a result, competition among entrepreneurs working with the use of franchising systems is also increasing. For many businessmen in the current conditions, the question becomes: how to choose the right franchise? Next, we will consider the main criteria for franchisor offers that you should pay attention to when choosing.

How to choose a franchise

A successful choice of a franchise is the key to a successful investment and a stable profit. The search for a franchisor should be based on certain indicators activities of the proposed partner.

When considering which franchise to choose, it is important to consider the following criteria:

• duration of the franchisor's work in the market;
• the speed of development and expansion of the company itself;
• the number of franchisees already working with it;
• the effectiveness of the marketing campaign (in other words, recognition, brand popularity);
• crisis protection;
• specifics of the industry sector;
• presence of seasonality.

Profitable franchise programs usually begin to actively replicate and distribute points of sale finished products two years after its first launch.

Important! Care should be taken when working with young companies. Some firms offer franchises without operating points of sale. Entering into an agreement with such a franchisor is a risk that in most cases is not justified.

Of the most effective franchises, there are several categories that will always be in demand among the audience. These include:

• fashion stores;
• fitness clubs;
• beauty and health industry;
• gas stations and points Maintenance cars;
• chains of fast food restaurants.

The success of such franchises is due to the fact that the goods and services sold with their help are in constant demand among the population. Such outlets have an all-season period of work, and will not experience a shortage of customers.

Which franchise to choose for a small town

When opening a retail outlet in your city, it is important to take into account the fact that the product being sold should be as well known to the local consumer as possible. Thus, from the start you will already have a ready-made base loyal customers who will start spending their money and contribute to the early payback of the franchise.

However, this factor may not be critical, provided that the franchisor is ready to offer unique business.

An example is the opening of a small island of fast food in the territory of one of the shopping centers of the city, offering coffee and desserts or coffee-to-go mini-coffee houses.

Such projects at the initial stage of replication have practically no competitors due to their originality. Despite the relatively low cost of such a franchise, it can bring an entrepreneur decent money in a short time.

When deciding which franchise to open in a small town, you should also pay attention to "scarce" industries.

Attention! As of 2016, manufacturing franchises account for less than 1% of the entire catalog of offerings.

Meanwhile, if you carefully study the existing market small town demand for a particular product, as well as the volume of available supply, then you can choose a unique franchise in the manufacturing sector.

As an example, we can cite companies offering facade design, namely vertical gardening. In small towns, this idea has not yet received sufficient development, in most provinces nothing is known about it at all. Thus, by choosing such a franchise, you have every chance to occupy a free niche in the local market and you can be absolutely sure of its further successful implementation.

Is it profitable to open a franchise

Economic situation in Russia, formed under the influence of sanctions and pressure from the West, has also influenced the development of franchising.

The owners of popular European and American brands seek to return a substantial amount Money, irrationally increasing the cost of the lump-sum contribution. Along with this, franchisors are trying to reduce the payback period of projects, attracting the attention of franchisees.

Buying a franchise of Russian companies in the current conditions can become alternative for many entrepreneurs. Judging by the reviews of businessmen working with domestic franchising systems, the most effective are franchises for the sale of children's goods (clothes, shoes, toys, etc.), for the organization of various kinds of entertainment (tourism, travel, hostel chains, etc.). ).

How to calculate the franchise

To answer the question of how to get a franchise that will be as effective as possible in the region and will not start to cause losses, you should independently calculate the payback of the outlet.

In addition to the lump sum and regular royalties, there are other unavoidable expenses to consider. Their amount includes the rental of premises, the cost of registering an enterprise (or a legal entity), deducting salaries to service personnel, etc. In most cases, the franchisor provides the entrepreneur with ready-made equipment (its cost is included in the lump-sum fee). However, if this is not provided for by the contract, then the purchase of commercial furniture, machine tools, apparatus, tools, etc. will also fall on your shoulders.

Important! When calculated, any successful franchise has a payback ratio at or above that specified in the proposal in question.

Franchisors should be selected from the category of those companies that are aware of their competitive advantages, have long term and differ in quality operational management with the right allocation of resources.