Franchising: What Is It?

It seems that no matter what type of event I am at, once someone hears that I am a franchise consultant, they are curious about franchising, types of franchises, what they cost, how much can they make and what's the best franchise (that's question #1 if you are keeping score).

Franchising as a business growth strategy has become very popular and now there are over 3,000 franchises in 75 different business categories.  We  do business all over North America, but live here in Livermore and want to get information out to those of you thinking about what's next.  Should you be thinking about owning your own business? Does it make more sense to look for a new job?  How do you even begin to get the information you need to make that decision?    

Here are things we'll cover in this blog over the coming weeks and months;

• Franchise industry basics.
• What's the difference between a franchise and other businesses?
• Financing Options.
• How to evaluate a business before deciding to buy.
• What resources are available?
• We will also spotlight specific franchises. 
• And we'd like to hear from you about topics you'd like to see covered relating to business ownership.

Compass Franchise Group is a full service consultation firm recruiting franchisees and licensees for business opportunities worldwide.  We offer assistance with funding options and strategies, business plan development, leadership development as well as organizational and personal assessment.  Our free consultation service helps identify the best franchises that match the unique needs of each client.

Our franchise development division works with successful businesses to create new franchises.  We collect no up-front fees, putting our money and efforts side by side with our client in a true partnership.  

As Founder and President of Compass Franchise Group, I have twenty-five years' experience working with Fortune 500 companies and Silicon Valley startups.  I worked with companies like Coca-Cola, Public Service Co of CO, Aspect Communications, TravelNet, Calico Commerce and EMC.  My experience covers Customer Service, Information Technology, Professional Services, Product Operations and Business Development.