Finding Help For Choosing Franchise

The Wall Street Journal:

Shopping for a franchise often isn’t easy, even if you have a good idea about your lifestyle and financial needs. After all, there are roughly 3,000 systems nationwide to choose among.

Sure, franchise disclosure documents must reveal numerous details about their systems, including turnover rates, capital requirements, royalties and fees. While that information is invaluable for checking out a franchise system, it often isn’t possible to make quick apples-to-apples comparisons.

Some resources can help. The International Franchise Association has a tool that lets you tick off features you’re looking for, including start-up fees and home-based franchises, and then generates a list of possibilities. FRANData, a franchise-research firm, may also help prospective franchisees who have some basic criteria whittle down the pool – for a fee, usually starting around $250, the company says. You might also purchase a franchise directory here.