What questions should I ask a franchisee before I go into business with him?

By Jeff Elgin • Aug 14, 2007

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

I am interviewing a franchisee this week. What should I ask him in order to determine if this business is going to be for me financially? I want to know about gross, profit, returns to investors, and other things of that nature.

When you visit with existing franchisees as part of your investigation and research process, there are a host of questions you should ask in addition to "how much money can I make". Training, support services, purchasing programs, marketing, company culture, and many other topics should also be addressed. You'll find extensive additional information on this subject in the archived articles I've written for Entrepreneur.com.

Jeff Elgin

Jeff Elgin has almost 20 years of experience franchising, both as a franchisee and a senior franchise company executive. He's currently the CEO of FranChoice Inc., a company that provides free consulting to consumers looking for a franchise that best meets their needs.

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