This is the question I hear most often — and the one I run fastest from. "Hot" franchises are hot because everyone wants them, which means territories are expensive, competition is fierce, and the window for getting in on good terms has often already closed.

More importantly, the right franchise isn't the one that's trending. It's the one that fits your skills, your lifestyle, your financial situation, and your goals. A franchise that's perfect for someone else could be a disaster for you — and vice versa. The goal is never to find the hottest brand. It's to find your brand.

When you start an independent business you're building everything from scratch — the brand, the systems, the supply chain, the marketing, the training, the operations manual. You learn through trial and error, and the early years are often the hardest financially.

A franchise gives you a proven, replicable system with a built-in support structure. Beyond the franchisor's resources, franchisees have access to the complete brain trust of the system — you can learn from the franchisor itself and from fellow owners who come from a wide variety of backgrounds and bring a wealth of real-world knowledge. That collective intelligence is one of the most underappreciated benefits of franchise ownership.

Franchise investments vary enormously depending on the concept, industry, and model. The range spans from under $100,000 for home-based or service concepts to well over $500,000 for large brick-and-mortar operations.

Most candidates I work with fall in the $100,000 to $250,000 range — enough to access proven, scalable concepts without the overhead of a large physical buildout. The financial alignment step in my process is specifically designed to establish your real investment range before we look at a single brand. No point falling in love with something that doesn't fit your numbers.

Most candidates complete the process in 3 to 5 months — though timelines vary. Some move faster, some take longer, and both are completely fine. A franchise agreement typically runs longer than most marriages — which is exactly why proper due diligence isn't optional. There is no prize for rushing this decision.

The timeline is driven by how quickly you move through the discovery process, how many concepts you want to explore, and how long the franchisor's own validation process takes. I'll give you a realistic picture of timing as we go so there are never any surprises.

A new territory means you're building from the ground up — no existing customer base, no staff, no revenue history. You start fresh, set the culture from day one, and build something that reflects exactly how you want to operate. This is what most people picture when they think about buying a franchise.

A resale means buying an existing franchise location from a current owner. The business is already operating — there's existing revenue, existing staff, and an existing customer base. That sounds appealing, but there's an important tradeoff: you inherit the existing culture, and shifting that culture to align with your own values and standards can be one of the harder challenges in franchise ownership.

It's also worth knowing that quality resales are genuinely rare. There are far more buyers than sellers in this space — which means when a good resale does surface, it moves quickly. Understanding why the current owner is selling is always the first piece of critical due diligence.

Scaling means growing your franchise footprint over time — adding units within your existing territory or expanding into new ones. It's more common than most people realize: multi-unit owners now operate roughly 54% of all franchise units in the U.S., according to FranchiseWire, with over 45,000 multi-unit operators and the number growing annually.

One thing I make sure every candidate is aware of early in the process: there are people who invest in a franchise and are essentially buying a job — and there are people building an enterprise. I plant that seed early so candidates begin thinking about which path resonates with them. Neither is wrong, but the answer shapes everything about what we're looking for.

A word of caution on growth: moving too fast can be an impediment. Scaling before your first unit is stable and profitable is a common mistake. You don't have to make the multi-unit decision at signing — but you do need to be aware that if a neighboring territory becomes available, someone else can and will take it. Timing matters. Read more on scaling in Lisa's FranchiseWire article →

Generally, no — and this surprises most people. Franchise systems are specifically designed to be replicated by people without prior industry experience. The training, the operations manual, and the ongoing support exist precisely because the franchisor wants owners to succeed regardless of their background.

What matters more is your transferable skills — leadership, sales ability, financial acumen, customer service orientation, management experience. Lisa provides all of her candidates with a comprehensive assessment that is specifically designed to identify which franchise models align with how you actually work and what drives you — not what industry you've worked in.

It depends — and the honest answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. Some franchise models are designed for what is called an executive model of ownership, where you hire a General Manager to run day-to-day operations while you oversee the business from a higher level. This structure can be compatible with maintaining other professional commitments.

That said, having flexibility in your current employment is genuinely helpful — there will be moments where labor doesn't show up, customer issues arise, or decisions need to be made quickly. The ability to respond without being tied to a rigid schedule matters more than most people anticipate going in.

The other model of ownership requires your full, on-the-ground involvement — and attempting to run that while holding a demanding full-time position is a difficult road. Part of what I do in the matching process is identify which ownership model fits your life as it actually is, not as you wish it were.

As a general rule, yes — most franchise systems prefer or require their owners to be within a reasonable distance of their territory, typically within about an hour. Local presence matters for community connection, staff oversight, and day-to-day accountability.

That said, requirements vary by concept and ownership structure. Understanding each franchisor's expectations on this is exactly the kind of detail we cover before any introductions are made.

This is one of the most important questions — and one I'm not able to answer directly. Federal regulations prohibit franchise consultants from making earnings representations or projections, and for good reason: income from a franchise depends on too many variables — your market, your execution, your model, your investment level — for any projection to be meaningful or honest.

What I can do is walk you through exactly how to find this information yourself. The Franchise Disclosure Document contains an Item 19 — Financial Performance Representations — which typically shows franchisee earnings in quartiles. Emerging systems may present P&L statements instead. I will not present a brand that does not include Item 19 financials — that transparency is non-negotiable in my process.

Beyond the FDD, the validation process — speaking directly with existing owners — is where the real financial picture emerges. I conduct a thorough review of the validation process with every candidate so they are well prepared with the right questions to uncover the answers they need.

The Franchise Disclosure Document is a federally mandated document that every franchisor must provide to prospective franchisees at least 14 days before any agreement is signed. It contains 23 items covering everything from the franchisor's financial history and litigation record to franchisee obligations, fees, territory rights, and financial performance data.

I give every candidate a broad overview of the FDD early in the process so that when their first one arrives it isn't overwhelming. One thing I always emphasize: look closely at the financial health of the franchise system itself. Many candidates focus only on their own investment — but a franchisor that is cash-poor is not positioned to support your growth. That's exactly the kind of detail most people don't think to examine.

As for a lawyer — yes, absolutely. A franchise attorney is not optional. They review the legal language, flag anything unusual in your specific agreement, and protect your interests before you sign anything. I'll connect you with a vetted franchise attorney as part of the process.

Think of it like an executive recruiter. Just as a recruiter is compensated by the company doing the hiring — not the candidate being placed — I am compensated by the franchise system, not by you. Your time with me costs you nothing, from first conversation to final decision.

And if franchising turns out not to be right for you, I'll tell you that too — because a commission I don't earn is better than a placement that shouldn't have happened.