Most of these questions come up on the first call. We wrote the answers down so you can read them before you decide whether to make that call at all.
Three short answers to the questions that come up on almost every first call. No form, no download.
Your return is written to show as little profit as the law allows. A buyer is pricing what the business earns an owner, which is a different number. Recasting adds back your salary, the vehicle, the phone, the family member on payroll, the one-time costs and the personal expenses running through the business — then subtracts a market salary for whoever replaces you. Done properly it almost always raises the price, and it holds up with lenders.
The listing goes out by category and region only — never the brand, never the address. Every buyer signs a non-disclosure agreement before they learn which franchise it is, and they’re vetted for capital and for your brand’s own criteria before they see a single number. First meetings are virtual. Your franchisor comes in when there’s a qualified buyer and a deal worth approving, and you’re on that call.
Five clauses decide your price, and they’re all in the agreement you already signed: the transfer fee, the years left on the term, what renewal costs, any remodel you owe, and whether the brand holds a right of first refusal — which lets it take the deal on the same terms your buyer offered. We read yours before we price anything, because every one of them comes out in due diligence anyway.
Nine pages. The disclosure document in plain language, what Item 19 does and doesn’t tell you, how to run validation calls that give you the truth, what it really costs to open, and a checklist to work through before you sign.
What a brokerage can tell you about the business side, and what belongs to your immigration attorney. Choosing the business, operating it from abroad, the franchisor’s own approval, and financing.
The shortest version of the same line, for investors who are weighing whether to start the search before or after the legal consultation. Start with the lawyer.
A thirty-minute call costs nothing and usually answers more than a guide can.