Buying
a franchise is a major decision. Although buying a franchise can help minimize
or even eliminate many of the risks commonly associated with starting a new
business, there's still a lot to carefully consider. Prior to agreeing to buy a
franchise, it's crucial to do enough due diligence to determine if a specific
franchise opportunity is the right fit for you.
Reviewing
legal documents is a main component of the due diligence process. Because you
want to be sure that you know exactly what you're agreeing to, it's important
to be advised by a lawyer you can trust. Not only will a quality franchise
lawyer help you understand the legalese involved in this decision, but they'll
also be able to provide additional guidance in terms of evaluating the
potential of a franchise investment.
Since
a franchise lawyer will play a key role in this process, here are some things
to keep in mind in terms of working with one:
Choose
a Specialist
This
advice holds true for working with a lawyer for any type of legal matter. As
you start looking for potential lawyers to work with, reputation isn't the only
factor you want to take into consideration. It's also important that they have
experience working with business and franchise owners. While a lawyer who's
recommended by lots of people is obviously good, if they don't work on business
matters on a regular basis, they're not going to be able to provide you with as
much help as someone who does.
Know
in Advance If Changes Can Be Made
In
some cases, a franchise agreement can be written and then accepted by the
franchisor. However, since not every franchisor will accept a rewritten
agreement, it's important for you to get this question answered before you
start working with a lawyer. Otherwise, you could easily waste the lawyer's
time and your money on a needless rewrite.
Take
A Lawyer's Feedback in the Right Context
A
good lawyer isn't going to try to sell you on the idea of buying a specific
franchise. Instead, a good lawyer will take this review from the opposite
perspective. Since the lawyer you work with will likely point out every
potential negative aspect of this decision, be sure to take what they say in
stride.
Ask
Other Franchisees for Referrals
If
you follow the due diligence process, prior to the time coming when you will
need a franchise lawyer, you will have already spoken to at least a few current
franchise owners. During those conversations, you should ask each owner who
they used as their lawyer, as well as whether or not they'd recommend them.
This simple approach is arguably the easiest way to find a great lawyer to help
you.
Although
making your decision about buying a franchise is something that's going to take
time, enlisting the help of a trusted lawyer will help you be confident that
you're making the right decision for your specific needs and goals.
Call us about a House Doctors Franchise at 1-888-598-5297 or click this Request Information button:
Excellent advice, thanks! We help prospective franchisees with their FDD review for a reasonable set fee. (We also help franchisors with franchise legal compliance.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gary.
DeleteWithout a doubt taking good advice from the right people prior to becoming a franchisee helps you make the right decisions.