Buying a franchise can be one the most life changing decisions that anyone will ever make and to ensure that it is the CORRECT life changing decision, potential franchisees are urged to evaluate different franchise options to find the one that suits them best.
The Consumer Protection Act, 68 of 2008 makes provision for potential franchisees to approach existing franchisees in the network and seek answers to certain questions without the franchisors consent. In fact, the franchisor must disclose the name and contact details of all its franchisees in the networks Disclosure Document. An example of some of these questions are:
- Has the franchisor met your expectations?
- Did the initial training cover all the aspects of running your franchise sufficiently?
- Are you receiving the franchisor support that was promised?
- Does the franchisor act in the best interests of the franchisees?
- Would you recommend that I invest in the franchise concept?
By asking existing franchisees these types of questions, potential franchisees will get the answers that they require to assist them in making the correct decision to either invest in a particular franchise concept or not.
There are many reasons why franchisors should make certain that their franchisees are happy but one of the most obvious ones is that happy franchisees are the franchise networks best sales people. However, the converse is also true. This will have a definite influence on the growth of a franchise network.
So franchisors – Are your franchisees happy?
Kevin Antonie
CEO
SA Franchise Brands
