Attending a Franchise Trade Show

I attend franchise and business opportunity trade shows with more than a measure of trepidation.

I have spent a large portion of my career behind the curtain of the franchise sale. I advise prospective franchise owners what to listen for when trying to identify a solid franchised business; and I advise franchisors and their sales teams where they will find the legal limits of what they may and may not say in the course of a franchise sales presentation.

My clients are extremely well-informed on these matters, they are trained to stay on the right side of the law and they comply, which is more than can be said about so many of the people you will meet at the typical franchise or business opportunity trade show.

One of the reasons for this is that there is enormous pressure on the franchisor to find franchise leads and make what is a rather complicated sale. I have always urged new franchisors to put sufficient capital in place to remove sales pressure when the program launches. The principal benefit, surprisingly, is that the new franchisor will be in a far better position to be discerning about who its initial franchise buyers are. They can take the time to make sure that the first round of new franchisees is made up of investors who are the right fit for the program.

That will make all the difference in the world.