Q: I am thinking about buying a franchise, and there are several franchisors to choose from. How do I tell if a franchisor is financially stable and able to meet its commitments?
A:One of the dangers of investing in a franchise is getting caught up in the hype – the sizzle of the opportunity. You simply need to step back and spend the time looking to see if there is any steak. There are probably no more important questions to ask than whether a franchisor has the financial ability and a track record of meeting its commitment to its franchisees.
Understand the franchise sales process. Great franchise salespeople can make you feel like there is an urgency to buy. The best of breed can make you feel reluctant to ask the hard and important questions – even while they are creating the illusion of pressuring you to do just that. The process calls for you to provide reams of information on yourself but doesn’t always get your questions answered in depth. Sometimes you find that the person working with you doesn’t even work for the franchisor you are interested in. They’re brokers, and the amount you have to spend, the speed at which you are willing to spend it and the size of the commission they get from the franchisor are more important than how good that investment is for you.
Finding out about a franchisor’s financial capabilities is not a complicated process, but it often requires some investigation outside of the disclosure documents they provide you. Begin by requesting and examining their financial statements. Franchisors should provide you with their audited financial statements for the past three years or for a shorter period if the company has not been in business that long. Find out:
- Does the franchisor have a history of profitable operations?
- Does its balance sheet reflect a company that has
financial stability? - Is it sufficient that they are making money? It’s certainly a good sign, but that’s not enough. Many franchisors do not disclose the sources of their income, and, depending
on how long they have been in business and the size of their franchise system, the answer to that question can be critical.
When franchise systems are new, they often rely to a great extent on the initial franchise fees they collect from franchisees. That’s understandable, because the system is growing, and there are not a lot of franchisees yet open. But as the franchise system matures, more and more of its daily operating income needs to come from more sustainable sources – the continuing royalties paid by its franchisees. No matter how profitable a franchisor is, if it is relying on initial fees to support the system – and franchise sales slow or stop – the franchise system is going to be in jeopardy, and that will impact franchisees.
While some franchisors may provide a detailed breakdown of revenue, others that do not may provide you with a supplemental disclosure of this information if you ask. Sometimes if the information is not broken down in the income statement, it may be contained in notes to the financial statements. Often, though, you will have to estimate initial fee revenue based on clues in the disclosure document that may simply be multiplying the initial franchise fee times the number of new franchises in the system. Remember, that is not an exact science because area fees, deferrals, etc, will impact your calculation. However, by making your analysis over a few years, you will begin to get an understanding of where the system is deriving its income and how much of that income is coming from continuing sources. Your accountant and attorney will be able to help you pull the clues out of the documents.
It is exciting to be part of a growing system. The brand recognition is improved, buying power increases, and it just seems that customers have an easier time finding you. But growth can be a double-edged sword if the franchisor is placing too much of its resources into growing internationally or if domestic growth is not in areas that benefit you. If resources are placed into growing the system and little is left over for research and development, system improvements, headquarters and field support, you are going to have problems since system growth won’t provide you with much, if any, benefit.
Look at the literature for the industry the franchisor is in. If the company is public, look at its annual reports. And don’t forget the folks who are already in the trenches – the existing franchisees. They are the most knowledgeable people, as they experience the franchisor on a day-to-day basis.
It’s your responsibility to do your homework on any investment opportunity. The great thing about franchising is that much of the information is readily available and can be easily verified.
Conduct a Credit Health Check Before You Invest
Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure the business or franchise you want to buy has a clean record.
So you’ve done the homework and you’re ready to buy a franchise or invest in a business opportunity. You’ve researched the credibility, performance and management of the company. You’ve sussed out the competition. You know all the costs and obligations on both sides. But have you checked the credit of the seller? Rob Campbell, sales and marketing director at KreditInform, explains why a credit report is a no-brainer when it comes to making the decision to invest in a business.
Why is it advisable to obtain a credit check before investing?
A business credit report provides a snapshot of everything you need to know about the credit status of the business. This includes adverse information about the company such as reputational damage arising from late payments. It’s advisable to have this information at hand before you make any decisions, as a poor credit record may mean that you will not easily find suppliers for the business.
Do you have to get permission before requesting a credit report?
Permission from the business owners is required to investigate a business with a turnover of less than R1 million. All other companies are governed by the National Credit Act and consent is not required.
What types of reports are available?
A variety of reports are available, from detailed analyses to basic information.
- The Platinum Report provides intensive investigation into areas of concern and includes financial information, payment analyses, and other valuable information about the company.
- The Gold Report is the most detailed of KreditInform’s telephonically researched reports. It includes a detailed assessment of the company’s potential risk.
The Silver Report offers all the standard areas of credit reporting including payment trends that have been monitored over a protracted period.
- The KreditInformation Sharing System reflects the overdue percentage over a 12-month period and provides a total outstanding and total overdue amount, spread over a number of suppliers. It tracks a debtor’s payment performance and reflects any cyclical trends in payment.
KreditInform’s Assessment provides a professional view of a debtor for a particular amount over a specified term.
What information is of most use to prospective investors?
Payment behaviour is the most important aspect. You need to know how the business conducts itself, and how long it takes to make payments.
How long does it take to obtain a report?
Online reports are available immediately. Where more thorough research is required, a report takes between 24 hours and five days to generate.
Costs
Costs range from R150 for a basic report, depending on volumes purchased, to R7 000 for an in-depth analysis.
Contact
+ 27 11 777 2700/2845, reportrequest@kredit.co.za, www.kreditinform.co.za
