Today, one out of every 12 companies has a franchise business model for entrepreneurs to invest in. Franchising has been growing steadily for years, thanks in part to more opportunities and an increasingly attractive path to business ownership.

With training, systems, and support already baked into the franchise package, it’s easy to see why new business owners are turning to franchisors rather than going it alone. Still, despite the success among franchisees, the process of actually buying a franchise isn’t something most first-time buyers are familiar with.

To help buyers through this, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has an excellent guide to buying a franchise you can find here. As a supplement, we’ve created our own step-by-step guide here. We suggest checking both of these resources out first and then using the checklist below to make sure you’re covering the important points throughout the process.

Get real-life advice for buying a franchise from those who’ve done it themselves. Grab our free guide: What it’s Like to be a Groutsmith: a Q&A with 8 franchise owners.

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Becoming a franchise owner is a process that takes planning, dedication, and due diligence. It involves a healthy dose of self-examination, research, asking good questions, and ultimately, making an informed decision that will give you the best chance at success and happiness.

While everyone’s journey to franchise ownership is different, those who find success in a business they enjoy typically follow a few basic steps, which we’ve broken down here one-by-one.

Whether you’re only just considering becoming a franchise owner or find yourself part-way through the process already, use this guide to ensure you’re checking all the boxes on the steps you need to take to make a truly informed decision about the franchise that’s right for you.

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Thinking about buying a franchise with your significant other? Ask yourself seven important questions to determine if you and your spouse would make good business partners.

Couples are going into business together more than ever before. About 1.2 million Americans run a business with alongside their spouse. Companies like EventBrite, Modcloth, Panda Express and Gap were all built into major brands by married couples who found success both personally and professionally.

If you and your spouse share a goal of owning a business, the next step is, well, figuring out if you’re the type of couple that would likely work well as business partners.

The key to figuring that out is asking the right questions. Here’s seven of the most important, according to our very own spousal franchise owners. 

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About 1.2 million Americans run a business with their spouse according to a study from National Federation of Independent Businesses.

Obviously, spouses can and do make successful businesses partners. But if you and your significant other are thinking about becoming business partners yourselves, just about every successful business couple will tell you the same thing: it’s all about balance.

When you can strike this balance in your personal and professional relationship, you and your spouse can rightfully claim the ultimate title of power couple. But getting there takes diligence and some old-fashioned hard work.

As you might already know, there’s a lot of articles floating around warning couples against working together (usually written by those who haven’t made it work themselves). But our own franchise system and many other businesses prove these people wrong.

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There are plenty of reasons for deciding to start an at-home franchise business. Some new franchisees are looking for more free time to spend with their family while others don’t enjoy working in a “corporate” environment. Whatever the reason for starting, many new franchise owners discover that running an at-home business involves a lot more work than anticipated.

New franchisees often start out very enthusiastic about running their own business from home, especially after all of the research that goes into choosing the right franchise to buy into. Before long, however, almost all new owners discover that running a business, even with franchisor support, is a lot of work!

Managing the day-to-day operations of the business while trying to actively market yourself can quickly become overwhelming. What was originally intended as a way to free up more time can become burdensome, which can lead to cutting corners in order to “make” more time. Read more