Should You Consider Franchising Your Business?
About the Speaker Over 25 years of business experience across a range of industries and functions (retail business management, consumer service business operations, insurance law, franchising, and more)
Emiliano Jöcker Senior Consultant | Franchise Analyst
iFranchise Group
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
© 2013-2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
Over 15 years of direct franchising experience, both as a manager and as a franchisee within a multi-national franchisor system, and as a franchise consultant Provides franchise feasibility assessments for prospective franchisors throughout North and South America
About iFranchise Group More hands-on experience than any other firm • • •
27 consultants with over 700 years of franchise experience Our consultants have worked with 98 out of the top 200 franchise companies worldwide Offices: Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Boca Raton, Atlanta, Toronto, Dubai, Riyadh
More “senior level” experience • • • •
Former CEOs, CFOs, EVPs of over 50 major franchise companies Adecco, Armstrong Tile, Auntie Anne’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, LINE-X, Pearle Vision, McDonald’s, PIP Printing, Schlotzsky’s, Snap-on Tools, Snelling & Snelling, and other (inter)national brands Experience with start-up and established franchise programs Vertical specialties by industry segment
Breadth across four functional areas • • • •
Strategic Planning Quality Control Marketing Organizational Development and Implementation
More Data = Better Data (track 200,000+ leads)
©©2013-2019 iFranchise 2019 iFranchise Group.Group. AllRights Rights Reserved. Reserved. All
The Decision to Franchise o o o o
How Franchising Works Alternatives Quality Control Legal Aspects of Franchising
Marketing Your Franchise Selling Your Franchise Creating a Successful Franchise Strategy o Structural Decisions o Financial o Organizational Development
Questions and Discussion We are going to try to cover a great deal of information, so we are asking that you hold your questions until the end of the session unless they are on a particular slide. Š 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
2
Considering franchising your business? Franchising less than one year? Franchising more than one year?
We are happy to send you a copy of this presentation, so you can limit your note taking if you so desire.
Š 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
4
FTC rule 436 cites three elements that legally define a franchise: 1. The use of a common trademark 2. The exercise of control or provision of assistance 3. The collection of fees, royalties, mark-ups or other monies from the franchisees
If you have all three elements, you are a franchise, regardless of what you call it Some state definitions vary, but are similar Do not have to use the “f-word”
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
5
Franchisee typically pays o Franchise fee average about $25,000 to $35,000 o Royalty range between 4% and]0% o Advertising range between ]% and 2% o Franchisor will often sell product to the franchisee
Franchisor typically provides o Initial training o Operations manual and systems o Ongoing supervision and support o Other support services
Š 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
6
Is Franchising Right for My Business?
What are your goals? BE SPECIFIC! ◦ Certain levels of profits ◦ Sell company for a specific amount
What is your risk tolerance?
◦ How much are you willing to invest and re-invest? ◦ What other resources do you have to bring to bear?
Conduct Cash Flow Analysis to See if You Can Reach Your Goals ◦ Example:
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
Goal = Sell company for $10 million at the end of five years Two units in operation Total Equity Investment in New Operation = $150,000 Total available capital = $200,000 Existing Free Cash Flow for Reinvestment = $100,000/year Units Break Even in First Year After that, Free Cash Flow from New Units = $50,000/year/each
8
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
$250,000
$200,000
$200,000
$250,000
$300,000
1
1
1
1
2
Capital invested
($150,000)
($150,000)
($150,000)
($150,000)
($300,000)
New Cash Flow
0
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
3
4
5
6
8
Cash Flow
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
$250,000
$350,000
Value @ 7x CF
$700,000
$1,050,000
$1,400,000
$1,750,000
$2,450,000
Starting Capital # Opened
Existing Cash Flow Units – EOY
Terminal Value
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.9
$450,000 in free cash flow by Year Six = $3,150,000 valuation ONLY IF NO INCREMENTAL OVERHEAD IS NEEDED TO SUPPORT
This Example
o Would need to open 27 company units o That would take about 12 years of reinvesting everything o Total Investment = $4 million over that time frame
Cannot get there from here Alternatives: o o o o
Change Goal Change Time Frame Change Assumptions (structure, capital devoted, leverage, etc.) Raise equity to grow faster
If you are raising equity, factor in dilution
o If you will give up 50% of the company, you need to grow twice as big o Run the numbers again
Š 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
10
Year 1
Year 2
Year 4
Year 5
$3,250,000
$1,100,000
$850,000
$1,250,000
$1,500,000
15
7
5
8
10
Capital invested
($2,250,000)
($1,050,000)
($750,000)
($1,200,000)
($1,500,000)
New Cash Flow
0
$750,000
$1,100,000
$1,350,000
$1,750,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
17
24
29
37
47
Cash Flow
$100,000
$850,000
$1,200,000
$1,450,000
$1,850,000
Terminal Value
$2,750,000 in free cash flow by Year Six = $19,250,000 valuation. Divide by two to account for 50% ownership = $9.6 million selling price. AGAIN, ONLY IF NO INCREMENTAL OVERHEAD IS NEEDED TO SUPPORT
Starting Capital # Opened
Existing Cash Flow Units – EOY
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.11
Year 3
With an influx of a little over $3 million o o o o
Can jump-start growth and leverage off of that growth Will need to get to about 50 – 54 units Total investment $7.5 - $8 million But you are using investor money
Problem: Realistic valuations o o o o o o o
Valuing the existing business – (4X – 7X EBITDA) Year One Business Value = $700,000 Business Value after Equity = $3.7 million Sophisticated investor would want 81% ($3M/$3.7M) Would need to find an investor who would invest $3M for 50% Might try numbers again at $5 million and a 20% stake??? At some point, just not realistic
Capital availability even with realistic valuations o Limited in today’s marketplace o Control an issue
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
12
Franchising as an Alternative to Company Growth
Leverage Capital Speed of Growth Motivated management Reduced risk Few operational concerns Higher quality Organizational leverage
Must “share profits”
◦ Franchise unit will usually generate less profit than a profitable unit
◦ But far more profit than an
unprofitable company-owned operation
Less Control Good relations with franchisees take work
MYTH: Litigation
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.14
Goal Sell for $10M in 5 Years Average Selling 6.7 times EBIT Year Five Earnings $10M/6.7 or about $1.3M Average Royalties $30,000 per franchise Average Net Royalties $10,000 per franchise Need to sell $1.3M/$10,000 = 130 Franchises
Š 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
151
Sales
50
30 25 15 10 Year 1 2 3 4 5 © 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
16
SalesHire Franchise Salespeople
50
30 25 15 10 Year 1 2 3 4 5 © 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
17
Hire Field Reps Sales
50
30 25 15 10 Year 1 2 3 4 5 © 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
18
Hire Support Staff Sales
50
30 25 15 10 Year 1 2 3 4 5 © 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
19
Sales
50
Personnel Marketing Office Space
30
Brochures
25 15 10
Cost to get into franchising can range from $50,000 to $200,000+
Year 1 2 3 4 5 Š 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
20
Name
Name
Fee
Fee
= Franchise
System
Trademark = License
System
Distributor
Name
Name
Fee System Š 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
=
Business Opportunity or License
Fee
Dealership
=
Agency Sales Rep
System
Joint Venture
21
Name Fee System
Franchise
+ Joint Venture
Equity Name Product System
Š 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
Trademar k License
+ Distributo r/ Dealer
22
Name Fee
= Trademark License
Advantages
Disadvantages
Less Regulation - Still a Franchise in NY
Lower fees Do you have strong name? No control over brand
Often, this alternative is eliminated because the company does not have adequate brand strength, and, even if they did, they would risk losing their trademark if they did not exercise control. Moreover, it is important to note that the “control” element of the franchise definition is very easy to trigger.
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
23
Fee System
Business = Opportunity or License
Advantages
Disadvantages
Less Regulation? More at the state level
Lower fees Do you have strong name? No control Create competition Poor image
This can be a viable option for some, but the loss of the branding element is an issue that should be carefully considered. For example, what would happen to your licensed channel if a branded channel were to be introduced by your competitors? Will you have national accounts? Or a desire to create consumer brand loyalty?
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
24
Name System
Dealership = or Distributorship
Advantages
Disadvantages
Less Regulation Easier to sell
ABSOLUTELY NO FEES Support provided for “free” Must have product to sell No revenues from service Products can be “stepchild” Dealer defections to: - better products - cheaper alternatives
Dedicated dealerships can have many of the same advantages as franchising. The biggest disadvantages are the need to pay for services out of the wholesale margins. CAUTION: Can create an inadvertent franchise after the fact, as happened with Mitsubishi v. To-Am.
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
25
Agency
Name System
= or Sales Rep
Advantages Less Regulation Easier to sell
Disadvantages ABSOLUTELY NO FEES Support provided for “free” Must have product /service Turnover is high Increased training costs
A “top-down” flow of revenues will avoid franchise laws. Again, be aware of the creation of an inadvertent franchise.
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
26
Name System
Joint = Venture
General Partnerships Limited Partnerships Corporations L.L.C.s
Advantages
Disadvantages
Less Regulation Easier to sell May make more $
ABSOLUTELY NO FEES Negotiated each agreement Marriage vs. Parent Majority end in “Divorce” Fiduciary Duty Accounting difficulties Underreporting No profit = no distributions Exit barriers Liability LOSS
On a one-off basis, this can be reasonable means of expansion, but is perhaps the worst vehicle when more aggressive growth is planned. © 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
27
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.28
Franchise & Business Opportunity Legislation within the U.S. ND
WA
MN SD
OR
ME WI NY
MI IA
NE
NH
IL IN
UT
OH RI
KY CA
VA
OK
NC
CT MD
SC TX
LA
AL
GA
Legend: FL
States having no franchise or business opportunity laws
Alaska States having franchise registration laws only Hawaii
States having business opportunity laws States having both franchise registration and business opportunity laws
Š 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
Fractional Franchises (Two years and 20%) Large Investment (Over $1M excluding R/E) Sophisticated Franchisee (Five Yrs. + $5M Net Worth) Minimal Payment (pays/commits less than $500/first 6 mos.) Leased Departments Single Trademark License Exclusion Fall under other regulations (PMPA) Officers and directors of the franchisee (very specific def.) CAUTION: The FTC Exemptions are NOT honored by all states
◦ Patchwork Quilt ◦ Need an attorney to decipher © 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
30
Technology-based shared services o Use an app to drive business o Avoid franchising by top-down fee structure o Uber, Lyft, Airbnb
Certification programs o Certification Mark, not a Trademark
TM/SM = Source of Product or Service
CM = Characteristics of a Product or Service
o Cannot be used as a TM by the owner of the mark o Must be willing to offer to all who qualify o Cannot have exclusive territories o Can easily stray into a franchise relationship
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
The decision should be goal driven ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
Distance Speed Obstacles Risk tolerance
A Volvo or a Rocket Ship? Don’t have to choose only one vehicle Don’t decide to franchise (or whatever) ◦ Instead, decide:
Do I want to build a third-party distribution channel? Do I want that channel to be branded? If it is branded, do I want to control quality? How do I want to be paid?
The law (or your lawyer) should never dictate your good business decisions © 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
32
Is Your Business Franchisable?
Successful prototype Credibility Differentiation
“Sizzle”
Affordability Profitability
Sell?
Buyer appeal Value Proposition
Teachability Adaptability Systemization
Market trends Capital Management
Clone?
The Key is Creating a “Win-Win-Win” Scenario © 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.34
R.O.I.?
Succeed?
The franchisee should make a return on the time they invest o No different than if they were to go out and get a job o Salary should be “market rate”
The franchisee should make a return on their investment o No different than if they invested in a stock o Return should be commensurate with what they would make if they were to make an investment of similar risk o Ability to sell back their investment at the end of the term
Franchisees expect that they will need to build their business o Will expect these returns in three years or less
Annual Cash-on-Cash R.O.I. at the unit level – our criteria o 15% for Owner Operators o 20% for Area Developers (who will support additional overhead)
Occasional exceptions © 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
35
Cost to Open a New Unit Add a Franchise Fee Add Working Capital Franchisee Estimated Investment
$ 25,000 $ 25,000 $200,000
Estimated Franchisee Revenue Year Three
$ 500,000
Current Profit after Owner’s Compensation
$ 70,000
Adjust Owner’s Compensation
+$ 15,000
One-Time Only / Capital Investment
+$ 5,000
Tax Minimization Strategies Shared Overhead
+$ 5,000
+$ 5,000
Interest and Debt Service
+$ 5,000
Depreciation and Amortization
+$ 5,000
Subtract Royalties, Fees, & Price Adjustments Estimated Franchisee Profit (adjusted) Divided Estimated Profit by Estimated Investment Estimated Franchisee Return © 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
$ 150,000
($ 30,000) $80,000 $80,000/$200,000 40%
When to Franchise
Š 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
Perfecting the business
◦ If you have perfected your business, SELL IT! ◦ If you are standing still, someone is gaining ◦ McDonald’s in 1955
Quick vs. Slick
◦ If you are going head to head with more established competition and your business model is not highly differentiated – be sure to refine first ◦ More unique, the sooner you should franchise Risk: Someone with a camera and a notepad First mover advantage Who was the first . . . ?
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
38
Risk of Failure Business Model Risk
Competitive threat
Speed To Market Š 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.39
How to Succeed as a Franchisor
Business plan/strategic direction Legal documents and registrations Operations manuals Training program Quality control mechanisms and systems Effective marketing plan Franchise collateral materials Website and web-based marketing Advertise Design and implement a sales strategy Staff an organization to implement the plan Capital Š 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
41
You are entering a new business. Goals drive your business. Start with support and cost structure. What do you need to do to help your franchisees succeed? Don’t rely on guesswork: The
future of your business is at stake.
Financial analysis is essential. Reverse engineer your success.
Š 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
42
There are certainly a large number of neophyte franchisors who take a “Ready-Fire-Aim” approach o Often rely on guesswork o Or analysis of what comparable franchisors are offering to make major decisions
“Me-Too” is not a strategy – it is a recipe for disaster! o Uniqueness is important to success, whether achieved through the business model, marketing, support, structure, fees, or marketing. o Me-Too assumes that business economics are the same, support is the same, and that a new franchisor will simply differentiate themselves based on great franchise marketing o But established franchisors often have many advantages not shared by newer franchisors o So the Me-Too strategy that is taken by many new franchisors can actually be responsible for their failure
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
43
The impact of a 1% royalty mistake ◦ If a single franchisee generates $500,000 in revenue ◦ 1% = $5,000 off the bottom line ◦ But franchisees will never tell you that they are paying too little and often inertia will keep the royalty where it is at for years Lost revenue from a single franchise Times 100 franchises opened Times 20 years Lost enterprise value at 10x earnings Total Loss
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
$5,000 $500,000 $10,000,000 $5,000,000 $15,000,000
44
Discussions with Key Stakeholders
Review existing material, forms, & documentation
Develop preliminary outline
Determine gaps in current documentation
Assign responsibility for content creation
Identify Subject Matter Experts for gaps
Interview Subject Matter Experts
Onsite observation of units & documentation
Resolve Best Practices Conflicts
Draft material to cover all identified gaps
Edit all material into common style & “voice”
Revise first draft of Operations Manual based on client input
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
45
The FTC rule ◦ Disclosure document with 23 items ◦ Disclosure fourteen days prior to sale ◦ Final Franchise Agreement seven days prior ◦ Financial Performance Representations ◦ Consistency with Franchise Disclosure Document
State laws
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
46
The Franchise Sales Pipeline Public Relations
Print Advertising
Trade Shows
Direct Mail
Example CPL = $250
Example CPL = $150
Example CPL = $100
Example CPL = $75
Internet Leads Example CPL =$25 - $75
Brokers Cost Per Sale =$15K - $25K
Referrals/ Unsolicited CPL = $0
Lead Generation Time Varies by Media
Average CPL: $113
Send Marketing Materials, Prequalify, Schedule Meetings
Meet With 3 – 10% of Leads
Convert 15% - 20% of Completed CIRFs to Sales
Close 65% - 75% of Discovery Days
iFranchise Group - 2015-2019 47
Initial Meetings with Candidates Further Qualify Follow-up meetings, assist with business plan & secure financing
Award Franchise
Average 45 – 90 Days Lead to Meeting Time to close can range from 30-90 days or more following the initial faceto-face meeting Total time to close: often 12-20 weeks Average Marketing Cost = $8,571 per sale Overall Expected Close Rate = 1.8%
Source: Franchise Update.
A good concept +The Right Message +Marketing Plan +Adequate marketing budget +Good sales technique = leads = meetings = franchise sales Some studies have indicated the average new franchisor will sell: An average of 9, 11, and 13 franchises in their first three years Median sales of 4, 5, and 6 sales in their first three years Š 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.48
Putting the Program Together
53
54
Consulting and legal costs vary based on franchise company’s situation: o Desired speed of growth influences services needed o Ability to do work internally
Do not go into franchising undercapitalized o Legal fees: $15,000 to $35,000+ o Consulting and Development: $40,000 to $200,000 o Organizational expenses: $10,000 to $25,000 o Franchise Marketing: $8k - $10k per sale (six months) o Personnel: varies widely Can bootstrap growth Can spend hundreds of thousands
© 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
55
Franchising is a means of duplicating success, not creating success Thrives by creating win-win situations You must be selective Franchising is a new and different business Is not the right solution for every business Provides one of the most powerful business expansion models ever developed
Š 2019 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
56
www.ifranchisegroup.com 708-957-2300
If you would like a copy of this presentation or a complimentary book, please provide us with your business card.