What do you need to know before you buy a franchise? Here's a comprehensive list of over 250 vital questions to ask the franchisor that will help you make the right decision.

How do I learn the business?

From the Archives - September 2011 - Nathan Bonney offers some tips on what new franchisees should look for from a training programme

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Turning Redundancy Into Reinvention

Why franchising could be a golden ticket to a secure future when redundancy strikes

What's The Best Franchise For You?

With hundreds of franchise opportunities to choose from, how do you choose one that's going to perform for you? Here's our road map to starting up in business

A Beginners Guide to Franchising

If you’ve ever dreamed of being your own boss, you might have wondered about buying a franchise. But just what is franchising and how does it work? Here’s our guide

The Recipe - Change And Success In The Food Biz

Food franchises have always been popular – after all, everyone needs to eat. But hospitality is going through massive changes, so what do new buyers need to think about?

Franchising isn’t just for big businesses, suggests Tereza Murray. It can be a viable alternative to the hassle of employing staff – and if you want to be self-employed, a small franchise can offer some real benefits

Researching Your Franchisor

Buying any sort of business always involves a certain amount of risk, but there's an expectation that when you buy a franchise that risk will be substantially reduced. When you're buying from an established name that's usually the case, but even then it is possible to get it wrong. And if the franchise you are buying is new-to-New Zealand, you owe it to yourself and your family to do your homework and make sure that you are making a wise decision.

What happens after you enquire about a franchise?

Meredith Taylor and Nathan Bonney outline what to expect from the moment you first contact a franchise and say, ‘I’m interested in your opportunity’

250 questions to ask your franchisor

What do you need to know before you buy a franchise? Here's a comprehensive list of over 250 vital questions to ask the franchisor that will help you make the right decision.

When support really matters

How does being part of a franchise help when the unthinkable happens and the whole country goes into lockdown? Here are some lessons from 2020.

New year? New start!

Ready for a change? Is it time to get into a business of your own? Is a franchise a good option? What do you need to do first?

Change Your Life

How can buying a franchise help you to achieve the goals you have for yourself and your family?

Where do you start? How to get into your own business

How do you decide whether a business opportunity is right for you? Here’s a guide to working it out with links to all the resources you need to make the right decision

Clear as mud? Franchise terms you need to know

July 2022 – Franchising has its own jargon which can be pretty confusing to the newcomer. Here’s a guide to help you understand what it all means.

CHOICE! - a buyer's guide to franchises

September 2018 - Business confidence might have taken a bit of a knock recently, but many franchisors are saying that their biggest problem isn’t a shortage of customers or sales, but a shortage of new franchisees. In many sectors, there are more opportunities and locations available than there are people to develop them.

VISION – Looking at the long term when buying a franchise

Building a great business takes time. Can buying a franchise help you achieve your financial and life goals?

Book Review - Be your own boss

April 2023 – A new book by a franchise veteran provides good advice for anyone wanting to be their own boss

Refresh, Revive, Renew

Want to choose where you work, when you work and who you work with? Buying a franchise allows you to make a new start in your own business

Redundancy – time to be your own boss?

April 2020 – Facing redundancy? Simon Lord discusses the pros and cons of buying a franchise

50 questions to ask franchisees

Want to know what a franchise is really like? Ask the people who are already there

Where do you want to be?

Buying a franchise enables you to start a new life almost anywhere – and regional businesses can be more profitable with less stress, too

STARTING AFRESH in New Zealand

Simon Lord considers the opportunities and issues for immigrants looking at franchised businesses

SUCCESS – what makes a quality franchise?

Buying the right franchise can take the fear out of starting your own business – but how do you choose a good one? Simon Lord suggests what to look out for

When change creates opportunity

Changing times have created more opportunities for franchises and franchise buyers

Reality check - why buy a new franchise?

3 May 2022 - Should new business owners follow a broker's advice to buy an established business rather than start up a business from scratch? Not necessarily, suggests Simon Lord

2021 Franchise Survey Results - Franchising Counts

Highlights from Massey University's latest franchise survey in New Zealand show the resilience of franchising in difficult times

lifestyle & business
CAN YOU HAVE IT ALL?

From the archives - December 2011: Some franchises like to promote themselves as ‘lifestyle opportunities’ – but what does this really mean? Simon Lord has been looking at the options.

How do I learn the business?

From the Archives - September 2011 - Nathan Bonney offers some tips on what new franchisees should look for from a training programme

Strength In Numbers

Franchisees are feeling much more positive than independent small business owners. Why does buying a franchise give you such big advantages over going it alone?

Buying a mobile franchise

Thinking of buying a mobile franchise or a man-in-a-van business? Here are some questions to ask

Side hustle franchises

Can a franchise be a part-time business or a passive investment?

The emotional roller coaster of franchise ownership

What’s it really like being a franchisee? In this edited extract from his new book, US speaker and former franchisee Scott Greenberg describes his 10-year journey from buying to selling

Racing Ahead

How buying a franchise can put you in control of achieving your personal and financial ambitions

Why Buy A New Franchise?

12 good reasons why buying a new franchise can make more sense than buying an existing one

Reducing The Risks of Self-Employment

Estelle Logan outlines some of the ways that buying a franchise can make going into business for yourself an attractive option

How To Spot A Quality Franchise

New Zealand has more franchises per capita than any other country. How do you tell the difference between the good and the great? Simon Lord looks at what quality franchises have in common

Fresh Start

When you lose your job, is buying a business a good option? Simon Lord talks to four people who decided to invest in themselves.

Stronger Together

Want to own your own business? Buying a franchise can provide you with some big advantages over going it alone

10 financial reasons to buy a franchise

Thinking of buying or starting a business? Simon Lord shares ten reasons why a franchise could be your best financial option

Passion - Do What You Love

Could you turn your passion into a business of your own? Simon Lord looks at how buying a franchise can help you achieve your dream

Danger Signals

Beware – some business opportunities may not be all they seem

My Dear Franchisees

In this extract from her recently re-published book, Ann Andrews writes a letter to help new franchisees know what to expect

12 Tips for multi-unit excellence

Greg Nathan of Franchise Relationships Institute explains how to tap into the power of multi-unit franchising as a growth strategy

YOUR BUYERS GUIDE

Part-time, full-time, indoors, outdoors, retail or restaurant: whatever type of business you’re interested in, there’s a franchise to suit. If you’re looking for a bright idea, read on

TASTY - latest trends in food franchising

Food and franchising go together like fish and chips, but the market’s changing faster than ever. Simon Lord looks at some of the latest trends that you should consider if you’re thinking of buying a franchise

Time to quit your job?

Here are 9 good reasons to start your own business – and 5 good reasons not to

looking for a PART-TIME FRANCHISE?

Can you turn spare time into spare cash?

7 good and 7 bad reasons for buying a franchise

It's important to buy a business for the right reasons, but how do you know the difference between a good reason and a bad reason?

Reducing the stress of business ownership

18 June 2019 – A new survey shows that running your own business can be stressful and frustrating. How does being part of a franchise help?

It's All About You

Glenice Riley suggests some smart things to think about when buying a franchise

WORK TO LIVE - don’t live to work

As the weather improves at last, some people are already having to return to work. Would owning your own business give you more of what you desire? Here's an article from December 2012 about how to get the five F-words that most people actually want in their lives: Family, Flexibility, Fun, Freedom and Finance.

Master Plan

Want a bigger opportunity? Taking up a regional or national master franchise could offer the challenges and rewards you seek, suggests Simon Lord

The Franchise Buyers Toolbox

How do you work out whether a business opportunity is right for you? Our toolbox shows you how to get all the help you need

Video helps Kiwis learn how to buy a franchise

24 January 2017 – A new YouTube video is aimed at New Zealanders uncertain about the process of buying a franchise

SIX STEPS TO SUCCESS when buying a franchise

Franchise buyers are faced with more choice than ever these days, so how do you choose one that will work for you? Glenice Riley helps you narrow down the options

CHINESE LANGUAGE: what's in the disclosure document?

The attached translation of one of our most popular articles has been supplied by our friends at AsiaWide Franchise in Singapore. Click to open the pdf.

Sacking The Boss: 9 reasons why managers buy franchises

Franchising helps experienced executives, managers and salespeople get off the corporate treadmill and into their own business

10 reasons why franchisees fail

Jason Gehrke has seen some franchisees achieve spectacular success, while others have lost it all. What makes the difference?

Why move to the regions to buy a business?

When franchises advertise ‘opportunities nationwide’, they mean it. Simon Lord finds good reasons why business buyers should look outside the cities

Buy a business - buy a franchise

Whether you’ve owned a business before or are new to self-employment, if you’re a budding entrepreneur then one of the options you have to consider these days is whether to buy a franchise.

The Top 10 Franchise Questions

Simon Lord provides answers to 10 of the questions most commonly asked about franchising.

Live Fast Buy Young

March 2005 - Out of school and into business? Teens and 20s are increasingly finding franchising offers a great way to get into a business of their own.

is your job TOO SMALL for you?

January 2014 - If you're considering a new start in the new year, buying a franchise can change your life. Be prepared, though - according to some of New Zealand's most experienced franchisors and advisors, you'll first need to change your mind-set. We also look at an innovative mentoring programme offered by one franchisor.

franchise buyers SHOP AROUND, survey shows

A survey has shown that franchise buyers often end up choosing a business in a completely different industry from the one they first started investigating. Could the business that suits you be different from the business you think you want?

franchising for all
FROM 18 TO 80

September 2012 - Lessons from the University of Life: New Zealand’s oldest and youngest franchisees share their experiences

Mary Lambie - lessons of a new franchisee

March 2008 - TV presenter and cover girl Mary Lambie tells us what she's learned in her new career as a Subway franchisee.

Changing Hats

As the armed forces and emergency services restructure, many personnel are moving out into businesses of their own. Annie Gray has been exploring the franchise option.

On The Move

Mobile franchises are a popular and affordable way to get into a business of your own, but what’s it really like being on the road every day? We asked three franchisees to share their experiences

Could You Be A Franchisee?

Would you make a good franchisee? Margaret Wyn helps you answer the question for yourself

Home Sweet Home

There are over 2,000 home services franchisees in New Zealand. What is the appeal of this franchise sector, and what should you look for? Simon Lord investigates.

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