Do you want to own your own business?
Purchase a franchise?
Be your own boss?

FranQuest® specializes in mergers, acquisitions and the sale of small to midsize closely held companies,franchised businesses, and privately owned businesses. Areas of expertise include:
Franchise Companies
Automotive Aftermarket
Retail, Hospitality
Education and Business to Business Services
Food Service, Restaurant, Bakery

Before purchasing any type of business, there are several critical questions to ask:

Am I the type of person who should be a franchisee? Can I follow a prescribed business system and play on the “team” contributing to an organization collectively focused on building the brand for the benefit of all? What is the best way for me as an individual to acquire the right franchise? Should I start with one franchise, multiple, or become an area developer?

Should I buy a business that is not franchised? Which industry and type of business should I pursue and acquire? What are the things I should be looking for in my quest to buy a business? What about buying an independent business that could be licensed or franchised later? What should I look for in a prototype and how should I acquire it?

Are there other types of participation? What if I am not interested in running the business but want to participate as a Joint Venturee or Investor. What opportunities are there in working with Independent Business Owners, Franchisors or Franchisees who want to expand their business?

Given the fact that you may already have extensive experience in the franchise industry and as a business owner you may ask yourself: “Should I acquire a franchise company or merge my existing company with another existing one operating as a franchisor?” Who should I seek out to assist me with my acquisition project? What should I look for in a candidate? How do I perform my due diligence? What are the liabilities? What are the complements and supplements I need to consider in making sure the acquisition is best for me?

FranQuest® can help you find the answers to these questions

FranQuest® has founded, bought or sold franchises, entire franchise systems, prototypes, and stand alone independent businesses. Using its proprietary FranQuest Search and Acquire System, superior opportunities are identified according to the unique qualities and needs of the owner, buyer, investor and the business.

Acquiring or Selling a Franchise
Regardless if you are a new buyer or an existing franchisee wishing to grow through horizontal or vertical acquisition, FranQuest® can help you achieve your objectives. Using a search and acquire system we are able to identify a single franchise or area development franchise that is best for the buyer. The system also works in reverse for meeting the needs of the seller and is based on personality or company profiling, performing a wheel of opportunity, and creating a fit chart specific to the qualities of the franchisee target and the business

Acquiring or Selling a Business
Acquiring or selling a business is a complex process. Using an experienced licensed broker and M&A expert is a critical element of successfully identifying and acquiring the right business for you. The FranQuest Search and Acquire System was originally designed for stand-alone independent companies and businesses. The system provides a step by step process involving personal planning sessions, personality and preference testing, determining strengths, weaknesses, creating fit charts, targeting specific industries and companies, financing, and executing the acquisition.

Acquiring or Selling a Prototype
An owner of a business identified by FranQuest® as a “franchisable” entity may be willing to sell out to a buyer wishing to own and grow the business for his/her own benefit. FranQuest® provides search and acquisition services for those wishing to grow their own franchise system based on acquiring a qualified non-franchised prototype. FranQuest® uses the search and acquire system in order to fit a qualified opportunity to the buyer. FranQuest® will also represent sellers wishing to offer their business as a possible acquisition candidate that can be franchised based on a unique set of criteria. Once the acquisition process has been completed, FranQuest® may work with the new owner in order to re-structure the business and launch the new franchise offering

Acquiring or Selling a Franchisor FranQuest® performs valuation, acquisition, divestiture, merger or investment services for those wishing to sell or buy a complete franchise system. Buying or selling a Franchisor requires that an M&A Firm or Business Broker have extensive experience in the franchise industry. Understanding how to calculate “value” for a Franchisor is important when planning an exit or acquisition strategy. Setting the price of a franchise operation is complex and requires expertise related to future royalty and fee cash flows, decentralization of the founder, legal agreements, implied representations, negative contingencies in the franchisor-franchisee relationship, value of the concept and brand, existing human resources, quality of the existing training/support systems, and a host of other elements unique to the franchise industry.

Services provided to acquire or sell a franchisor include:
Identifying Your Personal or Company Profile
Determining Your Strategic Skills and Needs
Creating a Wheel of Opportunity and Fit Chart
Planning and Finding
Valuation, Pricing, Evaluating
Financing, Accounting, Tax Issues
Structuring the Offer and Acquisition
Performing Due Diligence and Investigation
Negotiations & Closing Services

Partnering via Direct Investment or Joint Venture
FranQuest® actively seeks out and maintains a data base of businesses that have the qualities, look and feel of a “franchisable” operation. These are businesses that pass the 10 Traits Test and can be franchised but require additional capital in order to grow. Using a unique matching program, the existing owner and new partner or investor are able to create the parameters required to join together and expand the business. In many cases the owner is willing to relinquish equity in return for capital and is willing to take on a strategic partner to grow the business via additional company units and/or franchising. In other situations, the owner or founder of the business also needs a mentor or working partner in order to fund and/or manage the franchise expansion project but not necessarily the original prototype(s). These opportunities usually require that the investing partner have adequate investment capital and an ability to mentor without usurping control from the founder or current business owner. It also requires that the Founder know the value of leveraging ROE, the value of teamwork and that the company has a sound and timely exit strategy.

FranQuest is a fee based search firm representing no particular franchisor(s).

Call now for a free consultation 800.794.0117.