Buying a Franchise in Australia: Check Training and Support

Training and ongoing support can be important reasons for joining a franchise community. But “comprehensive training” or “ongoing assistance” tells you little about what you will actually receive. Before buying a franchise in Australia, check the content, delivery, cost and contractual status of the help you are relying on to run the business.

1. Turn the training offer into a clear programme

Start by asking for a written training outline. A presentation about the brand is not the same as supervised practice in running an outlet, handling customers or managing daily administration.

Ask the franchisor to explain:

• Who must attend: you, a business partner, a manager or other employees.
• What the programme covers and how much practical experience it includes.
• Whether training takes place online, at a training centre or in an operating business.
• Who delivers it and how competence is assessed.
• What happens if someone needs additional instruction or fails an assessment.
• Whether replacement managers and future employees can receive training.

Match the programme to your own experience. A buyer with strong sales skills may still need substantial instruction in stock control, rostering or the franchise’s software. Someone experienced in business administration may need more supervised customer-facing work.

Ask to see a sample timetable and training materials where available. These can help you distinguish a structured programme from an informal promise to show you the ropes.

2. Define what ongoing support means

Initial training is only part of the proposition. Once you are trading, the useful question is not simply whether support exists, but how you access it and what the franchisor commits to doing.

Separate the offer into practical categories: operational coaching, technical help, product updates and assistance with unfamiliar business processes. For each, identify the contact person, availability and delivery method.

For example, an outlet trading at weekends should establish whether technical assistance is available then. A promise of regular business reviews needs clarification about their frequency, format and scope. Ask whether visits primarily check compliance or also provide coaching.

Useful questions include:

• Is there a named support contact or a shared helpdesk?
• Are response targets documented, and do they distinguish acknowledgement from resolution?
• How are urgent problems escalated?
• Are visits included, or arranged only at the franchisor’s discretion?
• What assistance is available if the business is underperforming?

Do not assume support means the franchisor will manage the business for you or guarantee results. Identify which tasks remain your responsibility, particularly where you would otherwise need outside professional help.

3. Calculate the full cost of receiving support

“Included training” may describe the course fee without covering the cost of attending. Ask for an itemised explanation of what is included in your initial payment and continuing fees, and what is charged separately.

Check travel, accommodation, meals, staff wages during training and the cost of covering shifts. Establish whether additional attendees, reassessments, refresher courses or replacement-manager training attract charges.

Ongoing support can also involve chargeable services. Ask whether extra site visits, specialist technical work or optional coaching carry separate fees. Confirm who authorises that expenditure and how charges are calculated.

Prepare a simple schedule showing each activity, who attends, its frequency, the direct charge and associated attendance costs. Where a cost is unknown, flag it for clarification rather than treating it as zero.

Your accountant can then assess these commitments alongside the rest of your operating budget. The aim is to understand the cost of using the promised support, not merely the price printed beside it.

4. Check which commitments the agreement protects

Australia’s federal Franchising Code of Conduct regulates relationships between franchisors and franchisees. The current Code commenced on 1 April 2025 and is enforced by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. The Australian Consumer Law also applies, including prohibitions on misleading or deceptive conduct.

These protections do not replace a careful review of the particular training and support package. The franchise agreement is legally binding, so ask an independent franchise lawyer to compare its obligations with the written programme and support description you have received.

Highlight vague expressions such as “as required” or “as considered appropriate”. Ask who decides what is required and whether the wording creates a meaningful obligation. Also check whether important details sit in a separate document and how that document can be changed.

If a particular service is essential to your decision, ask your lawyer how to record it clearly in the agreement before signing. Keep copies of the documents and explanations on which you relied.

Practical takeaway: Before committing, build one checklist covering training content, ongoing assistance, total costs and contractual commitments. Resolve gaps before treating the support package as a reason to buy.