Buying a Franchise in Belarus: What to Ask Existing Franchisees

Talking to people in a franchise network can reveal what the brand’s presentation leaves out: the owner’s day-to-day workload, unexpected costs and the practical challenges of getting started. But one satisfied partner does not prove that the whole model is reliable, just as one dissatisfied partner does not prove that it is unworkable. Before buying a franchise in Belarus, approach these conversations as fact-finding rather than a search for recommendations.

1. Choose people with a range of experience

Ask the franchisor to introduce you to more than just the operator of a successful flagship outlet. It is useful to speak to a franchisee who has recently opened, one with an established operation and someone who has left the network. This is a recommended approach to due diligence, not a statutory obligation on the seller to provide these contacts.

Outlets comparable to your proposed business are particularly relevant: look for a similar-sized town or city, premises format, product range and level of owner involvement in management. Do not assume that the experience of a large operation in Minsk will translate to a small outlet in a district town. Even under the same brand, financial performance and working arrangements can vary considerably.

You can find some people independently through the publicly available contact details of trading outlets. First, check that the outlet is actually run by a franchisee: a franchisor-owned branch will not provide an independent perspective on the relationship between the parties.

Suggest a short conversation at a convenient time and outline the topics in advance. Do not ask for trade secrets, employees’ personal data or documents that the franchisee is not entitled to share. If they agree to show you anonymised information, check whether you may use it in discussions with the franchisor. It is also best to agree in advance if you wish to record the conversation.

An individual business owner’s refusal to speak proves nothing in itself. However, if the seller allows conversations only in their presence and with a single hand-picked partner, recognise the limits of that exercise.

2. Ask about events, not impressions

The question ‘Are you happy with the franchise?’ often produces a polite but unhelpful answer. Instead, ask the franchisee to walk you through specific stages: preparing the premises, making the first sales, recruiting a team and settling into routine operations.

Use the same core questions for everyone:

• Which pre-opening tasks fell to you, even though you had initially expected the franchisor to be involved?
• Which costs were missing from the original estimate, and why did they arise?
• How much of the owner’s time does the outlet now require, and which tasks cannot be delegated to staff?
• What was the most recent difficulty you had to resolve with the franchisor, and what was the outcome?
• Which features of the local market required changes to the original plan?
• What would you check differently if you were buying this franchise again?

Follow a general answer with specific questions: when did it happen, which outlet did it concern, who was responsible for resolving it, and is there any correspondence on record? For example, ‘I had to do everything myself’ becomes more useful once you identify the particular task and how responsibilities were allocated under the contract.

Ask former franchisees separately why they stopped working with the brand. Distinguish between factors relating to the brand and the entrepreneur’s own circumstances, such as losing the premises, changing personal plans or staffing problems. Check whether the outlet closed altogether or continued trading in a different format. Do not draw conclusions about the whole network from one person’s departure without further checks.

3. Compare answers and explain discrepancies

After each conversation, complete a table recording the claim, the period concerned, the outlet’s characteristics, supporting evidence and a question for further investigation. Clearly distinguish personal opinions from observable facts. ‘The launch was difficult’ is an assessment; a list of additional work and paid invoices provides material for analysis.

Do not average figures that are not comparable. If one franchisee quotes profit before the owner’s remuneration and another quotes profit after all management costs, their answers cannot be compared directly. Likewise, distinguish between investment before opening and subsequent expenditure needed to keep the business running.

A recurring difficulty warrants a separate question to the franchisor. Phrase it neutrally: ‘Several people mentioned delays in preparing the design for their premises. How is that process managed now?’ Ask to see the current procedure, find out who is responsible and request an explanation of what has changed.

Check positive feedback too. Establish whether the terms described are available to new buyers, or whether the person is operating under an older contract, receives a special discount or runs several outlets. Their successful experience may be genuine but not applicable to the offer you are considering.

Do not turn these conversations into a vote on whether to buy. Their purpose is to identify questions you have not yet asked and conditions without which your project would be too risky.

4. Use the findings to guide your document checks

In Belarus, franchising is specifically governed by Chapter 53 of the Civil Code, ‘Comprehensive Business Licence (Franchising)’. There is no separate franchising act. Article 910 provides for a package of licensed rights to be granted in return for a fee, while Article 910-1 requires the agreement to be in writing and registered with the patent authority — the National Centre of Intellectual Property. Failure to meet the registration requirement renders the agreement invalid.

Franchisees’ accounts are no substitute for this legal review. The success of an outlet you know does not establish whether your own agreement is properly executed or which rights are being granted specifically to you. Before paying, compare what you have learnt from these conversations with the draft agreement, its schedules and the parties’ respective obligations.

Draw up a final list in three categories: confirmed facts, uncertainties that can be resolved and risks you are unwilling to accept. For the second category, request documents or written explanations. If an important term appears only in franchisees’ accounts, discuss with a lawyer how it should be reflected in your agreement.

Practical takeaway: speak to a range of franchisees using a consistent set of questions, check the context behind their answers and use discrepancies to guide further due diligence. Do not buy on the strength of someone else’s success: buy rights, obligations and operating terms that you understand.