Buying a franchise in Belgium: talk to franchisees

A franchise may look like an excellent fit on paper, while the day-to-day reality of running it turns out to be quite different. Before making your decision, speak both to people operating within the franchise network and to those who have left. Their experiences provide valuable context. The aim is not to base your decision on one enthusiastic or disappointed account, but to investigate whether this way of working suits you.

1. Choose people who can offer more than the sales pitch

Ask the franchisor for contact details of franchisees willing to share their experiences. Also ask how those people were selected. Meeting only the most successful operators will not give you a balanced picture.

Put together your own varied group of people to speak to. Consider:

• a recent starter, who still has a clear memory of the transition to running their own business;
• an experienced franchisee, who has been through several changes;
• an operator with a similar catchment area and type and size of premises;
• a single-site operator, if you do not intend to manage several locations yourself;
• a former franchisee, if you can reach one who is willing to talk.

Do not compare a railway station outlet with a neighbourhood shop without allowing for their differences. The language region, availability of staff and local customer expectations can also affect day-to-day operations. Experiences from another country are useful, but they are no substitute for conversations with operators in Belgium.

Approach people directly and respectfully. Explain which franchise you are considering, how much time you are asking for and how you will use the information they share. Ask the franchisor for introductions if contact details are not public. You do not automatically have a right to confidential business information or to a conversation with every franchisee.

2. Ask about actual working days, not satisfaction scores

Asking ‘Are you satisfied?’ usually tells you less than a description of a typical working week. Use the same core questions in each conversation. This allows you to compare answers without every discussion heading in a different direction.

Start with the owner's role:

• Which tasks do you do yourself, even if you had hoped to employ staff to handle them?
• How do you divide your time between customers, administration, planning and managing staff?
• What happens when someone is unexpectedly absent?
• Which tasks did you underestimate before starting?
• How easy is it for you to take a few days away?

Next, ask how much freedom they have to make decisions. Ask the operator for a recent example of a local initiative: a different way of organising work, a partnership with a local association or a proposal to change a procedure. Who had the authority to decide, and how did the process work?

Explore relationships within the franchise network too. Can franchisees voice criticism? Do they share experiences with one another? What happens when someone disagrees with the franchisor? Ask about a specific incident rather than a general assessment of the atmosphere.

Finish by asking: ‘What do you wish you had known before you started?’ and ‘What type of business owner do you think this franchise is less suited to?’ These questions help distinguish personal preferences from underlying problems.

3. Check accounts without damaging trust

After each conversation, make a short note under three headings: factual description, personal assessment and outstanding question. ‘I regularly work on Saturdays’ is different from ‘the franchise leaves no room for a personal life’. Both statements deserve attention, but they need to be checked in different ways.

When someone describes a notable experience, ask when it happened and whether working practices have since changed. A problem during an earlier start-up period may no longer exist today. Equally, one smooth opening does not prove that every new franchisee can expect the same.

Raise recurring themes with the franchisor in neutral terms. For example: ‘In several conversations, I have heard that operators spend a lot of time arranging staff cover. How has this been taken into account in the proposed operating model?’ Only share names or identifying details with permission.

A short period of shadowing can provide further insight. Agree in advance that you will observe, will not copy customer or staff data, and will not undertake operational tasks without prior agreement. Pay attention to the pace of work, interruptions and the owner's presence. One quiet morning is not a representative sample; ask what happens at peak times too.

4. Turn experiences into an informed buying decision

Conversations do not replace statutory disclosure requirements. In Belgium, Book X, Title 2 of the Code of Economic Law governs pre-contractual information for commercial cooperation agreements, including franchise agreements. Under Article X.27, you must receive the draft agreement and the separate pre-contractual information document at least one month before entering into the agreement.

Use this period for your conversations and an independent assessment. Belgium does not have a single, comprehensive franchise law: alongside these specific disclosure obligations, general contract law, rules on unfair terms between businesses and competition law also apply.

Another franchisee's experience is not a contractual promise to you. If a particular working practice proves essential to your decision, ask how it is covered in your own agreement. Have a specialist lawyer assess any points that are unclear.

Finally, draw up a decision sheet: which findings match your expectations, which need further investigation and which conflict with your personal limits? Record the evidence behind each conclusion. This helps prevent the last conversation from overshadowing everything you learnt earlier.

Practical takeaway: speak to a range of operators, ask the same concrete questions and check recurring themes. Only buy when the day-to-day work behind the brand also fits your own life and the role you want as a business owner.