Launching a franchise in Belgium: test what sets your business apart

A successful business does not automatically make a strong franchise concept. Customers may come primarily for an exceptional product range, a convenient process or a distinctive service. Before building a franchise network, you need to know which difference really matters — and whether another business owner can deliver it. A focused comparison and practical testing can turn an appealing idea into a franchise proposition backed by evidence.

1. Make your point of difference specific and testable

Do not start with a slogan such as ‘personal service’ or ‘excellent quality’. Almost any competitor could say the same. Describe the tangible benefit customers receive, the process that creates it and how you will establish whether it is actually being delivered.

Take a fictional example: rather than simply promising a fast service, a repair shop provides a clear diagnosis, a quote and an agreed collection time when an item is brought in. Its point of difference is predictability. You can test this by examining how clear its quotes are, whether it keeps its commitments and what questions customers still ask afterwards.

Create a short summary of what sets your existing business apart, covering:

• The customer need: what specific problem do you solve?
• The alternative: what would the customer do if your business did not exist?
• Your approach: which action, combination of elements or choice makes the difference?
• The evidence: how can customers tell that you deliver on your promise?
• The limitation: in which situations can you not offer the benefit?

Start by choosing one core promise. A concept that aims to be the cheapest, fastest, most comprehensive and most personal all at once will be difficult to put into practice.

2. Compare genuine alternatives, not just similar businesses

A franchise feasibility study should consider market attractiveness, competition and commercial objectives. Look beyond businesses with the same offering. Customers might also buy online, do the job themselves, take out a subscription or postpone the purchase.

Compare the main alternatives using the same criteria: ease of purchase, pricing clarity, waiting time, product range, guidance and after-sales support. Use publicly available information and your own observations. Record the date each time and distinguish between established facts and your interpretation.

Next, talk to customers about their most recent actual purchasing decision. Do not just ask whether they find your concept appealing. Ask which alternatives they considered, why they made their final choice and what nearly put them off. A compliment about your shop does not prove that someone deliberately chose your concept.

Look for evidence to the contrary, too. If customers barely use your distinctive service, or mainly buy when you offer discounts, your core promise needs revisiting. That is more useful than a competitor comparison in which your business inevitably comes out on top in every category.

3. Test the difference at your pilot outlet

Use your pilot outlet to examine the supposed benefit in isolation. The aim is not simply to show that the business generates sales, but to understand which parts of the concept create value for customers.

Decide in advance what you will change, what will stay the same and which outcomes you will track. For example, test a new customer intake procedure while keeping the product range and promotions as consistent as possible. Alongside sales, record the time needed to deliver the service, any work that has to be redone, complaints and service usage. This helps prevent additional revenue from masking an unsustainable workload.

Have several members of staff put the approach into practice. Do they need exceptional product knowledge? Does every customer query require a specialist’s decision? That does not make the benefit worthless, but it does make it harder to replicate. Establish which tools, training or technical support are needed to deliver the same promise elsewhere.

Then assess three questions:

• Do customers notice the difference, and does it matter to them?
• Can others deliver the approach consistently?
• Does the effort required remain commercially viable?

Record unsuccessful trials as well. They reveal the limits of your concept. A credible franchise network is not built on one successful demonstration, but on an approach whose conditions for success you understand.

4. Use your evidence carefully when launching the franchise

Turn your findings into a clear description of the franchise concept. Separate measured results, customer statements and ambitions. A benefit demonstrated at one pilot outlet does not automatically prove that every future outlet will achieve the same result.

In Belgium, commercial cooperation agreements that fall within the statutory definition are subject to the specific pre-contractual rules in Book X, Title 2 of the Belgian Code of Economic Law. Under Article X.27, the prospective partner must receive the draft agreement and the pre-contractual information document at least one month before the agreement is concluded. Article X.28 sets out the contents of that document, including important contractual provisions and socio-economic information.

Have your description of the concept and its supporting evidence checked for consistency with those documents. Do not present a planned service as a proven part of the concept. A carefully maintained record of testing helps substantiate factual statements, but does not replace the statutory disclosure obligation.

Practical takeaway: do not franchise only what makes your business look appealing. Choose one relevant customer benefit, compare it fairly with the alternatives and demonstrate that others can deliver it consistently.