Franchise support: what to ask for before you buy

Buying a franchise involves more than gaining permission to use a brand. For anyone joining a franchise network, the franchisor’s support can make a difference to how the business runs. But “comprehensive support” does not explain who will help, in what circumstances or how often. Before investing, turn that promise into verifiable commitments and assess whether they meet your needs, given your experience and the requirements of your outlet.

1. Understand what the law requires franchisors to disclose about support

In Brazil, business franchising is governed by Law No. 13,966/2019, which replaced Law No. 8,955/1994. It requires the franchise disclosure document, known locally as the Circular de Oferta de Franquia (COF), to explain what the franchisor offers and on what terms, including support, network supervision, services, technological innovations, training and manuals.

For training, the law requires information on duration, content and costs. Assistance with assessing and choosing premises, and architectural standards for the premises, must also be described where these are offered under the stated terms.

This does not mean that every network must provide a universal package of assistance. The duty to disclose information is not a guarantee of unlimited ongoing support. You need to check the scope of the support advertised and how it is set out in the contract and its appendices.

The COF must be provided at least ten days before you sign the contract or preliminary agreement, or pay any fee to the franchisor or a person or company connected to it. This is a minimum advance disclosure period, not a deadline for completing your assessment.

2. Turn “comprehensive support” into a list of deliverables

Divide support into three stages: preparation, opening and ongoing operations. For each stage, record the activity, the person responsible, the deadline, the contact channel and any charge. A simple spreadsheet lets you compare the sales pitch with the documented obligations.

For the preparation stage, investigate:

• Who draws up the set-up timetable and follows up on delays?
• Does the franchisor provide guidance on equipment, systems and organising operations?
• Who checks whether the outlet is ready to open?

For the opening, ask for details of the support provided by the network’s staff. How many people will be available? For how many days? Will support be on-site or remote? Will someone oversee the first sales, cashing up and the team’s daily routines?

For ongoing operations, check how often advisory visits take place, which performance indicators are reviewed and how improvement plans are followed up. Also clarify what assistance is available in urgent situations, such as a system failure during trading hours.

Avoid accepting phrases such as “regular visits” without an explanation. Ask whether there is a minimum frequency or whether visits depend on requests, availability or performance. Ask for important commitments to be included in the contractual documents, rather than left solely in the sales presentation.

3. Assess the training and its true costs

Training can be extensive yet still fail to prepare you for the most critical tasks. Request the programme and check whether it covers practical operations, team management, financial controls, customer service and the use of essential systems.

Check who needs to attend: business partners, the manager, operational staff or the whole team. Ask whether participants are assessed and what happens if someone does not pass. Does opening depend on passing? Is further training available? Who pays?

Also calculate expenses that may not be included in the initial franchise fee:

• Participants’ travel, accommodation and meals;
• Staff pay during training;
• Instructors’ travel and accommodation when visiting the outlet;
• Training for replacement staff after employees leave;
• Refresher courses and training on new products or systems.

Ask for a written distinction between included activities, optional activities and compulsory activities charged separately. For future changes, check how costs will be communicated and who will have to bear them.

Compare the programme with your own skills gaps. Someone who has never managed a business may need additional training, even if the brand’s operational training is adequate. Support does not replace your responsibility for managing the business.

4. Agree how to request support, follow up and keep records

Before signing, clarify the procedure for requesting assistance and raising complaints about support that has not been delivered. Identify the official contact channel, the person responsible for handling unresolved complaints and the expected response times. Distinguish an initial response from a resolution: acknowledging receipt of a message does not fix an operational problem.

With legal advice, examine how the contract deals with a failure to meet obligations: formal notice, the period allowed to remedy the failure and the consequences that apply. Do not assume that a problem entitles you to withhold fees or terminate the contract without consequences.

Keep proposals, messages, timetables, training records and support requests. These documents help demonstrate what was promised and delivered, although they do not, on their own, guarantee a particular outcome in a dispute.

Practical takeaway: consider your assessment of support complete only when you can explain what you will receive, when, from whom, at what cost and how you will hold the franchisor to its commitments. If those answers remain vague, clarify the terms before committing.