Buying a franchise: check your day-to-day role

Buying a franchise does not necessarily mean making a hands-off investment in a brand. Depending on the business model, you may need to sell, recruit, find new customers or personally supervise the premises. Before joining this community of independent business owners, check that the actual role matches your availability and skills. Look at both the day-to-day arrangements and the commitments set out in the contract.

1. Understand the work behind the concept

A brand may appeal to you as a customer without being right for you as a business owner. Liking a product does not mean you will enjoy managing teams, handling complaints or finding the customers needed to sell it.

Ask the franchisor for a practical description of the tasks the operator performs. Avoid accepting general answers such as “running your business”. Ask them to specify:

• which activities the owner carries out personally;
• how time is divided between sales, administration, management and business development;
• when the owner needs to be present, particularly during evenings or weekends;
• which responsibilities can be delegated to an employee;
• the meetings and travel involved in being part of the franchise network.

Then distinguish the launch phase from routine operations. A business may require you to be heavily involved at the start, with more scope to delegate later. But that depends on its organisation and resources: do not take it for granted.

If possible, ask to spend time shadowing an operator at an existing location, with their agreement. Observe the less visible tasks too: opening up, closing, checking deliveries, staff scheduling and administrative follow-up. The aim is to understand the job, not simply to visit a shop.

2. Identify your personal obligations in the contract

Franchisees remain legally and financially independent. However, this does not mean they are free to decide every aspect of their involvement. The contract may require you to operate the business personally, be available at particular times or meet certain conditions when appointing a manager.

Look for clauses covering day-to-day control, presence on the premises, other business activities and arrangements for replacing the owner. An intuitu personae clause means the contract is entered into on the basis of a particular person's identity or qualities. Its effect depends on the wording: the clause alone does not establish how many hours you must be present.

In France, there is no single statutory status for franchisees that defines their working hours. Their obligations arise principally from the contract, which is subject to general contract law, and from the rules governing the relevant business activity.

Pre-contractual disclosure is regulated, however. Stemming from the Doubin Law, Articles L. 330-3 and R. 330-1 of the French Commercial Code govern the provision of a pre-contractual disclosure document when the conditions for their application are met. These include making a trade mark or trading name available in conjunction with an exclusive or near-exclusive commitment. The document and draft contract must be provided at least twenty days before signing or paying any sum required in advance.

Use this period to have a lawyer review your personal obligations. If the sales presentation promises remote management but the contract requires continuous personal management, ask for written clarification before committing.

3. Check whether delegation is genuinely possible

Being allowed to hire a manager does not mean you can be absent without restriction. Ask whether their appointment requires the franchisor's approval, a particular qualification or prior training. Also check who will cover for them during holidays or if they leave.

Draw up two operating plans: one in which you are involved in day-to-day operations, and another with some responsibilities delegated. For each, identify the tasks, who is responsible and the back-up arrangements.

Then ask your accountant to calculate the associated costs: pay, employer contributions, recruitment and any additional staffing. Your own availability should not be used to conceal a necessary but unfunded role. Equally, an employed manager does not automatically take over all your responsibilities as a business owner.

If you intend to continue another business or professional activity, tell the franchisor explicitly. Check that this is workable in practice and permitted under the contract, rather than assuming a verbal agreement will be enough.

4. Set your limits before choosing a brand

Write a personal brief setting out your availability, travel constraints, the tasks you want to take on and those you need to delegate. Compare it with the documented requirements of the franchise model.

Divide any gaps into three categories: skills to acquire, staffing and organisational arrangements to fund, and incompatibilities. A scheduling problem can sometimes be resolved; a requirement to be on site that conflicts with your plans calls for a different decision.

Before signing anything, keep a written record of the proposed operating arrangements and have any necessary contractual changes formally documented. Shared enthusiasm is no substitute for a clear agreement.

Key takeaway: choose a franchise whose day-to-day work you actually want to do. Confirm your role, the arrangements for cover and the cost of delegation before you buy.