Buying a foreign franchise: check the working language

When buying a foreign franchise in Slovenia, a friendly sales conversation in Slovenian does not mean that day-to-day cooperation will also take place in Slovenian. Training, technical support and staff instructions may be in another language. Before joining a franchise network, ask a practical question: will you and your team understand the information well enough to operate independently, promptly and safely?

1. Find out which language is used for each task

Do not settle for assurances that the franchisor ‘operates internationally’ or that ‘everyone speaks English’. Ask for an overview of actual communication, from initial induction to resolving operational problems. The sales representative’s language is not necessarily the language spoken by the people who will answer your questions later.

Prepare a simple table with four columns: task, contact person, language and the person in your business who will carry out the task. Include:

• initial training for the owner and staff;
• the operations manual and its updates;
• ordering goods and dealing with incorrect deliveries;
• using software and accessing technical support;
• business reporting and explanations of financial statements and charges;
• urgent instructions in the event of errors, complaints or safety incidents.

Check specifically whether the language varies by communication channel. Written instructions may be translated, while telephone support may not be. A training recording may have subtitles, but the assessment may take place live without language support.

What matters is who needs to understand the content. The owner’s command of a foreign language does not remove the barrier if a shift manager needs to follow instructions in the owner’s absence.

2. Test your understanding in practice before signing

A general self-assessment of your language skills is not enough. Conversational fluency does not guarantee that you will understand technical terms, contractual obligations or a fast-paced telephone conversation during a technical fault. Rather than guessing, suggest a short test using typical tasks from your future outlet.

Ask the franchisor for a sample of the manual, a software demonstration and part of a training session. If the material contains confidential know-how, arrange supervised access or a limited sample. The aim is not to obtain the entire system before buying, but to check whether you can use it.

Involve your prospective outlet manager in the test if you already have one. After reading an instruction, each person should explain in their own words what they need to do, in what order and when they need to escalate the issue. Then check their understanding with the franchisor’s representative.

One useful exercise is to simulate reporting a technical fault: describe the problem, understand the response and confirm the next step. Note where you need further explanation and how long it takes you to prepare a reply. This gives you a basis for deciding whether to invest in further language learning, arrange language support or choose another brand.

Machine translation can help you get the gist, but it should not be your sole basis for understanding a contract or instructions with serious consequences. Do not upload confidential documents to public translation tools without permission and without checking their terms of use.

3. Link language requirements to staffing and costs

A language barrier often becomes an organisational problem. If only one person can communicate with the franchisor, the business depends on that person being available. Check who will cover for them during holidays, illness or if they leave the business.

Include only items for which you have a quotation or a clearly explained estimate in your cost plan: professional review of contractual wording, interpreting during training, language courses and staff time spent understanding new instructions. The cost is not just the translator’s invoice; it may also be the time a manager spends translating for colleagues instead of running the outlet.

When recruiting, identify which tasks genuinely require a foreign language and what level of understanding is needed. Do not automatically apply every requirement to every employee. Equally, do not plan your operations on the assumption that a friend or family member will always be available to help.

Also check how often further training takes place. A one-off induction in a foreign language presents a different organisational challenge from regular meetings, compulsory assessments and ongoing changes to procedures.

4. Put language arrangements in writing and check the legal framework

Slovenia has no specific franchising law, compulsory franchise register or dedicated, legally prescribed pre-contractual disclosure document. The Slovenian Obligations Code (Obligacijski zakonik, OZ) is relevant to the contractual relationship, including its principle of good faith and fair dealing and its rules on negotiations. The absence of specific regulation does not mean that verbal assurances about language provide adequate protection.

Alongside the contract, consider the Public Use of the Slovenian Language Act (Zakon o javni rabi slovenščine, ZJRS) and other regulations relevant to your particular business. The language used to communicate with a foreign franchisor is a separate issue from the legal requirements for dealing with customers in Slovenia. Check your obligations concerning consumer information and instructions for employees in light of your business activity, including consumer protection and occupational health and safety rules.

Your contractual arrangements should specify the languages used for training, materials and communication, whether an interpreter may participate, and how unclear instructions will be confirmed. Also establish who is authorised to approve an interpretation that you will rely on in your work. Do not assume an automatic right to translations of all documents; have a lawyer check the specific obligations.

Practical conclusion: before signing, test your understanding of one written instruction, one training session and one conversation about a problem. If you cannot act reliably without constant help, first ensure that you have the necessary language skills and cover arrangements, and only then take on the commitments.