The first steps in franchising
Where to look?
Recently, offers from franchasers have been posted on a variety of sites. It has become very easy to do. But, for example, sites such as Avito and the like do not inspire much confidence, since ads on them do not undergo serious moderation and verification. Anyone can place such an announcement about the sale of a business. It is better to turn to sites where ads are thoroughly checked (for example, proday-biznes.ru , beboss.ru , deloshop.ru , sellbrand.ru , rusfranch.ru or buybrand.ru ), have a detailed description of the conditions and their own (and not downloaded from the Internet) photos.
You should definitely pay attention to the Russian Franchising Association, whose members are large franchising companies. They regularly hold conferences and seminars, during which they give valuable advice and recommendations on the right choice of a franchise. Even if you are just interested in franchising issues, the experts of RAF will be able to help you. As a rule, all seminars are held free of charge and imply free communication on any business topics of interest.
Another option for those who are looking for the perfect franchise in Russia are franchising exhibitions. At these sites, you can meet dozens of proven franchisors and get free advice from them on buying a franchise. This is perhaps the most obvious and understandable way to choose. At the exhibition site, you can not only communicate with brand representatives, but also evaluate the quality of products, as well as see what your future outlet will look like firsthand.
Russia's largest franchise exhibition BUYBRAND Expo. The exhibitors of this exhibition undergo the most thorough inspection and, as a rule, there is no doubt about the integrity of franchisors here. This, however, does not negate the vigilance that we talked about above.
Within the framework of the BUYBRAND Expo, the international forum "Franchising in Russia" is held annually. The program of this forum is divided into two streams: Start – for novice franchisors and franchisees, Advanced – for entrepreneurs with experience. The program includes owners and top managers of franchise networks, their franchisees, lawyers and consultants with international experience. There are two educational modules in the Start program: "Buying a franchise from A to Z" and "Developing a business according to the franchise system". Each module consists of several seminars and master classes, where you can get practical recommendations and step-by-step instructions.
A younger, but no less interesting venue is the "strong" Franchise Festival, which has been held in Moscow and St. Petersburg since 2012.
We need to prepare for visiting the exhibition. If you want to get the best franchise option, study the event program in advance. Determine which franchisors and experts you want to meet, prepare a list of questions and reserve time to attend seminars. And most importantly, wear comfortable shoes so that no small thing distracts from achieving your goal.
Do not give in to the hype of the exhibition and do not rush to sign a contract right on the spot. The apparent prospects and good intentions of potential partners should not be misleading. Give yourself time, cool your head, weigh the pros and cons, and only then make a final decision.
Svetlana Michan
Photo: Shutterstock.com
