Assuming you will be the majority shareholder and will take day-to-day responsibility for the operation of the business then you will be most definitely in control. However, remember that the purpose of that business will be to operate, under licence, an outlet of the franchisor’s system.

You will therefore be obliged to ensure that the business operates in accordance with the franchise agreement and the operations manual so there will be several things that must and must not be done. In effect you will be in control of ensuring that the business and its employees do everything that should be done and that those things are done to the required standard.

That’s where the difference comes in when comparing a franchised outlet to an independent start-up. You will own the business, you will be in control of it, you will responsible for its financial performance, but you cannot just do what you want.

You will have been trained what to do; you will receive constant monitoring and support to ensure you do it properly; you will be responsible for and in control of what happens every day. However if you fail to operate that business as you should then the right to control it may well be taken away from you.

It’s not about being a robot however as you will have the opportunity to decide, for example, which of the franchisor’s marketing and sales methods you use and how often you use them. You’re in control of your own success!

Brian Duckett
Chairman