The question to start with is: “When you last had a real problem, what did the franchisor actually do, and how long did it take?” Their answer shows whether support works in practice, not just on paper. The British Franchise Association and the franchise agreement set the framework, and working capital decides who survives. Below are grouped questions and the steps to verify every answer.
1. Which questions should you ask franchisees, theme by theme?
Use these questions word for word on discovery days and on calls. Ask for concrete numbers and dates every time, and take notes so you can compare franchisees later.
Operations
- What does a normal working day look like, from first task to last?
- How many hours a week do you really put in, and has that changed over time?
- Which months are busiest and which are quietest, and how do you cover costs in the slow ones?
- Who do you employ, and how hard is it to recruit and keep good people?
- How reliable are the approved suppliers, and have deliveries or quality ever let you down?
Franchisor support
- How often do you hear from the franchisor, and in what format: visits, calls, emails or network meetings?
- Is support given in the field or mostly by phone and email? The Franchise-association guidance asks franchisees to separate the two.
- How quickly does the head office respond when something goes wrong?
- Can you give an example of a problem the franchisor helped you fix?
- Do franchisee forums or network meetings happen, and are they useful?
Finances
- What did you pay up front, and what did the initial franchise fee actually cover?
- What ongoing fees do you pay, and what do you get for them?
- How much working capital did you need before the business paid you a wage?
- How long did it take to break even, compared with what you were told?
- Were the financial projections you saw based on the performance of the wider network?
People and culture
- How does the franchisor handle disagreements with franchisees?
- Do you feel able to give honest feedback, and does anything change as a result?
- How many franchisees have left since you joined, and do you know why?
Exit and contract
- How long is the term, and what are the conditions for renewal?
- Are there restrictions on selling the business, and who approves a buyer?
- Are you required to buy certain supplies or services, and does the franchisor earn anything from them?
If you want a second angle on the franchisor side, our guide to questions to ask a franchisor before you sign anything covers the questions that belong with head office rather than the network.
2. How do you check that the answers are true?
A friendly franchisee can still give you a partial picture, and a franchisor can steer you towards the happiest ones. Verification protects you from both.
Ask for a full list of franchisees in your region, or a random sample, instead of a hand-picked shortlist. Miller Canfield warns that franchisors may cherry-pick positive contacts, and that refusing to provide a complete list is a significant red flag. The BFA’s own advice is that an ethical franchisor should facilitate meetings with its network and let you choose who to speak to.
Ask for documents as well as opinions:
- A sample franchise agreement, so you can read the real terms rather than a summary.
- Recent profit and loss figures for the network, not just those of a top performer.
- Training schedules and details of marketing spend, for launch and for the years after.
- Financial projections that rest on network performance, which the BFA lists among its important questions for a prospective franchisor.
On the call itself, ask for dates and figures, then ask for an example. “Support is great” tells you little. “They visited and rebuilt my rota” tells you plenty. Follow up with a supplier or a long-standing franchisee to see whether the stories match.
Pro Tip: If a franchisor will not let you choose who you speak to, ask for the reasons in writing and treat the refusal as a concern in its own right.
Our franchisee interview feature shows what candid answers sound like and helps you structure your own calls.
3. What legal and financial checks must you complete before signing?
Franchising in the UK is not governed by a specific statute, so the franchise agreement is your main legal protection. Pay a specialist franchise solicitor to review it before you sign, focusing on territory exclusivity, renewal rights, resale provisions and exit clauses. Our guide to evaluating franchise agreements explains what to look for.
Then bring in an accountant. Ask them to test the projections and model how much working capital you need to get through the early months. Our UK guide to assessing franchise financials gives you a step-by-step method.
Put these checks on your list:
- Ask how many franchisees have failed since the network began.
- Ask whether the franchisor ran a pilot or a company-owned outlet before rolling out the network, as the franchise-association.org.uk guidance suggests.
- Record any commission the franchisor earns on supplies, every mandatory purchase, and who enforces them.
- Confirm in writing whether the franchisor is a BFA member.
Cashflow is where many buyers come unstuck: the BFA’s 2024 National Franchise Survey warns that many franchisees fail in the early years because of poor cashflow. Budget for contingency funds, not just the minimum.
4. Why do franchisees stay, and why do some leave?
Satisfaction rarely comes down to one thing. Franchisees who stay tend to describe a clear system, support that arrives when promised and income that matches what they were shown. Those who leave often describe a gap between the pitch and the reality: slower sales, thinner margins or a head office that went quiet after the sale.
Responsibility runs both ways. The BFA’s case study on why you will not always succeed as a franchisee makes the point that franchisors provide systems and support, while franchisees must implement them, manage the daily work and keep engaging with the network. Elite Franchise Magazine adds that franchising does not guarantee automatic success and that results depend on local effort and willingness to seek guidance.
So ask both groups directly:
- “What made you decide to stay, and what nearly made you leave?”
- “If you were starting again, would you sign with this franchisor? Why or why not?”
- “What would you change about the relationship?”
If you can reach someone who has sold or left, ask them too. Their reasons often reveal what current franchisees are reluctant to say. A pattern across several people matters far more than one angry or one glowing account.
5. Who else can support you beyond the franchisor?
Your franchisor will not be the only source of help, and it should not be your only source of honest information. Peer support is often where the most practical advice lives.
Ask franchisees whether the network has an independent franchisee association, a peer group or regular meetings where franchisees talk to each other without head office present. A network where franchisees help each other tends to be one where problems surface early. The BFA’s piece on how franchisors maintain strong relationships points to how feedback is gathered and acted on, and to investment in training refreshers and system updates, as signs of a healthy network.
Look beyond the network too. The BFA says its auditing and code of ethics help protect franchisees, though it still stresses specialist legal advice before signing. For wider reassurance, Which? Trusted Traders endorses businesses through ongoing assessment and verified reviews, and your own accountant and solicitor form part of your support team from the outset.
Ask each franchisee one last question: “Who do you call when you cannot, or would rather not, call the franchisor?”
6. How can we help you find franchisees to speak to?
Good questions need the right franchises to ask them about. We list UK franchise opportunities and let you filter by investment level, industry and lifestyle, so you start with options that fit your budget and your plans.
- Search our listings and narrow them by price, sector and how you want to work.
- Send an enquiry about the franchises you like.
- Use the same question list to compare several opportunities.
Ready to begin? Browse our trending franchise opportunities, or start with our guide to things to consider before you buy a franchise if you want to firm up your criteria first.
FAQ
What should you ask when starting a franchise?
Start with how the franchisor supports franchisees in practice, what the real costs are and how long it took current franchisees to break even. Ask to speak with franchisees you choose yourself. The BFA’s question list is a solid starting point.
What questions should you ask a franchise owner?
Ask about daily routines, working hours, support from head office, income against expectations and how disputes are handled. Ask for numbers and examples rather than general impressions. Finish by asking whether they would sign again.
What should you check before choosing a franchise?
Check that a specialist franchise solicitor has reviewed the agreement, that an accountant has tested the projections and that you have enough working capital and contingency funds. Confirm BFA membership and ask how many franchisees have failed. Speak to several franchisees, not just those the franchisor recommends.
How many franchisees should you speak to?
There is no official number, but speak to enough that patterns show. Include newer and long-standing franchisees, and ask for a random sample or full regional list so you are not hearing only from the franchisor’s favourites.