The MUST have Franchise Owner Calls – Validation!
Filed in Finding Your Fit, Franchise 101 — November 22, 2025
The “Day-in-the-Life” Conversation
Your first priority is understanding the reality of the role—not the brochure version. You’re not just buying a brand. You’re buying a job description for yourself for the next 3–10 years. This is the time to understand what is required of the owner to be successful and does this truly FIT your expectations of day to day involvement.
Sample Questions To Ask:
- “What does a typical day look like for you from start to finish?”
- “How much of your time is spent on sales, operations, people management, and admin?”
- “What are the 2–3 tasks you personally can’t delegate right now?”
- “If someone shadowed you for a week, what would surprise them the most?”
What you’re listening for:
- Does their day align with how you actually want to spend your time?
- Are they mostly in the field? In the office? Networking? Hiring and coaching?
- Are they doing work that plays to your strengths—or your weaknesses?
If their day sounds like a life you would dread, it’s a sign the model might be fine, but the fit is wrong.
The Ramp-Up & Learning Curve Conversation
The second conversation is about how hard it really is to get from zero to functioning.
Sample Questions To Ask:
- “How did your first 6–12 months go compared to what you expected?”
- “What were the hardest parts of getting started—licenses, hiring, learning the systems, something else?”
- “How long did it take before you felt confident and not constantly in ‘figure it out’ mode?”
- “If you were starting again, what would you do differently in your first 90 days?”
What you’re listening for:
- Are owners consistently saying, “It took longer than I expected”?
- Were there surprises the franchisor should have prepared them for?
- Does the learning curve match your tolerance for discomfort and chaos during that first year?
You want honest stories, not just timelines. That’s where the truth lives.
The Financial Reality (Without Being Awkward) Conversation
Money questions feel delicate, but you can absolutely have them without asking for someone’s P&L. It is important how you ask questions too. Remember everyone comes from VERY different backgrounds – keep the questions simple.
Sample Questions To Ask:
- “Did your actual numbers roughly match what you saw in the FDD or were you above/below?”
- “What is your average job ticket price?”
- “What are your big monthly expense items to run the business”
- “Knowing what you know now, would you have come in with more capital?”
- “Have you been able to pay yourself? If not yet, when do you think you will?”
What you’re listening for:
- Are owners consistently under- or over-performing what’s represented?
- Is there a theme around underestimating working capital?
- Are they proud and confident talking about the financial trajectory, or hesitant and vague?
You’re not looking for exact dollar amounts. You’re looking for patterns and ranges—and whether this opportunity fits your reality and risk tolerance. Remember you are in control of making financial decisions for YOUR business. Get the back of the napkin numbers – job revenue, expenses…boom, you have some margin and then you know your debt.
The Franchise Support & Relationship Conversation
A strong brand isn’t just a logo—it’s the support system behind you.
Sample Questions To Ask:
- “How would you describe your relationship with the franchisor?”
- “When you run into an issue, how responsive is the support team?”
- “What kind of help do you realistically get with marketing, operations, and training?”
- “Have you ever felt like the franchisor wasn’t listening? How did they respond?”
- “How much do you engage with other owners?” “Are they supportive?”
What you’re listening for:
- Is there a culture of partnership or policing?
- Do owners feel heard or brushed off?
- Are they excited about where the brand is going—or worried?
If multiple owners use words like ignored, slow, frustrating, pay attention. Support doesn’t magically get better after you sign.
The Customers & Lead Generation Conversation
No leads = no revenue, no matter how great the brand looks on paper.
Sample Questions To Ask:
- “Where do most of your customers really come from—corporate marketing, your own networking, referrals, something else?”
- “How effective has the franchisor’s marketing been in your market?”
- “What marketing activities do YOU do that move the needle the most?”
- “Have there been any big shifts in demand or competition since you started?”
What you’re listening for:
- Is the brand marketing engine actually helping—or is it mostly on the owner?
- Are there specific tactics that consistently work across owners?
- Is demand stable, growing, or shrinking in different markets?
This is where you separate hype from what actually drives business. Please note, YOU are responsible for your local marketing. All owners will complain about lead flow – what are they doing about it from all angles is important to understand.
The Challenges, Regrets & “Real Talk” Conversation
This might be the most valuable conversation you’ll have if you ask the right questions and then stop talking.
Sample Questions To Ask:
- “What’s the hardest part of this business that no one prepared you for?”
- “Have you ever seriously considered selling or walking away? What triggered that feeling?”
- “What do you like least about being part of this franchise system?”
- “If someone you loved was considering this brand, what warning would you give them?”
What you’re listening for:
- Common pain points: hiring, margins, burnout, competition, support gaps.
- Signs of misalignment between what was sold and what was experienced.
- Whether the challenges are things you can live with—or not.
No franchise is perfect. You’re not looking for a brand with no problems. You’re looking at whether the problems are acceptable trade-offs for the opportunity.
The “Would You Do It Again?” Conversation
This is the ultimate gut-check question.
Sample Questions To Ask:
- “If you could go back in time, would you buy this franchise again?”
- “Would you choose the same brand—or a different industry/model?”
- “Would you pick the same territory or market?”
- “What kind of person do you think truly thrives in this system?”
What you’re listening for:
- Their first reaction—a quick “Yes, 100%” sounds very different from a long pause.
- Subtle hesitations like, “Yes, but…” or “Probably, if…” — those “buts” matter.
- Their description of who thrives—does that sound like you?
This is where you often get the most honest, distilled perspective: regrets, gratitude, pride, frustration—all in one.
How Many Owners Should You Talk To?
As a rule of thumb:
- Average: 3–5 owners
- Ideally: A mix of:
- High performers
- Average performers
- Newer owners (in first 1–2 years)
- More mature owners (3+ years in)
You want to see the whole spectrum, not just the “highlight reel” you’re introduced to. And, have a purpose for each call. If you are trying to talk to everyone to build a case NOT to do it – you are taking the wrong approach. Get your concerns alleviated or proved.
Bringing It All Together
Talking to existing franchise owners is not about getting one perfect answer that tells you “yes” or “no.”
It’s about:
- Spotting patterns across multiple conversations
- Checking those patterns against who you are and what you want
- Confirming whether this franchise is the right fit—not just a recognizable logo
The Franchise Fit Company is here to help you navigate, explore and ask the right questions. Book Time: Calendar
