It is a daunting task for a franchisee to decide what might be the ideal franchise opportunity for him because of the available array of choices and industries. Same goes for a franchisor, it is very difficult for a franchisor to look out for a perspective franchisee. Franchise consultants can help them both narrow their focus and assist them in making the right decision. A franchise consultant will go through all options available and offer you the best. They can decide whether your investment into a particular business would be a lucrative or not. The franchisor consultant not only brings them together but also plays a significant role in streamlining the ‘matchmaking’ process for the franchisors and franchisees.

The franchise consultants are employed by both, the franchisors and the franchisees. Hiring a renowned franchise consultant can give your business the edge it needs for success. The amount of fee paid to the franchise consultant varies. Usually these franchise consultants are paid by the franchisor when the deal has been finalised. They also help the franchisees in finding financers, accountants, lawyers, and franchise real estate experts.The franchisee can save money and precious time in searching for a perfect franchise business by hiring a franchise consultant. It may not be possible for the franchisee to investigate the whole market thoroughly as the sheer volume can be overwhelming. However, a franchise consultant may know many players personally or by reputation.

Developing and defining a solid franchise-marketing program is one of the key elements for any franchise consultant, who develops a franchise program. Just like finishing a shot by lining up a putt, taking aim and developing a solid marketing program is critical to having a successful franchise launch. Franchise consultant work for franchise sales and franchise marketing, and also develop a good franchise-marketing plan on behalf of their clients.Franchise consultants need to have lived and breathed franchise sales themselves in developing a true marketing program. The process of marketing and selling a franchise is unique.

The role of a franchise consultant is quite dependable for both the franchisors and the franchisees. It is advisable to do proper research and surveys and do some amount of enquiry to know the worth of a franchise consultant. Merely searching on the internet for a franchise consultant may lead to a few inexperienced people of the field. So here we discuss some steps to find out the right franchise consultant:

• Check the amount of experience the franchise consultant has in the field

• The number of franchise concepts does s/he currently represents

• If the franchise consultant has any expertise in a certain area or franchise industry.

• If he assures you in extending you help in bringing up your business

• The additional relationships/referrals he can provide

• Make sure he works with a renowned company

The franchise consultants program should then define a media-buying schedule. A good franchise consultant should have involved with the franchise marketplace for some length of time and should have a good understanding of the overall business scenario of the area where franchising business will be taken up. While weighing the effectiveness and closing rate of those leads, it is important for franchise consultant to manage the cost of the lead generation.

A logical program should plan a diverse lead generation plan. This should include Internet lead generation, print marketing, mix of trade shows, broker relationships, PR work and other alternatives. One thing is for sure that a franchise marketing plan should be nimble and flexible and can never be specific from the onset. An apt franchise consultant should identify good market opportunities for a new franchise offering and should have first-hand knowledge in the particular line of business as of his client.

It should be monitored carefully and benchmarked against industry standards to confirm that the cost estimations are correct, after a marketing plan is developed. The process will require reworking and continuous adjustments for proper implementation. Franchise consultants have to overview and analyze the prospective franchise candidate and they have to be very careful to understand the needs, the financial capital available, if the business offered is viable and if the candidate can make a success out of it. They have to be realistic and make quick judgments if needed at any point.

A renowned franchise consultant helps his clients (franchisees) in accessing the odds of success and failures of the franchise offered, understanding the franchise agreement contract, realistically examining the personal strengths and weaknesses, uncovering the free and fee-based training programs for potential franchisees. They also help the franchisors by assisting them in screening franchisee candidates and investors, evaluating companies' franchising ability, building brand recognition and loyalty and so on.

In short, to franchise a successful business or to start a franchising business, one requires a franchise consultant. As it is a colossal decision that requires a lot of work, therefore, it is worth seeking an expert advice to get into a franchise business.