Franchising associations are organizations which combine franchisors, franchisees, and vendors to make the process of starting and operating a franchise much less daunting. Franchises are fantastic small business opportunities, but they are still businesses and come with their own legal, financial, and promotional challenges. Franchise associations exist to help new and old franchisees overcome these difficulties.

Franchises are available all over the world. Because of this, there are American franchise associations and international franchise associations who can give advice on how to deal with each country’s local and national governments. Also, because a franchise association is not exclusive, it may make sense to join several associations, one for dealing with local events and an international association to deal with global issues.

Associations for franchise owners do a great deal for their membership. However, before you choose a franchise association, here are a few things to consider:

1. Franchise owner associations should lobby for franchises at the state and federal levels, set quality standards, and recognize those franchisees that are doing right by their customers.
2. Associations for franchise owners should be great educational resources. Most franchise owner associations feature a wealth of information and practical courses geared toward ensuring the success of the franchise
3. A franchise owner association should be a great networking tool for finding other franchisees.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Know what type of franchise you want

This may sound like common sense, however, it is important that you know the top 2-3 franchises you are considering before investigating a franchising and licensing association. This way you can determine if the franchise you are interested in pursuing is already a member. If not, it may be harder for you to join down the road.

I recommend: Make the decision of which franchise you want to start before looking for a franchise owner association. However, if you are new to franchising, you can do the reverse. You can search for franchise listings at places like the International Franchise Association and the American Association of Franchisees and Dealers to find franchisors who want you to start new franchises for them.

Learn what franchise owner associations offer

Before choosing which franchising owner associations you want to join, be sure to understand what the benefits of membership are. Franchising associations offer different services: job boards, legal counseling, online courses, low-cost advertising, among others. Make sure any franchise and licensing associations you want to join are going to give you the tools you need to be successful.

I recommend: Use a site like FranchiseTrade to find a list of Franchise Associations. Franchising.com provides a Directory of Franchise Associations. You can use these websites to create a list of potential franchising associations, then visit their websites to see what services they offer.

Contact local franchise association members

Each franchise owner association lists its franchisors. Each franchisor will have a list of locations. Find a few local franchises that are members of a franchising association you are considering, and go speak to the owners of those businesses.

I recommend: Determine if local franchisees have utilized the services of a franchising association, and, if so, what their experiences were in dealing with it. This may help you decide for or against certain franchising and licensing associations. FranchiseExpo.com will help you search for franchise information by state. Sunbelt can also help you locate local franchises.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Compare different member benefits of different franchising associations, such as events and conferences available, networking opportunities either online or in person, and publications offered.
• •  If you already own a franchise, call your franchisor and ask about any franchise owner association you are considering.