Investing in hotel franchise opportunities necessitates purchasing a wide variety of products that you must keep on hand at all times. There are items you must have to keep your customers happy and supplies you will need for the basic operation of your hotel franchise opportunity.

When creating your budget for how much you can allot to hotels for sale or motels for sale, it is essential to keep in mind the other expenditures you will face. Some of these expenses include:

1. A hotel franchise for sale will require a variety of bathroom supplies.

2. Hotel franchising involves purchasing several appliances and creature comforts for each room.

3. The beds in each room will require sufficient blankets and pillows.

4. Cleaning supplies are a necessity for any hotel or motel.

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

Order toiletries for hospitality and lodging industry franchises

Toiletries are essential items within every hotel franchising program. While guests usually bring their own personal items such as tooth brushes and hair products from home, they also rely on certain items to be available in their rooms.

I recommend: You can find bars of soap, facial tissues, toilet seat covers and toilet tissue from The WEBstaurant Store.

Purchase bath supplies for hotel franchise opportunities

The bathroom is one of the most important rooms in any building. It must contain all of the bath products your customers expect and require. Keep plenty of supplies on hand for guests who ask for extra bathroom supplies.

I recommend: Acquire towels, wash cloths and bath mats from Hotel Supplies Online or Supplies-for-Hotels.

Obtain new bedding for any hotel franchises for sale

The bed is perhaps the most important factor in every hotel room. A comfortable night's rest will be the difference between a positive or negative experience for your customers. Each bed should be cozy and have enough bedding to keep your guests warm and happy.

I recommend: Find mattress pads and blankets, bedspreads and pillows at Cascade Company.

Choose amenities for franchise opportunities in the hotel industry

The goal of every hotel owner is to give their guests an enjoyable stay. When your customers are happy, they will return or recommend your establishment to their friends. People who stay in your facilities will appreciate the extra items that offer them the conveniences and luxuries of home.

I recommend: Find alarm clocks, coffee makers and televisions from Top-hotel Supply. Purchase phones for each room from National Hotel Supply.

Locate snack and drink supplies for your franchising opportunities in the hotel industry

Your hotel can make extra money by supplying vending machines that are well stocked with snacks and cold drinks. It is also important to offer free ice so your guests may keep their drinks and perishable items cold. This is a standard service that every hotel offers.

I recommend: Buy vending machines from Embassy Vending. Order ice makers from ACItyDiscount. Get ice buckets from Cascade.

Buy cleaning supplies for lodging franchise opportunities

When you are starting a hotel franchise, you will need to make sure you have everything you need to keep each room clean and tidy. Your customers will expect their rooms to be spotless and orderly. You will need to hire employees to clean the establishment and keep them well stocked so they can do their job properly.

I recommend: Order carts, cleaning agents, mopping equipment and other cleaning supplies from National Hospitality Supply.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Order bulk supplies for hotel franchise opportunities from wholesale dealers to get the best price possible.
• •  Establish long-term business relationships with vendors who supply hotel franchising owners with everything their business needs.

Buying a franchise is a safe way to exercise your entrepreneurial muscles on a proven business model – if you choose the right one, that is. If you do, you'll reap the benefits, which include:

1. Reduced risk
2. Access to instant customers and branding
3. Unprecedented product research and group buying power
4. Free marketing, courtesy of corporate advertising campaigns
5. Dedicated financial and managerial support

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

Examine your income and interests

Potential franchisees must understand their interests — in order to select a concept that will excite them — as well as their finances. Consider your credit score, net worth and liquid assets in deciding whether you can afford to buy a particular franchise.

I recommend: Whether your new business is a franchise or not, you'll need financing to get it up and running. Consider applying for a small business loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which also offers a franchise registry that helps streamline the loan application process for potential franchisees.

Research your options

Even if you have a particular franchise in mind when you start your search, you should be aware that there are hundreds of options on the franchise market. Consider your target market and geography to narrow down your choices to those that will best flourish in your community.

I recommend: Browse hundreds of franchise opportunities online at FranchiseSolutions.com or Franchise.com. Or, explore your options and meet dozen of potential franchisors at the National Franchise and Business Opportunities Show held all year long in cities across the country.

Review the UFOC

Perhaps the biggest challenge — and most important step — of researching franchise opportunities is collecting information about potential franchisors. Lucky for franchisees, the government requires franchisors to make available certain investment information, distributed in the form of a document called a Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC).

I recommend: FranData.com lets you search its library of more than 18,000 UFOC documents from 4,500 different franchisors.

Consult other franchisees

Before committing yourself to a particular concept, be sure to ask current franchisees about their experiences.

I recommend: Find out what other entrepreneurs think of their own franchising decisions when you visit FranSurvey.com to review the results of hundreds of opinion surveys given to existing franchisees at more than 2,400 franchises in 75 different industries.

Make a decision

Once you've selected a franchise, arrange to meet the franchisor in person. Obtain a franchise application and be sure to go over any last-minute concerns with your attorney. If you reject the franchise, start the process over again!

I recommend: There are the three national associations dedicated to franchisees — the International Franchise Association, the American Association of Franchisees & Dealers and the Franchisee Association — that can help you make and negotiate your final decision.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Keep in mind that service franchises tend to be a harder sell among customers than product franchises, and are often harder to support due to their limited size and market.
• •  Beware of franchises that operate corporate units; territory restrictions may apply and oftentimes franchisees end up competing with their corporate counterparts.
• •  Consider the size of potential franchises; very large ones might be extremely saturated, and might not be able to give you the individual attention you need, while very small ones might still be working out the kinks in their system.

Hotel franchises are a great way to get into the hospitality and lodging industry. When you choose hotel franchising instead of attempting to establish a brand new hotel, you will get the advantage of buying into a business that has a commonly recognized name, successful business plan, established connections with vendors and support from the franchise owner.

In addition, the company you will be buying into will already have the major components for operating a hotel or motel and you can take advantage of their experience and expertise. Before you invest in a hotel franchise opportunity, there are several questions you must answer, including:

1. Where are looking for hotel franchises for sale?

2. How many employees will you need to hire and train?

3. Will the hotel franchise provide you with a large amount of profit on an ongoing basis?

4. Are you willing to conform to all the rules and guidelines the franchiser dictates?

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

Researching the realities of starting a hotel franchise

Prior to making an investment into lodging franchise opportunities, it is essential to thoroughly investigate the franchise that is available and its owners. You will want to be certain that the business you purchase will be worth the time it will take to manage. It is also important to know that you can develop a good working relationship with the franchise owner so that you have a mutually beneficial experience. There are companies that research and rate franchise owners to give buyers a better idea of what to expect before they get involved financially.

I recommend: Receive input about potential franchising opportunities in the hotel industry from the Franchise Research Institute. Learn about fair franchising standards from the American Association of Franchisees & Dealers.

Hire a consultant to help you better understand hotel franchise opportunities

Talk to a consultant for advice when you are starting a hotel franchise. They will help you understand every step you must take to get started, whether hotel franchising will be profitable for you and what type of lodging opportunity is right for you.

I recommend: Learn about the hotel franchise opportunities basics from FranNet or MatchPoint.

Track down franchise opportunities in the hotel industry

Once you have decided to purchase a franchise, you will need to determine which opportunity to buy into. Whether you are looking for hotels for sale, motels for sale or an inn with top of the line suites that cater to high dollar customers, you can find the right option for you online.

I recommend: Look into franchises from Wyndham Hotel Group, America's Best Franchising, Choice Hotels International or Hyatt.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Talk to the Better Business Bureau to make sure the owners of any hotel franchises you are interested in have a good business history and clean record.
• •  Find out if franchises are regulated by your state government, and if so, in what ways.
• •  Learn about the hotel franchise opportunities basics from a monetary point of view by talking to a business lawyer who specializes in the franchise industry.