Thinking about owning a franchise? Making the smartest decision you can involves more than just looking for information and advice from friends, neighbors, family, and Google. Scrolling through the internet or reading Entrepreneur magazine will only get you so far. And you can’t really tell much about the true strengths and weaknesses of a company from their website or Youtube channel.

So, what’s the best way to do research and due diligence, to figure out if a company is right for you? You owe it to yourself to avoid shortcuts and fully investigate, so you can be sure you’re making an informed, educated decision. That way, you’ll be able to sleep at night!

Working with a franchise consultant who will help educate and guide you is the first step. After I connect you to the franchise companies that fit your profile, you'll jump into the investigation process. Click on the illustration below to view my guide on conducting research the smart way.

The Discovery Process: A step-by-step example