For business owners
Turn the business you built into a system other owners can buy and run. Done right, franchising builds a national brand on franchisees’ capital. Done wrong, it creates expensive problems. Start by finding out if you are ready.
2 minutes
Readiness assessment, answers stay in your browser
23 Items
In the Franchise Disclosure Document
14 days
FDD to a buyer before they sign or pay
14 states
Require registration or a notice before you sell there
Quick answer
Prove the business is profitable and teachable, design a franchise model from real unit economics, have a franchise attorney prepare the FDD and franchise agreement, register in any registration states you will sell in, document operations, then recruit owners with a compliant sales process.
Reviewed October 2026 by the Fransion franchise research team. Sources: FTC Franchise Rule and state franchise laws.
The short version
A franchise sells your system, not your presence. Every sign here asks whether the business works without you.
Are you ready?
Franchising multiplies what already works. If one of these is weak today, fix it first: it is cheaper than fixing it across fifty locations.
01
Enough margin for an owner to pay royalties and still earn a strong return.
02
Results come from processes, not from you standing in the store.
03
Customers in cities that have never heard of you would want it.
04
A name you can trademark and license in every state you sell in.
05
To build a franchisor company alongside the business you run today.
Free tool
Six questions about profit, systems, demand, brand and capital. Answer them here for an indicative score and the next step that fits your business. Your answers never leave your browser.
Want the detail behind each question? See what each question measures.
The seven steps
Every step has an owner. Fransion runs the marketing, our partner FMS Franchise runs development, and your franchise attorney handles the law.
01
Fransion
Unit economics, systems and brand protection, tested before you spend on legal work.
02
FMS Franchise
Fees, royalty, brand fund, territory and term, set from a franchisee’s real numbers.
03
Your attorney
The 23-Item disclosure document and the agreement, from the business information you supply.
04
Your attorney
Registration in any of the 14 registration or notice states you plan to sell in, and any exemption filings.
05
FMS Franchise
The system that makes your results repeatable by someone who has never met you.
06
Fransion
The franchise sales site, candidate funnel and campaigns, aimed only at states where you can sell.
07
Fransion + FMS Franchise
A compliant sales process, with the FDD delivered at least 14 days before anyone signs or pays.
Where to start
Fransion does not provide legal advice: your franchise attorney prepares the FDD and franchise agreement and handles state filings. For the full walkthrough, read how to franchise your business.
The rules
Franchising is regulated before you sell a single unit. This is the short version; your franchise attorney applies it to your business.
Federal: the FTC Franchise Rule
Every franchisor must give a prospective franchisee its Franchise Disclosure Document at least 14 calendar days before they sign a binding agreement or pay any money. The FDD has 23 Items, from fees and the initial investment to litigation history, and Item 21 requires audited financial statements, phased in for new franchisors.
State: registration and filing
These states require registration, or in Michigan a notice filing, before you offer franchises there. Some others, such as Texas, require a one-time exemption filing.
See what applies in every state in the franchise registration states guide.
General information, not legal advice.
What it costs
Costs depend on your concept and the states you sell in, so we estimate them after the readiness review, before you commit. The budget goes to six places.
To offer franchises legally
Fees for the FDD, franchise agreement and state filings.
Paid to
Franchise attorney
Audited financial statements for Item 21, with a phase-in for new franchisors.
Paid to
Independent CPA
Registration and filing fees in the states you plan to sell in.
Paid to
State regulators
Federal registration of your mark.
Paid to
USPTO
To sell and support them
Documenting operations and building the training program.
Paid to
Development partner
Brand, franchise sales website and recruitment campaigns.
Paid to
Fransion
Two real state fees
$1,865
To register a franchise in California, the fee since July 1, 2025.
$25
To file the Texas exemption notice, once.
Sources: California DFPI and Texas Secretary of State Form 2703.
How we estimate
1
2
3
Brand control
Franchising is built to protect brand control. These four controls are designed in from the start, not added after the first sale.
01
Sets the rights, fees, territory and term, and what happens if standards slip.
02
Define how the brand looks, sounds and serves customers in every location.
03
Sets how each unit opens, runs and reports, step by step.
04
Teaches every owner the system before their doors open.
FAQs
Still have a question? Ask a specialist, free and confidential.
It depends on your concept and where you plan to sell. The main costs are attorney fees for the FDD and agreement, audited financial statements, state filing fees, trademark registration, manuals and training, and recruitment marketing. We give you an estimate after the readiness review, before you commit.
It depends on how ready the business is, how long the FDD and audit take, and which states you sell in first. Registration states add review time; California, for example, makes a registration effective on the 30th business day after a complete application.
Not by law. But a second location, or clear evidence the business runs well without you on site, makes the system more credible to candidates and lenders.
A franchise attorney prepares the FDD and franchise agreement and handles state filings. Fransion and our development partner FMS Franchise prepare the business information and manage the rest of the process.
Yes. Many franchisors keep operating their original units alongside the franchise company. Running the franchisor is a second job, though, so plan who manages each.
Sources
Content reviewed October 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Free consultation
No cost and no obligation. A franchise specialist reviews your details and gets back to you.
01
Share a few details
Tell us about your business and what you want to achieve.
02
Speak with a specialist
A call with a franchise specialist about your goals.
03
Get a clear recommendation
An honest view of where you stand and the right next steps.
Prefer email? hello@fransion.com
Keep reading
Guides and tools for business owners weighing franchising, all free.
